To ask you to tell me how you changed you unhealthy ways? Need inspiration!

[450fromPaddington]

Im a working mother of 3 under-threes. I work 3 full days and have the children on the other days. My lifestyle is sedentary aside from pottering about with housework/looking after the kids.

My diet isn't ideal. Should probably consume less strawberry laces, biscuits, cheddar cheese, wine etc. I eat from a narrow range of easy options during the day (think cheese on toast) although I do make a home-cooked family dinner.

It's weighing on my conscience that I need to set a good example to the children now. I don't have the excuse of having a newborn anymore to excuse my lazy ways!

I have started going to the gym once or twice a week at 630 to do 20 mins on running machine and cross trainer to try to improve my flagging energy levels.

I need inspiration and motivation to make other changes though. Once the kids are in bed I just watch TV and chill out all evening. I can't find a thread on getting healthier generally as they all seem to be about weight loss and I'm quite thin as it is (Crohns disease).

Would love to hear your inspirational stories or any advice/comments.

Mine are only that mental because the expedition is 50 miles over 4 days (not the five I originally thought!) so I need to get to a point where I can walk that much! Luckily I also only work 28 hours a week, so it gives me a chance to walk after work on Monday-Wednesday's when I finish by 1pm! I think that some of the Monday and Wednesday walks will be walking home from work as it's a 6 mile walk :)

That's great, I'd love to be fit enough for such an expedition, good luck with your training regime!

Make porridge when you get up in the morning and eat yours. The rest will be cool enough for the children when they get up. As you cook a proper meal in the evening give (and eat) soup and a finger food lunch. Hard boiled egg, whole meal toast soldiers, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, homemade pizza slices, cheese/carrot sticks, fingers of cheese on toast using whole meal bread, pitta bread/ bread sticks, humus, followed by fruit and yogurt. These will all make good packed lunches once they go to school. They also make good snacks.

also sweet potato is lower GI then normal bog standard potato.

Being honest, I'd love to have the oomph to go to the gym, I get bored at the gym I would love to learn how to do weights effectively at the gym, and one of those exercise balls that are always there!

christmas- That's a really good idea re eating porridge with the kids. They love it and it's sheer laziness/bad habit that I'm having a biscuit and tea for breakfast. I also like the finger food suggestions. Did your kids eat those things? My 2 year old always liked pitta and humous but recently won't eat the houmous - just wants plain pitta! Difficult to know whether to push her to eat it or let her do her own thing.

yousmell- I do use sweet potato for the babies sometimes so maybe I need to develop a taste for it myself!

confused - to be honest I have quite liked going to the gym because it's time on my own without small people calling for me

450 have you tried the GAPS diet? I was told about it as it might help my very skinny autistic son. it aims to repair your body through the food you eat. It is meant to be good for a lot of different things. You said you were quite slim so this diet change could help as it involves some fat to repair your body. I don't follow it religiously but we have noticed ds has put some weight on.

The GAPS book is very interesting, the children I look after are on it and the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. They've only just started having rice again and the changes all three of them have gone through is fascinating. I want to do it but it would require eating meat really.

Debs45 - I've never heard of that so I will read about it, thanks for highlighting it for me, My BMI sits at around 18 although was a little bit lower than that earlier this year (17.5). So I'm definitely interested in a healthy diet which doesn't have weight loss as its aim.

Pixie - Hope your exercise plan is on track!

There was a liver specialist on BBC breakfast this morning who says we should all have 2 or 3 consecutive days with zero alcohol to allow our livers to regenerate. I tend to drink small amounts often rather than a "binge drinking" pattern so I have to remember to have 3 CONSECUTIVE days without a glass of wine!

Happy New Year!!!!

The GAPS diet looks like it would be a major change for me and I don't know if I could manage such a drastic change because life is so so busy. But I'll keep reading it to find out more. Thanks for the link :)

I have posted in chat in a shameless recruitment drive! Need lots of motivation

Thanks 450, it's not I missed yesterday, it was 7pm before I realised I was supposed to go for a walk! But I did go on a nice casual walk with my Dsis, BIL and DP for 50 minutes on Sunday :)

Oops! Not to worry, you'll get back on track!

OP we don't do the full diet as it is a huge change and would cause a ot of distress for ds but we do limit his sugar and we try and give him more meat products which are fattier. Tis hard for me and dp as we are dieting and we tend to drain off every ounce of fat.

Thanks Debs75. I think I'll read more about that diet for the nutritional information rather than following it necessarily, a bit like you. I think I need to reduce saturated fats as I live on cheddar cheese. But I need to increase healthy fats like those on avocado etc. Don't know a massive amount about it yet though.

I've got loads of improvements to make myself but meal planning really helps.

We have instigated a veggie Thursday and a fishy Friday for a start.

Agree with always having home made soup available. Only salad or soup for lunch for adults on weekdays.

Oat cakes are good slow release foods too.

Hi curves - at your name!

Funny you should mention oatcakes - I am currently trying to replace my mini-cheddars snack habit with oatcakes when I'm in work. They're definitley more satisfying for longer.

Fishy Friday sounds good - I think calling it that would appeal to the kids and if it was on the same weekday it would help me to remember fish was due. I cook fish when I remember but more often than not forget to. I made what I thought was a really tasty veg curry one night. My husband ended up having fishfinger sandwiches later as a "snack" because he found the veggie meal not satisfying enough. I wish I could convince him to eat a veggie meal once a week.

confused or curves - could you recommend a veggie meal to appeal to a meat-eater?

Something with mushroom. Mushroom has a meaty texture according to DP. Surprisingly DP has suggested nut roast as his most appealing meal. Apologies for the own blog link, it's the only thing I've posted on it though! This is the one DP makes:
t-rexlearnshowtoeatplants.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/carrot-cashew-nut-roast.html
It's really good with roasted root veg and sweet veg like squash.

A good recipe book is Hugh's Veg book, my boss (a meat eater trying to cut down on meat consumption) swears by it and cooks from it 3+ times a week. DP and I use it once a fortnight or so.

Thanks for the tips!

I followed some advice re eating a bit less bread as I ate cottage pie for lunch today - it was delicious and it certainly kept me going for a lot longer than a sandwich would. I have bought some bergen bread too. Haven't tasted it yet. . .

Sorry only to reply now ...have just seen your question

Would suggest replacing meat with strong flavours ...does the meat-eater in question like curries for example? Loads of good Indian dahl and curry recipes available on line that can be v. healthy and satisfying.. containing pulses, vegetables and spices such as turmeric for example (which has recently been found to contain curcumin and special compounds that help support the immune system, liver function, and joint maintenance etc). Chillies also have excellent health benefits.

I know these choices aren't ideal when cooking for under-3s though, although it is possible to make up the various vegetable recipes in a mild form and only add the stronger spices to the adult portions.

Pulses are good too ... how about black bean tacos with corn salsa or falafel with pitta breads?

Good luck!

I definitely feel better for limiting bread, butBergen bread is gorgeous - particularly for egg mayo / tuna mayo.

I saw a dietician due to being exceedingly chrohns skinny (at the time BMI was a touch under 17 - currently dead on 20), and her top tip was to add 'good' fat to everything. I addcream/cheese/butter wherever I can to my portion only (DH has high BP, is always trying to lose weight and needs to be as healthy as I can get him as he has cancer). It's a faff, no two ways about it.

DH is also unconvinced about meals without meat/fish, but will happily eat jacket potato with cheese and beans occasionally. I find replacing meat with pulses is less likely to find him rooting in the fridge 2 hours later!

superfluous - Yes, he does like curries. The one I made only contained veg. Maybe if I add pulses as you suggest he'll find it more satisfying. Your other two suggestions would certainly appeal to me, hard to tell re DH - worth a try though Thanks!

sparky - I think that's one of the reasons I eat so much cheddar cheese, because I know it has enough calories and also calcium which is good. But I'm a bit worried about all the cholesterol. I should try to eat healthier cheese I think.
Potato with beans and cheese sounds like a good idea. Even DH would like that!

How are you getting on confusedpixie? Good luck for Sunday

Just remembered 450 if it's any help, my dh is a confirmed meat-eater and yet he says he could leave on the cous-cous dish I do regularly.

It's basically cous-cous, to which you can add pine nuts and coriander if you want with a root vegetable accompaniment with chick peas... it's based on a Nigella recipe .. but you can vary it how you want .. adding turnips/butter nut squash .. whatever is in season

It's featured in this blog here

Good luck!

(We do have it with chicken sometimes though I must confess!!)

superfluous - I do have couscous in the cupboard but have yet to try cooking it! I just read the recipe on that link, it looks pretty substantial, thanks. I might try that this week. I've just never got round to experimenting with couscous. I'm not even sure what grain it's made from?

Ive been making more effort since I posted this thread. Eating fruit, and varying lunches etc. I ate rather a lot of liquorice Haribo selection yesterday but I'm thinking if I get out of the habit of eating sweets most days then maybe one or two days will be OK?

I went to the gym yesterday too. The midweek gym visit is less relaxing as I need to be back in the house BEFORE DH leaves for work. ( I'm going on a day I dont work). This requires motivation and will power these dark mornings