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

@BrightShark to be honest I'll enjoy the salad. I don't really like burgers and the rest of the menu is pretty terrible with pizzas and burgers . It's a gaming restaurant so booked for the kids to enjoy .

I'd go with what I fancied Collywobble. It's one meal, it won't break the plan.

However I had a cheese and ham toastie for lunch due to not having been shopping for days. Felt a bit ick afterwards but (TMI alert) come bedtime I had the most horrific cramps and trapped wind. Really painful. My lovely friend had made salads and cooked meat for our dinner so it wasn't that, got to have been the bread which is the first sliced bread I've had since starting this about 9 weeks ago. Have had a pitta and a wrap but not white sliced bread. Really didn't agree with me at all.

Back on plan today tho. Had bacon, eggs, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes for breakfast. Have leftover prawn salad in fridge for lunch if I'm hungry and then steak and med veg tonight.

Have just experienced the "food desert" again. Took the kids to a football competition and went to Tesco to grab something for my lunch while I waited for them. Nothing in their chilled lunch section was suitable except the fruit. It was all sandwiches, wraps or pasta. The only prepared salads were all served with unsuitable dressings and they didn't even have any single serve pots of Greek yoghurt, only multipacks or large tubs.

Ended up buying a small salad bag of mixed leaves, cherry tomatoes, cooked salmon and a pot of guacamole! Bought a 4 pack of the Greek yoghurt and some berries as well, the kids ate the rest of those when they finished.

Fortunately I had time to browse and work out what I could have, but if I'd been pushed for time I would have ended up grabbing a sandwich or wrap and probably the crisps and soft drink that would've been included in the meal deal

It is almost impossible to buy a quick and easy to grab lunch from the shops if you want something more than an apple and some cheese!

It really is @Tiredandbored, I'm lucky in that I rarely need to eat on the go but when I do I really struggle. Even in a restaurant it's difficult unless you go for a salad. I suspect most cook steaks etc in a fryer and even those that don't will use veg oil on the griddle.

But to be fair, convenience food is a relatively new concept really. I remember in my teens, so about 30 years ago I used to work at the local riding stables for free rides. There was a corner shop locally that used to make fresh sandwiches up to order, places in town when I started work, equivalent to Greggs used to do fresh sandwiches to order and you could also asked for a 'boxed salad'. Now everywhere is prepacked sandwiches and salads. You might be able to ask for a specific thing in an independent cafe but most are prepacked and brought in. And usually offered in a mealdeal with fizzy drinks and crisps as standard.

Greetings all,

I'm really enjoying this WOE.

Things I'm not strict about - mayo (because I CAN'T make my own, I've tried and its always disasterous!), the one prepared sauce we have a week and my Tuesday Pizza.
Things I'm noticing -
My water consumption has gone up drastically since ditching diet coke et al.
My massive food cravings are lessening, especially the ones I get when I get home from work.
I still get the desire to eat when not hungry but I am now more able to fend it off with a drink of tea or water and a stern reminder that I'm not actually hungry.

I've eaten loads of salad this week because of the heat and I am really enjoying having full fat yoghurt with fruit rather than thin 'diet' stuff.

I was disappointed with my weight loss last week but my period sort of turned up this week (I'm 53 and my last one was in January...) and I felt that explained it. I only weigh myself once a week so I shall be interested in the scales tomorrow.

As I said last time I posted I just feel BETTER.

Also I have discovered the joy that is a Subway Salad box. My kids love subway as a treat every now and then so I had a salad - it was expensive but huge! And delicious.

Place making 😀

I see people mention oatcakes. Any particular brand recommended?

Yes I’m also interested in which brand of oatcakes are made with olive oil

Two things we noticed after spag Bol last night (which was in our fortnightly meal plan). We both felt hungry in the evening for the first time in ages. We ate the children’s choc ices Also we both had wind. We realised we’ve been wind-less since giving up wheat.

So we’ve decided to swap out the spag Bol for something else.

Tonight we are having paella yum yum.

@BrightShark, I've been swapping out the spaghetti for courgetti when making spag bol. I know it's not to everyone taste, but I slather it with sauce and find it's a perfectly acceptable replacement.

I agree in that it’s almost impossible to grab a lunch while out without it being bread or pasta based. The subway salad is a good shout though if needed.

Can someone remind me of the omega 3/6 thing??

Is this a good recipe?

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/recipes/courgette-chilli-and-mint-salad

We make a version of the Greek papoutsakia using bolognese sauce - you bake halved aubergines in the oven for 20-30 mins, then top with sauce (bolognese, or lamb or vegetable based type thing), then cheese. Then bake again to melt the cheese. It’s as good as spag bol. You can add a layer of bechemel for a lasagne type dish too.

Re: Mayo, I make delia’s quick mayonnaise from One Is Fun, using extra virgin olive oil. You use a whole egg and make it in the blender. It’s fool proof. I always have some in the fridge and add garlic or whatever to it, depending on the dish.

[quote WeWantAMackerelNotASprat]Is this a good recipe?

www.nationaltrust.org.uk/recipes/courgette-chilli-and-mint-salad[/quote]
Yes, looks great!

Hello Jenkinsonites! I would love to join you. I have ordered the book. I used to weigh around 8st7 (measured by midwives when newly pregnant with DC3 10 years ago). I lost most of that weight (no scales at home) but still had a poochy tummy. After DC4 and endless bedrest I lost a (very) little but now am basically back to my highest pregnant weight, i.e. 14 stone (I had polyhydramnios and massive babies among other issues; with the first three the highest preg weight would have been around 11 to 11.5 stone).

In that time I've gone from not having a sweet tooth, not liking fizzy drinks, rarely snacking (and being very averse to spending money on snacks while out) to eating everything in sight, finishing everything I start (even if it's something non-addictive like a tin of chickpeas, a hunk of cheese or a salad), having a multiple-cokes-per-day habit, eating poorly (more UPFs for sure, especially since Covid) and just generally feeling shite.

I need to take control, but every time I even think of dieting I seem to double my food intake. I used to blame Prozac, but it's probably a combination of that, sugar addiction (the coke started because I don't drink tea or coffee but needed caffeine), and slowing metabolism as I get older.

I really need to get myself in hand and stop killing myself. I have recently developed NAFLD and IBS, and wouldn't be surprised if I'm prediabetic. I do exercise, and that seems to go ok, but I also get ridiculously breathless just carrying a washing basket up the stairs etc.

I was referred to a dietitian, but I totally know what to eat, it's just stopping myself from gobbling up the contents of the fridge/freezer/cupboards, and more recently, since a much-resented house move/relationship wobble/midlife crisis, secretly buying fast food while out in addition to meals.

Gosh, writing it all out like that brings it home a bit. I really am killing myself, aren't I?

Oh, and since most of the weight is around my middle, and I also have a massive diastasis rectus (sp?), I look like I'm going to give birth any day and can only wear jersey dresses

Hi and welcome @Throughtheday, nice to have you joining us! The book will give you some really great guidance about how to start out eating better and will take you through the stages. A lot of us on this thread are primarily focusing on reducing sugar and wheat and cutting right back on UPFs and we've had good results from doing this. Others are also focusing on the oils and omega balance, but you can work out what you want to start with and build from there.

Some people on this thread have experienced fantastic health benefits from this WoE over and above simple weight loss, hopefully you will find the same outcomes for yourself.

Great to have you along!!

4.8kg loss in less than 5 weeks.

We went out yesterday to NT yesterday and the children wanted cake but there were few options - no healthy food at all (due to Covid). We shared a scone, with clotted cream, which was delicious. We also shared a brownie, which I didn’t enjoy at all. I found the taste of vegetable oil overpowering and it was a bit gross. I guess my taste buds are changing!

Well done @BrightShark, that is great progress!!

Anyone got anything nice planned on their menu today? We usually have a roast dinner on Sundays, so I'm doing that but with loads of veg side dishes as well. Love a Sunday roast! 😋

Yesterday I ate sugar, but I also ran a long way. So I'm not losing sleep over that.

Today's plan is to get back on the wagon.

What are people's thoughts on spelt? I don't bake much and we've pretty much completely cut out refined wheat products like bread and pasta (we will make an occasional exception for home made pizza, because life's too short).

I wonder whether spelt flour would be acceptable to Dr Jenkinson though?

DH wants takeaway curry for Fathers' Day, so I think I'll compromise and cook brown rice and make some wheat free flatbreads to go with it.

I'm trying to work out what to do about the deep-fryer. I can't put solid fat in it as it has an exposed immersed element. I dread to think how nasty the vegetable oil is that's in there. Apparently you can use peanut oil, but I don't think I've ever seen that in large quantities.
I do have an air fryer but DH says air fried chips don't taste like chips but chip shaped roast potatoes... At the moment I'm settling for only frying chips once a week, but ideally I'd like to get rid of the smelly, messy fryer completely. DH loves it though. Real homemade chips are good, I have to admit.

Just stood on the scales.
1.75lbs down this week, so 3.25 over 2 weeks.
Given that I don't feel obsessed or deprived I'll take that. I'm about to tuck into a bowl of creme fraiche and raspberries.

I'm not 100% compliant - I use shop bought mayo (because making my own is generally disasterous), we have pizza one night a week because DH cooks it, I eat the odd nut (OK, lots of nuts quite often) and we have a bought sauce with our steak once a week. Eventually I plan to drop the bought sauce and go back to making one with creme and brandy.

We have 2 children with autism - both have issues with food so I'm trying not to disrupt our lives too much. I have noticed that DS has dropped a UPF snack and replaced it with an apple. This is HUGE!

And now I'm off to get a refil of my water bottle and scoff my raspberries.