Bread 'adiction'

[ClaudiaLove]

Hello ,

So my problem is that I enjoy bread too much , like I can't live without it . Even now , all I am thinking about is eating some
And when I start eating , I eat a lot , especially the French one , with butter /honey/chocolate/milk , I just can't have enough .

It wasn't a problem when I lived as a 'boy' , as I used to train a lot , and also testosterone regulated my metabolism .
Now , I don't train too much (almost at all , I would go running , but I am worried about my legs shape , already way to masculine , with visible muscles ) ,  so I am worried that I will gain a lot of weight , especially now that I am considering loosing some . I am not fat at all at the moment , but I really need to get rid of some muscular tissue  and overall some body mass .

[LordKAT]

change full out running to walking jogging for a while. The muscle will stay toned but not gain and under HRT, even change.

[DriftingCrow]

You can try making gluten-free bread which might be less fattening. My sister went gluten free and she said she has success making bread out of stuff like almond meal.

[big kim]

I found bread gave me IBS,cutting it back to almost zero helped I also lost 56lb.

[Jamie D]

Claudia, bread is an integral part of meals in many cultures.  As I recall, you are in France, and that is certainly the case.

The main problem with bread, from a health perspective, is that most breads rate very high on the glycemic index, due to their readily digestible carbohydrates.  There are some flourless breads and sprouted grain breads that are better for you.

It was difficult for me to eliminate bread from my diet, but I have been able to greatly cut back.  I have type 2 diabetes - you don't want to end up like me.

[Oriah]

breads tend to be high in phytic acid too, which is a pretty strong anti-nutrient

[ClaudiaLove]

I got some higher than average  values at some glycemic tests I did in the past , and my father and his relatives have or are very close to get diabetes , so I may have a genetic predisposition . I would like to cut off the bread , and lately I did reduce it a lot  , especially that I want to loose a few kilos , but I get a bad mood if I am not eating it . I could eat only bread and would be fine , but if I don't have bread at every meal I get depressed , tired and even grumpy .And I don't think it is only about the carbohydrates in it , it is something about the texture / taste that is keeping me addicted . Sometimes I can eat rice instead of bread and it seems that is working , but when I am on the move I need something 'bready' like croissants or pain-au-lait .
It is interesting that my mom never ate bread since I know her , and now I could follow her steps .
Lately I had a lot of changes in my life , including in the basics - the things that seemed to define me , so I guess in this personal revolution I could force some nutritional changes too .

[Jamie D]

I got some higher than average  values at some glycemic tests I did in the past , and my father and his relatives have or are very close to get diabetes , so I may have a genetic predisposition . I would like to cut off the bread , and lately I did reduce it a lot  , especially that I want to loose a few kilos , but I get a bad mood if I am not eating it . I could eat only bread and would be fine , but if I don't have bread at every meal I get depressed , tired and even grumpy .And I don't think it is only about the carbohydrates in it , it is something about the texture / taste that is keeping me addicted . Sometimes I can eat rice instead of bread and it seems that is working , but when I am on the move I need something 'bready' like croissants or pain-au-lait .
It is interesting that my mom never ate bread since I know her , and now I could follow her steps .
Lately I had a lot of changes in my life , including in the basics - the things that seemed to define me , so I guess in this personal revolution I could force some nutritional changes too .

Here is a little "rule of thumb" that will help you with your diet.  If you have an option, avoid "white"

Instead of white bread, try a whole grain wheat brown bread
Instead of white rice, use brown rice
Instead of white potatoes, use red potatoes, or even yams
Instead of cake, have a vegetable bread, such as carrot or zucchini bread

Little changes can add up to big results. 

[Felix]

I love bread and don't want to see the problem with it, but agree with the advice to avoid white breads. Also with the advice to walk a lot. You can get in fantastic shape without looking hard or bulky by walking. Cycling is good too if you get to the point where your legs are slimmer or less visible. I found it was a fast way to stay feeling healthy while looking mostly feminine.

I eat whatever I want, but before testosterone I was thin and never wiry. In the back of my head I angled toward more color and more texture in foods, and more movement and good breathing and water. Estrogen seems to bring a lot more cravings and emotion-connected eating, but if you try to kinda always make what you eat a tiny bit healthier, it adds up without being a specific "diet" or involving a lot of suffering. And you don't have to worry as much about the kinds of exercise that make you not soft enough.

I like being fat or muscley now, but I did spend most of my life really wanting to be a real woman, and the correct kind of body seemed like a part of it.

Sprouted breads were mentioned. Those are expensive but tasty and worth trying.

[ClaudiaLove]

So a little time ago I was so depressed that I cracked and ate an entire bag of 'American Sandwich ' bread   
I don't even know where it goes , it was like 825 grams of bread plus some milk I drank  It seems that I am some kind of  black hole , although I am not fat at all . Anyway , I am still in a deep depression , so who knows maybe I will even start another bag with some chocolate cream 

[LivingInGrey]

I've noticed that I eat a lot of grain, but I try as much as possible to keep it down to whole grains like 8 grain wheat bread.

My problem is with other starches like potatoes and Jasmine rice. Those types of carbs just seem to shut down my brain at first sniff and by time I come out of my food induced trance I've already put back thousands of calories worth of food.

Nothing like red potatoes in butter and herbs and... ... brb... NO... MUST RESIST!!!

[Polo]

Anyone heard of the book Wheat Belly?  It's written by a very well known doctor, and is covered here on the Dr. Oz show:

http://www.doctoroz.com/episode/wheat-belly-diet-lose-wheat-lose-weight

There is a lot of research on the health risks of grains and specifically wheat, but this sums it up very well in a very understandable form.

[VeryGnawty]

breads tend to be high in phytic acid too, which is a pretty strong anti-nutrient

Except that recent research has shown that phytic acid is actually healthy.

[ClaudiaLove]

Except that recent research has shown that phytic acid is actually healthy.

  Hello ,

  Could you tell me more about this  ? To be honest I learnt very recently about the Phytic Acid and I am very caution on the foods I eat  .  I tried to avoid bread since earlier , and with a few exceptions , I didn't eat bread in three months  , but now I avoid basically all nuts , seeds and grains  .
  I crave for peanut butter , but I only eat it rarely , also I gave up beans , lentils , rice , soy , cocoa , and many others foods .  I still have a healthy diet , at least that is what I think , but I miss many foods .
  Sometime I use methods like soaking for walnuts , beans , and lentils , and I eat them , but I am very self conscious about it , they are more like comfort foods now , only for very depressing bouts  .
 

[whatismylife]

if you're eating enough bread to be worried about your caloric intake, just do more cardio to balance it out.

i'm not sure how people think you'll gain muscle doing cardio.  you will a LITTLE bit at first if you are an inactive person taking up the activity for the first time, but it really should be pretty minimal and the tiny amount of muscle gain should plateau pretty quickly.  unless maybe if you're doing high intensity cardio or sprinting which can add a bit more muscle, or if you're doing a lot of cycling which can add mass and pump the legs up a bit.

[morganFW]

I make my own breads (usually quickbreads for convenience) that way I control the ingredients, I use no sugars and I use whole grains (if I need sweetness I add fruit or raisins). I do limit my bread intake and I carb cycle. I love bread lol...
I would say just be aware of how much you eat and don't over do it. I eat eat bread on my high carb days before working out...other than that I get my carbs from veggies. I recommend being mindful of your eating habits, and watch your portion size.

[tuuliu]

Mmm... white bread...

It's like cookies or cake, really. I was addicted to chocolate, cookies, other white carbs and sugars earlier and I still would be if I let myself have them. While I succeeded in dropping those after the summer, I still have a craving for white bread or croissants and such every now and then. I mostly do full-grain, and sometimes rye bread, but sometimes it's not enough. Mostly when I'm tired and/or feeling lonely. So I let myself have it.

As for the health risks for grains I find it hard to believe as a farmer's child. My grandpa lived a healthy life over 90 years eating his daily porridge and bread at every meal with a good share of dairy products. Maybe that's dodging statistics but I'll keep my family habits.

[Kylo]

Yeah, bread is great. When on low carb diets I can end up having dreams about eating it.

Carbs are addictive in general, as are salts and fats. It's very difficult to give them up. About the only thing that worked for me was making interesting/tasty food that was filling but that was not stuff like bread. A distraction in other words.

[CindyLouFromCO]

I try to stay around 15 to 25 grams of carbs a day.

I love bread!  So I found Fathead bread.

It's amazing and each serving/portion is about 3 to 5 net carbs.

Here is my favorite recipe.  It's quick simple and easy.  Google to find other variations.

Pre heat oven to 425

Grease with pam or whatever you like a cooking sheet

Next mix these three ingredients together
1 and 3/4 cup of graded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup of Almond flour.  I get mine at Walmart as they have the cheapest for volume
2 Table Spoons of Sour Cream

Lightly toss these together in a bowl. 
Put in the microwave and nuke for 1 min.

Mix them up more and then nuke for 30 seconds

Now add
1 egg
1 teaspoon of baking powder

Mix it all up well.

Make doe balls and plop them on the tray.  Flatten them out a tad bit.

This dough is a bit wet.  But cooks up great.  You should get about 6 buns out of this recipe.

Oh depending on your oven cook time is usually 12 to 15 minutes.  You can just look at them.  When they get golden brown on top they should be done.

I use the buns for breakfast sandwiches, eggs, cheese and bacon.  And for sandwiches.

I also like to make Calzones and bagels.  THere are Fathead Pizza recipes also.

I do run, and my legs still lost the male muscle look.  My legs stay very feminine.  I only run 3 to 5 miles a day 4 to 5 days a week though.  I trail run because the pavement kills my knees and other parts of my body.