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 .

Ooh @ememem84, now I really want cake after reading your description. But I've eaten really well all day so I'm not ruining it now.

I haven't read the full thread, I lost it and I'm place marking again. I was feeling guilty until I noticed the last few posts are about cake. I have eaten several different types of cake since I was here last!

@Apileofballyhoo everything in moderation....

Several cakes a day is maybe an issue, but several cakes since the beginning of the thread I wouldn't lose any sleep over, personally .

Virtuously sitting here eating an apple and drinking green tea.

I agree @NancyEspana.
Very virtuous @ememem84.
I've had a good day on the food front, resisted the chocolate biscuits in the office, and had an orange instead. Also cutting back on drinking squash and drinking more water and herbals teas instead.
Also busy Christmas shopping so that's keeping me distracted too, I have lots of online baskets that will be checked out by the end of the week I hope.

Had a good couple of days food wise even though I’ve been away and eating out. Have walked loads as well.

Also, just started my Food and Mood course on Future Learn this week and it’s really interesting (and free)!

Oh that does sound interesting wilderness! Let us know how it goes.

Trying to start today off right. Toast jam and an Apple handful of grapes and a satsuma. And orange juice. So that’s 4 of my 5 a day right there. 🙂

Gym later. And lots of water.

Good stuff emem!

I started off fairly well, with scrambled eggs on toast this morning, but then ds got his hands on the super sweet, honey nut cheerios DH bought himself to take to work. I wouldn't normally give them to dcs, but I did today and then DS didn't want them 😂. So I ate them.

Onward and upwards though. Planning a workout DVD later today and a big tidy up in the house, which seems to be what I do every day at the moment.

I need to do so much Christmas shopping as well!

Thanks for your well wishes everyone. My dad is much better. He needs to have some additional tests, but hopefully everything will be under control with medication.

Today is Thanksgiving in our house as DH is American. We took the day off work and have been cooking all day. We're making a big rainbow pie with layers of sweet potato, leeks, parsnips and beetroot and Lancashire cheese. Also roast potatoes and Yorkshire puds, and a pistachio and elderflower cake. Yum.

I guess we're in that season now where there is going to be loads of food around. I think my approach is to eat as normal at family mealtimes, but be mindful of portion sizes. I'm not going to deny myself yummy homemade cakes! And with things like chocolate, biscuits etc, again I will eat them but limit how much per day or something. If anyone else has tips for maintaining good habits through the festive season then please share!

Totally agree with you @NumberblockOne. Everything in moderation is a lot more sustainable for me and therefore more healthy in the long run. Also, it prevents me from going off on one into a diet / binge cycle.

My plan for not being too over indulgent over Christmas is, like you, trying bits of nice things, but not doing what I have done before, which is treating it like a challenge, to stuff as much in as possible, before 'the January diet'. Because, we all know this mythical, January diet of mine, is going to last a week, tops and I'll have stuffed in all the food I possibly can for no reason!

I'm also going to choose more things which have fibre and protein in them, as they tend to be healthier and more filling. I'm also going to make a concerted effort to eat more portions of fruit and veg to fill up instead of reaching constantly for sugar.

Really pleased to hear your dad is doing better! Maybe the fact he was fit to begin with has helped him recover faster.

Wrote a long post yesterday at the hairdresser and then lost it, hate when that happens.
@NumberblockOne I find at Christmas I tend to eat more at mealtimes, but then at least I'm too full to eat much chocolate etc in between times. That works for me but I'm lucky to have a pretty fast metabolism I know. Would also agree with @NancyEspana, I need to remind myself lots to eat lots of junk etc just for the sake of it.
Trying to stick with the healthy eating, it's been a long week though, DD has a cough and it's been interfering with her sleep. And I'm feeling sorry for myself too, DH works very long hours, and occasionally I get really fed up dealing with DC/home by myself. I'm sure I'll get over it once DD's sleep goes back to normal .

Did I kill the thread with my moaning? . Back to myself now after a good sleep.
Bagel with avocado this morning followed by scrambled eggs with smoked salmon for lunch. And I'm pleased that DD2 is now also requesting bagel with avocado for breakfast, between us we eat a full avocado so I'm not throwing any in the bin.

Ah not at all @Thatsnotmyflamingo! It is really tough when your OH works long hours and you have to do a lot of the childcare on your own. You are more than entitled to a moan!

Lovely weekend here. Not all of it healthy, but a lot of fun.

Controversially, I'm considering a dry December, just to avoid all the tiredness and shit skin I tend to get after a party filled Christmas period! I'm curious to see how I'd feel if I did all the same parties without the booze... Also I'm spending christmas with family who don't really drink, so it seems pointless just buying wine for myself and the gravy.

Everyone here is a bit full of the cold too btw and I'm tired after fun weekend. So not much going on here. I'm making a tagine and cous cous for dinner. About to put it in the slow cooker!

Please moan away! My DD also has a bad cough at the moment which is causing difficult nighttines .

I had a bad day yesterday. For no particular reason, I just gave into cravings and ate quite a lot of toast and chocolate yesterday evening. I think I took my eye off the ball a little bit. There has been lots of cakes and things around recently with DH's birthday, Thanksgiving and the birthday cakes at work on Friday. On top of that I've been getting too busy and tired and haven't kept up the yoga this week, though I have done my other regular exercise. I find that I don't have enough headspace to concentrate on putting the effort into healthy eating when I am also concentrating on other things going on in my life. However, this was bound to happen at some point, and the question is how to get back on track now.

Today I had Weetabix and an orange for breakfast, bread and cheese and an apple with peanut butter for lunch and lentil dhal planned for dinner. Just got to watch myself carefully for a few days

Hello everyone! Can I join you please? DD is 20 months and I'm finally realising that I need to start looking after me as well!

I'm a keen cyclist (approx 20km/day to and from work) and planning to start yoga again this week. In an ideal world I'd be a stone lighter but I'm reluctant to add a diet to my already stressful life! Eating better and practicing some self care would go a long way to helping with that though.

Hi @redavocado! Welcome .

Today agree that the mental load of taking on a diet is a lot when you're wrangling dcs and also cooking for a family. Nobody who is not on a diet wants to eat Atkins!

So far, so good today. I had an epic sleep last night. I have a cold and was so worn out last night that I cancelled my beloved yoga class and went to bed instead.

Had poached eggs on toast for breakfast and a large bowl of cauliflower and kale soup just now. Not sure what to make for dinner...just about to start rifling through my cupboards looking for inspiration!

*totally agree

Thank you!! That sounds like a very healthy and tasty soup by the way!

I'm having a fairly stressful day at work but my food has been on point - porridge, apple and soup so far with stirfry planned for tonight). I've also booked in some me time over the next week or so in the form of yoga and fitness classes and hair and nail appointments. Step one on the way to feeling a bit more like me again!

I so envy you your sleep @NancyEspana. I keep waking at 4 or 5.

Healthy ish food today and resisted the wine! Dance class tomorrow.

I hate that wilderness. I can't remember the last time I slept through like that. I'm not going to lie, it was fabulous. I swear when I was a young 'un that was just the norm! Thanks a bunch ageing .

Not great on the food front this evening, after a healthy breakfast and lunch!

I was nibbling off the kids' plates, since they refused to eat the leftover, perfectly lovely, tagine I made yesterday and I had to quickly cook some pasta, which one of them also refused 🙄🤦‍♀️. I give up.

DH's and my dinner wasn't great health wise, but it was delicious (fancy ready meal ).

Planning what to make tomorrow that the dcs which actually eat and which will be filling and healthy for DH and me.

So far, so so with food today...

2 x hot cross buns for breakfast and a big plate of mushroom risotto for lunch so far. Planning lentil moussaka for dinner. Also about eleventy million cups of tea . I'm tired today and DS is full of the cold. Both these things seem always to be the case at the moment!

I'm ploughing on with my dry December and will see if I suddenly feel amazing. Not sure tbh, but we shall see.

Nancyespana - your food sounds so good again! Do you have a recipe for the lentil moussaka?

Another day of porridge for breakfast and then a baked potato and cottage cheese for lunch. I've just had a smoked salmon and scrambled egg wrap for tea before I head out to yoga later.

Eating healthily over the past week or so is making me feel so much better in myself! My clothes are fitting better and I feel like I have more energy. I'm down a few lb too which makes me want to reach for the chocolate as a reward but I'm restraining myself for the moment!