Wheat Belly

[IRescue452]

Too bad I can't stand most grain products at all and I rarely buy them. Just going down the cookie or cracker aisle in the grocery store makes me sick. I don't like bread and I don't like cereal and I can't cook pasta well to save my life. I mostly subsist on baked chicken, fruits, and veggies. Yet I'm gaining weight! I totally suspect I have a certain health problem but have no insurance to get it diagnosed. There's the problem with weight in America, nobody can afford to get their health checked out.

[K9soul]

Sounds like it is more to do with increased simple carbohydrate consumption or overall overconsuming carbohydrates while not expending them with exercise and activity. Pretty much the same thing Atkin's wrote about.

Of course cutting out all products with flour (especially bleached/white flour) would cause weight reduction, but a person can keep those things in their diet with moderation if it is properly balanced with fruits, vegetables, meat or soy. Cutting out sugary softdrinks will do a lot of good in itself.

It seems misleading to put the "bad" label on wheat.

[IRescue452]

You know something I don't understand... why do people confuse grains/wheat with carbohydrates in general? Carbohydrates are just an organic compound containing hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon. They're found in tons of stuff, even meat. Musle meat doesn't store carbs for very long and in high numbers so its often called "carb-free" but yes, there are carbohydrates in it. Fruit too. There's 24 grams of carbs in a banana. There's 13 grams in half a cup of grapes. There's 15 grams in a slice of white bread. So you're better off eating the bread in a low-carb diet than a banana, assuming the carbs are all you're concerned about. I hate when people refer to carbohydrates for grains and starches exclusively.

[dab_20]

You know something I don't understand... why do people confuse grains/wheat with carbohydrates in general? Carbohydrates are just an organic compound containing hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon. They're found in tons of stuff, even meat. Musle meat doesn't store carbs for very long and in high numbers so its often called "carb-free" but yes, there are carbohydrates in it. Fruit too. There's 24 grams of carbs in a banana. There's 13 grams in half a cup of grapes. There's 15 grams in a slice of white bread. So you're better off eating the bread in a low-carb diet than a banana, assuming the carbs are all you're concerned about. I hate when people refer to carbohydrates for grains and starches exclusively.

This is true, anything that contains sugars are carbohydrates. I didn't know that meat contained carbohydrates, though.


And since the Atkin's diet was mentioned; Atkins, or any very low carb, high protein diet, is BAD! If your body does not have appropriate carbohydrates, it has to resort to using protein for energy. This is NOT an ideal energy source and can be very hard on the kidneys!

[K9soul]

And since the Atkin's diet was mentioned; Atkins, or any very low carb, high protein diet, is BAD! If your body does not have appropriate carbohydrates, it has to resort to using protein for energy. This is NOT an ideal energy source and can be very hard on the kidneys!

That's because people don't do it right. If you actually read his book you'd see that he only advises cutting NET carbohydrates (carbohydrates that are left after subtracting fiber from the total amount) strictly for 2 weeks to basically break the body's dependence on them for energy so that you are burning fat and calories instead, and then to add them back until you are at a reasonable level balanced with protein. Everyone's ideal level is different, dependent on lifestyle, age, activity level, and gender. You are only supposed to eat higher protein during the time period that you have cut the carbohydrates low.

Most people don't really read the details about things like Atkin's or South Beach, but that is why they are BOOKS and not a single page. No one tells people to simply go cut out all carbohydrates and eat high protein as a long-term diet.

This Q&A article addresses some of what I mean as well as some common misconceptions: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/0...-carb-dieters/

[Karen]

Too bad I can't stand most grain products at all and I rarely buy them. Just going down the cookie or cracker aisle in the grocery store makes me sick. I don't like bread and I don't like cereal and I can't cook pasta well to save my life. I mostly subsist on baked chicken, fruits, and veggies. Yet I'm gaining weight! I totally suspect I have a certain health problem but have no insurance to get it diagnosed. There's the problem with weight in America, nobody can afford to get their health checked out.

You may have Celiac - so avoiding wheat is a good thing. If you are still gaining weight what you need to do is control your portion size, to cut the number of calories you are taking in. As I stated before, the number of calories put in compared to the number of calories expended in a day are what causes weight gain or loss.

[IRescue452]

Ah but I'm on my feet all day at work doing physical work and putting on the miles. I don't even like to eat and when I do I can't keep up with half the people around me. I eat like a rabbit. I can go all day doing other things besides eating and I only stop to eat when I feel I'm going to pass out. I literally HATE food with a passion. I hate having to spend money on food. I hate having to eat to live. I've been like this since I was a teenager. Some friends suggest my body is trying to keep everything I eat so it has something in it, but that only makes sense short-term. I was down to like 138sometime last year but I'm over 150lbs now and its driving me nuts. Its not like I'm eating any more or exercising any less than last year. I just hate hearing everybody say your weight = your food intake and exercise and nothing else. The health issues I'm concerned about is polycystic ovarian syndrome. I fit the bill and my older sister has it but I have no health care to find out.

[Karen]

Oh, gosh, that's scary. Is there no free clinic you could try nearby? I know I am fortunate in that I have health insurance, but I do pay a lot for it, just cannot do without it. Do you live near any large university or teaching hospital? I hope you can find a way to get both a diagnosis and help.

[dab_20]

Ah but I'm on my feet all day at work doing physical work and putting on the miles. I don't even like to eat and when I do I can't keep up with half the people around me. I eat like a rabbit. I can go all day doing other things besides eating and I only stop to eat when I feel I'm going to pass out. I literally HATE food with a passion. I hate having to spend money on food. I hate having to eat to live. I've been like this since I was a teenager. Some friends suggest my body is trying to keep everything I eat so it has something in it, but that only makes sense short-term. I was down to like 138sometime last year but I'm over 150lbs now and its driving me nuts. Its not like I'm eating any more or exercising any less than last year. I just hate hearing everybody say your weight = your food intake and exercise and nothing else. The health issues I'm concerned about is polycystic ovarian syndrome. I fit the bill and my older sister has it but I have no health care to find out.

I don't know how large a city you live in, but most cities have free clinics, or very cheap, for those who qualify. I would call a clinic or hospital near you and ask them. It really sounds like you need to be checked out!