Give Up Carbs

Cutting some carbs from your diet may help you lose weight and reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease. On the other hand, some types of carbs are good for you and shouldn’t be completely eliminated. Carbs are found in foods and beverages you might not expect, but with careful planning you can avoid many carbs. Start by weaning yourself off of added sugar, then decrease your intake of processed carbs, and continue to eat appropriately to get all the nutrients you need.

Steps

Giving Up Sugar

1. Stay away from sweets. A lot of sugar in your diet comes from sweets – ice cream, cakes, pies, candy, soda, juice, sports drinks, and sweetened coffee or tea. Stay away from anything that tastes overly sweet, that contains honey or molasses, or that lists sugar in the ingredients. This can be a big challenge for people. Exchange your current dessert option for a lower-sugar fruit, or start by decreasing your portions of sweets.
2. Try alternatives to dairy. Sugar is also found in less obvious places like fruit and dairy. Avoid milk sugars by replacing cow’s milk with unsweetened soy or almond milk.
3. Minimize your fruit sugars. A healthy diet should include fresh fruits, so don’t fully avoid eating fruit. Choose fruits that are lower in fructose (fruit sugar) than others, such as blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, and citrus.
   • Stay away from fruit juice and dried fruit.
4. Don’t drink alcohol. Stop drinking alcohol altogether or drink it only in very small amounts, such as one serving (5 oz. of wine, 12 oz. of beer, or 1.5 oz. of liquor) a week. Alcohol contains a lot of sugar. If you’ve been drinking and feel like you need help to quit, talk to your doctor.
   • Drink unsweetened tea or water flavored with citrus instead.
5. Check ingredients lists for sugary additives. Avoid any product that contains high-fructose corn syrup. This is found in many products and is very high in sugar. Stay away from products containing any of these other high-sugar additives, as well:
   • Fructose
   • Crystalline fructose
   • Honey

Decreasing Your Intake of Complex Carbs

1. Eat fewer starches. Bread and pasta are starches that are high in complex carbohydrates. Complex carbs are better for you than sugary simple carbs, but you can still minimize them in your diet. Decrease your portion sizes of bread, pasta, rice, and grains. This includes whole grain products. Replace these in your diet with foods that are lower in starch, such as lentils and vegetables.
2. Eat non-tuber vegetables. Most vegetables are a healthy part of a balanced diet, but tuber vegetables contain a lot of starch and should be avoided if you want to give up carbs. Stay away from veggies that grow underground, such as:
   • Potatoes
   • Carrots
   • Radishes
   • Beets
   • Parsnips
   • Turnips
3. Choose non-starchy fiber sources. Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that helps your digestive tract stay healthy. Don’t cut fiber from your diet, but do opt for less starchy sources of fiber. For example, you should only have small portions of beans or lentils and eat minimal wholegrain breads and pastas. However, you should eat plenty of non-starchy vegetables, such as leafy greens, zucchini, peppers, and eggplant.
   • Nuts are also a good source of fiber.
   • Keep in mind that men need 38 g of fiber per day and women need 25 g of fiber per day.

Cutting Out Carbs Safely and Comfortably

1. Talk to your doctor before changing your diet. If you’re planning on drastically changing how you eat, talk to your doctor about it first. Schedule a visit for a physical exam, and tell them you want to eat fewer carbohydrates in your diet. They will ask you about your family history, any medical problems you have, and what medications you take.
   • Ask if there’s anything you need to avoid in order to stay safe. Say something like, “Is there anything I should know about my diet, exercise, or medicine while I make this change?”
2. Work with a dietitian. Ask your doctor if you should see a dietician – if so, they can refer you to one. A dietitian can help you make meal plans, wean of off carbs slowly, and ensure that you get enough nutrients from the other foods that you eat. They may also tell you if giving up carbs is a bad idea for you based on your medical history.
   • Work with a licensed professional.
3. Check labels. Get into the habit of reading the nutritional information labels before you buy foods. This will tell you how many carbs are in the food and you can use this information to help you decide whether or not it is something you want to eat.
4. Eat at least 20 grams of carbs a day. A low-carb diet is appropriate for some, but no one should attempt a no-carb diet – your body needs some carbohydrates to function properly. Eat at least 20 grams of carbs every day so that your body doesn’t go into Increase Ketosis – a process that can cause nausea, headache, bad breath, and worse.
5. Wean off of carbs slowly. Giving up all carbohydrates at once would be a big shock to your body and may cause some unpleasant side effects. Eliminate carbs slowly, starting with simple sugars. Then decrease the amounts of added sugars and processed starches you eat. This will also give you time to learn how to prepare low-carb meals.
   • Eliminating carbs too quickly can cause side effects like headache, bad breath, fatigue, weakness, diarrhea, or constipation.
6. Make sure you get enough calcium in your diet. Dairy contains a lot of calcium that your body needs. Eat enough calcium in your diet with non-dairy alternatives like sesame seeds, chia seeds, sardines, canned salmon, beans, lentils, almonds, spinach, kale, rhubarb, and tofu.
7. Manage your portion sizes. Fiber helps you feel full and not overeat. Avoid overeating when you decrease your fiber intake by controlling the size of your portions. Try keeping a food journal. Write down everything that you eat so you’re aware of your portions.
8. Handle your carb cravings. You may have strong cravings for carbs, especially sugar. These will go away over time. Handle cravings by keeping non-carb snacks around such as nuts and seeds. It may help to gradually reduce your sugar intake – for instance, replace chocolate with bananas as a treat, then eventually stop eating bananas.

Tips

• Low-carbohydrate diets may help you lose weight in the short-term, but may have only minimal benefits for weight loss after a year. The healthiest weight-loss diets are well-rounded, focus on calorie restriction, and are combined with healthy lifestyle choices like daily exercise.

Warnings

• Carbohydrates are usually the main source of energy in most balanced diets, and provide a lot of nutrients that you need. Be sure to get all the vitamins and minerals you need from other foods. Work with a professional dietitian if you don’t know how.
• Do not put a child or teenager on a low or no-carb diet. Kids and adolescents need carbohydrates to grow.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Give Up Dairy Products
• Talk to Your Parents About Their Diet
• Eat Properly
• Burn Fat
• Eat Healthy and Exercise
• Get the Most Effective Diet
• Create a Kidney Diet to Reverse Chronic Kidney Disease
• Improve Hair and Nails Through Your Diet
• Cleanse Your Body Naturally
• Cleanse the Liver

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