Going4Gold GANG

Here at the Going4Gold Gang it's all about sharing what your doing as an individual then sharing with the rest of the gang. 

Everyone is Welcome 

My sweet potato is usually medium...23.6 carbs.

I'll try to share some menu stuff later...I must do a lot today, but, remember, I'm smaller and need less to feel full, possibly? Complex carbs are my standby to avoid hunger as they have fiber and even protein to satisfy me longer. Eze. bread is awesome for that, too. High protein is very important to me, too. And WATER!!! dbackerfan(?),  wrote in a thread on fiber limits that he needs high fiber to avoid surgery... and has a 3 oz. per gram water goal! (Per his Dr.) 40 grams for me = 120 oz daily! (Includes some in stuff besides water.)

I checked with the Nutritionist on the 130 carbs, and she agreed NO less than 130. I like to be as sure I as can, so I asked her while I had her advice, as I know a LONG deficit state is a strain on my body and I want to live healthy and feel good as I lose... and she said the 'Habits' I'm building are the secret to the successful dieters she's worked with!

Hope your day goes well! I'll be back...

FIBER!!!!

NOT CARBS!!!!

Now, laughing too!!!

3 x fiber for day...!  I use complex carbs, protein, and fiber to help avoid hunger-- with water! Lol! Don't hurt yourself with water, forks! Ple-eeaasseee!!!

Just thinking...

( Be CAREFUL... THAT makes me DANGEROUS...lol!)

We need Mollyto tell us how many cals we burn laughing...!!!

I may not NEED the gym today...!!!

I'll just Need an ambulance, instead...

Edited a last thought, lol.

Forks...

I will return later, and I'll be trying to condense what I've been studying into small bites- my only tongue is english, lol, and I'd better try to stick to that! The material I'm studying is from various new good books that my mother and I found recently in our joint efforts to improve our health with whatever current reliable knowledge we can locate...

I DON'T want to sound like a 'know-it-all' so I sometimes just 'hold my peace' and don't share what I'm learning... The Nutritionist even garnered some critism, so I'm afraid my thoughts might be mis-understood and sound too pushy through simple lack of social/verbal skills! I'll gladly share...but want to avoid pressing anyone through the strength of my belief! I'm LEARNING! I want folks to realize I'm just trying to learn all I can, and I really enjoy the opinions of others--even if they are different from my current opinions!

I have learned- through bad experiences- that things that appear true today, may be proven error tomorrow...I was pushed into an all-raw, all-veggie diet once, though folks I trusted-- and I believed in it...and felt rather hurt by it in the end. I've found info since that would have helped me to know better- if I'd only known!

That type of diet can be done...but there are things you must do with it, and not for the reasons I was given, as they were un-scriptural and quite un-sound.  The scriptural push hurt the most, and those folks are gone from my life now, so...all is well! AND... I'm smarter now!!! And CAREFUL to not tell all I THINK I know, lol!!!

I'll try to share... but I am looking for what WORKS! If it is proven to be error tomorrow, it won't matter... Because the error will be that the reason  why it works was wrong, but it still worked... for a reason they didn't understand yet... but it WORKED, lol!!!

More later... if you really want it!!! lol!!!

Thoughts on carbs ....

Carbs are not the enemy ... they are one of three necessary components to our diets (along with healthy fats and proteins.)  For those of us with diabetes, pre-diabetes, insulin resistance, or problems with HIGH blood sugar, we especially need to watch the amount and TYPE of carbs that we eat.  Simple carbs (things that contain sugar, natural or otherwise) are less desirable, overall, than complex carbs ... because complex carbs are slower-buring and provide energy over a longer period of time, resulting in less spike to our blood sugar. (Simple carbs are fast burning, Complex carbs are slow burning.)  From a dietary standpoint, sugar = sugar = sugar ..... whether it's from an orange, a sugar cube, honey or molasses. It's not bad for you, per se, but it shouldn't make up the bulk of your daily carbs.

I tend to avoid most fruits because they are so high in sugar, and they cause my blood sugars to spike. (And after that spike, you get a real low ... and feel like all the wind is gone out of your sails.) The only fruit I eat regularly is apples ... because the fiber and the pectin are awesome for cardiovascular health, I like the taste, you get a decently-sized apple for the calorie/carbs, they are low cost, tasty and portable.  Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are also quite good. When I think of bananas, I remind myself that a serving is 1/2 a banana due to the sugar content ... which usually makes me reach for the apple instead. Raisins? Dried fruit? Not for me, too much sugar. (If I'm going to have THAT much sugar, hand over the dark chocolate!)

For me, I looked at a lot of cereals to find one that was high fiber, reasonably low calorie, and moderate carbs. Kashi Go Lean fills that square for me ... 20 net carbs per one cup serving, plus 10g of fiber (140 calories). There are a lot of other great cereals out there, but they usually cause me to sacrifice fiber, give me more carbs, or are more calories.... and I wanted a basic day-in, day-out cereal that works.

And for bread, I made the analysis ... looking for ones that were calorie-low, healthy, high fiber (if possible) and reasonable carbs ... which is why I eat Essential sprouted organic flax seed bread (2 slices for 100 calories, 3g fiber and only 12 net carbs for 2 slices)), and Thomas' light multigrain english muffins (100 calories. 8 g fiber/ 14 net carbs).

I try to limit my intake of calorie-dense starchy vegetables to no more than twice per week ... because of the carbs.... this includes potatoes and yams and sweet potatoes and turnips and rutabagas and corn/peas/carrots (because of the sugar content.) In my mind, I don't like to think of these as "veggies" ... I want to classify them as "starches" along with pastas and grains.  To me, "veggies" are those red, orange, green and yellow low-calorie things we get to eat a bigger quantity of!

When it comes to grains, I avoid white and brown rice instead of bulgur or quinoa which have lower carbs (and therefor, lower calories).  Do I like the taste of white and brown rice? Sure. But do they spike my blood sugar? Absolutely yes. For the same reason, I have stopped drinking fat free milk ... because the milk sugars had way more carbs than I needed.... Almond Breeze almond milk has 1/2 the calories and a fraction of the carbs.

So ... what percentage of your calories should come from carbs (with a decided emphasis on complex carbs)... experts agree anywhere from 40-60% is a nice range. But, keep in mind that you don't really want to eat too much fat (even healthy fats) .... so you need to find a nice balance. For me, right now, my carbs do well at 50-55% on average (some days more than others). Of course, I have the advantage (or disadvantage) of checking my blood sugar level 6 times a day so I can constantly adjust my carb intake for each meal. Lately, I've needed to ADD carbs (due to exercising.)

A couple of last thoughts ... Fiber, fiber, fiber ... is your friend if you want cardiovascular health, colon heath, and to feel full and satisfied on a restricted calorie diet. I aim for 40+ g of fiber daily, and some days get almost 60g. How? High fiber breads/cereals/grains, plus veggies. (Nuts and beans are also great fiber sources.)

Remember, they recommend 7-9 servings a day of veggies/fruits for a reason!

MOLLY

"THE POWER OF THE RED SHOES!"

One of my CC buddies reminded me that since I wore my cute red suede flats to my Monday job interview, the interviewer would be unable to let me leave the room without offering me the position. Apparently, the red shoes worked on a "delayed reaction" basis since he waited about 20 hours before calling me to offer the position!!! WOOO HOOO! Of course, that does mean that I have to figure out yet another cute outfit to wear for today to go and sign paperwork, but I'm opting for jeans (new ones), pink socks, a cute pink sweater and crisp white tennies. (I don't think he's quite ready for my pink high tops, LOL!)

Anyway, the job is local for me (Fresno, California), but I will be a research interviewer for the University of Michigan's Health & Retirement Study. This means I get to fly from California to Michigan on Friday, February 15 and go through seven straight days of training in Ann Arbor (Feb 16-22), before flying home on Saturday February 23, 2008. Brrrrr..... good thing I have cute pink boots, huh? They provide breakfast and lunch for all 7 days of training, and my plan is to just think "portion control" and do my best .... while taking diet and diabetic-friendly healthy snacks with me, plus lean protein for snacks (love that pouched salmon and beef jerky!) My weight goal for the trip ... maintenance, maintenance, maintenance.

Anyway, I'm pretty excited .... and will be spending some time between now and then figuring out what to wear since my clothes supply has dwindled and what I wear in California (I had shorts and a tank top on yesterday afternoon) really won't work for Michigan. The position is temporary, part-time and intermittent ... and starts in February and runs through (possibly) December ... which is the length of the study (which is repeated every 2 years). It involves phone stuff, computer stuff, as well as face-to-face interviewing of respondents in their home.... 20ish hours per week, intermittently. This is perfect for me ... I wanted to earn some extra "play money" ... but didn't want to get too tied down with being trapped in an office all day! YAY! My wonderful DH is very supportive and very excited for me!

Just thought you'd want to know!!!! (As Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz says, "One pair of red shoes can CHANGE YOUR LIFE!")

Thank you, Lord, for the job ... and thank you all for the encouragement!

=^..^= MOLLY THE EMPLOYED!

I'm 28, and I go by lynnoliver when online.

My husband is becoming a bit more supportive, seeing as he's gained quite a bit of weight over the previous semester and holidays, and now he's working on a belly of his own. (har har)

 So we're increasing our intake of fruits and vegetables to at least 5 servings per day, cutting down our eating out to 1 time TOTAL per month (save up and make it more special). Being super busy makes fast food very tempting a lot of the time, so we have to be more diligent about that.

 I'm on Armour thyroid (for now), but I suspect that my endocrinologist will want to change my meds after this last blood test. Since becoming (more) stabilized on these meds, my weight GAIN has stopped (hooray!), so now it's time to start losing the weight. I've made calendars, check-off lists, and all sorts of other things for myself, so we'll see how it goes this time.

Weight this morning: 161.5 (which is 4 lbs different from yesterday, so I think it's water weight) 

Thanks for the encouragement so far, guys! 

YAY! Molly!!! Thanks for the info...but you missed telling us how many calories burned in laughing?

I often forget that I respect the diabetic diet for a reason... It is probably the best researched and tested one- as people's health and very lives depend on it- not just their weight plan! I forget that I'm not alone in my regard for it! Molly is a great example of it's benefits.

Not all of us have high-sugar, and my crew has low-sugar problems...but the too-high-then-crash holds for both groups... I'm neither, but sweetened coffee leads to a drop unless I am careful...

If you have a higher sugar item-within your daily 'budget,' be sure to combine it with a protein or slow-release carb, so it doesn't get too low before the slow item 'catches it'... Coffee with a good breakfast!

If my husband went too low and became ill, he would get a sweet drink and combine it with nuts/peanut butter, etc. Diabetics can use a hard candy... but balance must be maintained!

I have low blood pressure- my mother cuts all salt to feel better... a Nutritionist- years ago- told me to eat something salty in the morning and exercise 20 minutes to raise my blood pressure to where I FELT like MOVING, lol!

50% carbs is a good guide, and calorie restriction leads you to better lower-sugar choices as they contain less calories. Complex ones satisfy more than simple ones as they are usually a larger portion size, too, for the calories.  More for less is why I LOVE complex carbs, but I allow more starchy veggies and less pasta/grain choices. I prefer sweet potatoes to breads, so I just trade out what Molly uses there.  I'm sooo stingy with my calories!

Find what satisfies your 'Hungries' best, Forks, and you'll see why good carbs are good for dieter's!

BTW-- My book recently confirmed the 25-35 grams of fiber being recommended for dieter's- 35 for told to me by the Nutritionist, though I love 40+, and the book said 35 grams of fiber required 250 calories to digest it... and adequate fluid intake with it!!!

OK, maybe you'll understand it better now, with Molly's kindness! I'm really tired after yesterday's long efforts and may relax my exercise tonite and rest. Ttom is part of it, and I'm off timing there, too... Scale had an excuse after all, lol!

Once you've read all this, feel free to ask questions. I learned that way! Hope your evening goes well!

Hi! lynnoliver!

Original Post by clb327:

I'm 28, and I go by lynnoliver when online.

My husband is becoming a bit more supportive, seeing as he's gained quite a bit of weight over the previous semester and holidays, and now he's working on a belly of his own. (har har)

 So we're increasing our intake of fruits and vegetables to at least 5 servings per day, cutting down our eating out to 1 time TOTAL per month (save up and make it more special). Being super busy makes fast food very tempting a lot of the time, so we have to be more diligent about that.

 I'm on Armour thyroid (for now), but I suspect that my endocrinologist will want to change my meds after this last blood test. Since becoming (more) stabilized on these meds, my weight GAIN has stopped (hooray!), so now it's time to start losing the weight. I've made calendars, check-off lists, and all sorts of other things for myself, so we'll see how it goes this time.

Weight this morning: 161.5 (which is 4 lbs different from yesterday, so I think it's water weight) 

Thanks for the encouragement so far, guys! 

Welcome lynnoliver!!! Nice to see you here.

(I feel like I should warn you that I know lynnoliver from another forum and any wild stories she mentions about me probably aren't  .... ummmm.... entirely true!)

:: giggles ::

=^..^= MOLLY