diet Archives | Eat Bread 90

June 13, 2018September 9, 2018 by Lin Carson

Week 11: Exercise Less, Lose More Weight

I previously thought that high-intensity exercises over a longe period of time helped me lose weight. But training for triathlons was actually not helping with my weight loss. So I decided, I’m going to cut down on my exercise.

Man, this exercise for 30 minutes everyday thing is really working! Why didn’t I learn of this study before? Well folks, thirty minutes of exercise a day may be the magic number to lose weight!

Researchers in this study found moderately overweight men who exercised hard enough to sweat for 30 minutes a day lost an average of 8 pounds over three months compared to an average weight loss of 6 pounds among men who worked out for 60 minutes a day.

What? Why? Could it be because we are not stuffing our faces after 30 minutes?

The overall loss in body mass was the same for both groups, almost 9 pounds. Researchers were even surprised by this! Part of the explanation may be that people found 30 minutes of exercise so easy that they had the desire and energy for additional physical activity, said Mads Rosenkilde, the PhD student researcher. But what I really suspect is that they weren’t as tired and exhausted to be eating everything in sight (like I do when I’m done with an hour workout).

Why 30 minutes?

Researchers followed 60 moderately overweight men who wanted to lose weight. The men were randomly placed into either a moderate or high dose exercise group. The high dose group was instructed to exercise hard enough to produce a sweat, like from running or cycling, for 60 minutes a day. The moderate dose group only had to sweat for 30 minutes a day.

After 13 weeks, the study showed 30 minutes of exercise a day produced similar or even better results than 60 minutes a day!

The men who exercised 30 minutes a day lost an average of 2 pounds more of body weight. Researchers say those who exercised 30 minutes a day actually burned more calories than they should have according to their exercise program. In contrast, the men who exercised 60 minutes a day lost less body weight relative to the energy they burned during their workouts. Get this, the extra 30 minutes of exercise did not appear to provide any additional weight loss in body weight or fat!

So you’re telling me to exercise less?

Yes, if the goal is to lose weight! This research suggested that 30 minutes of exercise a day may provide additional weight loss benefits. For example, people may still have extra energy leftover after shorter workouts to be more physically active throughout the day. In addition, the study indicated that men who exercised for 60 minutes a day probably ate more to compensate for the longer workout session and therefore lost less weight.

See, I knew that was my problem!

The first weigh-in: 147.4

Week 11 weigh in for Eat Bread 90: 141 lbs.

Week 11 weigh in: 141 lbs.

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June 6, 2018September 9, 2018 by Lin Carson

Week 10: Bread Only. Skip Diet Variety to Lose Weight

Variety, variety everywhere, but I’m just sticking with bread.

Why? Because diet variety causes weight gain. Here’s why:

A study looked to see if there was a link between the obesity problem in our Western culture and access to highly-palatable and varied food. Past research with animals has shown the link between eating more food if it tastes good (and that makes perfect sense) which leads to a pattern of obesity—as the more used to good tasting food you eat, the more you feel you need to eat to become satisfied.

However, diet variety may also be linked to eating behavior and weight. Studies have shown short-term that the more variety in a diet, the greater probability of intaking more food and higher energy intake. On the other hand, eating the same foods over a period of time reduces palatability ratings and the amount of food eaten.

A different study looked at strategies to improve weight loss and maintaining that loss. They found that limiting diet variety can help reduce intake and when done long term, along with other healthy-eating practices and exercise, can help with weight loss.

Does this mean only eating one type of food for the rest of your life is the secret to losing weight?

Probably not. The bottom line is, it seems the more choices you have when it comes to diet, the easier it is to eat more. However, keeping a simple routine can help curve cravings.

How is exercise going?

Good, now that I am keeping to a schedule of running on the treadmill at least 25 mins everyday. This limited amount of exercise provides me a stress release and also kick starts my metabolism everyday without going excessively hungry. It’s done amazing things to my little muffin top, too! Which is taking the fat there and converting it to muscle mass somewhere else. I love this exercise regime, I wished I learned of it sooner.

The first weigh-in: 147.4

Week 10 weigh in: 142 lbs.

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May 30, 2018August 21, 2018 by Lin Carson

Week 9: Different Diet, Same Idea: Calorie Deficiency

Did you know that approximately 127 million adults in the U.S. are overweight, 60 million are obese, and 9 million are severely obese? These numbers are astounding as obesity has become the second leading cause of preventable death behind smoking. It’s not about looking good or attractive, it’s about the diseases that arise as a result of obesity like type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoarthritis, and certain cancers. Remember, these are preventable, as long as you exercise and maintain a healthy BMI.

What is BMI?

BMI stands for body mass index. It measures your body fat compared to your weight and hight. Your total body mass is divided by the square of your body hight, which results in your BMI. You can calculate it with online tools like this one. Based on the ratio, BMI gives you a good idea if you are in a healthy range or not for your weight based on body build.

Can I control my BMI with calorie deficiency?

Calorie deficiency is by far the most effective and easily implemented method of targeting a lower BMI. Do I believe that other diets work besides a high-carb diet? I do, but these are harsher and most of them work on the same principles: calorie deficiency and limitation of variety.

Some of these diets have been around for ages:

Atkin’s Diet
North Beach Diet
South Beach Diet
Protein Power diet
Zone Diet
Fat Flush Diet
Schwarzbein Principle
Neanderthin Diet
Pritikin Diet
Ornish Diet
Keto Diet

Although each of these diets have their own nuances, most focus around the idea of a high-protein and low-carb diet. They also mostly include portion control and calorie deficiency.

So if they all cut out carbs, how can a high-carb diet be healthy?

Because it all comes down to the amount you put in, and the amount you eliminate through exercise.

These diets are built around the idea that carbs will add too many calories. True, there are bad carbs that come from simple sugars and starches which quickly turn into glucose. However, this doesn’t mean all carbs are bad, or that bread isn’t healthy. Whole grains provide needed nutrients. And bread can be be high in protein and fiber, which helps replace digestible carbs and fats.

Plus, a high-carb diet doesn’t have as many negative effects.

Still not sure about a high-carb diet? Just take a look at these two photos:

The first weigh-in: 147.4

Week 9 weigh in for Eat Bread 90: 142.4 lbs.

Week 9 weigh in: 142.4 lbs.

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May 23, 2018August 21, 2018 by Lin Carson

Week 8: The Perfect Diet: Is it Bread?

Here I am at week 8, and slowly but surely losing weight using a high-carb diet. Why is this the easiest thing in the world? Well, because I don’t need to think too much about it. The nicest thing about sliced bread, especially the whole grain bread, is it’s very portable and tasty.

Alright, stop looking at me strange. It’s true. Try it for yourself. Reach out for a Dave’s Killer Bread, Eureka or a Franz organic loaf, and you will soon agree with me that these breads are so good, you can eat it without anything.

As I run from meetings to meetings at BAKERpedia, there is nothing better than food just waiting for me. I don’t need to think. It’s a grab-and-go situation. For this particular aspect, it’s not junk food that I am grabbing. It’s a wholesome, nutritious product filled with vitamins and minerals because I mainly consume whole grain bread.

The bran (outer layer) contains the largest amount of fiber, the endosperm (middle layer) contains mostly protein and carbohydrates along with small amounts of B vitamins, and the germ (inner part) is a rich source of trace minerals, unsaturated fats, B vitamins, antioxidants and phytonutrients

Thinking of cutting bread from your diet?

No way, I tell everyone. Here’s why:

It lowers your “bad” cholesterol, which lowers your chance of hear disease.
It’s high in dietary fiber, which is not only is good for you and your gut health, but also helps you feel full longer!
It’s full of essential minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride and sulfur. Like I talked about last week, it is a way to get needed nutrient density like thiamin, calcium folate and magnesium.
It gives you energy!
It’s quick, easy, and delicious!

There are few foods that can give you the nutrition you need, and also cut back on cravings for more food. And you can get bread anywhere, and take it on the go! Now that sounds like the perfect diet to me!

The first weigh-in: 147.4

Week 8 weigh in for Eat Bread 90: 143 lbs.

Week 8 weigh in: 143 lbs.

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May 2, 2018June 15, 2018 by Lin Carson

Week 5: Diet and Exercise Don’t Mix…Or Do They?

In order to move on from this plateau, I need to add more activity to the picture. After all, I sit in front of the computer all day! So I started with 30 mins everyday before I woke up the kids. This is hard. I mean, I’m sacrificing sleep for 30 mins of exercise.

I started with 30 mins that become 20 mins then 11 mins. It’s hard to just run for 11 mins. It’s almost like not running at all because I don’t crack a sweat. I wanted to do the most minimal exercise to see if I can jolt my metabolism without going overboard and making myself hungry.

Making diet and exercise work

I think it is working. My body feels so much better. I am not famished after the exercise. My body doesn’t feel lethargic during the day either. So, I am quite confident that I have found a good balance between exercise and dieting. Hmmm, maybe they do go together hand in hand. It is possible to lose weight on a high carb diet and exercise!

Honestly, I’ve done nothing new here. Nutritional research has shown for decades that anyone can lose weight as long as there is a caloric deficit. I am really digging this diet because there are literally no cravings. The high amount of complex carbohydrates found in bread keeps me satiated all day and has really deprived me of any cravings to do with candy, chips or chocolate. This is one of the amazing things I have found with this diet.

A great sprouted grain bread

This week, BBU Brazil sent me a line of Nutrella sprouted bread. It was slightly sweet and high in fiber. Their clean label sprouted bread lines include whole wheat bread, whole wheat and fruit bread and whole multigrain bread. Thank you BBU Brazil! You made my week five diet wonderful:

Food	Portion	Calories
Sprouted bread	4 slices	440
Turkey sandwich	2 slices	350
Butter	2 Tbsp	200
Orange juice With Calcium and Vitamin D	8 oz	110
Strawberries	1	80
Soup	1C	200
Steamed broccoli	1C	50
Exercise		-100
Total calories		1330

The first weigh-in: 147.4

Week 5 weigh in: 144.0 lbs.

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Have I have officially plateaued on my bread diet? Exercise would help!

April 25, 2018May 25, 2018 by Lin Carson

Week 4: Have I Officially Plateaued on My Bread Diet?

Every dieter’s nightmare is to look at the scale, and after all the hard work that you’ve put in, you don’t move the needle at all (or least reduced the numbers digitally). It only means one thing. I’ve finally met the caloric needs of my lighter self. The equation needs to be changed. Either I increase my caloric needs (through exercise), decrease my caloric intake further, or both.

I have to admit, I haven’t been exercising much during my diet

Every time I run a 5K, my body wants more calories and I end up eating more than I exercise. That is why most people like me don’t lose weight while performing high impact extended exercises. The output just doesn’t exceed the input.

The weekends are really bad too. When I bake and cook for my family of five, I tend to dig into their share as well. So, as a mom, I really have to control what goes into my mouth. It definitely can not include macaroni and cheese or the frequent Tater Tot (my kid’s favorite). Therefore, to all the moms out there who bake and cook: I feel you.

Grilled cheese on multigrain bread (not exactly a diet food).

So, this week, I dug further into exercise research

To my surprise, a study showed that the most effective weight loss can be achieved by performing no more than 30 mins of cardiovascular exercise. Seriously? All this time I thought I had to burn more to lose more and that is just not true!

Armed with this knowledge, I’m going to approach my bread diet with a healthy dose of exercise. Here’s what my an average day in four week looked like:

Food	Portion	Calories
Multi grain bread	4 slices	440
Grilled cheddar cheese on multigrain	2 slices	350
Butter	2 Tbsp	200
Orange juice With Calcium and Vitamin D	8 oz	110
Oranges	1	65
Grilled chicken sandwich	2 slices	300
Sautéed spinach	1C	45
Total calories		1,510

The first weigh-in: 147.4

Week 4 weigh in: 144.4 lbs, same as last week.

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April 18, 2018May 25, 2018 by Lin Carson

Week 3: Why I’m Eating Bread and Losing 10 Pounds

Why are you doing this? You look great. You don’t need to lose anymore weight.

As a startup founder, especially one that sits on the computer all day working on WordPress and editing articles, I just don’t move around much. At the beginning of my journey four years ago when I was a lone founder who worked everything herself, it was really hard to get away, let alone include an exercise routine. I spent over well over 15 hours a day sitting. If I didn’t sit, I was stress cooking or eating with my family.

Stress + sitting + startup = 10 lbs.

Like over 26% of founders, I’ve gained at 5-10 lbs on this journey.

How much weight do startup entrepreneurs gain?

How much weight enterpreneurs gain

There is little I can do about the stress level. Hey, when the bills are stacked up against you, and you have to make cashflow and still grow the company, there is little a startup founder can do with this bootstrapped system other than stress about it. Stress. It comes with the startup game, or anytime you become your own boss.

I finally found some relief in my third year of business when I was able to hire employees to take work off my plate. That meant I had more time to exercise. But I was at my highest weight ever at 145 lbs. So I took out my trisuit and went swimming, cycling and running again. Back then, I felt that I could handle a loaf of bread a day no problem. At that weight and the rate I was burning, it was easy to consume a loaf a day.

That was why the 90 loafs in 90 days experiment was possible. I was even hoping that I would lose weight, but the training period and my high caloric consumption for the Triathlons just wasn’t conducive to losing weight. I did, however, maintain my weight throughout that period with bread and for the rest of the year.

But you look good, why lose weight?

I was really pushing the upper limits of my BMI. Which means that I have excess fat I’m carrying around. I don’t need it. Not on my back, not on my knees. Especially not when I’m running the 5K of my triathlon (maybe that’s why I’m so slow for that leg – no wait, I’m just bad at running). Anyway, I’m confident that if I get rid of that 10lbs, I can be faster in the overall race this year at the HAAG lake Triathlon.

Dave’s Killer Bread Epic Everything Bagels.

This week, I added Dave’s Killer Bread Epic Everything Bagel into my diet. Can you imagine a person eating a bagel a day and still losing weight? This is how I’m doing it:

Food	Portion	Calories
Multi grain bread	4 slices	440
DKB Epic Everything Bagel	1	260
Butter	2 Tbsp	200
Orange Juice With Calcium and Vitamin D	8 oz	110
Strawberry Jam	2 Tbsp	70
Green grapes	1 Cup	65
Apple slices	1 Cup	60
Friend Egg	1	90
Steamed Broccoli	1C	55
Chocolate Eggs*	6pc	160
Total Calories		1510

*chocolate eggs are not part of a healthy diet. However, I have a weakness for Cadbury’s chocolate eggs, and if you haven’t figured it out by now, I am addicted to them.

The first weigh-in: 147.4

Week 3 weigh-in: 144.4

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July 13, 2017March 21, 2018 by Lin Carson

Is This the End of My Bread Diet? What a Journey it’s Been!

“Aren’t you glad you’re not on your bread diet anymore?”

Honestly, it’s with a heavy heart that I agree with that statement. Mainly because I am sad I’ve come to the end of this bread diet. I’ve indulged in eating a loaf a day, and It’s been 90 days of non-stop eating for me to get all that bread down.

I’ve eaten bread from far-away places, and more bread than anyone I know. I’m so honored to the bakers from around America, across the sea to Germany and Switzerland and all the way south from Brazil. Thank you for sending in your bread, thank you for supporting me on this journey. Thank you for assisting me in my message that BREAD IS NOT BAD.

Throughout my bread diet, so many people have pulled me aside to warn me. And here are what many of them said to me:

Bread is bad for you, it will make you put on weight.
Do you know gluten causes inflammation in your body?
Man was not designed to digest grains, eating all that bread would cause you to become intolerant to gluten.
Bread is a processed food that you need to avoid.
White bread is so bad for you, avoid at all cost.

Guess what? None of that is true.

I have not gained a single pound eating a loaf a day and my energy levels, are through the roof.

The whole purpose of my journey was to disprove these biased, non-science based information on bread. I’ve eaten bread all my life, I play with it, I research it. I know the science behind it. That is why I started this journey—to eat so much bread so that I can prove that it is safe to consume bread.

Is a Bread Diet for Everyone?

If you suffer from diabetes, absolutely not. But don’t discount the low GI breads that I experienced on my journey. You should check those out my blog on Days 19 and 31. For people with Celiac disease, you can consume gluten-free breads and they can be found on my blogs on Days 30 and 73. For the majority of the American population, bread is a nutritious portable food that is safe for consumption.

You know, I’ve received a lot of criticism concerning how I carried out my journey. One of them was, “Hey Lin, you are only one data point, that doesn’t prove anything.” Just let me be clear. I was not carrying out an experiment. I was using data and science-based information that has been generated from decades of research, to show that those experiments and nutritional information on bread work. And I’ve proven it.

king street station - eat bread 90, places - bread diet- healthy - bread myths

I want people to use the info on EatBread90.com to fight the common misconception of bread.

Know that all the information we have collected here is based on science. Thus information will be great to share with your families and friends that have all of a sudden developed a disliking for bread. They somehow become this way because some website selling new age remedies has turned them away from grains and wheat.

If you’re a baker, I hope you use our EatBread90 blogs to help you in your bread journey. I’ve created enough information for you to help you in your business. As you know, I have a soft spot for bakers. Check out my blogs on Days 12, 58, 62, 75, and 90 for innovative ideas.

For the Love of Bread

Because of you, I am working on our next project: Body by Bread. I can’t talk too much about it right now, but it does involve a community that supports bread and whose lifestyles are bread centric. So stay tuned.

It’s been an awesome and life-changing journey. Thank you for reading this blog, thank you for your tremendous support. Thank you for loving bread. This couldn’t be possible without you. Thank you.

Lin EB90cpodcast 2, pitching a loaf, podcast-bread diet- bread myths-whole grains healthy diet

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July 5, 2017August 10, 2017 by Katie Jones

Is Avoiding Carbs in Your Diet Smart?

In 1972 Atkins came out with a diet that would dramatically change our love affair with bread: low carbs! The low-carbohydrate diet promotes reducing carbohydrates and increasing protein-based calories. Bread was suddenly on the do not consume list.

Along with the diet came a marketing media fest. Diets focused on low carbs are still the first suggestion many of us hear when we want to shed belly fat and lose the spare tire. So there must be something to low-carb eating and weight loss, since the story is still going strong 40 some years later, right?

Sure, you might lose weight on a low-carb diet. If you are very diligent you will lose weight, initially. But what happens over time? By 2004 it was clear that the Atkins diet was falling out of favor. Avoiding carbs on a daily basis takes a lot of work, and reading all those labels is time consuming.

While most people following the low-carb diets did have initial weight loss, many could not maintain the diet as a lifestyle.

The issue with low carbs

Did you know there are actually some risks associated with eliminating carbohydrates from your diet? According to the Mayo Clinic:

If you cut carbs suddenly from your diet, you may experience the following:

Headache
Bad breath
Weakness
Fatigue
Constipation or diarrhea

The risks are side effects of a process called ketosis. Ketosis occurs when your body does not have enough carbs from food to burn for energy. In order to provide the energy needed for daily functions, your body begins to burn stored fat. The liver converts fatty acids to ketones and releases them into the bloodstream to use as energy. The body is burning its own stored fat — this is great!

Though you will see weight loss, ketosis can be very dangerous for people with type 1 diabetes. The body converts to ketosis when it does not have enough glucose to burn as energy. Glucose levels are of major importance to people with diabetes. A high level of ketones in the blood indicates that insulin levels are off, and the blood becomes acidic, leading to a condition known as ketoacidosis. Ketoacidosis can lead to a diabetic coma or even death in those with type 1 diabetes.

low carbs bread diet

Can I still eat carbs and lose weight?

Foods rich in carbohydrates, such as bread, provide the body with vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Studies have shown that long-term restriction of carbohydrates can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies, bone loss, and gastrointestinal disturbances. Eating protein and fat for the long haul can also increase the risk of heart disease. In fact, the American Heart Association strongly recommends a diet with whole grains.

Going low-carb is the most popular fad diet to date. The initial weight reduction of 5 pounds many experience is due to water loss. After a few days on the diet, ketosis kicks in and the weight keeps melting off. Tricking the body into thinking it is starving in order to shed pounds, eating like an early hunter-gatherer, or even eating a pound of bread a day are not sustainable.

Most lifestyles that promote long-term health and optimal weight share a few things in common: realistic portions, balanced diets (including vegetables, grains, and proteins), and plenty of exercise.

Avoiding bread may help you shed a few pounds initially. But isn’t life more enjoyable when you don’t have to? Our own study here at EB90 has shown you can eat bread every day and not gain weight. Just take a look at Dr. Carson’s weekly weigh-in if you don’t think it is possible.

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June 28, 2017July 6, 2017 by Lin Carson

Week Twelve Weigh-in

Day 77 weigh-in: 148.6.

Day 84: 147.4

I can’t believe it. Just under a week left in my ninety days. Of course, it would take until the end for me to start eating pizza. But as we draw near the end, my weight is just where I thought it would be. Are you surprised? Make sure to check back in at the end of the 90 days to see what I end up with!

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