Help! I am addicted to carbs.

[Anonymous]

There, I said it - and crappy carbs, too. I'm 7 months post-partum from DC #2 and the weight is not coming off like it did the first time. I know exactly why, but I just can't seem to pull myself out of this rut. I find myself eating a lot of carbs, and mindlessly snacking on things. I also get cravings for sweets after lunch and dinner, which lead me to do things like eat candy at the office or ice cream at home. Every day. Compounding this is the fact that I'm still nursing, so I'm legitimately starving a lot of the time, and I am pumping at work during the time I used to work out. I guess I should be happy that the nursing is at least keeping me from gaining a ton of weight!

I need a complete diet overhaul, but I need to eat enough (of the right foods) that I'm not hungry all the time. How can I wean myself off of all the sweet stuff and the mindless snacky stuff (think baked chips, pretzels, animal crackers....) and replace them with foods that will keep me full and be better for me (and hopefully get some of the weight to start coming off slowly)?

[Anonymous]

Meal planning, not bringing junk food into the house, and having easy, healthy snacks readily available is what helps me. Easier said than done. But keep some healthier snacks like nuts in the office for when hunger strikes.

[Anonymous]

I found South Beach diet really useful. You don't have to be crazy about it (e.g., keep fruit) but the two week routine really kicked the sweet tooth and snacking habits. And with no real portion size restrictions and frequent meals, it isn't an exercise in total self control or starvation (which gets me nowhere)

[Anonymous]

I agree with 8:42. When sugar and carbs start creeping back into my diet, the best thing to do is a) more water, b) more fruit, and c) more fiber. You can address b & c with raspberries. They taste awesome and have a ton of fiber. Great for mindless snacking too. Bananas are also good.

[Anonymous]

Don't buy anything you shouldn't be eating. If you must buy crap, buy something you don't really like/won't overeat. I don't buy the soda I like, I don't buy potato chips, etc. If I have to have something terrible, I buy a single serving size.

[Anonymous]

Another vote for south beach, it will get you over the craving for carbs. But since you are nursing you need lots of calories
I also live by the rule if I don't need to be eating it I don't bring it into the house-ice cream, cookies, all that sugary stuff that we will eat non stop till its gone

[Anonymous]

I'm a big carb eater too and so the no carb diets never workRked for me. Instead I use myfitnesspal to count calories (there are other apps and websites that do this) and I still eat bread and pasta and have lost the 10 pounds I put on over the winter (I'm almost 40 and I thin my metabolism slowed plus I was drinking too much wine at night). For me, once I was past the first couple of weeks I allowed myself some treats hEre and there and for me comPlete denial would make the weight loss unbearable. However this worked for weight gain unrelated to babies. For my post partum weight I had to wait until I was done breast feeding to loose it. For me my body kept hold of the last 10 pounds until I was done nursing.

[Anonymous]

At mealtime, fill up your stomach with fiber, vegetables, fruit, and water. If there's any room left, you can eat the carbs. Don't make yourself miserable by denying what you love to eat. Just do it in moderation.

[Anonymous]

To echo PPs: Drink more water, eat fruit instead of sweets, load up on veggies & protein. Do not bring any junk food into the house. Establish a zero tolerance policy and make your DH abide by it as well.

[Anonymous]

11:02 again. Also, when I was nursing I just ate more quantities of the above food. Avoided junk food like the plague and the following thought helped me stay disciplined: My LO will absorb all of this crap through my milk.

[Anonymous]

Snacks of carbs make me hungrier than snacks of cheese, veggies and humus, and the like. I have to go cold turkey on the carbs for a few days and then I realize that I'm almost addicted in a weird way to them. I don't have "cravings" when I'm not eating carbs. I'm just hungry or not hungry.

[Anonymous]

Check out Dr. McDougall and eat all the good starches you want for the rest of your life.

[Anonymous]

I'm a big carb addict. And I have found that by trying to avoid them or denying myself, it just makes me want them more. The cravings can be unbearable.

What has worked for me is trying to keep busy, plan my meals ahead of time, and lots of exercise. I've found that most of my carb addiction is really anxiety-based, and when that's under control, so is my eating.