Anyone want to join me in good old, sensible healthy eating?

[DrRanj]

In the new year I plan to eat healthily and lose weight using a very conventional and balanced diet plan based on this advice given by the British dietetic association, and a booklet that can be downloaded here from the British heart foundation.

Basically, you eat a set number of portions of different types of food to ensure you get a balanced diet with a small calorie deficit for slow and steady weight loss.

All fairly no nonsense and fad free!

I don't want this thread to turn into one where people try and sell low carbing or fasting, I have tried all these things and now I want to try it this way, for various reasons. I am a vegetarian for one, and this way of eating tends to suit me better!

I am hoping to increase my exercise too, I tend to go running.

I am in! I don't know how much I weight and my scales need new batteries but I would rather go with how I feel in my clothes and in myself, measure my -non existent- waist, rather that go by weight. It can be too depressing and misguiding. I have a 10 week old baby and I ate soooo much sugar when I was pregnant that I have decided to not have any sugar this week, and then the week after and the week after that, but I am taking it slowly as I need to change my habits and eat healthy, rather than diet. I will explore the website you mentioned.

Well I have been feeling steadily grottier as the day has worn on. Dizzy, nauseous, bad tummy, but not yet been sick. Couldn't face making dinner so dp did, he made pasta and I had a moderate plateful with some tomato based sauce and some cheese. I also had 4 thorntons chocs! But that can be my treat allowance for the day.

So probably didn't quite stick to the plan to the letter as I didn't have too much control over dinner - dp can only make one thing!

Hope this is just a prolonged hangover, and I am not coming down with something...

Evening all

I've been really good with my food today but its occurred to me that MFP hasn't taken into account that I'm still ebf DD2 so although I've stayed within my calorie allowance I feel quite dizzy and a bit sick so I think maybe I need to adjust something somewhere. Does anyone know if there's a way to include bf in the allowance?

How about Wednesday as weigh in day for those that are wanting to weigh?

Hope everyone's had a good day :)

Arg ignore the MFP question, I meant that for another thread! Unless anyone knows the answer of course!

Hi.... not a bad day... had no sugar, no biscuits, no chocolate despite quite a lot available in the fridge. I had clementines instead

Yes! Bizarrely you include it in food - add 'breastfeed' to a meal and you get a list of options!

Ah fantastic thank you both I've found it. Feel a bit like I've cheated somehow just adding on so many cals to my allowance, could have had pudding earlier after all!

No its not cheating -you really are using those calories up in making milk!

Good luck!

I can't quite believe how much I've put on this last year and how out of sinc my view of a normals days food must be. Seems a mammoth task. That and I currently seem to use food as a pick me up -life's tough at the moment and its a little pleasure in the day. I need to find other sources of happiness . . . !

How's everyone doing today? I'm craving sugar like mad. For breakfast I had a low fat yogurt and a banana, for lunch spicy prawns with some couscous and a glass of coke and this afternoon I've had a few almonds and 3 biscuits I NEED SUGAR!!! Hopefully the cravings will subside soon.

i've just had a hot chocolate, because I was making it for the girls after a wet walk home
i don't normally do rubbishy diet foods, but i do find a dirty lo-cal hot chocolate sorts out my sugar cravings.

I'm doing alright today, went for a bike ride this morning with the DCs, then walked to town and spent a few hours in the library.
Lunch was late, so got the DCs a meal deal each. They had sandwich, homous and pasta, and fruit juice between them, I had a bag of fruit and a packet of crisps and a bottle of water. At least we stretched 2 meal deals over 3 lunches.
I am making a beef curry for dinner, with lots of cauliflower to pad it out.
It smells lovely, but it's making me really hungry now!

I have had two days with no sugar, despite my friend bringing some home made cake yesterday. I felt a bit rude, but I can't just fall at the first hurdle. I was in a foul mood last night though. So this is day three without sugar. I think I need to be careful not to over compensate with other stuff though, just because it is not sugar. One thing at a time though....

Today I've had a low fat yogurt, raspberries and half a banana for breakfast. Felt really satisfied and good afterwards. It's the first day that I don't have such strong sugar cravings, I hope it lasts! I also finally don't have a headache today! I haven't been totally sugar free, I've had a glass of coke here and there and a few biscuits but that is far less sugar than I normally would have had so hopefully today I can completly go without sugar, lets see. It's so hard!

Hi All. I am on day three without sugar... I am feeling a bit virtuous. Has anyone heard of this four minute workout:
It sounds pretty amazing and doable.

I finally started yesterday. I'm going to record on mfp just to make me more aware of what I'm eating. I can't believe how heavy I am. I gave birth a year ago and I'm back at that weight :-( it's going to take forever to lose.

Last night I fancied a digestive and managed to have half instead. It's a start . . .

I'm going to try and eat less processed foods. I think my main craving is cheese and crackers. Need to buy yoghurt and nice fruit for treats!

Hi all! Sorry I've been off the radar these past few days. I ended up being really ill! Think it must have been Noro or something, basically spent 2 days vomiting. Felt better yesterday, and it was dd's birthday so went out for lunch etc so ate a lot of not so good stuff because I was so grateful to be feeling better! Still feeling a bit weak and wobbly, and it is dd's party tomorrow, so think I'm going to start back properly on Monday. Bit of a cop out I know, but I just feel mentally I'll be in a better place to get on it on Monday so to speak! I just hope I don't put too much on today and tomorrow!

I have been following that exact plan, but under a different name, with the support of a nurse since the end of july last year and have lost 15.7kg (2 stone 7).
I find it very easy to do and dont tend to cheat, still have my wine and crisps on a saturday night or life would be beyond boring. Its really just going back to basics and dumping processed foods and making things from scratch.
Sample days food could be Breakfast 2 eggs with 2 slices wheat free toast and 4 tsp light mayo and a banana, lunch 50g pasta with prawns, mayo, lactosfree cheese and salad with fruit and fat free greek yogurt and dinner curry made with lean mince or chicken chopped tomato, onion, mushrooms and spices served with 75g rice.
I visit the nurse on wednesday for the first time in 3 months (after seeing her every 2 weeks for the 1st 12) and I am 9.2kg less than the last time I visited her, still have time to lose that last 0.8kg.
I would say if like me you struggled to lose weight on low calorie diets then give this one a try as I never once thought I could lose weight eating 2000 calories a day. I have dropped 2 starches and a fruit as I was struggling to eat it every day.

Hi McPie That sounds great and very doable. How come you got the support of a nurse (I hope I am not indiscreet)? Did you get the plan from the nurse? I lost weight ages ago when I lived in France, and I went to see the GP every month, I found that it really helped but I did not know that kind of support was available here. I may talk to my GP.

I started out at 15 stone 7lb (BMI was 37.5) and I mentioned it again and again to the Drs that I was unhappy and struggling and eventually one nice Dr suggested a vist to the nurse for diet advice.
Once there she went through my diet and couldnt find much wrong with it and wanted to send me to a dietician as I have problems with wheat and dairy but I didnt fall under their remit.
I was referred to the nurse in the practice that does the Counterweight plan and started it at the end of july.
The only difference to the 1st link in the OP is that its not a one amount for all, its tailored to what you weigh so I got 9 starch, 3 meat, 3 dairy, 2 fat, 4 fruit and 4 veg along with 140cal snack allowance.
They give you booklets each visit to help with any issues you may have relating to food and excersice and I also got referred to a plan the council do in september where you get to go the classes or the gym for £1 a time for the 1st 12 weeks, I used it so much that it was better to set me up on the DD plan and get the next 6 months at £10.40 each month :) rather than continue the £1 a class.
I think all you can do is ask if they run such programme at your own surgery and if not then I would reccomend the 1st plan but I have noticed that their fat servings are half of what Im allowed so they say 1 tsp marg/oil and mine says 2 tsp, light mayo/salad cream gets me 4 tsp. A serving of rice/pasta is 25g uncooked, potatoes is 100g uncooked, cereal is 30-45g, 1/2 a pitta, roll/bagel, naan, english muffin, scone counts as 1 serving and I go with a 80g as a serving of fruit and veg. NHS Choices has good information on portion sizes for fruit and veg.

Thanks MCPie, I will look into it as I am seeing my GP on Thurs.

Hi all, i'm in too! Had dd3 in sept, and am now my heaviest i've ever been- nearly in a size 16 at 12st9lb.
Started last week just eating healthy and cutting out the crap. I really love my food, so it's hard, but i have noticed that when i am wanting to snack, i'm not actually hungry, my mouth just wants to chew something! So i've managed to stop myself.
I've got an awful photo of myself looking really chubby, so i'm going to stick it on the fridge door!

Can anyone give ideas for healthy snacks? I've been having loads of fruit, prob too much (yesterday had 3 bananas) and ive got go ahead bars in the cupoard, but i know fruit has a lot of sugar, and not sure what's in the diet biscuits!

Also, i am ebf baby dd, so i dont want to starve myself too much! x

Thanks mcpie for providing that info on carbs, far easier than measuring out tablespoons of cooked pasta! I also tend to use 80g as a fruit/veg serving. Have you seen how much 80g of lettuce is?!

Congrats on your loss btw!

So started today. Weighed in at 11st 12.5. Was dd's bday party yesterday and I was up all night finishing an assignment and finishing the leftovers!

Have stuck to it today so far. Which is a miracle considering how knackered I've been! Going to have my tea and then off to me for me, so I won't be tempted to cheat!!

Hi everyone! Another good day for me today, I was naughty this morning and weighed myself and apparently I've already lost over 5 lbs, but I realise that's probably a bit inaccurate!

Found another useful website with more portion sizes on there. I may cut and paste them all together so we cover lots of foods, and perhaps post them on the thread...

There are some good snack ideas on that website flipflopper...