PASTA!

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Tanimal20
Tanimal20 Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey guys, don't suppose anyone could help me with this..

I'm following slimming world, as well as doing calorie counting with my fitness pal.

According to Slimming World you can eat as much pasta as you like, it's a free food...

Same with potatoes! And rice!

These are really stodgy, starchy foods.. And i'm feeling so bloated and heavy at the moment because of so much pasta as it's apparently a free food.

Surely you shouldn't be able to eat as much pasta as you like? I know everything in moderation but can it actually be beneficial to weight loss to eat these foods as though they're free?

Could someone give me some advice please :D

Thanks guys x
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Replies

  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    Whoa, I want to follow that diet. I could eat my weight in pasta.

    Pasta has loads of calories. I have no idea why they'd have it as a free food. Doesn't make sense to me...
  • mrmanmeat
    mrmanmeat Posts: 1,968 Member
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    lol ahh, another fad.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,099 Member
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    Use the food diary here, and try to hit your numbers at the bottom of the Diary for Carbohydrate, Protein and Fat.

    Too much of anything will put you over your calories and keep you from getting other important nutrients.

    Balance.
  • _GlaDOS_
    _GlaDOS_ Posts: 1,520 Member
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    Now this is something I haven't heard of yet - pasta, potatoes, and rice as "free foods". What does that mean here exactly? That you can have as much as you want and the calories don't matter? How are you using this site then? Those three foods have quite a bit of calories.
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
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    Looking over the website, there is a lot of information about how great it is after you join, but no actual information on the program... I am skeptical at best.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 Member
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    Sounds like a stupid diet plan
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    Hey guys, don't suppose anyone could help me with this..

    I'm following slimming world, as well as doing calorie counting with my fitness pal.

    According to Slimming World you can eat as much pasta as you like, it's a free food...

    Same with potatoes! And rice!

    These are really stodgy, starchy foods.. And i'm feeling so bloated and heavy at the moment because of so much pasta as it's apparently a free food.

    Surely you shouldn't be able to eat as much pasta as you like? I know everything in moderation but can it actually be beneficial to weight loss to eat these foods as though they're free?

    Could someone give me some advice please :D

    Thanks guys x

    To be fair, it doesn't say unlimited pasta/rice/potato etc it does expect you to learn portion control.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    Logically, do you really think one could sit around and eat bowls and bowls of pasta (hey, it's a free food!) all day and not gain weight?....
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    Interesting
    Slimming World states its eating plan, 'Food Optimising',is a "flexible, empowering, permissive approach to healthy eating". There is little or no weighing and measuring and no calorie counting involved. Food Optimising is purportedly based on the scientific principles of satiety (the satisfying qualities of food) and energy density, and encourages slimmers to fill up on nutritious, low energy dense foods to satisfy their appetite, while limiting consumption of less satisfying, high energy dense foods. Unique to food optimising is the unlimited choice of many 'free foods' which can include lean meat, fish and poultry, pasta, rice and grains, vegetables and fruit, which may be eaten freely. To help ensure a balanced diet, daily portions of 'healthy extras' are permitted, including bread, cereals, cheese and milk. Finally, controlled portions of higher calorie, less filling foods are included, such as crisps, wine, chocolate and sauces. In Food Optimising these are called "syns". Most adults have a daily "syn allowance" of between 5 and 15 "syns".[1]

    Food Optimising has a variety of plans, which may be followed on a daily basis as the slimmer chooses:[2]

    'Extra Easy plan': Free Foods include most fruit and vegetables, fish, lean meat and poultry and eggs, wholemeal pasta, potatoes, grains and beans. Healthy extras include bread, cereals, cheese and milk.
    'Original plan': Free Foods include most fruit and vegetables, fish, lean meat and poultry and eggs. Healthy extras include bread, cereals, cheese, milk and carbohydrates such as wholemeal pasta, potatoes, grains and beans.
    'Green plan': Ideal for vegetarians, Free Foods include most fruit and vegetables, pasta, rice, potatoes, grains and eggs. Healthy extras include bread, cereals, cheese, milk, nuts & seeds, and protein such as lean meat, poultry and fish.
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
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    Umm, pasta is NOT a "free" food. You eat too much pasta, potatoes, or any food for that matter it will turn to fat.

    Not sure what kind of site that is, but the creator of Slimming World is a world class idiot.
  • myfitnessnmhoy
    myfitnessnmhoy Posts: 2,105 Member
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    Slimming World and MFP are very different eating plans. Anything that allows or encourages you to eat more calories than you can burn in a day = useless fad. Any weight loss will be temporary and will not be a healthy weight loss.

    You might lose weight on it quickly, but only because you're starving your body of something it needs (low fat or low protein can be bad news long-term, as can low-carb unless it's done very deliberately as part of a specific eating plan). They're either selling some sort of carb blocker to go with it (probably a very unhealthy option), or they are hoping your body can't digest enough of the carbs to actually process them.

    MFP espouses a balanced diet rich in multiple calorie sources (fat, carb, protein) in a reasonable balance.

    The fact is, weight is a poor indication of health. If you're eating properly (low in processed foods, high in raw and nutrient-rich foods), and getting enough exercise, your body will FIND its weight and you really don't need to help it that much if you're otherwise healthy. Look at the number of people here who struggle to eat all of their calories in a given day - they are eating a healthy amount of calories, and losing weight.
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
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    Not sure what kind of site that is, but the creator of Slimming World is a world class idiot.
    Not if you have to pay to join.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    lol ahh, another fad.

    Nope, not a fad.

    Slimming World has been going in the UK for over 40years, with weekly support classes like attending WW, but I don't think it is available in the US.

    I know plenty of people who have lost loads of weight and kept it off, and even become consultants themselves.
  • hanky1
    hanky1 Posts: 39
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    Slimming World is a good plan as it encourages individuals to fill up on energy dense, satisfying foods and limits consumption of less energy dense foods. Slimming World works well for lots of people and has quite a bit of evidence behind it i believe (see http://www.slimmingworld.com/health/science-evidence/publications.aspx)

    I did it for a while. There are 'free foods' which you can eat as much as you like of UNTIL YOU FEEL FULL - you are not meant to over-eat these and end up feeling bloated. As you know there are plenty of other free foods you can eat if pasta is not agreeing with you!
  • joejccva71
    joejccva71 Posts: 2,985 Member
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    Slimming World is a good plan as it encourages individuals to fill up on energy dense, satisfying foods and limits consumption of less energy dense foods. Slimming World works well for lots of people and has quite a bit of evidence behind it i believe (see http://www.slimmingworld.com/health/science-evidence/publications.aspx)

    I did it for a while. There are 'free foods' which you can eat as much as you like of UNTIL YOU FEEL FULL - you are not meant to over-eat these and end up feeling bloated. As you know there are plenty of other free foods you can eat if pasta is not agreeing with you!

    Sorry but if you just eat pasta or potatoes until you "feel full", many people will blow up like a tire. If for whatever reason you get lucky and eat under your TDEE of pasta, sure you'll lose weight. Most people don't.

    Sorry, not buying it. I know enough about nutrition, dieting, and fitness to know that this site is a joke if they think this way.
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
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    Umm, pasta is NOT a "free" food. You eat too much pasta, potatoes, or any food for that matter it will turn to fat.

    Not sure what kind of site that is, but the creator of Slimming World is a world class idiot.

    A world class idiot with an annual turnover of £15,000,000 +
  • hanky1
    hanky1 Posts: 39
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    Slimming World and MFP are very different eating plans. Anything that allows or encourages you to eat more calories than you can burn in a day = useless fad. Any weight loss will be temporary and will not be a healthy weight loss.

    You might lose weight on it quickly, but only because you're starving your body of something it needs (low fat or low protein can be bad news long-term, as can low-carb unless it's done very deliberately as part of a specific eating plan). They're either selling some sort of carb blocker to go with it (probably a very unhealthy option), or they are hoping your body can't digest enough of the carbs to actually process them.

    MFP espouses a balanced diet rich in multiple calorie sources (fat, carb, protein) in a reasonable balance.

    Slimming World does not encourage you to eat more calories than your body can burn in a day. It encourages people to learn how to eat in moderation, and to eat a balanced diet, without being tied to food scales and calorie counting. You should probably learn more about the diet before you make too many judgements about it. It's not a faddy diet, quite the opposite, and they certainly don't sell carb blockers!
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
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    lol ahh, another fad.

    Nope, not a fad.

    Slimming World has been going in the UK for over 40years, with weekly support classes like attending WW, but I don't think it is available in the US.

    I know plenty of people who have lost loads of weight and kept it off, and even become consultants themselves.

    Consultants? Is this a Multi-Level-Marketing thing??
  • ladyraven68
    ladyraven68 Posts: 2,003 Member
    Options
    lol ahh, another fad.

    Nope, not a fad.

    Slimming World has been going in the UK for over 40years, with weekly support classes like attending WW, but I don't think it is available in the US.

    I know plenty of people who have lost loads of weight and kept it off, and even become consultants themselves.

    Consultants? Is this a Multi-Level-Marketing thing??

    Not sure what you mean by multi level marketing thing.

    SW is a slimming club, in the competition with Weight Watchers. In the UK it has about 40% of the market.
  • hanky1
    hanky1 Posts: 39
    Options
    Slimming World is a good plan as it encourages individuals to fill up on energy dense, satisfying foods and limits consumption of less energy dense foods. Slimming World works well for lots of people and has quite a bit of evidence behind it i believe (see http://www.slimmingworld.com/health/science-evidence/publications.aspx)

    I did it for a while. There are 'free foods' which you can eat as much as you like of UNTIL YOU FEEL FULL - you are not meant to over-eat these and end up feeling bloated. As you know there are plenty of other free foods you can eat if pasta is not agreeing with you!

    Sorry but if you just eat pasta or potatoes until you "feel full", many people will blow up like a tire. If for whatever reason you get lucky and eat under your TDEE of pasta, sure you'll lose weight. Most people don't.

    Sorry, not buying it. I know enough about nutrition, dieting, and fitness to know that this site is a joke if they think this way.

    If you read the evidence you'll see that a lot of people have success with this approach e.g.

    Stubbs, J., Pallister, C., Whybrow, S., Avery, A. and Lavin, J. 2011. Weight outcomes audit for 34,271 adults referred to a primary care/ commercial weight management partnership scheme. Obesity Facts 4(2): 113-120.

    This paper audited the rate and extent of weight loss in a primary care/commercial organisation partnership scheme.
    34,271 patients were referred to Slimming World for 12 weekly sessions.
    Mean weight loss overall was 4.0kg (4.0%)
    Mean weight loss of high attenders (58%) was 5.5kg (5.5%)
    This large scale audit demonstrates that referral to Slimming World is a practical option for NHS weight management strategies, which achieves clinically safe and effective weight losses.

    I think if people 'blow up like a tire' from eating too much potatoes/pasta etc then they are meant to gradually learn how much it takes to feel satisfied before they get to that level. And the approach isn't just about eating pasta and potatoes, there's a lot more to it than that.

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