Why We Eat (Too Much) Thread 3

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

We’ve chatted as much as we (used to) eat! New shiny thread for more support.

General principles:

No sugar
No wheat
No processed foods
Honourable mention to tipping the balance of omega 3 and 6, but that’s mostly achieved by doing the above.

Everything else is fair game!

@Skylarking953 you have some great questions and we're all asking similar things. I still feel like we're in the very early stages of this, so the proof of the pudding is yet to be realised as we've not been following this WoE long enough to show true and lasting evidence of its efficacy.

I can only offer my own opinion and experience from the last few months, hopefully it will be of some benefit and perhaps answer some questions you have.

Firstly, I do get why he doesn't call it a diet. It's not something we can do over a few weeks and see a result from, but it's a new long-term way of eating to (hopefully!) result in long-term benefits.

However there are similarities to other diets in that certain foods are to be reduced or cut out of regular eating, so in that sense it is a diet of sorts.

What I will say is that it feels VERY different to diets I've done in the past. No counting calories or points or syns, no weighing portions, no absolutely rigid 'rules' that will see us fail and give up if we eat something off-plan.

For me this means it is a much more sustainable way of eating that I know I can maintain long-term.

I have lost over 2 stones in 4 months and in that time I have continued to have occasional takeaways, birthday cake, occasional desserts and meals out. I have not felt deprived or hungry and I have not resented following the plan.

Previously on diets I have been so hungry and have thought constantly about food, I've resented counting points and weighing portions, I've hated waking up and realising it was a fast day so I couldn't have breakfast and I've always given up and packed it in after a few months because it was unsustainable for me to maintain the restrictions and discipline the diet demanded.

I genuinely believe I can eat this way for the rest of my life. I also know that I can have days when I'm not following the plan (as when I was on holiday, or joining in with birthday celebratory cake) and it will not have too much effect.

I realise it's still early days, but so far this feels like it could make the difference for me regarding my long-term weight and health prospects.

@TheLeadbetterLife

One thing I can tell you is that despite a frequently very lax approach to this diet over the last couple of months, my weight hasn’t budged at all from its new low. I’m pretty sure I’m at a new set point. I want to get down to a lower one by the end of this month.

@TheLeadbetterLife That's really interesting, thanks. How long did it take to get to the "set" stage out of interest?

@Skylarking953 hard to say really, because I’d been following this diet, more or less, since last spring, before coming across the book (it’s similar to Michael Mosley’s Mediterranean plan). I lost about 5kg last year, then another 10 since about March this year (big push!).

Since late May I’ve been quite undisciplined by comparison, due to a lot of socialising and guests, but not regained any of the weight.

All that said, I’m not using any seed oils, eating almost no processed food, and have increased the amount of omega 3 I’m consuming. By undisciplined I mean I’ve had quite a few restaurant meals, including puddings, too many days with carbs over 80g and probably more fruit than is good for me.

The other big change I’ve made is increasing the amount of exercise I do, to build muscle. I do HIIT twice a week and yoga 2 to 3 times a week.

@Skylarking953 - if you watch Chris Van Tulleken's documentary or listen to his podcasts they talk about a study looking at Ultra processed food and it showed it wasn't just the salt, sugar etc in them that made them unhealthy but people ate more of them. Chris goes on a diet of UPF and gains a lot of weight and the pathways in his brain changed.

I've been doing my own version of this for a while, and only started to follow this plan in earnest about three weeks ago. I have started losing weight again after a never ending plateau since doing so. Ive had number of less than optimal moments, it has to be said, but as others have experienced, this hasn't affected my weight.

I get a lot of exercise these days and have recently added Pilates which I really enjoy. I think it's important to change your routine quite regularly. After a while my body sort of feels used to whatever I am doing and I feel I am maintaining not progressing- just like with the weight. So I have upped the intensity of my cardio, and increased the amount of free weights versus the machines that I do.

I am starting to feel really strong and supple. It's a nice feeling. I managed to pour myself into a size 13 pair of jeans yesterday. Totally indecent looking but one day they will fit nicely. I hope!

I still have a way to go, ( roughly three stones gone and one and a half to go) but as I've said before, am resigned to that. It will take as long as it takes.

Three bags of too big clothes went to the charity shop today.

@words - that is great to hear. I have 5 stone to lose to get to normal BMI - I know it will take a long while but it definitely feels this plan is sustainable for the long term.

Had roasted free range chicken breast (crispy skin and all), corn on the cob and cabbage for tea tonight. Vegetables just boiled briefly then tossed in butter and garlic powder. Delicious, luckily, because we have a lot more corn and cabbage growing in the garden, so we’ll probably be having this every night this week.

I’m new to vegetable gardening and definitely need to get to grips with sequential planting.

My DS can and does eat what he wants which is usually UPF. He does virtually no exercise and is very inactive.. He is very slim and has a 6 pack. He has decided to focus on putting on weight (drinking shakes etc...) and still his weight stays low.
I notice he can't eat when is his not hungry and he isn't hungry very often despite eating UPF food. So my thinking is UPF doesn't make everyone ultra hungry or eat more.

I had chicken and mushroom risotto last night. It was so good I had seconds. And thirds.

You will all be tired of hearing my yoghurt amazing exploits. Anyway - a quick tip for others doing this - I discovered that the whey/ buttermilk from the straining process has a lovely umami type flavour. I put some in the risotto along with chicken stock and a blob of white miso paste. Very scrummy.

I like the yoghurt exploits, and I need ideas for using the whey. I keep some of it back for making the next batch of yoghurt, but I can't keep making soda bread with it, because I will eat the soda bread in unacceptable quantities.

I might use it to marinate some chicken for souvlaki actually.

Sneaking back to the thread in shame - I’ve been totally derailed by the school holidays (and I’m in Scotland, so that’s been a good month of it). Too scared to weigh myself, but will get back on piste and weigh soon. AF is due tomorrow or Fri, though, so I might wait until after that’s been.

Despite a good month of bad eating, though, I have essentially not snacked for most of it. I still eat less than I did before and haven’t felt as hungry.

@TooExtraImmatureCheddar - Nice to see you back! I hope you had a great holiday and just the fact you didn't snack is excellent.
I was horrified to find this in my supermarket. The brand name of the cooking oil is Omega 3.
Guess what oils it contains? Rapeseed, sunflower and grape seed oil. The manufacturer claims it is rich in Omega 3 and 9 plus vitamins. No mention of Omega 6 or the ratio. I can't believe they can get away with branding something in such a misleading way.

@jewel1968

My DS can and does eat what he wants which is usually UPF. He does virtually no exercise and is very inactive.. He is very slim and has a 6 pack. He has decided to focus on putting on weight (drinking shakes etc...) and still his weight stays low. I notice he can't eat when is his not hungry and he isn't hungry very often despite eating UPF food. So my thinking is UPF doesn't make everyone ultra hungry or eat more.

I have a couple of friends like this - they can (apparently) eat whatever they like with no weight gain. The section in the book that compares the response of ten people to UPFs has helped me understand why this is - most people are genetically predisposed to respond to UPFs with weight gain and related health issues, but some don't have that predisposition and appear to be able to get away with it.

Knowing this has helped me to not get frustrated and think if it's ok for them then it's ok for me, because I realise I'm not one of those people and I can't get away with it.

Does anyone in this thread have sleeping problems, and have you been able to fix them to any extent?

Frankly, I'm tired of being tired. I've been a poor sleeper / insomniac since I was about 14, and while I am used to it and having to function while tired, I think it's really beginning to take its toll now I'm in my late 30s.

I have all these aches and weird pains and sensations which rarely have an obvious cause, except for the fact that most nights I don't get anywhere near an adequate amount of sleep. I've worked hard to relax more and lower my stress levels in the last couple of years, which has worked, but it hasn't had much of an effect on my sleep.

I feel like I've tackled my weight problems and my stress problems, but this is a final hurdle I just can't seem to get over. It has so many knock-on effects that seem to be getting worse and worse.

There's nothing doctors can do - all they've been able to offer in the past is a short-term course of zopiclone (which is a wonder drug, but too addictive to take for more than a fortnight).

I did have some improvement when I started taking doxilamine, but that's started to make me feel so drowsy the next day that I feel like I've been cudgelled in the head, so I've stopped taking it.

Anyone got any thoughts? I'm beyond frustrated.

Hi all, new here n have read the book past weekend.
Had greek yogurt with oats this am, then frittata with broccoli and onions, and a green salad. Was lovely, except i had to run home with diarrhea 3 hours later 🙄which is regular occurrence for which i havent found a cause yet. Does anyone find the same after eating eggs?

For previous poster, have u tried melatonin?

I recently started taking melatonin, and GABA. I think they are helping, but every night I wake up around 4am (having gone to sleep around midnight) and more often than not won't get back to sleep until 7am. I either then have to get up an hour or so later so as not to lose the morning, or sleep for longer (if I can, I wake easily at any noise) and waste valuable hours. I tend to feel like shite either way, because of the broken night.

This is every single night, with rare occasions when I sleep through, or more frequent occasions where I get little to no sleep at all.

I'm scared I'm going to have a stroke or heart attack, aside from the increased risk of metabolic syndrome / diabetes, etc etc that are the result of poor sleep.

I just don't know how to fix this.

That sounds really tough Leadbetter.

I had menopausal early waking insomnia complete with palpitations and it was very draining. I was prescribed beta blockers to take as necessary, so not great. It was one of the main drivers to make some radical lifestyle changes.

Tackling the weight and exercising more have really helped. But you have done that too. I am sure you do all the sleep hygiene things which sound so basic, but cumulatively can make a difference. Magnesium supplements are said to help and lavender is soothing ( I know this sounds like an Elastoplast for a gaping wound...)

Eliminating alcohol entirely (sorry) was probably the one major thing that made a huge improvement. And replacing the mattress for a super comfy model, plus mattress topper for extra comfort - and ensuring I am cool enough at night as the hot flushes were grim (so woollen duvet, and nightwear that keeps yOu cool, plus a really good, silent fan. Have a bath, but not too hot, and I never exercise in the evening. No caffeine after lunchtime ( apart from chocolate in the evening.)

I also use the Calm app - it has guided meditations to help relax and sleep. There is one specifically aimed at getting back to sleep once woken. It's a little Californian, but not unbearably twee.

I do hope you find some relief soon. I've heard good things about the melatonin too.

I do have beta blockers (10m propranolol) that I was prescribed to take ad hoc for panic attacks a couple of years ago, but thanks to the de-stressing work I've done I rarely take them now. They do help me sleep a bit better sometimes, but I'm scared of taking them for some reason.

I've tried everything else, everything. Although that is a good idea to do a guided meditation when I wake in the small hours, rather than just when I go to bed. I might try that tonight.

Drinking is definitely bad for my sleep, however I do find that one small tot of alcohol is better than none. I'm also scared of that though, as I don't want to drink every night (we usually only drink on Fridays and Saturdays), or become psychologically dependent on that nightcap.

@TheLeadbetterLife huge sympathy. I have terrible sleep too, usually waking up too early in the morning. I'm menopausal and have started HRT in the hope it will help. Otherwise I take melatonin and magnesium every night. Sometimes it works sometimes not. Hopefully the HRT will kick in soon. It doesn't help with weight loss.

Hoping last night was better for those struggling with insomnia. Sleep deprivation is so de humanising and depressing. I do hope things improve.

Someone upthread posted a reading list - thank you. I am very much enjoying the Lieberman book on exercise. He has a lot of fun debunking or questioning various accepted 'truths' about exercise and rest, and there's an interesting anthropological element to his theories too.

Waiting to reach the sections where he provides some answers though! I've dipped in to the Michael Mosley one. I do need to learn more about but science I think.

Gut science!

@Words glad you are enjoying Lieberman, I love his books because he's an anthropologist so lots of science and history.
I was informed by my telephone that I'd achieved 8 hours of sleep last night. Hadn't happened before. But I had to take a third of an antihistamine sleeping tablet to get it which I hate taking.

I also took an antihistamine sleeping tablet to help me last night, so I did get about 7 or so hours, but I feel groggy this morning. I should probably have only taken half.

The couple of times I did wake up I resisted the temptation to check the time and go to the loo (which I do out of habit - at night I often feel like I must go, but I don't really need to). Instead I went straight into my "counting sheep" mental exercises. It's not actually counting sheep, but a similar concept, in that I run through little stories in my head. They work for getting me to sleep at the start of the night, and I did get back to sleep quite quickly last night.

Today I'm going to tidy the room (it's full of boxes that we hid in here when we had visitors last week) to make it feel more peaceful. It doesn't help that I work in here during the day, when I'm not doing tasks outside. We want to build an extension at some point so we have proper office space, but until then I have no choice, as my partner works in the living room.

Anyway. We had roast chicken and avocado salad last night. Tonight will be tuna with homemade mayonnaise, corn on the cob and cabbage from the garden.

I'm going to go and stick a couple of eggs under our relentlessly broody hen now, then do some exercise and crack on with my work for today.