After som discussion with my coach today I am beginning the P1 alternative plan for a few weeks. There are not many threads on this topic...and I could not find the answer to my burning question anywhere!

Here is my question- I had 150g whole wheat rotini for supper as a group 1 choice. I weighed it cooked...do I weigh pasta raw or cooked?! My 150g of pasta was 530 calories! YIKES!!! This put my calorie count at 1600 rather than my usual 1100-1200. Wowzers...not sure I will be having whole wheat pasta again anytime soon! Haha!

Any words of wisdom about P1 alternative plan would be so greatly appreciated! Thank you!

I'm pretty sure you weigh it raw. When I was just counting calories I weighed raw. Of course it shrinks up quite a bit. Also I wanted to say to you I'm glad you came back and I wish you the best. Sometimes the drama gets a bit much around here and what I said in that thread I meant no harm.

Thank you nolasmurf for your kind reply! This forum is way to valuable to stay away from for too long I really am not out to start fights, judge or anything like that either. I just want to lose the weight like all of us...sometimes my blood gets boiling and I say things I shouldn't though and I know it, but who doesn't?

Anyways...I found with my pasta today it expanded big time while it cooked. Hmmm still a bit confused?! I think regardless because it is so calorie dense I will choose other group 1 choices more often!

Duh yes it expands sorry was half asleep!

I'm not on IP, but I do know that pasta is weighed raw before cooking. The water that soaks into the pasta during cooking doesn't affect calorie counts.

Also, a "normal" portion of pasta is 2oz (about 56g). Since this is such a small amount many people (including myself) bulk up the pasta or replace it entirely with non-starchy vegetables like thinly sliced peppers, onions, spinach, mushrooms or even ribbons of summer squash or zucchini.

Another option is spaghetti squash, but for my palate, I don't like the sweetness with marinara sauce.

I find that the 150g serving of whole wheat pasta or brown rice is quite large for the alternative plan! I mean it doesn't look "large" on your plate- but man the calorie/carb count is through the roof! Today for my group 1 choice I had a cup of peas in stead- 130 calories versus 530! 400 calorie savings there and I didn't feel any less full afterwards.

I think I will save whole wheat pasta or rice as just an occasional maybe once weekly group 1 choice- and go with peas, corn etc most of the time.