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Help me feel more energised!

12 replies

GinGinGin · 06/10/2014 11:41

Desperately needing the power of MN here! My daughter is 2 and an early riser (always has been) and 4-4.30 is her usual wake-up (although she has let me sleep until 5 the last 2 mornings!). I'm a SAHM, but am setting up my own business so will be getting more busy. I need some ideas of what to eat to stay energised & also to potentially lose a few pounds - I'm 5'8" and weigh 70-71kg.

I generally have 2 cups of coffee (each with 1tsp of sugar in) before breakfast at 7. For breakfast I'll have porridge or Wheetabix or cornflakes. Lunch tends to be whatever is around - my daughter naps around 11/12 & naps on me so she's hungry when she wakes up & I have to get her lunch together quick so often don't get a chance to actually have a proper lunch myself. Evening meals usually pretty healthy (everything cooked from scratch). Snack are fruit/crackers or any sweets/biscuits I have in the house (usually don't have any apart from weekends).

I'm sick of feeling dizzy/hungry all the time or of eating just to keep my energy up so really could do with some ideas of what to eat! Sorry for the long post Smile

OP posts:
RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 06/10/2014 18:24

This is very timely for me too, so I hope you don't mind me jumping in.

Ideas I have had so far are: nuts/seeds/dried fruit with yoghurt and fresh fruit for breakfast
Making sure I get some protein at lunch
Soup would be a good lunch too.

GinGinGin · 06/10/2014 21:14

The more the merrier! I was having fruit, yoghurt & homemade granola for breakfast, but it's just too cold in the mornings for it now!

OP posts:
dairymoo · 06/10/2014 22:05

Porridge for breakfast, or overnight oats if you remember the night before. (1/2 cup of oats soaked in milk or Apple juice overnight. In the morning add fruit, nuts, seeds, yoghurt, whatever you fancy) I eat fruit & yoghurt in the summer/spring but revert to porridge in the colder climes!

Second veggie soup for lunch. Make a batch at the weekend or in the morning and then reheat when she wakes. A piece of wholemeal toast with cottage cheese or mashed avocado will provide protein and heathy fats, and keep you fuller for longer.

Keep supper the same if it's healthy. Snack on apples, small handful of almonds, oatcake topped with 1 tsp of peanut or almond butter when you're hungry during the day. And don't forget to drink lots of water!

dairymoo · 06/10/2014 22:08

Sorry, meant to say...I think the key is eating enough protein and drinking lots of water. Can you add nut butter to your porridge? Lean shredded chicken to your lunchtime soup, etc.

haveanotherdoughnut · 06/10/2014 22:27

How much protein are you eating?

The Food Doctor books are a good read. The author recommends you eat protein and complex carbohydrates every time you eat. A snack would be carrot sticks and a few nuts. It does work. I didn't need to lose weight but did. I haven't followed his 'teachings' for a while but probably should!

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 07/10/2014 17:12

I need help re protein, please. I take a packed lunch but can't refrigerate it and my room is warm. I tend to just take oatcakes, fruit and a Nakd bar but it's clearly not enough and I've been feeling very faint at times. I don't eat meat and don't like fish.

Any ideas for easy ways to get protein during the day? The only thing I occasionally take now is a (warm!) cheese sandwich.

GinGinGin · 08/10/2014 05:11

Thanks ladies. I'll look out for that Food Doctor book. I do think protein may well be something I'm lacking in so will do something about that!

OP posts:
HuevosRancheros · 08/10/2014 10:45

Remus do you like Mexican?
I find tortilla wraps work well - tofu, quorn, beans etc with whatever veg you like and sauce. Easy to vary from day to day too. Doesn't matter that they're not served hot, but don't need to be fridged either.

I like the Taifun basil tofu - sounds a bit Hmm I know, but someone on here raved about it so I gave it a go, glad I did!
Also Dragonfly's marinaded tofu is good. Either could be used in a sandwich, they are firm enough and have flavour. I get them both from Ocado.

Quinoa is quite high protein, you could make a salad with that?

Fritata?

Protein snack wise, I don't really like plain nuts and seeds. But I do love 'Wonderful' salted almonds and Clearspring's tamari pumpkin seeds - again, Ocado. Not as healthy as plain, but not too bad, and really tasty and filling.

RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie · 08/10/2014 16:48

Thanks, HR. I love Mexican but am not v good with cold sarnies, wraps etc, especially if there's a chance of sogginess or things being all mixed up inside (I sound like a freak, sorry).

Fritata a great idea.

spilttheteaagain · 08/10/2014 20:40

I swear by eggs for breakfast, hot, protein packed, healthy and quick. My favourite is a mixed veg omelette, but I also went through a long scrambled eggs phase which takes about 30 seconds to cook - add a pinch of chilli flakes, some chopped spring onion and cheese (optional) to scrambled eggs, it's gorgeous.

I feel your pain OP. I have a 3 yr old who has woken 2-6 times a night every night for 3 yrs and it is gruelling now. SAHM here too. I find I have to refuel every couple of hours with mini meals almost to keep it together. But am also still bfing her and borderline underweight myself.

I try to think of snacks as being mini meals as it helps me make them more nourishing and I feel better when I eat better.
For eg I might have peanut butter & banana on toast/sandwich, or 1/4 can baked beans on piece toast or fried egg on piece toast, or apple with almonds and raisins, or dark chocolate with pecans and dates, or a bean dip with cucumber/ breadsticks/pepper strips etc, or porridge with chopped nuts and raisins and molasses on top.
I don't eat dairy any more, but cheese and oatcakes/crackers with cherry toms/cucumber/apple/grapes was another I used to have a lot.

Another one I like it to heat a frying pan and chuck in pumpkin & sunflower seeds and a splash of soy sauce. Toss them together over a low heat for a min or two until the sauce has reduced right off and the seeds are coated and sticky. Eat.

Hot food definitely helps perk me up, I love a soup lunch. I would definitely suggest packing it with lentils or beans for protein though (or meat if you are a meat eater). You could make a batch and then it's just a quick reheat at the time.
Eggs/beans/cheese on toast are also good quick lunches that give you a decent protein boost too.
Last nights leftovers are also great for decent lunches that only take a couple of mins to zap in the microwave. Curry/chilli esp good for this. Leftover risotto is gorgeous cold as a kind of rice salad. ACtually I have to confess to being v partial to a cold risotto sandwich

Remus could you take a flask of soup for your lunch? Or take the beany wrap filling in a tub and assemble at lunchtime? Hard boiled eggs? Egg sarnies? Peanut butter sarnie? Tub of nuts/dried fruit/dark chocolate chunks? A lentil salad? I got a lovely puy lentil & roasted veg salad from a Gordon Ramsey program a few years ago, it was basically a case of roast diced red pepper & courgettes until done, meanwhile boil up your puy lentils in veg stock and then drain and mix with generous olive oil, lemon juice, s&P, some chopped sundried tomatoes and plenty of chopped chives/basil and mix in the roasted veg. It keeps well and I've taken it as a sharing dish lots of times and it's always been popular.

IsabellaRockerfeller · 08/10/2014 20:50

I've recently given up sugar and it's made a huge difference to my energy levels.

Luxaroma · 08/10/2014 21:40

Get your VitD levels checked or take a supplement in oil.

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