Weight loss and healthy eating for a debt free life

WinterWarrior

We had the pink salmon in a tin on special occasions, but in a cheap white bread sandwich…no fancy salad for us @CRANKY40😅 I only remember salad coming out in a bowl at parties…although I loved lettuce and salad cream sandwiches. In the days of proper floppy green lettuce.
i would happily eat snacks instead of a meal, that’s my downfall. If I have a decent lunch I would still want a snack, so my bad logic says just have the snacks 😖

KajiKita

Thanks for the welcome Cranky 😊
You are right about the walking on the spot - that’s something I can do as I cook dinner each evening …

Btw, inspired by this thread I have got off my butt, done some free weights, squats, stepping and a little stretching 😊 (always easier in the holidays!) so thank you 😊

KK

CRANKY40

In other news, BF (best friend for those who didn't read my debt free diary) bought me an easter egg. In the spirit of starting healthy eating I ate it last night with the leftovers of a takeaway from the night before. We always have a takeaway of some description when it's education holiday time. As the only meal maker in this house I feel that I deserve a couple of days off and as we rarely go away on holiday my choice of a break is not making dinner for a day or two. 

Anyway, I weighed myself this morning and let's just say that it's a good job I've started this 🫤 I've written down my start weight so I'm good to go. My next job will be to gather up any chocolate and move it as far away as possible from my computer desk (where most of the mindless snacking happens). I'm thinking that downstairs in the baking cupboard would be good. 

I'm bad at meal planning. I did look at the contents of the fridge while I was making breakfast and think that I could have a fruit salad for lunch. I have blood oranges, apples, bananas, cherries, grapes and sweet clems. I'm not sure about dinner yet. 

Nobody needs to put their weight here or post a loss or a gain by the way. It's about better choices although for me that is tied in with weight loss and reducing grocery spends.  

Take care all of you 😊

strandedinaber

Morning all! In the spirit of starting as I mean to go on I have had a good breakfast this morning. More often than not I skip it but I KNOW that missing it messes up my blood sugar for the day and makes me snack more, so I am determined. Had oatmeal with fresh berries and a green smoothie with courgette, spinach and mango (and some protein powder). So I have already had my five a day. Did a double portion of the smoothie as well so I have some for tomorrow.

Off to do some work (and hopefully burn some calories) in the garden now.

redofromstart

Lovely to see so many people join in. 

Absolutely agree that it doesn't have to involve exercise.

 Over the years I've been employed or not and exercised or not I've never found it makes much difference on my weight. Ability to breathe and run yes, weight, no. 

What does have a massive impact, for me, is not eating cheap biscuits and bread etc which, when I was very short of funds, can be very attractive just because it fills you up.

Tonight's cheap but effective food was very nice rice. Onions finely chopped (MrT has cheaply pre chopped ones on 3 for 2 that can be frozen, but I have the 15p on offer ones) and gently cooked in some oil with turmeric, 
garam masala and whatever spices you have, garlic and ginger (paste or frozen cubes for pennies), once it's had a few minutes on a gentle sweat add your rice (75g per person) and about half as many again frozen peas.l and fry for another few minutes. Add twice as much water or stock per cup as the rice. Mine goes in the oven with the lid on to cook for 20 minutes but hob with lid on works too. Cheap, tasty and filling.  We had ours with lentil and chicken curry but otherwise sliced almonds work for protein.  It's good with leftover meat stirred in at the peas point, or paneer.  It freezes and reheats nicely and is very filling. Add lots of peas and onions to make the half veg. You can tart it up with butter and coriander at the end. 

Grated carrot and cashew nuts works well too.

What are we having? Curry.

with nice rice? Yes.

Lovely. 

CCW007

Have made four portions of carrot and lentil soup for lunches using Olio carrot batons and celery sticks. Relocated protein powder in order to have smoothies and overnight oats for breakfasts.

Determined to get organised before going back to work on Tuesday!

WinterWarrior

we have something I accidentally invented called pea rice @redofromstart. I soft cook frozen diced onions (no oil required) and add frozen sliced mushrooms, add a small quantity of water with 2 chicken stock cubes and one veg stock cube, bring it to the boil and add peas. Let it simmer and then mix in cooked rice from the rice cooker. It works in a frying pan or a big pan and ends up something similar to a risotto. We usually have it with some kind of chicken goujons or a breaded chicken breast sliced up on top and some warm wraps for scooping. Your nice rice sounds excellent.

Less_Talk_and_More_Action

Hello everyone
Thought I would join you - this is a topic that I have so much interest in.  For myself, I have a lot of weight to use and also still repaying debt.  In my mind, the two things are definitely linked and I know that if I don't take a step by step approach to each, then I won't solve either of them.  
I'm really interested in all of your stories, ideas and views in these areas.  I find these boards to be so full of welcoming and positive people who share these things so willingly with no agenda at all and that is such a positive thing.
I am looking forward to participating.

L x 

CRANKY40

Hello @Less_Talk_and_More_Action. Yes, it's a link that I've seen a few times.

I've done a shopping order for delivery next week to keep me from putting things in the trolley that I don't need. I take my dad's cousin shopping to Lidl later in the week so I'll be able to pick up anything that I've missed then - I knoiw that I will need bananas but that's all so far. I didn't order them from A**a as the last ones weren't great. 

The Easter bunny left me a bag of After Eight mini eggs. The HT (who didn't want an egg) had a new Starbucks mug and some white chocolate mini eggs. 

KajiKita

Mini breakthrough here: Mr KK announced over dinner that he wants / needs to lose some weight, so far fewer snacks, no alcohol, no nuts etc. I said I wanted to too and we could do it together. If he gives up alcohol I will give up sugar …! 😳

He wants to lose a stone, I’m closer to needing to lose two and knowing how these things go and how he has a far more physically active job than me (he’s a carpenter), he will lose what he wants to get rid of in c. 1/4 of the time it takes me, but hopefully it will be long enough for me to set some new habits from which I can sustain my downward trajectory …. 🤞

In other news - 10K steps today with much, some fairly heavy, gardening but also LOTS of chocolate … ahem … 😉

KK