oops made pasta

ameliam412

Hi, so I have recently had a hard time to stick to eating healthy.
I will sit and plan what to eat but the only thing I want to eat is creamy pasta T_T
I don't know if it's a discipline problem but I'm struggling to getting back on track.
I have been on low carb, high protein and tried Keto which might not be for me as I go crazy on the carbs when stressed.

any advise would be appreciated.

ameliam412

I'm a poor student trying my best to manage my stress.

janejellyroll

Have you tried having creamy pasta in a portion size that fits your calorie goals? If this is a smaller portion size because it is calorie-dense, supplement the meal with something lower calorie (like a salad, vegetables, or soup) to help fill you up.

If you enjoy carbohydrates, low carbohydrate/ketogenic diets may not be the best fit for you. Many people find they're more successful when they're regularly eating foods they enjoy.

rianneonamission

Just eat what you want but within calorie limits. So weigh everything and use the recipe function on MFP to build up meals as you make them.

I know I am not representative of everyone, but personally I crave the things I cut out of my diet. I have therefore for the last year refused to cut anything out, but eat foods in moderation. I have chocolate, alcohol, fat, white carbs, etc, but within my calorie limits (which is set to a small deficit only).

20lbs lighter now.

I dunno why, but people really do consider pasta as a particularly bad food. It's not, given that it features heavily in one of the healthiest diets on the planet: The Mediterranean diet.

need2belean

Sometimes when I need lower carb but want pasta, I do half and half. I only do angel hair pasta as I believe you get more pasta for less calories. But, I do half a serving of that and then I do a full serving of spiralized pasta made from zucchini. Do you have a spiralizer? If not, they sell the spiralized zucchini pasta frozen at Walmart. That should be pretty cheap for you. And try to pay attention to the nutrition facts on the creamy pasta sauce. Can you use marinara sauce instead? There's a brand at Walmart that is 35 calories for 1/2cup. I use that and add Parmesan cheese and with the fiber in the zucchini, it fills me right up. I always mix in broccoli and mushrooms in my pasta too to fill me even more up and get those greens in.

apullum

Laughing Cow cheese wedges make a decent lower-calorie creamy pasta sauce: http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/laughing-cow-fettuccine-226907

rbfdac

I have two favorite "pastas"-- I spiralize zucchini and add whatever sauce I want OR I use tofu noodles. An entire bag will fill up a plate and only has 30 calories. Super satisfying.

triciale555

I’ve done this two ways because I am (was) a huge pasta eater. The first time I would make only a single serving so I would not over eat it and add a lot of broccoli to it. Also, I recently discovered zucchini noodles and found with the right pasta sauce it is just as satisfying as eating the pasta, so I feel like I’m over eating pasta, but the calories are don’t equal a lot

jaycam1989

Nothing wrong with pasta if it fits your carbs ans calories intake. Weight it. Eat it. Enjoy it. If it helps you stick to your goals, go for it.

Chunkahlunkah

What do you consider “on track”? Whatever foods you associate with that, do you think it would help if you had a serving of that along with the creamy pasta dish you like? That way, eating it might feel less to you like you’ve gone off track and need to get back on. It’s all the same track.

How many calories are in the creamy pasta dish you eat, and how many calories do you aim to eat a day?

mbaker566

nothing wrong with pasta. eat it and enjoy it. log it-move on
also, pasta can't be an oops, it takes intention to make it

acorsaut89

If you find yourself craving certain things, which might lead you to binge your diet might be too restrictive or too rigid. I have found when I allow myself some things I enjoy, and finding lower calories options for other things I used to eat all the time I am better able to stick to an overall better diet.

For example, I love eggs. And I love bagels. Every morning, or for lunch, I have two eggs, two slices of turkey bacon and one slice of cheese on a bagel. It adds up to just over 500 calories, but I love bagels and I really enjoy them. I find a way to fit them into my day. I am also pretty active - at the gym 5 - 6 days/week so I don't feel like this is a big deal. Before, when I was just eating two eggs or I wouldn't allow myself what I enjoyed I was rebounding and bingeing hard. Maybe if you need to, find the things you enjoy eating and find a way to fit them in. Pasta isn't bad, but it can be calorically dense so you need to figure out a portion that fits into your day.

I love pasta . . . it's one of my favourite meals. Just have to eat smaller portions, that's all.

SilverRose89

ameliam412 wrote: »

Hi, so I have recently had a hard time to stick to eating healthy.
I will sit and plan what to eat but the only thing I want to eat is creamy pasta T_T
I don't know if it's a discipline problem but I'm struggling to getting back on track.
I have been on low carb, high protein and tried Keto which might not be for me as I go crazy on the carbs when stressed.

any advise would be appreciated.

Eat the creamy pasta. Have it as part of your daily calorie intake. Play around with recipes to find what suits you and your calorie goals best.

cwolfman13

I made lasagna last Saturday night...nothing wrong with that...

jasmineemmaeats

Try making a low carb yummy dish and eating that first. Whenever I'm craving pasta I find if I go and eat something super tasty and healthier by the time I've finished I don't fancy the carbs anymore (made this one for dinner and was amazing http://madeleineshaw.com/recipes/grilled-corn-and-nectarine-salad/)

But if you give in to the pasta every so often don't beat yourself up about it! We're all human

amgreenwell

Pasta is yummy and can fit into any healthy eating. I use whole grain, but only b/c I have high cholesterol and trying to use diet and exercise to get that number down.
I eat pasta multiple times a week, no harm, no foul and still losing weight.
Just stay away from the creamy, buttery sauces.

janejellyroll

amgreenwell wrote: »

Pasta is yummy and can fit into any healthy eating. I use whole grain, but only b/c I have high cholesterol and trying to use diet and exercise to get that number down.
I eat pasta multiple times a week, no harm, no foul and still losing weight.
Just stay away from the creamy, buttery sauces.

Or, if someone wants, have the creamy sauces . . . just choose portions that fit into calorie goals.

SilverRose89

amgreenwell wrote: »

Pasta is yummy and can fit into any healthy eating. I use whole grain, but only b/c I have high cholesterol and trying to use diet and exercise to get that number down.
I eat pasta multiple times a week, no harm, no foul and still losing weight.
Just stay away from the creamy, buttery sauces.

Why? What is wrong with fitting the creamy, buttery sauces into calorie goal? Sure, if it's that high then the rest of the day may need tweaking or a smaller portion is needed. But there really is no need to deny self what we want because it is "bad".

ameliam412

thanks for the great advice everyone!

lucerorojo

I ate pasta two times a day (lunch and dinner) whenever I was in Italy and always lost weight. So it's not the pasta itself.
I make pasta at least once a week, but I eat one serving (before mfp tracking I'd probably eat 2-3 if I were making it myself). I prefer to just cut up a tomato and put it on the pasta. Depending on how many calories I have available, I sometimes will make a sauce of tomatos, olive oil, onion, garlic and spices. But I love tomatos so even a raw tomato on the pasta is a treat for me. Spinach with the pasta is good, as well as other vegetable combinations. Now and then I'll make a meat sauce but that's rare since pasta is usually a 15 minute meal for me.

Cbean08

Nothing at all wrong with pasta. And, you can do a lot to make it more filling.

Say you do 200 calories of noodles. Saute in 1/2 tbsp of oil - a bag of spinach, 1/2 red pepper, red onion, and 1 big carrot with fresh chopped garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and a can of tomato paste. This will make a nice chunky sauce that will taste better than the store bought stuff. For the creaminess - top the pasta and sauce with ricotta cheese or fat free feta cheese. If there is room in your day, add in 3 oz of chicken.

All of that can easily come in under 500 calories.

dlclayton70

When I'm in the mood for something, I'd rather have a little of the real thing, than a lot of something that doesn't really hit the nail on the head. I say enjoy some pasta and make up for it with other meals that day or another day. Make it a treat and don't do it all the time, but enjoy it when you do it! You only live once.

deannalfisher

eat the pasta! also i discovered that a little pasta sauce goes a long way - i don't need to drown my pasta in it - i weigh out a serving and it works quite nicely

Pastaprincess1978

I agree with the others who are saying eat it, but within goals. You may be surprised at how satisfied you feel after 200 or 250 g of pasta when you eat it with steamed vegetables or salad. I know I was eating about twice as much as I should have been of my favourite past dishes. Surprising how I can limit myself to a smaller serving if I weigh it first.

100_PROOF_

I eat pasta a few times per week.
Just incorporate it into your calorie goal.