Thread for those who are trying to eat "better"

[Octopus37]

Following on from yesterdays thread "Do I eat too much", which I posted on, I was unsurprising told that what I eat is crap. Have been feeling pretty crap the last few weeks, not enough energy low libido, sluggish, wound up, down - so have decided to see if changing my eating habits can shift things a bit. I'm not overweigh 5ft5, 8st6lbs, (slightly on the heavy side for me), but would be pleased if I did loose a few pounds, trying not to make weight the focus. Have decided to take a vitamin pill with iron every day, last year had v low ferratin levels so had to take iron tablets for a while. I'm not promising to do well every day and cut out sugar completely as I feel that I would be destined to fail. However, I am going to try to I improve. Today have eaten:
1 pack of Belvita biscuits
1 Actvia extra creamy yoghurt
1 large apple
1 Danone (high protein yoghurt)
3 Oatcakes
Some cashew nuts
I am planning on sweet chilli chicken & rice (ready meal cause of money diet) with some stir fried veg for tea and plan to eat some red grapes afterwards. Also may have some sort of a treat on school run. Also aim is to replace the Belvita biscuits with oatcakes for breakfast and maybe eat them with some cheese. Know I'm not doing perfectly but I am making an effort. Buddies welcome.

I haven't read the whole thread but I'm trying to do this. I'm also sick of 'dieting' so I'm just trying to eat healthily.

I've been reading some articles on how having more soup is meant to be a really good way to lose weight. Its a really good for getting lots of veg and nutrients and helps to keep you full for a long time. Its also really comforting on days like this.
Plus it can be very cheap too.

Article here;
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8068733.stm

I think if I try to aim to have fruit or veg with every meal, it'll keep me fuller for longer as well as giving me more nourishment.

For example, if I have a piece of toast with butter for breakfast, I'll be hungry pretty quickly. If I have toast with no butter but grilled with some cherry tomatoes and a grating of cheese followed by a Satsuma, that'll keep me going all morning (plus I think its so much more tasty)

For those of you with slow cookers, I have just bought this book which has had great reviews. I'm hoping this will help me eat healthier as all the recipes seem to be mostly chuck in the pot one with a few that require browning the meat then chuck in the pot. The recipes look really easy and seem like they'd be nice.
www.amazon.co.uk/Skinny-Slow-Cooker-Recipe-Book/dp/0957644787/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392224676&sr=8-1&keywords=skinny+slow+cooker

It's not easy and I actually feel a bit of a failure for being an adult who has no control over what goes into her mouth! Most of my friends are slim and don't seem to understand why I just can't control myself.
It does sound so obvious when written down!

I had avocado with chilli and tomatoes on a slice of toast for breakfast.
Protein shake made with almond milk and tsp of almond butter after a hard work out at the gym.

Lunch out- a fantastic open 'club' sandwich with smoked chicken, sliced hard boiled egg, chorizo crisps and aioli drizzled over, it was amazing. Then a latte.

Off to the cinema with DH tonight, as I usually do when we eat out, I'll have whatever I feel like, maybe burger and fries or some mezze, or quick Chinese somewhere close to the cinema. Glass of wine or two, one at dinner, maybe one at the cinema .

Beechview please don't think of yourself as a failure. We are all conditioned to think that being a healthy weight is a matter of willpower and control and if we can't resist food then we are weak or greedy and it's so flawed . It sets us up for viewing food as the enemy, something (along with our body) to be battled with. Try to adopt the mindset of already having the body you would like - eat and exercise and take care of it the way you would if you were the 'perfect' weight. Live like you imagine you would if you had that body. So many people have hated their body then lost weight, only to find they still don't like it! It works better the other way round, love (or at least respect) the body you have so it becomes the best it can be.

Just ate some of ds's garlic bread,ffs oh well, onwards and upwards!

A bit hit and miss here today!
Breakfast Greek yoghurt with blueberries, almonds and linseed
Lunch soup that I made yesterday -butternut squash, sweet potato and red pepper (with garlic,ginger,chilli and coconut cream in it!) plus some sunflower seed bread
Then a little cheese, olives and grapes - probably should have stopped after the soup but I was still hungry

However I had been to shops to get a couple of things and bought some jam doughnuts, had one mid afternoon!)

Oops then for tea I made a sausage casserole with peppers, mushroom and red onion, served with pasta and spring greens tossed in a buttery/garlicky/ carraway seed dressing- v yummy
Then another doughnut as the boys were having one as a pudding

Not great but I think the horrible weather just drove me to get something sweet! So you are not alone in having good and bad days octopus

Breakfast: porridge with semi skimmed milk and green tea
Mid morning: black coffee
lunch: 2 slices of spelt bread with 1 slice of cheese, cress, tomato and cucumber with 2 glasses of water
Green tea
Dinner: 1 plate of green lentil stew with potatoes, courgettes, leeks, celery, onion and garlic with brown rice and for dessert a small bowl with mango, kiwi and banana. Water.
Green tea.

Lunch was scrambled egg on rye with some dried fruit and nuts afterwards. Peppermint tea to warm up and an apple for a snack mid afternoon.

Needed to do something very very fast tonight as the power kept cutting out due to the wind. So shoved done beans and toast on. Not exactly healthy but at least there were no unrecognisable ingredients or additives in any of it.

My skin is looking worse not better. Bit annoying as I thought I'd see a little difference by now.

Oh and I'm not eating enough. Weighed myself and I've lost 3lbs since last week. Not good at all. Need to find more calorific things to snack on.

(I don't want to lose any weight I mean.)

I'm joining in! I have lost 45lbs this year, but I have a stubborn half stone left to lose and I'm aware that my crappy eating habits are the problem.

I'm vegan and tend to fill my face with carbs as it is just faster to live on toast and jam! Which is dreadful for me because I'm wheat intolerant and it makes me feel awful.

My main plan is, back on the no wheat wagon, stop snacking in the evening, eat more protein.

So, with that in mind how does my plan for tomorrow sound to you?

Breakfast - toasted rye with peanut butter and an apple.
Lunch - lentil and mushroom soup and oatcakes, home made pumpkin seed 'cheese'.
Dinner - baked tofu, stir fried greens, roasted roots.

And no crisps in the evening! (That is the important bit!)

I think it compares well to today which was...

Breakfast - 2 wheatabix with brown sugar and soy milk.
Lunch - daal and a baked potato.
Dinner - veggie Bolognaise NFD pasta.
Crisps and gin.

Ooh can I join in? Today I was Ok:

Breakfast: 30g oatbran porridge with soy milk, mixed spice and pomegranate seeds
Lunch: Tomato and basil fresh soup with a homemade wholemeal feta and courgette scone and two mini felafels. A banana and a clementine plus a few of my workmates' chips and some white bread
Snack: an apple
Tea: Homemade tofu pad Thai with carrot noodles instead of normal noodles. So carrot, red pepper, tofu, homemade sauce and 10g of cashews over the top, all stir fried in a tablespoon of groundnut oil
Drinks were peppermint tea and water and two cups of normal tea in the morning.

Apart from the post-lunch chips I think I did ok, perhaps a bit high in soya with the soy milk and tofu.

Lucy lentil and mushroom soup sounds delicious! I'm impressed by you making pumpkin seed cheese too.

Trainers Do you have a recipe for the scones? They sound divine.

Please. Forgot my manners I was so busy drooling.

Coumarin of course!

community.weightwatchers.co.uk/Blogs/ViewPost.aspx?threadID=1121512

I found it on a WW website (I'm doing WW but they definitely don't taste 'slimming', just really lovely and hearty). If I did them again I would probably use Parmesan as I couldn't taste the feta but they have been a huge hit in my household!

Ooh lovely thank you. Think I'll use full fat milk and feta like you did instead of the cheddar. Parmesan on the tops and slightly browned would be good.

Would switching to butter instead of margarine be a better choice? We do use a spread that is mainly buttermilk with no additives but it isn't real butter.

Also I've only ever used butter in baking so would I get salted or unsalted for things like sandwiches and toast?

I know having nothing would be better than either but DH likes it, as do I occasionally.

Yes, I switched from spread to butter (well, actually lurpak spreadable so it does have oil as well but I figure better than all manner of weird stuff that's in spread. I may move on to actual butter but need to buy a butter dish so I can keep it out of the fridge!)

I can't help on the salt thing. I buy slightly salted but that's because I was told to eat more salt (I have POTS and increasing salt/fluid intake helps) - the specialist was really shocked how little salt I eat but I'd been consciously avoiding as much as possible because all the advice goes on about how bad salt is!

I do think salted tastes nicer than unsalted though. I tend to use much less of it because the taste is stronger.

Thank you Frugal Slightly salted would be a good compromise. I want a butter dish too. One if those one shaped like a cow that Grandma's used to have.

Yes to proper butter. Looking at difference in ingredients is interesting between butter and spread.

I buy salted, I find I need to use less as get proper taste.

I remember seeing a dietician (high cholesterol ) who was surprised at my butter choice until I explained about wanting to eat better.

Does anyone choose organic? I tend to for all dairy and meat. And some fruit and veg depending on cost. And taste. Organic tomatoes taste better I think, like tomatoes!

Yy to real butter (salted or unsalted), better than margarine etc. I prefer salted and don't especially avoid salt, but have no health issues that mean I should...as with sugar, I think if you avoid processed food you immediately reduce your intake massively.

I always try and buy organic, comes back to the best quality you can get IMO, but it is expensive. Certain things, such as meat and tomatoes for example, definitely taste better to me.

I would definitely like to gradually move to organic. Although on a limited budget (hence my recent namechange!). But as we are getting better at shopping/cooking/less waste it will become easier to do I think.

My appetite's been really messed up lately. So many things are just making me feel sick to think about. I think it's left over from the flu I had recently - I had a bad tummy with it and kept thinking I was going to be sick (am emetophobic, although much better than I was) so cut right back.

Thanks. Makes sense. I'm building up quite a shopping list here.

Hope you feel better soon Frugal Just eat what you can. Would juices be easier to swallow?

Ooh can I join please? I'm trying to cut down on sugar and just generally improve my skin, energy levels and overall wellbeing.

Yesterday I had -
B: Porridge with almond milk and a chopped banana
S: Pistachios
L: Leftover homemade chicken, leek and green bean curry with a few homemade potato wedges and a big leafy green salad with tomatoes. Pear afterwards
S: Carrot sticks, 3 oatcakes spread with natural peanut butter
D: Kale and borlotti bean soup with a wholemeal pitta bread
S: Tangerine

This looks like a lot written down! I was ravenous yesterday after a hard workout in the gym in the morning and a run with my friend in the evening. My biggest problem is too many carbs and not enough protein. I love meat, and can tolerate some nuts, but eggs are a big no no and I can't eat dairy. This morning I added pumpkin seeds to my porridge in the hope of adding a little protein - not a huge change but baby steps!

Hi paper - welcome! Have you bought about getting some good quality protein powder to make shakes with almond/soya/coconut milk? I have one from time to time, throw in some banana, or berries, nut butter, chia seeds or matcha powder. Great after a tough session at the gym.

Thanks Sleep. Its hard not to feel a bit of a failure and I will try to have a more positive outlook. If I can remember to think about nourishment and health before I put something into my mouth, then I think I'll do well.
When I eat crap food, I usually eat it in a 'fog'. I don't know if anyone understands that but it feels like I'm not thinking and that I don't want to think about it!
I'm focussing on thinking first, then eating.

So far today, I've had some seeded toast with peanut butter, a banana and a Satsuma.
Thai pumpkin soup and a yoghurt for lunch.
Spaghetti bolognaise (with lots of veg added) for dinner