Encouraging healthy choices -support thread

[Meagan]

So inspired by Chelsea  I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread here to encourage healthy eating choices  (not that we don't already do that with the TM anyway avoiding pre prepared foods etc)

I guess my goal this year is to be more active, to eat a little less so that I can drop a few kilos and have more energy etc and I would love everyones ideas support etc 

Anybody else in?

[Cuilidh]

Funnily enough, I have just been thinking much the same thing myself the last couple of days.  My husband has slightly elevated cholesterol levels and we are both overweight.  All those lovely sweet things on this forum have been fabulous, and I've loved experimenting with them, but not so good for us and I love my husband more than sweet things, so I've got to reform.

I'm a vegetarian and my husband calls himself a "vegetarian by marriage" so I would really love to see some great, healthy heart type vegetarian recipes or suggestions.

[Katya]

I was involved with helping to run a project called Small Changes which looked at ways of changing behaviour leading to long-term health gains.  Some of the attendees felt if was more of a long-term solution than other things they had tried (Slimming World or Weight Watchers) which focussed on a specific goal

The main mantra was "Eat Less, Exercise More".   Also it is proven that if you try and make radical changes to your life-style, it is really difficult to maintain these changes and you lose motivation if you fail.    The way to go is to start small.   For instance, if you want to cut out eating biscuits, instead of cutting them out altogether, you start by only having them 3 times a week instead of 7.   Each week you make a small change like that, some relating to eating (maybe smaller portion sizes, less fat etc.) and some to exercise (eg. use a pedometer and increase your step count by 10% each week).   

It is also not a crime to have days where you eat unhealthy things or don't exercise so long as you don't have too many of them.

It also helps to keep a log of everything you eat each day and also the exercise you do each day.    If you review the log at the end of the week, you might notice that you are snacking a lot, or maybe not eating enough veg. or so on.   

HTH

[rainbow]

I think a healthy choice support thread is a great idea.  I have just joined WW online as it is free for two weeks  and they have a new points system in place which I feel is focusing on healthy eating.  I have been busy entering all my recipes in the data base and finding how many points they are.  It does make you stop and think about what you are eating.  I like Katya idea of small changes as it is a lifestyle change that we need to make 

[brazen20au]

why is it that the more exercise i get the more chocolate i want to eat? lol

[KerrynN]

I think this thread is a great idea. Since getting my TMX I have been trying to buy more fresh produce and make so much more from scratch. I would particularly love to see lots of ideas for healthy and tasty things to give the kids at school. I tend to put a lot of fruit in their lunches along with a sandwich or wrap but never quite know what else to add in and find I spend a lot of time standing looking at the pantry with some kind of vain hope that the healthy snack fairies came and put some ideas in there over night. No luck yet though...

The little changes idea is a great one too. So far I have changed our salt from standard table salt to celtic sea salt as it has so many more vitamins and minerals in it. Next will be replacing cocoa with cacao, followed by rapdurra instead of sugar. I figure if we are going to use all those things then at least I should be using those that add to my families health rather than detracting or making no difference.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

There are so many different approaches to loosing weight and gaining health and I think it is important to find what works for you. Some people thrive on the structure of counting points or calories (and some continue doing it forever) and others find it tedious and prefer to make more holistic lifestyle changes.  For me I really just needed to get exercising each day (stop making excuses) and to cut down on my snacks and meal portions.

I also needed to really think about the food I was making for myself and our family.  We eat 99% preservative free food but it isn't always healthy food.  Sweet homemade biscuits made with organic white flour and raw organic sugar or rapadura aren't healthy.  They are healthier than many bought biscuits, but still aren't healthy. Nice for a treat of course but not everyday.

I am on my way to loosing my 4th kilo. Besides feeling great in my clothes, I am sleeping well, am finally free from indigestion, have greatly reduced sinus problems and have a much stronger and energised body.  I had truly forgotten how wonderful it feels to be fit and "slimmer" again.  I kept saying I was happy with being a size 14/16 but deep down I really wasn't.

Good luck to everyone who is making changes out there!!!

[sue_h]

Thanks for starting this thread Megan. Since having the TM (1 month now) I've really started to make healthy choices for my family and me. Much like you Chelsea we're going back to natural ingredients. It's taking a bit of getting used to on their part and now they really enjoy the variety. Although the weight isn't dropping off me, I feel really good and have heaps of energy (even at the moment when things are stressful - that's always a good sign). I'm even getting out of bed early to exercise. I think often the eating and exercise go hand in hand, if you only do 1 you don't really have the energy or will for the other. We're also taking small steps that are achievable and fit in with our lifestyle.

KerryN. I struggled for ideas for breakfast and lunch boxes so I went through this forum and some recipe books and came up with a list of things that would make a healthy lunch. Some may not appear so, but as Chelsea mentioned, with the right ingredients they can be just that. Here's the list if you are interested. I also posted a list for breakfast - overlaps with some lunch. I'm finding these list very useful as they have heaps of variety and I know and I can find the recipes on the forum or in books. I print both lists on 8*15 cards and have them in the kitchen so they are ready to consult the night before or in the morning.


Lunch ideas
 
   Bagels
   Banana bread
   Baguette
   Biscuits
   Bread and butter pudding
   Breakfast bread
   Brekky bars
   Brioche
   Chicken patties
   Croissants
   Current buns
   Damper
   Dips
   eggs - boiled, baked or steamed
   Frittata
   Fritters
   Fruit
   Fruit bread
   Fruit salad
   kedgeree
   Meat balls
   Muffins
   Muffins – vegetable, fruit
   Omelette
   Pita bread
   Popcorn
   Muesli bars
   Chicken pieces
   Rice pie
   Nut bars
   Risotto cake
   Pull aparts
   Vegetable bake
   Pasta bake
   Pancakes
   Quiche
   Rolls
   Rosti
   Scones
   Scrolls
   Scrolls
   Sushi
   Sweet slices
   Calzones
   Pizza
   Pikelets
   Tortilla
   Vegetable slices
   Vegetable sticks
   Waffles
   Wraps
   Yogurt

[dede]

What a great idea. I am also analyzing my family's eating habits. my self and my husband need to loose a few kg and I also have a son with ADD who I think would benefit from a preservative free (or close to) diet. I agree that what we decide to do needs to be a life style change. we all know diets don't work forever. And I think we all understand that if we eat more calorie's in a day than we burn we will put on weight and if we eat less calories that we burn we will lose weight. Its that simple. We just have to remind our selves every time we put something in our mouth.
  I think the TM will make life easier for my family to make healthy meals

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

Some may not appear so, but as Chelsea mentioned, with the right ingredients they can be just that.

LOL - I think I am actually saying the opposite .

Many of the breads and things that I make are preservative free but that doesn't mean that they are healthy.  I went to listen to Cyndi O'Meara speak last year and she said that she makes a "healthy" chocolate cake using organic ingredients.  Using organic raw sugar and organic white flour doesn't make a cake healthy though.  It makes the cake chemical free (which is still a good thing) and a little bit healthier but sugar and flour are still not healthy ingredients.  I think it is great to be preservative free, but I have learnt that preservative free cooking doesn't automatically equate to cooking healthy food that will encourage a healthy weight and lifestyle.

[sue_h]

Chelsea, Funny. I now realise what you wrote. I must have skimmed over it and thought that's what I do. I think that you can still make them healthy. You can control the sugar (not the fat so much, but look for ones that work). In moderation and as a snack it's good. We've also found that we are actually eating less food because it has heaps of flavour and nutrients.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

Very true.  We are so much more in control and aware when we are cooking our own foods. 

[KerrynN]

Sue thanks heaps for that list! I will print this out and refer to it as well.

I was getting up at 5.45am to go to the gym for over a year and felt much better for it. Then I had a pretty serious car accident which had me out of commission for nearly 6 months and I just can't seem to find the motivation to go back to it. I am going back to uni this year (part time) and have just started a new part time job too, so I think I am going to be faced with the same situation. I can't find time during the day so will need to start making time again and that means early mornings again. Of course, the dog would love it if I just got up early to take him for a walk rather than going to the gym.

We are also going to buy new bowls as the ones we have are just too large and encourage us in over eating which is certainly a problem for us. Having said that Cyndi O'Meara does stress that if we eat good quality foods that the quantities will take care of themselves.

At the moment I am taking comfort from knowing that I if make the cheese and bacon roll (with some wholegrains and chia) then at least I know what went in it, rather than getting them from the supermarket or the bakery with who knows what added to make it last longer on the shelf. I am also slowly coming round to the value of organic produce and choosing products that are as close to nature as they can be.

[Meagan]

Well tonight I had a small serve of pasta and followed it with a serve of salad - carrot cucumber and small bit of avocado I did put a little  evoo and balsamic on it.  It is a start. I think cutting down a bit on carbs and upping veg is a good way to go as the kids love pasta so it is a meal I know won't get complaints, so features a fair bit for us.

[hools003]

I'm finding that my boys who are always hungry, used to fill up on all the bad stuff, which was totally my fault as I was the one to buy it and put in in the cupboard. Now, when they are hungry, more often than not, they will grab some fruit or yoghurt or make themselves a sandwich!  I don't keep anything packaged in the cupboard anymore. My 6yr old even picks up something and says " Mum, is this good for me?".
I think they are enjoying the preservative free feeling as I have noticed their behaviour is improving(well, a little bit and it's still school holidays)
baby steps!