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.

Completed my fast day yesterday, although it was a struggle. Had my usual breakfast and have just eaten a piece of chocolate brownie, but trying not to dwell on it. Will try and eat a sensible lunch and dinner.

I have given up alcohol for Lent. Doing quite well so far but before lent I had got into the habit of drinking every night plus I felt really grumpy in the mornings and was sleeping badly. Feel much more normal with no booze and am a bit worried that perhaps I ought to stop altogether. I also need to lose half a stone...trying to eat much more healthily. Today I have had an egg mayonnaise wholemeal roll, it was so good that I want another one but am holding off until lunchtime. Stir fried veggies and chicken (heated up in micro as am at work). Not sure about supper.

I get so grumpy if I don't eat frequently, I would be a right b*tch on a fast diet. I see how it works for some though. Had half a small bag of sweets of dds this morning so need to be saintly for rest of the day.

I lost about 8lbs on the fast diet in 2 months but put it all on again over xmas and now find it impossible to start again!

8 pounds is my target loss, your right I am grumpy when I'm fasting, but then I'm grumpy when I'm ordinarily dieting as well so for me its a case of being grumpy for 2 or 7 days. Also, do end up having the odd (maybe about 2 days a week) bad days, today being one of them when I just want carbs. I want to focus on eating well the rest of the time, but I am also on a money diet cause some of my work may be under threat and unfortunately processed food is cheaper, so I think its a case of me doing the best I can.

Had 2 eggs for breakfast and half a banana.

Fancied pasta again today ( wtf is up with me?! ) so I just decided to be sensible and had half a packet of tortellini, I would have had the whole packet before I made a cheese sauce and put half what I would have normally put on it, so a couple of table spoons. I made a huge spinach salad and sat down to the table properly and savoured every mouthful SLOWLY

I bought some salmon so will combine that with eggs tomorrow to see if that hits the pasta/bread cravings on the head.

My mum said she had noticed I had lost a lot of weight (yay me!!!! ) and it was very noticeable. I could have kissed her, I would have had I not been driving at the time! Got a lot more to lose but this is obviously working so will stick at it.

Octopus - when you fast do you eat nothing at all? I think I would faint or if I hadn't killed the family by then just eaten double the next day.

Do you have an Aldi near you where you could do your shopping? So much cheaper, 6 free range eggs are a quid and smoked salmon is £2.99. Hat to think what it is in Tesco!

Holy crap - there is an advert on the r/h side of this page for a pizza with CHEESEBURGERS in the crust !!

Thank God I don't see the ads

Sounds revolting actually!

I eat 500 cals a day when I am fasting, two pots of soup, obviously check the calorie count. Today have eaten too much rubbish, tbh in wrong mood, work worries, worried about a friend who is going through a bad time, period brewing, doesn't excuse it I know (I did the same last week so you must be sick of hearing it), but I will fast again tomorrow and aim to be more sensible for the rest of the week. Unfortunately no Aldi near me and don't like eggs, will just do my best, although today hasn't been great.

Octopus do you like veg? Just wondering as with a well thought out menu you could manage 3 meals per day on a fast day which might be easier? For example my dinner tonight will be 174 calories: beetroot, rocket, cucumber, pine nuts and ricotta. The chorizo stew recipe I posted up thread is 264 calories and if eaten with salad or another veg could be split into 2 meals.just a thought, tell me to butt out if you want! You seem to be doing really well since you're first thread.

Oh yes I forgot you don't like eggs octopus.

I had a chicken breast with Italian herbs and a huge spinach, carrot, apple and tomato salad.

Bought some cocoa nibs in Holland & Barratt today. Had high hopes but dear lord they are SO bitter. I just cannot think of any way to make these palatable. Just vile. If any of you healthier eaters do these, what on earth do you do/have with them?

I don't know what cocoa nibs are -ill look in H and B tomorrow.

Im having a better day today :) I had a huge breakfast - 2 boiled eggs, small piece of smoked salmon and a sugarless spices muffin as posted above with a spoon of yoghurt and grapes.

lunch was tinned tuna, green beans, new potatoes and black olives - tiny portion.

Dinner will be roast pork, potatoes tons of veg.

Not sure about the sugarless muffin - I think I'm going to experiment and use wholemeal flour instead of the almonds to make it less dense. Going to experiment over the weekend and I'll report back with any good recipes.

Hey all, just catching up on the thread.

Hey you

Hi dame. Just looking at your food for the day, all sounds lovely, wondering if you also have snacks?

No, no snacks at all if I can help it as once I start it's too easy to keep on snacking I try and keep it to eating 3x day.

I need to up my water intake,I find it easy in the summer but not when it's chilly. I'm starting with a glass of water with every meal.

Dame you are an eating better heroine! So glad you didn't freak with the pasta cravings, just went with it and enjoyed it . That's great to hear your mum complimenting you too .

I have been lazy this week, DH is away working and I have loads of studying to do so have been having a speedy second breakfast/lunch style meal in the evening, not too bad but definitely not getting near the amount of veg I'd usually have by cooking a proper meal. Good for my sleep on the other hand, its lovely having the bed to myself for a few nights !

You will find lots of people arguing extremely strongly about snacks when it comes to weight loss, sometimes inexplicably vehemently ! I think that as with everything, we all need to find the right way for our own body. If you are trying to lose weight and know that once you snack you will find it hard to stop, and you can wait and eat a good, not excessive meal, then don't snack. If however you attempt to quell hunger to the point that you often crack and reach for a packet of biscuits, or know that when it comes to your next meal you are so ravenous that you practically inhale it and eat more than you really need (probably because your body doesn't get a chance to say 'full', its stuck on 'starving') then its better to grab something nutritious to sustain you through to next mealtime .

Dame I think the same about the kale...weird reaction! Does that always happen? If so maybe listen to your body's wisdom, kale undoubtedly has some incredible properties but if it doesn't work for you it doesn't work for you!

Nikki - cocoa nibs - hardcore ! I know some people mix them into homemade trail mix...or they may be good for cooking with, recipes like healthy chocolate brownies?

Sunshine - skipping lunch...then being starving and eating egg mayo and crisps on the move? Any connection d'you think ? Oh - re celebration time? Relax and just eat the cupcake...sat down and slowly!

Dame, I avoid certain things as I know I won't stop, like cheese. Love it, so don't buy the nice stuff!

I want to aim for 3 meals a day plus maybe one snack in the afternoon.

Also drinking more water. I need to up my water intake too. Sounds like a good idea to have a drink before a meal.

Ha ha thanks sleep

It wasn't me btw that had the reaction to kale,I love the stuff!

Wrt nibs,I thought maybe with nuts or in muffins. I'll try and get some tomorrow and try it out at the weekend.

Rumm-3x a day is a massive change for me, my eating habits were really fucked up. I'd never feel full, constantly graze plus huge meals. Just awful