10 a Day (800g) Veggie&Fruit Challenge Participants Check in!

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  • Tum22
    Tum22 Posts: 102 Member
    crzycatlady1 wrote: »
    Sorry I wasn't around today-busy trying to finish a painting project before hubby got back from his trip (and saw the huge mess I had made while he was gone lol). Long, exhausting day but now you only see the paint I spilled all over the floor if you squint and look really closely :D

    Today was a big fat fail for me. I only got in 137g of veg/fruit today (spinach, tomato and mini sweet peppers). I ate a late lunch at around 2pm, due to painting, and it was a quick bowl of soup and a small side salad. I had good intentions to make a larger supper with veggies, but it's now 9:30pm and I'm just wrapping things up-threw some crackers on a plate, slapped a triangle of cheese spread on them, topped them with pepperoni and called it supper :p

    Don't worry. Yesterday was also a fail for me. Back on it today though starting with orange juice.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,148 Member
    Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »
    I managed 578 grams today but I am really sucking at this. Did the powers that be really think that people can eat this much fruit and vegetables? How did they come up with 10 fruits/vegetables? My protein intake is lacking. And if I cut back on other carbs like bread or pasta just so I can eat more fruit/vegetables, I will hate life. Don't get me wrong, I love fruit and vegetables but..........

    How many more days? Lol

    This challenge taught me I would make a bad vegetarian/vegan. I've learned about the food I eat as in what is an actual fruit/vegetable (chocolate and coffee don't count BOO!). I'm also unhappy that only certain amounts of things count, but maybe I'm being too anal about it.
  • Tum22
    Tum22 Posts: 102 Member
    klingonbarbie wrote: »
    as a vegan I already eat more than 10 a day lol but I am concerned that I am going over on my daily 'natural' sugar allowance, i inteNd once the warmer weather here in UK comes at the end of Aprilt o go raw to 4...so that means I will be eating about 20 a day fruit & veggies ps i suffer from a chronic underactive thyroid so my weight loss is very very slow

    I am also concerned about this but am going to ignore the sugar for the month and just try and get the 10 a day in and see what the benefits are short term - if I've lost weight/energy levels/digestive (Brown & Co deposits)/skin condition/water retention/pmt effects etc. Obviously we can never know the full benefits for many years if you are going by the article and avoiding heart attacks/strokes/cancers. I do suffer with high blood pressure and cholesterol and a diet high in fruit and veg can lower these.

    I have tried Raw til 4 two years ago and it was good for weight loss and fun for a while. I went vegan at the same time but am not vegan anymore.
  • crzycatlady1
    crzycatlady1 Posts: 1,930 Member
    edited March 2017
    Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »
    I managed 578 grams today but I am really sucking at this. Did the powers that be really think that people can eat this much fruit and vegetables? How did they come up with 10 fruits/vegetables? My protein intake is lacking. And if I cut back on other carbs like bread or pasta just so I can eat more fruit/vegetables, I will hate life. Don't get me wrong, I love fruit and vegetables but..........

    How many more days? Lol

    I've really been thinking about this too. For some people it seems to be a fairly easy thing to do, but yeah-I'm realizing that I'm not one of those people :p I think its an awesome goal to work towards though, and I do wonder if it will get easier the more you do it? I'm definitely going to keep at it after today and will try and hit 800g or close to it, several times a week.
  • ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
    crzycatlady1 wrote: »
    Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »
    I managed 578 grams today but I am really sucking at this. Did the powers that be really think that people can eat this much fruit and vegetables? How did they come up with 10 fruits/vegetables? My protein intake is lacking. And if I cut back on other carbs like bread or pasta just so I can eat more fruit/vegetables, I will hate life. Don't get me wrong, I love fruit and vegetables but..........

    How many more days? Lol

    I've really been thinking about this too. For some people it seems to be a fairly easy thing to do, but yeah-I'm realizing that I'm not one of those people :p I think its an awesome goal to work towards though, and I do wonder if it will get easier the more you do it? I'm definitely going to keep at it after today and will try and hit 800g or close to it, several times a week.

    This has inspired me to seek out some of the more "light weight" vegetables. Bell peppers and the like. I think it would help a lot!
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,148 Member
    I like carrots, but I'm not buying them this week. This challenge has forced me to push my dental visit up by a month. My poor, sore, bleeding gums.
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    I went back to my roots and fried the last of the zucchini. Would be better with cheese, but I went with simple black pepper.

    I'd find this easier to meet if what I considered a vegetable was actually a vegetable. Enough of me b1tching.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    1407 made up of watermelon, carrots, hummus (chickpeas), gherkins, blueberries, red pepper, mushrooms spinach, avocado and blackberries.

    It so interesting how some of us find this super easy and yet others struggle.

    And @Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink , forever. Mwahahahaha :p

    Well, I know you, AnnPT, and I are vegetarians. I don't know about the other ones who are finding it easy are doing it. I know that being a veggie makes it easy for me.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,168 Member
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Scrap that - 1677. Needed more watermelon...

    Yet more illustration that satiation is individual. ;)

    (I'm in the "easy" camp . . . but admit I've been practicing for a while. :) )
  • Tum22
    Tum22 Posts: 102 Member
    Approximately 800g:

    Radish 14g
    Cherry tomatoes 37g
    Lettuce 70g
    Cucumber 45g
    Beetroot 82g
    Carrot 25g
    Celery 28g
    Strawberries 80g
    Leeks 120g
    Red cabbage 60g
    Apple 20g
    Parsnip 50g
    Banana one
    Orange juice
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    1407 made up of watermelon, carrots, hummus (chickpeas), gherkins, blueberries, red pepper, mushrooms spinach, avocado and blackberries.

    It so interesting how some of us find this super easy and yet others struggle.

    And @Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink , forever. Mwahahahaha :p

    Well, I know you, AnnPT, and I are vegetarians. I don't know about the other ones who are finding it easy are doing it. I know that being a veggie makes it easy for me.
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Scrap that - 1677. Needed more watermelon...

    Yet more illustration that satiation is individual. ;)

    (I'm in the "easy" camp . . . but admit I've been practicing for a while. :) )

    Yes indeedy, it's much easier for us Vegeosaurs who have been doing it awhile. I liken it to walking or running, really it's something that you probably have to build up. I'm not surprised some people are feeling bloated and full if their digestive systems are not primed to deal with a kilo of fruit and veg a day!!

    I've been mucking around with my diet this year in an attempt to identify eczema triggers (now that the bell peppers in my fridge have all been eaten I'm probably not going to replenish them, I'll sub in something else in their place), so my protein was down this week purely because I'd changed lunch from cottage cheese on toast (cutting out wheat/gluten :'( ) to carrots and hummus. Next week I'll make a second dip thing with cottage cheese and avocado to bump that up again, and have cucumber sticks as well as carrot. I may need to ditch some fruit to allow for that, but it's end of season for blueberries anyway, so that's quite convenient. Had more than a few 'blueberry raisins' in this past week's punnets.
  • ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
    What I also found is all this extra eating is making me tired! I usually avoid naps, but now I feel like I need one. It's like my body is going to conserve energy one way or another and it is going to do it by making me sleepy!
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    1407 made up of watermelon, carrots, hummus (chickpeas), gherkins, blueberries, red pepper, mushrooms spinach, avocado and blackberries.

    It so interesting how some of us find this super easy and yet others struggle.

    And @Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink , forever. Mwahahahaha :p

    Well, I know you, AnnPT, and I are vegetarians. I don't know about the other ones who are finding it easy are doing it. I know that being a veggie makes it easy for me.

    I'm definitely not a vegetarian! I have no issues getting 150g protein (from various sources) every day...
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,168 Member
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »
    Tiny_Dancer_in_Pink wrote: »
    I managed 578 grams today but I am really sucking at this. Did the powers that be really think that people can eat this much fruit and vegetables? How did they come up with 10 fruits/vegetables? My protein intake is lacking. And if I cut back on other carbs like bread or pasta just so I can eat more fruit/vegetables, I will hate life. Don't get me wrong, I love fruit and vegetables but..........

    How many more days? Lol

    I was wondering where they got that number also! While I do eat a lot of vegetables on a regular basis the amounts do vary and I don't eat a whole lot of fruit. I have made sure to get at least what this requirement states and I have put in a bit of fruit where I previously was not. I wonder if the powers that be have tried meeting the requirement themselves? I have never kept track of how many servings I eat in total so some days I likely ate 800 g or more other days less. I have also had a day or two in the week of having very little if any vegetables.

    That being said I have discovered that:
    1) While I do eat a good many vegetables on a regular basis I do feel the physical difference with meeting this lofty requirement daily.
    a. A more full feeling for a longer time.
    b. A bit of bloating.
    c. Not drinking as much water because my stomach feels full. This may be where some people find sluggish
    bowels I think. Not enough hydration to move it along.
    2) I am able to stuff my self with less vegetables than junk food. Likely the fiber I am guessing. A pack of cookies or quart of ice cream is not a challenge. LOL!
    3) I think people who haven't made vegetables and fruit a part of their regular diet would struggle here. Maybe lack of knowing how to prep the stuff. Maybe they are trying to eat a lot of things like a carrot, or salad and not incorporating the vegetables into meals. (Say, vegetable soup, or a veggie lasagna or other casserole type of thing, maybe a quesadilla with veggies, veggie pizza etc... ) I assume this can feel daunting and tedious for people who are not proficient in the way of the vegetable. This also goes for fruit. I am thinking of the man in the article that was posted further up. He had a grapefruit, apple and banana for breakfast. Most of us could only maintain such intensity for so long.
    4) The sense that all these servings must be eaten ASAP may loom over some folks. Instead of trying to spread it out through out meals and snack some folks may find that they are trying to get in 400+ g of vegetables or fruits in a single sitting. This may be part of what brings on some of the problems such as constantly feeling stuffed, bloated, gassy, and just sick of the vegetables and fruits. It takes about 2 hours for food to leave the stomach, and another couple for it to head through the small intestine. Trying to cram all this through there is going to leave one feeling a little like Santa Clause.

    Just some things that came across my mind. I hope people who have not typically been vegetable eaters do not get turned off of vegetables because it feels impossible or difficult or inconvenient. I think they could offer some creative and more user friendly ways to help people get on with an increase without it feeling like a chore.

    Hate to say it, but despite routinely living "the way of the vegetable", I'm not sure I have tips, other than that "ramp up slowly" one. For the record, I do eat like this pretty much all the time, though I was a little more careful than usual not to have one of my occasional lower days during the challenge (it's most likely to be lower if my day includes a restaurant dinner - sigh).

    I do incorporate lots of veggies into my meals as ingredients - I eat very few of what I consider "filler carbs" like pasta, rice, potatoes, bread, etc. (This is not a dietary religion - they just aren't my favorite kind of calories.) So, I might have something more like a veggie stew or omelet, vs. veggies on pasta or a sandwich.

    But I do eat quite a few big salads, and almost daily plates of raw veggies (small plate, but heaping) . . . and most often, the majority of my daily veggies are part of a single meal.

    For a lot of people, prepping helps - like someone suggested, cutting up veggies in big batches, to eat raw, so they're ready for a few days (some, like carrots, celery or radishes, keep really well in a covered container of cold water in the fridge). I have a bunch of winter squash and cooked dry beans in 2C glass bowls in my freezer - easy to microwave. I also use canned legumes and jar tomatoes; frozen peas and sweet corn; occasionally frozen mushrooms; dried tomatoes and some dried fruit; and preserved things like kim chi, sauerkraut and pickles (though I don't think I've had any/many of those last during the challenge). I haven't done it, but some of my friends swear by those make-ahead quart-jar salads.

    Another idea is to oven-roast a big pan or two of various veggies on the weekend, and put those in the fridge. They're good re-warmed as a side, on sandwiches, in casseroles, and cold on or as salads.

    I think that after one's system gets used to the fruits & veggies, gassiness and bloating isn't so much an issue (at least for me, AFAIK). As far as being sick of them, not gonna happen - I loooove my fruits'n'veggies, so it's a clear eating preference, for me. I'm not sure whether feeling stuffed is a personal satiation issue, or an adaptation issue. They make me feel full and satisfied, but not unpleasant.

    Hope you'll find a way to continue eating a good bit of them, even if not quite so many as this week! ;)

  • lulalacroix
    lulalacroix Posts: 1,082 Member
    @crzycatlady1 Thanks a bunch for starting this challenge. It has been a learning experience.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    edited March 2017
    I forgot to add my thanks for the challenge. It was a lot of fun and got me thinking of ways to increase what was already a pretty good veggie/fruit consumption rate.

    I did find that I went a bit too far and replaced some of my starchier foods with veggies and that by the last day I wasn't as satisfied doing that. I need some starch in my diet. I still get significant veggie intake, though. I'm going to keep working to find just the right balance.

    I never slacked on protein, I'm pretty consistent on always hitting at least 100-110 grams.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
    Today is looking like it will be a lower day for me, nearly 3 in the afternoon and I'm only at 421g. Dinner will get me to 800 though.
  • French_Peasant
    French_Peasant Posts: 1,639 Member
    100 g salsa
    185 g blueberries
    [80] g green machine
    [160] g sweet potato chips
    40 g carrots and beans
    57 g guacamole
    80 g pickled peppers
    160 g bananas
    125 g green pepper

    987 g total....and much hungrier today, although that is both a blessing and a curse. I also managed to get 119 G protein so that is good, although I am over on my calories.

    Thank you @crzycatlady1 for putting this together...it has been a lot of fun comparing notes with everyone, and I appreciate having an audience for my whinging and moaning!
  • French_Peasant
    French_Peasant Posts: 1,639 Member
    Aw man, I typed everything out and my post disappeared. Well, suffice to say I got 987 g in today and my appetite seems to have returned, which is both a blessing and a curse. Thank you @crzycatlady1 for putting this challenge together, and to everyone for putting up with my whinging and moaning!
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    lulalacroix wrote: »
    I also wanted to agree with those that spoke about being too full to drink liquids. I found myself in that situation as well. And I would have guessed that the water in the fruit and veg would make up the difference however I did having notice darker urine at one point. So just something to think about for anyone who may drastically increase their plant intake.

    I think it must be something you get used to?

    I have to consciously drink less water (I can drink 5+ litres a day easily), and eat less vegetables (or choose less fibrous ones).

    @AnnPT77, I could have written your post above - we sound like we have a similar approach to food, with the exception of meat! I can't imagine eating less fruit or vegetables - I get sad when Im prepping for comps and need to cut carbs as it means I get to eat less of them!
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