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

Can I join in, thanks to you ladies I am now reading the book, I had already started to cut sugar completely back in March so it’s interesting how many things and feelings I can relate to and how the hunger pangs and the stop signs are coming back.

In a side note can we ask mn to not show the ad with the digestive biscuit dripping in chocolate. I am doing well with changing my habits but the subliminal messages don’t help.

@Billybagpuss

Can I join in, thanks to you ladies I am now reading the book, I had already started to cut sugar completely back in March so it’s interesting how many things and feelings I can relate to and how the hunger pangs and the stop signs are coming back.

In a side note can we ask mn to not show the ad with the digestive biscuit dripping in chocolate. I am doing well with changing my habits but the subliminal messages don’t help.

Lol, dripping chocolate biscuit ads are DEFINITELY not what we need on this thread!! 😂😂

Welcome @Billybagpuss, nice to have you join us!

Lunch today was pan-fried cod with stir-fried veg, but once again I failed to get my portion size correct and made far too much! 🤦

Am making chicken stir-fry this evening, the kids like theirs with noodles but I'm also doing rice for myself and DH, so it's all good 👍

What's on everyone else's menu today?

I haven’t got to section 4 of the book yet, so am sticking to the cutting sugar thing, so no sweets biscuits, puddings fizzy drinks, ready meals and so far only fish n chips on takeaway, everything else I’m eating as normal.

So today’s lunch is homemade lasagna with green beans and tea tonight will be sandwiches. I know bread is probably frowned upon but I’m not finding it’s too much of an issue.

In the book he advocates cutting down on sugar and wheat primarily. However, I think most (if not all) of us on this thread are favouring making sure this WoE is viable long-term for each of us and if that means we allow ourselves a little bit of chocolate or some pasta or some bread, or a Chinese takeaway for our anniversary so be it. I know the fact that I am not 'banned' from any food really helps my mindset and has allowed me to focus on making good food choices most of the time and not beating myself up if I have a treat now and again.

Tired - I couldn’t agree more. This has to be sustainable and any change in eating that has banned foods, isn’t.
It’s the first time in my life that I’ve changed and stuck to it. I don’t weigh myself, or measure. I just eat healthily and clean, along with daily exercise.
The rewards are in front of me to see

I also think as well as making the day in day out possible, not banning foods saves pressing the fuck it button. So if I completely ban takeaways, and then have 1, I've broken the rules and go 'fuck it, I've broken the rules now, will start again on Monday'.

Totally this, Highland!! No fuck it buttons here. Just allowances and knowledge/understanding.

That dr xand study was scary how fat and ill looking he got in just one month. Interesting the way his brain pathways changed that is def what i need to challenge. Im still at stage one so down to half a sugar in my coffee and reducing sugar in my porridge. Surprisingly managing fine without wheat i normally love toast, bagels and cakes. Im finding my meals packed with veg so stuffed. Its the evening craving and snacking 8pm onwards that is killing me. Im eating dark choc had tried an options and rice cakes but didnt hit the spot. Im hoping iver time my evening snacking will ease as my blood sugar stabilises, im not hungry just crave crap. Im calling it my journey of wellness focussing not on a diet but lifestyle change week by week trying to incorporate new habits. Xxx

Hi,
After looking at the last thread I bought the book and have read it with interest.
I am a complete sugar addict and bread is my gateway food....
While reading the book I kept thinking that this couldn't be my problem - my diet is reasonably OK, I cook with butter and olive oil etc.....
But then I went and read a few labels and realised how much vegetable oil I was eating. I love oatcakes for example but the ones I buy are loaded with palm oil.....
I need to re read the third section of the book and make a huge effort to reduce sugar and wheat this week,
I cook fresh food most days of the week.

@JeffVaderneedsatray it’s scary how much oil there is in things once you start reading labels. I had no idea how much I was consuming.

I definitely have less of an appetite at the moment, despite exercising a lot more which usually makes me hungry. Today I had chia porridge for breakfast, then lunch was left over Japanese chicken curry and sushi rice. I had a pole class at 7:30 so didn’t eat before and wasn’t really hungry when I got back, but fancied the corn on the cob I spotted in the fridge so had that as supper. I know it’s not very low GI but I’ve been so good on the sugar front and had nothing except a teaspoon of honey on my porridge.

The panna cotta I made using inulin instead of sweetener worked well and has been good for when sugar cravings hit.

I pressed the Fuck It button a few days ago and have been mainlining sugary shite ever since! I can’t stop!!

Actually ‘mainlining sugary shite’ is an exaggeration. Today I had 2 on plan meals but these were interspersed with 4 custard creams, about 5 mint toffees, a franzipan and 6 squares of dairy milk. Tomorrow I will have no wheat and attempt to reduce the sugar, whilst eating good nourishing food.

@Coconut80

That dr xand study was scary how fat and ill looking he got in just one month. Interesting the way his brain pathways changed that is def what i need to challenge. Im still at stage one so down to half a sugar in my coffee and reducing sugar in my porridge. Surprisingly managing fine without wheat i normally love toast, bagels and cakes. Im finding my meals packed with veg so stuffed. Its the evening craving and snacking 8pm onwards that is killing me. Im eating dark choc had tried an options and rice cakes but didnt hit the spot. Im hoping iver time my evening snacking will ease as my blood sugar stabilises, im not hungry just crave crap. Im calling it my journey of wellness focussing not on a diet but lifestyle change week by week trying to incorporate new habits. Xxx

Have you tried strawberries and cream for pudding? Totally delicious!

@OhMyChrist2020

I pressed the Fuck It button a few days ago and have been mainlining sugary shite ever since! I can’t stop!!

This is what triggered my cutting it completely back in March, there’s nothing dignified about sugar addiction is there? I was eating shit loads of biscuits, then going back for more.

I’ve quit sugar twice before, the first time I kidded myself home made non refined sugar was ok, and to be fair I had a normal, dignified diet for 5 months, but still ate homemade cakes and apple crumble, I was definitely healthier as I wasn’t including the bags of sweets and processed supermarket stuff, but it escalated very quickly as Christmas got closer.

The second time was only for 2 months I did it properly but it was hard and every day was a battle of wills.

This time it’s currently been 11 weeks, I’m 19lbs down (still shed loads to go) but the trigger point seems to have worked, this time, I can eat what I want as long as it doesn’t contain sugar. Withdrawal symptoms weren’t bad, a bit headachy for a couple of weeks, this also coincided with my first covid jab so it could have been that.

The week the gyms reopened was bizarre, I went 4 times and did weights and swimming. I was having odd dreams every night that mainly included long conversations with oversized talking, iced cup cakes about whether I was going to eat them.

I think cutting the sugar completely is the only way for me, and my motivation was health not weight loss as I was getting symptoms that could easily be connected to pre diabetes. I am petrified of even considering eating it again as I know if I start I will binge again and I think the chances of successfully stopping again are very slim, the negative kick back thing in the book will kick in and make it impossible.

It is frightening the hold sugar can take on us and how we can eat more and more of it and not feel satisfied. Christmas was my downfall last year.

I had lost 3 stones, so I decided since I'd done so well I could have a week at Christmas eating whatever I wanted as I could always lose any weight I gained again. Proceeded to eat so much crap - I mean, packets of doughnuts, boxes of after eights, Christmas cake, chocolate, cookies, selection boxes.

After a week hadn't put on too much weight so decided to allow myself New Year as well. By the end of that I had put on a stone! Awful! But the worst part was I didn't stop there. I was hooked on sugar again and just kept going, until I had put all 3 stones back on again.

I can't eat sugar in moderation. It's all or nothing with me, but the study by Dr Chris perhaps indicates why that is. It just doesn't satisfy or provide satiety and I keep going back for more and more.

But this WoE has really helped me understand how good nourishing food can satisfy and leave me not wanting or needing a sugary rush.

Today:
B - porridge
L - smoked salmon on rye crispbreads with Philadelphia
D - beef stew with new potatoes

Just place marking out of interest so I can go back and read all this.

I feel really rough this morning from beers and chinese food last night. I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that I don't enjoy cheap takeaways and that I prefer healthy food. Only had it because DH wanted to celebrate anniversary. Next time I will cook something nice instead.

Will be back on plan today tho, weekend will be brutal. We always have takeaway Friday but might tell dh to order what he wants and I will make something for me. Saturday we are out for indian which is always lush so I don't mind eating off plan for decent food.

Today I will have mackerel and salad for lunch, and making shepherds pie for tea so at least that is on plan. Feel a bit hungry already, I don't normally eat until 1pmish so may have some scrambled eggs after the school run. Crap food (and beer) definitely makes you hungry.

Thanks everyone - it’s made me realise even more how unsatisfying eating crap is. You can’t just have one small bit and be done, instead of being satisfied with my food for the day as I had been following this WOE, I was prowling round wondering what to eat next. I’ve planned my food for the day - NO WHEAT, SUGAR OR PROCESSED JUNK!!

@Tiredandbored

It is frightening the hold sugar can take on us and how we can eat more and more of it and not feel satisfied. Christmas was my downfall last year.

I had lost 3 stones, so I decided since I'd done so well I could have a week at Christmas eating whatever I wanted as I could always lose any weight I gained again. Proceeded to eat so much crap - I mean, packets of doughnuts, boxes of after eights, Christmas cake, chocolate, cookies, selection boxes.

After a week hadn't put on too much weight so decided to allow myself New Year as well. By the end of that I had put on a stone! Awful! But the worst part was I didn't stop there. I was hooked on sugar again and just kept going, until I had put all 3 stones back on again.

I can't eat sugar in moderation. It's all or nothing with me, but the study by Dr Chris perhaps indicates why that is. It just doesn't satisfy or provide satiety and I keep going back for more and more.

But this WoE has really helped me understand how good nourishing food can satisfy and leave me not wanting or needing a sugary rush.

This resonates so much and is me to a tee.

I have reconciled myself to not eating Christmas cake or pud this year. (I know it’s may it’s a long time away) but I figure if I get my headspace sorted I can survive it, I will be buying lovely cheese board and things like that though.

I think that is key @Billybagpuss. Finding something else that can be viewed as a treat which is not going to set off the sugar cravings. Perhaps an expensive cheese that you only buy at Christmas time or something like that.

I agree with you @HighlandCowbag about not enjoying lower standard takeaway food. We get Chinese each week here (not really by my choice, but my widowed father enjoys it and we do it for him) so I've just tried to moderate it by splitting my portion, having it with boiled rice and I take most of the veg and give them the rest. Best I can do and it has surprised me how less than half a portion is enough for me now.

@OhMyChrist2020, I totally get what you're saying about prowling about looking for another sugar fix. When I went off the rails I would do the same and ended up buying more and more so that I'd be sure of always having something available to satisfy that craving. It was embarrassing how much crap food I was adding to my trolley.

To encourage you though, it can be broken. I used to treat myself with a long soak in the bath on a Sunday afternoon and would take a family-sized packet of sweets in with me and would eat the whole packet whilst lazing in the bath. I did buy a small packet of the same sweets recently, thinking that was better than the family-sized alternative. It is still in my cupboard. I have no desire for them now (despite my addiction to them previously!)

The more sugary crap you eat, the more sugary crap you want. It's a vicious cycle and I've realised how much better I feel without it. Good luck at breaking the cycle, you can do it!!

This is all so true re the sugar addiction.
We used to have sugar on or in everything!! My son would literally pour it into his coffee!! This was about 5-6 years ago. I stopped buying the sugar for the sugar pot..and watched him go cold turkey. Was horrid.
He’s now at university and is still predominantly sugar free. In fact I don’t think I’ve seen him eat sugar since. He even makes his own granola to avoid it!!

However I have two daughters at home, who it’s a battle with. I’m also worried that I’ll push my beliefs onto them. I know it’s good to educate them but the whole food and exclusion worries me with teen girls. 🙈. So I guess it’s a fine line.

Today my youngest is home from school and has asked to bake a cake. I don’t normally eat cake (ever!) but she’s got a recipe that’s insane!! Going to to be really hard to resist!!

If I get the munchies and want a treat, I always cut a chunk of cheese and eat it. Once I’ve had that, I’m happy. A cheese board sounds a great idea!!

Highland..I used to love a Chinese!! It’s wierd tho because since going clean, the thought of it makes me not able to go near one!! Dh is desperate for one so ive told him to crack on without me!! It’s the colour of it I think!! 🥴🙈

@Flossie44, can your daughter sabotage the cake against you by adding something you don't like to the ingredients? I do that with desserts - I have to entertain guests quite regularly due to my DH's job. I don't like nuts, so when I'm making dessert for them I regularly add nuts (in the base of a cheesecake, sprinkled over a pavlova etc) and it's enough to make me not want to eat it.

Morning all, sorry I have been so busy but just wanted to echo what everyone else has said, sugar is the work of the devil. I only need to look at my weekend to know how horrendous it is to end up firmly on the sugar train and unable to get off.

I know I can’t be completely sugar free because it’s not sustainable for me (and redirection will always trigger a binge for me if it goes on too long) but i do feel so awful on it that I’m happy to be off of it!

I had fried potatoes and poached eggs for breakfast today.

Lunch is leftover butter chicken with spinach and pepper with wild rice.

Dinner is beef rendang with broccoli, cauliflower and carrots.

I’ve been snacking on applewood cheddar with an apple mid afternoon which is nice if I’m hungry.