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.

Why doesn't cheese count as processed junk? I like it but I'm surprised it is allowed.

Because most cheese only contains milk and rennet.

@OhMyChrist2020 are you an emotional eater? I definitely am and when those binge / emotional cravings hit... well I can’t resist. I never have been able to. Thankfully I’ve been in a really good place mentally the last couple of weeks which is the main reason I’ve managed to stick to eating well.

Do you have any other outlets?

@Love51 I think you have to look at processed food in a different way. 1. How many ingredients? 2. What are the ingredients? E.g added sugar, chemicals you can’t pronounce, vegetable oils, something already heavily processed / genetically modified (like wheat). That’s how I’m working processed food and minimising those as much as I can (I have had a blob of ketchup once, bisto twice)

Morning everyone

Welcome new people, hope this thread helps.

I've had a very off plan couple of days. Had pub booked last night and takeaway Indian friday. Tried to be moderate friday and ordered chicken tikka but they sent chicken tikka masala by accident. I didn't have any bread with it or poppadoms so avoided the worst bit. Then last night had steak, chips and salad at pub. Which wasn't even very nice 😁. Lots of beers as well both days.

But. I was on plan both day times. Didn't dive into chocolate or cake afterwards. In fact last night for supper I had cheese, apple and grapes which was absolutely lovely and hit that sweet spot pretty good.

Back on it today. Sunday dinner later which is easy to be on track with. Small cooked breakfast this morning.

Also making yoghurt today. Will see how that turns out!

Morning all!!

Well done @HighlandCowbag, that's the sort of weekend when you ran the risk of just saying sod it and eating everything, well done for moderating! I had Chinese last night, did have some noodles and pinched a few chips from the kids, but ate all the veg and only a small amount of the chicken in my sweet and sour so wasn't disastrous.

Have just weighed myself and another 1lb down, yay!!

What's on the menu for everyone today? I'm having my usual porridge for breakfast, roast gammon for dinner and then scrambled eggs with smoked salmon later this evening. Only problem is I do a white sauce with flour in it to have with the gammon. Don't want to cut it out as I really love it, but it's only a couple of tablespoonfuls of flour between us all, so I don't think it's too bad?

Thanks @Wandamakestoast
@Tiredandbored he talks about the time when sugar was used as a condiment. A spoonful of flour in sauce seems the same as that to me. Not comparable to a loaf of bread a week to yourself, plus pasta, crisps etc.
If weight loss stalls I'll look to go up a gear, but for now it seems fine!

I really need to sit down and meal plan because I’m currently doing ‘one day at a time’ and I find it exhausting coming up with meals every day.

Not sure on breakfast. I may treat myself and just do a potato waffle with poached eggs to save time. I spent all day gardening yesterday and my bum, back and legs are killing me. The thought of standing at the hob / oven all day and then all the washing up isn’t doing it for me on top of the housework jobs I need to get done this morning.

Lunch I will probably grab a jacket potato with tuna and salad, again for ease.

Dinner... I’m thinking salmon, new potatoes with loads of butter and veg.

Yes Tired it's so easy to press the fuck it button isn't it and 1 bad meal to extend to a bad day to a bad weekend to a fuck it, I'll start again on Monday.

I plan a couple of days at a time Tinkling, mainly because I have supermarkets close by and can nip in for fresh salad and veg and stuff. It's also slightly easier for me atm as I am cooking separately for us all, which sounds like more work. But it's very liberating to just chose things I want to eat without having to accommodate fussy dh. Dd does her own stuff (she's veggie) most of the time, and ds is only 7 so eats a lot earlier than me and dh and is also fussy but easy to please with beige food.

Meal plan roughly so far this week for me will be
B. Cooked brekkie
D. Sunday roast
Monday
L. Bubble and squeak with leftovers
D. Swordfish steak, veg, new potatoes
Tuesday
L. Tuna salad or something like that
D. Shepherds pie and veg
Wednesday
L. Omelette probably
D. Dunno yet.

@Tinkling I don’t think I’m an emotional eater as such but I was heavily ‘using’ sugar and realise now that I mostly skipped meals and then ate sugary food and snacks most of the time instead. My moods are more even now and I’m eating 3 good, healthy meals a day and mostly feeling really good. I think I’m just sometimes missing having a small ‘treat’ every now and again. I’m going to try and be completely free of refined sugar for a full month and then will think about allowing myself a small bit of chocolate on a Friday evening (which is when I seem to be missing it the most).

Meal planning has saved my sanity @Tinkling. I never really minded preparing meals and certainly never minded eating them but it was the endless thinking of what to make that sickened me. I decided enough was enough and sat to work out a monthly meal plan for our family. I've tweaked it over time and every once in a while we review it so the kids can suggest changes if they want, but knowing what I'm making every week has saved me SO much time and mental effort.

It means I'm trying to adapt those meals for myself if they are too carb-heavy, but as I have free rein with my lunches over the course of the day I'm able to ensure minimal carbs and increased protein.

Unless food is eaten raw, it is all 'processed' to some extent. Even cooking food is processing it. I think the goal is to cut out highly processed industrial food with a huge ingredient list rather than natural food like cheese.
@OhMyChrist2020 I'm still eating dark chocolate, every night. I don't eat desserts and that is an evening treat with a cup of tea. I don't eat breakfast and do a lot of sport so hopefully it isn't doing too much damage to the rest of the food plan.

Thanks @samthebordercollie, I don’t like dark chocolate though. The highlight of my food each day is my porridge with banana for breakfast if I’m feeling deprived of an evening I just remember that I’ve got that to look forward to in the morning. It’s reminding me of when I gave up drinking - I’d still get urges to drink at certain times eg Friday evening but if I resisted I felt so much better in the morning, and the cravings reduced and now I don’t miss it at all and never think about it. Perhaps that’s how it’ll be with sugar (hard to imagine but here’s hoping!)

@OhMyChrist2020 if you don't like dark chocolate milk chocolate once a week is a perfectly acceptable treat, especially if you have given up drinking! How long have you been dry? Well done - I'd find it hard to give up wine completely. Interestingly Dr J wasn't as anti alcohol as a lot of nutritionists and dieticians are.

I have always meal planned, but I have been so busy I haven’t had time. I will do it later / tomorrow though. I’d love a monthly one! I don’t think I have enough meals for that though.

I quite like dark chocolate, especially the Lindt one with sea salt and caramel lol, but I’ve got some organic 70% dark for when I need it. I also don’t think there’s anything wrong with having chocolate once a week, but I did the same thing - on a sugar rollercoaster all day every day and it just needed to stop. I no longer spend most days feeling unwell at some point

Also as Sam says - if it’s all you’re having it’s fine. I don’t drink either. My current vice is Coke Zero. I know it’s awful for me but I’m having a can a day at the moment!

What I like about this way of eating is that it isn’t so extreme that the slightest slip up means huge weight gain and having to start all over again with sugar withdrawal etc.

I ate out last night too, DS was so excited to have food bought to our car at the drive in cinema that I didn’t want to be a killjoy. I had a burger with bacon and cheese but without the bun or chips, which I hope isn’t too bad. I did manage a 25 minute straight run (C25k) yesterday which I was really chuffed about, then I did two online flexibility classes as I’ve decided at the age of 41 I would really like to have my splits (I know ). I really ache today though!

This morning I’m having sausage, eggs and mushroom then I have a pole training session at lunchtime so probably won’t eat again until an early dinner. I’ve not decided which days we are eating what, but the dinner plan for this week is:

• Prawn, spinach and coconut curry
• Beef rendang
• Korean korma (using turkey mince, an adapted Nigella recipe)
• Lemon prawn and chorizo rice (like a cheat’s paella)
• halloumi and aubergine burgers (ciabatta for DH, none for me)

I started off with a vague plan of Monday being some sort of mince dish (spag bol/lasagne/chilli/cottage pie) Tuesday being chips (with a rotation of sausages/nuggets/fish), Wed was slow cooker day, so something like slow cooker beef stew, BBQ chicken, beef stroganoff etc, Thu was a bits and pieces day (fry, fish pie, fajitas) and Fri was my quick, easy and cheap day (baked potatoes, burgers, spaghetti carbonara, omelettes). I've changed it about a bit depending on what was popular and not as well as depending on what days I'm working, but that was what started me on my planning and it kind of developed into a monthly plan from that.

I also love a bit of dark chocolate with my coffee in the evening. Have gradually weaned myself onto the 70% stuff though as it is bitter enough that one square will do when before I would have eaten half a bar.

OMG Tinkling I also have a secret Pepsi Max habit!! I’m down to 2 glasses a day but if I miss the lunchtime one I get terrible headaches as it’s the only caffeine I have. I’m working on reducing/cutting out the second glass and then will reduce the lunchtime one. I decided it was more important to me to get off the sugar successfully first before tackling that. I’ve been completely alcohol free for 2.5 years but had several dry periods before that but would then have a few on holiday or for a special occasion in between.

Thanks all for the reassurance about treating myself to the occasional bit of chocolate. I know you’re all right, I’m just a bit worried about opening the floodgates. I’ll try to get to the month mark before having any...

I think yesterday’s food wasn’t bad. Breakfast was rye toast with avocado and smoked salmon, lunch was a lentil and feta salad, was still hungry about an hour later and had some chopped strawberries with Greek yoghurt. Dinner was a Nigel Slater chicken recipe which is basically chicken fried in olive oil and butter. We had it with new potatoes done in the oven with asparagus, mange tout and brocollini in a mustard maple dressing. Had too much wine and then cheese and biscuits though.

Today will be a repeat of yesterday foodwise but dinner is roast pork.

We meal plan too. This weeks is

Lentil shepherds pie with sweet potato mash
Pork stroganoff with leftover roast pork served with shredded cabbage
Omelette with peas mint and feta and spring onions
Beef rendang if I can find the Fast 800 recipe mentioned on the thread
Potato and cauliflower curry maybe with some chicken tikka
Lamb steaks with butter bean mash and broad beans

Breakfasts will be Greek yoghurt with blueberries or strawberries
Or eggs

Lunches will be various salad combinations or eggs somehow. Or home made soup.

I’m also going to start taking an omega 3 supplement which I bought when I read the book a while ago. And vitamin D. I read that obese people tended to be low in vitamin D so I figure that can’t hurt. Am definitely obese. Also have a pro biotic to take for gut health.

I don’t have a huge sweet tooth really so no sugar cravings to deal with thankfully. Wine and crisps on the other hand.............

I finally listened to the podcast mentioned near the top of the thread! Interesting stuff

Really pleased to have stumbled on this thread a couple of days ago, and to hear about all your ideas. I have read the book and I think this could be the one! It's not far from how I eat normally, except for the omega 3/6 stuff and the bread/carbs. I almost always cook from scratch because I enjoy it, so I'm pretty hopeful this will help me lose a couple of srones before I get properly menopausal. I need to fix sleeping though. I bet the reason I'm overweight is largely down to so much cortisol washing around inside me.

I have also read Giles Yeo's book, as well as both Tim Spectre's, and I have learnt lots.

I won't post much, but I wanted to delurk to say hi and how great it is to have this resource. You all sound so sensible and friendly!

Tim Spector! Not woo.

@OhMyChrist2020 I went through a period of not touching the stuff (and I find if I can get to 2 or 3 days I don’t want it any more and dislike it when I do) but it’s so bloody addictive.

@Peridot1 I’ll attach the recipe to this post. I personally Chuck it in the slow cooker rather than the oven and don’t add any water.

Most people in the U.K. are vitamin D deficient. I’ve been on supplements for 18 months but can’t get my levels up even with 4000iu a day.

Hi @Benvolio, great to have you! I’m 2 weeks in and enjoying it. DH is too! It’s great to eat real food with no guilt. The key is to remembering you have to have a life so absolutely do have a bit of what you fancy - just not every day! (Tell that to my Coke Zero habit!)

@Benvolio welcome to the thread! It was Tim Spector who got me really hooked on nutrition with the Diet Myth, then Always Hungry by DavidLudwig and anything by Daniel Lieberman, an anthropologist but who writes a lot on how humans have evolved from Hunter Gatherers and the effects of farming, the Industrial revolution etc. have had on our diet.
Thanks for the reminder about Giles Yeo, I'm going to download some of his books now!
It is definitely sensible eating - home cooking, low sugar/carbs and no snacks which make a difference. I can do the low carb easily but the omega 6 is difficult with the amount of nuts I eat.