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!

My problem is,I am a bit of an all or nothing person. I take things to extremes with a dash of lingering and ridiculous teenage rebellion thrown in. ( oh, so chocolate is BAD, you say? Then I will eat ALL the chocolate... see also meat, especially red meat.)

This is why this way of eating is really helpful as one rarely needs to feel deprived of anything, so not a lot to rebel against, for me anyway. ( I can usually find something, though )

I am curbing the worst of it on the whole, but there is definitely more progress to be made. And it's not 'nice to have ' progress - I am still overweight by at least a stone, so it needs to come off really.

I wish I had done a 'before' photo but I was too ashamed and sad to do it. I'm not a vain person by any means, but I am really pleased with how I look now, and it would be good to compare.

I don't have a before photo either. I have hardly any photos from when I was fat, because I looked so terrible. Or I thought I did - when I look at the ones from 15, 20 years ago, yes I'm fat in most of them, but I look young and lovely all the same!

Anyway, I'm kidding myself that further weight loss is "nice to have" for me. It only feels that way because I haven't been at this weight in twenty years. In fact, I do need to lose more for health reasons. I'm only just into the healthy BMI range, and I am still carrying too much fat around the middle. I know these sorts of things are only going to get worse now I'm (christ...) in my 40s.

I expect I need to be doing more exercise actually. I do at least 30 minutes most days, plus gardening and walking and stuff, but I have to admit I absolutely loathe it. I have a lot of stamina and I'm fairly fit - if I have to be active for a particular project I will happily keep going and going, even if it's something like shovelling gravel for hours. But I rebel against exercise for its own sake. I'm naturally lazy and greedy. If I were a man 150 years ago I would be a gout-ridden, red-faced porker, swilling port like something out of a Punch cartoon.

hi all, I wrote a long post but seem to have lost it so I will apologise in advance if this is a repeat.
I had three birthday parties in one week so didn't really stand a chance. I had put on just 1 lb when I weighed this morning so very pleased with that. back on plan today. have a good day all

@Styletryle - is a class not feasible ( noting toddler mention) I go to reformer Pilates and really like it - much more than thé mat based exercises.

Agree you need to find something you enjoy. Also re steps a Fitbit is useful as it's with you 24/7 and is great for weight and sleep tracking too. I have a basic one and it does all I need it to do.

I've got a collie ( or rather, share one) who needs lots of exercise so that gets me out in the countryside for longish periods at the weekends at least. Week days can be pretty shamefully low, step wise as I work from home now.

@NeverTooOldToTry - excellent new re scales. I bet you lose that pound fast.

I use an online yoga subscription - Down Dog. It's absolutely brilliant and also has a HIIT and meditation app as well as the yoga. Only costs about $35 a year for as many classes as you want.

Lunch: grilled mushrooms with melted Stilton. The mushrooms are under there somewhere 😂

omg @Aria999. I cannot keep blue cheese in the house (as in, I eat it as soon as I buy it) otherwise I would have exactly that right now.

Yummy 😋

My low carb day went ok- ( I think - not very carb savvy) lots of thé kohlrabi coleslaw - thé oil and vinegar dressed one was nicer than the creamy dressing one interestingly - then cheese and apple as snack, and baked salmon for dinner. Home made watercress soup to begin with and to fill the potato shaped gap. 'Twas nice. I do like watercress.

Just realised I consume 2.5 litres of black coffee a day. That's right.

What! 2.5 litres? How is that physically possible? How do you sleep?!

Oh God I am such a twit. Just checked.Useless with numbers. 1.8 litres or two large cafetières of black coffee. Which is still a lorra lorra coffee.

I sleep fine actually, which is worrying in itself! No coffee after lunchtime.

Must Cut Down.

Hi all- just joined here after being pointed to this thread from "AIBU"
Without having to trawl through the previous 2/3 threads would you mind sharing the name of the book this is based around

@kinkykardashiankult - Welcome ! It's the same as the title of the threads Why We Eat (Too Much) by Dr Andrew Jenkinson .

Try again @KinkyKardashianKult

@Words

Oh God I am such a twit. Just checked.Useless with numbers. 1.8 litres or two large cafetières of black coffee. Which is still a lorra lorra coffee.

I sleep fine actually, which is worrying in itself! No coffee after lunchtime.

Must Cut Down.

Ha ha, wow! I'm impressed that you're getting it in before lunch too! I barely sleep anyway, but I can't have more than one cup a day. I love coffee though, wish I could have it after dinner.

@Styletryle

I'll have a look at that *@TheLeadbetterLife* I'm looking at pilatesology and thinking about trying a free trial. I need the core pulling qualities of pilates methinks!

Half term here and always sets me back every year. Eating out, eating junk generally, wine because 'holidays' ... just put my intake yest into nutracheck (just taken membership) and it was a poor poor day. Well over 200g of carbs. Come Monday it'll be back to school work and routine so it'll be easier. Plan is to just have a coffee, milk no sugar for breakfast each day, keep carbs to 100g or under and drink lots of water.

You can adapt the Down Dog settings to focus on different areas - e.g. core. It's really very good! There is a free trial I think.

Thanks @samthebordercollie - I think I'm going to get some buckwheat, love the sound of the galettes.

I'm finding this way of eating easy (never thought I'd say that about cutting out wheat!) but my major major downfall is still sugar. I'm not having it in dairy milk as I was wont to do but I find myself sneaking maple syrup into things and I'm using dates and bananas too much. Sigh. I really miss not being able to have a sweet treat that isn't berries!

@VinoBianca if it makes you feel better I still have a little honey in my Greek yogurt and although I eat mainly 85% chocolate I sometimes have a couple of milk chocolate squares with hazelnuts. And at the weekend I drink red wine which contains sugar. Apart from that no sugar except in fruit and I never eat processed food which usually has sugar added. A little of what you fancy is fine.

@samthebordercollie you are so disciplined! I just can't seem to do it. I have a little of what I fancy all the bloody time... sigh.

@samthebordercollie that does make me feel a bit better! Wine I'm terrible with (as per my username) but im choosing to consider that allowed

Morning All. 3/4 lb off this week, taking me to 12 6. Still a stone away from healthy BMI range, but huge progress overall in just over a year. I was heading towards 16 stone at my heaviest.

It's taken ages to achieve two weeks' weight loss in a row, after hitting a set point, but it's happened and I am pleased. Hopefully I am off the plateau. Fingers crossed.

Like @TheLeadbetterLife I have a little of what I fancy somewhat too frequently! Cooking is my hobby and my de-stressor. I freely admit to being unashamedly greedy, and I live alone, so the odds are stacked against me in some ways. Plus I've had a couple of holidays over the last two months, one of them very food oriented, and an expedition into the wilderness over life stress.

It's easy to beat yourself up over these glitches. I know I do. But as long as the progress is going in the right direction overall - whether that's maintaining and continuing to eat well, or losing, however frustratingly slow weight loss can be - that's the main thing isn't it.

Thé bonus with this way of eating is that because it really does make you feel so much better, it is easier than other plans to get back on track when things de rail. And they will! That's just life.

I'm going to give mindful eating a go. Re focus on portion size and listen to my appetite more intently than I have been doing. Wait 20 mins before deciding if I really need a pudding, for example.

Too often I spend ages planning and preparing myself a nice meal, then eat it far too quickly whilst messing on the internet. It's very easy to eat too much in that scenario.

Have a lovely weekend everyone.

Morning everyone, I'm new to the group. I spotted the thread, have read most of the book and once shopping is delivered I'm keen to get started tomorrow! Have been squirrelling away some of your great meal suggestions.

I already don't eat much bread as it's an IBS trigger (even though this is my biggest craving and I put up with the consequences sometimes) but do think breakfast is going to be the hardest. I usually eat 0 fat yoghurt or cereal, and as I start work at 6am I'm usually famished and very ready for breakfast so need to find some good alternatives. Oats are on the shop!

I've done SW and lost about 2 stone, but have put half of that back on. Am hoping this plan will get me back to my target weight and back into healthy BMI (currently about 26 I think).

Looking forward to joining the journey with you all!