Why We Eat (Too Much)

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

Has anyone come across this book? It's written by Dr Andrew Jenkinson, who is a bariatric surgeon in London. Basically, it's about how to lose weight by lowering your body's natural set weight point. This may take a long time but it's sustainable and doesn't fuck your metabolism.

The book goes into a lot of detail about the causes of obesity, because he says it's important to understand why people are getting fat in the Western world. It pretty much comes down to eating too much omega-6 fat and sugar. The overall volume of food people eat doesn't matter.

I'm trying to work out how you would cut that out practically and I wondered if anyone had tried it. It sounds like going lower carb but not low carb as in low carb diets. He suggests eating low-carb breakfasts and throwing out bread (and anything else baked). I eat toast for breakfast most days and sandwiches for lunch. I'm trying to work out practical alternatives that I actually like.

Porridge
Full fat unsweetened yoghurt
Bacon and eggs
Omelettes
Soup
Oatcakes and cheese
Salads

Other rules include no takeaways or fast food or crisps etc, and no snacks, mainly because most snack food is carb-based with vegetable oil in it.

I was debating with myself if there was any point getting a spiraliser to make courgetti for when I was giving the kids spaghetti - does anyone recommend it, or will it just end up gathering dust alongside my juicer and George Foreman grill.

@HighlandCowbag thanks from me too for your very sensible post. I've decided not to give up almonds and cashews, as you say our bodies can't provide omega 6 and we need it. I eat probably more oily fish (particularly mackerel and salmon) than most people so hopefully that will offset some of the damage.
I won't be having breakfast either, am so used to not eating until midday it would be hard to eat it now. Even though that goes against Dr J's advice.
@Tiredandbored Don't worry about calories, just enjoy eating! I agree totally with the book on low calorie diets not working long term. And not all calories are equal in the way that the body absorbs different foods.

I've considered a spiraliser too - interested to hear if they are worth it or a novelty that quickly wears off.

Yes @HighlandCowbag thank you. Now, off topic but I grow a lot of green salad and nasturtia in pots. Grows like crazy and thrives on neglect. I challenge you to kill a nasturtium - and your salad will look pretty with flowers.

@Tiredandbored I have a spiraliser. It is a bit cumbersome and I keep it in a cupboard but I tend to do quite a big tub at a time. Courgette and carrot keeps well for around 4 days.

@HighlandCowbag I’ve got some beef that needs using tomorrow, was the fried rice as it sounds? I’ve never made it so may need some guidance! But sounds delicious.

@HighlandCowbag I am so impressed with your allotment and how much you grow. I was inspired by your rice pudding suggestion as I was desperately craving.... something! I didn’t have any cream in the fridge and it would definitely be nicer with it, but arborio rice with milk, cinnamon and half a teaspoon of honey was a very good rice pudding substitute.

@Wandamakestoast please tell me about your overnight oats. What do you add to them?

Tinkling just boil your rice up before and cool it down with cold water then pop it in the fridge.

Large frying pan, swirl of oil, add a diced onion, and whatever else you fancy and cook til softish. Add rice, swoosh of soy sauce and stir in. Then make a well in middle, add a beaten egg til it cooks like an omelette then stir rice through it. It only takes a few minutes so make sure everything is prepped and ready.

Allotment is fab, love it for fruit and salad stuff particularly. We also inherited a mature cooking apple tree and have planted eating apple, pear, plum and cherry. But will be a few years for those to fruit.

Oooh might try that Banging. Definitely going to try the mousse tho. Can top them with raspberries or strawberries as well.

Ive also done chocolate pots in the past which from memory are just chocolate and cream. And I am always looking for ways to use eggs up, so may try an egg custard if I can think of something healthy to replace the pasty with.

Not 100% sure all these puddings are conducive to the diet even if they are technically allowed but everyone needs a sweet treat occasionally.

Overnight Oats - this is the recipe I usually do:
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/overnight-oats

However I don’t add nut butter, and I usually use frozen blueberries.

I’ve been adding chia seeds recently as they are high in omega 3.

The spiraliser is worth it to make www.bowlofdelicious.com/two-ingredient-baked-egg-and-sweet-potato-nests/

Have just priced a spiraliser from Lakeland...

Thanks! Will try it. And deffo want to make the mousse, will be a good replacement of the shop bought ones for the kids.

I used to make creamed rice, I don’t remember ever adding sugar. I just did pudding rice and used coconut milk I think it was. Blooming lovely. Might have added some vanilla too come to think of it.

Is rice flour ok to use instead of normal flour?

Yikes, Amazon has delivered my new scales. I haven’t weighed myself in at least 18 months and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty! I’ll steel myself to it first thing in the morning. I need a baseline figure to work from.

@TooExtraImmatureCheddar

Yikes, Amazon has delivered my new scales. I haven’t weighed myself in at least 18 months and I don’t think it’s going to be pretty! I’ll steel myself to it first thing in the morning. I need a baseline figure to work from.

Good luck!!

@samthebordercollie I’m avoiding all flours at the moment (except in things like gravy once a week) but I am working on not having processed foods at all. It’s not perfect, I have slipped up, but I find that helps keep me on track.

As PP have said, it’s just what works for you.

I am struggling mentally with eating fats with carbs. I always thought it was one or the other so I don’t understand how I can eat this many calories together and it be better for my body. I feel like some scales would actually be reassuring but I darent consider it right now because I know I’ll fall off the wagon. Hopefully in a week or two I’ll be able to see / feel it.

@TooExtraImmatureCheddar good luck! X

Tinkling, fats and carbs are higher calories than one or the other. But fats plus carbs plus sugar is the most calorific. Think about a ready meal or fast food. Has all 3 and we eat far too much of those combinations.

Carbs are necessary because it is instant energy for the body. Fat is necessary to store energy and for other health reasons. Sugar in its processed form is not necessary but sugar from simple carbs is good because our body does need energy that is available otherwise we trigger famine mode I suppose.

It's a different way of eating. But no different to the 60s or 70s or 80s when we know obesity was a fraction of what it is now. Step 5 in the book is about measuring and counting the GI of foods which is a way of carb counting but we need to have this woe established before we move to that stage. Diets fail because they are too big a change and feel too restricted. By building up in layers weight loss should be slow and consistent avoiding the yoyo diet.

Don't look at it as a diet, look at it as a lifestyle change. And if you wanted to track calories I bet eating this way is less calories than you were eating before, even with the cheese and butter and potato. Add more veg or salad if you are still hungry or feel you are eating too many but don't start cutting fat or you will be hungrier and don't start cutting carbs or you will be tired and trigger a sugar/energy crash.

Thanks @HighlandCowbag

The concern for me is that I do really want to lose weight. I have an event at the beginning of July and ideally want to be 10lbs lighter! But I have been trying to diet it off for several months and it’s not working, so I know it isn’t the answer.

I have greatly increased my exercise (and given myself an injury in doing so going from 0 to 60) and just need to trust the process. I know it’s healthier for me, all this fresh food can only be positive, I’m just not convinced I’m going to lose weight which is the problem with me not having scales I suppose.

I’m not buying any though!

Oh goodness, the scales were not good! I am in calm disaster mode. I weigh 13 stone exactly. My previous heaviest weight was 11 stone 8, and I'm only 5'2" so that makes me officially obese. I knew my jeans were tight and that some of my smaller ones didn't fit any more, but Jesus Christ. The weird thing is that I look in the mirror and I don't think I look that bad. That's not a good thing. I was so shocked that I genuinely thought the scales were dodgy and made both kids come and be weighed before I would believe it.

Ah @TooExtraImmatureCheddar sending you hugs. I know exactly how that feels. I remember stepping on the scales at hospital when I was about to be induced and I was 14st 7! I started pregnancy at 9st 7 so I was mortified.

The only way is down! Xx

Don't panic @TooExtraImmatureCheddar. I was on the obese borderline when I started this, but I'm already halfway to normal weight. Look forward to the summer, your birthday, Christmas, the following summer. You are going to lose the weight and keep it off with no rebound

@TooExtraImmatureCheddar I was 13 st 8 when I started this at the beginning of the year with BMI well over 30. I'm now down to 11 st 11 and BMI of 28. You can do it! It will work.