to think of I cut down UPF I will gain weight?

[healthwoes]

Disclaimer: I am reading ultra-processed people BUT I haven't finished it yet.

Like many I've been dieting most of my adult life. Sometimes more extremely, but always basically thinking about food, what I eat and what I avoid.

I understand the science/explanation about how food manufacturers have essentially made things addictive/moreish and can see that it's a good idea to eat proper, whole food for the most part and would happily aim for the suggested 80/20.

I do worry about gaining weight, a lot. It's taken me a long time to get to the healthy weight that I am and stay here. The food I eat, on the whole, is pretty good but there's definitely easy swaps/wins e.g. my flavoured, protein yoghurt for greek yoghurt & a drizzle of honey. I can make bread. I am a good baker. But here lies the problem- I don't currently eat much bread or cake/home baking because of the calories. If I make it myself, I will eat it "because it's allowed" and therefore my daily calories will go up.

Am I missing something obvious/will it become clear later in the book?

Well if you don’t currently eat bread, you don’t have to suddenly eat bread even if it’s homemade.

Just try and eat a similar style
food to what you already eat and like. Just with less ultra processed products in

you don't suddenly have to eat bread? Just look at what you currently eat and see about good swaps, like your yoghurt example. And try frozen berries rather than honey, in plain yoghurt! Your health will only benefit from reducing UPFs, I'd focus on that rather than your weight. And I think UPFs don't fill you up properly, they're designed to make you crave more of them.

I know I don't have to eat it, but I would want to if I made it! The bread I do eat is generally sourdough/artisan loaf type stuff now and again.

Same with cakes/biscuits. I only don't eat them because I know it's full of fat/sugar etc. From what I've read in the book so far they're saying those things are less important than originally thought. Homemade stuff tastes far superior, I'm not sure it doesn't still have the addictive qualities (I do have an addictive personality too so sometimes all it nothing).

I didn’t, I lose it albeit very very slowly!
And that was with pretty much unlimited cream, butter, cheese etc. I had been snacking so much that filling up on proper whole foods made all the difference!

That's interesting @Excited101 I just can't seem to let go of calories. I do already eat a lot of whole foods/cook from scratch. It's almost like I'm wondering if I cut back the upf I do have, it would make way for having homemade bread/baked stuff... But I can't switch off the "calories!" in my head.

This wins weirdest upf thread. It's not that cakes are 'allowed'. It isn't a weight loss 'diet'.

Yes home made cake is obviously better than shop bought cake but eating a shit tonne of butter and sugar isn't the best plan if you want to lose weight.

Maybe finish the book?

It basically says any non upf version is better than the upf version in terms of health.

I totally know what you mean op, and many on the groups I follow are similar. But give it a go, I didn’t suddenly start making loads of home baked stuff and that obviously helped not involve ‘empty calories’ anyway, but sticking to no/low UPF limited the grabbing of stuff so much for me. You might be surprised!

I find I am snacking less even though snacks I do eat are higher calories.
I feel I am eating more calories but losing weight (guessing my body is working better)
Personally I don't eat any bread. If bread would be a problem perhaps don't eat bread at all or maybe freeze and take what you need.

In the book he very clearly states that too much 'feast food' will make you fat. After all, before UPF people WERE fat as well, just not on the scale as today.

You should find it easier to regulate your appetite if you avoid UPF. However, if you're anything like me, and can override your brain telling you you're full in favour of eating an entire Victoria sponge; then yes, you will put on weight.

@Pinkdogs I don't want to lose weight, I don't need to lose weight and I'm not looking at it as a weight loss diet. I just don't want to gain it either!

Of course the non upf versions are going to be better than the upf versions but in everything I've read on the topic so far there's been an emphasis on not restricting. Clearly I need to read on!

Thanks @Excited101 I'm glad you can see where I'm coming from- I found it a bit tricky to articulate my OP. I imagine the novelty of baking every week/day for non-essentials would wear off pretty quickly so I wouldn't be having stuff all the time.

@kitsuneghost I do miss bread, I just don't find the shop bought stuff worth the cals so don't tend to bother.

Yes @SparrowFeet that makes a lot of sense- people were still fat just not as many I suppose. I definitely have that override function in my brain too!

I think one of the things I'm getting at is that I don't have much to cut out in terms of UPF, it would just be swaps like my yoghurt example. So by cutting back on upf, I'd be adding things in. But like you say, bread is not compulsory. 😥

UPF don’t suddenly change the laws of thermodynamics. You eat more calories, you gain more weight. That’s an indisputable fact. There are probably nuances as to where these calories are coming from but they are not going to change fundamental laws of physics to the degree that you are going to be able to eat homemade cookies all day long and keep your weight stable.

Well that's a bummer @Catza 😅

As I was writing that I was thinking "that's just not how it works though and you know it".

So it's more about if you do eat upf you're more likely to overeat it because it's not as satiating. By swapping to homemade, you're not necessarily saving cals, you're just less likely to overeat it..?

(I promise I'll finish the book. Just interested to hear about individual experiences esp in relation to weight maintenance).

Don’t bake daily?

I mean we only really eat homemade cake or whatever now. But I don’t bake a constant supply. We made cookies last Friday, but that was for bbq on Saturday so cookies shared out was maybe 2 cookies each? We had homemade pitta bread also at bbq. I haven’t made bread or cake since.

I probably average out at baking something different 1-2 times a week. That’s usually one savoury item like pizza dough, bread, crumpets, and one sweet like the cookies above

Ok so one of the points with upf is that the calories don't work in the same way.

500 calories of McDonald's are not processed or metabolised by the body in the same way as a non upf roast dinner at 500 calories.

Your body won't recognise the McDonald's as proper food - so won't burn it off in the same way it would burn the roast dinner off. It'll still take the calories on though.

That's how it contributes to weight gain or loss.

Again this is kinda covered in the book and the original podcast

I think there is a fair bit of calorie saving. I have no specific feelings towards UPF as this just isn’t how I was brought up to eat. Frankly, I think it is a bit of a “get rich quick” thing to sell a book which could be summed up as “eat fresh homemade meals as they are healthier for you”. But I digress…
In terms of calories, when I cook…say… chilli, I use 95/5 beef, plenty of pulses and vegetables and very little oil. If I buy ready-made, it will have had additional sugar, extra oil and much fattier cuts of meat. I can eat the same size portion and consume significantly less calories when I eat homemade. And my chilli has better macro profile with more calories coming from protein as opposed to carbs and fat in UPF.

I am not sure how much evidential base there is for this claim. I am yet to see a study where calories were equated between two groups (UPF and WF). The only studies I have seen are ad libitum feeding and yes, people consume more UPF. Whether they would gain weight if calories were equated remains unknown.. but this information doesn’t sell books.

I don’t think I understand. Homemade cake is still cake. If it’s made with butter it will still be full of saturated fat. If it’s made with sugar it will be still full of simple carbs and high GI.
There’s nothing wrong with eating such things in moderation, so a 100g portion once a week instead of half a kilo daily?

I do kind of know what you mean OP. I normally avoid stuff like ice cream and cakes, but allow the kids to have it. Since we cut out UPF we’ve been making our own and I’ve been eating it (homemade ice cream is to die for!).

But it’s still not a regular thing and overall so much better for my health.

Alongside it we’ve been trying to tick off the 30 different plant foods per week and finding it surprisingly easy when eating a whole food diet.

Just eat healthier home made food. Since I switched to more home made food I have found I am less hungry so naturally eat less.

I've started baking my own bread but I make wholemeal rolls that I can freeze and keep 2 fresh for exactly this reason. A whole loaf doesn't stay fresh for long so needs to be wolfed.

I haven't lost any weight since reducing UPF though. This is more down to Peri-M than eating healthier.

I’m not sure I understand the problem. If you don’t already eat cakes etc why would you start baking them and eating them now?

Homemade ice-cream was an absolute winner in this house and not low fat at all 😩

The difference is if you eat a homemade cake with no upf it is lovely, you had a bit of cake.
If you have a bit if shop bought cake with upf, you have it and are like what else can I have now.

I still don't understand. you don't have to bake and eat cakes and bread? The point is that if you do already eat cakes and bread, it's better to bake your own than buy them. it doesn't mean you can eat home made cake all day long. It's about making swaps from UPFs to equivalent non-UPFs. For example - instead of flavoured crisps, try salted homemade popcorn.

I dont eat things but if I eat more healthy foods I will suddenly start cooking and eating healthy versions of what I don't eat now.....wtf