How do!

Figured we’re overdue a food thread. But this time, as part of my acceptance of middle age and needing to be reasonably sensible, it’s about healthier dishes.

I’m a fairly dab hand in the kitchen, but prefer stuff that’s fairly quick to cook and don’t require a whole load of prep.

Example? Tonight I made Shakshuka for my dinner.

1 Onion, 1 Red (Bell) Pepper, sliced fairly thin. Spices are cumin seeds, smoked paprika and garlic (sliced or crushed, don’t matter), tin of chopped tomatoes, two fresh eggs. Sweat off the Onions in a frying pan with some Olive Oil, with some cumin seeds. Once starting to soften, bung in the pepper, season with desired amount of smoked paprika. Once that’s all mingled and peppers softened, in with the toms. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Crack in two eggs, then bung the pan into a preheated oven (180c) and bake for 10 minutes, or until the eggs are just set. Serve immediately with perhaps some Sourdough Bread.

Quick, easy, minimal mucking around and washing up.

I also tend to keep a stock of Ramen for my lunches, as again they’re quick and easy. Also good for getting more veg into my idiot face hole.

Any other suggestions?

I plan on starting to eating healthier tomorrow.

Been looking at the nutrition info for the ready meals in my fridge (Asda’s Bistro range).

And I think, provided I’m strict on snacks and not telling myself fibs, I should be able to hover around 2,000 a day without any particular adjustment to what I normally have.

Sadly, out will go the Skin On Chips in Beef Dripping. But to be replaced with Skin On air fryer chips. So adjusting, not sacrificing.\

Also, no double pud. Those I stick to a single serving. Except for the Sticky Toffee Pudding, which comes in a single tray and doesn’t reheat well. But even there, I just match that to a low fat, low calorie main and it balances out.

Will get some fresh veggies in for snacking though. Half the time it’s just my teeth are bored, so something crunch like celery, a fresh tomato or some fruit will help there. Also means more nutrients.

 Ahtman wrote:
I plan on starting to eating healthier tomorrow.

Excellent plan.

There is a fool-proof plan. Give your money to an insane member of your family who is on a health kick, and say, "buy me what I should be eating."

And now every time you open the refrigerator or cabinet, you will lose the urge to eat.

Weight loss guaranteed!

Had a couple of Tuna Sandwiches for lunch. Should’ve checked the calorie per slice on bread. I mean, yikes.

In future, I’ll be swapping to healthier wholemeal, and just having the one sandwich.

But I’m still on course for around 2,000 today. Planned my dinner out, and that’s coming to around 1,500.

If anyone’s at all interested? All from Asda’s Bistro Range.

2 Scotch Eggs (sell by is today, otherwise I’d have just had the one) @ 295 per egg

Green Vegetable Medley with herb butter @ 94

Aberdeen Angus Steak Pie (250g) @ 704.

So actually closer to 1,400 and is a pretty filling dinner. Wee bit high on the fats and that, but still a smidge under Daily Recommended.

So that’s 1,900 for the day. If I finish off the Profiteroles (295 cal) I’ll be over my intended intake, but not dramatically. And it’s that or they go off, whilst still being a good bit under daily recommended calories.

I was diagnosed as diabetic a few weeks back so am trying to rework my diet around that. Discovered I can't stand tofu in any form...

My wife's been using an app called Nutracheck. It's pretty good, and although a subscription it's not too painful - sure we paid something like £30 for the year. It's more UK oriented than things like MyFitnessPal - basically any UK supermarket food, you can scan the barcode and it will tell you everything in it. Track everything you eat, and it'll give you calories, fat content, salt content, and so on...

That’s a pretty decent idea! Will see how I get on manually planning, and keep that in mind.

beast_gts wrote:
I was diagnosed as diabetic a few weeks back so am trying to rework my diet around that. Discovered I can't stand tofu in any form...

Try Kale. Makes tofu seem amazing.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
How do!

Figured we’re overdue a food thread. But this time, as part of my acceptance of middle age and needing to be reasonably sensible, it’s about healthier dishes.

I’m a fairly dab hand in the kitchen, but prefer stuff that’s fairly quick to cook and don’t require a whole load of prep.

I'm a fan of enriched salads

Lettuce seasoned with tomato, chickpeas, sesame, bacon, chicken... Remember you can eat any amount of colored veg and any amount of animal as long as you don't put carbs on it.

And as long as you don’t go crazy with the dressing

I do enjoy a salad, so that helps. And carbs aren’t inherently bad - you just need to be aware of say, just how many calories a single slice of bread has. Because it’s 112 for my Warburtons “Toastie” White Loaf. Which is a staggering amount for ultimately, not a lot of food.

How much of that comes from sugars and additives I don’t currently know. But I have noticed wholemeal (at least Hovis) is a lesser, but still surprisingly high, 98 calories per slice. Wholemeal of course comes with the added benefit of better fibre content.

Compare to a Cup of cooked Brown Rice at 218 calories, and I’d be happier scoffing that down.

Just remember to give your regiment time. You didn't add a bunch of weight overnight. It'll take time to remove it too.

True that. Currently struggling having pulled both my calves, so change in diet is having to do the, aha, lifting for the next few days. I’m more or less fine once I’m up and about, but man I’m bandy like a Cowboy for the first few steps!

But it’s genuinely not too bad. Snacks are now fresh fruit and veg, so knocking out calories and increasing nutrients. Dinners are still pretty satisfying overall.

What I will need to watch is my salt intake. Not like a hawk, but just be a bit more aware of what’s already in the fresh ready meals I’m having.

This is going to sound like a joke, but my roommate has a sure fire and bizarre way of not snacking. He has ZERO ready to eat meals. There is nothing in his cupboard or refrigerator that can be picked up and immediately eaten. Everything must be prepared.

He said he has lost 24 pounds since making this one lifestyle change.

His snacking was killing him, he tells me.

That definitely helps. In the UK, we had (have?) a show called Secret Eaters, which followed people trying to lose weight, and then showed them what they’re actually eating in a day.

Some folk were utterly delusional of course, but for others? It was the “biscuit here, bag of crisps there” rapidly adding up.

Hence as someone who does enjoy a snack, I’ve swapped out the “naughty” food for, thus far, Celery ribs (for that crunchy, salty experience) and Apples, for the sweet hot,

Bonus is it’s actually cheaper!

I was also recently introduced to the concept of empty calories. Which refers to foods with little to no nutritional value, but which can be calorie dense. And when you’re watching your calories, it does make sense to get your dailies as efficiently as possible.

The good news for us Brits is that our cup of tea is, until the milk and sugar, essentially calorie free. So we don’t have to give up all that’s worth living for. Just swap to semi-skimmed, and reduce or cut out the sugar.

 Lathe Biosas wrote:
This is going to sound like a joke

I've done something similar as I tend to graze (and have issues with portion control). I can get away with shopping every day, but it complicates meal planning.

My ready meals are “freshly made” ones. Decent quality infredients, loads of taste and, provided I’m not having three of them a day? Genuinely not terrible for calories.

Tonight for instance is Beef Stew and Dumplings, with honeyed carrots. Stew is 944 calories (shame about the salt content), the Carrots 260 calories. And other than said salt? All under my daily recommended.

Have a single portion Lemon Cheesecake for pudding, and that’s another 376 calories.

So well under 2,000. Which is nice.

I just counted my caloric intake for yesterday and I was sitting at 1154.

I haven't found things to replace the crap I was eating.

And most of the juices I drink are low cal no sugar, or sugar free.

My low sugar oatmeal for breakfast. A smoothie or fruit for lunch and my dinner last night was homemade Chicken broth. And that was the big meal of my day.

What I’m finding difficult is those RDA’s. The calories aren’t terribly tricky, even if home made stuff is more of a guesstimate. But cutting down Saturated Fats? That’ll be the next step.

Not removing entirely, as I’m already relegated to Decaff Tea (migraines), and I don’t want to kill all of life’s little joys.

I will need careful around beer. Whilst I only drink about once a week, five or six pints quickly rack up the calories.

Oh. I'm 95% teetotaler. I was a bartender for a giant chunk of my life... And Bartending will either drive you to death by alcohol poisoning or a life of forever being the designated driver...

So I have a drink for toasts and celebrating great events, and not much else.

I used to drink a lot. Like, 10 pints (proper Imperial Pints, mind. Not your wussy Freedom Pints ) a night, most nights.

Thankfully, that turned out to be a Boredom thing, and not a dependency, and moving towns to be closer to friends reduced the social call of the pub. And the rest of the cutting right down was purely for health reasons.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I used to drink a lot. Like, 10 pints (proper Imperial Pints, mind. Not your wussy Freedom Pints ) a night, most nights.

Thankfully, that turned out to be a Boredom thing, and not a dependency, and moving towns to be closer to friends reduced the social call of the pub. And the rest of the cutting right down was purely for health reasons.

Stateside we call those Irish Pints.

Sadly, the Germans have us beat in the beer glass category.

I think for me the biggest problem is portion control, I'll cook healthy meals but then eat too much of them!

Bread is a kicker too, who doesn't love a soft floury roll, toast, doorstep sarnie etc. It's hard to make them treats rather than an everyday indulgence.

Yeah, staple foods not being great is a real kicker!

If my understanding is correct, part of the issue, particularly with White Bread, is it’s so heavily processed it’s Simple Carbs, quickly and readily broken down into sugars and energy by the body. And so, it doesn’t make you feel full up for terribly long, or use as many calories in breaking them down.




Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, can anyone point me to a reliable, sane source for food nutrition education?

Only I’ve been around the interwebs, conspirasphere and woosphere long enough as a horrified observer to know there’s a lot of nonsense out there.

Not you, Avocado. Nothing that’s ripe should be slimy. Get in the bin you Hipster Driven Devil Testicle.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
That’s 950 down me neck, as super hungry. Fresh tortellini and spicy tomato sauce did the trick.

Cheesecake will have to wait until tomorrow.

A buddy of mine gave me the book:

Twinkie, Deconstructed
My Journey to Discover How the Ingredients Found in Processed Foods Are Grown, Mined (Yes, Mined), and Manipulated Into What America Eats

By Steve Ettlinger

You will start reading every label of everything you eat and immediately not be hungry for those food products ever again.

What would probably really benefit me would be some easy healthy lunches to take to work. I am in the office every day - I get one free meal a week in the office restaurant/canteen, and the rest of the time I tend to take a packed lunch of sandwich, crisps, choc bar, fruit, yoghurt. Except for the sandwich, basically all just stuff I can stick in a box without any prep involved. I could do with going a bit healthier but am struggling for inspiration...

Depends what your goals are.

I’m looking to shed weight, and am doing so by calorie counting, trying to come in under 2,500 a day consistently, and matching that with increased activity such as gym and floor exercise at home.

If you’re just trying to cut down on The Tasty Crap?

Healthier crisps exist. Snack-a-jacks have an amazing, if mouth melting, Salt & Vinegar. Baked crisps have less fat. If you don’t mind wholemeal bread, that makes for a more nutritious and slightly less calorie dense sandwich. Choccie bars can be swapped out for say, a Tracker bar. Still sweet, but much less chocolate and sugar. Yogurt can be healthy, but you’d need to check your brands and that.

A big saver can be using a sweetener in your cuppa, or even going sugar and sweetener free.

I eat a lot of seafood, because I like it and the Omega 3 oils are good for the heart. Baked catfish with some cajun seasoning can be a delicious easy meal or you can add vegetables and/or cook it in parchment with a sauce if you want to go more extravagant. Fish/shellfish stews, steamed clams, baked oysters are some other options, with fried fish an occasional treat.

For breakfast the Chinese style stir fried scrambled eggs and tomatoes is tasty and a lot more healthy than sausage or bacon if/when your schedule permits cooking a big breakfast.

For snacks, tinned sardines, flavored edamame and walnuts are good choices with protein, omega 3 and fiber, and less of the carbs and saturated fat you might get from other snacks.

Potassium has many health benefits, particularly for the kidneys and it is difficult to get the recommended amounts of it into your diet. 5-10 servings of potassium rich foods or 1/3 a bottle of pills per day! While you don't want to eat a lot of processed foods The low sodium V8 has a ton of potassium and some other nutrients.

Organ meats like beef liver and chicken hearts have lots of nutrients and relatively few calories. These can be an acquired taste and might be a hard sell if cooking for others! Liver in sausages and spreads is another option.

Anti inflammatories are great if you are working out and still quite good for you if you aren't. You can use turmeric as a spice (Indian food often uses it) or take it as a supplement. You can also bathe with epsom salts.

Drink a lot of water, roughly 1 ounce per 1/2 pound of weight, and more if you are being active. And use some moderation. Eating mostly seafood or animal organs can create other problems.

The bodybuilding.com forum used to be a great place for information on health and fitness but it was recently shut down. Not sure what other communities that are out there that are not a hell of bots or people trying to sell you some product or themselves.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
.

Not you, Avocado. Nothing that’s ripe should be slimy. Get in the bin you Hipster Driven Devil Testicle.

Haha I forced myself to eat avocadoes enough times that I like them now. It helped that when I was living abroad they came smooth and buttery off the tree!

Tomato juice is the other one I keep seeing recommended, especially for men. It's so gloopy when you drink it though.

Remember, pure calorie counting works in a calorimeter, not in a living body. You have hormones and gak. You need to be mindful of your blood sugar especially.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Depends what your goals are.

I’m looking to shed weight, and am doing so by calorie counting, trying to come in under 2,500 a day consistently, and matching that with increased activity such as gym and floor exercise at home.

If you’re just trying to cut down on The Tasty Crap?

Healthier crisps exist. Snack-a-jacks have an amazing, if mouth melting, Salt & Vinegar. Baked crisps have less fat. If you don’t mind wholemeal bread, that makes for a more nutritious and slightly less calorie dense sandwich. Choccie bars can be swapped out for say, a Tracker bar. Still sweet, but much less chocolate and sugar. Yogurt can be healthy, but you’d need to check your brands and that.

A big saver can be using a sweetener in your cuppa, or even going sugar and sweetener free.

Yeah have been dabbling with the above.

Goal in a nutshell is staying alive! My grandad and my uncle both died of heart attacks in their mid 50s. I'm 47 and picked up 2 years ago that my blood pressure was sky high. So losing weight would be beneficial - I'm not huge, but I'm 1m75 tall, weigh around 93kg, and suffice to say virtually none of it is muscle... I could do with reducing salt, reducing fat and probably eating more fresh stuff and less processed stuff. And doing some exercise too - I was doing a lot of walking but I more or less stopped after the last charity trek I did (about 18 months ago now) rather broke me.

I got as far as installing the couch to 5k app - but so far it's had very little effect

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
True that. Currently struggling having pulled both my calves, so change in diet is having to do the, aha, lifting for the next few days. I’m more or less fine once I’m up and about, but man I’m bandy like a Cowboy for the first few steps!

But it’s genuinely not too bad. Snacks are now fresh fruit and veg, so knocking out calories and increasing nutrients. Dinners are still pretty satisfying overall.

What I will need to watch is my salt intake. Not like a hawk, but just be a bit more aware of what’s already in the fresh ready meals I’m having.

If you're largely eating fresh and not adding tons of salt yourself, odds are you're doing fine. It's prepackaged food that tends to have the excess salt. Don't even get me started on canned soups. Dry soup mixes and boullion are right out.

It’s a mix. Fridge currently has ready meals, but they’re the sort that don’t have a long shelf life, so aren’t massively packed with salt - but still more than I might use when cooking.

Weekend I’m doing my jambalaya. There, I’ll be using Stock, Smoked Sausage and Chorizo, so will need to go easy, especially when seasoning it when it’s on my plate.

Thinking about it, it seems my eating habits haven’t been terrible. Not great, certainly not even lgood. But not as awful as they could’ve been. About the level where making a conscious switch isn’t proving massively difficult. So that’s something!


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 lord_blackfang wrote:
Remember, pure calorie counting works in a calorimeter, not in a living body. You have hormones and gak. You need to be mindful of your blood sugar especially.

True that. Also when starting out, remember stuff like sugar is actively addictive, so you maybe feel pretty rubbish through withdrawal.

I should also point out this is Budget Allowing. I’m single, the only idiot I’m trying to keep alive on a daily basis, is me. I also work from home, which let’s face it simplifies things massively. I could cook fairly elaborate, multi-stage dishes every day as I’m never that far from my kitchen. Heck, I’m even going to be ditching my weekly shop in favour of walking down the shops every day, to ensure my fruit and veg is fresh, and I’m getting in that little bit more exercise. So I do appreciate I’ve some big advantages here.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, on small swap outs?

Just looked at Warburton’s Wholemeal Pita Bread.

Compare to 112 Calories for a slice of white, or 88 per wholemeal slice? A Pita Bread is 155 for wholemeal or 161 white.

Not a huge cut, but as you only need one per piece, a cut is a cut, and not a negligible one.

Shopping at Aldi yesterday, found some low-calorie bread. 35 calories a slice, and a decent amount of fiber to boot. Pretty good tasting too. Not as good as fresh-baked, of course, but decent.

If you have a breadmaker it might be worth making your own, where you can control what goes into it and therefore your exact caloric, carb, sugar, and sodium content. AND it'll be absolutely fresh to boot, no need for preservatives.

For cooking with spice mixes, I make my own using recipes found online (and cutting the salt as needed) rather than using prepackaged mixes which almost always have a ridiculous amount of salt in them.

Canned goods are always a bit of a struggle, as lots of salt is almost always included. Got to read your labels carefully if you're going to use them.

But if you have the salt under control in most of your food, you can hunt around to find decent sausage and cheeses - both typically high-sodium foods - that won't bust your daily allowance when eaten in moderation.

It’s definitely worth shopping around for better bread.

Made a second Shakshuka today for my post gym late lunch. Same as before, but I upped the Smoked Paprika, and put a wee bit of salt in during the cooking. I also baked it at 220 for 12, instead of 180 for 10. Came out lovely, with a nice depth of flavour for such a simple dish. And it’s pretty damned filling.

Hard to get a calorie amount though. The recipe I found online (which I didn’t use!) is for four people, and says 462 per serving. I didn’t use the Feta that recipe did, and whilst I ate what should be for two, I only included two instead of four eggs.

Either way, it’s low fat, lots of veggies and I guess probably around 600 calories?

Certainly I’ve calorific wiggle room today, which is nice as I’m off to the pub to bother my friend during her shift. Don’t intend on drinking a lot, but knowing I’ve “calories in the bank” means I can have two or three without worrying.

Might have half that Quiche that’s in the fridge before I go. That’s around another 450, as it’s crustless.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Vulcan wrote: For cooking with spice mixes, I make my own using recipes found online (and cutting the salt as needed) rather than using prepackaged mixes which almost always have a ridiculous amount of salt in them.

Is that packet spice mixes? Like Ranch?

I can’t speak for my countrymen, but for me spices come powedered in jars, costing around £1 a pop.

Has anyone tried any of the low sugar/sugar free jams/jellies/marmalades/preserves on the market?

My go to snack that takes me back to happy fun childhood is the classic PB&J... It's my go-to antidepressant in food form.

But its not the healthiest of products and I'm trying to find a less-bad alternative. Any suggestions?

Tonight’s dinner?

Brace of slow cooked Gammon Shanks in a honey mustard sauce (614 Cals)

Creamy Cabbage (140 Cals)

And, like, some air fryer Chips (probs around 200-250 Cals, depending on how many)

I’m really looking forward to it, even uncooked the Shanks smell heavenly.

Ugh. I Might not survive until dinner time.

Ever performed some mindless eating where you turn your brain off and just snack away?

I did that. Ate an entire box of Fiber Bars.

I'm not looking forward to my future.

I do indeed.

Which is why I now buy fresh fruit more or less daily. Basically, when I’ve run out, I go buy more. Which also helps me be that little bit more active, day to day.

My stomach is going to be very active.

I'll be lucky if I can range 20 meters from my home this evening.

But there's always tomorrow!

That, was a bang up dinner! Certainly far tastier than 1,100 or so Calories might suggest.

Even better? It’s left Calories for pudding!

 Quixote wrote:
Ugh. I Might not survive until dinner time.

Ever performed some mindless eating where you turn your brain off and just snack away?

I did that. Ate an entire box of Fiber Bars.

I'm not looking forward to my future.

That's my biggest problem, and possibly the biggest reason I weigh probably double what I should. Mindless grazing while doing other stuff. Well, that and I probably eat too much pizza, although I've cut back on that significantly in recent weeks.

I'm also pretty lazy and don't like to do meal prep type stuff. I know I should as I could be more in control of what I eat compared to my current habits of just eating various frozen dinners that are no doubt full of preservatives and other crap (or just running to various nearby fast food joints and ordering their infamously unhealthy offerings). And then snacking on stuff like potato chips, Chex Mix, and my real go-to snack of choice, tortilla chips dipped in spicy salsa. I was doing better on avoiding sweets, but then Easter rolled around and the stores (including the one I work at) started putting jelly beans on the shelves, and those are one of my big favorite sweet treats.

Another thing that hurts me on the meal prep front is that I'm a notoriously picky eater. At least on those rare occasions where I make myself a salad I do get a nice spring mix instead of plain iceberg lettuce (which I've heard is basically just water and cellulose). So good green lettuce and spinach. But I like Thousand Island dressing (one of the worst possible, healthwise, or so I'm told), and I'm very picky about what stuff I put on top (I don't do fresh tomatoes or mushrooms, to name a couple of examples). Sunflower seeds and croutons, and maybe carrot slices if I feel like cutting up a couple of carrots are my go-to toppings. Somehow or other I have to make myself get over my pickiness and learn to eat better stuff even if it doesn't taste particularly good.

I probably need to replace at least some of the unhealthy snacks with fresh fruit, and that means more than just the occasional banana or orange that I currently do (and those not nearly often enough).

I'm sure my sedentary lifestyle isn't doing me any favors either, but that's a whole other can of worms.

I’d advise All Things In Moderation.

I’m aiming for around 2,000 calories a day, which with increased amount and frequency of exercise should see the weight come off quite comfortably.

But even with that, I’m still eating quite hearty meals. And my snacks I’m just doing fruit and flavoured rice cakes.

So it’s not No Cake, All Exercise. It’s Less Cake, More Exercise. It does take commitment and willpower. But it also takes a little honesty with oneself when it comes to the snacks.

I’d also argue it doesn’t have to be all at once. You can cut back by degrees, and substitute out regular snacks for healthier options.

Just don’t beat yourself up if you backslide a bit. It’s not a race or a competition.

Also also? I think the change in diet just gave me my first Bum Jumble Sale. Which honestly felt pretty good, and has left me feeling a lot lighter.

Gym again tonight. Not sure what I want to do about dinner. Been doing my usual fruit and veg snacks throughout the day, so can have a big one if I want.

And that could potentially extend to a McDonalds. Large Quarter Pounder with Cheese Meal (so with Large Fries) is a little over 1,000 Calories. And I should’ve burned 400-500 by then.

Except, that’s not terribly filling. Tasty in shamefully bland way, yes. But not filling. Also, if I’m gonna do Junk Food this week? I think I’d like to hold out until Friday Night, as there’s an amazing chippy down by the pub, both on the seafront. And what better way to begin my weekend relaxation than a bag of chips, down by the sea, then a few pints? And I do mean a few, not loads. Because that’s responsible, and also beneficial to the old Mental ‘Elf. And by positioning it at the end of the working week, it’s something to be “earned”. Certainly a self appointed award for having done my exercises, and eaten sensibly the rest of the week.

Never, ever neglect your mental health. I had a breakdown around 2018. Do Not Recommend. So even when changing your eating habits to be generally healthier, if you’re craving a bag of chips? Have a bag of chips. Just know you may have to offset certain indulgences with healthier meals elsewhere and some light exercise.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Did a Jambalya in the end. Chorizo is perhaps slightly naughty, but pretty much everything else in it is super lean.

I’ve also been eating fruit and veg the rest of the day, and some flavoured rice cakes.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Sorry for the spam.

But using the Mayo Clinic’s calculator, entering my age, height and weight, it’s recommending I get 2,750 Calories to maintain body weight a day.

And of course, I’m aiming well under that.

Does anyone know if that’s a reputable source? I mean, it’s a name I’ve heard before, but then there’s a lot of names I’m familiar with (Pol Pot, Jeffrey Dahmer for instance) you wouldn’t want advice from!

Good job on consistently going to the gym Mad Doc!

My wife and I started an "Introduction to Yoga" at the local leisure centre a few weeks ago. I mainly did it to get her doing some exercise, but has been surprisingly enjoyable for me too.

Also matching it with home exercises and daily walks. Living on the coast most definitely has its exercise perks!

 ZergSmasher wrote:
That's my biggest problem, and possibly the biggest reason I weigh probably double what I should. Mindless grazing while doing other stuff. Well, that and I probably eat too much pizza, although I've cut back on that significantly in recent weeks.

Grazing (along with overeating) was a massive problem for me. Buffets were the best deal ever for me as if I just waited 15 minutes I could clean off another half full plate even when stuffed. At work, the worst for me was someone putting out a bowl of community chips or candy as I've take a few every single time and the only thing stopping me from finishing off the bowl entirely by myself was the shame of doing it in public. For me, fasting has worked well to control that; I have the willpower to eat absolutely nothing for that 16+ hours but once I start then I feast (on relatively healthy low glycemic high protein stuff that is). I found I had the willpower to say no to everything completely for a time as well as say no at the grocery store but no where else; portion control was simply not in my vocabulary unfortunately and any semi-tasty snack in the house suddenly turned me into Gollum looking for my precioussss.

Another thing is to figure out what you actually enjoy most and focus on that. I found I was eating things simply because they were there and not because I particularly enjoyed them. A typical weekend/saturday afternoon for me used to be having a big bowl of potato chips appetizer followed by almost an entire large pizza (I'd leave one token slice typically for the next day out of guilt) followed by a bowl of ice cream with hard shell chocolate (read: oil and chocolate syrup) toppings. I enjoyed the pizza the most so on my cheat day I said I could have half the pizza... but none of the rest... and the other half of the pizza stayed frozen for the next week as I couldn't trust myself with it cooked/chilled in the fridge. For me, I'd (over)eat anything if put in front of me but I truly enjoyed the savory things the most so I cut out the gratuitous carbs (like pasta, bread, rice, potatoes) and most of the sugar (except for fresh fruit and plain yogurt/kefir). I'm not low enough to be considered on a full keto diet but, combined with the fasting, I am in ketosis (which no one tells you about but you can literally smell it in your sweat!).

I still can't fully trust myself with ostensibly healthy things as I overdo them with 3-4 servings a day (most recently roasted almonds, 85%+ dark chocolate, and high protein fiber bars) but I just stopped buying them and that helped. I'm down almost 60lbs (or 27kg for the metric world) since July 4th 2024 and I can honestly say I haven't been dieting in the sense that I'm eating 2500-2700 calories a day typically (maybe 3000 on days I lift weights). Shamefully, I've still got another 10lbs to lose before I'm back to my prepandemic weight when I lost 120lb in 14 months (though at that time I was actually calorically restricting at 1500 cal for the first 6 months and then increasing 100cal each month till my goal weight).

I need something that I can carry with me, that I can eat in case I get hungry that's filling, but not sugar-garbage... or melt as I am walking for miles in 90 degree Florida heat.

(And is Aspartame free, as that stuff gives me migraines).

 Quixote wrote:

(And is Aspartame free, as that stuff gives me migraines).

I have no idea why (other than maybe it interacting with the fasting) but every artificial or even "natural" sweetener I've tried over the years gradually gives me insomnia if used daily even in moderation (like a tablespoon once a day in my yogurt). It's not instant but within a week or two I wake up at 3-4am and can't fall back to sleep (though I have no trouble getting to sleep initially though). Same thing when I tried creatine when I started exercising which never bothered me in my 20s when I also took it.

I had Nachos today.

Out the box, 80g or so of cheese, and a bunch of pickled Jalapeños because pickled Jalapeños kick all sorts of ass.

I’m very much subscribed to “all things in moderation” when it comes to my new diet. It is a bit boring having to calculate calories, but preferable to “no calories, no joy, no taste, no fun” of certain fad diets.

I am super wary of bread still. Mostly because living on my own, as part of this new dietary regime I can’t really get through a whole loaf before it goes off.

I'm a bit jealous in that nachos with that disgusting fake cheese and jalapenos used to be my go-to theater snack of choice back in the day. Popcorn with theater butter always gave me stomach cramps (at least at the "zero portion control" amounts that I would invariably eat).

Oh this was with a decent cheddar, not that liquid muck that stained my Doc Martens when I worked in a cinema.

Nothing that stains good quality leather is going in my body!

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
I am super wary of bread still. Mostly because living on my own, as part of this new dietary regime I can’t really get through a whole loaf before it goes off.

Have you considered freezing your bread?
It's what I do, although it does mean you always have to have toast.

Yeah, but I don’t like defrosted bread. It’s always kinda gummy to me.

Plus, it means when I’m working from home, instead of slapping a sandwich together, I go make Ramen. Add some pre-cooked chicken and sliced veggies, and it’s a tasty, filling, fairly low calorie but shame about the sodium lunch,

Last year I found out I had celiac disease. It'd been making me gradually sicker and sicker over the last decade and then flared up with some fairly alarming symptoms, some related to vitamin deficiencies from my ravaged digestive tract not being able to absorb stuff properly any more.

Once I switched my diet around and took some multivitamins for a prolonged period, the change to my wellbeing was incredible. I really thought feeling like crap all the time, being bloated, having constant digestive troubles, being really tired and struggling to focus were just me hitting middle age and everyone went through it, that I just needed to suck it up. But it turns out I had really bad chronic inflammation of my intestines!

So I've had to give up loads of stuff and switch to expensive, not as tasty and often not as healthy alternatives for some of my diet. On the plus side, I've had to quit beer pretty much (you can get gluten free beer but I don't enjoy it enough to drink it very often) and I drink a bit of cider now when I feel like a drink. I also don't really eat out any more - I'm so sensitive at the moment that any cross contamination at all can cause me to bloat up and have pretty bad symptoms that last a few days, so it's just not worth the hassle.

Had to switch to eating a lot more rice - my lunches for work are now a lunchbox of sushi rice with some fish and vegetables in, which is probably a lot better for me than my old staple ham and cheese sandwich!

It's really eye opening having something like this happen, you really realise how much you take for granted. And people can be really weird about gluten stuff - I've never had so many people tell me it was all in my head or I didn't really have the issue as I've had with this, and people get weirdly pushy about offering you food, which never happened to me before.

My friend is a coeliac, and she has to be super careful.

For instance, there’s Gluten Free Fish and Chips, and there’s Gluten Free Fish and Chips.

The batter can be entirely gluten free. But if it’s cooked in the same oil as regular batter? She’ll get Glutened. And it can potentially kill her.

So you’ve my indirect sympathies on just how much care a coeliac needs to take.

Yeah it's not worth the hassle because a lot of restaurants are used to gluten sensitive people who probably won't have much reaction to that kind of cross contamination. But in my case it really screws with me for 3-4 days. No chance of killing me, but really not good for me either.

I think it's a bit unreasonable for me to expect restaurants to cater for it to be honest. Wheat is such a staple crop and it's in so much stuff, avoiding cross contamination for someone as sensitive as me is a total nightmare. After a few bad experiences I've just given up eating out. I still go along with friends and have a drink or something, but I'm not interested in running the gauntlet. One time we had indian food from a local restaurant and they advertised as gluten free, and usually we'd no problems because it was all chickpea flour and so on. But then that night they had their auntie in filling in in the kitchen, and the way she made her onion bhajis was with wheat flour. Honest mistake, Auntie didn't look at the recipe because she knows well how to make 'em. They were really apologetic and I didn't mind too much, but they lost me as a customer because I don't feel like rolling the dice every time!

Even just for healthier eating take aways are a risk.

I mean, Pizza Hut and Dominos both show their Calories, as does McDonalds. So I can at least plan around that.

But my local Curry Houses and Chinese places? Not at all.

Indian food can be very healthy, using typically lean meats, lots of veg and pulses. But if it’s cooked in butter or bad fats? The calories come screaming back in. And you’ve never much of an idea how much salt is used.

But, whilst I’ve not made a Madras in a while, I at least know I can make Indian food more or less from scratch. Really must try a Chickpea curry soon. Love me some Chickpeas, and it’s never a bad idea healthwise to reduce how much meat we eat.

We do curries with Quorn more often than not, as my eldest doesn't really like chicken. We also occasionally do curries with paneer and carrot instead of meat, which also works well.

I've always had a somewhat complicated relationship with food, that I've been trying to fix lately.

I don't know how healthy my diet is at the moment. On the plus side, I've seriously cut down on the fizzy drinks and snacks and dinner is almost always homemade, on the negative side though, I eat too much toast, dinner involves a lot of pasta bakes and casseroles and I'm still not great at portion control.
Hopefully it evens out to being healthy-ish.

Today's breakfast was the usual instant porridge with frozen fruit (Blueberries) and two slices of wholemeal toast (One buttered, one peanut butter and jam), dinner is https://skinnyspatula.com/three-bean-chili/ with rice and a roll (With luck I'll get at least 4 portions to put in the freezer).

Portion control is a sod.

I live on my own, but so, so many things from the supermarket are intended for two persons. And many recipes can’t be broken down easily from 4 portions to 1.

Some stuff I can portion away quite happily. For instance, in this weeks shopping I’ve two gourmet Scotch Eggs, and two Sicilian Lemon Cheesecakes. There? I just eat one, fridge the other for the next day. All sorted, no harm done.

But, the Sticky Toffee Pudding? That’s intended for two, but comes in a single plastic tray, and isn’t suited to reheating. Same for the Gammon Hocks and Beef Stew with Dumplings.

I can of course work around it, just Decide What I Want For Dinner, add up those Calories, and ensure whatever else I eat doesn’t being my total calories above 2,000 or so,

But again coming back around to even simple sandwiches? Not being able to Leftovers my main meal impacts what I can reasonably devour for lunch.

If they’d just put it into a two serving tray, a few second with scissors would see me right.

Plus? Nobody exactly taught us about healthy portioning at school, or anywhere else.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Back on the Shakshuka again tonight. Very easy, super tasty, and plenty healthy. Really can’t go wrong.

Unless you’ve an allergic related to the ingredients, in which case fair enough.

Oh I’m eating good tonight!

Got my big food order yesterday, and had a Beef Stew with Dumplings substituted, with a Lamb Hotpot.

Which is all of 520 calories! Doing some veg to go with it.

With the weather getting all cold and grey again, tonight's Chicken Salad dinner has become a Chicken Satay Curry.

It can be difficult to eat heathy when you're living with someone too... if one of you has had a tough day and feels like a big pork pie, then it is difficult for the other to not give in as well!

Shakshuka sounds really nice though, I might put that on the menu for tonight myself.

Key to Shakshuka is to spice it as you damned well please!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Today’s 2,000ish calories?

Two fish cakes with some Chips - around 800 Calories for lunch,

Remains of last night’s Jambalya for dinner - around 1,000 calories.

Tomorrow I’ll do Shakshuka for lunch, and dinner I’m having my treat night and getting some fish and chips on my way to the pub. Well, at least some chips.

 aku-chan wrote:
With the weather getting all cold and grey again, tonight's Chicken Salad dinner has become a Chicken Satay Curry.

And, of course, it got warm and bright when I was on my way back from the supermarket. Darn you changeable Spring weather! *Shakes fist at sky*

At least the Sainsburys Caramelised Onion Scotch Egg I brought as a treat turned out to be amazing.

Oh now that does sound amazing!

Just checked its nutrition. It could work as a “more than a snack, not quite a lunch” item once in a while. Would just need to watch the nasties in the rest of that day’s meals.

Lebanese Spiced Rice and Crispy Fish for dinner tonight.

Adding more fish to my diet is probably the bit I struggle with the most when it comes to healthier eating (Well that and cravings for chocolate cake).
Problem is I don't like the tinned stuff (Except tuna, which doesn't count for some reason), fresh fish is pretty expensive and frozen can be pretty hit and miss, and is still kinda expensive.

Fresh Fish is also something you need to plan around, as it goes bad super quickly.

Last night, I had a nice bowl of Ramen. Spicy noods, pre-cooked chicken and a big handful of stir fry veg.

Where I technically went wrong was adding four finger chillis. They’re normally pretty tame, but those four tried to go 12 rounds with my tonsils, realised I’ve not had any tonsils for nigh on 40 years, and so took their frustrations out on my tongue and sinuses.

But hey, that’s a chillis for you!


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also starting to reintroduce slight snackage, as I need to learn better discipline.

Still predominant fruit (love an apple or a pear), and some “baked not fried” crisps. 96 Cals per packet, so still not something I can just devour willy-nilly. But a bag a day is a nice wee treat.

Today's lesson:

Organic ≠ Healthy

I was having some "Organic Wild Maine Blueberry Jam" with my morning English Muffins and godforsaken Black(death) tea...

and started to read the label. I should've just poured sugar onto bread and eaten that. Probably would've been healthier.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Where I technically went wrong was adding four finger chillis. They’re normally pretty tame, but those four tried to go 12 rounds with my tonsils, realised I’ve not had any tonsils for nigh on 40 years, and so took their frustrations out on my tongue and sinuses.

But hey, that’s a chillis for you!

If it doesn't burn your mouth and make your face sweat, and what's more burn the other end on the way out, it just isn't hot enough! I sometimes enjoy a Habanero and Ghost Pepper salsa to dip my tortilla chips in. That stuff is pretty hot! Problem is, like most of my snacks it's way too easy for me to eat too much of that stuff. I do like me some spicy food though!

 aku-chan wrote:
Lebanese Spiced Rice and Crispy Fish for dinner tonight.

Adding more fish to my diet is probably the bit I struggle with the most when it comes to healthier eating (Well that and cravings for chocolate cake).
Problem is I don't like the tinned stuff (Except tuna, which doesn't count for some reason), fresh fish is pretty expensive and frozen can be pretty hit and miss, and is still kinda expensive.

What's worse is that once you've had absolutely fresh fish - as in off the boat, into the pan - you're pretty much ruined for anything else. Freshness makes THAT big of a difference.

 Vulcan wrote:

 aku-chan wrote:
Lebanese Spiced Rice and Crispy Fish for dinner tonight.

Adding more fish to my diet is probably the bit I struggle with the most when it comes to healthier eating (Well that and cravings for chocolate cake).
Problem is I don't like the tinned stuff (Except tuna, which doesn't count for some reason), fresh fish is pretty expensive and frozen can be pretty hit and miss, and is still kinda expensive.

What's worse is that once you've had absolutely fresh fish - as in off the boat, into the pan - you're pretty much ruined for anything else. Freshness makes THAT big of a difference.

I joke that I don’t get fish unless I can smell the sea. Which isn’t strictly true, but not a bad rule of thumb.

Another reason Coastal Living suits me well. Can go down the Harbour, and buy fish fresh off the boat that morning.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Another reason Coastal Living suits me well. Can go down the Harbour, and buy fish fresh off the boat that morning.

That one! The feisty one flopping about. Fillet, deep fry, and bring him to me with a side of chips!

There are three or four Gastropubs/Restaurants down there, including our town’s best chippy.

All of them offer a Catch of the Day, bought from the Fishermen of the Harbour.

Not only does it taste so much better, but it feels like an echo of simpler (but not necessarily objectively better) times.

It's finally salad weather!

Waldorf Salad to be precise:- (https://www.gousto.co.uk/cookbook/chicken-recipes/classic-chicken-waldorf-salad)

A lot of my recipes seem to go down the "Chuck a load of mayo in it, make sure it's not too healthy." route, going to have to change that in future.

Did a naughty today, and ordered a Dominos.

Kinda wish I hadn’t, as it was super disappointing,

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Did a naughty today, and ordered a Dominos.

Kinda wish I hadn’t, as it was super disappointing,

I don’t know what the selection is near you, but where I am there is zero reason to order from a big name pizza chain. Even the smallest of towns has one or more little pizza shops, making it fresh every day.

We do have some decent Pizza places, but they’re few and far between. I guess it’s a food nobody takes entirely seriously outside of Italian eateries.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
We do have some decent Pizza places, but they’re few and far between. I guess it’s a food nobody takes entirely seriously outside of Italian eateries.

Probably regional. Every place is going to have their preferred quick bite place. Here in New York, even upstate, that’s a slice of pizza. But I have no idea where I could get a decent fish and chips, where I’d wager you could list 3 within a short jaunt.

And we do take our pizza pretty seriously.

I’m in NYC week after next.

Am taking a fair amount of cash this time, and I’ll correct my error (heinous crime?) of not having a Slice. Will also get a Nathan’s.

Please. From a former Chicagoian, please don't get a boiled hot dog in the States. It's just sacrilege. Grilled with a nice pickle spear, you can't go wrong.

 Lathe Biosas wrote:
Please. From a former Chicagoian, please don't get a boiled hot dog in the States. It's just sacrilege. Grilled with a nice pickle spear, you can't go wrong.

Can you trust someone from Chicago about food? We know what they call pizza…

I kid. It’s all good. But will agree on the hot dog. I understand why they get boiled, but they are better grilled. With cheese and chili IMHO, but that’s a whole different kettle of fish..

 Lathe Biosas wrote:
Please. From a former Chicagoian, please don't get a boiled hot dog in the States. It's just sacrilege. Grilled with a nice pickle spear, you can't go wrong.

If you were really from Chicago, you wouldn't forget the 80% of the garnishes!

https://www.food.com/recipe/chicago-style-hot-dogs-vienna-beef-75178




Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Nevelon wrote:

Can you trust someone from Chicago about food? We know what they call pizza…

I kid. It’s all good. But will agree on the hot dog. I understand why they get boiled, but they are better grilled. With cheese and chili IMHO, but that’s a whole different kettle of fish..

As a former long time resident who grew up doing the Super Bowl Shuffle on the "playground" (i.e. the parking lot of the school) at recess, I sadly agree on the pizza. New York style is the superior pizza by far but their hot dogs are still garbage.

 warboss wrote:

 Lathe Biosas wrote:
Please. From a former Chicagoian, please don't get a boiled hot dog in the States. It's just sacrilege. Grilled with a nice pickle spear, you can't go wrong.

If you were really from Chicago, you wouldn't forget the 80% of the garnishes!

https://www.food.com/recipe/chicago-style-hot-dogs-vienna-beef-75178




Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Nevelon wrote:

Can you trust someone from Chicago about food? We know what they call pizza…

I kid. It’s all good. But will agree on the hot dog. I understand why they get boiled, but they are better grilled. With cheese and chili IMHO, but that’s a whole different kettle of fish..

As a former long time resident who grew up doing the Super Bowl Shuffle on the "playground" (i.e. the parking lot of the school) at recess, I sadly agree on the pizza. New York style is the superior pizza by far but their hot dogs are still garbage.

I didn't want to overload the lad with options.

But if someone tries to give you a boiled hot dog, they are not your friend, and do not have your best interests in heart.


If you are a fan of rail thin pizza, do not read the spoiler...

 Nevelon wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Did a naughty today, and ordered a Dominos.

Kinda wish I hadn’t, as it was super disappointing,

I don’t know what the selection is near you, but where I am there is zero reason to order from a big name pizza chain. Even the smallest of towns has one or more little pizza shops, making it fresh every day.

Ahhh... having just spent almost a decade in a small town that had one pizza joint - a Pizza Hut - I can safely say that's not always the case.

 Lathe Biosas wrote:

If you are a fan of rail thin pizza, do not read the spoiler...

Spoiler:

Do you know what the best part of NY Pizza is? The box and the crust are made of the same material.

Little Caesars? Greasy cardboard served in greasy cardboard.

Heh. I personally have nothing against Chicago deep dish. Even fine calling it pizza. Good stuff. Harder to find around me, but not impossible. I prefer the NY thin crust, but to each their own.

As a New Yorker I think I’m legally obligated to take shots at other forms of pizza or they fine me on my state taxes or something. Not going to risk finding out the consequences. Nothing personal.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Vulcan wrote:

 Nevelon wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Did a naughty today, and ordered a Dominos.

Kinda wish I hadn’t, as it was super disappointing,

I don’t know what the selection is near you, but where I am there is zero reason to order from a big name pizza chain. Even the smallest of towns has one or more little pizza shops, making it fresh every day.

Ahhh... having just spent almost a decade in a small town that had one pizza joint - a Pizza Hut - I can safely say that's not always the case.

I think pizza joints in NY are like BBQ places in the south, or fish shacks on the coast. One on every corner, and all of them good.

If you ever get in an argument with a New Yorker over Pizza (or an Italian over anything) kindly remind them that marinara sauce originally came from France.

And while I'm dishing out helpful advice...

1. Do not point out French World Cup wins in the UK... (I have a scar for my troubles).

2. The best Fresh Atlantic lobster is in Fall River, Massachusetts- home of Lizzie Borden and the USS Massachusetts.

3. Do not rent a car in Boston, you will never find a place to park it.

4. If you are interested in the Blues, go to Yazoo City, Mississippi (That's where the devil resides), New Orleans, Louisiana, and Chicago, Illinois.

5. We have nothing good to eat in Florida... all other states do it better.

6. Remember to pack the Immodeum and other stomach corrective medications on your trip. Some states have really lax Health Departments.

7. feth your diet while on vacation. You can guilt yourself into submission when you get home.

Hope this helps!

 Nevelon wrote:
Little Caesars? Greasy cardboard served in greasy cardboard.

Hey now, Little Caesars is a guilty pleasure of mine, when I want pizza but don't want to spend the $$$ for a good pizza, or if I'm in a hurry (like on my lunch break at work).

I don’t know what the selection is near you, but where I am there is zero reason to order from a big name pizza chain. Even the smallest of towns has one or more little pizza shops, making it fresh every day.

Luckily this is true of my hometown, but lemme tell you the good pizzas from those shops are a lot more expensive than the ones from the big chains. They really are a lot better though, so when I feel like spending more money I will go to one of those places. When I'm trying to save, I'll order carry out from Pizza Hut, or just pick up Little Caesars if I'm really feeling cheap.

And while I'm on the subject of pizza, one way I find to cut calories when eating pizza is to order a Hawaiian pizza. Yes, it's divisive as to whether pineapple belongs on pizza (spoiler alert: it absolutely does!), but a slice of Hawaiian pizza compared to a slice of pepperoni or sausage pizza is like 20% less calories (ham and pineapple is a lot less greasy than pepperoni or sausage). Plus it's delicious so it's a win-win for me!

 Nevelon wrote:

 Lathe Biosas wrote:

If you are a fan of rail thin pizza, do not read the spoiler...

Spoiler:

Do you know what the best part of NY Pizza is? The box and the crust are made of the same material.

Little Caesars? Greasy cardboard served in greasy cardboard.

Heh. I personally have nothing against Chicago deep dish. Even fine calling it pizza. Good stuff. Harder to find around me, but not impossible. I prefer the NY thin crust, but to each their own.

As a New Yorker I think I’m legally obligated to take shots at other forms of pizza or they fine me on my state taxes or something. Not going to risk finding out the consequences. Nothing personal.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Vulcan wrote:

 Nevelon wrote:

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Did a naughty today, and ordered a Dominos.

Kinda wish I hadn’t, as it was super disappointing,

I don’t know what the selection is near you, but where I am there is zero reason to order from a big name pizza chain. Even the smallest of towns has one or more little pizza shops, making it fresh every day.

Ahhh... having just spent almost a decade in a small town that had one pizza joint - a Pizza Hut - I can safely say that's not always the case.

I think pizza joints in NY are like BBQ places in the south, or fish shacks on the coast. One on every corner, and all of them good.

That's why I'm so glad to be back in St. Louis. Little Italian restaurants everywhere, all of them good, and many serve pizza.

Ironically, there's a lot better Mexican and Tex-Mex here than there was in small-town New Mexico too...

Before I attempt to drag us back on topic 🤣🤣

NYC? I’m hoping to try the fast food places of course. But also Katz’s Deli, and when doing my wandering around China Town and Little Italy, grab something authentically Chinese American and Italian American. Get that taste of America I largely forgot to seek out last time.

Right, back to healthy eating 🤣

Still doing well on my calorie counting, and snack avoidance.

Pizza and hot dogs could be considered "healthier eating," since they could be considered "healthier options," than say motor oil and shale.

My current issue is finding an alternative to eggs. I used to use eggs in a lot of meals, but prices if eggs have jumped in recent months to near prohibitive levels.

Right, last five days before my holiday.

And I’m eating sensibly. Ramen for Lunch (with chicken and veg, approx 600 calories), and ensuring my dinner doesn’t take me over 2,000. Well. Not far over. Not too bothered by a couple of dozen here and there.

And of course, ensuring I get my 5 a day.

Then, come Sunday (flight is Saturday and I get in around 7:00pm to my hotel) I ruin all this good work and go pig out.

So weighing my Muesli is a new one.

189 Cal in just 50g, so definitely worth it.

For Easter Sunday, we smoked some chicken quarters and a tray of veggies. For veggies, we did a mix of chopped broccoli, zucchini, onions, and bell peppers. I put in 3 Roma tomatoes for my wife.

They came out great (although smoked broccoli is only so-so for me) and reheated fine for left-overs to take to work.

Question:

I just realized I've been up and active for 10 hours and I haven't eaten anything and I'm not hungry.

Should I eat something because I think I should? Or just wait until I actually get hungry?

You should eat something, because at a certain point, your body stops feeling hungry despite needing fuel. Particularly if you're enthused by something, and therefore not paying a lot of attention to the world.

Doesn't have to be a huge meal. But try a snack and you might realise that you ARE actually hungry after all.

Get it a lot myself.

That’s the situation I’ll “force” nutrients down my throat. Like, go have a salad. Something proper dense in the goodies.