Quitting Pasta

Options
2

Replies

  • Celebi03
    Celebi03 Posts: 310 Member
    Options
    I eat pasta almost everyday. Still lose weigh. The key is to control your portions.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 17,959 Member
    Options
    I make yummy pasta sauce and have half the pasta, bulked up with veggies. Cauliflower hold the sauce well and ribbonned zucchini goes well with spaghetti.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
    Options
    No.
  • VeganCoco
    VeganCoco Posts: 104 Member
    Options
    I love pasta but it's a massive issue for control for portion control for me, I could eat it for days!

    I also like wholegrain pasta but not quite as much ( i.e could not eat it for days!) so i switched to that and it solved the problem.

    In conclusion, try brown pasta, if you still can't control your consumption then cut it out for a while and see how it goes.

    I find bulgar whear a great pasta alternative :)
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
    Options
    its not a bit deal, I hardly eat it, and its not exactly vital to your diet.

    cutting out carbs completely would be a bad idea.



    but anyway....

    its not gonna make a difference to your weight loss
  • Flab2fitfi
    Flab2fitfi Posts: 1,349 Member
    Options
    I love pasta although mine has to be gluten free due to Coeliacs disease. It one of the only gluten free foods i tend to buy and its everyones favourite in the house.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,821 Member
    Options
    There is no correct answer to this question because EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. That said, many people are carb sensitive. I will also note that MFP's default carb settings are on the high side. Therefore, you can try increasing your protein intake with lean red meat, fish, poultry, nuts, beans, legumes, and low-fat dairy such as Greek yogurt and goats cheese.

    IMHO - I stay away from anything that is not whole grain when it comes to grain based products. The best carbs come from fruits and veggies, and the second best are from whole grains.

    Good luck.
  • twhite4550
    twhite4550 Posts: 25
    Options
    I think pasta in not bad at all. It's one of my favorite too, a great substitute for rice. :smile:
  • _CrepeSuzette_
    _CrepeSuzette_ Posts: 53 Member
    Options
    Instead of quitting pasta, try to limit/eliminate the condiment, such as that weird fatty cheese salsa that i see often in some movies/tv shows (don't know if you eat it too, but the heart of the matter is to pay attention to the seasoning :wink: ) .
    I eat everyday 50/60gr of pasta with vegetables or tomato sauce and i lost about 24 lbs so far :smile: .
  • joannedemarco
    joannedemarco Posts: 12
    Options
    Hi, I agree with moderation. I am Italian and pasta is like water to me. I switched to a whole grain pasta plus (Safeway/Vons) brand. You have to weigh it dry and 2 ounces dry is a serving. 190 Cal, 1.5 mg fat, and 10g protein. Load your sauce up with your favorite veggies and it makes it more flavorful. I like my pasta al dente, but this is better softer, I can live with it. In the end, big flavors can enhance any not so alone tasty food. Remember the goal is not to give up everything while dieting....the goal is to change eating patterns and habits for a life time. I have failed many diets after succeeding them because in the end I made no real changes in my life. Best of luck to you.
  • GormanGhaste
    GormanGhaste Posts: 430 Member
    Options
    I like eating couscous, as it's easy to measure portions.

    That's a great idea with the shredded broccoli. I'll have to try it!
  • formersec
    formersec Posts: 233 Member
    Options
    I'm diabetic and still eat pasta, but maybe once a week and in reasonable amounts. My Italian mother's family ate pasta either as an appetizer or a side dish -- certainly no more than a cupful. None of them were diabetic or overweight. Eating enough pasta to fill a huge dinner plate is actually an American concept. That's the problem with us Americans -- we overeat everything.
  • shannashannabobana
    shannashannabobana Posts: 625 Member
    Options
    Its not essential to quit it , but I don't eat it any more, there are many other foods available!
    This one. I am limiting wheat, but even before that I realized that pasta doesn't really help me lose weight. Best to enjoy it as a treat, not an everday thing.
    that weird fatty cheese salsa
    ?
  • Joehenny
    Joehenny Posts: 1,222 Member
    Options
    wholewheat rather than white pasta but why eat it anyway its full of carb and tastes crap

    "but why eat it anyway its full of carb" Your statement makes no sense. By that logic: "Chicken is full of protein anyways don't eat it"
  • fooninie
    fooninie Posts: 291 Member
    Options
    IMO you don't need to quit anything. Just make sure you are burning more calories than you are eating (Caloric deficit). Personally, I stay away from most refined carbs (pastas, bread etc.) because they bloat me. But I do have whatever I want in moderation.

    I lost all of my weight following the low carb lifestyle. When I learned that pasta and bread basically turn into glycogen, I was convinced to reduce my intake. Most of us have enough glycogen stored already. In Italy (and many European countries) they have a very different approach to eating, just saying that Italians eat lots and they are less obese is not just about the pasta, it;s about the portions, the balance of fresh foods being used for sauces or salads and the time they spend eating and their overall mobility. Culturally, there is a huge difference. I'm French, my problem was I just was overindulging on all food groups (and wine) and not burning.
  • Emma_altpeter
    Emma_altpeter Posts: 16 Member
    Options
    I don't eat pasta ever. I find people crave the sauce far more than the actual noodles. I love love love pasta sauce and eat it as salad dressing or on top of cabbage- yum!

    But pasta isn't terrible for you, its the portions people tend to eat 4 times the appropriate portion of pasta, then with the sauce, and added cheese or what have you it can all add up to 1200+ calories for one dish, which is more than I would eat in an entire day!

    So my verdict- eat pasta as a lunch rather than dinner and never get pasta at a restaurant.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
    Options
    Is quitting pasta a good idea?

    do you have a gluten allergy? Are you diabetic or pre diabetic or otherwise insulin resistant? If no, there is no need to give up pasta. Particular foods and particular macro nutrients (carbs/fat/protein) don't make you fat...calories in excess of your maintenance level of calories makes you fat.

    Carbs aren't the devil...actually, carbs are awesome if you actually workout and stuff. I'd bonk without carbs...and those slow carbs from pasta, potatoes, grains, etc are my favorite...awesome for running and recovery from lifting.
  • Ohnoes
    Ohnoes Posts: 98 Member
    Options
    my opinion... whole wheat pasta is not tasty. neither is brown rice, etc etc. they taste un-yummy. i dont care if they are healthier, i would rather never eat pasta again than eat these. i have tried, and im done trying fake pastas.

    i have two skinny skinny hungry growing boys to feed, and not a lot of money so we have pasta at least once a week for dinner. i make a nice red sauce with lean ground meat, some hidden veggies for bulk and vitamins (shredded zucchini and carrots, yum!). i fill my own bowl with salad that i keep in the fridge at all times (lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, bell peppers) and then i top it with a measured cup of pasta (about 220 calories) and a cup of sauce, which acts as a salad dressing. the veggies are filling and i have enough pasta to feel like i am eating what the kids are having. this is what works for me!

    also, we sometimes have pasta as a side dish for another meal. a chicken breast with a salad and a cup of pasta on the side is good stuff. pasta does not have to be consumed in huge amounts, or as the main course of a meal.
  • MB_Positif
    MB_Positif Posts: 8,897 Member
    Options
    I haven't quit pasta. I eat a lot less of it, meaning less often and less quantity when I do. That said, I try to make the meal more about the sauce or whatever I am putting on the pasta, the pasta is the side dish, not the main dish. I add lots of protein and vegetables.
  • svarcy
    svarcy Posts: 3
    Options
    Wholewheat vs White pasta comes down to their position on the Glycemic Index (GI) some people care about this some don't. I wouldn't really recommend worrying about it if you're just starting out as it is micromanaging but would recommend you look into it at some point.

    Wholewheat (brown) has around 25% lower GI than white pasta which means it will deliver 25% less sugar to the bloodstream within 2 hours after eaten. Higher blood sugar levels make the body produce more insulin which in turn stores more sugar in the cells. Insulin can also slow fat burning, increase fat storage and make you feel hungry sooner. The GI difference in the two is because the wholewheat version is higher in fibre which is what will keep you fuller longer.

    You still need to control your portion sizes as you would with white but I would recommend wholewheat over white because of the above. Plus IMO just like brown rice I can't taste the difference like some people and enjoy it a lot more.

Categories