Completing the 'sometimes carb' weekly challenge

How did you go with stage four of the 'sometimes carb' weekly challenge.

• Did you manage to bring your number of daily 'sometimes carbs' serves down by one… or maybe more? 
• Did you manage to say NO to that serve of cake, biscuit or sweet pastry?
• Have you become a little more familiar with portion control? 
• Are you starting to make good choices about the quality of the 'sometimes carbs' you are choosing? (or at least thinking about it).

Each week should see you becoming more familiar with portion sizes, and more aware of your eating habits and weaknesses. With that familiarity your good choices can begin to become almost automatic … to become 'good habits'.

Completing the 'sometimes carb' weekly challenge

At this point, if using the chart to track your 'sometimes carbs' and reduce their dominance in your daily eating plan has been successful for you, I suggest you continue the challenge while you are benefiting from the encouragement.

How you complete the challenge is up to you. You can continue to challenge yourself weekly to reduce your daily 'sometimes carb' serves by one more each week till you have brought your 'sometime serves' back into balance.

Alternately, you might just decide to work towards 4 serves per day immediately (or three like I did). Or you might choose to reduce your serves from 12 to 7 per day. Feel free to take charge of the challenge as it works for you.

If you do wish to continue keeping a tally of your 'sometimes carbs' you might be ready for this simpler version of our chart that covers two weeks at a time and includes ...

• the three main 'sometimes carbs', bread, rice and pasta
• a blank spot for a 'sometimes carb' that might be a regular for you
• 'other' for other incidental carbs that you may consume infrequently
• 'occasional' for cakes, biscuits and sweet pastries 

If printing this chart is not an option for you
pencil, paper and ruler is a quick fix

Note: You can continue to use the original chart if it suits you better, or vary the chart in anyway that works for you.

Things to think about this week

It is worth mentioning that although, by my measure, three servings of 'sometimes carbs' per day is the ideal, as you settle in to a better balance with your food intake you may find four or five works for you. Remember I am pre diabetic which make 'sometimes carbs' more of an issue for me.

It's also worth remembering that reducing your daily 'sometimes carb' intake is designed to take pressure of your pancreas (hopefully before your pancreas starts to suffer and before you have to worry about diabetes) but should also help you lose any unhealthy weight around your middle should you need to.

To do this successfully an excellent aim is to eliminate cake, biscuit and sweet pastry from your general 'sometimes carb' consumption. This doesn't mean elimination altogether, but elimination from your general eating plan. Like chocolate, consuming these items 'on occasion' will be better for your overall health.

An appropriate measure of your 'sometimes carb' challenge success

If the 'sometimes carb' challenge helps you to conquer (or largely conquer) your over dependence on 'sometimes carbs' whether it takes you days, weeks or months then I will be so very pleased for you. So very pleased indeed.

But, we are all different, so it's entirely possible that this exercise hasn't been a magic formulae to solve all your overeating problems. Please don't be discouraged. Just by participating in the challenge you will have learned some valuable lessons.

If you only got to stage one recording a weeks 'serves of sometimes carbs' you will have gained a better understanding of just how this 'sometimes carb' group is dominating your food intake. You will also have become more familiar with the foods included in this group and have some idea what your weaknesses in this area actually are.

If you only got to stage two and actually recorded a weeks worth of reduced or portion controlled serves from the 'sometimes carbs' groups then you will have gained an excellent introductory understanding of portion control along with a fuller understanding of your weaknesses in this area.

But if all you achieved from taking the 'sometimes carb' challenge is that better understanding of how this 'sometimes carbohydrate' group is dominating your food intake then that is a very important milestone in transitioning to a healthy balanced eating plan.

So you can see that the success of this exercise is not only in the completion of its ultimate aim, but can be measured in lots of important milestones along the way. And you can always come back to our 'sometimes carb' challenge at a later point when you feel the time is right.

In the mean time if you take nothing else away from this challenge…. remember the 'sometimes carbs' … and remember that they are just that … sometimes carbs.

A walk with intensity - Mullaloo Point Lookout

This walk revolves around what is arguably the most 'intense uphill' in the nearly 50 kilometres of the coastal path, the incline that leads up to the Mullaloo Point Lookout. This is precisely why I have chosen this location for this walk with a little intensity.

An 'intense uphill' is the perfect opportunity to lift the intensity of ones exercise. If we can lift our heart rate to a higher level during our exercise we get more fitness benefit, and more fat and glucose burning benefit from that exercise.

Including that 'intense uphill' fairly early in our exercise means our heart rate elevates earlier in our exercise period so we have the benefit of that elevation for longer in our exercise period.

I do also like a little 'gentle' at the beginning of my exercise period just to give my body a chance to 'wake up' gently before I hit it with the hard stuff. And this walk gives us that little bit of 'gentle' at the start before we have to tackle that 'intense uphill'.

As with all my walks, you can increase the intensity by jogging or running, or you can break it down to whatever works for you at your own pace and in your own time frame. I have timed the walk at my brisk walking pace.

The Walk

We start from the car park closest to the Mullaloo Point Lookout. This is the last carpark between Mullaloo Beach and Ocean Reef Road. This car park has a humble toilet facility (I'm told it's not the cleanest!!) for those who might like to make use of it.

So, beginning from the car park we follow the shared path north (the ocean should be on our left) and enjoy some gentle undulation in the path as our body warms into the idea of exercise. Settling into a brisk rhythm along this section, working both legs and arms as you walk, is a good start.

Before long we come to our 'intense uphill'. The idea is to try and maintain your brisk pace or to at least take this hill as briskly as your body can reasonably handle so as to increase your heart rate as efficiently as possible.

Your reality might be a little different depending on your level of fitness. So when you first try this walk, or if you are not a regular exerciser, be kind to yourself. Do not be too proud to rest if needed (handy seats available at bottom, middle and top of hill) or to turn back if it's too much for you at first.

360 degree view
Mullaloo Point
Lookout

Towards the top of the hill you come to a T junction in the path where you will turn left towards Mullaloo Point Lookout. To keep our heart rate up we must keep walking, but circling the table from right to left maximises the 360 degree view appreciation, before we start immediately on the 'downhill'.

This lookout is about 5½ minutes brisk walk from the car park.

Note: If you need to catch your breath this is the perfect spot with view, seat and shade.

As we head 'down hill' from the lookout we will pass by the turn off that leads back to our car park (on our right) and continue to follow the path as it winds down the other side of our lookout hill towards Ocean Reef Marina. We need to keep our pace brisk and remember to work both our legs and arms.

At the bottom of the hill we begin a slow but steady incline which will bring us to another seat, set in a little appendix to the path (ocean side). This seat has magnificent 180 degree views which you must enjoy fully circling the chair from right to left before continuing towards Ocean Reef Marina.

180 degree ocean and
coastal views 

This seat is about 6 minutes brisk walk from the Lookout, 11½ minutes from the car park.

Note: If you need to catch your breath this spot offers a view and a seat, but no shade.

We walk briskly on winding down towards  Ocean Reaf Marina where we find a lovely shaded area with tables and chairs and some public toilets. There is also a water fountain for a drink if needed.

To keep our heart rate functioning at as high a rate as possible we will not stop here but after walking around the shaded picnic area we rejoin the path and head back towards Mullaloo Point.

Shaded seating area at
Ocean Reef Marina

This seating area is about 5 minutes brisk walk from our 180 degree view, 11 minutes from our lookout, and 16½ minutes from our carpark.

Note: If you need a rest at this point this spot offers a view of the marina, seats, shade, toilets and a water fountain.

We are now retracing our steps back towards Mullaloo Point. Remember to keep your pace brisk and to use both your arms and legs as you work you way back up towards our seat with the 180 degree view. This time circle the seat from left to right to make the most of the view.

Then continue to keep a brisk pace as you come to the rise up to the lookout again. I think this side of the hill is steeper but possibly a little shorter. Try to keep your pace as even as possible and remember to keep your arms moving for maximum benefit as you wind your way up the steep section.

As the rise eases you come to the left turn that leads back to the car park. It is easy to be tempted to skip the return to the lookout, but that little extra up hill is well worth while and I just can't resist that view.

After a brief pause to enjoy the scenery it's time to head back down to the car park. If you are finishing your walk at the carpark easing your pace from the bottom of the hill will just help your body ease back to inactivity.

This will have given you a good brisk 30 minute walk with plenty of up hills and down hills to capitalise on that original intensity. Well done.

A little extra

If, like me, you prefer a longer workout (I like my 45 minutes) you can continue briskly past the car park to full fill your time requirement what ever it may be. I find continuing for another 8 minutes along the path towards Mullaloo Beach before returning to the car park is a good way to add another 15 minutes and extend the value of your intensity.

If you wanted to walk all the way to Mullaloo Beach along the sealed path (reasonably level) it wouldn't add much more than that to your walk.

A little variety

Alternately, if you're not afraid of a little sand, you can follow the sealed path past the car park and walk as far as you like towards Mullaloo Beach but detour down one of the beach access paths to the beach. Even if you walk all the way to Mullaloo Beach on the path and then back along the beach it should add no more than 30 minutes to your walk.

As you walk back along the beach in the direction of the Mullaloo Point Lookout you will return to the access path that leads back directly back to our car park. This path is distinguishable by a very wide mouth with a small pine lookout to the left. If you miss the path, the beach ends at rocks shortly afterwards so you will know if you've gone too far.

Access path leads to the right, heading back
from the beach to our car park.

This is just a delightful walk and a really good workout, but if it's a little far for you to access regularly try looking around your locality for an 'intense uphill' of your own. You can create your own personal 'walk with intensity' just around the corner from home or work for easy and regular access.

Just think how marvellous that would be.

The 'sometimes carb' weekly challenge - stage four

In stage three of the 'sometimes carb' challenge our intention was to actively think more about what 'sometimes carbs' where dominating our eating plan, and to intentionally eliminate one 'serve' at least of 'sometimes carbs' from your daily eating plan.

Remember to keep your stage one, two and three charts for your reference.

Did you achieve your stage three goal?

Did you manage to eliminate one 'sometimes carb' serve each day from your eating plan during your stage three week? If so I am thrilled for you, and look forward to your continued success in this area.

It is possible though, that you may have succeeded on some days but struggled on others. This is not unexpected when your routine varies from day to day. Often when you work all week it can be easier to keep control of your intake, but on the weekends with a more relaxed routine, and more 'leisure time' activity, it can be harder to keep your focus.

If you have struggled to consistently reduce your daily 'serves', look at your total 'sometimes carbs' serves for the week in comparison to stage one and stage two. If you have reduced your overall weekly 'sometimes carbs' serves by four or five then I would call that a successful stage three.

Any reduction is a good reduction, and the fact that you are even thinking about 'sometimes carbs' is a measure of success, let alone any success in reduction of 'sometimes carbs'.

Even if there was no reduction, if you continued to track your 'sometimes carb' intake for another week I am confident you will be gaining a familiarity with these foods which will stand you in good stead as we try to focus in stage four on particular foods from this group.

Remember … we are looking for a long term change and it's better to take your time to work through this gradually and really take it on board, than for it to be a short term 'fad' that will be forgotten next week, or next year.

Stage four of the 'sometimes carb' challenge

As we go into stage four of this challenge I want you to try again to reduce your intake by one 'sometimes carb' serve each day, regardless of your success or lack there of in stage three.

But this time I want you to focus on eliminating a serve from the 'cakes, biscuits or sweet pastries' area. If you already have these choices down to only one per day, perhaps try to eliminate them completely on three days this week, and the other days eliminate another sometimes carb serve of your choice.

If you are using appropriate portion control you may record ½ or ⅓ serves

If printing this chart is not an option for you
pencil, paper and ruler is a quick fix

I do not expect you to be eliminating cakes, biscuits and sweet pastries entirely from your eating plan at any point (see to choose or not to choose cake - that is the question - 15 August), let alone at this stage of our challenge, but it is important for long term success that we learn that they are not ideal 'daily inclusions' and that we can actually live without them.

We also need to practice saying NO. It is something that - in my experience - gets easier with practice, and I must admit, as I watched some of that unhealthy weight start to fall away I found it increasingly easy to say no.

Helpful tips for this week

If you are struggling to get into the 'appropriate' portion sizes, try choosing one 'sometimes carb' (perhaps one that you struggle to say NO to) and try to manage that one 'sometimes carb' with appropriate portion control rather than a reduction in 'serves'.

Now would also be an excellent time to try slotting some extra physical activity into your week, while you are focusing so diligently on improving your eating habits. Even 30 minutes once this week, if it is an increase on your usual regime, would be phenomenal.

As you endeavour to reduce your 'sometimes carbs' serves this week do remember to try to increase your choices of food from the 'anytime food' group rather than just depriving your self of food. 'Starving' your self is not a strategy likely to achieve long term success.

I was never very good at going hungry so making the most of those 'anytime foods' was invaluable to me. If you haven't already read it, Healthy weight loss - why I choose to 'eat' not 'starve' - July 14th might be worth a read at this point

Next week in the 'the sometimes carb weekly challenge'

The original 'sometimes carb challenge' only had four official stages, but I don't think an extra week will go astray. So see you next week with a little more encouragement.

Appendix A:

For your information if trying appropriate portion sizes (approximately 15 gram carbohydrate)

• ½ cup Weeties or Cornflakes 
• ⅓ cup Sustain, Fibre Plus or Just Right 
• 1½ Weetbix or Vita Brits 
• ¼ cup raw oats 

• 1 small potato or ½ cup mashed potato 
• ½ cup polenta 
• ½ cup green peas or sweet corn
• ½ cup cooked rice, or pasta, or cous cous, or lentils

• 1 normal slice of bread 
• ½ English Muffin (breakfast style) 
• ⅓ Bread Roll
• 1 flat bread (many are 2 portions)

• 3 Sao Biscuits
• 4 Corn Thins
• 1 Cup (loose) potato chips (not hot potato chips!!)
• 5 water crackers

Pizza, pastry, cakes and biscuits vary too much to give an exact amount. Packaged items will have labels (in Australia) and you can work it out for your self from that … or...

… as a rough guide and for the purposes of this exercise

allocate 1 portion per

• middling wedge of pizza
• middling portion of savoury pie
• slim (2cm/1inch) wedge of plain cake
• 2 small biscuits
• 1 medium biscuit

allocate 2 portions per

• modest wedge of sweet pie
• slim (2cm/1inch) wedge of rich/fancy cake

Anything not listed just try to reduce your usual portion.

The 'sometimes carb' weekly challenge - stage three

Stage one and stage two of the 'sometimes carb' challenge were largely about familiarising yourself with the foods in this group, identifying the dominance (or healthy balance) of 'sometimes carbs' in your daily eating plan, and gaining some understanding of portion control.

Remember to keep your stage one and stage two charts for your reference.

How did you manage stage two of the 'sometimes carb' challenge?

If you managed to keep to your stage one average number of serves per day whilst reducing the size of those serves then well done. All progress is good progress and that is a mammoth effort.

If you found that recording the smaller portions meant you recorded more 'serves' and your number of serves for the day, or the week increased, that is okay. It is part of giving you a fuller understanding of your weaknesses in this area as well as a baseline for further progress.

Over the previous two weeks you may also have noticed that some foods from this group are more dominant in your eating plan than others. You may have noticed that some foods are a particular weakness for you at certain times of the day. Give these things some thought as you go into stage three.

Stage three of the 'sometimes carb' challenge

Whatever your average daily serves from stage two (whether it increased, decreased or remained the same in comparison to stage one),  this will be the number to use as your bench mark for stage three.

Continue to work on the reduced or controlled portions, just endeavour to manage each day with one less serve from this group than you consumed in stage two.

If using controlled portions you may record ½ serves if used.

If printing this chart is not an option for you
pencil, paper and ruler is a quick fix

As a guide this may mean, for stage one you had 11 serves per day, for stage two you tried 11 reduced serves but recorded 17 reduced serves, so for stage three you would be aiming to come in at 16 portion controlled (or reduced portion) serves per day.

Important note - if you were trying smaller portions, but when you found the smaller portion wasn't enough you recorded a second (or third…) portion…. You may still have reduced your 'sometimes carb' total in this week. i.e. 11 original portions could be 22 smaller portions… so you see, if you came in at 17 that could be great success.

So whatever your total for stage two…. don't be discouraged. What matters is reducing your number of portions (either reduced or portion controlled) in stage three.

(If you are already only having three portion controlled serves from the 'sometimes carb' group per day try and improve the quality of your choice for these serves.)

Helpful tips for a successful stage three

Try to reduce the number of serves of 'sometimes carbs' that are together in the same meal. i.e.

• we always served spaghetti with garlic bread. You might eliminate the spaghetti, or the garlic bread. (I add an 'anytime' salad to my plate to bulk it up)
• breakfast was commonly cereal, then toast. Try eating either cereal or toast rather than both

Look at foods from within the 'anytime food' group that you enjoy and look for ways to use them more in your eating plan as you reduce your 'sometimes carb' intake.

Try to swap a 'sometimes carb' serve for 'fruit carb' serve (maximum 3 fruit carb serves per day). I know fruit is also carbohydrates but fruit brings a different range of good things into your diet and it's good natural sugar great for sustainable energy.

Try eating extra portions between meals rather than doubling up at meal times. It helps keep that 'starving' feeling under control if you have breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, tea/dinner, and supper even if its not a full portion (½ portions are recordable).

Other things worth considering

When choosing a 'sometimes carb' serve to eliminate, try to eliminate some (if not all) cakes, biscuits and pastries etc before you eliminate healthier stuff like the 'sometimes carb' vegetables, rice, pasta and wholegrain breads.

A better control of portions is well worthwhile, but if your 'portion control' enthusiasm is limited, focus it on the 'sometimes carbs' that feature more heavily in your week.

Important: You may feel you're ready to eliminate several serves per day and if so, go for it, but don't be afraid to take things one step at a time. Remember small victories are still just that….victories.

Try to enjoy 'embracing' the challenge this week, and don't forget to join me next week for stage four of our 'sometimes carb' challenge.


Appendix A:

For your information if trying appropriate portion sizes (approximately 15 gram carbohydrate)

• ½ cup Weeties or Cornflakes 
• ⅓ cup Sustain, Fibre Plus or Just Right 
• 1½ Weetbix or Vita Brits 
• ¼ cup raw oats 

• 1 small potato or ½ cup mashed potato 
• ½ cup polenta 
• ½ cup green peas or sweet corn
• ½ cup cooked rice, or pasta, or cous cous, or lentils

• 1 normal slice of bread 
• ½ English Muffin (breakfast style) 
• ⅓ Bread Roll
• 1 flat bread (many are 2 portions)

• 3 Sao Biscuits
• 4 Corn Thins
• 1 Cup (loose) potato chips (not hot potato chips!!)
• 5 water crackers

Pizza, pastry, cakes and biscuits vary too much to give an exact amount. Packaged items will have labels (in Australia) and you can work it out for your self from that … or...

… as a rough guide and for the purposes of this exercise

allocate 1 portion per

• middling wedge of pizza
• middling portion of savoury pie
• slim (2cm/1inch) wedge of plain cake
• 2 small biscuits
• 1 medium biscuit

allocate 2 portions per

• modest wedge of sweet pie
• slim (2cm/1inch) wedge of rich/fancy cake

Anything not listed just try to reduce your usual portion.

Anyone for a Stroll - Mullaloo Beach

Those who know me well will know it's not my usual thing to 'stroll'. But the last couple of months have had their challenges and caused some interruption to my usual exercise routines…. hence more walking (no riding) of late.

Then, for the last couple of weeks I've been confined to the couch where 'a walk' meant a trek to the kitchen, the bathroom or the bed (sigh)… but finally, with permission to be 'active' again I am temporarily embracing the concept of the recuperative 'stroll'.

In looking for inspiration to 'get up off that couch' I found my way to Mullaloo Beach, one of the nicest beaches in Perth in my opinion, and I found it the perfect place to gently ease my way back into activity. Maybe it will inspire you as well.

Mullaloo Surf Life Saving Club

Helpful Info

There are a couple of carparks at Mullaloo Beach, a smaller one between the Surf Life Saving Club and the Mullaloo Dome, and the second larger one about 200 meters north.

There are also two toilet blocks at Mullaloo Beach. One next to the club, and one about 200 meters north (beachside of the larger car park).

I took my 'stroll' times from the path in front of the Mullaloo Surf Life Saving Club and I include them only as a guide to an ultimate goal.

Your 'stroll' times may well differ but the idea is to only extend yourself at your pace.

Mullaloo Beach to Mullaloo Point Lookout.

I love this walk. It's not completely flat, but the ups and downs are not too taxing while you are still building yourself up. The idea is to start small, maybe five or ten minutes to start, but to work your way up to the full 30 minute 'stroll'… from the Club to the Lookout. The last five minutes being 'the hill' and the view.

You might like to begin by just walking the path from one end of the lawned areas to the other - about 400 metres. There are plenty of chairs and shade in this area if you need regular breaks at the beginning.

If/when you are ready to go a little further afield you can walk north on the path from the Surf Life Saving Club (ocean on your left) in the direction of the Mullaloo Point Lookout as far as you feel comfortable 'strolling' before returning. You will know your limit… but challenge yourself to increase the distance as you feel able.

well placed bench seat
with ocean view

As you extend your distance, you will notice several carparks. The small carpark in front of the Surf Life Saving Club,  the large carpark at the northern end of the lawned area, and then two smaller car parks, the second of which has a small public toilet facility right beside the path. This toilet facility (which I'm told is not the cleanest) is about 20 minutes 'stroll' from the Club.

Not 5 minutes past this toilet facility is a well placed bench seat with a nice view of the ocean after all the bush you have strolled past. By the time you reach this chair you will have built yourself up to a good 25 minute stroll. Quite an achievement.

Unless or until you feel ready to tackle 'the hill' I would stop at this chair before heading back. A good suggestion once you feel ready to tackle 'the hill' is to park at that last little carpark with the toilet facility for your first attempt. That way if 'the hill' is too much for you, you only have a 5 minute return walk.

The hill leading up to the lookout can be quite taxing, but it is do-able if you just take it at your own pace. The view from the top is well worth the effort to conquer the hill, but you don't need to conquer it all in one day.

Mullaloo Point Lookout

It's a good idea to start by only walking up as far as you feel comfortable and then simply turning back. Remember you have that well placed bench to rest up on as you come back down. Then, as you find your self pushing further up the hill, you will eventually get far enough to reach another conveniently located chair where you can pause to pat yourself on the back and catch your breath.

Once you have conquered the hill as far as this second chair, you are pretty much there. The rest of the hill is not very taxing at all. Shortly after this chair there is a T junction in the path, and the left turn takes you directly to the lookout with table, chairs, shade, and a magnificent view of the coast (north and south) and (on a clear day) out to Rottnest Island.

The return journey to Mullaloo is not difficult at all but do remember to take that right turn on the path (shortly after leaving the Lookout) to lead you back towards Mullaloo. Other wise you will find yourself walking down the other side of the Lookout hill towards Ocean Reef Boat Harbour…. a beautiful walk in itself but one you might rather tackle another time.

Mullaloo Beach to Whitfords Beach

Another alternative is the walk from Mullaloo Beach to Whitfords Beach, walking south from the same starting point in front of the Surf Live Saving Club either on the good quality sealed path, or by walking down to the beach beside the Club and strolling along the beach.

I much prefer the beach option, firstly because on the beach there are no big ups and downs, and secondly, the view is better. And I love doing it in bare feet having a little dabble in the water here and there and enjoying the sand between my toes.

It can be enjoyed in sneakers as well but you do have to pay a little attention to that gap between the high tide mark (where the damp sand meets the dry sand) and the line where the water is currently washing up the beach…. otherwise you may inadvertently get your sneakers wet…. like I did!!!

But if you prefer the security of the sealed path under foot that is also a nice option. It does have a bit of an uphill, not as taxing as the Mullaloo Point Lookout climb, but it comes much earlier in the stroll and without the conveniently placed bench seats of the northern walk.

I chose Whitfords Beach as the end point of this stroll because it took me 23 minutes to stroll up the beach that far (giving me my 45 minutes exercise) and because it was the first pathway up from the beach with a toilet block. You can go further if you like, or you can head back on an earlier path if you prefer.

Often these paths have no distinguishing features at the beach end to let you know your location, but with this path you know it's the one cause you can actually see the toilet block roof peeking over the sand dunes as you look up the path from the beach.

Whitford Beach path - view from the beach showing
 the toilet block roof peaking over the bushes

Remember that any of the designated paths leading away from the beach will connect with the sealed path that runs along the coast from Mullaloo to Hillarys Boat Harbour.

So if you leave the beach all you need to do is turn back towards Mullaloo Beach once you connect with the sealed 'shared' path and you need never worry about getting lost.

If you stroll up as far as Whitfords Beach, not only do you get the advantage of a toilet block, but if you stroll up to the road (Whitfords Beach car park) there is often an ice-cream van there on the weekend. A nice cooling treat if the day is a bit warm or you are wearing out the grand children.

You can then choose whether to stroll back via the beach or take the sealed path. The path is an easier surface to walk on, but it's usually a touch cooler at the waters edge which on a warm day can make a big difference. If it's super windy, the path might be a little more protected but the beach is flatter.

Another alternative is to park at the Whitfords Beach carpark (just at the roundabout connecting the coast road to Whitfords Avenue) and take your stroll north towards Mullaloo (ocean to your left), either via the beach or the path, and then have an ice-cream at Mullaloo…. or a coffee at the Mullaloo Dome…. before strolling the 23 mins back to your car.

Which ever option you choose, remember to start by strolling as far as you feel comfortable before turning back. Gradually increase your distance or time as you feel comfortable doing so. You will know your limit… but challenge yourself to increase the distance as you feel able.

Whitfords Beach

Stroll, Walk, Jog… you choose 

Now I have talked about taking a stroll. Obviously you can do this walk at any speed you prefer… I'm just a bit focused on 'the stroll' this week. Both the north and south option from Mullaloo Beach lend them selves to either a stroll, a walk (purposeful or brisk) or a jog…. whatever you find enjoyable or manageable.

The beautiful sandy beach from Mullaloo extends south all the way to Hillary's boat harbour if you want to walk that far, as does the lovely sealed path, but it's about 5km all up so you'd need to be keen.

Heading north on the beach does not take you far, but the path will take you north to Ocean Reef Boat Harbour (5km) if you are keen, and beyond to Burns Beach (7km)… a particularly lovely section of the coast.

As with most walks, lovely on a warm winter or moderate spring day, not so nice in the heat of the summer day. Choose your time, and if in any doubt remember your hat, your sunscreen and your water.

So… now that we've got all that sorted…

Who's up for a stroll?

The 'sometimes carb' weekly challenge - stage two

Last week in stage one of the 'sometimes carb' challenge we were challenged to keep a record of our 'sometimes carb' serves for one whole week to gain insight into the dominance of these foods in our eating plan.

By my measure the optimum is to limit foods from this 'sometimes carb' group (as a general rule) to a maximum of three 'portion controlled' serves per day.

Even getting it under four or five can be a bonus depending where you are on your 'healthy eating' journey.

Results from stage one

If you found you came in at the optimum number of 'sometimes carb' serves per day (three) that is very encouraging but it's still worth continuing the challenge to look at portion control.

If you found you came in above (or even well above) the optimum number of serves per day (like I did) don't be discouraged…. that is why we are doing this challenge.

Stage one will have given you a number of 'sometimes carb' serves for each day of the week… this may vary from day today. For stage two we want your average number of serves per day as a daily benchmark to work towards.

To find the average number of serves per day add up your total number of serves for the week and then divide that total by 7. If it's a fraction, round up.

Note: Please keep your stage one chart for your reference.

The 'sometimes carb' challenge - stage two

For stage two we need a fresh copy of the chart we used for stage one

In stage two our aim is not to exceed the average number of 'sometimes carb' serves per day as established in stage one, We are not aiming to reduce the number of serves per day (though you can if you like), rather we want to reduce the portion sizes. You can take this as far as you like.

If printing this chart is not an option for you
pencil, paper and ruler is a quick fix

As in stage one, put a mark on the chart each time you have your reduced serve of a 'sometimes carb'.

Making this stage of the challenge suit you.

I do understand that 'measuring' is not for everyone so you can choose to 'reduce' your portions to significantly less than (or half of) your 'usual' portion…. i.e. halve your usual serve of pasta, have a sandwich instead of a bread roll, share that cake, etc.

Or, your 'reduced' portions can be 'appropriate portion sizes' as listed in Appendix A (below) and for anything not listed, just try to halve (or significantly reduce) your usual portion.

Certainly it is very illuminating to took at the 'portions' as listed in Appendix A (below) whether or not you wish to go to the trouble of measuring. I know when I was freely eating these 'sometimes carbs' my 'portions' were nothing like those listed. I never had ½ cup pasta (more like 2 cups), never one slice of bread (always a sandwich) etc etc etc.

You may find you are happy to do some weighing or measuring on a few key items. Just take it as far as you can manage without loosing interest. The challenge still works if you simply reduce your portions.

helpful tips

• we are only reducing 'sometimes carbs'. Do not worry about reducing other foods at this stage.
• hunger is your enemy - access foods from the 'anytime foods' group (as much as you like) or fruit (maximum 3 per day) to help if you are hungry. 
• I found that spreading my eating (with or without 'sometimes carbs') into smaller serves more regularly throughout the day helped keep my appetite under better control.

Important - If for any reason you can't or don't reduce your serve size simply make 2 marks or (if choosing the wiegh/measure option) record the measured portions. Remember no one is judging you on this… it is only for your information, so be honest with yourself.

Don't stress if your recorded 'serves' increase this week under our 'reduced serves'. You are improving your understanding of what your body feels it needs and establishing a benchmark for us to work with in stage three. This is largely what this stage of the challenge is about.

If you can keep your daily 'reduced serves' to the same number (or less) than last weeks 'serves' I will be suitably impressed…. but if not, simply record your extra 'reduced portion' serves. Either way, do not be discouraged. Join me next week for stage three of the 'sometimes carb' challenge.


Appendix A:

For your information if trying appropriate portion sizes (approximately 15 gram carbohydrate)

• ½ cup Weeties or Cornflakes 
• ⅓ cup Sustain, Fibre Plus or Just Right 
• 1½ Weetbix or Vita Brits 
• ¼ cup raw oats 

• 1 small potato or ½ cup mashed potato 
• ½ cup polenta 
• ½ cup green peas or sweet corn
• ½ cup cooked rice, or pasta, or cous cous, or lentils

• 1 normal slice of bread 
• ½ English Muffin (breakfast style) 
• ⅓ Bread Roll
• 1 flat bread (many are 2 portions)

• 3 Sao Biscuits
• 4 Corn Thins
• 1 Cup (loose) potato chips
• 5 water crackers

Pizza, pastry, cakes and biscuits vary too much to give an exact amount. Packaged items will have labels (in Australia) and you can work it out for your self from that … or...

… as a rough guide and for the purposes of this exercise

allocate 1 portion per

• middling wedge of pizza
• middling portion of savoury pie
• slim (2cm/1inch) wedge of plain cake
• 2 small biscuits
• 1 medium biscuit

allocate 2 portions per

• modest wedge of sweet pie
• slim (2cm/1inch) wedge of rich/fancy cake

Anything not listed just try to reduce your usual portion.

The 'sometimes carb' weekly challenge - stage one

As promised… The 'sometimes carb' challenge in manageable weekly instalments. 

It took me ages to put together the 'sometimes carb' challenge last week. I love the concept, but struggled to narrow it down to something (pardon the pun) bite sized.

This 'sometimes carb' group is the food group that led to my obesity and also to my borderline Type 2 Diabetic diagnosis.  Not that these carbs are necessarily 'bad', just that they are healthy in moderation.

This is why I think this 'challenge' is so important that it's worth repeating. Its aim is to expose the dominance of this group of foods in your eating plan … if indeed they are dominant (they certainly were for me)… and then to moderate them.

The 'sometimes carb' weekly challenge - stage one 

On the chart below we are wanting to track your general 'sometimes carb' intake rather than measuring or controlling it. So just eat as you normally would for the week but put a mark in the appropriate box every time one of these items features in your daily eating.

If you know you have another grain (or flour) based food you regularly eat that is not listed, it will help you if you add it to your chart.

If printing this chart is not an option for you
pencil, paper and ruler is a quick fix

The main thing is to be as accurate as possible. There is no point in cheating. No one else will be judging you on this chart. The entire purpose of this exercise is for you to begin to get a picture of how heavily this 'sometimes carb' group features in your current eating plan.

We are not worried about portion size for the purpose of this chart at this time, we will worry about that next week.

At the end of your week of record keeping add up your total number of serves for the week. Divide your total number of serves by 7 (if its a fraction round up). This is your 'score' to take with you into stage two (your average number of 'sometimes carb' serves per day).

Have fun with stage one and I'll be back with you next week for stage two.


 ☛ Suggested reading to help prepare for stage 2 

• Making the change to healthier living - is it worth it? - 12 June 2014
• Starting an 'anytime food' revolution in your life.       - 18 June 2014

☛ Other helpful background information you might like to look at

• Part 1 - It's not a diet… it's a modified food intake plan - 11 June 2014
• Part 2 - It's not a diet… it's a modified food intake plan - 13 June 2014

Have you got up off that couch yet? … What's holding you back??

Okay, so we've been talking about eating healthier and being more active.

We've talked about the health benefits of eating healthier and being more active.

We've talked about big changes in our 'food intake plan' and a massive increase (45 minutes per day)in physical activity.

But we've also talked about taking on small changes… about simply leaning towards eating healthier, and leaning towards becoming more active.

Any place is a good place to start, no matter how small.

Just thinking about these things is an incredibly important part of moving towards a healthier lifestyle plan. Reading about doing these things is a positive part of your journey to a healthier lifestyle plan.

But at some point we have to do more than just think, more than just read… we have to do. Otherwise it will never happen. No-one else can do it for you.

So let me ask you this question. And if you would, indulge me by persisting in reading this to the end even if it seems a little extreme to you.

Have you got up off that couch yet?

Do you know that lying on the couch with your body at rest, your body is pretty much at its most inactive. If your head and shoulders are slightly more elevated your body is working a wee bit harder.

If you swing your legs over the edge of the couch and put them on the floor and raise yourself to a sitting position suddenly your body has to work a little harder. And if you stand up, the effort your body has to go to to maintain that position goes to a whole new level.

So if you have got to the stage in your life where you spend all your spare time lying on the couch, (you may think I'm being funny but I was there myself!!) or even a significant amount of time ….. unless you are there under Doctors orders (which I wasn't) …. try sitting up properly with your feet on the floor or only slightly elevated, in an armchair maybe, for your relaxation periods. Your body will work harder.

This may not seem like much, but if that's where you are at, then just doing this is an important part of your personal fitness journey.

Now…. Can you do this one exercise?

My ever so wise older sister gave me this advice one day. She got this advice from a friend of hers, and I thought it was an incredibly simple but incredibly profound idea.

She said everyday we should get down on the floor, and then get ourselves back up again. If we did that everyday we would be regularly exercising those muscles that we need to get ourselves up off the floor. And being able to get up off the floor (no matter how we do it) is actually a very useful asset.

It's possible you may not be able to do this exercise and I definitely don't want you to get stuck down there. It's not particularly easy when we are so out of the habit of using the muscles that we need to raise ourselves up from the floor. Which is my point exactly.

So get up off that couch.

If even contemplating doing that exercise filled you with horror then it is time to get yourself moving. That popular saying 'use it or lose it' is sadly relevant when it comes to our muscles.

So start by sitting up. Feet on the floor. Sitting up properly. Then, stand up. If doing that exhausts you it's okay if you sit down again. But don't stay there all day. If all you do to start with is to build yourself up from mostly lying down to mostly sitting up that is progress. If you can then build yourself up to 'stand up' at least once every half an hour (even if it takes you a week or more to get there) then can you see what a big step forward that would be on your fitness journey.

And if you are already off that couch!

Well then, just look how much further ahead you are than you thought you were!!! Now get walking. Walk the length of your home interior, walk to the end of your driveway, or to the elevator on your floor. Pull your sneakers on and walk to the end of your street, or around your block. Whatever feels like a good place to start. If it makes you sweat a bit, or puff a little thats a good thing (unless you have a medical condition that says otherwise).

And now. Do that everyday

If you are already able to walk to the end of your street, or around the block!!

Well wow indeed. What's holding you back. Pull your sneakers on and walk away from your home for 15 minutes before walking home again. Or alternatively drive to somewhere you'd like to walk (see my post 'Some inspiration to start exercising - walking' ) and walk away from your car for 15 minutes before walking back to your car.

And now. Do that everyday…. or at least every second day.

(Note: Some shopping centres have walking groups that walk around the shops if you don't feel safe out on your own)

Okay, so your already walking regularly!!!

Well then... work a little harder. Work up a sweat, get yourself puffing. Lengthen your stride a little. Swing your arms as you walk cause that gets your heart rate up a little further. Push yourself to walk a little further in your 30 minutes, or find a hill or a set of stairs that you can walk up and down (not too big at first).

Now do that every day, or every second day…. or even twice a week.

It won't cost you a thing except time.

Only 30 minutes.

30 minutes that can make an incredible difference in your life!!!

So how about it….  have you got up off that couch yet? What's holding you back??

Burns Beach - a walk with attitude

I love this walk from Burns Beach. It is all very coastal with full ocean views pretty much all the way and I do love my ocean view.

But this walk is also interesting with a variety of activity and plenty of options for extra effort all thrown in for free. The course is only 40 minute but can be easily extended. Or, for those of you who prefer a gentle and/or short walk, I have included some delightful options to suit your requirements.

Burns Beach Cafe

Burns Beach has parking, a coffee shop/cafe, a lovely lawned area with playground equipment, BBQ's, shade and public toilets. The path is excellent quality so don't be put off by the wonderfully craggy coastline.

Where we start

Our walk starts in the parking area at Burns Beach (the beach end of Burns Beach Road) about 13 km drive north of Hillary's Boat Harbour and about 3km west of the end of the freeway (the Freeway North currently finishes at Burns Beach Road).

First the gentle walk option 

Looking back at Burns Beach Cafe
from the end of the groin.

There are a couple of bench seats ocean side of the cafe/carpark roundabout which are perfect for those who can only manage a very short walk. It's a delightful spot to watch a beautiful ocean sunset though it's often a bit breezy in the late afternoon so a jacket might be handy.

If you want to stretch it a bit further, approximately 100meters north from these chairs is a short groin opposite a small community hall with public toilets.

There is a table and chairs here with a little shade to rest and enjoy the view. The walk to the end of the short groin is not as smooth as the path but still reasonable and is worth the nice view back along the coast past the cafe.

The return walk to the cafe is a slight incline, but nothing too taxing.

 If you have a couple of hundred meters in you, the walk south from the cafe (ocean on your right) is also a quality path. It has gentle undulations, a continued awesome view and a couple of handy seats to rest and enjoy the view.

You will come, however, to a serious (if short) incline at which point it's best to turn back unless you are looking for a bit of a workout. If you choose to brave this short but testing incline there is a chair nicely situated at the very top to enjoy the view and catch your breath before heading back to Burns Beach.

For a more energetic walk.

Again we start at the Burns Beach car park but head south along the path with the ocean on our right hand side.  You can walk or jog this section at your own pace. I walked at what I call a purposeful pace and it took me close to 40 minutes.

There are two serious if short inclines not far from Burns Beach. They are part of the joy of this walk because after a brief warm up we get a great opportunity to get our heart rate up and working for the rest of the walk.

You may find one of these inclines enough… if so, enjoy the view at the top of the first (there is a chair at the top) and turn back. If this is the case and you live handy enough to use this area for your regular walk make these inclines a personal challenge.  The reward for conquering them is access to a further 5 km of pleasant undulating path with coastal view.

Note: If these inclines are a bit much but you want more of a walk, walking back past Burns Beach and following the path north is a limited and less taxing walk with a less torturous incline, less ocean view but with another nice park and ocean outlook at the end.

Once over these two inclines (when cycling I call these 'terrible uphills') you are on your way. The walk is spectacular, not much level, but up and down (great for exercise) without being torturous, and all with million dollar views.

Picnic Area at Beaumaris Beach

10 minutes (Beaumaris Beach)

Continue past the two serious but short uphills, till you come to a path 'crossroad'. To your left a lovely lawned area, table and chairs, shade, and (at the other end of the lawn) public toilets. To the right a path leads down to the beach (Beaumaris Beach)

A quick walk down the path and board walk to the beach (Beaumaris Beach - north end) and back again will just add a little extra to your walk and give you a lovely view. At this point you can choose to head back to Burns Beach if you like which will give you a good 20 minute walk.

Otherwise, continue further south along the path for some more up hill and down hill. You will pass a sheltered picnic spot with lawn and a few wooden shelters with table and chairs, and before long you will come to a second path 'cross road' with a gazebo on your right.

View back across Beaumaris Beach
from the top of the steep southern stairs

Depending how long it has taken you to get here you might like to walk on till you have completed half your walk time allocation. There is not an obvious spot to stop between here and the beginnings of Ocean Reef Boat Harbour but you don't need an obvious spot to stop.

Otherwise, what I enjoy is taking the path to your right down some steep stairs to the southern end of Beaumaris Beach. These wooden steps offer an opportunity for running (or walking) down and up and down again for some extra cardio, and/or if you are not afraid of a little sand, you can run/walk up and back along the short beach.

Its such a beautiful spot.

Then return up the steep stairs one last time. (you can catch your breath in the gazebo at the top of the stairs if needed).

This should bring you to approximately 20 minutes exercise.

The return journey

Head back north towards Burns Beach keeping the Ocean on your left hand side. It will only take you about 15 minutes purposeful walking to get back to the cafe area, but here, opposite the roundabout is a lovely set of wooden stairs down to the beach.

These stairs are much nicer to walk/run up and down than the ones at Beaumaris Beach. You'll see what I mean. If you can only walk up them it's still good exercise. But try running, even if you can only run the first three or four steps (or none).

Stairs down to the beach
at Burns Beach - a great workout

Finding a set of stairs like this is fantastic for your fitness journey. Either at Burns Beach if it's accessible to you, or elsewhere (like the spiral staircase at Kings Park), you start barely being able to walk up, then suddenly one day you realise you've jogged to the top. An awesome sense of achievement.

Do these stairs once or twice (walking if needed) then proceed along the path past the carpark (ocean still on your left hand side, to the groin (opposite the small community hall - with public toilets). Walk the length of the groin, walk the stairs (to the left) to the beach and back, and (like we did at Beaumaris Beach) if your not averse to the sand, you can walk this short stretch of beach back to our previous set of stairs and walk up them again.

Otherwise retrace your steps back along the groin, past the car park, to the cafe.

The end of the line

Here our walk ends (a good 40 minute workout) with a well placed seat at the top of our steps for catching your breath and cooling down (did I mention the view) or, if you like, you can enjoy the nice outdoor area and outlook of the Burns Beach Cafe.

If you don't have access to this lovely walk from where you live, I hope reading this makes you think of somewhere nice near you with it's own outlook whether land or sea, whether natural or man made. Somewhere where you can carve out your own little bit of exercise heaven and join us in spirit if not in person as we each enjoy our exercise in our own little part of paradise.

Taking the 'Sometimes Carb' challenge - are you game

Sometimes Carbohydrates

One of the biggest factors affecting our success in maintaining a healthy 'food intake' balance is a proper understanding of just how far out of balance our food intake actually is.

I thought I was eating reasonably well.  I was avoiding fruit (because it was sugar) and dairy (because it was fat) and unknowingly focusing a lot of my meal plan on high carb vegetables, grains, pasta cereals etc.

What I hadn't understood was that these carbohydrates break down to what is essentially sugar, and sugar if not burnt for energy, is converted for storage as fat (my simple understanding). Not only that, but the pancreas works hard to process those 'sugars' and if consistently overloaded it can eventually fail (Type 2 Diabetes).

This group which I affectionately call my 'sometimes carbs' is the group that previously featured so heavily in my eating plan and was, without a doubt, the food group that led to my obesity and also to my borderline Type 2 Diabetic diagnosis.  That is why I have developed this 'sometimes carb' challenge.

'Sometimes Carbohydrates'

I'm guessing I'm not alone in my confusion with regard to this group of foods. Firstly my confusion over just how 'healthy' they were, and then after input from the dietitian, the period during which I thought of them as 'bad carbs'.

Neither label really did this group justice. Good choices from this group can indeed be 'healthy'. Too many choices from this group can be quite definitely 'bad'.

This is why I began calling this group my 'sometimes carb' group. The 'bad' label was unfair to the many health benefits available from food in this group. But the benefits offered needed to be consumed in moderation (sometimes) to balance the positive and negative aspects of this group.

So my overindulgence in what should be 'sometimes carbs' … high carb vegetables, bread, grains, pastas, cereals etc along with cakes and biscuits… was essentially my dietary undoing. Something I was only able to fix once I understood how far off balance my food intake actually was.

I sincerely believe that a better understanding of just how this 'sometimes carbohydrate' group is dominating your food intake will be a key element to your success in transitioning to a healthy balanced eating plan.

Part 1 of the 'sometimes carb' challenge (suggested 1 week)

I have created the chart below for you to put on your fridge and track your 'sometimes carb' intake as Part 1 of the 'sometimes carb' challenge.  The chart is not comprehensive (feel free to add) but it should be enough to give you a general idea. Pencil and ruler can replicate it fairly simply if printing is not an option for you.

If printing this chart is not an option for you
pencil, paper and ruler is a quick fix

On this chart (for Part 1 of the challenge) we are more interested in tracking your general 'sometimes carb' intake rather than measuring or controlling it. So just eat as you normally would for the week but put a single stroke in the appropriate box every time one of these items features in your daily eating.

The main thing is to be as accurate as possible. There is no point in cheating. No one else will be judging you on this chart. The entire purpose of this exercise is for you to begin to get a picture of how heavily this group features in your current eating plan.

We are not worried about portion size for the purpose of this chart at this time, we will worry about that later.

After tracking 'sometimes carbs' for the week 

If you exercise regularly, eat well with a healthy variety of fruit and vegetables, and if you are not carrying an excess of unhealthy weight, particularly around your middle, then maybe your body is managing your intake well.

However if you are following this blog in an effort to bring some healthy balance into your eating plan either because you have weight issues, or just to improve your general health, then read on.

• Our aim is to limit foods from this group (as a general rule) to a maximum of three 'portion controlled' serves per day.
• We also aim to choose (as a general rule) healthy energy and repairs and maintenance foods from this group, which means limiting items such as pastry, cakes, biscuits, potato chips etc.
• Our portion control measure is 15 grams of carbohydrate per serve, and three serves per day.

If, in Stage 1, you found you came in at the optimum number of three serves per day, be very encouraged, but do read on with us in regard portion control. It was very illuminating for me.

If, in Stage 1, you found you came in above (or even well above) the optimum number of serves per day (like I did), don't be discouraged, you are where I was…. and I'm not there anymore. Remember back to (or revisit) my story in Making the change to healthier living - is it worth it? - see June 2014.

It was worth it, so please stay with me as I walk you through 'portion control' which is an important part of Stage 2 of the 'sometimes carb' challenge. 

An illuminating indication of appropriate serve sizes for the 'sometimes carb' group

Each of these portions listed below equals approximately one portion (15gram carbohydrate)
This list is not comprehensive by any means.

• ½ cup Weeties or Cornflakes 
• ⅓ cup Sustain, Fibre Plus or Just Right 
• 1½ Weetbix or Vita Brits 
• ¼ cup raw oats 

• 1 small potato or ½ cup mashed potato 
• ½ cup polenta 
• ½ cup green peas or sweet corn
• ½ cup cooked rice, or pasta, or cous cows, or lentils

• 1 normal slice of bread 
• ½ English Muffin (breakfast style) 

and last but not least, coming in at not one, but three portions

• 1 bread roll 

Now I don't know about you, but when I was freely eating these foods thinking they were part of my healthy eating plan, these portions where not what I was having.

I'm sure I was having at least 1½ cups of rice when I had rice (3 portions). I probably had at least 2 cups of pasta (4 portions). There is no way I was only having a ½ or ⅓ cup of cereal and I rarely ate less than 2 slices of toast, or had less than a sandwich (2 slices of bread) or a bread roll (3 portions).

So you see how easy it is for this 'sometimes carb' group to get completely out of balance in our eating plan.

Controlling your serving size

I'm not a big fan of the 'weigh and/or measure' and I can tell you weighing and measuring doesn't need to control your life. I rarely weigh and measure these days so please, please, please don't let this small step put you off continuing with the 'sometimes carb' challenge.

Most of the foods in this group are measurable by the cup or portion of a cup. A set of measuring cups are helpful, but simply using a 'cup' (not the biggest mug you can find in your kitchen) and judging for your self - full, half, third etc is sufficient guide.

You will soon get an idea of what ½ cup mashed potato or rice looks like on your plate. Once you have the general idea you can largely dispense with the measuring cup except maybe to check here and there that you are on track.

This familiarity of serve size is also true of those foods that require a weight measure. A compact set of kitchen scales that measure grams rather than kilograms is best. If cost is an issue borrowing a set off a friend for a couple of weeks should be sufficient to get you familiar with the look of your serve sizes.

Crackers, potato chips, and other foods for which I haven't listed serving sizes, will (in Australia) have 'serving size' listed on the pack (a legal requirement for packaged food and drink in Australia), along with 'total carbohydrate per serve'. This will vary from item to item. Remember that you are looking for 15 grams of carbohydrate per serve, so if their serve size has 32grams of carbohydrate modify your portion accordingly.

Yes, some effort is required, but in the scheme of things I'm telling you it's worth it.

Stage 2 of the 'sometimes carb' challenge (suggested 1 week)

So now that you understand a little more how this group of foods is impacting your food intake and a little more understanding of appropriate portions. I encourage you to try a further exercise using the same chart we used for Stage 1 of the challenge.

For stage 2 of the challenge I want you to try replacing your Part 1 challenge  'serves' with 'portion controlled' serves (i.e. your 15 gram carbohydrate serves).

Our aim is to reduce your portion sizes rather than reduce your number of serves.

Example. If you consumed around 6 serves per day in Stage 1, try to manage on 6 portion controlled serves per day in Stage 2. If you consumed around 11 serves per day in Stage 1, try to manage on 11 portion controlled serves per day in Stage 2.

Three helpful tips to encourage you along your way.

• if you are hungry and feel you need to eat more try adding fruit (up to three pieces per day) or unlimited salad and vegetables from our 'anytime food' group ( see - starting an 'anytime food' revolution in your life - June 2014) 
• try eating extra portions between meals rather than doubling up at meal times. It helps to have breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, tea/dinner, and supper even if its not a full portion (½ portions are recordable)
• if you still feel the need for a larger serve of our 'sometimes carbs' then eat what you need, but record it as extra 'portion controlled' serves. This way you are improving your understanding of what your body feels it needs which is largely what this challenge is about. We can work with that information.

See if you can manage not to exceed your Stage 1 serves for your Stage 2 week. If not, simply record your extra 'portion controlled' serves. Either way, at the end of the week proceed to Stage 3. Do not be discouraged.

Stage 3 of the 'sometimes carb' challenge (1 week if needed - less if it works for you)

In stage 3 of the 'sometimes carb' challenge try to reduce one more 'portion controlled' daily serve over the week.

Again, if you struggle, try the 'helpful tips' from Stage 2 and just make sure you record your portions for your future reference.

As a guide (for your encouragement) this may mean, for stage 1 you had 11 serves, for Stage 2 you tried 11 portion controlled serves but recorded 17 portion controlled serves, so for Stage 3 you would be aiming to come in at 16 portion controlled serves.

Final Stage of the 'sometimes carb' challenge (either weekly or as appropriate for you)

This stage is simply a progression of the previous stage. The aim being to eliminate one more daily portion from our 'sometimes carbs' group till you attain the recommended three serves per day.

This should get easier each week as you get familiar with portion sizes and become more aware each week of your eating habits. You can continue to use the chart for as long as you feel you need the encouragement.

I say 'should get easier' but I also know we are all different in how we process these issues, so if this exercise hasn't been a magic formulae to solve all your overeating problems, again, don't be discouraged. Read on.

An appropriate measure of your 'sometimes carb' challenge success

If the 'sometimes carb' challenge helps you to conquer (or largely conquer) your over dependence of 'sometimes carbs' whether it takes you days, weeks or months then I will be so very pleased for you. So very pleased indeed.

If you only get to Stage 1 and record a weeks 'serves of sometimes carbs' you will have gained a better understanding of just how this 'sometimes carb' group is dominating your food intake. You will also have become more familiar with the foods included in this group and have some idea what your weaknesses in this area actually are.

If you only get to Stage 2 and actually record a weeks worth of portioned serves from the 'sometimes carbs' groups then not only will you have an excellent baseline for further progress, but you will have gained an excellent introductory understanding of what is included in the 'sometimes carbs' group and portion control, as well as a fuller understanding of your weaknesses in this area.

So you can see that the success of this exercise is not only in the completion of its ultimate aim, but can be measured in lots of important milestones along the way.

If all you achieve from taking the 'sometimes carb' challenge is a better understanding of just how this 'sometimes carbohydrate' group is dominating your food intake then that is also a very important milestone in transitioning to a healthy balanced eating plan.

You can always come back to our 'sometimes carb' challenge another time when you feel you might be ready for more.

A little encouragement to brighten your day.

I hope you have found this exercise useful in gaining a better understanding of the significance 'sometimes carbs' play in your current eating plan. Please don't be discouraged if the dominance of 'sometimes carbs' in your lifestyle is considerable.

Instead, be encouraged. Now that you understand better where your weakness are you have achieved a very important milestone along your health and fitness journey.

What is important now is not where you have been, but where you are going, and if for now you are coming along with me then that's a pretty good place to start.

News Flash: the 'sometimes carb' challenge will appear in weekly 'bite sized' stages starting Friday 5th September for those who like the idea but found this a bit much to take in all at once.