Going To Test Myself Tonight

[KryssiMc]

Okay, here's the situation. I am hypoglycemic and am in maintenance. I am able to eat carbs to my heart's content without gaining as long as I stay away from sugar. It is my choice that I do not eat processed flour and junk food.

I am going to dinner with my fiance this evening to start with our wedding plans. We are going to a quaint little Italian restaurant. I have been drinking wine for a little while now, so that's not a problem. Usually, when we go Italian, I stick to seafood and a big salad. If I do eat pasta at home which is about once a month, I make Dreamfield's and follow the directions to a T.

Tonight, I would like to try a little pasta. I am worried that it will send my sugar skyrocketing....I am worried that it will trigger cravings although I fell down and went boom awhile ago and had pizza and that triggered no cravings for me. This will be the first time I am actually contemplating it beforehand. I am NOT worried that it will make me gain weight as my metabolism is mega high these days and I would actually like to gain back a few lbs.

I guess what I'm going for here is that I am trying the moderation thing. We're talking about semolina here, not white flour. Is it different? Has anyone else in maintenance been able to eat a small amount of pasta and stay successful? Thanks in advance.

[Josiemk]

Kryssi,
Congrads on your engagment.
I hadn't had a problem with pasta when I was on maintence as long as I only ate small porportion. I would make sure you aren't starving when you get there so you aren't tempted to eat alot of it.
I'm sure you'll do fine.

[KryssiMc]

Thanks Josie. I really needed to hear that from someone with some experience. I'll drink plenty of water and eat the beautiful house salad they have there first. I still plan to make the meal mostly protein, but I wanted to have a small portion of pasta on the side.

Thanks for the congratulations!!

[BKM]

So how did you fare, Kryssi? And what fun, starting your wedding plans!

I've read that pasta flour is lower glycemic than plain white flour, and that it's thus less damaging.... However, I used to eat HUGE plates of spaghetti, so I'm not comfortable with trying it again - lol. I do throw a handful of the Dreamfield's pasta into soups, and that never seems to affect me.

I've discovered that Italian restaurants will sub the pasta for me with a salad or extra vegetables -- just order a fish/meat dish -- and I'm 100% happy. My biggest problem is typically salt content, apparently I can't tolerate a lot of salt without gaining.....

[KryssiMc]

Hi Bonnie! I did just fine...after having the salad and my clams appetizer, I was actually pretty full, so I ate the shrimp and artichokes from the pasta dish and maybe ate only a few bites of the pasta. Didn't need a nap when I got home either...so I guess it went pretty well. The scale was the same this morning as well.

Woo Hoo! I'm happy but this is not something I will do often...just was curious, I guess.

[ItsTheWooo]

Okay, here's the situation. I am hypoglycemic and am in maintenance. I am able to eat carbs to my heart's content without gaining as long as I stay away from sugar. It is my choice that I do not eat processed flour and junk food.

I am going to dinner with my fiance this evening to start with our wedding plans. We are going to a quaint little Italian restaurant. I have been drinking wine for a little while now, so that's not a problem. Usually, when we go Italian, I stick to seafood and a big salad. If I do eat pasta at home which is about once a month, I make Dreamfield's and follow the directions to a T.

Tonight, I would like to try a little pasta. I am worried that it will send my sugar skyrocketing....I am worried that it will trigger cravings although I fell down and went boom awhile ago and had pizza and that triggered no cravings for me. This will be the first time I am actually contemplating it beforehand. I am NOT worried that it will make me gain weight as my metabolism is mega high these days and I would actually like to gain back a few lbs.

I guess what I'm going for here is that I am trying the moderation thing. We're talking about semolina here, not white flour. Is it different? Has anyone else in maintenance been able to eat a small amount of pasta and stay successful? Thanks in advance.
Hi Kryssi
I often eat out now adays, I find that eating for pleasure when you're out has helped me maintain. By eating those foods as a "treat", in your mind you are firmly cementing a role for those foods - as a treat. It helps me in my daily life to know there is a time I get to eat like that, once in awhile for a special occasion. I stop looking at those foods as "food" (energy) and more a rare treat.

I am very sedentary am controlling obesity so I gain weight very easily, which means when I go out to eat I need to eat very lightly before and afterward. Again I find eating out helpful in teaching me that I CAN handle indulgences, that I can make choices without sacrificing my weight goal. I can eat the brownie at dessert, but I need to eat lightly later on.

Another thing eating out has taught me is how awful carbs make me feel. I feel like I've been drugged. I get so sluggish, the world around me is in slow motion. Then, when I get home, ravenous hunger even though I'm still physically full. That also helps me make the right choices in my day to day life... fresh knowledge of WHY I'm making them to begin with.


So I say, go ahead and eat the pasta. Get a dish that has meat or cheeses in it, and divide the portion in half (restaurant portions are huge). You might feel pretty bad shortly after eating it (I always do when I eat carbs) but it won't ruin your weight as long as you compensate later.

[KryssiMc]

Thanks, Woo but I think my problem is different than yours. As I said in my post, I don't gain weight if I stay away from sugar. In fact, it's just the opposite...I'm fighting to keep weight on.

The problem was my hypoglycemia and I totally agree with the drugged feeling when I've overindulged at any one meal. If I take in 100g a day, but space them out, the scale doesn't go up.

OTOH, I exercise constantly and have a super fast metabolism in the absence of sugar. I've actually had to cut down on my cardio as it was detrimental to my keeping the weight on.

I also agree with your view on these foods as a "treat". I find I can live with this WOL alot easier when I know that most things are not a no-no...other than sugar...but that's just for health reasons anyway.

[nawchem]

Oh shoot! I'm sorry krissi I meant to start a new thread, not barge into the middle of yours.