UPF Help- My lifestyle is killing me.

[Ecydsis]

I am at rock bottom. I've been here for a few years now.

I am morbidly obese (I know they don't use that term anymore but it is true)

I have lost all fitness and in my mid forties, I can see my future and it is not good.

I want to start with cutting UPF- I can't currently face being hungry so my thinking is overhaul my diet without worrying about weight for now.

But want to check.

If I make bread I can eat it?
Butter, milk and cheese is ok as long as it isn't slices ?
Pasta/rice is fine if I buy it raw (not pouches)
Canned pulses are ok but not as good a dried.

Meat should be raw and identifiable (ie raw chicken, not bacon?)
Is tea/coffee ok?

Porridge oats and milk?

I'm going to try and start exercising but I am so unfit.

Thanks for any help

Yep - it’s all interesting for sure! Tim Spector (the Zoe health app/testing guy) found the same with porridge. It spikes his blood sugar.

We all react so differently to different foods. Which is why losing weight is so bloody hard!

Have you read Why We Eat (Too Much) by Dr Andrew Jenkinson? It’s really interesting. I read it a few years ago and it made me so bloody angry with the whole diet industry! And food manufacturers. And anyone who says it’s as simple as calories in and calories out!

It is definitely about WHAT we eat. And eating proper healthy nutritious food is so important. And as you are finding out it’s not necessarily about quantity or calories. You are nourishing yourself with healthy minimally processed foods rather than punishing yourself with supposed diet foods and stressing about calories and feeling guilty and like a failure as it’s bloody impossible to keep that shit going for long.

@Ecydsis yes I also get totally starving after eating oats. I still eat them, especially after a swim and I have 200g Greek yoghurt with them to balance out the carbs.

I have to say that I found myself thinking of you this morning when I was looking for some 'easy ginger' and then realised it contained sugar and preservatives. I eat very little processed food myself already, but there are some things I might not have picked up on before now.

@Peridot1 I've added that book to my list, I've also got a few that were recommended by Chris VT. I'm having a break and listening to Mythos Greek Myths retold by Stephen Fry which I'm enjoying.

@Ilovelowry it is certainly pervasive the prevalence of UPFs and it is often easy to avoid, although more time consuming.

Yesterday slightly disordered eating, in that I picked and didn't have a definable meal other than breakfast - but I stayed UPF free. Did drink wine though.

Week 7. Day 1

3lb off this week- total lost in six weigh ins is 13lb.

Have upped the exercise, but only slowly. Have been bouncing most days but only for 10-15 minutes following a beginners rebounder work out. Have also been thinking about when I can walk a little further, or dance in the kitchen a little more, just trying to enjoy moving.

Still drinking more than I would like, working on that again this week. Other than that just keeping going UPF free.

Week 7 day 2.

Sat in my garden, having a coffee. This is only possible because I tidied it at the weekend. Pre making this change I was too tired to do anything. Still got a lot to do but I'm enjoying what I've done.

Breakfast oats, seeds, blueberries and milk.

Lunch. Chicken fajitas

Dinner. Garlic chicken with new potatoes and veg.

Snack, nuts, fruit.

Drink. Water, tea, coffee.

Planning on making cakes so will have one for pudding.

Another day UPF free.

I’ve just read your whole thread and it’s wonderful.

well done @Ecydsis you are awesome.

Inspired me to make some changes.

Thank you @WingBingo I appreciate that.

Someone, who isn't one for compliments, asked what I had been doing as I looked younger. This is the first real life comment, I have noticed the difference in my skin but felt good for someone else to notice. Shows it's not all in my head.

Breakfast. Usual

Lunch Remains of chicken, with new potatoes and homemade coleslaw.

Dinner. Spaghetti Bolognese

Drink water, tea and coffee. Did want some wine tonight but held off.

Week 7 day 4

Brunch- chicken and ham salad with new potatoes.

Dinner- Chilli con Carne - found a shop salsa that is UPF free- but it was £3.00, the cheapest salsa was 79p. However has a really nice smoky taste, downside of no UPF is that it goes off quickly so will have to find a way to use it up. Made my own nachos by toasting UPF free wraps. They were better than they sounded.

Drink, water, coffee and tea, am really enjoying tea at the moment. Didn't drink as much water as I wanted but it has been cold.

Snack, apple banana, homemade cake, one portion.

Week 7 day 5.

Brunch - two slices sourdough toast, mushroom omelette and salad.

Dinner- chilli as I found out Aldi tortilla chips are UPF free- this felt like a UPF meal, a real cheat meal but it wasn't . Home made chili and tortilla chips and cheese. Really enjoyed it.

Drink. Water, coffee and wine.

You’re doing a fantastic job op, really showing self care. Your thread is inspiring. Keep it up.

Thank you @MinnieJumbo self care is exactly what I'm trying to do.

Week 7 Day 6

Brunch. Salmon, hummus (1 artificial ingredient) sourdough and salad.

Dinner. Homemade pizza.

Snack. Banana and home made cake.

Drink. Water, tea, rocks squash. Need to drink more water.

I haven't planned to only have two meals, I just haven't been hungry, which is a new experience. Been craving hummus and haven't had any as making my own seemed painful and the ones in the shop had additives. I looked for the one with the least added, it isn't a UPF food as such, but I'm trying to avoid all additives, but there needs to be balance. Interesting that I'm craving hummus and not chocolate.

Making hummus is easy as long as you have a food processor or blender. The only problem I have is that I never manage to get through the whole jar of tahini before it goes off.
This is making me want to make some now….

Are you finding you’re not needing to snack as much because the proper food is leaving you full?

Yeah id encourage you to try making the houmous, it's simple with a can of chickpeas. Basically just blend chickpeas, a bit of the chickpea water, tahini and nice olive oil. Can include your choice of flavours - salt, cumin, garlic, roasted peppers, beetroot ... So many options.

Thank you both- you are right I'm making my own dough, and sauces and coleslaw so I should give hummus a go. I have just googled and apparently hummus (and tahini) is freezable, so as I'm trying to cut food waste as well this should work. I don't think they sell it in Aldi, will have to go to The Big Shop!

@TheCountessofFitzdotterel yes I think that is the reason - I was permanently hungry (or at least felt that way) before I started this. I would think nothing of waking up and having four (or more) slices of white bread but would still feel, peckish more than hungry, but I wanted to eat more. I could eat a KFC and then have dinner - it just felt like my stomach was bottomless.
I do have boredom moments still, but am eating fruit or nuts rather than biscuits.
I can honestly say that the last few days I haven't been wanting something sweet after dinner, I have a cup of tea and that is enough. It's too soon to know if this is long-term but this still feels sustainable.
My friend asked if I was on a diet and I said no, I've changed my diet, and for the first time it feels true.
I am aware that it is still so early days, I still drink too much wine - although significantly less than I was- I still don't drink enough water. But my other food related changes are massive, I have gone from 80% or more UPF diet to less than 5%, often zero.

Massive indeed! And it might still be early days but sticking to it for almost 8 weeks is definitely more than just a fad. This thread makes me double check ingredients and make better choices so you're helping others change their mindset too! Thank you 👏🏻

I'm still following your thread with interest. I wonder if you feel less hungry as your body is now getting all the nutrients it needs from what you do eat.
That's great the changes are having such positive effects.

It's really interesting that so often we are given the advice "make changes in small steps, it's too hard to change lots at once and will cause failure". I think your thread illustrates sometimes the opposite is true, aiming high and making a really substantial change can be inspiring and motivating. Am interested in what you think?

I wasn't aware that tahini goes off.. I use a jar until it's empty!

Op I made homemade houmous to have with drinks on Friday. I have a nutribullet and it never tastes the same way twice as I make it up as I go along.

Tin chickpeas. Juice of a lemon. Spoonful of tahini. Some of the aquafaba from the tin. Several glugs of EVOO. Then cumin. A clove of garlic.

Sometimes I mix through coriander. Or add turmeric.

Sometimes it is too smooth so I add another half can of beans to make it chunky. You can play around with it. I've been making my own for ten years and it's so much nicer than shop stuff.

That said, I think Natoora do a UPF free one and marks and Spencer do a EVOO only one.

@LeavesOnTrees @ManchesterGirl2 I think your questions are linked.

Yes I think that my body now isn't creating hunger signals because it is getting what it expects and needs. So if I have something sweet my taste buds tell my brain that sugar is coming, and sugar comes - unlike before when I was having sweeteners and body expected sugar and nothing came. Also the vitamin and minerals and real food that I'm eating now must be making a difference to the levels that my body needs.

I think if I had made small steps, just cutting out fizzy drinks or take aways for example then I think I would still have the insatiable appetite. Although on the other hand I have done it slowly in other ways- I am allowing myself to eat as much as I want (except for cheese, but in the first few weeks that included cheese) and whatever I want - as long as it is UPF free (or as close as possible on very few items)

Maybe UPF is akin to an addictive substance? Like many people find it easier to cut things out than cut down.

@ManchesterGirl2 yea, listening to Ultra Processed People, it made sense that food companies make more money if we eat more. And it made sense that profit was all they cared about - this is obvious when you think about it, but I had never thought about it. Also that to make food so cheap it can't be real. The branded food that I have eaten has been expensive, and tends to be smaller producers.

@Ilovelowry thanks for that I'm going to make some over Easter weekend.

@Ecydsis for dipping as well as veggie sticks, i make quick yoghurt bread with wholemeal or rye flour. Equal amounts of Greek yoghurt and flour and some salt, roll it out flat on baking paper (like rolling out pastry) and then bake. Cut into rough pieces and you have a v healthy home made 'pitta/wrap' type bread for scooping up oodles of garlicky houmous.

I know you didn't ask for a recipe but it might be useful for you. Please ignore me if no good!

Week 7 day 7

Brunch. Rest of tinned salmon, sour dough and salad.

Dinner. Steak wrap.

Snack. Pear, Vegetable soup- I had read the thread that has been trending today about healthy eating and it did prompt me to think about my vegetable intake- I don't really like vegetables, but I do like vegetable soup - so I made a batch, adding my home made chicken stock that I made and froze a few weeks ago - learning about making a good stock has really changed my food.

Drink. Water, one coffee and tea.

Another week gone- one bottle of wine this week, which is an improvement on last week. Have been using more creams on my skin and just taking time for me. I've also felt excitement about the using some new bath stuff and seeing the garden starting to bloom. This is new, I used to feel dull, muted, struggled to find joy in things.

Next week goals are to keep wine at a max of one bottle, (aim for less) increase my water and do a little more exercise. And keep as UPF free as possible.

@Ilovelowry honestly all the support is so welcome, it has been such a learning curve. Thank you for the recipe I will give that a go next weekend as well. I hadn't heard of that method and I do think I need more calcium so that will be good. I haven't yet found a upf free pitta and I do love that sort of food.

@Ecydsis try these. HFW recipe. If you cool them in foil to keep them moist they do last for the next day.

We've used them to wrap slow cooked lamb. I use frozen spinach.

They take practice but are delicious.