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 just have a very sweet tooth. I need to beat it though - there will always be some sugar on offer e.g. at parties or restaurants. I need to make healthy choices, because I can't avoid it.

I've always had a sweet tooth as well, but I certainly don't get the same cravings that I used to. I think it is possible to break the sugar addiction, though it's not easy.

I'm not sugar-free, but my sugar consumption is MUCH lower than it used to be and I am able to resist sweet things a lot better now. Hopefully you will find the same for you as you follow this WoE.

One thing I have found with giving up sugar, is I needed a trigger point, I knew what I was doing was bad and undignified but nothing can shout louder than a chocolate bar from another room. When I gave up in March it was like something just flipped and yes I had headaches but it was pretty easy.

Morning everyone

This week has been really difficult for me, we have had a bereavement in the family, my lovely, beautiful aunt. It wasn't unexpected but still absolutely devastating. So the wheels have come off a bit.

Have tried to stay on plan where possible but by the time I've got home each day I've fallen facefirst into wine so dh has just ordered us takeaway.

It's fine though. I can get back on it. Tonight we are having friends over to watch football, originally I was going to do picnic food for everyone. But can't face it really. My gorgeous lovely friend is going to make us some salad and wraps and stuff and the menfolk will probably order in. Wraps aren't on plan but less bad than pizza.

Tomorrow dh is doing steak, sunday I'm making sunday dinner for my mum so after today I can get back on track properly. Normally on a 'diet' I would say 'I willl start again on monday'. This woe I want to eat healthy again, hated the takeaway food, so greasy and processed and need fresh food again.

@HighlandCowbag so sorry for your loss

Morning @HighlandCowbag sending unmumsnetty cyber hugs.

Don’t think of it as off plan, just adapted plan whilst emotions are so raw.

You can still plan for 3 proper meals a day, and wraps are fine you have protein and salad.

When you shop next week, don’t over complicate it, pick easy stuff that you can just throw in the oven. Like jacket potatoes and a good bit of protein. Stick with frozen veg it’s easy and doesn’t need washing and prepping. Ok your plate might look like something out of the 50s but it will keep you on track.

@Tiredandbored Thank you! I really really have the reasons to want to lose but can't seem to find My willpower and stickability when I'm tired with DD or just feeling a bit sorry for myself. Need to stop with the self sabotage and pity party.

On an aside, What does everyone eat for lunch?! I always struggle for healthy quick ideas for someone who doesn't like eggs or chicken! !!!!

Hi everyone, I've just bought the book and had a brief read through. I guess the question is for me after embarking on the Fast800 , intermittent fasting , low carb and calorie counting macros , does this actually work or will I just be back to where I always am looking for another way of eating . Who's seeing good weight losses so far ?

[quote GalaxyGirl24]@Tiredandbored Thank you! I really really have the reasons to want to lose but can't seem to find My willpower and stickability when I'm tired with DD or just feeling a bit sorry for myself. Need to stop with the self sabotage and pity party.

On an aside, What does everyone eat for lunch?! I always struggle for healthy quick ideas for someone who doesn't like eggs or chicken! !!!! [/quote]
I often have tuna salad or smoked mackerel salad

Oh dear, HighlandCowbag, sending you virtual hugs and commiserations. Be gentle with yourself at the moment and don't worry about what you're eating too much.

Collywobbles, I'm losing a steady pound a week or slightly more - hovering at around 9 lbs loss 8.5 weeks in. I stalled at week 3 but then lost 2lbs in week 5, so it balanced out. For me this just seems easier - I hate counting calories and macros because I'm short and my allowance was usually 1200 (apart from Team RH, but on that he really pushes protein shakes and they are the most disgusting shite ever, and he's into weighing bananas then weighing the skin), and I really struggled with 5:2 fast days and kept binging. IF wasn't so bad but I don't think I actually lost any weight because I was still eating biscuits etc in the allowed time. Keto/low carb was the easiest, but it cut out so many things, like apples, bananas, potatoes, rice etc, that after a while I got bored of eating the same few meals.

GalaxyGirl, my lunches include omelettes, oatcake medley (oatcakes with olive oil rather than sunflower, and cheese/ham/smoked salmon etc), Greek salad, mozzarella salad, and sometimes baked potatoes, but I have to be on the ball to remember to chuck potatoes into the oven on time!

BeenAsFarAsMercyAndGrand, can you substitute strawberries for sugar? Strawberries and double cream and Greek yoghurt - I think I've eaten them daily for the last month, because they are so delicious!

@collywobble I’ve found this approach much easier than previous diets. Cutting out ultra processed food and foods with added sugar has removed my cravings. I don’t need willpower now. I feel more full/ satisfied and don’t really think about food that much.

I can see now that I was on a blood sugar rollercoaster. Always hungry and thinking about my next snack/ meal. I was eating a lot of sugar though.

I’ve lost 11 lbs in a month and I’m eating lots of fruit, veg, rice, potatoes, full fat dairy. I’m drinking same amount of wine (c 1 bottle per week) and gin (glass or two per week). I haven’t really snacked in between meals because I’ve not been hungry. My chronic hip pain and IBS has disappeared.

I have no idea what my totals calories are but I’m actively trying to eat fairly big portions as I don’t want my body to think I’m depriving it of food - and go into starvation mode making it more resistant to weight loss. This is what I’ve done in the past and I’d attribute the additional weight gain after dieting to this affect on the metabolism.

@HighlandCowbag sorry to hear your bad news, hope you’re doing ok x

Ahhhhhhhhhhh oatcake medley sounds amazing and I always forget about jackets!

@HighlandCowbag so sorry to hear about your loss 💐 x

@collywobble I also tried the Fast 800. Although I applaud the approach and think highly of Mosley and his GP wife, I think I’d need a major health scare to stick to it. If I was prediabetic that would probably give me the motivation. But as it stands I’m just not interested in calorie counting. However a lot of meals are taken from his wife’s cookery book for fast 800, so I’m sort of following it in a roundabout way.

It’s just going to take me a lot longer to lose the weight this way, but I’m ok with that as I think I have more chance of sticking to it. I have 11 months until a big birthday, and I had hoped to lose 3.5 stones by then. I’m already 25% towards this goal in 10% of the time, so even if I have a few weeks where I don’t lose/ or put on a bit... I’m still confident I will get to goal. But if I don’t it doesn’t matter. I’ll be healthier and will be enjoying tasty food without any of the guilt I experienced previously.

My maths is terrible! I’ve achieved 22% of my goal. But that’s not really the point, I feel better so any major weight loss is a bonus!

[quote Billybagpuss]@TheLeadbetterLife of course I don’t mind, I will preempt by saying I have never discussed this with anyone vaguely medical not even my gp friends. I’m dr shy at best of times not least when they have the draw bridges up due to pandemic.

I was getting blurred vision, constantly wanting to nap, itchy (let’s not go there) wanting to go to the loo a lot and not getting much notice from signals when I did. Headaches but that’s not on the list but I guess it links with the vision thing. Really bad hot flushes, again not on the list, obviously menopause but haven’t had even 1 in 2 months now.

I stopped sugar on 6 March and by and large they all improved within a couple of weeks, the headache took longer but that coincided with my first covid jab so could have been that.[/quote]
Thanks for this. It doesn't really sound much like the symptoms I've been getting. Mine have been more like either a long viral infection / recovery or some sort of autoimmune or inflammatory condition I think, maybe some kind of arthritis.

It started last year when I think I had an inner ear infection - I was dizzy for weeks. Then I started getting all sorts of weird pains all over, as well as inflammation in the joints of my fingers. That all went away when I started taking vitamin C and turmeric supplements.

This whole time I've been having headaches (which I never normally get), as well as occasional dizziness and head rush / faintness when standing after crouching. I think this is either low blood sugar or low blood pressure from intermittent fasting. I just don't know about the headaches though.

I do sometimes get blurred vision when I'm tired, but I've always had that and I am often tired as I'm a poor sleeper.

I don't know, it's just a bunch of weird feelings, none that serious, but persistently occurring. I can't attribute it to covid as it first started before the pandemic.

I've lost quite a bit of weight doing this plan as well as IF, so I'm hoping if there was a blood sugar element to it that should have gone away. The inflammation seems to have gone, but I'm still getting headaches - the sharp kind in the skull that seem related to muscle tension or something being pinched.

I really should go to the doctor but I feel simultaneously like I'd be wasting their time (as none of the symptoms are that bad in isolation) and also scared that it is something serious and I'll be medicated forever.

Maybe it's all just muscle strain and peri menopause? I'm 40 this year and have been doing a lot of strenuous physical work in the past couple of years (renovating and landscaping).

@TheLeadbetterLife I had some of the symptoms you describe and GP did a blood test. Turned out I had low iron. Have been put on iron tablets (prescription as ones over counter are not strong enough). Very common in women who have had children and if you have long or heavy periods.

Btw vitamin C can help your body absorb iron.

Not saying you are likely to have low iron, but it’s a possibility as it’s very common in women.

I doubt it's low iron - I've no children and my periods are oddly light and short since I came off the pill two years ago. I also take an iron supplement.

I probably should have a blood test though - am just scared.

@TooExtraImmatureCheddar

Oh my goodness I could have written that post , I've done team rh too and really seemed to go off the rails with the sugar as you were okay to have bread and chocolate! I fasted and binged and was just the same as you with the low carb. I'd be over the moon with a steady loss like yours thank you

@BrightShark it looks like we're all on a similar journey . I'm excited to start now and thankful there's a thread about it so I can get ideas for good tasty meals as I think that what's lacking in the book. I guess many recipe books are very adaptable as it's all cooked at home anyway but avoid the wheat based ones and use the olive oil . Thank you

@collywobble just look for Mediterranean diet’ as that’s essentially what this is.

Lunch today is a plate of tomatoes, avocado, fried eggs and bacon, with Hunter & Gather sugar free tomato ketchup which is very delicious. You don’t need very much as it’s very concentrated in taste. It’s a lot nicer than their avocado oil mayonnaise, which is good but not as lovely as Hellmans

I only paid £35 for a starter Keto box of condiments from Hunter and Gather. Thought it was pretty good value really. I got: avo mayo, garlic mayo, siracha mayo, avocado oil and MCT coconut oil (2 big bottles), ketchup, BBQ sauce, chilli ketchup.

(I realise it’s a lot more expensive than Heinz and Hellmans, but they have shocking amounts of sugar and vegetable oil... plus I’m saving money on no treaty food, so that’s how I’m justifying buying these sauces!)