2 weeks healthy eating - Public commitment

[Cuore]

I'm generally a healthy eater but lately I've been falling down on my eating habits. I have been behaving on a non-disciplined way and that makes me feel annoyed with myself.

So, there's a way to minimize the likelihood that I do this again: making sure that other people see how I eat unhealthy and how I break my promise.

I've been thinking about asking for an accountability partner, but, which better than 40,000+ accountability eyes watching at me?

So my commitment consists, mainly, on not eating nothing more than necessary; on not eating when I'm not hungry and I know I shouldn't eat but I'm craving for food.

I'll eat four meals a day (or five if I'm studying late). There's no much problem on them being healthy food since that's the food I like (I'm close to a vegan diet although I'm not vegan yet). I'll eat minimum two fruits a day. Coke/coffee and candy are allowed sporadically.

Then, I'll be posting here once a day and tell about my day eating behavior.
Please be implacable if I fail!!
Of course, no need to say anyone is welcome to join me.

See you tomorrow - day one.

[Cuore]

I've been a good girl.

I've eaten just what necessary, even meaning "necessary" less than what I normally eat.

It's been very easy since I would imagine you and I just felt I wanted to do it OK and couldn't fail. But day 1 uses to be the easiest one, so let's see what tomorrow brings.

BTW, post #30, I'm now a "Member".

[nietsdoen]

This is an excellent goal! I hope you stick to it. Keep us updated

[Cuore]

Thank you, Nietsdoen!

[Cuore]

Succeeded too.

It's been quite easy too, and I know that if it wasn't for you I'd have eaten some chocolate cookies or a larger dinner.

^^

[ScottCofer]

Keep up the good work! You can do it ...

[Cuore]

Thank you Scott!!

[Cuore]

Succeeded.

During a nap I've dreamed that I'd eat something between meals and break the commitment, ouch! I felt eased when I woke up.

[lifetimelearner]

good job but I have a favor
can you post what you eat ?

[Cuore]

Originally Posted by lifetimelearner

good job but I have a favor
can you post what you eat ?

Sure! I thought about it but I decided it would be kind of tedious for a possible reader, but, OK.

BTW, you have a nice nick and I guess many of us here relate with it.

[Cuore]

Succeeded!

And my menu, in honor of Lifetimelearner:

Breakfast: Soy drink with corn-flakes.
Lunch: Sauté of zucchini and carrot, with whole-grain bread.
"Merienda": A banana.
Dinner: A peach and some walnuts.

I think I'm going to learn a lot of food vocabulary with it.

[Cuore]

Well done again.

Until last Monday, when I was craving for something (not about hunger) my thought response was "Go with it, it's only one more piece of food". Now it's "Nu nu, you must stick with the commitment on the forum". And it's very easy.

Breakfast: Soy milk with corn-flakes.
Lunch: Salad of lettuce, cucumber and tofu, with whole-grain bread.
Coca-cola zero.
"Merienda": A yoghurt with cashews.
(No dinner)

Today I've tried tofu for the first time, and I've learnt that natural tofu has no flavour, I'll sauté or fry it the next time.

[Cuore]

Today I've had dinner out, so definitely I've eaten more than necessary. It was for social reasons, so I don't know if that is allowed...

Breakfast: Soy milk with cereals.
Lunch: Cashew nuts and two peachs.
"Merienda": Whole-grain bread and coffee.
Dinner: A vegetable sandwich and French fries.

[russianrocket]

Ok, I guess I'll have to be the one to say it. Your healthy eating, doesn't sound very healthy to me. It's lacking a lot of things. And no matter how many combinations I work out, you aren't even eating close to 1000 calories a day.

Also, read up a little on soy. It's not the vegan super food it's been touted as.

[Cuore]

Originally Posted by russianrocket

Your healthy eating, doesn't sound very healthy to me. It's lacking a lot of things. And no matter how many combinations I work out, you aren't even eating close to 1000 calories a day.

I'm a girl, short and less than 50kg (~110lb). My physical activity is moderate to low. So I guess I don't need 2000 calories. Eating that I don't feel hungry for a minute. If I ate more I would just feel more than full... and eating needlessly (exactly the point of this thread). Also I feel perfectly healthy and energetic.
Apart from that, which things do you think I'm lacking? (Although I've posted my menu only three days).

[Cuore]

OK.

Breakfast: Soy milk with cereals.
Lunch: Omelette of zucchini and tofu, with whole-grain bread.
"Merienda": Candy and chocolate.
Dinner: Two peachs.

The candies came because I felt I was in need for sugar. Btw, "merienda" is the name we the Spanish give to the meal wich is between lunch and dinner, I think it doesn't exist a name for that in English.

Apart from that, I take complements of vitamins and minerals and ~1.5 litres of water a day.

[Cuore]

Failed.

It may be the exams stress... it may be RussianRocket telling me I don't eat enough... I'm too responsive. (Nothing wrong with you, RR).
I've been eating cakes and chocolate cookies.
But it's ok to fail and tomorrow I'm on the commitment again.

Yesterday I weighed myself and I haven't lost any kg/lb in this week (I just comment, that's perfectly ok).
The next days I will keep up on the commitment, but I will post only twice in the week, Thursday and Sunday. I hope to be successful.

BTW... I miss the encouragement messages..................

[Cuore]

Succeeded.

Today I've had to struggle with some craving and the only one reason I didn't fall is this forum commitment, I didn't want to have to say "I failed".
Three more days and I will have succeeded my 2 weeks challenge with 1 fail.

[joelr]

Originally Posted by Cuore

Failed.



Yesterday I weighed myself and I haven't lost any kg/lb in this week (I just comment, that's perfectly ok).

Because you "carbed up". When your carbs are reasonably low you lose lots of intramuscular glycogen which uses water as a transport. When you eat a bunch of sugar it gets sent to the muscles that are lacking glycogen, along with water and it causes weight gain or nullifies any weight loss.

You can get away with eating some sugar when your low in carbs because a lot of it is put to use and won't store as fat.
Eating a piece of fruit for supper might cause hunger cravings later. Vitamins, fiber and phytochemicals aside fruit is just a bunch of fructose and your body may crave some fat or protein. It's ok to give it what it needs, it will be used to maintain your body rather than stored as fat.

If you're cheating you might be battling with legitimate hunger pains. Meaning your lacking an essential macronutrient - fat or protein. A good diet should keep you stable and satisfied, as long as you have some protein and fat for your body to break down and work with, the hunger pains should be minimal.

You have to experiment a little.

[Cuore]

Thanks for your answer, Joelr.

Originally Posted by joelr

When your carbs are reasonably low you lose lots of intramuscular glycogen which uses water as a transport.

But I think I don't lack carbs... I eat cereals every day for breakfast and whole-grain bread every day at lunch, apart from the carbs in the fruit...

Originally Posted by joelr

Eating a piece of fruit for supper might cause hunger cravings later.

I never experience hunger cravings at evening/night... Btw, my "Spanish" dinner is not at 5/6 pm... it's at 11/12 pm. (I go to bed some hours later).

Originally Posted by joelr

If you're cheating you might be battling with legitimate hunger pains.

I'm not cheating!!!!
Why would I do?
And I'm being true when I say I don't experience hunger. I struggle with greed, not with hunger.

Originally Posted by joelr

Meaning your lacking an essential macronutrient - fat or protein.

I eat fat and protein in tuna, nuts, soy or avocado...

Originally Posted by joelr

A good diet should keep you stable and satisfied

It does.

Conlusion: Is it really my diet so unhealthy? I don't have a lot of knowledge on nutrition so I just try to do the best I can at the moment. Health and healthy eating are very important for me but right now I have some other more important goals... This one is "additional", so it's not time for me to learn about nutrition yet. This diet makes me feel perfectly healthy and energetic...

[Cuore]

Days 12 & 13, ok. Day 14, failed.
2 fails in 2 weeks.

It seems it's an impossible mission for me... Like I will always struggle with this goal. I like eating too much.

However I'm very content of what I've accomplished these two weeks, much better than previous weeks. And I want to thank the cause of it which is this forum.

I think I'm gonna ask for an accountability partner......

[Dulma]

Hey girl! Don't be so hard on yourself.

Here's an excellent piece of wisdom I've gleaned about eating healthy: how you eat is just as important as what you eat. So if you indulge here and there, feel grateful for the brownie or pizza you're biting into and savor it. Eat it with as much presence as you can, feeling every texture and taste on your tongue. And most importantly, will it to be used by your body as rich, wonderful nutrients. Don't think of it as junk if you're already eating it - your body will just react in kind. Also, chew lots! Lol, that last bit is something I do to make sure I'm giving my digestive system at least *some* kind of a break if I'm eating something I know isn't as nutrient-dense as other things.

[Cuore]

Thank you Dulma.

And I agree with you that we must relish it if we are eating junk food anyway.