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.

Sounds like everyone is doing well.

Today: Usual breakfast
A white choc chip cookie from Greggs
1 piece of cheese on toast
Bowl of veg soup.

But have walked about 2 miles today already and done loads of house work, and tomorrow is my next fast day
Have got a fuller for longer meal for tonight (think it is Chicken & Almond Tangine)

Eating lunch which is couscous with olives and roasted squash. Have stirred some blobs of Philadelphia into it in an attempt to up the protein count ....

Sorry - that was for me and my culinary skills (or lack of them!)

Ah yes we are looking forward to pancakes tonight!

I am suffering for my lack of organisation today. Had some stuff to do in town so when I got back just had the rest of my noodle soup but didn't prepare anything for tonight or tomorrow. Must have a think especially as we have company for dinner (probably) tomorrow and I'm working during school hours. Just doing DCs' tea now, have attempted tortilla baskets.

I am also determined to prepare the DCs' after school snack in advance too. TBH they actually probably eat too much fruit (from a sugar perspective anyway) and I'd rather get veg and protein into them. DD is easy as she loves nuts and seeds, DS doesn't though. Apart from cheese cubes I'm stumped. He does love yoghurt but only the ridiculously sweet ones.

A bit ashamed of myself have binged on Pringles and biscuits today. Having a healthy dinner (M&S Fuller for Longer Chicken & Almond Tagine) and doing my second fast day tomorrow. Just find it so hard not to turn to food when I am stressed and wound up, ashamed when people have had much bigger things going on and manage not to binge. Another thing I have learnt though is that the earlier in the day I eat crap, the more likely I am to carry on eating rubbish through the day, although had healthy breakfast and lunch.

I've found that too octopus. TBH I was starting every day with a big sugar rush when I was having chocolatey cereal! It's so much easier without the resulting crash and cravings by 10am.

Octopus I can empathise with that! Its something I often do.
Have you been drinking enough water? I find I don't binge as much if I've had lots of water.

Today I've had porridge, crayfish and rocket sandwich, some crisps, a couple of choc digestives, lentils and rice and we'll be having blueberry pancakes.

I know my day isn't great. I wanted to write it down as it always makes it more obvious to me when I see it in writing!

Thanks for not judging me, tbh its cause I'm not very good at feeling stressed. Your day doesn't sound too bad, you have got some healthy stuff in there. Actually prob not quite enough to drink today, drink lots of black tea (hate milk and hate sugar in drinks), but could have drunk more water. Onwards and downwards

Yes, I did really well (if I say so myself :o) last week as I was off work anyway but the novelty wore off quite fast :o but of course now we are both working it is even more important to plan properly.

Octopus don't be down , we all have coping mechanisms for dealing with stress. You could be turning to drugs or alcohol or succumbing to depression. Can you try and think about what other things might make you feel better when you are getting stressed? Even if you can stop and use one of these once in a week of moments when you want to reach for chocolate then it's a start on changing your coping mechanism to a healthier one that doesn't come with guilt and self-flagellation afterwards . Ideas....phone a friend, take a bath, or a walk, do your nails, run, take ten minutes to meditate (there are some great apps to download and try)....but try, when you do end up opening the biscuits, to sit and eat them consciously, just get one or two, put them on a plate, sit and really enjoy them. Then go back and get one or two more and repeat...Chances are you will eat less than if you switched to autopilot and crammed half a packet down, and you will enjoy them properly, rather than barely tasting.

Bram it sounds like you are stuck in a bit of a vicious circle . I honestly can't emphasis how much the slow eating thing can help with digestive problems. I'd love to help you with further ideas of what might help but this has to be the first thing to try and master . If you aren't giving your system the best chance of digesting properly then what you actually eat is pretty much irrelevant.

Sunshine great day ...pancakes don't count on pancake day

Coumarin how are you today?

Fuzz, you are doing really well, all steps in the right direction - DC's diet is so hard to get right IMO, it's such a fine line to tread, getting them to be aware of eating well but not giving them any kind of complex or over controlling . It doesn't help that they are all different, some have a much sweeter tooth or ability to self regulate more than others.

Oh and Bram, the smoked mackerel pate sounds great! will that be lunch? It would make a good breakfast with toast? Otherwise, breakfast doesn't have to look like 'breakfast' ..I had avocado and chilli on toast morning, otherwise smoked salmon and cream cheese, tin of sardines (or sm pate) on wholegrain toast, or Greek yoghurt with berries and nuts, or jumbo porridge oats with nut butter or nuts and berries stirred in, perhaps some seeds (linseed, sunflower etc) on top.

Good afternoon snacks...sliced apple or celery with nut butter or thin slices of cheese, celery and carrots with houmous, Greek yoghurt as above, some beetroot and feta (also nice with a bit of pesto and olive oil if you have some), some blueberries, raw nuts and a piece of fresh fruit, a couple of squares of dark chocolate, some roast chicken or beef or cooked prawns, a small tin of tuna.

Any of those appeal?

Oh octopus, don't feel sad just keep going and try not to feel guilty/ashamed, it's only food not heroin, just start again tomorrow x

I didn't have a great day today, I'm not at home atm and staying with family so meals aren't really in my control.

2 eggs, yog and half a banana.

Small portion of baked beans (yuck yuck yuck they taste SO sweet now!) And some potato rosti that our Polish friend made, that was delicious as it had onion in too.

Tortellini with cheese sauce and big spinach and carrot salad-not disastrous I suppose, it just felt very rich and heavy.

And ONE digestive biscuit, yes just one,I amazed myself

Love your suggestions Sleep I've made notes for the next food shop.

I'm still not feeling right. May need more antibiotics. Today started off well with my favourite breakfast of porridge, raspberries, blueberries and seeds and then it sort of went awry. I missed lunch and grabbed a bowl of muesli instead. It was good quality muesli but not the pimped up tuna salad I had planned.

And then it was pancake time so... Had some berries as part of the toppings though.

I'm still drinking lots of water and having peppermint tea if I fancy a hot drink. Not missing black tea at all.

Tomorrow will be a better day food wise as not rushing around so much.

Dame That doesn't seem so bad at all. The potato rosti sounds lovely.

Octopus You're doing fine, you're aware of what you're eating and learning things about how you think about food etc. That's a huge step imo. My anxiety levels are really good at the moment but when I hit a bad bout it's incredibly hard to eat well. Guess what I'm saying is that you're reactions are totally normal and you shouldn't be so hard on yourself.

*' your' that should be. Stupid autocorrect.

I hope that doesn't cone across as patronising. I'm very tired so not at my best for wording things.

I've had about 5 hrs of sleep last night so I'm really tired. Being tired always plays havoc with my eating as firstly, I reach for what I think are quick energy providers ie sugar and secondly, I'm too tired to put any effort into making healthy food.
I often spend the day eating biscuits and cheese and toast.

Today is not going to be like that!

I'm going to have porridge for breakfast and soup with a sandwich for lunch. Dinner will be chickpea and cauliflower curry with rice. I've got fruit, yoghurt and sunflower seed ryvita for snacks if I need them.

I'm going for a walk with the buggy and I've got a lot of housework and shopping to get done so hopefully I'll be too busy to sit down munching biscuits. I'm aiming to get everything done in the morning so I can sit down and watch a film with a cup of tea in the afternoon before school run.

Thanks for advice ladies, will try those tactics, especially the plate one. You're right, its not heroine, only food and guilt isn't really worth it. Today I am on a fast day, so completely different. Hope everyone else has a good day.

Beech-that sounds like a good plan, especially aiming for a quiet afternoon so you can rest.

Octopus-onwards and upwards

Thanks for your suggestions Sleep. I have a couple of busy work days coming up, so I'm going to come back and read them when I have a bit more time.

Feeling a bit more positive about hospital experience today - having read notes again, they have diagnosed Gastritis, and I am to see my GP in 2 weeks to see if it's a bacterial infection which is causing it and then make a plan for best medication to treat it. So I guess when they said "we haven't really found anything" they meant anything sinister. Have also been reading about possible supplements which are good for healing the stomach lining - read that Vitamin A and Zinc could be good (plus also maybe glucosamine).

How bizarre,I was talking to a friend yesterday who had gastritis. Hope you find something that helps. Are you taking acidopholous tablets/powder?

Food today has been-

2 eggs and toast

3 digestive biscuits. Oops
Lemon chicken and rice and spinach