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Great! Join right in. We are nice folks, I promise.letsfixmyheart wrote:Even though I'm nervous about it, I would like to join this group. I read the orientation and I think I'm ready. Yikes.
Mark Cooper wrote:Great! Join right in. We are nice folks, I promise.letsfixmyheart wrote:Even though I'm nervous about it, I would like to join this group. I read the orientation and I think I'm ready. Yikes.
letsfixmyheart wrote:Mark Cooper wrote:Great! Join right in. We are nice folks, I promise.letsfixmyheart wrote:Even though I'm nervous about it, I would like to join this group. I read the orientation and I think I'm ready. Yikes.
Thank you! I'm not nervous about y'all. I'm nervous about giving up pasta and bread. Is that silly?
wildgoose wrote: But you don’t have to give up pasta. Whole-grain pasta is allowed, although we recommend including lots of veggies with any pasta meal. Bread, alas, you might miss, but it’s possible to live without it. I found starchy things that were very satisfying that I learned to eat when I craved bread. The cravings do go away.
Stick with us, and you’ll be a veteran in no time!
That is a great observation.VegSeekingFit wrote:For me, I think having a coherent plan and having a positive mindset will be key factors for success.
Excellent! I couldn't have said it any better. I hope you have a fabulous time!VegseekingFit wrote:I will plan to stick to my plan!!! And if anything isn’t per plan, to dust off and get back on plan.
Spot-on!Gimmelean wrote:I’m very much aware of my triggers this time and while I can’t change my work environment, I can and will certainly plan how I’m going to manage myself in it. Having the right prepared foods with me and at home ready for dinners requires planning, shopping, and preparation which I’m accustomed now to doing.
I really like that. Thank you for sharing. Always onward!Gimmelean wrote: Like the quote “rest not from duty but find rest in it” I find it very comforting to be back on track.
JeffN wrote:The fundamental basic principle of the MWL Program and the principles of calorie density is "whenever hungry, eat until comfortably full of the recommended foods."
So, if you are experiencing hunger, by all means eat. Just reach for the potatoes instead of pretzels - the harder those pretzels are to access (and the simpler to get the potatoes), the easier that will be. Keep at it!JeffN wrote:You don’t have to figure it out or work out it. Only follow the guidelines. When hungry (regardless of whether you may think it is true hunger, appetite, or something else) just eat. Eat of the recommended foods as outlined in the 10 point checklist.
Over time, it will work itself out.
JeffN wrote:There have been a few (not many) changes to the program over the years, as with recommended supplements for heart disease, probiotics, etc. Yes, you can refer back to the newsletter on supplements but it does not represent our current position. Several things have changed since the original MWL book has come out and since the MWL newsletter which updated the book.
If you have questions about what we are doing at the program right now (and/or about what I have said or not), the best thing to do is to ask me. I am right here.
We do allow pasta, but like tortilla's, it is one of those very rare "gray' areas on the MWL.
The original MWL guidelines said "No flour products," however, from the beginning, corn tortilla's (made from corn flour) have been allowed in spite of the fact that they have a calorie density of around 1000 cal/lb. Ironically, I have never recommended them as part of my weight loss guidelines because of the calorie density. The same for puffed cereals.
On the other hand, whole grain pasta, also a flour product, was not part of the original MWL program in spite of the calorie density of only around 550-600, almost half of corn tortilla's. However, for 30 years of my career, (including 10 years at overseeing the food and nutrition at Pritikin), I have always allowed WG pasta and people successfully lost weight. Remember, I also recommended that people follow the 50/50 plate so if pasta is your starch, make sure you include lots of non-starchy vegetables. In the same study that showed the potato to be the highest in satiety per calorie, whole grain pasta was right behind it (and oatmeal) and above brown rice.
Some say they overeat on it and if you find that to be true for you, then just leave it out, but then again, some say they overeat on brown rice, so, if so, just leave it out.
JeffN wrote:Jerry Angelo wrote:My biggest takeaway was from your whole grain pasta pick... Whole grain pasta absorbs water during cooking, therefore in effect "lowering the calorie density to the same as most other intact whole grains". Hmmm... that sounds very interesting!
Yes. Pasta, is one of those few exceptions in regard to calorie density. The calorie density, after cooking, is about 550 cal/lbJerry Angelo wrote:My problem is that I never found a whole grain pasta that I really liked... Truth is, I really didn't try hard enough, I just presumed it was impossible and it may very well be. These days I'm doing MWL and I've had pasta only once in 4 months. Maybe if I can find a few whole grain varieties that I can try perhaps I can incorporate that into my diet in the future.
What are some of your favorite brands and types of whole grain pasta?
I have always loved pasta, even growing up as a kid. One of my favorite meals as a kid was just macaroni noodles in tomato sauce. Also, one of my first chef jobs back in the mid 70's, was at an Italian restaurant where we used to make all our pasta from scratch.
I have always just bought the local store brand whole wheat pasta (currently Publix) though for a while, I used to love & buy Hodgson Mills. I thought it had a much richer texture. My favorite cut/style is Penne Rigate (often called just Penne) or any similar shaped tubular pasta (mostaccioli, macaroni, rigatoni etc).
I like to keep things simple so usually just buy the local brands whole wheat penne.
However, I also love buckwheat pasta though it was always fairly expensive and used to only come shaped like spaghetti or fettucinni (which I don't like). You can usually find them as Japanese Soba Noodles which are usually pure buckwheat (though some are a combo of buckwheat and wheat).
Till now.
With the current gluten-free craze, buckwheat pasta has become very popular as it holds up well when cooked, has a great texture and a wonderful nutty flavor. As a result, I have found and been using buckwheat Penne, which is great and the price has come way down (though still over double my favorite store brand whole wheat penne).
I think it is also important to know that the sauce & veggies you serve with your pasta is also important to the final acceptability.
I make my own simple marinara sauce
1 28 oz Box Pomi Chopped Tomatoes (or any 28 oz can salt free chopped Tomatoes)
1/2 cup frozen diced pepper and onions
1 tbsp Mrs Dash Tomato Basil Salt Free Seasoning
Simmer 10 minutes & adjust to your own liking.
I then serve it with the sauce and following my 50/50 guideline for Calorie Density and serve an equal volume of steamed broccoli, cauliflower and carrots with it.
Here is an older pic using corn pastaJerry Angelo wrote:And if they would have virtually the same caloric density as other intact whole grains, would using them inside of MWL be a good idea?
With a caveat which I explain here.JeffN wrote:Also, as you may know, for most people, I highly recommend the MWL program for many reasons. One is that it excludes all these processed products.
The only exception that I allow is whole grain pasta. The reason is two fold
1) while it is processed, the calorie density of the final product is the same as intact whole grains because the pasta absorbs so much water during the cooking process.
2) Part of the concern with all the other ground whole grain products is their calorie density and their absorption rate. However, the lower calorie density of pasta (and the calorie density recommendation to always consume it with a 1/4 to 1/2 ratio of veggies), slows down the absorption rate. However, there still may be rare occasions while someone is recovering their health that they may need to also cut out the pasta.
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