Healthy eating thread, NOT for weight loss?

[NancyEspana]

I know weight can be an indicator of health and it isn't something we should just ignore, whether we are overweight, underweight, healthy BMI but not comfortable with our weight or with a big waist to height ratio etc.

BUT, there are already countless weight loss threads on here, which are fantastic help sometimes, but for me, can sometimes be counterproductive. Not to mention me feeling as if I have been bombarded with diets, slimming clubs, books on weight loss, magazine articles on the way to get beach body ready, since before I can remember. I think I have diet fatigue !

I have been looking for a thread on here for just healthy eating / healthy habits. I really don't want to know what weight anyone else is, or how many lbs they have lost that week, what their BMI is or even what their measurements are.

But, I would really like a place to discuss healthy eating and healthy habits, like exercise, not too much alcohol, drinking more water, getting enough fruit and veg etc, without getting out the measuring tape or weighing in every week.

I appreciate, I sound like a right fussy fecker , but I don't think I'm the only one who must feel this way. But, I haven't come across any recent threads like this.

Would anyone like to join me on here?

Full disclosure: if I so happen to lose weight by changing my habits and making healthy choices, that would be a welcome side effect, but I would be equally happy if I maintained my weight but just made healthier choices and maybe changed shape a bit if I got more exercise etc.

Posting here as I don't know where else to post it basically and also because I think it will disappear from here if nobody responds because they think I'm an arse for posting .

Oh enjoy happyface! You only live once and we all live for holidays .

@OhMyGiddyAunty that's just how I feel this week, I haven't eaten any junk food and it really hasn't been difficult, why do I make such a big deal of it?!
Another day of healthy eating, dinner was early though and a little bit too much focus on carbs (DH cooked) so I may be hungry later on. One useful thing I could do is make the effort to cook an extra veg/make a salad when DH is cooking, I didn't have time this evening but I had great fun splashing in the bath with DD.

@Thatsnotmyflamingo If there was only a way to hold on to that thought strongly enough to get me through the inevitable carb cravings! Maybe I need to write it on my fridge or something.

Good call about making up a salad. Sometimes I just chop some veg and leave it on the board and just graze all day, instead of reaching for the cereal bars.

Happy holidays @happyface 😊

@Thisismyhappyface enjoy the holiday!!!

Roast sw potato and cauliflower tacos. Not to bad actually. Hot sauce helped. Dh roasted the veggies, made a salsa, we had corn on cob and coconut “yoghurt”

Full vegan day for me. Snacked on dried pineapple and papaya. A satsuma and an apple. So I’m definetly upping my vitamin.

Hot sauce always helps IME .

I'm feeling a bit bloated this morning too many potatoes last night. I also had dairy milk (as in milk from a cow, not a bar of chocolate, sadly) in my this morning, as I'd run out of oat milk, so wonder if that's exacerbating things. So, I'm not having breakfast, as I don't feel like it. Not following my own advice / plan at all here, but if I don't feel like eating, it seems silly to.

Anyway, we're heading out now for a walk and to feed the ducks and some errands. Planning a sort of buddha bowl affair for lunch and then making a mushroom, potato, spinach and split pea korma for dinner.

Out of the office today with work so eating out but trying to go for healthy choices, just had a delicious chickpea roll with lots of salad for lunch, so pleased with that choice, I'm also wondering how long it will fill me up for.

Today’s food:

• toast with flora and jam
• Apple and handful of grapes
• bean burger salad and fries
• satsuma

Gnocchi for dinner.

Sounds really good emem!

I've done much as I planned today, except I've been snaffling the dcs' leftovers just now .

Hope all the holiday goers are enjoying themselves / getting ready to go.

It's my birthday tomorrow , so probably will be even less ...but will try not to go bonkers and just enjoy myself in a normal, controlled way .

Also had a walk with dd. Only 2.5km as dark clouds were a gathering

Oh well done on the walk too .

I am going for a birthday swim straight after school run in the morning. I have booked DS into creche so I can't duck out! I also have yoga booked on Saturday morning. I had so many plans to do DVDs at home, but I haven't actually done any. I don't know why just doing a bit of yoga on a mat seems fine, (until I run out of asanas), but putting on a video and doing it seems like a hassle? Weird. I also love yoga class, but I have no distractions there.

Happy birthday, @NancyEspana

Love this thread.

I'm fat and disabled, so my doctor keeps trying to refer me to slimming world. But I used to have an eating disorder, and I've never managed to entirely silence that voice, so tracking my weight is highly likely to set me on a very unhealthy path.

I eat fairly healthily, but do think I could improve my diet more, especially as my disability also causes digestion/ bowel issues.

Also tring to find exercise I can manage without worsening my daily pain levels.

Hi @MurderOfGoths! Yes, I don't really rate SW. Certainly not the old model, but I think they have tried to improve it.

Thanks @OhMyGiddyAunty! DH has surprised me with lunch out, somewhere I've been meaning to try for ages. I definitely won't be strict. It is my birthday.

Have some birthday all. It's carb, fat and calorie free on here .

Really healthy day yesterday to make up for the not so healthy Friday! Started with poached egg on spinach, then yoga. Lunch was a super food bean soup and dinner chicken jambalaya with tons of veg and brown rice.

Belated happy birthday @NancyEspana!!

Thanks wilderness!

Yesterday was pretty good for me too.

Poached eggs on avocado and toast for breakfast, then yoga class, leftover stew and veg for lunch, then on another birthday outing, (I am really milking this birthday ), and then back home for a homemade curry.

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend, especially the holidaymakers!

We have one of DD's friend's birthday party today and also one of DD regular activities. Back to normal now after lots of birthday fun .

Oh I also made a GF, DF birthday cake which was amazing. Would really recommend. I think calling it healthy would be a massive exaggeration, but it definitely wasn't as bad as the usual buttery ones covered in icing from supermarket. And I enjoyed it more as I knew there were no weird ingredients.

My dad said I looked 'skinny' (ha!) yesterday. It was meant as a compliment and I am far from skinny, but maybe my healthy habits are having some effect. Mainly the exercise I think.

Went into town with dh and the dc yesterday morning. All I could smell was fatty greasy bacon rolls. I almost fell off the vegan challenge wagon.

Went riding at lunchtime then had cauliflower broccoli and tumeric soup for lunch.

Teriyaki Tofu bao buns for dinner.

Might take ds swimming today. I won’t get much of a swim as will Be mostly in the baby pool catching him when he jumps in...but it counts right?!

Happy birthday @NancyEspana hope you had a great day. Sounds like everyone is doing well and sounding positive.

I've had a good week. Not every meal has been super healthy (e.g.. pasties and chips!) but no unhealthy junk or bingeing. I'm finding that I'm eating more mindfully, being more careful of portion sizes and including more veg/salad/fruit with each meal. I'm also starting to find myself actively looking for/preferring the healthier meals and not craving junk nearly as much! I'm very jealous of some of the amazing sounding meals you guys have been eating!

Exercise wise it's not too bad. I've done an intervals class and a 5k run this week. Will try to do yoga with Adrienne tonight. Wondering if anyone could recommend a similar type of YouTube video I could do at home for resistance training? I prefer to do his type of thing in a class but I can't always make the gym as it is at work, and I have varying work and childcare commitments which make attending regular classes difficult.

I'm off to Germany today on a work trip. Slightly apprehensive about being out of my normal routine and food environment and wondering how it will play out. However, I'm leaving in a positive mood and have my gym gear and running shoes with me! Today I had muesli and banana for breakfast and then treated myself to yogurt and granola and a cappuccino at the airport. Hope everyone has a great sunday.

Ah it's always the bacon sandwiches! How have you been finding your vegan week though emem? Will you keep at it do you think or maybe just keep some aspects of it?

X post number.

Thanks, it's been a lovely birthday weekend.

Sounds like you are doing well. I'm looking at it as a marathon not a sprint - although I'll leave the ACTUAL marathon running to others on here . So going for longterm changes in habits rather than being really strict.

Dh wants to continue it. I have definetly eaten way more fruits and veggies than I would usually.

I feel more bloated but am not sure if it’s because of the drastic change in diet.

We’re doing Sunday dinner for dparents tonight. Ddad is staunchly “vegan is for weirdos and can’t possibly be tasty”. I’ll show you

Vegan cottage pie and garlic bread, and either pavlova or Eton mess for dessert. I’ve made meringue from Aquafaba this morning. So dessert depends on how it turns out.

We’re having neither pavlova or Eton mess. This is the result. Oops.

Oops @ememem84. I'm sure your DS would still happily eat some though.

Started to post earlier and then had to put phone away as flight was about to take off.
Had a great weekend, lots of lovely food but not too unhealthy, except for today maybe as we were tired and a little hungover.
Supermarket delivery due to arrive tomorrow Morning and will do some cooking after that. Happy Belated Birthday @NancyEspana, sounds like you had a lovely birthday weekend.