Thoughts on wheat.

21.09

Courgettes

Is it passé to be cutting out carbs? I feel like it’s considered passé. So last season. So Atkins.

I don’t know, but I’m doing it, and I am a total and utter, sing it from the rooftops, let’s start a new religion called ‘Just Wine and No Bread for Me Thanks’, convert. I was concerned that maybe the subject of low carb and low wheat diets has been done to death, but since Cider with Rosie is supposed to be a representation of the loves of my life, and right now I’m totally loving not having an extra three inches of bloat round my waist after every meal, I could probably justify writing about it.

I decided to make some changes to my diet a few weeks ago, since I was unhappy with a few aspects of my physique. I’d been working out daily for months, and though I could feel the muscle tone developing in my body I could barely *see* any difference at all. I was also just so tired of feeling as though there was a rock sitting heavy in my stomach after every meal I ate, and of constantly feeling bloated, and of tutting every time I looked at a photo of myself (which is pretty much every day since I got into this blogging lark!) and of the extra couple of pounds I’ve carried on my stomach for as long as I can remember.

Ripe-pear

Courgette-ribbons

Here’s a little snapshot of what my diet looked like before I started reducing my wheat/carb intake, vs. how it looks now:

Breakfast //
Before: Two pieces of toast (usually white) with Lurpak light spreadable butter (plenty of it) and another spread. Peanut butter, nutella, sometimes jam.
Now: Porridge made with skimmed milk (I only ever drink skimmed, so this isn’t a dietary choice so much as a personal preference) and topped with compote/dried fruit and nuts/fresh fruit and a scant drizzle of honey, or natural yoghurt and fruit.

Lunch //
Before: A sandwich, or jazzed up leftovers from the previous night’s dinner, or toast.
Now: Usually made up of some of the following- kale, sliced apples, lettuce, grilled vegetables, lentils, couscous, feta/cheddar cheese, hard boiled egg (sometimes with a little mayo) on just one slice of wholegrain & seeded toast (I only eat this when we’re having something carb-free for dinner), and/or fruit.

Dinner //
Before: A plentiful (read: WHOPPER) helping of pasta/risotto/noodles + teriyaki something/pie/salads/homemade or shop-bought pizza/some sort of meat+potatoes+vegetables dish.
Now: I still eat pretty much the same meals for dinner that I did before (though I now cook a heavily carb-based meal only once or twice per week) but work on the basis of serving myself up a portion around half the size of what I would’ve served myself up before. This means that I don’t have to cook separate meals for Jason and I, but still allows me to dramatically reduce the amount of wheat I consume. I’ve also been experimenting with faux-carbs like cauliflower rice, added into stir fries and the like.

Snacks //
Before: Whatever I fancied, if I’m honest! Pick n mix, biscuits, fruit, crisps, cereal, pickles, toast. If we didn’t have it in the house, I’d go and buy it or bake it myself. Shameful, I know!
Now: Fruit, nuts & dried fruit, kale chips, natural yoghurt (if I’ve not had it for breakfast). I bake a lot too, and have been working to incorporate more wholewheat flour and less sugar into what I bake. When we’ve got cake or biscuits or muffins on the go and I’ve fancied some, I again work on the principle of serving myself up half of what I usually would have eaten.

Sliced-English-pear

I don’t weigh myself or keep track of my measurements since I prefer to focus on how much body feels over any other aspect of weight loss (Ugh, did I just sound like Gwyneth? Someone shoot me), but in general I’d say that I’ve probably lost a good two inches or so all over my body. Jeans that were uncomfortably tight when I bought them back in Spring are now baggy round my waist! No more sneaky undoing of the top button every time I sit down, oh no! ;)

More importantly though, the changes have made the *biggest* difference to my energy levels and the general feel of my body. I’ve been feeling less tired, have far fewer energy and mood swings, and don’t have a mid-afternoon slump and sugar craving after my lunch has been digested. Instead of feeling like my food is weighing me down, it now feels like it’s doing what it’s supposed to do- *feeding* my body. Fuel it, energise it, provide it with the ooomph to power through the next few hours.

Courgette-ribbons-1

The weirdest (and by weirdest, I mean probably totally logical, but still alien to me) thing I’ve noticed is how much my stomach has shrunk since I stopped stuffing it with stodge three times a day. I’d say I can probably only manage portions about 60% of the size I was eating before! And as someone whose ability to continue eating and picking at food for hours after most other people had stopped used to be pretty much unsurpassable (seriously), is quite the feat!

And you’ll never guess who’s totally coming round to the idea too? Yep! My part French, can all but put away a whole camembert and a loaf of bread in one sitting, carb-loving boyfriend! Jason’s switched from eating two rounds of sandwiches (four slices of bread) per lunchtime to having one tortilla wrap, and is well on board with the whole carb-light supper thing too!

And if *that’s* not the proof in the wheat-free pudding, I don’t know what is…

Sliced-courgette

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22 Comments
Posted in FOOD
  • http://crayonsandbeads.blogspot.com Vanja

    I had a similar experience like you! But I only reduced the portion of food I ate and I try to eat fruit and veggies as much as possible. I lost so many fat this summer even though I was already skinny before. I also noticed that my stomach shrunk because I cannot eat big portions anymore.

    http://crayonsandbeads.blogspot.com

  • http://blueoctoberblog.com BlueOctober

    Good for you! I really need to start doing similar, as have a yeast intolerance (yes, really!) so bread, alcohol, some pastas etc upset my tum, and even eating fruit after meals can screw my tum up!
    Have you tried courgette spaghetti? x

  • http://www.kookycapricious.blogspot.com Elena

    I don’t know how happily I could live without shedloads of pasta every night but it seems like my body might thank me! I think I’m going to have a go at cutting down on carbs although I don’t know if I have the willpower to give up on them altogether but your diet run down has given me the push I needed! Thanks for sharing :) xx

  • http://loveinmodernlife.co.uk Chelsea

    I really need to do something like this. I’m quite happy with my “size” as I know my hips would not allow me to slip into something in a smaller size (at least the cave men would have found me fanciable!), but I just feel like I’m carrying a bit more than I should be, and I often feel so run down and tired. And I *always* get whatever illness is going around – currently some sort of freshers flu, when I’ve not even started back at uni yet and I live 50 miles away from any students -so I definitely need to do something about it!

    Just wondering, what sort of things do you drink? Apart from all the wine and a helping of skimmed milk! haha :)
    Sorry for the essay Rosie, I hope you don’t mind!
    x

    • Rosie

      Haha all the wine? I don’t remember writing that! I just drink a lot of water and high juice squash, and fruit juices when I have them to hand. I want to invest in a good blender/juicer soon to start making my own juices and smoothies!

  • http://joy-and-laughter.blogspot.com Johanna

    Yes yes yes! As much as I’d like to just live of pizza and cake, it doesn’t make me feel so good! It’s amazing how much healthier my body feels when I eat healthily (I don’t really focus on carbs or wheat, just on eating as much fruit and veg (especially veg) as possible). I’ve written about this many times before, but I also love that by putting the right things into your body, you can kind of teach it to crave those things more, which is handy, because after a while, it’s not so difficult to say no to the shitty choices more often.
    Can I just ask one thing? Why do you only eat natural yoghurt as a snack if you haven’t had it for breakfast? Isn’t it super healthy? The French supposedly stay healthy by (amongst other things) eating at least 2 yoghurts a day (the ones that still have probiotic bacteria in I think). I’m not saying you should, I obviously don’t have that much of a clue about nutrition, I’m only just starting to learn, I’m just generally interested!

    • Rosie

      Oh I only eat yoghurt once a day because otherwise I get a bit bored of it! :) I can be a bit funny with dairy sometimes, and find it overwhelming to eat too much of it in one day. Thats why i love the sharpness of natural yoghurt, since it’s not as rich as regular yoghurt!

  • http://howdoesitfeeltobe.com Bella

    What a great post. Not too overdone – I always love a nosey at what other people are eating!! Good for you and congrats that you’re doing so well. God, willpower is hard sometimes isn’t it? And, you look fantastic for it in your latest outfit posts :) Xx

  • http://www.intoruth.com Ruth

    Such a good post, Rosie, certainly not a subject that I’ve seen done to death.
    I’d be interested to know how you’re making baking healthier as I’m a pretty bad one for not eating too many sweets/chocolates but eating all around me whenever I’ve made cupcakes or anything similar. They don’t feel as bad but a big part of me still knows that theres 225g of butter on there or 225g of sugar(!)

  • http://the-cup-and-saucer.blogspot.com Alice

    This is really interesting Rosie!! I don’t tend to eat a massive amount of carbs in the day (I gave up bread for Lent and never really went back!), but probably eat a bit too much of an evening. I’m definitely trying to be more careful with the amount of carbs I’m eating, because I feel so much better when I’m not eating as much of it. That said, I don’t think I’d ever cut them out completely as I do need some to stop me from just constantly munching!!

    Aaaand ramble over. Sorry! xx

  • http://lovelolavintage.blogspot.com lauren

    i’ve been in similar shoes, and took wheat out of my diet a couple of months ago. since then, all of my digestive issues have vanished. after years of trying to figure out what was going on with my body, i think i finally found the answer! good luck on your journey

  • http://www.frillsnspills.com Maria

    Well done you, this sounds awesome but I could never do it, carbs are an essential part of my diabetes diet (something I both love and hate!)

    Maria xxx

  • http://www.everywordhandwritten.blogspot.co.uk Rosie

    Gluten makes a huge difference to bloating. Since my Dad was diagnosed with coeliacs last Christmas, our whole family eats a lot less gluten and we all feel better for it :)
    Rosie x | Every Word Handwritten

  • http://www.poppytailsandtrails.com pauline

    Hi Rosie, that sounds such a good idea. I tried over summer to cut back on the amount of bread I was eating and it went fine but as soon as the weather changed I have found it slowly creeping back up. Nice reminder to start watching it again. Thanks

  • http://www.datevitation.com Camille@Datevitation

    Great post and photos. The cucumbers made me smile (is that weird?!). Your diet sounds very easy and doable- unlike most diets nowadays.

    I just found you on Bloglovin but I’m loving your blog! Good stuff in here. Looking forward to reading more from you. :)

  • http://www.sallytangle.blogspot.com sally

    I loved this!! I am and always have been (well since i graduated and wasnt a poor student cos then its all pasta potatoes and white carbs galore!) a little bit of everything kind of gal. I never deny myself anything, largely because i am THE grumpiest person when im hungry. But for the last 18mths, i have been trying to mix up my grains, carbs diet – well the lot. To cut a long long story really short, i used to eat alot of carbs and although it never affected my weight wise as im an active bean. I started to get horrible stomach pains. After ruling out all the serious stuff the doctor suggested i look at my diet, and try and not always eat the same things always, to mix it up. So now i where i would have been pasta,noodles, toast etc, i include alot more raw veg, different and less heavier carbs (?) like quinoa, giant cous cous, lentils and if i have pasta, i have a tiny bit and its always wholegrain. If i do have toast, i try to always buy fresh from a local bakery (less salt, sugar, white crap) or go for linseed/sunflower seed etc.

    Jeez now im ranting. And in addition i eat smaller meals but more often and it has worked WONDERS!! I tone up and stay fit from cycling but my stomach is flat and my skin is miles better too. Plus i have bags more energy. And if i do have something carb-y, i always follow it with a big mug of peppermint tea. Some how that helps with my tummy too.

    What a rant, but in short, i loved this and can really relate to it. It works xxxxx

  • http://loulou-in-paris.blogspot.fr Lou

    Absolutely loved this Rosie. I completely agree with what you say about how wheat leaves you feeling bloated, depleted of energy and how this spills over in to body confidence. The modifications you have made to your diet sound sensible and healthy! I did a brilliant detox last year by Jane Norman: there were actually no portion restrictions it was just very much “eat as much as you want but of the right stuff”. I had to completely give up coffee, alcohol and bread which is not something i could do forever. But you have inspired me to dig out the book again and get back to much healthier eating. I also find that if I’m eating right I don’t have to kill myself exercising – half an hour 3-4 times a week of some physical activity is all I need : ) Well done you and no you did not sound like Goop at all! Keep it up and keep inspiring us xx

  • Georgia

    A good tip for making a carb free stirfry is to replace the noodles with beansproats. Yummy and very healthy!

    becominghugo.blogspot.co.uk

    Georgia x

  • http://cocoandmingo.com Jessica (Coco/Mingo)

    I love carbs. But unfortunately my wheat allergy as a kid came back just a year ago so I’ve been struggling with it ever since. It sucks because I love bread and pasta but I have noticed that since I stopped eating things with wheat, I’ve been able to keep my weight under control. I’m glad you’re giving it a try – good luck, Rosie!

  • http://dinoprincesschar.blogspot.com/ char

    I’ve been hearing quite a bit about carb cutting, and I’m thinking about giving it a go. I don’t really eat that many carbs anyway, but I do have a lunch of soup and toast, which would be fine to just be soup – it’s mostly homemade so tends to be veg and very little else.

  • http://www.littleappletree.co.uk Angela

    I do love eating lower-carb but I find that it takes much more work. There are so few low-carb lunches that are portable, but dinners are really easy to put together!

  • http://heygurl.co.uk frae

    Amazing that you can see so much difference! Did you feel like you had more energy after as well? I’m thinking about changing my diet to sacrifice all the naps I feel I need!

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