Week 8 of 52 Small Changes

[OddSocksHighHeels]

All welcome to join at any time!

This week the challenge is to eat 4-6 servings of veg each day. A serving is half a cup of non-leafy veg or a cup of leafy veg.

Start off by including those that you like but try a new vegetable each week. Plan your meals out so that you can aim to include enough veg and remember that frozen and canned count too.

Ideas are to add veg to things like omelettes for breakfast or swap your breakfast chips (do people eat chips for breakfast?) for sliced tomatoes.

For lunch and dinner then try having a salad before your main meal, eat vegetables as a side dish, fill wraps and sandwiches with extra veg and pack extra into soups, stews and sauces.

For snacks then try chopped veg sticks with dips.

Try to eat different colours of vegetables to get the various benefits provided from them.

Previous weeks challenges to continue with are drinking more water, getting enough sleep, keeping active each day, logging your food intake, trying to be more positive and taking a multivitamin.

Last weeks thread here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/2565604-Week-7-of-52-small-changes?pg=1&order=

Oh, Sirona that is tough! Dp swears by writing a journal. I'm a bit crappy at it, but trying to maintain a gratitude diary/happy book full of positive things. It sounds as if you are doing amazingly, considering.

What kind of stuff do you write in your journals? I feel silly writing stuff even when it's just me reading it, I accept I'm a bit strange though! I think I tend to use MN like a journal though.

I feel silly too OddSocks as I tend to just waffle in mine. I usually go back and read it, feel embarrassed then rip it up and chuck it.

Today has gone well so far vegetable wise. Lunch was a warm salad with courgette, peas, red pepper, butter beans and chorizo drizzled with a sherry vinegar dressing. Tonight we are having salad with lasagne.

Yeah I've not done too bad, had peas and carrots with lunch, some carrot sticks to snack on and I'm doing a roast chicken dinner with a few bits of veg with it. I doubt it comes to four portions but it's better than I usually do.

I'm really sorry to bang on but ...

The fact that you are all thinking about what your're eating and at least trying to be healthy and sensible is ENOUGH!

It really is. And enjoying what you eat is important too.

I can remember reading something when my kids were little that I shouldn't worry about what they were eating daily but monthly consumption was more important.

I think if you analyse 'diets' that applies to adults too.

Bewitched absolutely! I think we all need to look at the bigger picture, it's not about being perfect, but being better. Lifestyle rather than diet; how you eat, sleep, move, behave over the long-term rather than each meal.

I'm no expert at journals, but I tend to write something like "I had a lovely day doing/being with... " trying to capture a happy memory. It's not literature, but rather something to remind me of the good things in life .

I stayed up with dp, after having family round, so had not great sleep, but I will go to bed early. I am still averaging about 7 1/2 hrs, so my sleep is definitely improving.

Agree Bewitched. Even though dd can be a fussy mare and refuses meals quite a lot, I always look at the bigger picture and know if I looked at the week/month her diet is fine. I never thought to apply it to my own

Sleep wise I'm in bad habits again and it's about 1am and after before I'm sleeping most nights. Of course today was my one day for a lie-in and I forgot to turn of my usual alarm and couldn't get back over again

I've made a huge pot of veggie Bolognese incorporating carrots, celery, pepper, onion, courgettes, tomatoes and lentils. Will make up for eating lunch at a kids' party - mostly cheese sarnies, cake a biscuits!!

We've been eating out a lot for the week we were away and I always go for the salad/veg rather than frites unlike some people ahem DH! The I nick a couple of his chips as well

Did well on the water too, guzzling while we were driving for 12 hours each way.

Walking around was easier too as the town is all pedestrian so not much choice.
Should just move there permanently really.
Maybe not if we leave the EU.

I feel silly writing a journal too, I could do just lists I suppose but would lose the will to live. Which kind of defeats the object

I'm having bolognese as well pointless

Bewitched you must be the only person I know who does a better job of being healthy on holiday than they do at home glad you had a good time though!

The other thing with journals is I feel odd with how to start, like I should introduce myself to the notebook first or something. I have no idea why I have that in my head.

That made me smile OddSocks as I feel the same.

I didn't do great today but tried to make up for it tonight with a massive heap of mixed salad and beetroot. Water a bit lacking too but I quite fancy a glass of wine now so it may lack until later.

Well done Betwitched, I usually do better on the salad and water front if it's a hot summer holiday, don't think France would be much better than here this time of year though :)

And a new week for you all www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/2575460-Week-9-of-52-small-changes?watched=1

It's swings and roundabouts though, easy to order salad and veg if someone else doing the chopping.

I may have also drunk more g and t and coffee liqueur

But so far the weekly change hasn't mentioned either of those

Going to look at next week with trepidation.

Next week is a nice one, don't be scared!

Also, the opening of the book says it won't cover alcohol, smoking or drugs and she urges you to address them yourself. But she doesn't say you have to give them up so I'm choosing that to mean I can smoke and drink. I'll not do any drugs though

I might of got carried away with veggies. Yesterday I made a 6.5litre salad. I know it's this big because it has to stored in the slow cooker!
So I think we will do well keeping the salad up l