Please help me eat healthier!!!

Pigletlover

I've decided it's time I started eating healthier, I've been telling myself that I'm going to do it for a long time but I just end up back where I am now. I'm not trying to lose weight, but my stomach has been telling me that I need to sort myself out. I like proper food, but I also love sweets, chocolate, buns crisps, ice cream - basically any junk food. I'd estimate that roughly 1/3 - 1/2 of my daily calorie intake comes from crap that I shouldn't be eating.

On a typical weekday I don't have any breakfast. I know that's not good but the odd time that I do eat a breakfast, usually a bowl of cereal around 9.00, I'm starving by 10.00. So then I have to get something to eat mid-morning and by lunchtime I'm starving again. I usually end up eating a lot more throughout the day also.

On the days I don't eat a breakfast I usually get a pang of hunger mid-morning but this passes after a few minutes so it's 1.00 before I eat. For my lunch I try to have something relatively healthy - sandwich, pasta, salad etc, but then I have a bun/chocolate bar/crisps/biscuits etc, I usually allow myself 2 'treats'. Then I usually get a small bag (100g-150g) of pic n mix mid-afternoon and then I don't eat until I have my dinner at 7.30-8.00. Straight after dinner I start craving sugar so I have a couple of treats, at least 2 but usually 3 and I probably have at least on more before going to bed.

I know what I have outlined above is quite vague as the calorie content of the various treats can vary quite a bit, but I intend to post what I eat here and maybe some of you can give me some advice on where I'm going wrong (ok I know where I'm going wrong, but maybe how to avoid it). Basically I think I need a good giving out to and a couple of pointers on how I can banish the sugar cravings

What I intend to do is post a log of everything that passes my lips over the next couple of days and then starting my new healthy diet on monday. If anyone wants to suggest some foods I should pick up when I'm in the supermarket, please do so I can stock up and be ready to go on monday

g'em

Hi Pigletlover I'm going to move your thread to the main forum so that it gets more exposure. When you've picked up a few tips and tricks you can start a diary, but perhaps while you get on your feet you could start here and troubleshoot as you go? If you want it moved back I can do that no probs (and delete this!!).

ApeXaviour

I think you have a good idea idea of how to start (eat breakfast, remove junk...). As you start to have more specific questions etc. you can bring them here and people will be glad to help I'm sure. There is a dedicated sub-forum of nutrition and diet for food diaries here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1010

Start up a thread, keep a log of your typical day, have a look at other threads people have posted to get an idea what they say and how often they post etc.

And good luck.

g'em

ApeXaviour wrote: »

There is a dedicated sub-forum of nutrition and diet for food diaries here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1010

Indeed... and like I said above it was moved from there to here while Pigletlover got here new diet groove on

As you said, breakfast is a *must* - porridge or weetabix or eggs or fruit & yogurt; snack on fruit and nuts, the odd bag of popcorn (as a treat, not every day!!); salads, lots of veg and lean meats, stir fry's and soups for lunch and dinner. Check out the nutrition stickies at the top of the page and there should be some excellent meal ideas in some of the other food logs.

neuro-praxis

Make yourself some eggs for your brekkie, or find a delicious whole-grain cereal and eat it with low fat milk. For lunch and dinner, avoid fried foods and takeaways. Eat as much veg as you can manage, and get in lots of lean chicken, meat and fish.

Then try finding replacements for the junk food.

Have a bag of cashew nuts nearby, and eat 10-20 of them as a snack. Fruit is more than boring apples and oranges - try having a tub of strawberries in your bag, or a handful of grapes. An ounce or two of cheese is a tasty, calcium rich snack. A glass of skim or semi-skim milk is a good filler. Make big batches of home-made oat and nut bars and keep a couple of squares with you for sweet treats. Have a small portion of raisins or a good quality Glenisk yoghurt.

Switch your bread to tasty wholegrain stuff. A couple of McCambridges slices, toasted with some fruit spread is really tasty with your cuppa.

I hope this gives you a few ideas. Your tummy will thank you - as will your skin, hair, nails and energy levels!