Is it more about what you do with something,
is quality better than quantity??
You could probably ask this about a few things in our lifestyles.
- Friendships, surely it's better to have few quality friends than a quantity of not so good friends.
- Time spent with family, quality time spent doing something together, making memories, than just all sitting in the same room on various technologies no speaking.
And the last one which springs to mind and I know you are all thinking of....in the bedroom......honestly can you think of nothing else from a innocent title like that....well it got your attention....but don't leave me now, stay with me!
I'm thinking of our plates, yes I'm talking about food.......again, I know! Food seems to take up so much of my thinking at the moment. Changing eating plan has inspired me so much with new recipes, new foods, new ways of cooking and techniques and of course new debates in my head.
After having a rather hefty two sided debate in my mind during housework this morning, I've decided to pop it all down here. Hopefully it will help relinquish the thoughts in my over active brain and plus I love hearing your views and reading your comments!
Ok back to that pesky plate.
When you plate up a meal/snack do you go for quantity? or quality?
For the last 8 months I've been following the Slimming World Extra Easy Plan, Consisting of vegetables, fruits, meats (with fats cut off), white potatoes, pasta, rice all being on the 'free' food list where you can eat as much as you like. With one portion of dairy and one portion of bread, nuts or cereals. (being also aware of superfree foods and speed foods also.) Then on top having up to 15 syns to use a day on extra foods, for example, crisps, chocolates, sauces or alcohol.
(For non Slimming Worlders a 'syn' is worth 20 calories.)
Please be aware I am in no way knocking Slimming World or it's followers. I am extremely grateful to SW for giving me the tools, support & guidance to loose 3st 7lbs. So I am proof it does work. But since switching to Paleo, I've just been thinking more about the amounts available to eat on the SW plan. (see previous warrior blog post for reasons why I switched.)
The Paleo Way is a back to basic way of eating and cooking, similar to our ancestors in a hunter gatherer kind of way. Eating real food and no processed, manufactured, artificial or refined foods. No white potatoes, pasta or grains......yes you read that correctly none of them (to be perfectly honest I haven't missed any of the bulky carbohydrates yet!). You can also enjoy vegetables, fruits, eggs, nuts, seeds, seafood, meats with their own fat (this is good fat). It is preferable that the meat you consume is as pure as possible, meaning nothing added to it like water, stabilizers etc and that it is grass fed, outdoor bred, dare I say the word Organic!
To be honest I used to tut and roll my eyes whenever I heard the word 'organic' thinking it's just a chance for supermarkets to charge more and grow their profit margins but then I never really took the time out to read and learn about it. Which is very narrow minded of myself, I know......please don't shoot!
But since I began my mini research mission I've discovered that one of the benefits of eating good ethically raised meat is that they have higher amounts of protein than non free range farmed animals and of course protein is essential to help fuel our bodies. Many other good factors of course include supporting our British farmers and our local economy. I've also found by shopping around it really isn't that much more expensive (aka my new found love, Aldi!) And you get a warm fuzzy feeling knowing you've helped a little farmer somewhere in the country ;)
So back to quantity vs quality.
Is it better to have a plate full to the brim of foods,
just because they are deemed 'free'
Or
Is it better to have a moderately portioned plate of meat and veggies that are nutritionally dense and completely cut out all other
processed food products?
Here is a personal plate comparison of two meals I have cooked.
The first being a meal I cooked whilst on Slimming World. Using 'free' foods and an allowance of cheese and sauces (which were syned) It is an extreme, this was probably one of the biggest meals I ever had on SW.
Big Mac in a Bowl.
The second is a meal I prepared last night the Paleo way.
I see a huge difference. I know which one I prefer now. The top is actually making me feel abit queasy at the thought and sight. But hey I'm being honest and this is what I've eaten.
I know now what I choose to eat more of in the future.
Part of the reason why I left Slimming world is because I was beginning to worry about the diet, low fat, fat free options and processed foods you were allowed. Now I know I didn't have to shove them in my gob, no one had me at gun point, as far as I'm aware, but when its deemed as 'allowed', you kind of trick yourself into thinking arrrrrr its ok to eat this Mugshot, then have 2 Mullerlights and then have a pasta sauce washed down with 3 cans of diet drinks....and that's just for breakfast.....ok, I am joking, I honestly never did any of that but I know people and I've seen the photographic proof on Instagram that this does happen. Its easy to think it's all free so what the heck.
I just began to ask myself, "Everything on this plate, do I really need it?"
I've also seen other plates from Slimming Worlders who have enjoyed a chicken curry with rice, potato wedges and a syned naan bread. It really is not necessary for that many carbs on one plate....eek!........hold on just stepping off my soap box.......
The ingredients then really began to concern me. When I read the ingredients on a few products and I didn't know what half of them were, I got concerned, what was I feeding into my body, what kind of long effect were these ingredients having on me and my insides. I also wasn't feeling much of health boost to be honest. I suffer with terrible monthly woes that only a woman would know about ;) aswell as a few other things (which I will discuss at a later date) but I had just had a feeling I wasn't helping myself as much as I could.
That is my own personal opinion and why I changed lifestyle plan.
The simpleness of the Paleo lifestyle has been a breath of fresh air this last week. Completely cutting out all those processed foods, means they are no longer an option and I dont get the temptation, they are not on my list and therefore take up non of my thoughts. I'm enjoying the simplicity of Meat & Veggies, a little fruit, snacking on nuts. I've realised a diet doesn't need to be a complex web.
I am only in day 4 of my new plan, I know its far too soon to tell any real difference. But I awoke this morning after the best nights sleep I have had in a long time. I've been full of energy all day. Had no temptation to snack, my breakfast kept me going until lunch and my lunch is still keeping me going until dinner in an hour or so. It could possibly be all in my head at the moment, the psychology of eating all this goodness, who knows. All I know is I feel better for it.
Well I think I have reached to my own conclusion, in my eyes the quality of food that goes into my mouth far outweighs the option of quantity I could potentially eat. And size does certainly matter to me, moderation is key.
Whilst on my googling rampage I came across this, its very inspiring, thought provoking, relatable and fully inspired me. Enjoy.
"It is not hard. Don’t you dare tell us this is hard. Beating cancer is hard. Birthing a baby is hard. Losing a parent is hard. Drinking your coffee black. Is. Not. Hard. You’ve done harder things than this, and you have no excuse not to complete the program as written. It’s only thirty days, and it’s for the most important health cause on earth – the only physical body you will ever have in this lifetime.
Don’t even consider the possibility of a “slip.” Unless you physically tripped and your face landed in a box of doughnuts, there is no “slip.” You make a choice to eat something unhealthy. It is always a choice, so do not phrase it as if you had an accident. Commit to the program 100% for the full 30 days. Don’t give yourself an excuse to fail before you’ve even started.
You never, ever, ever have to eat anything you don’t want to eat. You’re all big boys and girls. Toughen up. Learn to say no (or make your mom proud and say, “No, thank you”). Learn to stick up for yourself. Just because it’s your sister’s birthday, or your best friend’s wedding, or your company picnic does not mean you have to eat anything. It’s always a choice, and we would hope that you stopped succumbing to peer pressure in 7th grade.
This does require a bit of effort. Grocery shopping, meal planning, dining out, explaining the program to friends and family, and dealing with stress will all prove challenging at some point during your program. We’ve given you all the tools, guidelines and resources you’ll need, but take responsibility for your own plan. Improved health, fitness, and quality of life doesn’t happen automatically just because you’re now taking a pass on bread.
You can do this. You’ve come too far to back out now. You want to do this. You need to do this. And we believe that you can do this. So stop thinking about it, and start doing."
Sourced from www.whole30.com
This is one of the longest posts I've written in a long time and now I'm beginning to know how Carry Bradshaw feels so I'm going wrap this baby up before I spend the rest of the day shoe shopping and stuffing cupcakes!
I just hope that my new lifestyle choice does pay off, shedding a few more stones, being healthier not just on the outside but on the inside aswell. Otherwise I could end up back at Slimming World with my tail between my legs haha
What the devil are your thoughts? please comment below and I will reply as soon as I can.
If you are looking for a friendly welcoming FB group for losing weight please visit
Also a friendly Paleo group on FB can be found here
Don't forget you can also connect with me:
Tweet at @Little_ts
or Instagram at LyndseyG83
This post is not meant to cause any offence it is mearly an insight into the conversation I had with my own demons in my mind, The SW side of me and the Paleo side of me :)
