Where to begin with healthy eating?

[ToLiveTheDream]

Hello! I just joined yesterday and think it's so lovely to have a great community like this where everyone is so kind. At the moment I feel very overwhelmed when it comes to healthy eating. I have began a 5k program and my exercise has been going well, but when it comes to eating I am slacking (big time) and feel like my weight loss efforts are failing mainly due to the eating part. I tend do have a nice breakfast (oatmeal, Weetabix or toast) but come afternoon I tend to grab every sugary thing I can see/think of (chocolate, biscuits etc.) and just can't seem to stop eating until I am incredibly full. I live at home with my family (I'm 19 and commute to university) and it's difficult to completely control what food we have in the house but they're very supportive of buying more fruits and vegetables but it's just my self-control that is lacking! I don't know what to do/where to begin?! Every time I do I feel like I just fail again.

I am sorry for the very long post, but would be greatful for any advice on what to do/ how to gain self control/ where to start!

Thank you.

[IndigoBlue61]

For me, the biggest battle is hunger, if I don't have enough to eat early in the day I get mid afternoon sugar cravings. Do you have a decent lunch? With good balance of carbs/protein? I make this my main meal, but it's not always easy 😕

Also, from what I've seen Uni food isn't great, packed lunches may be the way to go!

[ToLiveTheDream in reply to IndigoBlue61]

Thank you for replying! Nope my lunch isn't that great, if I am at uni I just take some fruit and at home we don't really 'do' lunch. What do you usually make for lunch?

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to ToLiveTheDream]

I have either eggs on toast with mushrooms and tomatoes, or if I'm out, a salad sandwich with fruit and some form of protein 😊 Could you take some nuts and dried fruit? (Watch portion size) mini packs of meat called "fridge raiders" are good. also, although quite a lot of sugar, mini cartons of fruit juice good for getting carbs into your system quickly. Avoid diet Coke etc as your body will think it's getting sugar and crave it all the more 😕

You are obviously smart, just perhaps not very confident yet at making the right food choices, it will come,😊 Make good habits now, it will be worth it 😊

[ToLiveTheDream in reply to IndigoBlue61]

Thank you for the ideas! Salad sandwiches sound great for a portable lunch and yes taking a handful of almonds sound very practical!

Thank you so much for the reassurance, yes I think I need to be more confident and will keep that in mind! Thank you so much, again! Hope you had a lovely day

[CatRuns]

It's really tough. But you must think it's a habit. Like any other habits it can only be changed little by little and over time.

I've had such a recent revelation about this. I realised that I will not wake up one day and eat healthily all day everyday henceforth! That's not a thing. I'm 38, I've thought that since I can remember.

Instead what happens is: I will wake up and think 'oats or toast? Oats will be healthier I will have that' then I meet a friend and they say 'do you want a biscuit?' ' yes! Yes! YES' I think, then I think say no, see what happens.... 'No, thank you', I hear myself reply. And so it goes on, then at some point I might think, ' it's been a healthy day I will have this peanut butter!' And I do.

It's a bit rambling, but does it make sense? Changes will happen slowly and will mean making choices all day long. But you can. Also being so young, your future self will thank you Well done on the exercise, that's half the battle!

Good luck! Come back to tell us how it's going

[ToLiveTheDream in reply to CatRuns]

Thank you for replying! Yes, that definitely makes sense! It's like taking it one step at a time? Thank you for your supportive words, I'll try to take on that approach, it seems very realistic and logical. Thank you so much!