Why We Eat (Too Much) Thread 2

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

Shiny new thread to continue on with! I hope everyone keeps going.

For any newbies, this thread is based on a book by Dr Andrew Jenkinson. The main principles are to cut out sugar, wheat and ultra-processed foods, while eating fresh natural ingredients. It works!

Previous thread: thread 1

I think I read somewhere that alcohol is burnt off as its processed as a toxin. But while your body is busy burning toxins it can't burn food so it sticks. Plus obviously inhibitions are lowerd so more likely to snack and more likely to eat more the next day.

@HighlandCowbag

I think I read somewhere that alcohol is burnt off as its processed as a toxin. But while your body is busy burning toxins it can't burn food so it sticks. Plus obviously inhibitions are lowerd so more likely to snack and more likely to eat more the next day.

@samthebordercollie when I was at school (in the 90’s) we had one fat person in the entire school. Genuinely. This was primary. She was morbidly obese and her mum was 100% to blame. Everybody knew it, and everyone was shocked by it.

Now, there are 3 in my youngest’s class of 24. It is acceptable somehow.

One of the mums (my kind of friend) is overweight, as are 2 of her 3 of her children. She doesn’t seem to think there is a problem that her child in reception is wearing clothes aged 9-10 and passing on clothes to the child she has in year 2. Every day after school she hands over crisps, doughnuts, biscuits or sweets as an immediate snack. It really worries me. My DC used to complain to me every day because I used to bring fruit (due to staggered finishes we had to wait 30 minutes for our other children).

The alcohol thing is interesting, I’ve stopped drinking during the week but do drink wine at weekends, my eating doesn’t change much, I definitely feel heavier after a weekend and the scales confirm it.

Minor breakthrough for me this evening - I allowed myself to have a strip of Dairy Milk 😱 but rather than letting it derail me and give up completely, I rationalised that it’s 14g of sugar and the only off plan thing I’ve had all day so probably won’t do any harm. This is quite major for me as normally I have to stick to things perfectly or I just give up. I’m realising that’s it’s ok not to be 100% on plan all the time! Rest of my food was good and I’ve done a fair bit of exercise too, so feeling positive

@Billybagpuss

The alcohol thing is interesting, I’ve stopped drinking during the week but do drink wine at weekends, my eating doesn’t change much, I definitely feel heavier after a weekend and the scales confirm it.

I'm the same, no alcohol in the week but a few glasses of wine at the weekend. The scales Monday are always a kg more than Friday. It's strange as alcohol dehydrates so in theory we should weigh less.

Whoop whoop, 2.5lbs off since the start of the week taking me lower than when the kids broke up from school. Bizarre really how much water we can retain. It also proves that we can slip a bit on this woe and it doesn't do too much damage. Just get straight back on it. When I've done diets in the past a week of alcohol, fast food and sugar would take 2 weeks to undo.

I also feel much better in my tummy. Was bloated, couldn't go to the loo and the had the squits last week and over the weekend. Normality has resumed. I really don't think my tummy likes rubbish food.

Salad for lunch today, then leftover veg chilli and either rice or jacket potato for tea. The weekend is going to be a bit tricky. Tomorrow is takeaway night but may make something instead, even if dh wants takeaway. Saturday we are going out to a thai restaurant so alcohol will be involved. Then sunday we are having a BBQ after football so more alcohol and temptation floating around.

I’ve been doing this woe for a month now, getting stricter each week as I learn more from the book and this thread.

My starting weight was 103kg today I’m 99.10kg

My target weight is 76kg (I’m tall).

I enjoyed That Sugar Show (the Oz documentary), It’s motivating for me, learning about the effects of different foods on your body. It keeps me focused.

In the past I’ve tried limiting my calories and allowing treats, but it just doesn’t work for me. It makes it so much harder. Avoidance is easier. I think I’m just going to have to give up these foods in everyday regular context and save foods like cake for high days and holidays. Otherwise the spikes in blood sugar will cause me to overeat and make it so much harder. It’s just not worth it. This is a massive mindset shift for me as I’ve always tried to follow the mantra ‘everything in moderation’ but now I’m understanding why actually doing that in practice is so incredibly difficult given the effects of sugar and carbs on your appetite and satiety.

Yes @Ifyoubelieveyouwill that’s what I’m doing too.

One of the main rules in the sweet poison sugar book is keep party food for parties.

I’m aiming for a year sugar free and I will allow a hot chocolate on Christmas Eve.

Well done @HighlandCowbag, that's great progress! Totally agree with you about crap food making you feel crap. On a previous diet I cut out all the processed foods from my diet, but on one occasion allowed myself a day of eating a fast food lunch (including coffee and cake) but I felt SO ill after it! Made me realise how rubbish that sort of food actually is!

@Ifyoubelieveyouwill, I am following that mindset of party food only being for parties and it has really helped me. It means I can enjoy birthday cake without feeling guilty, but at other times it gives me with willpower to decline the office cake that is doing the rounds.

The other thing that has helped is that I've weaned myself onto 74% dark chocolate. I am now one of the people I used to think were weirdos when they said they could eat a square of chocolate and that was enough. It gives me that chocolate fix, but I don't need any more than one square. I only allow myself it with my coffee after a meal though, so it's not causing an insulin spike between meals, but it allows me to feel I've had a treat and stops me craving anything else.

Can I ask a stupid question, not having read much of thread 1?

Why are people abbreviating it to WOE and not WWE?

Way of eating - just a shorthand way of indicating it's more than a diet but a new long-term way of eating rather than a short-term period of restriction.

Yes a way of eating should be about eating sufficient and nourishing food to satisfy you.

It’s to distinguish between a diet which is usually about restricting calories and fast weight loss to achieve a goal.

Adopting a woe is (hopefully!) for life, so the weight loss will be permanent.

Ah thank you that makes sense

I’ve been thinking, if everyone ate in the way that Dr Jenkinson is recommending, it would be an environmental disaster wouldn’t it? Grains help us feed the world cheaply. I wonder whether this is the reason why humans have evolved their diet towards industrial food production?

@Ifyoubelieveyouwill

I’ve been thinking, if everyone ate in the way that Dr Jenkinson is recommending, it would be an environmental disaster wouldn’t it? Grains help us feed the world cheaply. I wonder whether this is the reason why humans have evolved their diet towards industrial food production?

The farmers producing all the corn and grain in the US are subsidised by the US goverment. If governments stopped doing this and instead subsidised organic fruit and veg farmers I think the environmental impact would be very good! If cows went back to being fed grass instead of grain (which is as bad for them and as fattening as it is for us) the nutrients we get from meat and dairy would be far better too.

@samthebordercollie I agree, but the total amount of land to grow more organic produce and grass feed animals will be much greater. It probably isn’t viable to feed the current world’s population this way, especially with animal fats. Long term we will all probably need to eat a vegan diet

[quote Ifyoubelieveyouwill]@samthebordercollie I agree, but the total amount of land to grow more organic produce and grass feed animals will be much greater. It probably isn’t viable to feed the current world’s population this way, especially with animal fats. Long term we will all probably need to eat a vegan diet[/quote]
No cows or sheep? I'd be out of a job!

Hopefully won’t be in our lifetime @samthebordercollie !

Think how much food waste there is tho, and how bad for the environment all the packaging is. Plus the air miles to ship everything around the world and the destruction of the habitats for products like palm oil etc. Sustainable, locally produced food that is seasonal is probably going to be the next food project I tackle.

Good points @HighlandCowbag

@Ifyoubelieveyouwill we must be a similar build, my heaviest this year was 98kg and my target is around 75kg. I'm currently just over 95kg, so 20 to go. I'm happy for that to take me a year or more, if it stays off this time.

I've been doing pretty well. No bread/pasta since I started. Really cut down the junk. The only sugary thing is my current obsession, San Pellegrino Limonata. 15g of sugar per can. I tend to get obsessed with a single thing (this is better than my posh salted caramel ice cream obsession!) and crave it all the time for weeks, but then it fades, so I'm just riding it for now. It could be worse. I've been getting more than 5 a day maot days, which is an improvement from a previous average of about 1!

DH is doing some of it with me, so mostly cutting out wheat and UPFs. DCs have been warned that I'll be buying fewer snacks and frozen junk. I'm trying not to rush into lots of changes at once, both for me and the rest of the family. I always lose loads on low carb, but it's very strict and I'm so all or nothing that when I go off it, I go really really off it. I'm aiming for gradual change and balance.

1/4 was through the book and really enjoying it.

@HighlandCowbag

Think how much food waste there is tho, and how bad for the environment all the packaging is. Plus the air miles to ship everything around the world and the destruction of the habitats for products like palm oil etc. Sustainable, locally produced food that is seasonal is probably going to be the next food project I tackle.

I was listening to a radio programme the other day which was talking about the best way to be green. In fact local isn't always best...for example even if lamb is raised in New Zealand and flown to the UK the cost to the environment is still less than buying lamb raised in the UK. Astonishing. And tomatoes - the heat required in the UK to grow them is more costly than importing them from a hotter country. It was quite eye opening.

Yes I've seen something similar @samthebordercollie. Weird that lamb imported from the other side of the world is better! I think its something to do with how efficiently the NZ and Australian farmers manage their flocks, they have much more resources than the UK and do it on a much larger scale than UK farmers. And sheep aren't intensely farmed the way pigs are for instance. And some stuff we can't grow here obviously. Had 2 oranges earlier someone gave me, oh my days they were so sweet and juicy. No way do we get enough sun for them here.

I do try and buy British meat and fruit and veg tho, and higher welfare where I can. Ive just done 2 meat free days as well I've just realised. Had 2 oranges for lunch and then jacket potato with leftover veg chilli and cheese for dinner. It doesn't seem a lot of food but haven't been hungry, have been quite busy and active and feel full now. Last week I'd have still been hungry!

The Isle of Wight has got a big tomato and garlic industry. It gets the most sun in the uk… so worth supporting locally. I think they produce most of the year round.

I got ‘conned’ into discounted Hello Fresh deliveries a few weeks ago, but live on my own, am a reasonable cook, and don’t want to cook 2 portions of food and eat one! But I digress….

It’s definitely a step in the right direction for many families. It’s pretty idiot proof with step by step recipes and includes veg. It’s just none of it is organic and the meat source seems a bit vague…. But it’s a great step in the right direction for many frazzled parents who need to cook.

Meanwhile, I’m still only half way through the book, so better get reading. Having a commute was so useful! I’m adding chia seeds into stuff or drizzling Hemp oil onto my salads in an effort to bump up my Omega 3.