How do you maintain food discipline?

Norco Maniac

Is back!
Working long hours at a physical job leaves me zero motivation for cooking. Add rental living with no herb/veg garden and a husband that doesn't cook has meant I've finally caved and bought a microwave. Sundays i do a bulk cook of 3 different meals and box them up in meal prep containers to heat during the week. My three slowcookers are my best friends!

It has helped because i personally prefer to eat at 10am and 2pm only, neither of us eats breakfast as a choice. If im motivated i make us raw smoothies in the morning. The prep containers give cup measurements to keep it simple. I normally save half of mine for cold lunch the next day as hubs is a black hole for food.

This week is my chunky sweetcorn and chicken soup, local pork sausage and veg casserole with pasta on the side (i leave the pasta) and silverside slowcookered with Taka Tala chutney, boiled unpeeled potatoes and steamed veg.

One huge kitchen clean pw and a bit of maintenance washing-up during the week suits me too.
 

Jim Junkie

Used to sell drugs, now he just takes them
Don’t wait, get it checked. Seriously. I’ve always had to be careful with mine, but it’s always been fine...until about 2 years ago, and I was so deficient, doc was surprised I could get out of bed.

If you have a good food processor like a magi mix, make up some almond butter.
Just natural almonds (nothing else) blended up for about 10 min until smooth and creamy. Dip in some apple slices and go hard. Almond are one of the best things out there for you....and this tastes awesome.

You're right, and I should, so will. I'd been putting it down to over-exertion, which it may still be, but it marks a fairly significant change from just 2 years ago when I could happily ride to & from work 5 days a week, throw in some gym at lunch and still be raring to go for a ride on the weekend. These days it's hard to get started on Monday and I'm feeling the affects by Tuesday.

I love the sound of the almonds & apples, that's going on the list. Not a bad one for the kid's lunches either. I'll be raiding the nuts isle this weekend.
 
I'll be raiding the nuts isle this weekend.
I wish someone would raid my nut aisle.

I have a set of garmin scales that estimate body fat %, water %, muscle density along with weight and subsequent BMI.

I know BMI is not much of a guide and for a while I was using just weight but now I find that despite the fact I have been exercising regularly on the bike my weight is heavier than when I was unable to exercise due to a stint in hospital and subsequent recovery.

So now, I guess like Moorey, I'm focussed on body fat % which I believe is a better indicator, and its been telling me to eat better. So now I pay more attention to food macros, but far out its hard to move it to where I would ideally like to be which is sub 15%. Part of that issue is age but I'm not ready to surrender to that demon just yet. The trick I find is eating the right amount of food to sustain output but eating the stuff you like with the stuff you need and not the stuff you don't.

Nut aisle.
 

Jim Junkie

Used to sell drugs, now he just takes them
I wish someone would raid my nut aisle.

I have a set of garmin scales that estimate body fat %, water %, muscle density along with weight and subsequent BMI.

I know BMI is not much of a guide and for a while I was using just weight but now I find that despite the fact I have been exercising regularly on the bike my weight is heavier than when I was unable to exercise due to a stint in hospital and subsequent recovery.

So now, I guess like Moorey, I'm focussed on body fat % which I believe is a better indicator, and its been telling me to eat better. So now I pay more attention to food macros, but far out its hard to move it to where I would ideally like to be which is sub 15%. Part of that issue is age but I'm not ready to surrender to that demon just yet. The trick I find is eating the right amount of food to sustain output but eating the stuff you like with the stuff you need and not the stuff you don't.

Nut aisle.
I've got the same scales myself & just took a peak at the body fat %, which I'd been gleefully ignoring. It used to be about 12% 5-6 years ago, now it starts with a 2, although it has been dropping. The evidence is getting a little damning at this point, I need to sort out my diet.

On the plus side, since my original commitment to eating more nuts and less crap, I have largely done that. That almond butter is the bomb, and goes great with green apples or celery, so I'm keeping that up. Having some cashews stashed away for the quick cravings to avoid the wander down to the servo for a pie has helped a lot too. Today was a dead loss though, work farewell morning tea too many bikkies & cupcakes.
 
Amongst the other fun things I found out last year when I went to the Doctor, I also found out I have high cholesterol. I'm assuming it's hereditary coz my dad has it, is still active and skinny and he is at least 1000 years old.

So omega 3s are high on my list, as are plant sterols or foods that that are fortified with them (like the weetbix).

Every mtb ride I am regularly well over my theoretical max HR, and whilst I recover well and have a resting HR around 50 odd I do wonder sometimes.
 

moorey

call me Mia
Amongst the other fun things I found out last year when I went to the Doctor, I also found out I have high cholesterol. I'm assuming it's hereditary coz my dad has it, is still active and skinny and he is at least 1000 years old.

So omega 3s are high on my list, as are plant sterols or foods that that are fortified with them (like the weetbix).

Every mtb ride I am regularly well over my theoretical max HR, and whilst I recover well and have a resting HR around 50 odd I do wonder sometimes.
Some people also have higher levels of naturally occurring cholesterol. As a 25y vegan, my doc is always surprised at my number. It’s lower than average, but I eat NOTHING containing cholesterol, and don’t have a high fat diet, which can even elevate vegan cholesterol levels.
 

Milpool

Have knuckles, will drag
The nut aisle can be a trap in itself. Nuts are high in fat. It may be healthy fat but they are calorically dense. 1g of fat is 9 cal vs 1g of carbs or protein is 4 cal. Protein is always the best option, it's more satiating and it's thermic effect makes you burn more calories. Things like cottage cheese or tinned tuna is generally a better option.
 

Minlak

custom titis
Bolognese.
Genuinely curious - Why do you think so much Vegan food is named exactly the same as the meat version? Its not going to taste the same as the recipe that bears that name?

I thought it might be to identify what you are eating but that doesn't make sense as it doesn't follow the same recipe?
 

moorey

call me Mia
Genuinely curious - Why do you think so much Vegan food is named exactly the same as the meat version? Its not going to taste the same as the recipe that bears that name?

I thought it might be to identify what you are eating but that doesn't make sense as it doesn't follow the same recipe?
Because I guess it’s to guide people on what the food style is based on? Maybe? Don’t know, don’t care.
I guarantee you put a hell of a lot more thought into it than me, based on you challenging pretty much everything I post about it ;)
My bolognese is indistinguishable from a (probably pretty average) regular version for most people I’ve fed it to. The ‘mince’ in mine is a minor component anyway.

Burger shaped things are convenient for eating in buns.

Sausage shaped things are good in bread or with mash.

Sliced ‘meats’ are convenient in a roll or sandwich.

I’m sure you eat/use/wear a dozen things that really don’t resemble what they originally or technically started as.

I’m not dismissing your question, I’m probably just the wrong person to ask. I’m an ethical vegan. I liked the taste of meat when I was younger. Others are vegan for health reasons. I can’t even honestly tell you if the non meat alternatives taste like what you consider meat, and don’t care. They make up a very small fraction of my diet but they taste good.
 

Mattyp

Cows go boing
Genuinely curious - Why do you think so much Vegan food is named exactly the same as the meat version? Its not going to taste the same as the recipe that bears that name?

I thought it might be to identify what you are eating but that doesn't make sense as it doesn't follow the same recipe?
To be fair...a Bolognese doesn't always taste the same either.
 

moorey

call me Mia
To be fair...a Bolognese doesn't always taste the same either.
Also true. Mine isn’t traditional (aside from meat, obviously)
Lots of onion, garlic, zucchini and carrot (they cook down and dissolve) diced tomatoes, passata, bay leaves, tons of mushrooms, and a bit of ‘mince’.
Cook for a minimum of 3h to thicken up. Bonza.

As you say, I pretty much guarantee a traditional old Italian nana would slap you upside the head for cooking/eating what you think is bolognese, and another nana would slap her for having a differing recipe from another region.
 

Mattyp

Cows go boing
Also true. Mine isn’t traditional (aside from meat, obviously)
Lots of onion, garlic, zucchini and carrot (they cook down and dissolve) diced tomatoes, passata, bay leaves, tons of mushrooms, and a bit of ‘mince’.
Cook for a minimum of 3h to thicken up. Bonza.

As you say, I pretty much guarantee a traditional old Italian nana would slap you upside the head for cooking/eating what you think is bolognese, and another nana would slap her for having a differing recipe from another region.
Sounds like Moorey just invited all of rotorburn for dinner....I'm in.
 
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