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!

Slept badly last night, woke at 3.30am and couldn't get back over again, so was up and having my breakfast at 4.30am. I was worried that would mean I would be hungry too early for lunch and would end up eating twice, but surprisingly I wasn't hungry until midday which was good.

B - porridge
L - weird pic-a-mix of nibbles as the fridge needs restocked but I couldn't be bothered going to the shops today (apple, cheese, olives, smoked salmon and chopped pepper)
D - Chinese takeaway, but I split my portion and ended up with less than a third, which was still plenty to fill me.

No snacks at yet, though have fruit and yoghurt if I get hungry later.

@Words that's great you lost weight again! Hope you're feeling more positive now!?

@RagzReturnsRebooted so many of your meals sound lovely! Meatballs baked with mozzarella- didn't know that was a thing but it sounds great!

Hi all. Good day here in terms of food. We had plans for tonight but they were cancelled, so just had a lovely salad with lots of green veg, some semi dried tomatoes (from Sainsbury's in olive oil - a few really add something to a salad) and halloumi cooked in a little bit of harissa paste. It was really tasty and also filling.
The scales shifted for me this morning back to where I was last Saturday. I'm very happy with that and shall see where this week takes me.

I really love courgetti (cooked in a little butter). I actually prefer it to pasta when we are having meatballs now. I never thought I'd say that.

[quote Aria999]@RagzReturnsRebooted so many of your meals sound lovely! Meatballs baked with mozzarella- didn't know that was a thing but it sounds great![/quote]
Thanks, it's one ofmy fairly quick meals. I buy meatballs ready made, bake them dry until brown then add tomato sauce which I make different ways depending on what's in the house. The version with the least processed foods (sometimes I add a jar of pesto or tomato and mascerpone pasta sauce, but they have nasties in) goes like this
While meatballs are baking, mix the following in a pan
-carton of passata
-half a tub of cream cheese
-half a tube of tomato puree
-Italian herbs/oregano, garlic granules/frozen crushed garlic, salt and pepper, chili flakes
Stir until melted and combined, pour over the meatballs, tear up a mozzarella ball and put that on top. Bake until mozzarella is golden. Serve on courgette.

We have this nearly every week.

I did eat a biscuit. Only because they were homemade and I know I can only have one (DS allocated 4 for himself, 3 each for his brother and sister and 1 each for DH and me) so no chance of having more. Actually just made me realise how shit the biscuits I was eating at work were (I don't buy biscuits but we have a never ending supply at work), so I just really appreciated it as a treat. Which is fine.

Well done to those losing weight, please have your fingers crossed for me for tomorrow. I was 900g shy of 100kg last Sunday and that really was an eye opener, the heaviest I have ever been. My target is around 75kg and I've just realised that means I have a quarter of my bodyweight to lose. Imagine how much better my back and joints will feel when that's gone!

@Neeko I prefer courgetti too, spaghetti feels like eating glue and instant bloating! I fried mine in a little chili flavoured olive oil tonight and strained it in the seive as I find that it does ooze moisture when cooked, however lightly I do it, and usually makes a watery puddle on my plate. Not today!

DH made butternut squash spaghetti a few months ago and that was amazing, more bite to it and a little sweetness. Almost too rich, but felt very indulgent.

Ooh @RagzReturnsRebooted they both sound delicious!

I think I might need to add a spiraliser to my kitchen gadget collection! I have yet to find a really good way of eating courgettes.

Thanks for the good wishes aria and yes, am feeling positive again.

Yesterday was fine food wise. Cheese and oatcakes and some yoghurt, then sausages from the butcher, a tablespoon of mash and veg. Then home made frozen blueberry yog for pudding. I'm not a great fan of ice cream as it hurts my teeth, but made this for my friend. It was rather nice. Recipe on the Ocado website.

It's roast chick tonight. I'm going to follow a new method of briefly poaching it first, before roasting. The leftovers will include one dinner with that nice sauce mentioned upthread ( or on the previous one)

Whoever mentioned porridge making them hungry- I've noticed that too, isn't it strange? And I don't add sugar, only a small amount of honey or dates. Perhaps that's what does it.

Hello! Hope it’s ok I join you all. I did fast 800 with success last summer but have put all the weight back on. That book led me in to reading about healthy eating and I heard a podcast with the author of why we eat too much which made a lot of sense.
I’m struggling with the book though! I want to finish it before I get back from holiday and start work on Wednesday but it’s a bit slow going in places. Can I skip to the what to do section and come back to the rest later?

Hello! I've read lots of the book and am interested in this, but it seems to assume a lot of meat- am I right? I eat fish, but not that often, and it seems to go against the general trend of eating less meat- is is doable without?

I'm starting a big body overhaul this week, between now and Christmas. I have no weight goal but am giving up alcohol and basing my eating around this WoE. Just checking in!

@aramox

Hello! I've read lots of the book and am interested in this, but it seems to assume a lot of meat- am I right? I eat fish, but not that often, and it seems to go against the general trend of eating less meat- is is doable without?

@aramox hi and welcome to the thread! I eat very little meat, never in the week and maybe once at the weekend, and have no problem (with the nut exception) of sticking to this woe. What makes you think there is a lot of meat eating? I haven't read the book for a while so maybe I missed something!

2kg off, it's probably only what I put on over the previous few weeks, but I'm happy with that. It's about 4lbs.
Bacon, eggs and 1 slice of Rye bread for breakfast (I'll try not to have any until next weekend now as it probably isn't great).
Dinner will be DH's amazing chili in an omelette (with kale, chorizo and cheese), he makes spectacular omelettes.
Having a BBQ with next door tomorrow, so lots of meat and salad probably. Haven't prepared at all as it was a last minute decision but have plenty of meat in the freezer that needs using before BBQ season ends.

I think I may be close to my weight set-point as I haven't lost (or gained) any weight in quite a few weeks now.

I'm currently 11 stones 2lbs which is at the very top end of the healthy BMI category for my height. If you'd asked me last Christmas for a target weight this would have been pretty near it, as I was over 2 stones heavier at that point, but now I'm here I'd quite like another few pounds off.

I am pleased to have lost as much as I have and I certainly feel a lot healthier and better in myself, but I'm definitely still carrying some flab and could be slimmer.

Perhaps I need to focus on toning up a bit more, though I do exercise every week.

Or perhaps I need to realise that I'm much better being this weight and maintaining it rather than wanting to lose more but not being able to keep it off.

Welcome new posters!

I plateaued for ages too tired then lost more than in ages this week. Are you still doing the eating only till not quite full thing?

That way of cooking a roast chicken by the way, simmering it for ten mins, thoroughly pat dry, brush with melted butter, lemon cut in half in cavity and half a bulb of garlic in the pan with the chick resting on carrot onion and celery was sensational. The meat was succulent and the skin perfectly crisp. And the roast garlic was delicious.

Definitely my new way of doing it. Old 🐶 learns new tricks!

Yes @Words, I'm trying to be very mindful when I'm eating and not just stuffing myself because the food is in front of me. I genuinely am quite taken aback at how much my appetite has reduced and how it takes much less to fill me.

Don't get me wrong, I can still eat huge portions and sometimes I do, but then I feel really bloated and uncomfortable afterwards and regret it.

It may be a plateau, I've had a few of them, or it may be my new set-point. I do need to be realistic as well - I've never been a naturally slim person and even when I haven't been overweight my body shape has always been more 'strong and sturdy' than 'lithe and lissome'.

At the start of this journey I would probably have grabbed a 2+ stone loss with both hands, so I don't want to aim for an unrealistic target that sees me back on the roller coaster of unsustainable weight-loss followed by me putting it all back on again. Been there, done that.

I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing for at least another month and see what happens. I'm finding this WoE much easier to follow, so it's no problem sticking to it compared to previous diets. If this is my new weight so be it.

I'm trying to follow your example @Tiredandbored. I only had one moderate helping of that delicious chicken last night for example. Iron resolve- but, I wasn't hungry so stopped myself.

What, if anything, eventually tips us of these plateaux/ weight set point stalling periods, I wonder, apart from time?

The book lists environment and psychological health, food and eating habits, and activity and lifestyle as key to successfully lowering our set points.

I guess it's just about keeping on keeping on.

Happy Bank Holiday Monday everyone. I am off to see my aged mother today, in the home. I usually reward myself with a visit to the farm shop, so I will stay away from the shelves of sweet delights...

Morning all

Bank Holiday seems to have scuppered my plans slightly. Chinese food friday night, indian restaurant on Saturday and then yesterday we went to TGI fridays for lunch. Avoided the burgers but did have the sesame chicken starter and then lemon and garlic chicken (which was probably fairly on plan except for oil but the garlic chips definitely were not on plan). Hey ho. Tis just life and really enjoyed what I had. Had rye ryvitas (which I have found I love) with philadelphia for supper so that wasn't too bad.

Not sure what we are doing today. Usually have a roast dinner on bank holiday monday but don't know if I can be arsed.

Morning all, happy bank holiday!

Not sure how well I'll do with meals this week as we have 2 days eating out (one is a wedding, one a pre-wedding celebratory meal).

On the plus side I'm back to work again, which always makes it easier to plan meals and avoid boredom eating.

Meals today are porridge for breakfast. Not planning any lunch as am only getting breakfast now and will have an early dinner, though will have an apple and some cheese if I get hungry in the afternoon. Dinner is homemade vegetable soup with homemade wheaten bread. The bread is not 100% on plan, but it's wholemeal flour and homemade so no additives etc.

Hi everyone,

Normal working day for us here, though the whole of August is pretty much a bank holiday as half the country takes the month off. Everything should get quieter as of this week.

I feel the same as you @Tiredandbored, in that having reached my goal weight of 75kg I now want to get down to 73. For years I dreamt of just getting to about 82kg, so this is an unexpected twist.

Anyway, that is my plan for September - get down to 73kg, keep up the sleep CBT and other lifestyle changes aimed at improving my mental wellbeing. I do think the extra sleep and making time for meditation and yoga every day is helping with the weight loss. It's the only real difference I've made in the last few weeks, and I came off my plateau.

We had a fairly excessive weekend, with guests on Friday and a lovely meal out last night. We're going out again on Thursday, so will have to be very disciplined every other day this week.

Hi - I’ve just finished the book and this is what I’ve decided to try with DH as it feels sustainable and sensible.

Can I ask how much weight loss is reasonable to expect in the first 2/3 months? It’s not so much that I need to lose it quickly but my doctor has recommended bariatric surgery which is like to avoid and I will be due a check up in 3 months for meds.

Also, does this work with something like intermittent fasting? Or are they opposed to each other?

Thanks In advance.

Hi all, I'm about a third of the way through the book and it's really fascinating.

The part about parents experiencing famine and hardship making you more likely to hold weight is really interesting to me.

As a child (six months old) I was in hospital on my own with suspected meningitis. My DF was working away and my DM had my siblings. Thinking back now, I can imagine that might have caused trauma. Like many other Irish families, my family would have experienced the potato famine and the starvation and hardship from that.

Not blaming it for my love of chocolate but it's food for thought!

@Tinselandlights

Hi all, I'm about a third of the way through the book and it's really fascinating.

The part about parents experiencing famine and hardship making you more likely to hold weight is really interesting to me.

As a child (six months old) I was in hospital on my own with suspected meningitis. My DF was working away and my DM had my siblings. Thinking back now, I can imagine that might have caused trauma. Like many other Irish families, my family would have experienced the potato famine and the starvation and hardship from that.

Not blaming it for my love of chocolate but it's food for thought!

It really is, isn't it? My Dad grew up very poor, as did both his parents, and I think there's an inherited tendency to store fat there (and my GF's family also lived through the potato famine). Then I was born 6 weeks premature and kept apart from my Mum in hospital until I was allowed home on my due date, which I suspect was also traumatic.

@Merryoldgoat

Hi - I’ve just finished the book and this is what I’ve decided to try with DH as it feels sustainable and sensible.

Can I ask how much weight loss is reasonable to expect in the first 2/3 months? It’s not so much that I need to lose it quickly but my doctor has recommended bariatric surgery which is like to avoid and I will be due a check up in 3 months for meds.

Also, does this work with something like intermittent fasting? Or are they opposed to each other?

Thanks In advance.

Hi and welcome.

I can't tell you how much you could expect to lose, as I'm sure it's different for everyone.

I do intermittent fasting alongside this though, and think it's fine. I do 16:8 more or less every day, eating two meals between 1pm and 9pm. If I feel hungry before 1pm I will eat a bit earlier, and if we're out for dinner I'll go a bit later. Sometimes I make it up the next day, but not always.

I sometimes also do a 20-24 hour fast day, only having black coffee and water, and one meal that day. I find that really helps with weight loss, personally. Maybe it keeps my metabolism on its toes, I don't know. The first couple of times I did it I was quite weak and shaky after about 20 hours, but it got easier and easier.

I sort of do IF, in that I never eat breakfast and usually don't eat until around 2pm, and have an evening meal about 8pm, then nothing until the next day. I've lost 18.5lbs in about 4 months I think, but that includes a weeks holiday, numerous nights out, a takeaway every week and far too much alcohol since the kids broke up.