Why We Eat (Too Much) Thread 4

[TooExtraImmatureCheddar]

Hi to all regulars and lurkers!

Here's the 4th thread, based on the ideas in Dr Andrew Jenkinson's book. We've seen some amazing losses on these threads, and the benefits for me can be summed up as 'no counting, no starving'.
We don't count calories, and if we're hungry we eat. We're focused on quality.

General eating principles:

No sugar
No wheat (which reduces unhealthy carbs)
No ultra processed foods, and in particular no processed/ultra refined oils
Honourable mention to tipping the balance of omega 3 and 6, but that’s mostly achieved by doing the above.

His principles also include trying to sleep more and reduce stress, and take regular (moderate) exercise.

If any of this sounds promising, please feel free to ask questions and come and join in!

Place marking - and hoping this thread will turn up in threads I'm on !

There was a question about avoiding grain fed meat at the end of the last thread.

I think we established that American meat was raised intensively on grain, and U.K. practices were not nearly as bad ( yet )

I don't worry about it too much t b h. I do eat a lot of lamb which is largely grass reared, and most of my beef is local and grass reared also. Not sure about pork. And the fish I have is often farmed, so not ideal.

Hi - I posted on the end of the last thread, not realising there was a new one!

Incidentally, is there something odd going on with these threads not appearing on Active / Threads I'm On? Someone mentioned it in the last thread, I think. I posted on Thread 3 today, and yet it doesn't appear on Threads I'm On. And I also can't see Thread 3 on the list of active threads in Weight Loss Chat, even though it's been posted on today . Some kind of anti-Jenkinson conspiracy perhaps .

Ah - cross-posted! Definitely something weird going on!

Anyway, hi everyone! My post copied from the old thread:

'"Hello all, I think I popped in on an earlier thread, but am definitely keen to give this a go. I've just been re-reading the book and wondering- do any of you follow his advice on avoiding grain-fed meat? That seems to include practically all chicken, pork and a lot of beef, which seems like a bit of a tall order (unless you're a vegetarian!). Or have you found sources of non grain-fed meat?

On the subject of exercise, I have been surprised to find that doing a moderate amount of strength stuff (yoga and weights) seems to be helping weight loss more than the hours of cardio I used to do, which I think is exactly what the book says (heavy cardio makes your body want to compensate for lost calories, but building muscle helps lower your weight set point, I think)."

Yes something odd happening. This thread is now appearing in my threads list, but the previous one stopped appearing there for some reason.

Anyway, we're here now!

Marking my place! Thanks for the new thread @TooExtraImmatureCheddar
@lazylinguist interesting theory about cardio vs weights for the weight set point. I do a lot of cardio: running and cycling everyday, some swimming but not enough weights. I bought a couple of dumbells to try and tone up my arms but doing weight training bores me senseless, I like being outside! I know it is incredibly important, though, especially at my age (55) so will persevere.
B - nothing (as usual) L - beetroot (from garden) and feta salad, greek yoghurt, flax grains and a little honey. D will be salmon fillet with green salad. Still not losing weight!

Oh it's definitely boring, @samthebordercollie! But it doesn't take long. I get plenty of outdoors, as I live fairly rurally and have a large, energetic dog! I used to run, but had to give up due to repeated niggly injuries (have just tentatively started Parkrun again because I love it - I figure my knees can cope with one jog a week!) I now replace running with a speedy 40 min hilly walk every day, which might just count as cardio - I go fast enough to raise heart rate and get a bit sweaty!

So I'm starting following the book's advice today. Greek yoghurt with a few berries for breakfast. About to have a load of salad for lunch, maybe with tuna and avocado.

Ooh I quite enjoy the weights actually- do a mix of free weights and the machines. I get bored on the x trainer/ elliptical. I wish I could run as I love being outside and do a lot of hill walking.

I just can't get myself co ordinated.

Hi. Just marking my place. Thanks for the new thread.
Nothing much to report here. I find justifying this WOE when socialising much harder than sticking to the WOE itself. Social eating seems to revolve around bread and cake or maybe that's just my social circle?

Hello. I have just read the book and feeling inspired. Love the idea of changing the weight set point and I can relate to always ending up a bit heavier than before I started the last diet. I have given up sugar before very successfully but never focused on omega 3 and omega 6 ratios. Some easy changes based on that including going back to more red meat instead of poultry which feels wrong somehow. At least everyone agrees about the fish.

By coincidence I have recently started cooking with coconut oil and adding flax seeds to everything (something I heard about pet food for weight loss) and I seem to have lost weight without trying very hard. I see the flax seed is full of omega 3 and the coconut oil has very little omega 6.

Not sure about the one-two hours a day for cooking. I do try but sometimes it’s hard after a long day. I think the answer is in making time to plan and shop then you just have to put together what is on the list.

I am also a Slimming World person and now breaking lots of the rules but I like the accountability and all the speed foods are good for this system anyway.

I was a bit disappointed when I got to the how to part of the book as it was so short and confusing with the mention of pasta vs wheat? But maybe that’s because the rules are quite simple really and there are lots of other books out there about habit forming etc. Just got to do it now I guess.

Any ideas for work lunches? I am in a habit of tinned soup, chicken and whole meal toast but I guess I will have to change all that…..

Thanks for the new thread!
Placemarking quickly, will pop back again shortly!

Thanks for the new thread @TooExtraImmatureCheddar, can't believe we're on the 4th thread already!

Good day for meals today, porridge, beetroot salad and then beef stew this evening.

Hello all. Good day-ish yesterday although I felt sleepy as not sleeping too well at the moment, and that can tip me into mindless eating.

Porridge with no sugar and a couple of dates chopped in, and blueberries, salmon wrapped in pancetta( not sure I will do that again) , bobbity beans and hard boiled pullet egg.

Then was still hungry so had cheese and home made oatcakes, and then several squares of chocolate. I feel over full this morning.

Welcome serenade. Lunches you say? :

Salad, ( add some nice treat things like olives) with dressing, and one or more of: hard boiled egg, tuna ( in spring water not veg oil), cooked salmon, cheese, chicken, smoked mackerel, naice ham, roasted peppers. I batch cook h b e s and store in fridge and you can keep the dressing separately until lunchtime so it doesn't go all mushy.

Dressings : Vinaigrette: three parts olive oil to one part good vinegar, ( apple cider vinegar is my latest discovery, love the stuff) and dijon mustard, salt and pepper, shaken in a jar. Blue cheese: st Agur creamed blue cheese diluted with Greek yoghurt

Frittata ( that's nice cold and you could make one and have it last several days) I made a lovely one earlier this summer with a courgette filling.

Home made soup? Frozen peas, stock, cream and mint whizzed together and chilled is tasty and quick as a summer soup. I can post the instructions and quantities if you like, just say.

Full fat Greek yoghurt, fruit and flaxseed stirred in.

Leftovers from night before ( good in autumn/winter) if you can reheat it at work, or batch cooked portions from freezer.

It might sound a bit faffy but really it's not when you get into the swing. Just a bit of planning ahead and getting into a routine. I used to put my lunch together while cooking dinner if possible, then it's all done and cleared away at one time.

Let us know how you get on.

Thank you Words. Lots of great suggestions. Making soup with cream takes a bit of getting my head around after SW! Batch cooking and leftovers sound like the way to go.

What is h b e s?

I can understand that! Never done SW myself but it is a hard mindset to change at first regarding full fat.

Aside from the complex metabolic theories, full fat things do keep you fuller longer, which can reduce temptation to snack/ overeat. As well as steering us away from over processed and sugary substitutes too.

Sorry hard boiled eggs

Do you use stock pots and stick cubes? I usually put them in everything I make but the ingredients list isn’t great.

*stock cubes

Good morning everyone. Quick post so hopefully you will appear in my threads list and then I can go back to mostly lurking. 😂

Did want to add that weight training has made no difference to my weight loss over the summer but if I'm honest aside from that exercise and some cardio I've been quite lazy so my lack of loss is understandable. I have however read a library's worth of books and that makes me happy. 👍🏻

@SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun I think Kallo stock cubes contain fewest additives. Might be worth a try?

DH sabotaged me last night by making scones. I was hungover and feeling very dodgy and we hardly ever bake, so I had two small scones with homemade compote and whipped cream. It's not great but at least everything was homemade. I didn't quiz him on the sugar content of the compote, though! Rest of food was fine, though - porridge with cream and honey, chicken Caesar salad, then sausage, mash and broccoli. I did use stock cubes to make gravy for the sausages - for me, things like that come under the heading of making this manageable! I think slow weight loss is more attributable to things like scones or occasional takeaways for me, rather than the odd stock cube or a little bit of flour in gravy.

Welcome Serenade! Interesting to hear your report on flax seeds - I might give them a go!

Yesterday wasn't great in the end for me foodwise. Today will be a write-off as it's dd's 16th birthday. Homemade pizzas and birthday cake... So, back to it tomorrow. Things will be easier once everyone is back at school/work!

@TooExtraImmatureCheddar your approach is similar to mine. This is my intended WOE for life now, so I know there will be days where I eat things that aren't part of this plan, but I intend to make them high days and holidays, enjoy them and move on.
I'm trying not to be too focused on the weight as there are so many other benefits but having been a yo-yo dieter for decades makes this challenging and it's hard when the scales don't budge (or even go up) and you know you are eating better and consuming less calorific food than ever before! (I suspect my body might be battling with a set point at the moment and my body needs time to catch up with my head.)

Hi, I've been following these threads since reading the book in June. I have been following this woe but I'm not beating myself up when I lapse.
Tend to do 16-8 anyway so rarely eat breakfast, but if I'm going out and suspect lunch will be late I have a few spoonfuls of full fat yoghurt to keep me going. Or I have porridge which I mix with a few frozen berries and then microwave to make it fruity, sweetened with a bit of honey. Lunch is generally a salad of some description. If I'm eating out I will have chips or pasta, but only if nothing else on the menu appeals. Evening meals tend to include rice or potatoes. I'm only eating bread as a very rare treat, and have noticed a marked change to my digestive system!
I buy the Clearspring organic oatcakes as they're the only ones I could find that don't have rapeseed oil in them. If I need a snack I'll have these with cheese, or rice cakes with Saint Agur spreadable blue cheese (which is delicious and free of most unsuitable additives) or with butter and marmite.
I shop with Ocado, so I've started buying M&S spreadable butter which is pricier but doesn't contain vegetable oils. I'm also buying M&S omega 3 rich eggs.
I invested in a large bag of flax seed powder which is now looking at me reproachfully every time I open the cupboard - Any suggestions?

Hello @JumpingFrogs . I stir flax seed ( the ground one) into a glass of Ocado's Gazpacho, sprinkle on porridge or yoghurt and add to smoothies.

Agree re that blue cheese spread. So tasty! In fact you've reminded me to add some to my next order!