I Survived Dinner at an Italian Pasta Place!

[mizski]

I am just starting my second week of OWL so I was a little uneasy meeting friends for dinner at one of my former favorite restaurants. The menu is typical Italian and heavy on the pasta dishes. I hoped that one of the day's specials would be a fish or steak...if not I was going to ask them to do a veal sautee thing with veggies on the side.

I was in luck...they had a nice filet mignon as a special. I asked for veggies instead of a starch. It arrived with a beautiful arrangement of broccoli around it. The filet was on top of some sauteed mushrooms with a nice dollop of garlic butter on top. People were glancing over looking at my wonderful dinner. They of course had the usual mounds of pasta on their plates.

Dinner was incredibly delicious. I survived without any angst about not having pasta which surprised me a bit. But the most important thing about this whole adventure was how great I felt after this meal. You see, today was about 95 degrees with a heat index of 106 and that dreadful heavy humid air. My dining companions were all bloated and crummy feeling after their carb overload. And I remembered how that felt. I don't feel like that anymore. Thanks Atkins!

[Slapshot]

Re: I Survived Dinner at an Italian Pasta Place!

Congrats to you. Excellent result! It always amazes me that I can have a great steak and broccoli with butter on it and forget that I'm on a "diet."

[liv]

Re: I Survived Dinner at an Italian Pasta Place!

Way to go Mizski.
It can be hard with those all favourites like that. What you did was be very sure you were not going to give in. That makes the whole difference. I have yet to go into a restaurant where they have not been wiling to make some changes to accommodate my eating preferences. So if you want it to work, it will work.

[Liebling]

Re: I Survived Dinner at an Italian Pasta Place!

Good job! You know what else is really nice at an Italian place when you want something lighter, say for lunch? Buffalo mozarella salad with some capers and/or artichoke hearts. Wow. Nice low-carb alternative.

I've been practicing the Atkins approach since 2000 and I've noticed that restaurants don't even bat an eyelash anymore when we ask for veggies instead of potato/pasta/bread items.

I remember going to The Stone House in San Ysidro Ranch in CA (Santa Barabara County) and they were so "with it" in 2000 that they actually had an entire low-carb menu. Amazing.

Keep up the great work.

Liebling

[Momtofour]

Re: I Survived Dinner at an Italian Pasta Place!



That is a great feeling!

I remember going to The Stone House in San Ysidro Ranch in CA (Santa Barabara County) and they were so "with it" in 2000 that they actually had an entire low-carb menu. Amazing.

Keep up the great work.

Liebling

There is a pizza place in my hometown that has a low carb menu that is fantastic. My favorite dish is chicken & spinach baked with mozzerella cheese on top. YUMMY It is funny because it is in a small town. I live in a much larger town and there isn't one place with a dedicated low carb menu.

[Sd1136]

Re: I Survived Dinner at an Italian Pasta Place!

wonderful,
I know what you mean about not feeling so bloated and stuff.

[Elizellen]

Re: I Survived Dinner at an Italian Pasta Place!

Well done!!

[neutronnorman]

Re: I Survived Dinner at an Italian Pasta Place!

There's has to be something wrong with me, I just do not have food cravings. I go out all the time with friends to all sorts of different restaurants and I just don't crave carbs, sweets, starches, etc. The times I've eaten sweets, even something benign like oatmeal with Nutrasweet, it tastes very metallic to me. If I eat a carb loaded meal, I fall asleep and feel sluggish all day.

[imagood1]

Re: I Survived Dinner at an Italian Pasta Place!

Congratulations Mizski --- I haven't eaten anywhere yet (and we've tried several different type of restaurants) where I couldn't eat and have nothing but Atkins friendly foods. I have not caused a scene and have not felt embarrassed by my requests so there has been no reason not to go out and enjoy myself and friends around a meal.

You're doing great!

[dcketcham]

Re: I Survived Dinner at an Italian Pasta Place!

Congrats and .. actually you gave me some good ideas...
Of course the Olive Garden is now running their never ending pasta bowl....
one of my favorite restaurants.. my wife was really REALLY dispointed about this as both hers and her mothers birthdays are coming up, and well we've been going there for years and i said that there will be other options and I was very happy to read this post!

thanks!

[mizski]

Re: I Survived Dinner at an Italian Pasta Place!

I'm not sure how accommodating chain restaurants like Olive Garden are. They do have a grill menu though but they really like to push those bread sticks. Ugh!

The restaurant I went to is a small, family-run Italian place. Tasty food and happy customers is key so they were more than happy to make palate-pleasing dishes to accommodate my diet.

I would check out the Olive Garden menu online and find out what dishes would be suitable before you get there and face the bread-stick ambush! LOL

[dcketcham]

Re: I Survived Dinner at an Italian Pasta Place!

I AM STRONG !! I CAN DO IT !
Heck, even if I go and just eat salad and water I'd be fine... really

[Kimmala]

Re: I Survived Dinner at an Italian Pasta Place!

Just saw your post - and had to say this. I went out with friends to a theme park yesterday (with our children) and they all wanted to go to this Eat as Much as you like Pizza place. I was so upset inside - like "ooooooooooh No" as I was hoping to rather go to a burger place and just eat the burger with salad. Also - PIZZAS are my favourite!! Anyhow, I didn't fuss as they were all enthusiastic and in we went - and there was nothing "legal" to order (honest) as no menu. You just had to get up and go and get your own pizza, pastas or salad. So I ended up getting salad and pizza, and with all the energy I could gather and to the amazement of my friends (as they are also overweight and somehow I think they were maybe hoping I was going to eat the pizza), I quietely sat and ate the toppings off the pizza. The toppings weren't very generous either - not much at all. Anyhow, embarrassed at the memory, I put the crusts on a side plate, and went and got ANOTHER helping of pizza - and again - scraped off the meagre toppings!! I ended up having three servings (ooooooooh laughing here) and they were all watching me as if I'd got a screw loose - but you know what, this morning YAHOOO - my scale has gone down so nicely and it was worth it!! When I walked out of that restaurant yesterday, I suddenly felt SO STRONG and today I feel stronger. Suddenly I have will power.

[keriann_forgoodthistime]

Re: I Survived Dinner at an Italian Pasta Place!

miski, that's AWESOME!

just goes to show that once you know what to eat - you can find fabulous food ANYWHERE!

I know for me, personally - even BEFORE i was on atkins - that steak sounds more fabulous than pasta anyways!