Food Diary ... less is NOT more.

natashamcn

@nsblue....I live in Halifax, I think I read your story in the paper. I just wanted to say congrats to you, that is a major accomplishment!

mixedfeelings

Get off your high horse.

It's really none of your business if people eat 2 meals a day or 6.

Get off my high horse? Your reply just made me bust out laughing !
Funny, I didn't imply that I was on a pedastal to ANYONE! What works for me doesn't necessarily work for everyone else but I know that my body works better and is fueled better the way I choose to do this.
Common sense prevails ...

Your original post was composed as an attack on others though. It came off as aggressive, which is why most people read it as arrogant.

Most people strive to be better, they want to eat fresh foods but yeah some people don't have the time or money, some times they need something quickly. I'm off work at the moment so I have more time to exercise but usually I leave the house at 7:50am and don't return until 6pm this leaves me five hours to do some exercise, shower cook and relax, not much time at all and I'm sure a lot of people are in the same boat.

Just like your food diary is okay with some processed foods, other people have times like that and it's great that you get to do the recommended amount of exercise each week, I believe minimum should be 30 minutes 5 days a week. But other things also get in the way. When people eat is another matter, I sometimes get what I would consider two meals a day, mainly because I'm up late at the moment, if it's after 11 I will just have lunch and dinner but I will have snacks around that. I lump all my snacks in to one heading, I don't have separate before and after dinner snacks as I don't have a routine. Really it's just down to what you eat, keeping within your cals/carbs/fat, no matter when you eat it. Most people don't do one big meal unless it's a special occasion two meals is perfectly acceptable.

The purpose of this site is to support and educate others, some things that might seem natural to you might be a new experience to others and having this kind of attitude just pushes people away.

delilah47

Yawn.......... another "expert" telling us idiots how to eat....

MaryBeth321

Great advice from a girl who knows how it works!! Congrats on a great post~

Dontjudgemybutt

It drives me crazy to hear people say they don't have time to exercise or prepare fresh foods. Seriously people? Do you know how many hours there are in a day? Trade one sedentary activity for an activity of some sort ... trade that sedentary activity in and take care of your body! Mentally AND physically you'll feel better.

Finding time to exercise can be hard when you are juggling a lot at one time. I am a full time college student who works 30+ hours a week and volunteers at a church once a week. Honestly, most of my free time is dominated by homework, that whole concept of sleeping, and the rare moments I get to run errands. After that, I'm exhausted.

So I'm not sure which "sedentary" activity I could trade in.. unless I just don't do my homework, which would result it my wasting a LOT of money.. hm. I could stop sleeping, but I feel like that would cause other problems.

I will agree with the people who say that you're being judgmental. Sure, there is room for improvement in EVERYONE's life, in some way or another. But we are all here for the same reason. We should be supporting each other, not b-tching about each other. We are all trying to find our way and we all come from different backgrounds. What works for you may not work for someone else, whether that is due to time constraints, finances, allergies, medical conditions, etc..

Just my two cents. You'll probably come back by saying this made you laugh or something.. which is fine.

Masterchef2000

Hey, this is inspiring. Some light at the end of the tunnel???? My kiddos are all boys, ages 4, 3, 18 months, and 6 months. I am soooooooooo overwhelmed, and up still several times a night between breastfeeding the 6 month old, and the 18 month old crawling out of his crib and wandering the halls with night terrors. My 3 and 4 year olds wake several times a night with bad dreams....needless to say, if I get 3 hrs of un-interrupted sleep I am in HEAVEN! This makes me tired all day, and overwhelmed. I cannot cook meals (chop fresh veggies etc...) that take longer then 10 min, or the 18 month old is getting into something he shouldn't, or the baby is rolling into the play zone of the older boys causing chaos, or they are all doing something so dangerous, I cannot keep my eyes off of them for more than a few minutes. I do throw already pre cut and washed fresh veggies into a steam pot really quick, and run back into the chaos to check on everyone.....I do use a lot of frozen and microwave them, so my kiddos do get veggies. I also keep a large amount of fruit on hand so they get fresh fruit several times a day. But I admit, I just do not have time to cook. I find myself microwaving chicken nuggets with their fruit and veggies, or throwing together pb&j's on whole wheat and calling it a day! What I do not have time for is myself. It is easier to drink a shake and down a banana quick so I can be off caring for the kids in a hurry. I mostly do not have the time to exercise. I am last......my kids come first......and I wouldn't have it any other way. Despite all of this, I do manage to get to the gym for 20-30 min 3 times a week (the longest the two little ones will allow, as the workers always come to get me because they have cried the maximum 20 min they allow). I still have managed to lose 44 lbs that I have carried since having my first one, and have 10 to go. I am trying my best, but my hubby leaves at 6 am, and is home at 9-10 pm every day (including wknds). He only has one afternoon off a week, but is usually doing catch up work. I am really a single mother, who never gets a break from a lot of very little, very needy, very energetic boys, and cannot figure out how to cook full healthy meals and exercise like I should. If you have any advice for some healthy quick meal ideas, I would love to hear about them. They just can't take more then a few min to prepare and cook. Any busy mommy advice is welcome!!! Thanks:):wink::yawn:

Oh goodness, there is certainly a light at the end of the tunnel! As they get older things get easier. I love my kids but I do not wish for the days where they need me every waking moment. Breastfeeding a new baby just makes it harder. I wouldn't feel guilty about anything right now. Wait until you can settle into a routine and then maybe look at what you are more capable of. But until then, I wouldn't worry about it so much. The kids are fine, everyone is healthy, happy. That's all that matters in the chaos of new motherhood!

Some quick meals.... I don't really have any. When we are very busy and won't be home until really late, the kids will eat sandwiches and I will eat salad. On the days were we will just be home a little late, I do use my crock pot like mad! Here's an easy one: buy a whole chicken that will fit into your crock pot. 1 tablespoon of paprika, 2 1/2 teaspoons of garlic and onion powder and one teaspoon of salt if you like. Sprinkle it all over the chicken when it's in the crock pot, add about 1/2 cup of water, cook it all day (6-8 hours) and ta da! Delicious, juicy chicken that's falling off the bone with a side of veggies and maybe some mashed potatoes for the kiddies if you like. I have a ton of crock pot recipes if you would like to have those! Just let me know. :-)

Masterchef2000

Just one quick thing, coming onto a thread that other people are still interested in reading, helping others out, just to say "Why won't this thread die"...ect, I just don't understand. It's one little spot on the computer screen that is simply skipped over and not clicked. You don't have to read any of it.

KWKY

Hi Betsygw ,

The fact that you are able to articulate your thoughts so well when you have demands like that is amazing. I have a 3.5 year old and a 9 month old and there are some days when I have to tell people something about five times before they can make sense of what I am saying.

Not sure if it's possible for you to get one but a vacuum pot really saved my life in the first couple of months of babydom... you basically put all the ingredients in the pot, cook it for a bit, then put in pot to continue cooking. For example, I would make a curry or stew the night before, then put in pot, then take it out in the morning to boil it up (takes may be 3-5 mins), put back in pot again and by lunch time you have a meal, and you can eat it for dinner too.

The benefit is that because the vacuum preserves the heat of the food, there is no need to actually stand over a stove, and the longer you leave it, the better the food tastes. And after all this, you only have one pot to wash - bonus!

It also works for things like soup (basically whatever leftover veggies are left + store bought chicken stock, boiled and then pureed with stick blender), which you then serve with toast. or if you feel up to it, put in some quinoa or rice so it's a full meal.

Other than that, my only other suggestion is whether you have relatives who are kind enough to prepare some meals for you to freeze as backup meals?

Take care and best wishes...
KWKY

betsygw

Thanks ladies for the advice, I will try them out! Sounds delicious and easy:) I will make it through these years, and I am sure I will miss them someday

redshoeshelley

Just one quick thing, coming onto a thread that other people are still interested in reading, helping others out, just to say "Why won't this thread die"...ect, I just don't understand. It's one little spot on the computer screen that is simply skipped over and not clicked. You don't have to read any of it.

I couldn't have said it better myself ... I agree. I keep checking in because there are people here with valid points and great health tools (like you !!). The one's who have no interest should just move on to the next topic.
Thanks for the crock pot info ! You should post a new Topic for crock pot recipes

chergarr73

Have to say I agree 100%! I have been on MFP a couple months and have given up quite a few things over that period of time because being brutally honest with myself about calories made me realize some things just weren't worth the calories they were using...which naturally led to more nutritionally sound choices. And prep time is def NOT a good excuse, honestly, most food I eat these days, I eat raw...

Mehagon

Preach it!!!!! My husband and I are busy people too. . . which is why we prepare all our food for the week in just a couple of hours on the weekend - one crock pot dish (10 minutes prep time), one casserole oven dish (10 minutes prep time) and then I make protein pancakes for snacks (total time of maybe an hour to prep and cook). Then it's just a matter of putting it in tupperware to take to work with us and heating it up when we're home! It's so easy if you plan.

chergarr73

I can totally concur with everything you are saying, and I feel that I too am making healthier choices without sacrificing taste or being left feeling hungry. It amazes me everyday the crap I see people putting into their bodies with no remorse for what they are doing. It further amazes me when these same people whine and cry about how they feel bad or have certain health issues. In part, I feel our society is to blame. I am not by any means giving a pass. Just because there is a Krispy Kreme and a McDonald's on every corner doesn't mean you have to stop and feed your inner glutton. Sadly, however, some people will never change and in the end it is and has always been "survival of the fittest". I think Mother Earth rejoices in this fact as she is working ever so hard to support the 6 billion or so people that inhabit her surface. Six billion is triple what she should be able to maintain. So in essence, the gluttonous behavior of the majority of our population is Mother Earth's diet plan to shed a few people.

LMAO!!! AMEN!!!!

sofitheteacup

While I agree that different methods work for different people and a part of the WL journey is figuring out what works or doesn't work for you, I think a lot of the commenters are missing your point that it's incredibly frustrating to read a post from someone who "can't seem to lose weight" and be able to look at their diary and see so many things they could be trying. However, it's not always obvious what they've tried or what circumstances they may be working with.

AmyM713

I'm gonna eat what I want when I want and in as many little or big meals as I like and if I exercise or not how does it hinder your progress, I read these rants and love the high and mighty attitudes people have about how They think it should be done. Stop looking at others diaries one problem solved, if you start reading a post about someone upset about their progress and it bothers you stop reading it, the answer to your problem is very simple you do you and we will do us!