Come forward EatBetterers and unite - it's the second happy healthy eating thread!

[fuzzpig]

Here's the previous thread where it all began!

EatBetterers are trying to improve the diets of ourselves and our families. No weighing, restricting, calorie counting etc - just finding joy in nourishing ourselves by making positive changes one step at a time. All welcome! :)

Mmm, yummy salad ideas on your blog.

As I don't eat meat people often assume I like veggie burgers on the BBQ, but they generally don't taste very nice. (The worst ones are those with mushed up veg and peas in them like someone has just used their left over sunday lunch and made it into a burger shape...bleuh.) So I usually just stick to the salad anyway!
Or if I am fortunate enough to get a non-meaty spot on the BBQ, I do haloumi stuffed peppers (the long green peppers you get in Turkish supermarkets) marinaded with olive oil, fresh mint and fresh parsley - I love the melted haloumi and charred peppers. Mmmm.

Mind you, my DCs and DH do love meat burgers! I always buy good quality burgers (I can't bring myself to make the burgers from scratch - I am not good with mince), and make it for them with potato wedges in the oven, home-made coleslaw and salad. For myself, instead of the burger I do baked field mushrooms maybe with some nice cheese melted on top at the end, and since I've started doing 'better eating' I don't have the burger bun, but more salad instead.

I made spag bol tonight, first time I've made it since xmas I think,a long, long time any way. I was going to have something else instead but I had a very small portion possibly a quarter of what I used to eat and one piece of garlic bread. I really enjoyed it but am still full from it and that was hours ago. Just shows how quickly you can go from eating huge meals to much smaller ones. I didn't feel deprived,I had more than enough.

Hello everyone. Absolutely love this thread and have been lurking for a while. Now's my turn to join it.

Over the past few years I've gone from size 20/BMI 36/210lbs to size 8/BMI 19/116lbs doing first MFP then 5:2. But I now want to put on a bit of weight. To do that I've been eating a lot of crap plus GP-prescribed build up drinks (Ensure) as my appetite has shrunk alongside my weight and it's a struggle to eat enough.

I've always eaten healthily - loads of veggies, whole foods, home cooked meals but recent efforts to gain weight by "eating dirty" are just too crazy for me to persist with.

I'm now trying to cut down drastically on sugar and white carbs (I'll be more relaxed during the weekend though) and am eating more raw nuts, avocados, full fat everything (though I've always been a full fat eater even when losing weight - no diet yoghurts for me!). Also trying to eat much more leafy green veg each day and an contemplating buying a Nutribullet (inspired by this thread).

So here I am :)

Yesterday I had an Ensure shake for breakfast (will cut back on these now), green veg soup for lunch with bagel/full fat cream cheese then peach, Spanish omelette with chickpea and springs stew plus guacamole and cherries. Snacks (which, when losing weight, I never did) were a big fistful of raw almonds and macadamia nuts and two organic Medjool dates. Plus milky coffee and Japanese green tea.

*spring greens stew, not springs stew

Wow, that is quite some weightloss! In spite of my new eat better principles, I feel rather envious! But I am ni longer willing to muck about with my diet for a quick fix,as I done begbefore. Anyway, well done you, and welcome. So lots of butter, cream and wholegrain to put weight on? Sleep will know - she is our resident knowledgeable person!

Welcome Bssh, I think we've chatted before on weight training threads, are you still training hard? Wrt weight gain, yes full fat everything - don't hold back on the butter and cream but I'd put more emphasis on the nuts, avocados, salmon, mackerel, seeds and cold pressed oils to dress salads, veg etc. It would also be a good idea, if you can face it in this weather, to have some lentil based soup made up to have as a snack or starter before meals. The Nutribullet could also be your friend, rather than an Ensure shake (15g of sugar ), get some good quality protein powder (optimum nutrition gold standard v good and palatable), make up with milk of your choice, a banana and a tablespoon of almond butter. Great if you could squeeze one of these in between meals.

Bleurgh. My worst bbq fears were realised. A burger or a sausage in a flabby white roll. That was it. No salads or accompaniments at all. A few strawberries as a token dessert. I was starving and had a burger, a sausage, about 5 strawberries and a glass of white wine. Never mind. Green smoothie and a slice of wholegrain toast with almond butter this morning.

Feeling a bit lethargic and foggy-headed this morning. Surely that can't be down to one crappy meal...? Thinking of ditching my usual half hour run and going for a really long brisk walk on the Ridgeway instead - a few hours even.

I meant to ask - how do we feel about tinned food? I use quite a lot of tinned tomatoes, tuna and sweetcorn but that's about it.

about your bbq holmes - what a wasted opportunity for nice food! Sounds like a walk is in order today - enjoy! I have something more adventurous planned I must be mad, I am off to learn trapeze skills . I walked past yesterday (in the park) and that platform is high!

I use tinned food - tomatoes, tuna, lentils, chickpeas, beans etc. Tinned salmon is actually really good because you get the tiny bones too .

Trapeze skills? Eek! I am not good with heights. I did Go Ape a couple of years ago and thought I was going to die of fright!
I feel much better for my walk. I reckon I did about 8 miles, and at quite a decent pace.

Welcome newbies :o

Holmes I remember reading in more than one place that tinned tomatoes are actually really good - something about the canning process releasing more of the licopenes? I use them loads.

Jolly good! Had meatballs with tomato sauce for dinner. Am finding my appetite is reducing a bit, like it did when I was low carbing. I guess good food fills you up better!

I think it really does Holmes, especially when you relax (generally but also about what it is you are eating, good/bad etc) and take the time to enjoy it

Not doing weights at the moment sleep but will do in due course.

Breakfast today was big bowl of Dorset spelt muesli (2 servings? I'm trying to maintain/gain weight), coffee and an apple. Lunch was with another person who wanted McDonalds so I chose a veggie wrap with fries and diet coke ; once upon a time my choice would have been a Big Mac so that's an improvement. Dinner was 230g tub of full fat hummus (615 cals of yummy goodness!) with orange and yellow peppers and sugarsnap peas as dippers, followed by a peach and Medjool dates.

I really should have eaten more today but was stuffed. Wished I'd added in a few portions of leafy green veg.

Bssh, why do you feel you need to gain weight? Ignore the question if it's too nosy... I love hummus. Have you tried making it with roasted butternut squash? Yum.

I made chicken thighs in adobo sauce with broccoli rice tonight. First time eating broccoli rice - have done cauli rice lots and it's the same principle, blitz and steam, add flavourings. The broccoli isn't tasty in itself but I added coconut oil to it and the sauce was delicious - lovely dinner.

Will draw a line under the huge quantity of choc I have also consumed. Dark and good quality though..

Cant I'd like to put on a few lbs a) for vanity reasons - I'm BMI 19 and looked better, imo, with a bit more meat on my bones b) I lose weight easily so need a buffer zone - if I were a bit heavier it would give me more leeway.

Are you exercising at all Bshh? And what is going on with your appetite? Are you enjoying the food you are eating?

Temporary physical ailment means walking only atm sleep. I'm loving my food :) I guess in my head I'm still BMI 36 and am comparing current appetite with that. My stomach can no longer eat what I used to feed it as a bigger woman. Nothing for me to worry about; I just would like to add a few more lbs on.

Walking is good. Just looking at what you ate today, what do you think about adding some fresh coconut and ground flaxseed in with the muesli? Delicious, great for you and will boost the calories. Maybe a hard boiled egg afterwards or mid morning? Ia handful of raw nuts in the afternoon? I don't really have a suggestion to improve the mcdonalds . Maybe next time have some roast chicken or tuna with the houmous and crudités? Do those additions sound manageable? How long have you been at your current weight? I'd still try and eat slowly, listen to your body, it must be quite an adjustment to make - both mentally and physically, going from your original weight, dieting down and now having the opposite task - relaxation and acceptance could well be the key, same as weight loss often can be.

relaxation and acceptance could well be the key

I think you're right; my DH says the same. I'm still getting used to my "new" body so it's an attitude adjustment. I'm going to continue enjoying my food and stop being overly concerned about getting "too skinny".

Night all. Tomorrow we can look forward to another good(-ish) eating day :)

It can certainly take a while to adjust to a new body Bssh . Maybe stop weighing yourself, forget about calories and approach your appetite with curiosity, see what you want to eat and go with it, obviously with your knowledge of what foods are better for you (ignore my thing about protein shakes, it doesn't sound necessary). If that feels a bit too free form for comfort consider it a two-three week experiment and see how you go?

I like that idea of approaching diet/appetite with curiosity, Sleep. It takes the anxiety out of it.

Cantdothisagain - I have some lovely dark chocolate in my fridge too. Although I don't find it utterly addictive like milk chocolate, I am still a bit too drawn to it if I have it in the house!

Interesting what you are saying about relaxing, Sleep. Do you think that anxiety/stress contribute to weight problems in themselves? I wwouldn't say that I eat more when I am stressed, but being anxious about my weight and food choices was causing a kind of background level of stress in my life, I think.

Absolutely Holmes, it's at the heart of pretty much all the work I do, starting with the basic way you view food and eat it - if you are focused on the should/shouldn't, whether something will make you fat, then there's a fear element, which creates a mild stress response - your body isn't clever enough to distinguish between the threat of food or the threat of being hunted . In that state, digestion and metabolism isn't a priority for the body. A similar state is triggered when we eat too quickly, which is why slowing down and relaxing is important. When we are relaxed, paying attention to food and eating then digestion and metabolism is optimised. Then I'd start looking at other sources of stress in people's lives, which could be past or present. If you are interested in reading more in this vein, get hold of The Slow Down Diet, or Nourishing Wisdom by Marc David.

Bssh are you finding being slim a bit of a head f*? I think there's a big, generally unspoken aspect to substantial weight loss, almost a stage at the end that gets forgotten. When after the whole excitement about dropping lbs has died down and all your friends have made as many comments as appropriate, you are still a little high on it but everyone else is acting like its normal for you to be slim. (And maybe you notice how some people treat you differently because of it ) You kind of have to adjust to life without so much focus on food, to the realisation that you feel different but so much of life is exactly the same? I think this is when people can sometimes get discouraged and regain the weight they lost, because the imaginary perfect life when slim hasn't materialised...not to say that you imagined that, but many people do.

Ah I'm a prime candidate for all that stuff then, Sleep. Firstly I have always eaten super fast. I am trying to slow down but it is a long-ingrained habit. Second, I had pretty serious anxiety after dc2 (traumatic circumstances surrounding the birth, plus I had very very high bp which resulted in health anxiety and panic attacks). I am pretty much fine now. Never sought medical help or diagnosis but got myself better through time, exercise and some mindfulness.And lost 2.5 st in the process.

I am a terrible gobbler. I eat awfully fast. I think I am always in a hurry - I do everything too fast.

Bssh, mashed avo with lime or lemon juice on wholegrain or sourdough would be good calorie adding... Or homemade mayo. And plenty of mackerel - or other oily fish.

Can I join please? I'm having to broaden my food horizons as have a 9mo DS (excellent eater, thankfully) and have this last week decided to go wheat free for a while as I have a theory I may have an intolerance. We have a pretty healthy diet usually but removing wheat is proving a challenge, particularly when I'm short of time and need a quick fail safe.

Can't and Holmes, I have the opposite problem. I eat terribly slowly otherwise I get terrible bloating and cramps. I only get a 15 minute at work in which to eat, resulting in losing half a stone in six weeks. I've managed to curb the weight loss but unfortunately that's mostly down to chocolate!

So my challenge is to eat good, nutritious food while maintaining weight - much like you bsshh (sorry if wrong name, on mobile so can't check back) - and give my DP and DS a varied diet.