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!

@Arcadia

Quick advice needed! What's the least bad in terms of alcohol? I am going out tomorrow and don't particularly want to drink but might have one, otherwise it's Diet Coke/coke/whatever which is bad anyway, right?!

Red wine I suppose, since it may have antioxidant benefits. Alcohol isn’t a massive problem though, at least as far as weight loss is concerned. Wine is okay, beer is a bit too carby, though I still have it from time to time.

Why is it a choice between that and sweet soft drinks though? My tolerance for alcohol has plummeted, so more often than not I have soda water when I’m out. Well, and at home too, it’s my favourite drink (and always has been, it’s not a new, ascetic diet thing).

Great to see so many posts so not just me and Aria shooting the breeze  Although it's always nice to chat, aria

Awesome start @ravenswig!

@HighlandCowBag - of course it was yours! Sorry. That recipe is now a staple here at Casa Words. So quick and easy, and filling.

@40whats- re alcohol. If you can take it or leave it, I would definitely leave it. Apart from the sugar and calorie content, ( yes we know it's not all about cals, but even so) - I found it really does mess up metabolism and sleep quality - as I found in my recent departure from the plan.

I feel much better being entirely alcohol free, but that might feel joyless to some, and we are all different. Also I am mid 50s and can't tolerate it as I once did. In terms of alternatives, I would avoid fizzy drinks. I like sparkling water with a slice of lime, or soda water. In the summer I enjoy lime cordial and soda if at the pub. Yes there is sugar in the cordial, but that's much less of a harm than alcohol, I reckon.

So, yesterday, I tried the Sputnik /coronavirus /kohlrabi grated raw on my salad. It was pleasant tasting, mildly earthy, a bit like radish. I'm going to experiment with various coleslaw/ vinaigrette type dressings and also try roasting it I think. It might also go nicely in kimchi. ( spicy Korean sauerkraut -type thing I have on salads and with cheese - made a while ago after reading the Mosley recommendation that fermented foods are Good for You.)

I'm well aware, by the way, that I am super lucky I have time to mess around with food like this, and enjoy doing so. Please don't let this put you off if cooking is not your thing, or time is short. The plan can be adopted succèssfully without all these little excursions.

I overate a bit yesterday, possibly mentally still compensating for my meat free Monday. Although I did eat half the amount of steak I usually would. ( NOT part of the plan newbies, I am just trying to cut back on meat consumption for other health reasons)

It's mad, how our minds work, isn't it. Unless it was my body re setting itself up to my set point, as I did feel I was losing weight again over the last few days. Time will no doubt tell...

SorryI should have atted @Arcadia not 40whats. Apologies both!

Lol @Words I think autocorrect is having a laugh with you unless you actually had coronavirus on your salad 😂😂

Hello everyone, I'm back from Madeira, which was absolutely beautiful.

I can confirm that the garlic bread is delicious, and that I will not be weighing myself for at least a week.

Welcome back @TheLeadbetterLife ! I'm envious! Madeira looks beautiful - never been and the garlic bread sounds awesome - so added incentive !

Aria. Not a typo! I joked with the veg lady that the kohlrabi looked like a coronavirus

On which subject just made coleslaw with some of that, and cabbage red onion carrot parsley and dressing. Vair tasty. And I've taught myself how to use the mandolin thingy to do fancy schmancy julienne strips. Bonus!

I am now 6 weeks in and and 7lbs down so really pleased with that. I do seem to be sticking here a bit, I’m not sure if that’s just normal and I need to just be patient or whether I’m eating a bit too much potato/rice or maybe ‘cheating’ a bit too much (couldn’t resist some of the tea loaf I made for my son!). Anyway, I am trying to just be patient and see what happens over the next couple weeks…

My BMI is now 26 so I don’t have a huge amount to lose but it is mainly hanging around my midriff so from a health point of view it really does need to go.

I’ve been having chia seeds/full fat yoghurt/milk to loosen (soaked overnight) with a bit of chopped fruit for breakfast. As long as you can get over the ‘interesting’ consistency I think it’s a good, filling option - the chia seeds are high in omega 3s and protein.

@KittyKatkin

Well done on progress so far, that is excellent. Most of us on this thread have been finding that we go through plateau and weight loss phases, so don't worry too much about the stall.

Midriff fat is the thing I'm most focussed on, as it has more health implications even than BMI. It's possible to be a healthy BMI and still be carrying too much fat on the waist. Apparently our waists should be no more than half our heights. I've just about got there, and want to get some extra cm off for safety. I find low carbs is the only thing that really does the job.

Dr Jenkinson says we should be aiming to reduce carbs gradually, starting at 150g a day and eventually getting down to no more than 100g, or ideally 80g. Maybe you are eating too many grams of carbs? Try adding them up and seeing if you can reduce them a bit. Perhaps that will get you off the plateau.

I've been quite cavalier about my carbs recently (though overall I'm eating far fewer than I used to), and I've both stalled in my weight loss and noticed a thickening in the midriff. Time to reintroduce some discipline.

Thank you @TheLeadbetterLife I think you are right, I need to be more mindful of my carb intake - after my jacket potato(es) for dinner that is!

Goodness I realise now that I have missed loads of posts! Congratulations everyone on your weightloss and thank you for sharing-it really is encouraging.

I have only had kohlrabi once, made into a ‘bhaji burger’ - a recipe from the Riverford website. I do find their recipes very good for finding new ways of using up veg.

Hello everyone, fell off this thread for a while (and have NC in the meantime) and also fell off the WOE (family emergency = lots of fast food and carbs plus some more carbs). Restarting today though!

Welcome back, Junie! Sorry to hear about the crisis.

I need to reduce my carbs too ( eyes potato and onion bake ruefully)
I also need to find out what 100g of potato looks like.
But I'm too scared!

This thread has fallen off my 'threads I'm on' just like the last time. Argh. So annoying.

@Words yeah it's not much. This medium sized potato weighs just over 200g.

Oh wow. 100g of potato really isn’t very much is it!?
I think I have been in potato/carb denial.

But MyFitnessPal lists 100g of jacket potato as having only 21.3g of carbs??

@KittyKatkin that's interesting, maybe the water in the potato doesn't count?

If you want to lower the glycemic index of a potato, eat butter with it (or olive oil or other fats)

somethingnewfordinner.com/blog/10-ways-to-lower-the-glycemic-index-of-potatoes/

It’s not 100g of potato or bread, it’s 100g of carbs. Carb-rich foods are not 100% carbohydrate.

My lunchtime oats and yoghurt with nuts / seeds and raspberries comes to about 40g carbs across all the ingredients.

How do you tell the carbs content?

@samthebordercollie thanks, I think eating my potato steeped in butter tonight is a great idea!

Anything in a packet will have the carb content in the nutritional information. For fruits and vegetables I just Google them.

Thanks for the re-welcome, Words.

I’m not sure I can bear to give up or cut down on potatoes. I’m telling myself they must be much better than other carbs. When I was growing up we never ate pasta or rice. Potatoes for dinner and sandwiches for tea.

Oh wow thanks for the visual @aria99

Thanks also for the subsequent clarifications folks.

And increasing the healthiness of something by smothering it in butter is my kind of approach. Just the sort of news to set the day off on the right foot!

Ate too much again yesterday I think and feel a bit bloated. Will try a lower carb day today. Portion control overall, not just spud-wise - always my Achilles heel- has gone out of the window a bit.

I wonder if, like animals we are programmed to overeat a bit in the autumn ahead of winter ? ( grasping firmly at straws here.)

Market day today so will get lots of good veggies ( did well on the 30 varieties of plant challenge - over 40! Much easier than sounds as herbs and spices count also.)

Also had an Ocado delivery yesterday. Somehow, several bars of Lindt dark choc with cherry and almonds dropped into my online basket. However could that have happened? ( yes, it is very very good.)

I am a liability. I really am. Feel free to point this out on Saturday when I weigh myself.

Oh @words I feel exactly the same. I eat too much, I sneak in carbs or junk when I’m out of the house.

I do think my habits have changed overall, but apparently not the gluttonous one.

I’m very pleased with the progress I’ve made so far, but I am worried about my health and need to go further.

I need to accept that greed is my vice and always be mindful of it. I will never not be a gannet.

I'm considering retrieving my ancient bread maker from the cupboard in order to make spelt bread. But it's still wheat - is this allowed do we think?

@VinoBianca

I'm considering retrieving my ancient bread maker from the cupboard in order to make spelt bread. But it's still wheat - is this allowed do we think?

Spelt and other ancient grains are fine. I eat buckwheat galettes. They are on plan according to Dr J.