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!

Like this?

That's a six inch plate by the way (starts as means to go on)

I agree with @HighlandCowbag about trying reduced portions - I had a massive appetite and ate ridiculous portions, I was always convinced I'd be starving on smaller helpings but I'm not.

I use a smaller plate when serving my dinner and give myself permission to have seconds if I'm still hungry - I rarely am. Sometimes it's 'mouth hunger' where I want the flavour but I'm not actually hungry.

I also heap my veg on the plate first to make sure I have plenty and I take loads - I'll upload a picture of my lunch which is a massive bowl of veg with halloumi to give you an idea of my portion size.

This is in a large pasta bowl, to give you an idea of quantity.

The other thing that has really helped me is I tried 5:2 for a while. It wasn't a good fit for me long-term as I found the fast days really restrictive during which all I fixated on was food and I couldn't stick at it, but it to opened my eyes to the fact hunger is not always hunger. Sometimes it's thirst, other times it passes and doesn't always need food immediately. And I also realised how much more I enjoyed my meals when I was actually hungry for them rather than having a snack shortly before them.

I'm more a lurker than a poster but happy to chip in to keep the thread going! I've been following this WOE for 2 months now and have lost 17lbs without feeling like I'm on a diet (apart from the sugar craving in the 1st few days). I love not counting calories, macros, points etc. I probably stick to it about 90% - I often have pudding on Sundays, UPF in condiments and whey powder, houmous with sunflower oil. I had a Nine Guys burger last night, first bread I've had but gave most of the bun to the dog (and some of the burger too, I'm not a monster...). I feel in control of my cravings now - they still happen if I'm tired or hormonal but I can now have a takeaway and enjoy it without thinking sod it, I've ruined it all and might as well chug down all the Ben & Jerrys.

Patti- my exercise tolerance was affected for the 1st couple of weeks, partly adjusting, partly too few carbs (I have a very active dog) but feel fine now and the hills are easier with a stone off.
Highland - I'm on the steak and potatoes as well tonight (pan fried with garlic). Lunch is a frittata with olives, machego and chilli jam (a Joe Wicks recipe, I'm finding his lower carb recipes helpful).

@Bearyhumcrack I have fage, 5% normally. I thought that was the same as full fat but maybe it isn't. I find the zero fat one nicer actually but much less filling and less on plan!

@Words sorry you're feeling down. Just think, with diets you have been on in the past I bet you gained more than a half lb if you fell off the wagon for two weeks?!

The only drawback of this thing really is that your body is still deciding for itself how much it wants to weigh and that's not necessarily in line with what you want! It's good to hear that people have kept going down after a plateau.

I am finding I get back fairly fast to my weight set point now (9 stone 8) and then I stick. I got very excited by being 1lb below that a couple times but it doesn't last. It's a mixed blessing- I don't look too horrible at this weight but it would be amazing to be a couple of lbs lighter.

I think I need to accept that any further improvements in my appearance will need to be through exercise, and start doing some again. I was doing quite well until DD dropped her morning nap 😢

@SleepWoof 17lbs wow!

Hi all, I've just downloaded the book and been looking through some of your posts, can anyone link threads 1&2 please? Loads of helpful tips n tricks my search function won't find the first!

@diffNameSameMe

Welcome!

Why We Eat (Too Much) - recipes, menus, photos and ideas thread 1 http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weightlosss_chat/4281712-Why-We-Eat-Too-Much-recipes-menus-photos-and-ideas-thread-1

Why We Eat (Too Much) Thread 2 http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/weightlosss_chat/4245218-Why-We-Eat-Too-Much-Thread-2

Another lurker here and I've been really inspired by your stories and meal ideas. The book really spoke to me when I read it and I've been trying to follow this WOE for about 3 weeks now. I'm enjoying the food and love the lack of calorie counting. I've lost 5lbs so far and, whilst I'm delighted with that, it's not my only focus. I want to let my body sort itself out and to be generally healthier. I'm hoping I'll land within a healthy BMI when it does so. I'm already finding that I have a lower resting heart rate, feel less bloated, sleep better and cutting out the squash and Diet Coke has made my skin feel better.

Thank you @Aria999 much bedtime reading to be had! I'm a stress/emotion/comfort/boredom eater with a tonne (pardon the pun) of emotional baggage, 50% of my body weight to lose (about 11 stone 😫) and just been told by half brother that he's having genetic testing for a condition which could lead to heart and/or kidney disease. Meanwhile I'm working full time and doing two part time post-grad degrees (another way I avoid dealing with things is by making myself Uber-busy - apparently not advised with this potential condition either) so need to start working on this seriously now!

Welcome to all the new posters and thank you for all the contributions - we are all finding our way through this at various levels of commitment, knowledge and with various targets in place, so the more people we have contributing the wider a knowledge-base we will have.

For me personally weight-loss was one of my main targets but I also wanted to be healthier. The biggest attraction to this WoE is the lack of calorie-counting and portion-weighing required.

I have been trying to 'listen' to my body and only eat when I'm genuinely hungry as well as reducing the UPF, sugar and wheat in my diet. I have certainly found this WoE to be MUCH easier to stick to and much less restrictive than previous diets I've done.

I'm genuinely optimistic I can eat like this for the rest of my life and I have never thought that about any previous diet I've ever been on.

Oh, and just to encourage any other lurkers out there to join in, we are planning a WWETM get-together @TheLeadbetterLife at some point in the future! 😄😄😄

Can't promise I'll quite be ready to pack my bikini by then, but should at least be ready for a strappy summer dress

Hello everyone. I'm halfway through the book at the moment and I feel like it's been written specially for me. I'm a lifelong yo-yo dieter. I went on my first diet aged nine - 50 years ago!

I lost a lot of weight during lockdown, and I'm now in the healthy range for my height, down from being severely obese. This is something I've done before - I've got rather good at losing weight but I've always failed at keeping it off. I tried to do things differently this time round, with an emphasis on eating healthily (or so I thought) and having some 'maintenance fortnights' while dieting to try to establish an eating plan that would work long-term.

But like has happened so many times in the past, I've got to the point where it feels like there's an insatiable monster inside me demanding food, and the monster can't be ignored.

I haven't yet reached the recommendations but I know some of what's coming... no bread, right? Which is going to be so hard for me. I absolutely love bread and its relations. Life without them is going to be seriously hard - but also, I really don't want to see my weight rocket back up in the coming year so I'll face up to it.

Looking forward to hearing everyone's experiences and advice.

@Tiredandbored

Oh, and just to encourage any other lurkers out there to join in, we are planning a WWETM get-together *@TheLeadbetterLife* at some point in the future! 😄😄😄

Can't promise I'll quite be ready to pack my bikini by then, but should at least be ready for a strappy summer dress

"We're All Going To Eat Too Much Fest 2022".

@morningtoncrescent62 I have absolutely not given up bread. I've just cut it way, way back. Once a week max*

Life is too short to go without good bread forever.

*My mileage may vary. A lot.

I may be biased, but I really want this thread to continue! I’ve got over my holiday hump and lost another pound - 12lbs down now, and I suddenly seem to look thinner. Jeans I bought last summer which were quite tight until Christmas and then unwearable afterwards are now fitting properly. I’m still way above a healthy weight, but I seem to have hit a point where I’ve lost enough for it to be noticeable. I’ve realistically probably got at least another 6 months before I get to a healthy BMI, and I’d really like this thread to keep going to hold my hand through that!

Welcome lurkers, it’s lovely to have new folks!

mornington, this approach has slain my monster! (Or at least knocked it out temporarily. I hope it doesn’t resurrect.) I just don’t feel that insatiable urge to eat things that I used to. I’ve been doing this since late April.

@morningtoncrescent62 hi!

I am also normally a massive bread and pastry fan and I haven't stopped eating them entirely, but tbh when I'm eating on the WOE I largely stop wanting them.

We often have family croissants on a Saturday morning and I generally still have one (with cheese and apple) to be sociable. This morning I couldn't find the cheese so I had jam, and I couldn't eat it. Gave the other half to DD.

@Words

Hello All. Weigh in day and another slight shift upwards. I knew things had not been great this last two weeks.

Ok so it's only half a pound over a fortnight which is nothing, so I won't obsess, but it comes after ten months of steady decline interspersed with plateaus.

I need to return to the plan, so fewer carbs, cut right back on my choc and any other treats ( yes it's good chocolate but even so...)

I've been so stressed and down the last fortnight, slept badly a number of times - and turned to food. But two cream cakes and several bottles of cider earlier this week have clearly taken their toll.

I know myself very well and this could easily start a slide into poor eating ( and drinking) habits, especially with a holiday on the horizon where I won't be cooking for myself for the majority of the time.

I could cry actually, and I know that's ridiculous and stupid!

Any ideas welcome.

Today's plan :
Gazpacho and chia, with salad and eggs or cheese for lunch
Slow roast shoulder of lamb with veg (I will cut back on the spuds) , then possibly yoghurt and berries. My friend is coming round for dinner and wants me to try a piece of her birthday cake so I will have the tiniest piece.

I'm off into the hills shortly with my dog, so that will hopefully cheer me up. Then back to put the lamb on to slow roast.

Words, are you sure this isn’t a plateau? Half a pound is nothing! It’s a salty meal/one less poo! Also, if you’ve been losing steadily for 10 months, what’s your BMI now? Maybe you’re nearing your weight set point. Don’t despair - you’ve had a lot to stress you out recently, and you’ve done brilliantly to get this far. I don’t think you need to be too strict with portion sizes. Half your normal plate might be a bit sudden. Try reducing by a quarter and see how you get on. My portion sizes are massive.

I was reading that thread someone posted about being sick of seeing this book recommended, and I think for me it’s that everything else was too hard. Low-carb - no apples/bananas/potatoes/onions and stuff like that was too hard. Fasting - too fucking hard, I mean, 500 calories? Fuck that shit. Calorie counting - too much counting. Team RH - ridiculously too much counting. Fuck you, macros! Fuck you, 15,000 steps (I didn’t mind the walking but it took about 3 hours a day and I just didn’t have time). Dukan - everything tasted watery and horrible. I remember trying to make stroganoff with low-fat yoghurt and the whole thing split. Vile. Fast 800 - counting and starving! I’ve never actually done SW or WW. No S Diet - reasonably sensible but there was too much leeway and I didn’t lose any weight. Savoury food can still be bad for you. So basically, I’ve tried a lot, learned a lot, and this is the easiest that still works.

I totally agree @TooExtraImmatureCheddar, the massive appeal in this WoE is the lack of counting/measuring/weighing. It's so much easier than anything I've ever done before.

Also loving your comment about half a pound weight loss being equivalent to having a poo! 😂😂😂

I’m so ladylike.

Thinking about it - no counting and no starving. If I’m hungry, I can eat, instead of worrying that I won’t have any calories left. Mostly, now, I’m not hungry for snacks, but if I am then I can just get something.

@TooExtraImmatureCheddar

I didn't see that thread about people being sick of seeing the book recommended, that might be my fault 😳 as I went on a mini crusade after I first read the book.

I just got so sad reading all the diet threads where everyone was miserable and not making much progress, and thinking that they were never going to make any real progress because they were doing it wrong and they didn't know.

Though I did also rad the book after seeing a bunch of recommendations on Mumsnet so it wasn't just me I guess!

Yes I read the book after stumbling upon the first one of these threads, though I was already more or less following the plan, via Michael Mosley's Mediterranean diet recommendations and other bits of reading I'd done.

The stress and sleep stuff has been the biggest new element for me, and I think it has made a difference to my weight to tackle those things.

@SleepWoof 17lbs is amazing! That’s reassuring to hear your energy levels suffered too. I really hope mine turn a corner soon. The Joe Wicks low carb recipe sounds nice, might you have a link?

@TooExtraImmatureCheddar I totally agree with your summary of all the diets- especially 500 calls fuck that shit . I just can’t manage on anything where I have to be hungry. I always had an inkling that surely it wasn’t good to ignore your body’s cues, so it’s very satisfying to have that validated.