Arithmetic coders such as CABAC have high complexity. Some video coding systems limit the ratio of bins coded by the arithmetic coder to bits of encoded data. In order to do so, extra padding or stuffing data is added to the bitstream. Embodiments include ways order to reduce the overhead of such padding, embodiments include ways of processing a video bitstream without including the padding data. For example a video encoder or decoder may code a syntax element of the video bitstream for a unit of video data that indicates a number of padding bits and code the unit of video data without coding (encoding or decoding) the padding bits in the video bitstream.