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.

Morning all.

Have found I’ve been slipping a bit this week, had sausages for dinner last night (and leftovers for lunch today), very due on so mainlining 70% dark chocolate!

DH wants a Chinese tonight and so do the children so they’re ordering in. I’m going to roast a chicken and make chicken and egg fried rice for myself (even if I wanted Chinese I can’t because of everything containing gluten).

Hopefully my period hurries up! Need to do more Pilates this week too, only done it once but been doing plenty of walking. I’ve got jeans on today that are far too big. I’ve whacked a belt on but may order a size down as I do like them (mum jeans) as an alternative to skinnies.

Still waiting for my biopsy results. Hopefully they’ll be available today.

Hope everyone else is well x

Morning all.
Well I Weighed myself yesterday and I was 5 lb down in 5 days which is crazy as I have been eating so well!

i know I shouldnt count calories but after years and years of it, I am struggling not to. I have averaged around 2000 a day which I would have expected to make me gain so I was gobsmacked when I stepped on the scales yesterday! I am going to maybe keep a log for another week or 2 then try to stop calorie counting.

A couple of things. Why does he suggest no carbs at breakfast? I am using whatever veg I have in, eg, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes and frying them in butter then adding an egg. I had been chucking in some potato but assume I shouldnt?

I was surprised as I got further through the book to hear I should avoid chicken? This is the only meat I eat. Is there a type of chicken that is better? Eg organic?

I have been throwing chia seeds on a lot of my meals but conflicted because they are seeds but they have high omega 3. Should I only have them in moderation?

I am loving hearing what everyone is eating. I started out wondering what on earth I would be able to eat but I have some great ideas now.

I am loving potatoes mashed with Kerrygold and I dont go lightly with the butter! Is this really ok?

We are planning a chinese takeaway tomorrow evening. Any suggestions that are not Duck?

Thanks and I hope you all have a lovely day!

Hi Jayne,

That’s amazing well done!

It’s fruit he mainly suggests not having at breakfast, and we believe it’s to prevent a sugar crash in the morning which will have you reaching for more sugar. That said i can’t function without carbs for breakfast so I absolutely have potato every day, if I don’t I have a smoothie (also ‘not allowed’ or porridge with fruit and a drizzle of honey. I don’t have an early breakfast though and then have lunch at around 2. If works for me.

I am eating chicken. I buy grass fed pastured organic free range chicken. All the good stuff apparently! It’s expensive but it’s worth it to know they had a good life pre slaughter and are fed with lots of natural nutrients.

My potatoes are always mashed with Kerry gold and i even add a splash of double cream! It feels so decadent which I think is what gives is the pleasure feeling and lack of deprivation. But it keeps us friends junk food!

@Tinkling - I hope you get your results today! I mainline a lot of 70% dark chocolate too. I'm still in skinnies, my DD wears Mom jeans but I'm not brave enough.
@Jaynespain don't worry about the butter on your potato. The podcast I listened to yesterday on olive oil talked about the mitigating effects of olive oil on pasta and butter on potatoes. It apparently has the effect of reducing the GI a lot of the carbohydrates in the food so you feel fuller and there is less risk of a sugar spike.
I also eat a lot of nuts high in omega 6, I think you have to adapt the WOE to suit yourself. They are my go to snack. I prefer to concentrate more on the no processed foods and low sugar aspect of it!

After a great couple of weeks of really enjoying this way of eating and seeing some weight loss, the last few days have been a struggle. Now that the world is starting to open back up a bit I'm really seeing how difficult it can be to eat well in the environment we live in. I've had a day out at a theme park where there was literally nothing to eat apart from chips and burgers (and someone bought me a donut when I had gone to the toilet and I was too polite to refuse) and various social invites where I have been plied with sugar, refined carbs and processed foods that I didn't really want (but was again too polite to refuse). It has been my birthday this week too and I received various sugary gifts (I sound so ungrateful!). Stood on the scales this morning and saw that most of my good work has been undone. Hoping some is just water retention and will come off again. Am going to attempt to get back on it as it was working, but I'm invited round to a friend's on Saturday and I already know that there will be too much food and a ridiculously unhealthy dessert. How are people dealing with this type of thing? I don't want to be a difficult eater but, to be honest, I don't even particularly like sweet stuff so I simply don't want to eat it.

Sorry - rant over. Feeling a bit stressed today. Have a day off work and we're supposed to be going for a nice walk but I'm already bothered about where I'll be able to get something healthy to eat.

Morning all!!

@Jaynespain, I'm the same as you as I've been counting calories for so long now it felt 'wrong' not to. I did keep counting them out of interest when I started this WoE, but realised there were some days I wasn't hungry but ate something because I had calories left over. I stopped counting calories completely last week and am not going to weigh myself for two weeks. It means I'm listening to my body much more - if I'm hungry I eat something, if I'm not then I don't. I'll see after a fortnight what the impact on my weight has been and if I have still lost weight it will reassure me that I don't need to worry about calories ever again!

@TrevorTheMushroom, I think the biggest challenge to this WoE is the ready availability of crap food everywhere we look. The part in the book where he described the theme park and how difficult it was to eat anything remotely healthy was eye-opening! The absolute key thing for me is planning ahead. We have a canteen at work and I know if I wasn't organised enough to take my lunch I would definitely succumb to ordering chips and a burger, so I need to be organised and have suitable food in the house to make a healthy packed lunch.

If you know you are going somewhere with lots of fast food outlets can you prepare ahead and have lunch with you? When going to a friend's house can you offer to bring a fruit salad for dessert?

Remember as well that it is not wrong to have treats occasionally - especially your birthday!! This WoE is not sustainable if you feel deprived - in another book that focused on sugar intake the author said to eat party food at parties. It's fine to enjoy it on occasions, but just don't have sugary treats every day. So don't beat yourself up about it too much - and happy birthday!!

Meals today:
B - porridge
L - leftover Mexican veg stir fry which I'm going to have with Greek salad and add some tinned tuna for protein (I'm pretending it's a new fusion cuisine, but it's actually grocery day tomorrow and I'm using up whatever I have in the fridge!)
D - slow cooker beef stroganoff with rice

@Tiredandbored what’s your stroganoff recipe? I’ve never made it before!

@TrevorTheMushroom in all honesty I feel you. I just decline food at the moment. My biggest reason is that since January I’ve had to go gluten free, so I find it’s a good get-out clause. We’ve had family round in the garden and they’ve all had pizza and curly fries and cake, all of those things contain gluten so I’ve had my own separate meal or just not eaten at all. When we’ve gone to family, I’ve just made sure I’ve eaten beforehand.

I’m not sure how it’s all going to work when the world frees us up even more if I’m honest. We are looking at having a couple of days away for our wedding anniversary and I’m already nervous - from a gluten contamination issue rather than this WOE tbh. Maybe you could tell everyone you’re GF and that would help

P.S I have totally ordered a cake for my birthday and I’m going to eat it and enjoy it! You have to have a life as well.

Happy birthday !

I've allowed myself a treat meal each week, had 2 the other week as went out for a meal. I think you have to look at it that there are 21 meals in a week and if 19 are healthy, then 2 won't hurt and it's certainly better to have 19 on plan than 21 off plan because you had 3 social occasions that week. With regards to declining food I'd just say no thank you, I'm low carbing which these days people understand the concept of.

Been busy cleaning today, just had a banana as lunch and seafood salad for tea with new potatoes. I'm finding I am much less hungry in the daytime with this woe. Previously I would have probably had a quick sandwich on a day like today. Cba to make a salad so I'm obviously not that hungry. Sneaked on the scales, it AF week plus post bank holiday so I said I wouldn't and still 1/2 lb down from last week. I usually retain about 2lbs water weight when AF is here so was pleasantly surprised!

@Tinkling, I very much use my slow cooker to save effort so all my recipes are ones which consist of 'chuck it in and switch it on'.

According to the proper recipe I think I'm supposed to brown the meat and fry the veg first, but what's the point of that when I'm using the slow cooker to save effort?

So my recipe is 600g beef pieces, 400g chopped mushrooms, 2 chopped onions, 1 can mushroom soup (I used a Tesco I've as I had it in the cupboard, but it does contain wheat so you may want a wheat-free version) and 2tbs (i.e. 'a good shake of the bottle) Worcestershire sauce. Chuck it all in, I cook it on low for about 8 hours, though have zapped it on high for 4-5 hours before and it's been fine. I do stir it occasionally. One hour before it's ready stir through 300g cream cheese.

Dead easy and really tasty!

Afternoon all! So am a few days into this now, and am feeling pretty shocked at the change in my appetite/ cravings. Am eating three meals, but haven't experienced any cravings or that panicked hunger I usually get multiple times a day.

Yesterday was our wedding anniversary - I had a small glass of red wine, and 2 squares of 85% dark chocolate as a little treat. Never in the history of everything have I been able to stop at 2 pieces of chocolate, haha! I just didn't fancy any more. Weird.

Anyway, meals today:

B: Scrambled eggs and smoked salmon
L: Tuna, feta, cucumber salad
D: Erm...think we've got some mince to use up, maybe a chilli

Hello everyone!

Happy birthday, Trevor! And happy wedding anniversary, Hotdogs.

Lunch: Salami and mozzarella salad, plus an apple
Dinner: Steak, broccoli and Blacksticks Blue sauce (mmm, can't wait!)
If I'm still hungry I'll have some raspberries and Greek yoghurt with a splash of double cream.

Is anyone else’s body just feeling really happy at the moment? I still have several stone to lose and I’m only a few weeks in, but now the initial sugar withdrawal has gone I just feel really good in a way it’s hard to define.

Have just googled blacksticks blue @TooExtraImmatureCheddar - had no idea what it was until I did, but it looks like it will be lovely with steak!

I do Banging, really enjoying everything I am eating, tummy feels loads better, I have more energy and I don't feel obliged to eat what my family are eating anymore. Have told them all they are welcome to eat what I eat but they are happy with junk.

However, as soon as uni finishes they are going to get a shock as am going to just stop buying it. Kids can still have bread and cereals and stuff, but teatime will be proper food mostly. And less crap in the cupboards.

Tbf dd is 16 and eats pretty healthily, she's a veggie but even she has a ready meal instead of cooking something (she's 16 and does her own cooking mostly). Ds at 7 is fussy with different looking food and veg but will eat 'proper' mashed potato meals etc.

Dh is a fussy fucker, but is overweight and needs to sort his shit out. And eats far too much crap. Can't stop him eating what he wants but I can stop cooking it.

My appetite has definitely shrunk. I've just finished my dinner - I would always have described myself as having a greedy good appetite, I used to eat a big helping of dinner then go back for a second helping and still be able to eat a large supper later in the evening.

This evening I did have a very small second helping but am now uncomfortably full and realising I shouldn't have taken extras. This is so different to my previous experience as I could always eat so much and never really feel full.

The same as @Hotdogsforsale said, 3 meals a day is enough to satisfy me and I'm not feeling any urge to snack. I've never felt like that before, especially during any previous diets.

Mine has definitely shrunk, I eat about 7-8pm then am genuinely not hungry until 2pm and even then I don't want much. Was having either a massive salad or big bowl of soup the first week. Admittedly my tea portion is generous but all healthy stuff.

Made my own ceasar dressing tonight from homemade yogurt. Was very punchy but much nicer than shop bought. It just wouldn't even have crossed my mind to make something like that unless it was for a BBQ or something.

However I must admit ndns mum works in a local bakery and has just sent a box of egg custards and a loaf of homestyle bread around and I need those custards to have gone before tomorrow night when I've had a drink 🤣

Thanks everyone for your wise words and birthday wishes. I walked a long way today so feeling a bit healthier. I'm a bit of an all-or-nothing thinker. I throw myself into a diet or way of eating and follow it religiously but then something knocks me off course and I can't cope with that and go to the other extreme. Something to work on perhaps.

Blacksticks blue cheese is amazing. Have never tried it as a sauce.

I can confirm that the Blacksticks Blue cheese sauce was incredible! DH did use flour to make a roux, but not much. I’m not getting too worked up about tiny bits - it’s still much better than if we’d had McDonalds for dinner (which was DS’s suggestion!).

I had a small bowl of raspberries, yoghurt and cream afterwards because DH wanted some, but I didn’t need it at all and felt uncomfortably full. I need to work on not eating even healthy food just because he is!

Highland, my kids keep moaning about the lack of snacks too! We haven’t stopped buying them completely, but because we’re sticking to meal plans and batch cooking, we aren’t going to the shop nearly as often. That means if the kids have eaten their snacks no one’s picking up any more. Although the sheer amount of apples, strawberries and raspberries we’re getting through is something else!

I meant to say that my appetite has reduced too, unless I’m hungover. I ate loads on Saturday after a heavy night on Fri, although I stuck to the plan with choices. It’s the only day I’ve really snacked much this week.

Pan-fried some cod for lunch today and had it with sweet potato mash, broccoli, mangetout, green beans and courgette.

Omelette planned for this eve.

I've had omelette for lunch, indian takeaway planned for later, along with lots of wine. Love friday treat night and so far still losing. Not sure I'd ever drop it tbh, being thin isn't worth being deprived of friday night curry night 😅.

Totally agree @HighlandCowbag, life is for living!

@Tinkling, thinking of you and hoping your consultant has been in touch with good news

Glad everyone is doing so well, hope all the medical things are okay.

I'm only 3 weeks in but I'm really surprised at how well it's going. I've lost 5lbs and haven't been hungry at all.

DH is a good cook so we're having lots of curries cooked with ghee and I'm not missing rice but I do miss a chapati sometimes.

Lunches I've been eating a lot of lentils this week as I'm trying to clear out the freezer.

I also cooked a pack of chicken strips in tandoori spice on Monday thinking it'd be good for breakfast and lunch but it turns out DS really liked it too so he ending up eating most of it! At least it's a better breakfast for him than cereal but it was a bit odd seeing him with just a bowl of chicken instead.

I tried tinned herring last night as I didn't want spag bol but I hadn't realised it was in a tomato sauce full of sugar. It was painfully sweet, like a fish based dessert, I wasn't a fan.