Mamatigerj's Food Journal

Mamatigerj

Mamatigerj

Well-known member
from CentralTX, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 2,947
I MUST change the way i eat if i truly want to improve my health; i DO want to improve my health!

Here are my initial thoughts/goals/plans:
  • Overall i want to eat
    • more
      • veggies (at least 2x day)
      • fish (2-3x week)
      • beans (2-3x week)
      • nuts and seeds
    • less
      • salt
      • sugar
      • wheat
      • dairy
  • ? soy ~not sure where this fits, and i want to do more research

  • Try Intermittent Fasting beginning 12 January
    • Week 1: 12/12 700-1900
    • Week 2: 13/11 730-1830
    • Week 3: 14/10 800-1800
  • Nutrition Challenges i'm considering
    • No Sugar
    • No Junk Food
    • Only Homemade
    • Salad A Day
  • DareBeets ~try at least 1 recipe a week
 

graoumia

Well-known member
None from France
Posts: 627
"Doing Fighter codex / Epic Five"
It is a great idea.

May i asked your age ? It is because I am 49 and in perimenopause, and i was thinking about opening a related subject here to discuss with other women, and finding advices, i know food is really an important part of the gameplay.

I was really not able to eat salad in winter, now i am eating some vegetables that could be included in a salad, i am heating them, and sometime add some real salad on it, and it is better for me
 
Mamatigerj

Mamatigerj

Well-known member
from CentralTX, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 2,947
I've never been much of a meat eater, but i really do like fish and beans. That is why i want to focus on those. I have just been lazy.
Also, at least for me, i think there is a kind of addiction*/habit thing going on with the starchy foods and dairy: the more of it i eat, the more i crave. I know i need to break that cycle.


*I do not use this word lightly. My husband has been in recovery for 37 years, but there are definitely some similar things going on with me and certain foods.
 
Saffity

Saffity

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons from Southern Ontario, Canada
Pronouns: She/Her
Posts: 387
"Getting strong enough to keep two tiny humans from unaliving themselves."
I need to boost my veggies too, I eat a lot of protein and carbs, though I am wheat free due to Celiac Disease. I'm 42 and haven't hit any portion of menopause, but I'm also feeding two tiny picky critics who it's sometimes easier to just get to eat what they want (within reason) than have dinner time battles everyday.
 
Mamatigerj

Mamatigerj

Well-known member
from CentralTX, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 2,947
Okay, so i am taking teeny baby steps here.
Plan for week 1:
Intermittent Fasting 12/12 My eating window will be 700-1900. I am not restricting any foods or making any major changes to my diet at this point, and i will only be tracking two things: protein and water.

MONDAY
First bite: 845 forgot to stop eating last night by 7 and had a snack around 8, so i wanted to make sure i fasted the full 12 hours​
Final bite: 1840 so, i actually did a 10 hour window which is where i want to be by the end of this month​
Protein: 75g​
Water: 60oz​
​
The day went pretty well; i was afraid i would want to eat everything in the evening, but i didn't.
 
Aldethar

Aldethar

Well-known member
Ranger from South Africa
Pronouns: He/Him
Posts: 198
@Mamatigerj I am also trying to fast and eat healthy, but I love food way to much. In the past I tried to document the food that I eat and it never worked out as I was never in the mood to look up the food I eat. What I found out helps is a new app that I found that in which you take photos of your food and it is usually pretty accurate. So for supper, instead of looking up 3 foods every time, I take 3 pics and voila. Done.

Also I did break my fast early a few times and in the past that really got to me. However someone said to me that the key is about consistency, not perfection and that outlook really helped.

Good luck! You got this!
 
OJJJEM

OJJJEM

Well-known member
Mother of Dragons Posts: 656
Mamatigerj said:
i am 61 and post-menopause.
Click to expand...
I hope your study into the use of soy products bears great fruit... I am of the firm belief that soy processed correctly is very healthy for peri- and post- menopausal women, since you're no longer producing buckets of estrogen, but you still need estrogen to be strong and healthy. As I understand it, there are good phytoestrogens, which balance hormones, and bad ones, which simply pump excess estrogen into the body. I'm still on the fence about soy before menopause because of that, but as I said before, in your case, properly processed soy products may actually be very beneficial. Let us know your conclusion, as I find the topic of soy's phytoestrogens effects on women pre-, post-, and peri- menopausal very fascinating, and have yet to come to my own comprehensive conclusion due to the differing opinions of varied sources on the matter!
 
Obsinosterous

Obsinosterous

Well-known member
from PNW
Posts: 363
This is a great effort you're starting here @Mamatigerj. I wish you success. I like your plan, cutting out the sugar and dairy, and including veggies, fish, beans, nuts and seeds in your diet. If you eat 3 servings a day of these as we as your veggies and whole grains, you should be good with getting your protein. I do suggest adding soy to your 2 to 3 times a week rotation. This is my opinion. I understand you need to make your own choices. I can send you some research links from my partner's plant-based eating class material when can get those lessons from her.

@Aldethar, that sounds like a great app. Studies have shown that keeping a food diary can be a big help with weight loss. The interesting part is that it's the act of keeping track of what you eat not the actual calorie or protein counts that does the heavy lifting. Knowing what you are eating in a day provides most of the benefits. The app sounds like a big help in making journalling easy. I like it!
 
Mamatigerj

Mamatigerj

Well-known member
from CentralTX, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 2,947
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me, @OJJJEM; that seems to be where my research is leading.
@Obsinosterous; i would love the information from your partner's class material; thank you.

WEDNESDAY

First bite: 705
Final bite: 1830
Protein: ? i was at about 50g through breakfast, lunch, and snacks; for supper i had a rice bowl w/falafel, portabella, spinach, hummus, and tzatziki, but the restaurant didn't have the nutritional info.
Water: 72oz

I feel like i had a good rhythm going today with my meals and especially with drinking water. I also have less anxiety about losing control in the evenings and wanting to eat all-of-the-things.

I worked a little bit on some menu plans and a shopping list for next week.
 
Last edited:
Mamatigerj

Mamatigerj

Well-known member
from CentralTX, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 2,947
SATURDAY

First bite: 705
Final bite: 1850
Protein: 95g
Water: 48oz

Went grocery shopping this morning; bought more fish, beans, tofu* (and something called "pumfu"* made from pumpkin seeds!), veggies, whole-grain as well as gluten-free-chick-pea*/lentil* pasta, skyr, cottage cheese, and some small-farm eggs.
*These things are new to my diet.
Now to make some menu plans.
 
Mamatigerj

Mamatigerj

Well-known member
from CentralTX, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 2,947
WEEK TWO GOALS:
  • fast 13 hours, from 1830-730
  • 100g of protein every day
  • 2 vegetables every day
  • fish at least 2 days
  • beans at least 2 days
SUNDAY

First bite: 805
Final bite: 1830
Protein: 100g
Water: 60oz

Had a bit of mindless snacking in the afternoon, but i caught it before it went too far. Note to self: don't eat from the container; always put a portion on a plate!
 
Mamatigerj

Mamatigerj

Well-known member
from CentralTX, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 2,947
WEDNESDAY

First bite: 733
Final bite: 1820
Protein: 70g
Water: 60oz

10 days in!
The time restrictions are going better than expected; i have a better sense of control, and leaving off the mindless nighttime snacking is definitely a good thing!
I am still eating more processed food than i would like, trying to use what i already have, but i am paying more attention to portions, and enjoying it less and less!
I am still eating more cheese than i think i should (i love cheese!), and relying on that too much for my protein, but have stopped drinking milk!
I am still sort of flying by the seat of my pants, so this weekend i will dedicate some time and space to planning and prepping.
 
Mamatigerj

Mamatigerj

Well-known member
from CentralTX, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 2,947
WEEK THREE GOALS:
I was obsessing a bit over tracking the protein, so i am giving that a rest this week; instead, i will focus on eating regular meals (not grazing) approximately every 3 hours.
  • fast 14 hours, from 1800-800
  • 2 vegetables every day
  • fish at least 2 days
  • beans at least 2 days
 
Last edited:
Mamatigerj

Mamatigerj

Well-known member
from CentralTX, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 2,947
TUESDAY
  • 845
    • coffee w/cream & 1t sugar
    • 2 slices Good Seed toast w/butter
    • .75oz cheddar
  • 1130
    • can of tuna
    • ramen noodles
  • 420
    • lemon & ginger tea
    • Pumpkin/cranberry muffin
    • vanilla skyr
  • 530
    • roasted cauliflower & green beans
    • w/turkey breast & bacon bits
    • pesto & parmesan
    • half a glass of red wine
    • 2 small pieces of dark chocolate
  • Water: 32oz
My day was a little off from my normal routine, but other than not drinking enough water, it still worked pretty well.
 
Mamatigerj

Mamatigerj

Well-known member
from CentralTX, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 2,947
WEDNESDAY
  • 830
    • tea w/milk & .5t sugar
    • toasted sourdough english muffin
    • 1/3oz gouda
    • farm egg
    • greens & mushrooms
  • 1045
    • coffee w/cream & 1t sugar
    • chocolate muffing made w/carrots & zucchini
  • 1430
    • popcorn
    • 2/3oz gouda
    • 2 slices Good Seed bread
    • peanut butter
    • apple butter
  • 1730
    • lentil soup w/carrots
    • cottage cheese
    • flour tortilla
    • 1 small piece of dark chocolate
  • Water: 60oz
 
Mamatigerj

Mamatigerj

Well-known member
from CentralTX, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 2,947
I got a little bit derailed Thursday night, and then struggled some on Friday. Then i took a computer break over the weekend. I plan to write it all out here in a separate post, because that is what this space is for: to help me process things, learn from them, and ultimately make positive changes.

For right now, though, it's a new week and a new month, and i want to focus on that.
  • I am trying 15-hour fasts this week. 14/10 worked well for me, and i am fine to go back to that if needed, but i am going to give 15/9 a shot. I have no plans to go beyond that, because it wouldn't be doable with my schedule.
  • I now have the Cronometer ap, so i will be using that to record my meal details. I will probably just post my pertinent stats from that in this space, daily at first, buut then possibly weekly.
  • I plan to now use this space now as more of a true journal. I know i have a lot to work through.
 
Mamatigerj

Mamatigerj

Well-known member
from CentralTX, USA
Pronouns: she/her
Posts: 2,947
Last Thursday was day 18 of this grand experiment of mine, and i was actually feeling pretty accomplished.
Just as i was finishing up making my dinner, daughter #2 called me. She was heading my way in about an hour to go to the fabric/craft store and asked if i wanted to meet her there and then have a late dinner and drink with her. Of course, i said yes. I hadn't eaten my dinner yet, and i figured that even if i ate late i could still fast for the 14 hours after (or at least for 12 if 14 proved too difficult the next morning). I was okay with this, and we had a fun visit. I had a grass-fed burger and 1 cocktail, and we split an order of sweet potato fries; i also drank a large glass of water: so-far-so-good. I headed home about 10, and on the short drive i was trying to decide how late i would delay my breakfast the next morning. I wasn't stressing about it, really just sort of curious; i still felt confident in control.

Then, i got home. And all of my plans basically went out the window! Looking back and trying to analyze what happened, i think it all boiled down to tiredness and maybe some degree of home being an environment tied to years of disordered eating and thinking.

Here's what went wrong:
  1. I am an extreme introvert and an extreme homebody, because of this i need to wind down after any social interaction and/or time spent outside of my home.
  2. When i am tired my legs ache. I discovered several years ago that taking magnesium before bed keeps this in check. I took the magnesium as soon as i got home, but my legs were too achy to go directly to bed for a while yet.
If i had been able to just go directly to bed things would have been fine, but instead i sat down for some mindless tv, my default mode to unwind. The problem with this was that the rest of that default mode for years has been mindless eating, and because i was tired, i didn't have the strength to resist.

and more importantly, what went right:
  • I DID. NOT. BINGE! Even though i seemed unable to stop myself from eating, i made deliberate choices. I had a small piece of dark chocolate first, but after something sweet, i wanted something savory (always), so i toasted an English muffin with some cheese. I had some other little thing as well, but i can't recall what it was.
  • I DID. NOT. GIVE UP! Although i didn't have an extended fast, i did get back to that week's scheduled eating window (10 hours) the following day.
It was a very emotional battle, and my emotional recovery was slow.
  • On Friday i grazed rather than eating regular meals, and i didn't log anything, but i still made relatively healthy choices and stuck to my 10-hour window followed by 14-hour fast.
  • Saturday & Sunday i was still feeling overwhelmed and didn't want to log anything, but i ate regular meals again.
Overall, i am proud of myself; i know i cannot be perfect, and trying to be so only leads to heartache and self-loathing. Decades of disordered eating and thinking about food will take a long time to undo, and maybe i never completely will. But i do believe that i can learn from my mistakes and make positive changes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top