My Body Image

A few days ago, I posted about the steps I’m taking to tackle some of my mental and physical health issues. I want to expand on that by talking about some other things I’ve been doing this year to improve my health.

Back at the start of 2020, my sister decided to take part in Veganuary and switch to a diet without meat or dairy. It has worked out well for her, so much so that she has continued with a vegan diet for all of this year to date.

While I’d be reluctant to go entirely meat-free and dairy-free, I have reduced my meat consumption this year, as well as my overall food intake.

To my surprise, ditching processed meat in my sandwiches turned out to be a non-event. Honestly, I found sliced beef pretty bland on its own, and sliced ham or pork too salty.

I still consume cheese, but now it’s accompanied by more green leaves or celery. And I’m alternating with hummus and pate in sandwiches, so the amount of cheese in my diet has decreased.

For main meals, we’re having less meat and less often, and steaming vegetables, so they don’t lose the goodness. Our portions have reduced too, while still leaving us feeling filled afterwards. We still have some processed food, mainly for quicker preparation, but avoid anything high in fat or salt.

Desserts are now mostly fruit, and again we’ve not felt any less satiated.

Another significant change I made this year was to drink more water with meals. I’m pretty sure that I’ve not been taking in nearly enough fluids in the past to stay hydrated, and drinking water during meals forced me to eat slowly and chew more.

My breakfast was already fairly healthy, but now I prepare my oatmeal using water in the microwave, then add a little milk afterwards. We buy cheap oats and dried fruits from the supermarket, chopping up the fruits and mixing in with the oats before heating them all up. I have orange juice to wash it down, which also acts as a reminder to take my medication in the morning.

While my mental health has been decidedly bumpy this year, I’ve noticed a steady improvement in my weight and body shape. I’ve lost about two kilograms since the start of 2020, and am down to just over 81Kg, under 13 stones in non-metric measure. When I consider that I was over 14 stone about three years ago, I’m pretty pleased with that! I’ve lost pretty much all the flab that I had around me, and while I’m not ripped I reckon I look pretty good. 🙂