I Cut Out Bread For A Week And Here’s Why You Should Give It A Try

Cutting out bread altogether sounds challenging but sometimes it can also help you feel better. I tried eating none for a week and this happened!

Cutting out bread. Why did I want to stop eating it? Bread has always been an essential part of my daily menu, as far as I can remember. Whether it’s toasties, sandwiches, avocado toasts, etc. However, I decided to try and cut out bread for a week. And basically, here’s what happened.

Spring of 2018

That was probably my most reckless period in terms of overeating. After spending the whole 2017 avoiding carbs, processed fats, red meat and days spent (who am I kidding, MONTHS) eating the same boring combinations of yoghurt, eggs and chicken, I was sick of diets, plans, limitations and I started eating lots of unhealthy things, like never before. Well, three months later the results were more than obvious, and I had gained around 33 pounds. Mind you, although I’m 5’9 and sometimes extra weight does not necessarily show that much on tall people, I looked… out of shape the least. It was more than obvious I had gone overboard with the binge eating and I definitely didn’t look healthy anymore.

Panic, panic, panic.

I thought to myself, I really don’t want to go back to that diet I’d previously been on. At this point, if I have to eat a slice of ham once more I can safely say I will vomit. So, what can I do instead? I paid attention to my daily consumption of food and realised I had been eating way too much pizza, pasta, bread and just carbs in general. That’s when I remembered how I had heard from somewhere that cutting out bread can have a big impact and how you feel and can help you lose weight. And so, I started avoiding carbs altogether. So… I had to cut out bread.

What now?

Naturally, the first couple of days were terrible and very, very hard for me. I think because I decided to cut out bread and pasta out of nowhere, my body was somewhat surprised by that fact and struggled to adapt. Additionally, I’m the type of person to have some exceptionally strong cravings at night and obviously, the thought of a cheesy toastie at half 11 in the evening was more than tempting but I had to keep the promise I made to myself. So I had some strawberries instead.

In the mornings, when I used to have toast with butter and jam, I opted for yoghurt. Because of where I grew up, I’m used to eating Greek yoghurt quite often and to be frank, it can be a lovely and filling breakfast if you mix it with some honey or raspberries/bananas.

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The aftermath

At the end of my ”no bread” period, I found I had already pretty much forgotten about it altogether, which was very unexpected. On top of that, I felt much lighter all the time and this whole idea of ditching carbs motivated me to focus on eating mainly salads, light meals, fish and fruit. I felt less bloated, more energetic and I kind of started sleeping better.

Now, I’m no diet specialist and it’s obvious to anyone reading this article that you don’t have to entirely cut out bread or pizza to be healthy. Anything that is eaten in moderation cannot cause you harm and can be a part of a balanced diet. For me personally, I just wanted to see if I can survive on a schedule with zero bread and challenge myself. Besides, I actually found out that I wasn’t as addicted to it as I thought I was.

This whole idea became a part of my daily routine and now (of course I still allow myself pizza) I eat brown bread, which is light and perfect for small packed lunches. Trying this ”challenge” can absolutely improve how you feel and I advise you to give it a try if you’re in a need of switching your food plan for a bit.