Mini goals and challanges

cathy120861

Of course, all of us want to become strong and fit and healthy. But as i have been exploring the discussion forums on MFP, i have become interested in the specific goals and challenges that people are setting themselves. I love reading about people's plans and aspirations.'

for me, i am trying to cut down on carbs, and also to move around more during the day. I read that one of the two biggest reasons that people who do a lot of exercise don't lose as much weight as they expect to is that they become more sedentary the rest of the time. I work at a desk, can can go hours without moving anything more than my fingers.

Also, i have two strength/fitness goals. one is, i want to go surfing again. and the other is that when my first grandchild is born, i want to be strong enough to carry him or her around in one of those front packs that look so cozy and that i didnt know about when i was a mom.

Sweet_Pandora

Hi Cathy and welcome.

My goal at the moment is to be consistent with my healthy eating and exercising regularly. I tend to be disciplined all week and once the weekend arrives I lose focus.

I learned to surf last winter in Hawaii it was so much fun!

Karen

Sabine_Stroehm

My goal is to be able to do unassisted pull ups.

Oh, and to learn to COOK more healthy meals. I'm great at eating healthy, I just don't cook very well.

Mauigirl62

I too am trying to cut back on carbs. I love MFP because it shows the carbs as well as calories, fats, etc. in all the foods. This way I can see if I am tending to be under the average goal amount for carbs. So far I have been, and a little over on protein, which I have no worries about. I also keep an eye on sodium since I have (treated) high blood pressure, and am gratified to realize I generally consume a good deal less than the amount they have as a goal. I also went back to yoga, which I used to do a few years ago, in order to build up my muscle tone and balance. Then maybe I'll do some more aerobic exercise later on.

Just_Ceci

I'm training for my first 1/2 Marathon and trying to maintain within 5 lbs of my goal weight which I reached in November 2013.

cathy120861

Maulgirl62 -- how are finding the carb reduction? for me, it has been quite a challenge. I just recently met with a nutritionist and, as of yesterday. and trying to do no more than 50 net carbs per day (net carbs means carbs minus fiber).

Mauigirl62

Cathy120861, I have tended to be under the "goal" on the nutrition panel except on days when I eat pasta. However, I don't know if that goal is good or bad. I should try the "net carb" goal you are working toward and see how I do. Thanks for the info!

cathy120861

Mauigirl -- i went in and manually changed my goals because MFP had me eating many more carbs than my nutritionist recommended. i reduced my number of carbs to 70, although that is really just a place holder since the number of carbs i am allowed every day is based so much on how much fiber is in those foods. one day i actually ate 85 grams of carbs but only 41 net carbs.

Mauigirl62

Oh good, that is helpful to know. I didn't realize I could change them. I will do that too!

TXMom02

Cathy120861 can you explain the net carb?

cathy120861

sure can. (i didnt know a thing about carbs until last week and now i am obsessed!!)
Net carbs are the amount of carbs in a food, minus the amount of fiber. apparently carbs are more prone to turn to sugars and to be retained as fat in your body than protein or even than fat itself. (weird but true. they are of especially concern for those of us with adult onset diabetes in our families). but fiber seems to offset this process.

so, for example, raspberries have 7 grams of carbs in 2 ounces, but also 4 grams of fiber, making them a good choice if you want a low carb fruit since they have only 3 net carbs.

Quest chocolate chip cookie dough protein bars, to use one of my favorite foods, have 21 carbs in them, but also 17 fibers, so they have only four net carbs.

a tablespoon of polaner all fruit jelly, on the other hand, has 9 carbs and no fiber, so it has nine net carbs.

I don't know if you ever used weight watchers, but when they redid their points a few years ago, they stopped using just calories and started using fat, carbs and fiber. that is because they were using net carbs.

one of the great things about MFP is that they make it super easy to figure out net carbs, since they break food down by both cars and fiber.

does that help?

p.s. i was psyched to see that you are from Texas. My kids all live in Austin and i expect to be down there in the next few weeks to welcome my first grandchild.

julesribar

Well I am very happy I found this group. I am not out to get a six pack or have a scultpted body! I just wanted to feel good in my own skin and be healthy!!! And I am also thankful for the explanation on net carbs. I did ww's yrs ago and I did learn about the carbs/fiber thingy but this explanation is much more clearer.

pbnett

Goal to cut carbs, also. I could live on carbs. But, last 10 days I have gone for protein when hungry, smaller portions, skipped some of bad habit, eating carbs for recreation. Down 3 pounds. - I like that better than chocolate.

smilebhappy

cathy120861 wrote: »

sure can. (i didnt know a thing about carbs until last week and now i am obsessed!!)
Net carbs are the amount of carbs in a food, minus the amount of fiber. apparently carbs are more prone to turn to sugars and to be retained as fat in your body than protein or even than fat itself. (weird but true. they are of especially concern for those of us with adult onset diabetes in our families). but fiber seems to offset this process.

so, for example, raspberries have 7 grams of carbs in 2 ounces, but also 4 grams of fiber, making them a good choice if you want a low carb fruit since they have only 3 net carbs.

Quest chocolate chip cookie dough protein bars, to use one of my favorite foods, have 21 carbs in them, but also 17 fibers, so they have only four net carbs.

a tablespoon of polaner all fruit jelly, on the other hand, has 9 carbs and no fiber, so it has nine net carbs.

I don't know if you ever used weight watchers, but when they redid their points a few years ago, they stopped using just calories and started using fat, carbs and fiber. that is because they were using net carbs.

one of the great things about MFP is that they make it super easy to figure out net carbs, since they break food down by both cars and fiber.

does that help?

p.s. I was psyched to see that you are from Texas. My kids all live in Austin and i expect to be down there in the next few weeks to welcome my first grandchild.

Very Interesting......thanks cathy120861 for the explanation!!
I've been sidelined by an injury so my goal currently is to eat healthier and drinking enough water. Hoping once I get thru my meds (for injury) I can ease back into exercising.

Mauigirl62

I was going to change my carb goal but decided to leave it alone because then I had to change all the percentages and I was afraid that would mess things up. I figure I will just keep an eye on the carbs and not go over 70. I have been pretty good about keeping to about that level anyway so far. I also found I could change what I track to include fiber (had to leave out sodium but since I was consistently quite a bit under on sodium except one day when I had some regular Progress soup, I thought fiber was more important. I am way below goal on fiber so that is a new goal of mine, to increase fiber.

cathy120861

As i understand it, my nutritionist's plan for me is to start as i am now, with 50 net carbs a day, and very gradually reduce that number, so that my body can gradually stop craving them (i too, could live on carbs. and practically did). then, as i start to get closer to my goal weight, we will gradually increase my carb allowance again until we find a healthy maintenance number i can live with.

so, for all of next week, 50 net carbs a day. then next friday we are going to consider the first reduction.

We could make it into a game show: "Kick those Karbs to the Kurb"
Anybody else want to play with me?

KarensCanDoIt

I never knew what a 'net carb' was. Thanks for the explanation. Very simple to understand now that I know how it is figured.

Mauigirl62

Had lentil soup for lunch. 8 g of fiber! Yay!

cathy120861

Mauigirl62 wrote: »

Had lentil soup for lunch. 8 g of fiber! Yay!

You are a superstar, Mauigirl!

Mauigirl62

Thanks Cathy! Was bad over the weekend (wine!) so today am having a green smoothie for lunch. Hope all that kale will add some fiber! Tonight, NO wine.