Dealing with Carb Cravings

In a perfect world, all the starchy carbs we ate would be the whole-grain, high-fiber kind, and we'd always eat them in the right amounts and never crave things like white pasta, pizza and French bread. But we live in the real world, where the scent of fresh bagels assails our noses as we walk down the street and every other TV commercial is about the neighborhood chain restaurant's latest stuffed pizza or pasta dish. (Why do they always look so flippin' irresistible in the commercial?)

Let's face it: every so often we're going to have some starchy refined carbs. It would be unrealistic and cruel to say you're never going to eat them again--and it would backfire because you'd surely crave them if I said you couldn't eat them. The question is how do you incorporate them into your eating plan without setting your weight-loss efforts off-course? I do have a few tricks up my sleeve for this.

First, I decide what my poison is going to be: white pasta, bread, rice--whatever. Then, I surround the poison with the healthiest options possible: lots of veggies, lean chicken, fish or tofu, lots of water, fruit for dessert (or just a bite or two of something sinful). You're basically stacking the deck in your favor by eating the most-healthful food possible along with your not-so-healthful choice. That minimizes the damage you do while keeping you satisfied and on track.

Some other refined-carb hints, particularly for restaurant dining, which is where you're most likely to be tempted by these goodies:

* Order pastas without meat, cream or cheese sauces--opt for tomato- or olive oil-based sauces instead. Lean grilled chicken is also a good ingredient option for pasta. Any pasta with veggies in the mix is better than pasta without veggies.
* Order an appetizer-sized portion of pasta along with a side salad or soup and call it dinner.
* Order an entree-sized portion of pasta and only eat half of it; take the rest home for another meal. Supplement with salad and/or a side order of steamed veggies.
* Have just a slice of pizza and--you guessed it--lots of salad on the side (skip the garlic knots!).
* Order the personal pan pizza and only eat half; see above tip for eating half your pasta order.
* Have your bagel, muffin (croissant or doughnut if you must). Eat whole fruit or fruit salad and nuts with it. Go back on the plan the next day.

Naturally, the more you sneak in starchy refined carbs, the slower your weight loss will be, but you might be in a better mood along the way. Also keep in mind that these kinds of carbs can wreak havoc with your triglyceride levels, so if you're trying to lower your cholesterol, make them a once-in-a-while treat.