Do you eat well and how do you feel?

[RedSquirrel111]

My diet is quite frankly shocking and I think it's really starting to affect my health. Im tired and lethargic all the bloody time.

I live off sandwiches, toast and pizza. I can honestly go days without a piece of fruit or veg. The only time I have a 'proper' meal is when I eat out.

So 2022 is year of the diet overhaul. I'm on Sainsburys ordering fish, veg and fruit. All a bit daunting!

So I suppose my question is do you think you have a healthy diet? What do you eat? (Inspiration needed!).how do you feel? Energy levels?

I'm T2 diabetic, and had to address a radical overhaul of my diet when I was diagnosed. My diet is usually high protein, lots of veggies and a few complex carbs like seeded bread or wholegrain rice. I cook most meals from scratch apart from odd things like veggie sausages.

I feel shit today as I've eaten badly for 3 days. So I'm back to usual and have had oat milk porridge with chia seeds, and veggie sausages with kale for my lunch. I'm usually very energetic, and feel so horribly sluggish for having eaten carbs and sugar. I really like the Joe Wicks Veggie lean in 15 for simple quick meal ideas. And usually make lots of soup throughout winter as it's such an easy lunch or snack.

I eat a lot of veg, white meat, the odd steak, seafood and shellfish, nuts seeds and eggs. I stay away from bread, most dairy and sugar. I eat things like veggie chilli, chicken curry (sauce made with butternut squash, carrots and onions), pork tenderloin, pork chops and soups. There’s lots of recipes out there.

I used to be sluggish before I overhauled my diet 5 years ago now I’m full of energy and exercise most days.

Following because I'm exactly the same
Going to make my New Years resolution to look after myself better

I get four kinds of fruit each week - normally tangerines, plums, pears, maybe apples. We have them with toast for breakfast and for snacks.

Plenty of veg too, plus cherry tomatoes & cucumber that ds eats with everything. Wholemeal everything, no white pasta or bread.

Then salmon steaks, chicken breasts, sausage meat to stuff inside peppers, trout fillets, occasionally beef meatballs to serve with pasta and h/made tomato/garlic sauce. Jacket potatoes, wholemeal couscous, veggie curries. Lots of really easy stuff.

Yes, normally loads of energy, clear skin, weight is stable. I think the trick is keeping it varied and not getting to fixated on endless cooking (too stressy). A grilled salmon steak with a baked potato, squeeze of lemon and some salad takes 10 minutes. Quicker than ordering a takeaway.

I eat a lot of veg but hardly any fruit unless you count things like courgettes as fruit.

If I don't eat lots of veg I feel sluggish, especially if I have been eating carbs like pasta, bread and biscuits

I eat... strangely. I do 5:2 (have previously lost 25kg on it, now back on to lose the baby weight). So those two days tend to be full of bulky, healthy veg. The remaining five days I don't think I eat very well - I have very young kids and am sleep deprived, so I tend to cook and shovel in not very good food, supplemented by a banana or apple here and there. I'm (weirdly) fine with all this for the moment.

I find the Gousto recipe/food boxes have really helped me to eat more veg and more varied foods. Making the meals from scratch has given me important 'input' into what I'm eating. There's also very little processed stuff in there and loads of different recipes.

This isn't intended to be an advert, BTW! I was looking for more variety in what I was eating, and this has really helped.

Can I join? I'm fat and I feel like crap. I know I need a diet over haul!

I eat really well because it's important to me. I honestly feel crap if I haven't had salad with my meals. I know that sounds mad but it's just what works for me.

There's some good advice on the live well website.

My weight is OK, mainly due to not eating a lot. I tend to not eat anything until I'm ravenous then eat whatever is quickest- usually crisps and a sandwich although sometimes this can be the only thing I then eat all day.
I need to actually factor in mealtimes, but like PP said, not make it about cooking huge meals.

This is also on the cards for me. I'm fat and feel ill all the time. I eat fruit and veg but also eat crap like crisps and biscuits constantly

@pastypirate

Can I join? I'm fat and I feel like crap. I know I need a diet over haul!

Yes! Come join!

We eat loads of veggie stuff but we're not vegetarians I cook as normal but add quorn, fish or prawns instead with lots of (usually) green veg
It's just adjusting things to suit your palate

@HerBigChance

I find the Gousto recipe/food boxes have really helped me to eat more veg and more varied foods. Making the meals from scratch has given me important 'input' into what I'm eating. There's also very little processed stuff in there and loads of different recipes.

This isn't intended to be an advert, BTW! I was looking for more variety in what I was eating, and this has really helped.

Same. We've just started a subscription with Green Chef which is primarily based around offering healthier options to cater for various diet types/preferences e.g. low carb/vegan etc. I did really like Gousto but found I was primarily drawn to the less healthy options

@ByGolly

We eat loads of veggie stuff but we're not vegetarians I cook as normal but add quorn, fish or prawns instead with lots of (usually) green veg It's just adjusting things to suit your palate

I'm not a big veg eater, but I do enjoy a lot of healthy foods. I love all fish and seafood, all fruit, prefer whole grain to white, really enjoy nuts and pulses Which is why it's so frustrating that I then proceed to live off cheese on toast.

Since August I have reduced carbs and cut out sugar. Was feeling amazing. Then I got side tracked by Christmas sweeties, have over indulged ( don't seem to have the ability to have just a couple )
I am feeling utterly rubbish: bloated, headache, slightly queasy, lethargic. It's horrible.

So now I'm just drinking water till dinner time, then back on meat and veg tonight.
Tomorrow mushroom omelette for breakfast
Salad with tinned fish for lunch. A square or two of 90% chocolate perhaps if I flag in afternoon.
Dinner will be butternut/other vegetables curry with creamed coconut, with a bit of rice.

One of our favourite meals is Jamie Olivers superfood shepherd's pie, which is easy to make and freezes well, which is good as it makes a huge amount (contains lots of veg and cannellini beans as well as minced lamb)

We try really hard to avoid processed food.
Makes such a difference.

Cheese on toast would be fine if you add some salad. I would think it would be exhausting to change too much at once. Add some fruit and veg to what you already eat and see how you go.

If you eat enough fruit can you miss veg? I hate vegetables so much and have texture issues

@RedSquirrel111 I found reading a book called Stop Counting Calories And Start Losing Weight by Zoe Harcombe really helpful on addressing the causes of over eating and being addicted to bread and sweet things

Thanks, it's motivating to hear people say it makes a difference to how they feel. It's one of them where although my head knows I good diet is bound to make a difference, the devil on my shoulder says 'does it really? Aren't we all just tired'

Like a PP the only way I've managed this is Gousto / HF - well, not the only way, but it takes the thinking out of eating healthily. Gousto do great 10-minute meals which, even if you're faffing with kids, housework etc are quick and tasty. Otherwise I tend to have good intentions, do an online shop etc but it all goes a bit wrong once the shopping is through the door. I tend to just mainline carbs on busy days especially.

If anyone wants a Gousto discount code (60% off then 30% off) here's mine to use.

@RedSquirrel111

My weight is OK, mainly due to not eating a lot. I tend to not eat anything until I'm ravenous then eat whatever is quickest- usually crisps and a sandwich although sometimes this can be the only thing I then eat all day. I need to actually factor in mealtimes, but like PP said, not make it about cooking huge meals.

That how I eat too. I usually have a pile of cooked veg or veg that cooks very quickly in the fridge and use that to make a quick large meal

Something like poached egg on spinach is really quick

Reheated veg is quite tasty with a bit of oil or melted cheese

Echoing the Gousto suggestion (or hello fresh, but I found gousto much better). Just do a few weeks to help you get into the routine of cooking. You can pick veg full meals, which only take 10mins. And you get a recipe card so can do them yourself later.

If you want, pm me and I can give you a code for 60% off your first box and 30% for the rest of the month. Full disclosure, I also get £15 towards a box when you use the code.

Lol, It depends how you cook them @RedSquirrel111, I think before I started I only ate veggies at Christmas
What's your favourite food to eat? Then just make one change

I know that it sounds trite, but the saying you are what you eat is so true.

A person can not expect to feel healthy and full of energy on a poor diet filled with cheap processed foods.