All "white" carbs....white sugar, white flour, white bread, white rice, whtie potatoes....and certainly white pasta.
Keep the whole grains stuff.....and of course cut out all soda pop, candy, pop tarts, twinkies, dough nuts, oreos and other junk foods.

Cut all pasta, the non-white stuff is only marginally more healthy.

Cut out white bread and go for whole grain. Small quantities too. You can lose weight and eat pasta - just measure the quantities. Most of us just eat too much. Have a look at a diet like weightwatchers - you can see sample menus for free and you'll get some guidelines.

Don't cut anything yet. Impossible to recommend anything without taking into account the problems you mentioned. Better consult a dietitian, or at least specify what your problems are.

Cutting carbs has nothing to do with maintaining protein. You can cut all carbs and still have protein.

Before you start cutting out specific food groups, consult a licensed dietician. Then increase your exercise, it will do more for losing weight than any diet. Dietary changes, unless they are for the rest of your life, will only give you a quick weight loss that will eventually come back.

IMO, better to focus on the carbs you DO want: complex carbohydrates like fresh fruits & veggies, whole grains, & cut way back on almost all sugars. Our bodies do need carbohydrates to function properly.

& I do not agree that potatoes belong in the same group as refined flours & sugars - unless you're talking about instant mashed potatoes & other highly processed forms.

Arkansas Girl, phytates in whole grains inhibit absorption of iron, so using white rice in combination with iron-rich foods is better for anemic people like myself, for instance.

In some food combinations you sometimes need to substitute a more nutritious version of some food with a less nutritious version of that same food in order to get maximum benefit from another nutritious food, which you're more in need of. Never say never.

Well there is a whole group of physicians that believe that we should not eat grains at all. I tend to lean toward that way of thinking. Whole grains don't agree with my digestive system at all!

I agree with all of the above...cut sugar and do not use artificial sweeteners except stevia. Even at that, limit usage. There is some evidence of a link between artificial sweeteners and weight gain, though more study is needed and the exact mechanism(s) are not yet understood.

Look for hidden sugars and cut them out too. For example, a tablespoon of ketchup has more sugar in it than a milano cookie. They add sugar to peanut butter, tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, fruit yogurt, salad dressings, granola bars, fruit juices, etc. Learn to read labels and look for total carbs minus the dietary fiber as a gauge of how many carbs you're eating. Also look at grams of sugar added. 4 grams = 1 tsp sugar. Become a fiend about reading labels. That's the best way of determining what's in the food (be wary of anything ingredient ending in "ose" such as fructose....it's all sugar).

Try to eat your calories, not drink them. Also be wary of fancy coffees. A plain black coffee has 0 calories and 0 added sugar. A Starbucks 16 oz. Caffe Vanilla Frappuccino blended coffee has 69g of sugar and 400 calories, over 17 tsp of sugar! At a 1200 calorie a day diet, that's an entire meal's calories.

Another way to cut the carbs is pay attention to portions. Portions have gone out of this world. A single 4 oz. bagel is 4 servings of bread. An english muffin is 2 servings of bread.

Also, while people tend to lump fruits and vegetables together, they are far from equivalent. Yes fruits are healthy with lots of good things in them, and they are better than eating white flour with sugar, but they are not carb free. And some fruits are higher in sugars (like grapes) than others (like strawberries). So make sure you're eating a lot of vegetables, hopefully at least one serving at every meal, including breakfast. Distinguish between starchy vegetables that are higher in carbs (winter squash, corn, peas, potatoes) than non-starchy (green beans, greens, zucchini and yellow squash, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower). The non-starchy can be unlimited in your diet, but you want to limit the starchy vegetables.

I gave up bread, potatoes, pasta, rice and sugar 2 -3 years ago. I didn't have much weight to lose, 10 lbs or so, it dropped off and I have maintained my weight right where I want it to be. What and how much you eat plays a bigger role in your weight than exercise.

Dropping the white carbs works quickly for me, if I give up most fruit as well. I quickly lose muscle mass with the fat though, so strength training and not going too nuts on cardio are important for my balance. The one time I strictly dieted without exercise people told me I looked awful and begged me to stop.

Get some real information and advice on a low carb board. There's some really bad advice and info on this thread. Include your medical info when you do so people can give you informed opinions.

Lowcarber dot org

lowcarbfriends dot com

I am so glad to hear your comments because I face so many problems. We live in a very small community and when I ended up in the hospital with the anemia problems and sodium problems, they had the dietitian come in to talk to me. After her visit, the most I got out of it was "don't eat in any fast food places". and just learn to do your own cooking. I do go out with a lot of friends and am learning what I can and what I cannot tolerate.One of my friends said she had taken the diabetes course five times and she still did not feel that she had been sufficiently helped, so there are others who are having problems also. I'm learning but new things keep popping up. Barb

Well, there is the Michael Pollan advice which is the simplest of all: eat real food, eat mostly plants, don't eat too much.

Barb, I can really identify with your description of advice from the hospital. When my husband was in ICU for 9 days due to congestive heart failure, he was told to go on a low sodium diet. Like your friend, we took the class for managing CHF. It was similar -- don't use canned soups or highly processed foods and use a lot of lemon juice. It was very disconcerting to have been given a food restriction but not any usable advice on how to manage it.

My husband has been a diabetic for years, was sent to a dietitian, but all he was ever told was to avoid sugar. Last year his diabetes worsened & he was sent to a diabetic doctor who told him to avoid carbs. Just doing that has improved his health tremendously. I had looked through books & on the internet & basically told him the same thing, but he had to hear it from a doctor to take it seriously.

Barb, I sympathize and would like to offer some wisdom if I could.

While I know nothing about your individual health issues, I do know quite a lot about restricting carbs. Try to restrict them to no more than 20-25 in a meal and less than 100 per day. I would try and skip anything white including potatoes. Berries are the fruit with the least amount of carbs. If it's possible in your small town, try to eat them year round.

Moderately include starchy veggies ( as mentioned above) and try to include protein in every meal. I find it easiest to lose weight when I stick to fish and fowl, but I do not suffer from anemia either.

Right now I'm living a strict Paleo lifestyle and it's easier for me to cut out the carbs. However make sure to include fat in your diet with olive oil, coconut oil, olives, nuts and avocado. It will help you to feel fuller and more satisfied.

When dining out, beware of sodium. So many of our meats ( especially chickens) are "enhanced" with sodium solutions, it's frightening. Just try to ask questions and make informed choices. Vinegars and lemon juice are good salad dressings and you save calories and sodium when choosing them.

Take a look at the Paleo diet online to see if you can adapt it to your life. It is healthy and it makes me feel better.

You might look at the Schwarzbein Principle. She was an endo working with diabetic patients and came up with a diet that is very simple to follow, restricts carbs, includes lots of protein, focuses on real foods and emphasizes vegetables.

Simple. If it's not a protein or a fat, it is a carb. As Annie said, watch out for ketchup. It's easy to know what to eat but hard to do. Eat protein. Go eat another piece of Swiss cheese.

No bread of any kind. Just no more bread. Up to you, barb.

The only ketchup I have found with no added sugar is Westbrae Natural. For mayonnaise, Duke's has no sugar. It amazes me that virtually every prepared food in the supermarket has added sugar. Sugar in hot Italian sausage? Really? What's the point? No sugar in Wasa though. I have been off sugar for so long I really do not like the taste. But, it is really difficult to avoid without avoiding almost all prepared foods, which is what I do.

The Wheat Belly diet is similar to the Paleo diet, but you can have dairy on Wheat Belly. And rice occasionally. Both diets are basically cutting out sugar and carbohydrates.

Since you state you have multiple health problems that you are dealing with, it is hard to give too much advice on carbs alone. Sometimes, some people cut out carbs and compensate with too much protein putting a strain on their kidneys. Every single body reacts differently to what goes into it and thus all food needs to be evaluated based on the context of your own body. If somebody makes a lot of kidney stones, it does not matter how healthy greens are, they should stay away from them. My daughter is a type 1 diabetic (needs insulin) and these are the steps we have taken to help figure out the whole food thing for her:

1. Get a nutrition book or app or whatever. We use the Calorie King book. It lists individual ingredients and restaurant meals, etc. including the portion size, sodium content, and carb count. If we have a question on an ingredient where this information is not available, we can look in the book (for instance, bulk grains like quinoa, rice, etc. and fruits and vegetables).

2. Keep a food diary/journal. Since my daughter checks her blood sugar every single meal and snack, it helps us to see how her body reacted to certain foods. Whole grains have wonderful nutritional benefits, but some of them are still loaded with carbs and if you are watching total consumption of carbs, then it is important to know how your body is responding to them. My daughter just keeps track of how the foods affect her blood sugars but if she were having other symptoms (indigestion, gas, headaches, etc) we would use this to track any problems and look for correlations.

Also note how your body reacts during certain times to foods as well. If sick or stressed, some foods that are marginal for you when you are well, may need to be eliminated while your body heals. Also pay attention to the different sicknesses, what you need with a respiratory problem differs from those that affect the digestive system.

3. Precise portion control. It is easy to think that one knows what 1/2 cup looks like but it is far easier to get that wrong. We strictly measure those things that have a lot of carbs or where people are more likely to cheat. Ice cream is served in strict 1/2 cup portions and we know it is half a cup because we shove it into a measuring cup. Milk and cereal are measured as well (which also keeps teenagers from downing half a box in a sitting). Most vegetables we serve in unlimited quantities (exceptions being peas, sweet potatoes and potatoes, and corn, just because these need insulin).

4. She has no liquid carbs unless her blood sugar is low. This means no regular pancake syrup or maple syrup, soda or fruit juice of any kind. Not even orange juice. Also, no sweet tea, lemonade, etc. Milk is mostly only with cereal or a tiny bit in coffee (limited). Others may not need be as strict about juice or milk but it amazes when I look at the carb content of juices, it is pretty surprising. Other areas to watch for carbs is alcohol (not a concern for my 15 year old yet but something I certainly think about).

Using this approach, it makes it easier for my daughter to make informed decisions. There are times when one is faced with food where nothing is perfect but this can mean making the best decision possible in the situation. It also helps when "alternative" health information is presented to weed through the information. Some claim that certain sweeteners are better (like agave or maple syrup, etc) but we find it matters little, she still has to take insulin for them.

Good luck in navigating the food maze.

Anything alcoholic, don't touch.

dcarch

Because you have certain health issues, you don't want to exacerbate these by shifting rapidly to a diet that could do you some harm. You should really consult your physician --- anemia and sodium level issues (and any associated kidney issues) can quickly spiral out of control or be worsened. Even then, you may want to seek out other information sources on your particular ailment.

Barb please message me through the CF . I will hook you up with someone who has her masters in nutrition.

How do I message you, compumom. Can't drive out of town, however. Thanks. Barb

Click on my name COMPUMOM and it will take you to my page. Across the top under the photo of the camellia, there are links. One is for messages. Please send me your email and I'll connect you with her. She's offered to have you connect with her via email. It won't be a face to face meeting. No driving involved!

The idea of avoiding liquid sugars is pretty good general advice. I am having to train myself to drink only water and sugarless flavored soda water. I had to train myself to drink skim milk, at first I couldn't do it but by forcing myself to do it enough times I got used to the skim milk and also stopped craving sweet drinks. I am a firm believer that artificial sweetners, (particularly aspartame but nutrasweet as well) are very bad for our health! I am working hard to wean myself off the sugary drinks. I love wine, gingerale, citrus juices, etc. But I'd rather be able to keep a healthy weight and these drinks are my undoing! I eat some whole grains and fruit in moderation but have cut way down. I try to eat a lot of soups and salads that are full of veggies (as opposed to the creamy stuff). That really helps fill me up. I am also trying to train myself to snack on fruits and raw vegetables. You have to set your mind to it and tell yourself that you need to do this for you, so you can feel better!

Smart thinking, lpink, but it surely takes a lot of will power. I have so many things I have to be careful of. I, too have gone to strictly water. No sweetener except stevia. I have to be careful of a lot of raw veggies but seem to handle fruit well except have had a lot of trouble with tomatoes this summer. Barb

IME, once you wean yourself off the carbs, especially the mostly empty ones in white bread, cake, cookies, etc., it takes surprisingly little will power to stay on the straight and narrow. In my case, it was those carbs that made me hungry or, at least, made me think that I was hungry.

Just be aware that one cup of milk contains 3 teaspoons of sugar. So it is not a low-carb drink.

To add to what Annie said, if my daughter needs to raise her blood sugar, milk is one of the best things for her to drink, since it can raise the blood sugar quickly. For many people, it may not matter, but if someone is watching sugar spikes, milk may be something they wish to avoid.

Actually I am so touchy about lactose in my old age that I no longer drink any milk. I was just using that as an example, it was something I did when I was younger. Cilantro's example about weaning yourself from carbs is another one. My most recent example is weaning myself from sugar soda. I love the stuff, but I am training myself to drink and enjoy the flavored zero sugar stuff, the brand I drink is called La Croix. I am getting so I actually enjoy it. Once you get over the hump of the weaning/craving, it becomes much easier. Also, as far as the self discipline thing goes, much easier to tell yourself how wonderful and healthy the things are that you can eat, rather than pine away for what you can't.

I ate a lot of raw baby carrots when I started the process. Though carrots aren't strictly low carb, they satisfied the craving for sweets and all that chewing kept me busy!

Name of a good , satisfying veggie dip for things like carrots, and some celery

Combine roughly equal parts of mayo & sour cream and add herbs of your choice. I like either dill or tarragon and like to slightly sweeten with a touch of stevia.

I am needing to find some substitutes for breakfast . I have found that I can't tolerate the yogurt, have to be careful of eggs every day, no breakfast sodium stuff and no bread. Only drink lactose free milk. Right now it is steel=cut oats with frozen berries. I have gotten some books and am studying them. I am weaning myself off of a lot of stuff. Maybe too much at one time. Barb

No such thing as cutting carbs too fast- there is no essential requirement for carbs, only for fats and protein. Steel cut oats are really high carb.

No egg low carb breakfasts:

https://draxe.com/low-carb-breakfasts/

https://www.lowcarblab.com/low-carb-breakfast-recipes/

http://healthylivinginbodyandmind.com/35-egg-free-paleo-and-low-carb-breakfast-recipes/

Also, there is no law that says you must eat "breakfast food" for breakfast. I follow the whole30 meal template and eat dinner leftovers in the morning.

Based on your posts, you don't seem to have a real understanding of what low carb is. I recommend choosing a low carb plan And following it until you really understand low carb eating. The most basic would be Atkins (the early one- referred to as Atkins 72.) You should be able to pick up a used copy for just a few bucks.

Barb, Have you tried smoothies for breakfast, especially with spinach or kale added? If you bake, there are quite a few gluten-free, low carb recipes out there using almond flour or coconut flour. Unfortunately, those that use coconut flour often have a lot of eggs. I have also have a recipe for a breakfast bread made from almond butter and has raisins. It is quite filling. If you need the recipe for that, let me know. Also, quinoa makes a nice breakfast too. Here is a recipe for warm and nutty cinnamon quinoa. It is a breakfast I quite enjoy.