Week 4 of 52 small changes - all welcome

[OddSocksHighHeels]

So we are now onto week 4! Carrying on with getting our daily water intake, aiming for 7-8 hours of sleep and getting in routine activity.

This week: keeping a log of what you eat and drink in a day.

Track each item that you eat or drink in a day. Measure food if necessary to get correct information.

Don't skip a day just because you think you haven't done well.

Evaluate your appetite from 0 (extreme hunger) to 5 (stuffed full) and aim to always be at 1-4.

Monitor how you feel before eating - stressed, bored, happy, etc.

Things that you can mistake for hunger:

1. Not eating a good balance of nutrients. Try having a snack of fruit and nuts (not the chocolate bar!) and see if that helps.
   

1. Emotional hunger - try going for a walk, chewing gum, listening to music, whatever works for you.
   

1. Sleepiness - take a 10 minute walk, drink a cup of green tea or eat a healthy snack
   

1. Thirst - see if having a glass of water gets rid of the hunger you're feeling.
   

Link to last week: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/2544980-Week-3-of-52-small-changes-getting-more-active?pg=1&order=

[OddSocksHighHeels]

So: I have MFP and I'm useless at using it but will try to get better. Skipping my "bad" days (under eating) on it is exactly what I do!

[Twerking9to5]

Thanks oddsocks! Am
Also useless with mfp. Especially if I cook something made up then have to find all the components. Plus I definitely skip my bad days . Will try harder!

[Pointlessfan]

Thanks oddsocks.
I think I will find this the hardest one so far. I actually think I don't eat enough during the day and then I end up having a massive dinner in the evening and usually a snack around 8pm, then I'm stuffed!
I think I eat a healthy, balanced diet but I am slightly underweight so probably don't eat enough overall.

[gingercat02]

Thanks OddSocks
I use MFP when I'm trying to loose weight but I tend to guesstimate most of the time. I'm on a food thread on here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2543012-What-have-you-eaten-today
Not sure I can be bothered with the whole emotional eating palaver, but will still check in if that's OK?

[parrotonmyshoulder]

I'm not going to track as it can tend to lead me into ancient territories of eating disorders.

But I will aim to eat lunch everyday. On a normal work day I tend not to eat lunch, usually ending up having something processed and unhealthy as a snack around 4pm.

Easy, healthy lunch ideas that can be eaten with one hand and no lunch break gratefully received!

[BoyFromTheBigBadCity]

Oh man this one will be hard.

[OddSocksHighHeels]

ginger of course, take the bits that work for you, I'm not forcing you to do everything listed. Bet you didn't a build a shed last week either did you?

parrot no worries! I find making myself log food helps with my ED because I can see that I'm making progress but we're all different! Making sure you eat lunch everyday is a good substitution though hmm, easy lunch ideas: sandwiches are obvious, a salad could be eaten with a fork while the other hand does work, frittata/omelette type thing.

[margaritasbythesea]

Gosh I could definitely do with this one! Thanks OddSocks. Water and sleep going great here. More activity not so much. Tomorrow is another day.

[TheCatsMeow]

I already do thisI still eat shit though my appetite is awful

[TheCatsMeow]

Format fail

[Sirona]

Sounds like that's for the best parrot and I can see where tracking it may trigger.

Oh goodness this is one I'm dreading. My diet ranges from alright to bloody awful. Glad this didn't start last night after the copious amounts of chocolate, sweets, popcorn and crisps I had with family movie night :) I had been thinking about overhauling my diet next week anyway and bought that Lean in 15 book today.

I veer between slightly underweight to in the low range of good BMI. Would be a bit like you pointlessfan, I'm more of a night-time eater. I do need to assess what sort of foods I eat as I quite frequently don't make the right choices. I love my carbs and adore sugar to the point I think I'm a bit addicted to sugar. I'll give it a whirl for a week to see where I need to channge things but I know there's no way I'll keep up tracking it long term. It's just not me.

My fitness pal the way to go then?

[ICJump]

Just marking place

[gingercat02]

Sorry OddSocks didn't mean to sound arsey

[quirkychick]

OK, I am already doing mfp. I have some new cookbooks too, so trying to put in lots of healthy nutrients into meals rather than viewing it as depriving myself.

I often don't eat enough, especially on busy days. I need to make sure I eat enough for lunch so I'm not snacking too much in the afternoon.

[Sirona]

Lunch ideas parrot, bean salad with tuna or pasta salad if you don't mind pasta cold, noodle salad? I love spanish tortilla with alioli, though the garlic not so good if you're eating in an office. Wraps, mini pizzas you've cooked the night before. Do you have a microwave - soups or are they too messy? Or cold gazpacho.

[OddSocksHighHeels]

You didn't ginger don't worry!

[BoyFromTheBigBadCity]

I just need to go and buy many green foods. So I have to eat them.

[quirkychick]

I have now averaged 7hrs sleep this week. Goal achieved. I will try for 7 1/2hrs average this coming week. I had 8hrs last night but very disjointed! I fell asleep on the sofa for an hour, woke briefly at 3:30am as dd2 made a noise and then again at 6am when she woke.

I am now about to start my next yoga camp, only 6,000 steps yesterday but 20,000 the day before.

I have the Hemsley and Hemsley cookbook for Christmas and yesterday made their sausage stew with gluten free sausages and loads of veg, followed by a version of their spiced pear crumble with a topping of ground almonds and aldi 's ground linseeds with dried raspberries and blueberries. We tend to have and big meal on and Saturday evening. I won't be cooking like that every night, though!

[Pointlessfan]

Another easy lunch - grease a muffin tin and put a square of filo in each muffin hole. Fill each one with leftovers - roasted veg works well, sprinkle over a little grated cheese and bake for 10 mins. Instant mini tarts!

[NightWanderer]

Thanks for continuing to post this. I do have mfp. I will try and log everything this week and do better on the water front.

[BewitchedBotheredandBewildered]

Just checking in, off out soon.

Thanks OddSocks.

[quirkychick]

Pointlessfan that sounds nice. I've seen something similar with egg poured over to make egg muffins, for breakfast but could easily be for lunch!

I try to batch cook, so often have something left over for another meal, it makes less to make each meal. Or put in the freezer. I use the slow cooker a lot to make soups, curries and stews. Especially on busy days, you could use the extra batch for lunches or freeze for another time.

[CishAndFips]

Ok so water intake much better.
Sleep variable due to 5yr old and 11 week old.
Physical activity definetly improving.
This week will tie in nicely with my healthier eating approach although I am terrible for cheating on mfp with not logging on bad days. I don't know why I'm only cheating myself in the long run.

[Allgunsblazing]

Thank you for the new thread :)
So, water, sleep, exercise and now logging the food. I can do that. I too have MFP, I'll try and get back into the habit. Thank you!

[DrDiva]

Thank you for the new thread, oddsocks . Like parrot I probably won't do this one, as it makes old bad habits rear their heads. Am thinking of rejoining the low-carb boot-camp though, so that might stand in its stead.

Water and sleep going well, with a slight sleep blip last night as DS is always anxious before having a new babysitter, and it comes out in his sleep. He had an absolute ball with her though!