Spent the weekend with slim people and I now see why I'm overweight

[ChristmasTreeLight]

After having spent the weekend with slim people, it appears that they:

a) don't need as much food to feel full,
I couldn't believe that after X amount of food, they were full - I could have happily carried on eating.

b) can go much longer between meals without eating,
At one point in the afternoon, I was ready to gnaw my arm off, I asked if anyone wanted to stop for a snack (thinking they'd be starving) but no, they were happy to keep going

c) don't crave sweet stuff in the way I do.
I I need sweet things as pudding, I was almost desperate for some chocolate, whereas again they just did not seem to feel that urge.

I am a size 14 and they are 8-10 and now I can see why. It's led me to wonder is it something innate, something physical? Are you just born like that, not to have the appetite or the sweet tooth? Am I simply fighting a losing battle in the vain dream of being a size 10 one day?

In terms of cold being a calorie burner, it has to do with brown fat. Brown fat is metabolically active and our amount of brown fat is increased by various things, one being in colder temperatures.

I make our own flapjacks and cereal bars at home so I don't have to give DS the supermarket ones in his packed lunch. I put 1/3 of the sugar recommended in the different recipes I learnt from. Everyone loves them. If I followed the recipes they would be three times sweeter. I use organic butter by the way. No low fat substitutes. DS is 16 a needs to eat something mid-morning in school.

Dammit that The Truth About Slim People programme isn't available any more

OP - Consider joining the next low carb bootcamp MN thread. There's lots of support and people tend to lose about a stone over 10 weeks eating 3 meals a day. Delicious food and low carb, so you lose your craving for sweet stuff in the first 2 weeks.
I noticed when I went off bootcamp for a weekend after following for 8 weeks (was working in France) how the carbs I ate made me crave more food and I almost slid back to my old ways. Reminded myself about all the health benefits and easy weightloss with this way of earing and got straight back to low-carbing again. Huge relief that I know the scales will go in the right direction if I stay with it. No sense deprivation, or missing out at all.

I just wanted to say thanks for starting this thread, I've been following it with interest. I've been reflecting on my own eating habits off the back of it (overweight, size 14 for context), and whoever said, "eat until you're not hungry, rather than full" hit the nail on the head for me. I tend to eat until uncomfortably full often because I find food utterly utterly delicious. I've been trying to consider this now. I'll see how that goes!

,Haven't had time to read it all, but you are me 20 years ago OP. Except I had a slow burn revelation that (a) the way I ate wasn't like other people ( I thought it was normal to eat the point of physical pain) that (b) I wasn't cool and counter culture to eat like that.
Long story short, I set out to retrain myself (NOT diet). Got a small plate, used that to portion control, stopped snacking and regarded this as long term project. No foods were 'bad' or 'banned' I just eat less. Within about a year I had retrained myself. I am still slim and eat what I want - I just don't want to overeat it or eat crap anymore (back in the day I sometimes had cake, ice cream and chocolate for dinner- - no shit!).
It can be done OP.

ps, I still have something sweet everyday, but say just a bit of dark choc rather than an entire Terry's Orange!

Just read back a bit of thread and someone talking about not fearing hunger! yes, that used to be me. I used to think that you had to eat before you got hungry. I realised that I didn't actually know what hunger felt like as I was never hungry - yet i still had a deep almost unconscious belief that it had to be feared and avoided at all costs.

Another one here who follows a low carb way of eating and loves it.

And low carb doesn't have to mean no carb - I have lentils, potatoes, squashes rather than bread, pasta and rice.

Loads of protein, veg, fat and good carbs.

It's the the way forward... Sugar really is the worst thing you can eat, and it's not cakes and chocolate, it includes savoury foods too! I eat porridge for brekkie, I'm starved an hour later. I eat eggs (literally two scrambled eggs, no toast) for breakfast, I'm still full three hours later.

I eat porridge for brekkie, I'm starved an hour later. I eat eggs (literally two scrambled eggs, no toast) for breakfast, I'm still full three hours later

Oh boy this is so true. I used to eat porridge or weetabix or toast and jam and be starving by 11. Now I either miss breakfast or have 2 hard boiled eggs and don't always even feel ready for lunch by 1pm.

I have the opposite jumping when I eat a boiled egg with toast I have rumbles by 10.30 but with a bowl of porridge I'm full until lunch!

Drop the toast then! I am.more and more convinced that carbs give you hunger. I just eat the two eggs and it keeps me going for hours. No sugar spike to come down from.

Hmmm interesting, I shall try that.

It is very worthy seedy, wholemeal bread.

I'd agree. If I have 2 scrambled eggs for breakfast it keeps me going until lunch.

If i have anything carby, I'm hungry again by the time i get to work!

Lol. Sadly I think worthy seeded bread is even worse for giving sugar spikes. Let me know how you get on if you try dropping the bread for breakfast.

The best breakfast I’ve found for keeping me full is from the Hairy Dieters cookbook - a poached egg, two rashers of dry fried bacon (no oil) and cherry tomatoes on a bed of spinach and drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

Also, while doing the Whole 30 you are advised to try to get out of the mindset of “breakfast food” and eat the previous nights left overs for breakfast!

I watched the film Toast today (based on Nigel Slater's memoirs). It's set in 60s/70s and I was struck by how they stuck to their meals and didn't snack, e.g. Nigel's Dad turns down a slice of meringue "why would I want that, I've just had my tea!" Need to follow his example

I've always had a sweet tooth and get real spikes (lovely) and drops - during the drops I crave a biscuit or something sweet and satisfying, however have been having sticks of celery, nuts (though I usually eat too many in the rush to quench the low sugar feelings) and oatcakes with pate or peanut butter. Oatcakes isn't ideal but better than sugar.
But already I notice less sugar cravings.

Melony if you tried cutting out the things that gave you the spikes in the first place you wouldn't get the drops and crave more food. That's what amazed me when I first went low carb.

Why is seedy bread worse? Surely the seeds are protein not carb?

Seeds contain carbs too though.

At a quick glance it looks lile 13g ish of carbs in a slice of brown bread compared with 18g in a seeded loaf slice.

Wow. My DD(16) is vegetarian and always turns to bread so I try to buy a better loaf. I always make a good meal for her in the evening but she breakfasts ob cereal and lunch of sandwiches. It's tricky for veggies as she's not keen on eggs though i do try to get an omelette in her!

Sounds a miserable way to live though xx