Are you getting enough?

greenbee

Yesterday was good. (I thought I'd updated). Breakfast was porridge and a smoothie (1), lunch was red and yellow tomato, cucumber, romaine lettuce, avocado (6) with basil and mozzarella; supper was cauli rice with partridge ragu (again), courgette, broccoli, carrot, broad beans (11). I also ate rather a lot of halloween sweets...

... which may be why today has been hard work. 4am migraine, late start. Breakfast was porridge around 9.30am and a smoothie (1) at midday. Lunch was avocado, red and yellow tomatoes, cucumber and aduki beans (5). I'm not sure that I'll bother with supper - I'm currently struggling to stay awake, but keeping off the sweets!

VfM4meplse

Back on track today (I think!), 3.5:5.

Lynplatinum wrote: »

Phew was getting worried when I read one of your posts splishsplash.

I read that you had consumed only 500 cals that day. I just wanted to say that eating so little is dangerous.

I agree with much of your post but the fact is most of us have physical reserves about our bodies and are able to regulate our blood glucose, which means we can eat VLCDs (very low calorie diets) for a period of time without any adverse effects. Those that have had bariatric surgery for example, fall into that category because their stomach size means physically cannot eat enough. So whilst I wouldn't recommend it for everyone, I think it's much maligned, especially when it could do a lot to reverse T2 diabetes.

greenbee

Today so far.... porridge with dried apricots (1), post-run smoothie with 80g smoothie mix (2), carrot & lentil soup, avocado, tomato (6).

ETA - supper was vegetable rice with an egg: red/yellow/orange pepper (7), courgette, spinach, onion, sweetcorn (9).

VfM4meplse

Yesterday 0:5; today 5:2

greenbee

Yesterday... Porridge with dried apricots, fruit smoothie (2), Lunch carrot and coriander soup, red and yellow tomato (6), pumpkin, spinach and butter bean curry (9) and an apple, and probably some dates and dried apricots (11)

Cutting out sugar and alcohol this month, so eating more fruit. But that's better than the alternative.

Today - porridge with apricots, smoothie (2), red & yellow tomatoes (4), veg pizza (5). Not great as followed them cheese and a SMALL portion of ice cream (instead of working my way through the whole pot). But better than the last few months.

VfM4meplse

Yesterday was 4:0 for me. Today has been 2:4 and I could just keep going with the fruit...!

Although not a fan, I had a bag of parsnips in the fridge and decided to use them up earlier by turning them into a big rosti. Grating them up is an unforgiving job as they can be quite tough and fibrous (which makes me wonder what they might do to my insides) but they work well because they are hard and dry, unlike other veg that give out water. For that reason they also do not take up lots of oil, so for me are a better bet than potatoes. Season well, mix in a small amount of beaten egg and cornflour and fry in a drizzle of hot fat to get it crispy. Turn over and repeat, adding a touch more oil if necessary. Cooking takes just minutes and give a much tastier result IMO than roasting.

I have a freezer full of pre-prepared vegetable-based food now and am looking forward to running it down to get more veg inside me!

Florence_J

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Yesterday was 4:0 for me. Today has been 2:4 and I could just keep going with the fruit...!

Although not a fan, I had a bag of parsnips in the fridge and decided to use them up earlier by turning them into a big rosti. Grating them up is an unforgiving job as they can be quite tough and fibrous (which makes me wonder what they might do to my insides) but they work well because they are hard and dry, unlike other veg that give out water. For that reason they also do not take up lots of oil, so for me are a better bet than potatoes. Season well, mix in a small amount of beaten egg and cornflour and fry in a drizzle of hot fat to get it crispy. Turn over and repeat, adding a touch more oil if necessary. Cooking takes just minutes and give a much tastier result IMO than roasting.

I have a freezer full of pre-prepared vegetable-based food now and am looking forward to running it down to get more veg inside me!

What you've said about parsnips sounds perfect for me as we have several needing eating and I just bought cornflour today. I also have a ton of eggs. Thank you for your suggestion.

greenbee

Um... Yesterday.... Breakfast was potato cakes, avocado, bacon, eggs, tomato (2) and a smoothie (3). Lunch was salmon terrine and lettuce courgette and tomato (6) salad. Supper was Pumpkin, Sausage and Bean chilli (8). And I had an apple at some point (9)

Today - porridge with apricots (1), smoothie (2); salmon with avocado, lettuce, red and yellow tomatoes (6); chicken, aubergine, pepper and fennel casserole with rice and broad beans (10)

splishsplash

Evening! Life has been throwing curve balls at people close to me, as it does, so forgot about posting.

Food has been good, I think I've easily hit the 5 a day target.

Yesterday we had soup for lunch (2) and chili con carne (2) with rice, broccoli and sweetcorn (2), so yesterday's totals were 6:0.

Soup for lunch today (2), lasagne (1) with broccoli, carrots and green beans (3) and mash for dinner. Today's totals: 6:0.

splishsplash

Lynplatinum wrote: »

Hiya y'all

Phew was getting worried when I read one of your posts splishsplash.

I read that you had consumed only 500 cals that day. I just wanted to say that eating so little is dangerous. I have battled my weight all my life - and for a while went on such a diet until I a) blacked out and nearly crashed the car (luckily it ran off road and into some v squelchy mud and had to be towed out!) and b) collapsed in a warm shopping centre. Be careful if you choose to eat so little - when I went to the docs about the 'blacking out', knowing I was always worried about my weight, he asked if I was dieting and what cals I was consuming and told me, very firmly, never to go under 900 per day - preferably 1000 per day.

Any diet which says you can eat less than that assumes that you are sitting at home doing nowt all day. :mad:

hope you all dont mind the warning, Im not preaching just a concerned friend.
Well done on upping the veg and fruit folks!! Find soup or salad for lunch followed by fruit usually gives me at least 3 per day - have a deconstructed salad or sani with great bread or crackers thrown in a box with lettuce+ cucumber+ tomatoes as a base and then anything else veggie I have around like cold sweetcorn/green beans + a form of protien (lean ham/chicken/beef or rarely cheese) Takes max 5 mins to prep.
Hope this idea helps folk.
Nite all

Thank you for your concern, lynplatinum! It is true, I have been following a 5:2 diet for the past couple of years now, which has helped me to lost the weight I put on after I quit smoking some years ago.
The aim is to eat no more than 500 cals two days each week. I dropped it for three months following injury, but am back at it again for the past little while. I find it very easy and it appears to be linked with health benefits. I make an effort to up my f&v on the other five days so the numbers average out.