Help me get healthy, please?

DeVore

Wow Johnnyskeleton... great post! Thanks a lot!

I will take all that on board. I have no problem with eating whatever food I feel like, I'm not the kind of person who particularly gives a toss what others think of them in that way! I'll eat quiche if I feel like it!

I do like green tea but I couldnt drink it more then once a day...

Thanks for taking the time to write all that!

DeV.

McGinty

Hi DeVore

Great posts and a couple of years ago I started on the health buzz too and even though you can't see the results yet or maybe you can as time passes you notice things.

Like you I quit the smokes, initially in 2002, was off them for two and half years, had a puff of a cigarette and slowly but surely the evil weed lured me in and I smoked until last December (2006) when I got a chest infection that near half killed me, I realised if I didn't stop smoking I would end up dead like my grandmother at 65 (fags killed her), and since then I quit and will never go back, because I have a mantra that when I get tempted I say 'seven seconds' basically the length of time for the nicotine to hit your brain, get you addicted and then I associate that with all the awful images of what smoking does, and I love being a non smoker, it feels fantastic.

I did put on over two stone so I went to unislim, now I know you are not overweight (personally you are the jammiest person I know on that score, you should be huge considering the crap you used to eat) but I have learned a lot about healthy eating and slowly changing my habits. I used to get a lot of bloating and stomach pains, and heaviness from the weight and food. Greasy food weighs you down in energy. From what I see you are looking for healthy food to be prepared as easily as possible with minimum fuss.

Your breakfasts sound grand (including the good cheese, etc). I often have slivers of smoked salmon for breakfast on some wholewheat crackers, omlette is good, I also like/love mixing porridge oats (dry not cooked) with some milk (I use soya milk as it is healthier and brilliant for reducing cholesteral but it is an acquired taste, but once you like it, ordinary milk becomes vile) and three or four tablespoons of that lovely onken yogurt you use, it is scrummy and keeps you full of energy. I know you hate brown bread but do me a favour, get a good baguette, just plain, scoop out all the white dough and squeeze it in your hand, then eat it. I bet you won't, but that stuff/dough congeals and stays in your intenstines for far too long. Just something to bear in mind. Would you consider buying bagged salads, say like mixed rocket/spinach, you can also buy sweet chilli sauce and mix in a spoon of it in the salad, and add in a cheese/fish/meat/olives, or that kind of thing. Oh sugar free baked beans are nuitrious, or any types of beans eg: butter beans/kidney beans, etc and can be thrown in a salad as well, or on a jacket potatoe.

When you are ready for cooking I have some great recipes that are tasty and quick so I'll put some together in another post but I have to contest Johnny skeleton's tandoori chicken

Tandoori Chicken. Get some chicken and some tandoori powder. Put a good helping of tandoori powder on the chicken. Roast in an oven for 35-50 mins. Boil some pilau or basmati rice.

Whilst his advice is fantastic, that is not how you make tandoori chicken, that sounds disgusting to be honest (I make authentic indian food but it is labour intensive so won't go there with you). To make a nice tandoori chicken, you mix 1-2 tablespoons of tandoori powder into a bowl, add a small (125g) pot of natural yogurt, 1 crushed clove of garlic, then add your chicken pieces and cover them with the marinade, put it in the fridge either overnight or for at least eight hours, put them on a baking tray, slow cook for an hour at 150c and blast for the last ten minutes or so at 200c to seal in the marinade and flavours.

As for your cold, its all the crap coming of your lungs from the fags, its a good thing in reality, I do have two good remedies that may ease it, 1) is putting vicks vaparub on your feet - gets rid of ticklish cough 2) instead of whiskey you can also try squeezing one lemon and one orange into a glass, 1tsp of honey and fill with boiling water and hey presto a shot of vitiman C and the antiseptic qualities of honey.

I suppose I could also list a number of good foods: all fruit and veg, eggs (but no more than seven a week as they are high in colestral), fish, espicially salmon, prawns, tuna (high in omega 3 & 6), unsalted nuts (organic is best) although high in fat they have good fats - a handful a day should be enough, dried fruits, natural yogurts, cheese to a certain degree, a certain amount of red meat but not too much, I personally use small amounts of real butter because hydrogenated fats are pure poison, I cannot remember how they are processed but it can be cancer inducing, be aware of low fat stuff, often they increase the sugars.

The benefits I have recieved is that I am nearly two stone lighter, smoke free for over a year, my skin glows, I swear I have gone younger looking (I have been working on stress levels as well), my teeth are whiter, my eyes are whiter, I am more regular (if you get my drift), less pmt, less bloating, increased energy, brain functions better, mood is better. My last real demon is the old wine, so that was the last thing I tackled up until now I could not get through a week without a bottle or two, I am being straight here, but I am determined to kick that habit too, so that is my project for this year. Basically I think changing one's health from years of abuse is a slow process, if a person does too much too soon I think it can be overwhelming. Finally if you have sky tv, tomorrow night there is a programme on ukstyle at 10pm called 'the spa of embarresing illnesses' now they have a very radical approach to health and nuitrion but it is fascinating programme because you learn so much about food and stress and what it does to the body. The better your body is treated (fed, watered, etc) the better you feel and become. Oh yeah for years I couldn't smell (even burning pans) I can now smell again. Kudos to you so far and don't worry about slippage of the band wagon its part and parcel, just get back on.

DeVore

Thanks McGinty. Great advice and I'm glad to hear your story. I think you are probably a bit more serious about this then I am but I want to head in your direction! I am the jammiest person with my metabolism. I can burn through just about anything but I've been slack about an exercise regime in the last few years and have added a few pounds recently. Thats about to change with a 3-times-a-week trip to the gym with a buddy of mine who is a trainer. Not looking forward to the first few weeks...

Currently I'm experimenting with various things for breakfast and also trying to get the place knocked into shape so I can cook. Right now I'm stacking the fridge full of good stuff and using my inate bone-idle-laziness to combat my bad diet. I will eat good food if its available easily rather then bother my ass to order bad food


DeV.

bill_ashmount

Quick update on myself. Had a bad week for christmas but I knew that was alway going to happen. Too much booze and bad food. Back on the wagon since. No takeaways, sweets or fizzy drinks. I've had one bornville bar because I think I read here that dark chocolate was the best of a bad lot.

Eating a huge amount of fruit and drinking plenty of water. Have also got a liking for Wholemeal bread, so hopefully will never touch white bread again.

All in all, it's starting to go very well.

samsamson

nice one bill! great start.

I couldn't go back to white bread after enjoying wholegrain for so long now, it just seems so tasteless

DeVore

I think I'm the same as you Bill, xmas was a bit of a disaster but I'm back on the wagon.

I'm eating more fruit but oddly the cravings for cigarettes is getting worse somehow! Still havent broken the no-ciggies run and I've found that in moments of weakness I have told myself that I will have to come here and admit that I am WEAK AND PATHETIC!!!! That has made it easier to stay strong and determined.

So I feel I have reach level 1. I am over being sick (more or less) and I do feel a bit more energetic (though that might be because I'm not sick after about 3 months of feeling blergh!). Anyway, I feel a bit more alert and less dejected about my diet.
I've replaced the sweets with nuts, satsumas and cheese; the soft drinks have mostly been replaced with flavoured water and yogurts.
Small changes really significant for a commitment to change...

Next I need to cut the Red Bulls out completely (I've a weakness for them at the moment), improve the regularity of breakfast (I have a tendancy to skip them) and look at the main meal of the day in terms of cooking it... hmmmmmm

Also I need to start the exercise regime for which I'm waiting for my mate to get over a chest infection (he has the keys to the gym)...

Work is very very busy at the moment so its much harder to stay good when you are pressurised (see Red Bull comment above!) and there is another big poker week coming which means all hell breaks loose but I am determined to stay away from bad food during this one because I cant just abandon everything whenever they come around!

So... Level 2, bring it on.

DeV.

randylonghorn

DeVore wrote: »

Oh and as for brown bread, it tastes like ironed out squirrel **** to me. I hate it with a passion. I would rather cut out all bread then eat it frankly. Its nasty bland cardboard stuffed full of hard kernel things just waiting to hurt your gums. Yuk!

DeV.

DeV, what kind of brown bread are you getting / where are you getting it?

IMHO, good brown bread is the food of the Gods ... but there is lots of stuff out there, especially pre-packed in shops, which is probably what is left over when the Gods have digested the good stuff!

Also, even good brown bread comes in a fair degree of variety, and like whiskey or wine, people tend to develop quite specific tastes in it.

I'm tempted to say ask around among your friends for any mothers who make good home-made brown bread and cosy up to her / them for a taste and see what you think.

In terms of shops / retail chains (as opposed to my local bakery, which would be a bit of a commute!) personally if I happen to be around Dublin / East coast I quite like SuperQuinn's own brown bread ... normally comes unsliced in a farl, but they will slice and bag it for you if you prefer.

But anyway, keep sampling ... I would be very surprised if you didn't eventually find one you liked ... and then you'll probably be back here boring everyone to tears singing its praises!

Also ... remember that you don't have to jump directly from white bread to the ultimate in hi-fibre hi-grain hi-everything ... I love my brown bread, but I find a lot of that stuff very heavy and fairly unpalatable.

Crumble Froo

hmm, just found this thread, a really interesting read. wondered if ye'd mind if i was to attempt to catch up with this bandwagon (assuming there's a wagon left after DeV's wagon massacre..), and start a new healthy eating me, with someone i *have* to report back to (ie, you guys), and to help me with this stuff.

as i somewhat emotionally mentioned on LL lately, i've suffered eating disorders for about 6 years. im pretty stable and safe on that ground now, but i do have a bit of a 'hangover' from it. eating properly is a complete battle and just doesnt come naturally at all.

my typical daily diet would go something like ...

breakfast: cereal - nutri-grain ( http://www.nutrigrain.com.au/products.aspx ) or hubbard's fruitful light ( http://productsfromnz.com/browse_2000 ). if i've no cereal, it'll usually be tea, 2 slices toast with flora, 2 boiled eggs.

lunch: 2 slices toast with flora, tea, 2 boiled eggs. sometimes put the eggs into bread for sandwiches. usually use grainy white-ish bread... but whatever's on special when we do the shop usually does the trick.

dinner: emmm... toast... tea, some of hte b/f's chips, occasionally pasta/potatos. maybe fish (when i start on a 'get healthy kick'.) sometimes peas/sweetcorn.

snacks : often chocolate bars, or sweets. aiming for at least one piece of fruit a day. don't usually make that, but will oftne then end up having three apples or oranges in one day. also crisps. have recnetly developed a severe weakness to crisps.


im a bit of a fussy eater. not very adventurous at all, but trying to force myslef into trying more food. i cannot eat spicy food. well, i can, but i tend to get my 8L of water into my system in the process, and it's invariably stone cold before i can finish it.


... is there any hope for me?

Faith

Well done on taking the first step here, narco! There's hope for all of us, don't worry.

The main thing that jumps out at me is that some days, you're eating 4 eggs. So, you could eat up to 28 a week?! While some here may disagree with me, that's far too many. Eggs are very high in cholesterol. I'd have a maximum of 2 a day, ideally no more than 4 times a week. Assuming you're young and exercise fairly regularly, this is fine. (If you're older or don't exercise at all, I wouldn't have more than 6 a week).

Try switching to Flora Pro-Activ too, it works to lower your cholesterol and is better for your heart.

I personally can't stomach it for more than a week or two at a go, but if you can, eat porridge for breakfast. It's the ideal food as it fills you up and keeps you going. Otherwise, have something like Weetabix. You can make it more exciting - try cinnamon and raisins in your porridge, or even mix in a spoon of jam. Add honey to your Weetabix if you need it sweeter.

Obviously, if you're using white bread, switch to brown. It's much better for you. Better yet, make your own brown bread! There's loads of recipes out there, and look in the Cooking & Recipes subforum.

For lunch, try different sandwich fillings. How about chicken salad? That's agreable to most palates! And the protein will keep you going too.

For dinner, it's important that you start eating properly. Try making a meal plan at the start of the week and sticking to it. I know I'm most likely to have toast or chocolate for dinner when I haven't planned a meal in advance. There's a thread in Cooking & recipes called "What I had for dinner last night". It's fantastic for ideas, and posters are great for posting up their recipes for you. Try and avoid very carb-heavy meals at night (such as pasta) because you simply won't use it up, and your body stores it as fat.

Obviously, try and exchange your chocolate and sweets for fruit and nuts. I know how difficult this is though! If you must have it (and there's times when you just can't say no), try switching to something smaller, like a Curly Wurly, or even Malteasers. I'll probably get crucified for saying that, though!

Finally, it's 8 glasses or 2 litres of water a day, not 8 litres! Unless you're working out a huge amount, 8 litres would be too much.

I'm sure others reading this will be able to offer better advice than mine, but good luck!

Crumble Froo

eep, two things i probably should have mentioned was that im on a budget... need to keep it as cheap as possible. also, im a bit of a veggie... i'll eat fish, but that's about it. i think my only big expense (where i don't just go for the cheapest available product) is getting the eggs free range.

Faith wrote: »

Well done on taking the first step here, narco! There's hope for all of us, don't worry.

good to hear there's hope yet... i keep really really meaning to do it properly, but just get lazy, or something... should help having ye lot to answer to regularly...

The main thing that jumps out at me is that some days, you're eating 4 eggs. So, you could eat up to 28 a week?! While some here may disagree with me, that's far too many. Eggs are very high in cholesterol. I'd have a maximum of 2 a day, ideally no more than 4 times a week. Assuming you're young and exercise fairly regularly, this is fine. (If you're older or don't exercise at all, I wouldn't have more than 6 a week).

nah, not very active... trying to walk more, but the heat here is just too much for me most of the time, i spend the days hidden inside in the dark :rolleyes:

also, no, i'd never eat 28 eggs in a week. but yeah, four a day isn't entirely unheard of. particularly when im drinking for some reason. (oh yeah, i do have a habit of doing that quite a lot, but have quit for the time being for budget reasons ). so your recommendation is no more than 8 eggs a week? hmmm... will be a change, but i can handle that. i guess first step would be having one egg instead of my usual two.

Try switching to Flora Pro-Activ too, it works to lower your cholesterol and is better for your heart.

again, i should point out the budget thing. i checked it last week actually, and i think (don't quote me on this though) that flora pro activ was about $8, whereas the flora lite and flora ultra lite were (on special) $1.75 each. i'll see when i get a job, but that is definitely a luxury i cannot afford now.

I personally can't stomach it for more than a week or two at a go, but if you can, eat porridge for breakfast. It's the ideal food as it fills you up and keeps you going. Otherwise, have something like Weetabix. You can make it more exciting - try cinnamon and raisins in your porridge, or even mix in a spoon of jam. Add honey to your Weetabix if you need it sweeter.

damn! are my cereals bad? i thought that was one thing i was doing right

though i don't mind porridge at all if it's warm, i usually sprinkle some raisins on top (another healthy eating kick from last sept that didnt last). weetabix i don't mind plain. im quite a plain eater (as you may have noticed).

Obviously, if you're using white bread, switch to brown. It's much better for you. Better yet, make your own brown bread! There's loads of recipes out there, and look in the Cooking & Recipes subforum.

i'll check out the making my own brown bread thing. i used to work for a client who always made her own brown bread, and i would help her put it together. got her to write out the recipe, and *attempted* it once (unsuccessfully) before losing it, and getting lazy anyway. but am quite fond of good brown bread. i'll go all out and make sure to get some good stuff this week. and due to price probably less, which should avoid overeating/snacking cos i can, type scenarios.

For lunch, try different sandwich fillings. How about chicken salad? That's agreable to most palates! And the protein will keep you going too.

even before going veggie, chicken freaked the **** out of me. i have no idea why, but im squirming here just thinking about it... sandwich fillings, sandwich fillings... crisps, blackcurrant jam, and the occasional chocolate spread... after that... i have no idea waht i would put in a sandwich. lettuce? i suppose i could try some lettuce or something. some onion maybe. eek, im starting to get nervous about this now!

For dinner, it's important that you start eating properly. Try making a meal plan at the start of the week and sticking to it. I know I'm most likely to have toast or chocolate for dinner when I haven't planned a meal in advance. There's a thread in Cooking & recipes called "What I had for dinner last night". It's fantastic for ideas, and posters are great for posting up their recipes for you. Try and avoid very carb-heavy meals at night (such as pasta) because you simply won't use it up, and your body stores it as fat.

oh dear. this bit will be difficult. i don't know enough foods to try put this plan together, and the notion of cooking anything beyond pasta/oven chips/microwave potato kinda scares me... ok, focus ni, focus. i'll go through the meal thread tomorrow (it's nearly 1am, and i have a job interview in the morning), but that is the bit that really puts me off my healthy eating kicks. i'll definitely look that one up properly tomorrow and do up a plan (and write it in here) for food for the week.

Obviously, try and exchange your chocolate and sweets for fruit and nuts. I know how difficult this is though! If you must have it (and there's times when you just can't say no), try switching to something smaller, like a Curly Wurly, or even Malteasers. I'll probably get crucified for saying that, though!

ok, that i can do. i'll let the b/f know that coming home with a mars/blackforest dairy milk/skittles will no longer earn brownie points... after that, oranges, apples... maybe some bananas and... cherries... ooh, discovered cherries for the first time a coupla weeks ago, i could gladly live on them. ok, so they sound like decent snacks, and replacements. what about yogurt raisins? i see DeV was trying his yogurt nuts, and someone said they are largely sugar, but that it is better than the gummi bears, so would i be better sticking to my fresh fruit than seeking out some yogurt raisins? (i can't stand nuts, btw). i'm trying to replace the weekly chocolate bar with a licourice bar too. over here, at the checkouts where all the chocolate is, it's pretty normal to have licourice. which, as a big fan, im pretty happy with. am also attempting (though have been slipping lately) to eat an orange a day, and a spoonful of molasses, to boost my iron a bit, something i've had problems with as far back as i can remember, and im not a big fan of pills at all in a nutritional/medicinal sense.

Finally, it's 8 glasses or 2 litres of water a day, not 8 litres! Unless you're working out a huge amount, 8 litres would be too much.

I'm sure others reading this will be able to offer better advice than mine, but good luck!

ha, was half joking about the 8l thing, but i drink tonnes of orange juice, milk and water here. like i say, i cannot handle the heat in this ****ing country, i can hardly remember what it feels like to be hydrated and non-clammy/sweaty.

thanks for the advice and the time you put into it for me. it's much appreciated and im determined to stick to it this time and make it part of my daily life/routine. would love to lose a few of the pounds i've put on in recent months, and am hoping to join some clubs/sports over here to meet some people, so the boost in general bodily health would be brilliant for me

Faith

narco wrote: »

eep, two things i probably should have mentioned was that im on a budget... need to keep it as cheap as possible. also, im a bit of a veggie... i'll eat fish, but that's about it. i think my only big expense (where i don't just go for the cheapest available product) is getting the eggs
free range.

Fish is really good for you, especially oily fish like macerel and tuna, so eat as much of this as you can afford. Try buying tinned salmon and tuna and use it as sandwich fillings! It can also be used in salads, with pasta, in baked potatoes... It's very versatile! You should be able to get fillets of fish fairly cheaply too.

good to hear there's hope yet... i keep really really meaning to do it properly, but just get lazy, or something... should help having ye lot to answer to regularly...

I'm the same. It was only 3 weeks ago that I finally started going to the gym, and kept to it. I've been trying to motivate myself to go to the gym since I was about 14. I've had more memberships to more gyms than I can count! The best thing to do is have a long-term goal and keep it in mind. For me, I want to move to California eventually, and hope to get a chance to spend a couple of weeks there this summer, so I keep visualising how good I'll look in a bikini by then, and how happy I'll be that I won't be ashamed of my belly. For you, maybe it'll be having more energy, or feeling healthier or stronger. Whatever it is, when you feel yourself slipping off the wagon, visualise how you want to be.

nah, not very active... trying to walk more, but the heat here is just too much for me most of the time, i spend the days hidden inside in the dark :rolleyes:

Am I right in thinking you're in New Zealand? If you do want to be more active, try joining an air-conditioned gym! I know you said you're on a budget, so that might not be entirely possible. Does it cool down at night? Or else try swimming, if there's an available pool. That'll keep you cool and active!

also, no, i'd never eat 28 eggs in a week. but yeah, four a day isn't entirely unheard of. particularly when im drinking for some reason. (oh yeah, i do have a habit of doing that quite a lot, but have quit for the time being for budget reasons ). so your recommendation is no more than 8 eggs a week? hmmm... will be a change, but i can handle that. i guess first step would be having one egg instead of my usual two.

Like I said, others will tell you to eat as many as you like, but particularly given that you're not very active and don't have many "good" fats in your diet (from nuts, avocados, fish etc), you'd probably be better off reducing your intake at the moment.

again, i should point out the budget thing. i checked it last week actually, and i think (don't quote me on this though) that flora pro activ was about $8, whereas the flora lite and flora ultra lite were (on special) $1.75 each. i'll see when i get a job, but that is definitely a luxury i cannot afford now.

Not to worry!

damn! are my cereals bad? i thought that was one thing i was doing right

They're not bad, but you could eat better things. Cereals tend to be quite high in sugar and are often high GI, so you get hungry quickly after eating them. The ones you've mentioned definitely sound better than Frosties, for example!

though i don't mind porridge at all if it's warm, i usually sprinkle some raisins on top (another healthy eating kick from last sept that didnt last). weetabix i don't mind plain. im quite a plain eater (as you may have noticed).

If you like them, I'd recommnd switching to them. You'll quickly feel the effects.

i'll check out the making my own brown bread thing. i used to work for a client who always made her own brown bread, and i would help her put it together. got her to write out the recipe, and *attempted* it once (unsuccessfully) before losing it, and getting lazy anyway. but am quite fond of good brown bread. i'll go all out and make sure to get some good stuff this week. and due to price probably less, which should avoid overeating/snacking cos i can, type scenarios.

Baking your own is the cheapest way forward, generally. If you're not an experienced baker, try and avoid recipes which use yeast. It's an absolute BITCH to use if you're not used to it. It took me weeks to figure out how to get it to work, and that was by taking the instructions and multiplying it by 10.

even before going veggie, chicken freaked the **** out of me. i have no idea why, but im squirming here just thinking about it... sandwich fillings, sandwich fillings... crisps, blackcurrant jam, and the occasional chocolate spread... after that... i have no idea waht i would put in a sandwich. lettuce? i suppose i could try some lettuce or something. some onion maybe. eek, im starting to get nervous about this now!

Like I said above, try canned fish. Other things include: lettuce, baby spinach leaves, avocados, tomatoes, onions, sweet peppers, sweetcorn, cheese, apples (sounds weird, but can really perk up a boring sandwich!), mayo... Pretty much anything can go in a sandwich! There's a thread here where people have listed their favourite sandwich fillings. Not all are healthy though!

oh dear. this bit will be difficult. i don't know enough foods to try put this plan together, and the notion of cooking anything beyond pasta/oven chips/microwave potato kinda scares me... ok, focus ni, focus. i'll go through the meal thread tomorrow (it's nearly 1am, and i have a job interview in the morning), but that is the bit that really puts me off my healthy eating kicks. i'll definitely look that one up properly tomorrow and do up a plan (and write it in here) for food for the week.

Try and get a copy of Delia's book "How to Cook". It's great for beginners, with easy-to-follow recipes. It's daunting at the start, but you'll quickly get the hang of it. Otherwise, look at www.allrecipes.com or www.bbc.co.uk/food for ideas. You can put in an ingredient (say, pasta) and it'll give you lists of recipes that feature that ingredient.

what about yogurt raisins? i see DeV was trying his yogurt nuts, and someone said they are largely sugar, but that it is better than the gummi bears, so would i be better sticking to my fresh fruit than seeking out some yogurt raisins? (i can't stand nuts, btw). i'm trying to replace the weekly chocolate bar with a licourice bar too. over here, at the checkouts where all the chocolate is, it's pretty normal to have licourice. which, as a big fan, im pretty happy with. am also attempting (though have been slipping lately) to eat an orange a day, and a spoonful of molasses, to boost my iron a bit, something i've had problems with as far back as i can remember, and im not a big fan of pills at all in a nutritional/medicinal sense.

Yoghurt raisins are largely sugar, but they're better for you than chocolate. At the very least, they're a good stepping-stone to getting healthier. Yes, fresh fruit would be better, but we're human. Yoghurt itself is also good, particularly natural yoghurt. Try and avoid ones that are overly high in sugar though.

thanks for the advice and the time you put into it for me. it's much appreciated and im determined to stick to it this time and make it part of my daily life/routine. would love to lose a few of the pounds i've put on in recent months, and am hoping to join some clubs/sports over here to meet some people, so the boost in general bodily health would be brilliant for me

No worries, and good luck with it. Asking for help is a huge step in the right direction. Think about starting a food diary and we can constructively criticise it occasionally. Telling people what you're doing can be embarrassing, but support is essential. You could start your own thread here too, to get more attention . It's really hard admitting that we're not perfect but remember that everyone else in here is or was in a similar boat as you. There's plenty of posters in here who've overcome their battles with weight and healthy eating, and now offer great advice to the rest of us. Talking to others who've reached their goals is very inspiring!

Crumble Froo

Faith wrote: »

Fish is really good for you, especially oily fish like macerel and tuna, so eat as much of this as you can afford. Try buying tinned salmon and tuna and use it as sandwich fillings! It can also be used in salads, with pasta, in baked potatoes... It's very versatile! You should be able to get fillets of fish fairly cheaply too.

is there a limit as to how much i should be eating a week (you never know, it just might become the new 'egg' for me)? also, what about the crumbed fillet type things. like donegal's catch back home... i have breaded crumbed hoki here. i have no idea wtf hoki is, but it seems pretty common here.

was thinking jacket potatos, peas and hoki for dinner today. see? plan! ha, no idea what'll happen tomorrow, but will be doing the shopping soon, so will have entire new proper plan then.

tinned fish is a novel concept. as is salad. but ok, this is an opportunity for me to get mushrooms back in my diet (they're good, right?), had a mushroom bagel last week, and it was amazing. ill give the tinned fish thing a go in the sandwich sector. there really is only so much toast one can eat without killing things.

Am I right in thinking you're in New Zealand? If you do want to be more active, try joining an air-conditioned gym! I know you said you're on a budget, so that might not be entirely possible. Does it cool down at night? Or else try swimming, if there's an available pool. That'll keep you cool and active![/quote[

yep, kiwiland, for at least a year, hopefully longer. gym - not for me. at all. if i was gonna run, i'd rather do it on a field, or by a river or something. hoping to start swimming in a few months, but refusing to do so til i feel a little more comfortable in a swimsuit... also, i reckon by the end of march i'll have started a martial arts class, and hopefully also surfing, though i'll have to see about that, im a bit inland at the moment. after that, i enjoy walking, but i dont like gym scenarios at all.

Like I said, others will tell you to eat as many as you like, but particularly given that you're not very active and don't have many "good" fats in your diet (from nuts, avocados, fish etc), you'd probably be better off reducing your intake at the moment.

wtf is an avocado? is it a fruit? *googles* don't look all that appetising, but i guess ill pick one up next week and see what it's like..

They're not bad, but you could eat better things. Cereals tend to be quite high in sugar and are often high GI, so you get hungry quickly after eating them. The ones you've mentioned definitely sound better than Frosties, for example!

right, porridge and raisins it is, so. though teh cereals were on special offer last week, so it could be a couple of weeks before i finish up with the ones i have here.

Baking your own is the cheapest way forward, generally. If you're not an experienced baker, try and avoid recipes which use yeast. It's an absolute BITCH to use if you're not used to it. It took me weeks to figure out how to get it to work, and that was by taking the instructions and multiplying it by 10.

buttermilk, i think is essential though? i'll check it out, no promises there, though.

Like I said above, try canned fish. Other things include: lettuce, baby spinach leaves, avocados, tomatoes, onions, sweet peppers, sweetcorn, cheese, apples (sounds weird, but can really perk up a boring sandwich!), mayo... Pretty much anything can go in a sandwich! There's a thread here where people have listed their favourite sandwich fillings. Not all are healthy though![/quote

ok, canned fish, i can try. lettuce, ok, baby spinach leaves sound good, tomatoes, no, onions good, peppers heavens no, sweetcorn is awesome, cheese, im trying to learn to like.. apples? in bread? im quite intrigued.

Try and get a copy of Delia's book "How to Cook". It's great for beginners, with easy-to-follow recipes. It's daunting at the start, but you'll quickly get the hang of it. Otherwise, look at www.allrecipes.com or www.bbc.co.uk/food for ideas. You can put in an ingredient (say, pasta) and it'll give you lists of recipes that feature that ingredient.

will check those out. ill try get the book at the library too.

Yoghurt raisins are largely sugar, but they're better for you than chocolate. At the very least, they're a good stepping-stone to getting healthier. Yes, fresh fruit would be better, but we're human. Yoghurt itself is also good, particularly natural yoghurt. Try and avoid ones that are overly high in sugar though.

ill avoid the yogurt raisins, but im keeping my non-natural yogurt. the only use i have so far found for natural yogurt is dipping cookies into. which is kinda counter-productive, i've found.

No worries, and good luck with it. Asking for help is a huge step in the right direction. Think about starting a food diary and we can constructively criticise it occasionally. Telling people what you're doing can be embarrassing, but support is essential. You could start your own thread here too, to get more attention . It's really hard admitting that we're not perfect but remember that everyone else in here is or was in a similar boat as you. There's plenty of posters in here who've overcome their battles with weight and healthy eating, and now offer great advice to the rest of us. Talking to others who've reached their goals is very inspiring!

ill try keep checking in here pretty much daily. so far i've had my muesli for breakfast, a fruit yogurt and am about to have a coupla slices of toast and a cuppa tea, and an orange a little later before the dinner i mentioned already.

Faith

Crumble Froo wrote: »

is there a limit as to how much i should be eating a week (you never know, it just might become the new 'egg' for me)? also, what about the crumbed fillet type things. like donegal's catch back home... i have breaded crumbed hoki here. i have no idea wtf hoki is, but it seems pretty common here.

Too much of anything is bad for you. With fish, certain types contain a relatively high level of mercury. Tuna is one of these. It's mostly a concern for pregnant women, or those trying to become pregnant. If you fit into one of those categories, you should limit your intake to 4 medium cans or 2 tuna steaks per week (source: http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/multimedia/faq/mercuryfish/). You also shouldn't eat more than 1 portion of any of shark, marlin and swordfish per week.

While not ideal, those breaded fillets are better than nothing. You could always bread your own and that'd be a little healthier. Also, oven baking is healthier than frying.

was thinking jacket potatos, peas and hoki for dinner today. see? plan! ha, no idea what'll happen tomorrow, but will be doing the shopping soon, so will have entire new proper plan then.

That sounds like a great dinner! If you can, try steaming the potatoes, it's the best way to keep the nutrients in. But boiling is okay too. When they're cooked, try draining the water out of the saucepan, putting it back on the heat, putting the potatoes in and leaving them dry cook for about a minute. It makes them lovely and fluffy, akin to steamed potatoes.

Meal plans do require a lot of thought! At best, plan out a weeks worth, or at least just plan it in the morning and make sure you've all the ingredients you need by the evening.

wtf is an avocado? is it a fruit? *googles* don't look all that appetising, but i guess ill pick one up next week and see what it's like..

Avocados are savage! You slice them vertically down until you hit the stone, then slice carefully around that. You're left with two perfect halves. They've a lovely soft, almost buttery taste. There's a thread here about them, including how to know when they're ripe and what to do with them.

buttermilk, i think is essential though? i'll check it out, no promises there, though.

Ah, buttermilk. The bane of my existance. You can't seem to get it in Edinburgh, and my bread recipe calls for it. After careful scrutinizing of a carton of it back home, it's basically just whole milk, semi-skimmed milk and "lactic cultures". I made a homemade version by mixing equal parts of the two types of milk and natural yoghurt. It worked well enough in a pinch. I'm sure there's recipes that don't need it though.

ok, canned fish, i can try. lettuce, ok, baby spinach leaves sound good, tomatoes, no, onions good, peppers heavens no, sweetcorn is awesome, cheese, im trying to learn to like.. apples? in bread? im quite intrigued.

If you have it, try apple, brie and cranberry sauce in a sandwich. It's yummy! You could leave out the cranberry sauce too, because it's pretty much jam and not that healthy.

ill avoid the yogurt raisins, but im keeping my non-natural yogurt. the only use i have so far found for natural yogurt is dipping cookies into. which is kinda counter-productive, i've found.

I often use natural yoghurt as a dip instead of mayo. It works pretty well. It's surprisingly nice on potatoes too.

ill try keep checking in here pretty much daily. so far i've had my muesli for breakfast, a fruit yogurt and am about to have a coupla slices of toast and a cuppa tea, and an orange a little later before the dinner i mentioned already.

Great! So far, so good. Once you have one good day, the rest get so much easier. Within about two weeks, you'll find yourself comfortably in a routine.

Crumble Froo

Faith wrote: »

Too much of anything is bad for you.

i hate that rule

With fish, certain types contain a relatively high level of mercury. Tuna is one of these. It's mostly a concern for pregnant women, or those trying to become pregnant. If you fit into one of those categories, you should limit your intake to 4 medium cans or 2 tuna steaks per week (source: http://www.foodstandards.gov.uk/multimedia/faq/mercuryfish/). You also shouldn't eat more than 1 portion of any of shark, marlin and swordfish per week.

the amount of baby references towards me lately is kinda scaring me. *crosses legs*

tuna comes in steak format? :eek: ok, tuna, i can only picture myself using one medium can maximum a week, so don't think ill be ODing on it yet. ...aaaand i think you can count me as pretty safe on the shark, marlin and swordfish one too...

While not ideal, those breaded fillets are better than nothing. You could always bread your own and that'd be a little healthier. Also, oven baking is healthier than frying.

bread my own? eep... effort! also.. by 'my own' should i assume you mean buying the fish at the fish counter? expensive, but i dont mind the taste of that stuff, just the general extra-priciness. might go for one a week. fridays i reckon, keeping in line with aul traditions and pretty safe on the frying option too... don't own frying pans or oil.

That sounds like a great dinner! If you can, try steaming the potatoes, it's the best way to keep the nutrients in. But boiling is okay too. When they're cooked, try draining the water out of the saucepan, putting it back on the heat, putting the potatoes in and leaving them dry cook for about a minute. It makes them lovely and fluffy, akin to steamed potatoes.

ill be honest... 10pm happened way before i had thought about dinner... so i wasnt arsed to get proper dinner... though i initially wanted to do tea and toast, i made myself do microwaved potatos and leftover beans from dinner a night or so before, gotta be more nutritious than the toast. probably a good thing, as i ended up with a call at 9am asking me if i could start a new job at 10am, so glad i'd something in my system from the night before. ill try the boiling thing tonight, with the aforementioned hoki and peas.

Meal plans do require a lot of thought! At best, plan out a weeks worth, or at least just plan it in the morning and make sure you've all the ingredients you need by the evening.

gonna try do that alright, do a plan on wednesday, and get the ingredients and nothing else while doing the shopping on thursday. no real clue what to go for though... basically potatoes, fish and a different veg every night, so far. but i've yet to go through the dinner thread here, so gonna do that soon, before the week's shopping anyway. gotta figure out something packed for the half hour lunch ill have on days im working too.

Avocados are savage! You slice them vertically down until you hit the stone, then slice carefully around that. You're left with two perfect halves. They've a lovely soft, almost buttery taste. There's a thread here about them, including how to know when they're ripe and what to do with them.

ill check em out...

Ah, buttermilk. The bane of my existance. You can't seem to get it in Edinburgh, and my bread recipe calls for it. After careful scrutinizing of a carton of it back home, it's basically just whole milk, semi-skimmed milk and "lactic cultures". I made a homemade version by mixing equal parts of the two types of milk and natural yoghurt. It worked well enough in a pinch. I'm sure there's recipes that don't need it though.

ill see... absolutely no promises to try that one any tiem soon...

If you have it, try apple, brie and cranberry sauce in a sandwich. It's yummy! You could leave out the cranberry sauce too, because it's pretty much jam and not that healthy.

ok, i don't know what brie is, and i don't like cranberry, so i might give that one a miss. all out of apples at the moment, so not tried the apple sandwich yet, but defo will do that.

Great! So far, so good. Once you have one good day, the rest get so much easier. Within about two weeks, you'll find yourself comfortably in a routine.

fingers crossed! still really nervous about it, and it seems quite daunting... i have little imagination or real interest in food itself, so trying to put together some varied meals with nutritional value which require effort is gonna be a task and a half.


.... and im sitting here at 10.20pm and seriously contemplating not arsing with the dinner >_<

im not hungry... had cereal at half 9 this morning, half an orange at 11.30, and lunch at about half 6/7. (we dropped into a relative on the way home from work, had tea and a biscuit then, then tea, yogurt and crisp sandwich for lunch).

*sigh* should i go for the meal and feel full and go to bed in a crappy bloated mood, or go to bed without dinner and feel happier, but like im letting myself down on the healthy eating hting?

ali.c

Crumble Froo what exactly are you goals here? Are you aiming to lose weight or just eat better in general?

Now even if you are a fussy eater, it is IMHO still important to branch out of your comfort zone regarding the types of food you eat. I found it really helpful to try a different meal say once a week. If i didnt like it grand and if i did i added it to my menu plans for the week.

On the fish issue, well i know here you can get frozen unbreaded fish so maybe have a look for that.

On the fianance aspect of things, frozen vegetables are normally cheaper and are just as good for you. cutting a lot of the crap out of your diet should also help make things cheaper and can help stick to budget. Check out your supermarkets too as sometimes places run specials in the evening time for stuff thats coming close to its sell by date.

Crumble Froo wrote: »

*sigh* should i go for the meal and feel full and go to bed in a crappy bloated mood, or go to bed without dinner and feel happier, but like im letting myself down on the healthy eating hting?

Ah now it really doesnt have to be an either or, if i feel bloated and crap but havent eaten much I will have a bowl of soup or something light before bed rather than nothing at all.

Crumble Froo

ali.c wrote: »

Crumble Froo what exactly are you goals here? Are you aiming to lose weight or just eat better in general?

kinda both. my diet's been messed up for years, but it's only lately with the lack of activity and slight increase in junk food that i've been putting on weight. want to start eating better for myself in general.

Now even if you are a fussy eater, it is IMHO still important to branch out of your comfort zone regarding the types of food you eat. I found it really helpful to try a different meal say once a week. If i didnt like it grand and if i did i added it to my menu plans for the week.

i've already made a start of that, for example, things like cheese, spinach, most fish, soup, butter/spread, any type of sauce i would never have touched a year ago. there's a good few other things too, i have made a concentrated effort to expand my food range, and some of it's been great, some's been terrible (the terrible was mostly anything with a hint of spice), but i have been trying stuff, and im quite proud of myself for that.

On the fish issue, well i know here you can get frozen unbreaded fish so maybe have a look for that.

brilliant, will do

On the fianance aspect of things, frozen vegetables are normally cheaper and are just as good for you. cutting a lot of the crap out of your diet should also help make things cheaper and can help stick to budget. Check out your supermarkets too as sometimes places run specials in the evening time for stuff thats coming close to its sell by date.

for some reason, i could never really stand the taste of frozen carrots. i buy peas and sweet corn frozen, but have to get carrots and mushrooms (i know they're not technically veg), fresh.

Ah now it really doesnt have to be an either or, if i feel bloated and crap but havent eaten much I will have a bowl of soup or something light before bed rather than nothing at all.

well, i went to bed with no dinner last night,a nd feel grand for it today... the options of food, looking at the cupboards and fridge were... yogurts, bread/toast, cereal , potatoes or baked beans.

have the time planned today though, so will definitely do better today.

Tar.Aldarion

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Nobel prize winner Linus Pauling worked out how much Vitamin C the body needs to prevent the common cold. If you eat (IIRC) 256 oranges every day you will never get the common cold. However, you will almost certainly die from one of several other medical problems. So having a common cold is unavoidable.

I don't now, I haven't had a cold since I was a child. About a dozen years!
Must be all the conc tesco orange juice I drink...
Although I do take vitamin c tablets. 500%rda, for no reason really. They taste nice.

Crumble Froo

okay, here's a check in... ha, just finished my week's shopping, came to $53! :eek:

but i did feel good looking at the trolley and seeing actual healthy stuff in there, so maybe it's not so bad.

got a job, so i have a prepacked lunch every day now, of a yogurt, piece of fruit (apple/orange/banana), two slices of brown/wholegrain bread with tuna, basil and tomato, or 2 slices sultana wiht flora, and a berry yogurt.

tea/dinner can vary, from my old eggs (actually, i've cut down to just the one), tea and toast one, to omelette, potatoes, mushroom, sweet corn, corn on the cob, peas, carrots, fish, and am going to try something new every week. planning to cook a tofu thing for dinner tomorrow i found on one of hte sites that was linked for me. tofu, wheatmeal tortillas, spinach and cheese are the ingredients, so looks like it could be nice... no idea wtf tofu is/tastes like, so it has a lot of potential to go wrong, but i am trying it, with an open mind, so that has to count for something.

tried acovado last week, but dindt like it at all, tried honey too, can't remember what it's from, but apparently it's quite good for you, gonna try it on toast some morning. still eating my cereal for breakfast, but will be getting porridge once the stuff i have stocked is gone. still got 3 boxes left though...

have cut out most biscuits, chocolate, crisps from my diet, but am allowing myself a once weekly big chocolate bar, which im trying to make last for myself. have started snacking on natural licourice, fruit and yogurts instead, and am trying to drink more fruit juice and water to keep myself hydrated.

im feeling much better in myself in general at the moment, started a cold which doesnt seem to have gotten too bad at all, which is unusual for me. yet to start any sports, but i'll get round to that later, this whole job thing is enough exercise for me at the moment.

Faith

Yay, well done! That's fantastic progress!

When you eat healthily, you find that things like colds are much less severe than they used to be. I think I've had one cold in the past 2 years, and I used get them every few months.

You're doing really well .

Crumble Froo

thanks! there's still tonnes of room for improvement. we were both too tired and not really hungry last night, so gonna do the tofu thing tonight, should be interesting. going to check out about martial arts this week too, hopefully.