Mike,

Even though I am Caucasian, I am very family with Asian people and their family environment. I have friends who I grew up with and I was over their house all the time. Chinese. Also my sister-in-law in japanese.

Not realistic to give up rice? Of course it is!

That is the relaity of making the choice to do a low carb diet for life.

I'm an Australian Male, does that mean I'm required to drink lots of beer and eat meat pies? I choose not to.

I have been to many Asian gatherings, and the menu is quite varied. You can choose not to eat rice. It is up to you.

It seems daunting right now, but it will get easier!

Yeah, I know I eat a ton of filipino food as most of it is very low carb (I just skip the rice and some of the sauces) I substitute a lot of the sauces with garlic and vinager it is so good! The other dishes is just meat and alot of legal low carb veges. I think it is very easy to do low carb just minus the rice.

I have to agree with the postings regarding the ability or personal choice to exclude rice from ones diet and still be able to eat ample enjoyable food.

I live with my partner and children in Thailand and as in most Asian countries, rice is a staple. Both my partner and I have been attempting to get some structure into our lives in the way of low carb and weigh loss.

For us is has been easier said than done.

However, when I explained that white rice, had little to no nutritional value but was packed with weight inducing carbs, the choice was easy.

My partner, Kwan, whom has eaten rice ALL her life has reduced her intake dramatically and despite an as yet consistent exercise regime, she has shed a few kilos.

It gets down to a personal choice. Personally I quite enjoy some rice dishes, but I now use them as a treat, rather than a staple.

A trick I use instead of rice is to have chopped cabbage as a base for other food and hence replace the rice with the cabbage.

Each to their own of course, but rice will definitely increase if not hinder weight loss.

Good luck to all.

Paulee.

PS: I'm an Aussie too and love my beer, but that has been exponentially reduced as well. As has my total lcohol intake as alcohol reduces the bodies ability to metabolize fat.

What a great idea! Do you cook the cabbage or have it raw? I would think to cook it just a little would be great!

Thanks for the idea!

I've also read that some people shred cauliflower and steam it lightly. I might try that one, too.

Best wishes!

I am ethnically East Indian so I was also used to lots of rice... but don't touch it anymore- not one grain. My theory on Asians (until recently that is) not having obesity and having low CHD rates is that it is in spite of all the rice- certainly not because of it. I am sure that if you totalled up all the carbs in the Standard American Diet (SAD) it still vastly exceeds that in any "ricey" Asian diet. For one thing, sweets are used more for special banquets etc in Asia, not regularly each day. But as far as having any loyalty to something in my heritage that I now feel is clearly bad for me... no way.

Good for you probiotic ... you are so right. Alot of asians are very thin and eat rice everyday are for every meal BUT... they are mostly only eating good vegies and steamed fish and without all of the fried foods and sweets to go with the rice. I guess there diets are more on the lower cal,lower fat side so that may be the reason they can eat the rice with every meal....(I know my boyfriend and his family does) The funny thing is they all have gained alot of weight since being here and eating an american diet along with the rice.Good luck.

I hope this helps someone. I was on a site that sells shirataki noodles. Someone there said that they chop up the angel hair noodles really small and use it as a rice substitute. I have not tried this yet but it sounds like a great idea to me. Shirataki noodles are lc and low calorie. They are almost all fiber and are very filling. You can buy them on line or at your local asian market. (I almost hate telling folks about them because sometimes I have to get on the waiting list to get them.)

woh i have an Asian Markt in the town i will go and check that out! curious

Great idea!!!

I finally found them at a local health food store and they are wonderful!! Not too terrible expensive either! I have used them with just butter, and with spaghetti sauce. Now I can try them a different way.

Thanks bestyear. I don't really miss rice much at all, but I do miss Indian breads big time. My gut was always wimpy when it came to Indian spices, but since cutting out rice and bread, I now realize it was not so much meat and spices that gave me digestive upset from that food, but rather all the carbs fermenting. Americanized Asian foods, such as Chinese and Thai food made in America for Americans, is the worst of all worlds in many ways- loaded to the hilt with added sugars.

I know ...I am love spicy food myself...I have very bad acid reflux and always blamed it on the spice but since doing atkins my reflux seems to be alot better off...

thats great to hear your acid reflux is better now