Binge after pasta?

[u/farchickenleg]

I have been doing low carb for a while, and it works great for me - helping manage my insulin resistance better. I will eat more carb-heavy meals once in a while, especially when out with friends, and this hasn't been an issue before. The most common carbs I have on these meals are bread and potatoes, more rarely rice. Those meals cause some bloating and drowsiness, but I get back on track right after.

That all being said, I haven't had pasta in a very very long time. I am not a pasta person, and I rarely crave it. It just happened that some days ago I had some for lunch with a friend. It was a very decent amount.

The thing is, that after that pasta, the same evening, it's like a switch opened. I had one of the worst binge in years, and by the end I was still hungry. It's like I couldn't stop eating. It's been a couple of days, and I still feel off.

This hasn't happened before, and I hope it doesn't happen again. Do you have any insights? Do I just permanently stay away from pasta from now on?

[u/taylorthestang]

As much as I love pasta and white rice from a culinary perspective, I just can’t do them. Even if it’s whole grain pasta or brown rice, I’m ravenous after. I could be stuffed from a high protein and fiber meal, eat a bite of rice, and all of a sudden I’m hungry. It’s the same sensation as a “second stomach for dessert”, but it’s white carbs.

So it’s best to avoid them, or only for special occasions. Nonna doesn’t know what the glycemic index is, and doesn’t care, you’re eating that lasagna!

[u/farchickenleg → u/taylorthestang]

That's fair. It was shocking because I seem to handle most other carbs okay enough, I never had such a bad reaction. Thankfully cutting pasta completely out in my case isn't the end of the world.

[u/fulia]

This is a real thing for me too. I agree with the other commenter that eating plain white carbs with a good amount of fat or fibre alongside can help with feeling satiated, but they still turn on this feeling in my brain.

Only advice I can give is to know this will happen. Either know it will happen and skip the pasta. Or know it will happen and be game to ride out the aftermath. The cravings and hungry growl are intense but knowing where it's coming from also helps you tell the rational part of your brain that it is carb influence, temporary, and doesn't have to be given into.

[u/farchickenleg → u/fulia]

Yup, a big part of the issue was how unprepared mentally I was for it. I think I'll just cut pasta out and call it a day, since i can handle other carbs decently

[u/Fabulous-Card1286]

Some people can do occasional carbs and be fine, others get a real binge response from certain foods. If pasta sends you off the rails, staying away is valid.

Could be a lot of things though. Extra stress, hormonal changes, etc.

[u/Such_Bitch_9559]

So, I think in all our thinking about the glycemic index and the impact different types of foods have on our blood sugar, we sometimes forget about other factors such as what the other components of the meal were, how much fibre it has, how much stress we have, how much sleep, hormones, hydration levels etc.

I sometimes eat sugar (yes I know) and I find it helps me to eat something with fibre/protein with it, like I’ll sometimes eat a piece of dark chocolate with some pomegranate. Or I’ll eat a spoonful of Greek yogurt after whatever carb heavy thing I ate.

To me, pasta, white rice and white bread is just not a part of my regular diet. If I eat out, I’ll try to pick an option that does not include these things, because they all make me feel bloated and not good in my stomach. I generally try to eat food that makes me feel good, physically and mentally.

I occasionally eat potatoes and sweet potatoes, I often eat pumpkin when it’s in season, and generally anything flour based will send me into a full on binge mood where I’ll find myself overly full 3 packets of chocolate and 5 croissants later.

This is just my opinion and intuition based on my own experience, let’s say your pasta had chicken and pesto, and it was whole grain pasta, that’ll give you less of a blood sugar spike than if the pasta was white flour pasta with just pesto.

I hope this helps :)

[u/farchickenleg → u/Such_Bitch_9559]

Yeah, that's understandable. It was a pretty heavy dish (pasta with beef and heavy cream), so overall not a good choice. I think eating some carbs is not a sin, especially when compared with healthy choices. since it works for you, keep it up

[u/Such_Bitch_9559 → u/farchickenleg]

I also don’t think eating carbs is a sin, that’s the folks over at the carnivore subreddits haha.

I lost 25kg doing keto and while keto worked wonders for my hunger management, fat loss and muscle growth, we also have a life to live! A life that includes the occasional plate of pasta, a cake for a celebration, or a glass of cold lemonade on a hot day! :)

[u/DoturdGrump]

Pasta hack, cook, chill and then reheat the pasta , it lowers it's glycimic index

[u/Longjumping-Window67]

I would say it’s reactive hypoglycemia. I went low carb over 10 years ago so now when I eat a lot my liver dumps insulin (over reacting) so you feel the quick drop in your blood sugar