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!

@Winecheesesleep I can understand that you are frustrated with a little gain, but honestly half a pound is nothing! It could be to do with hydration, time of the month, a thousand things. I never get worried about so little movement. Weigh yourself in kilograms instead! You won't be bothered about 260g.

I do weigh myself most days just because I'm intrigued at what the scales will say - I can vary by as much as 5lbs from one day to the next for no apparent reason, but I don't get too worked up with daily fluctuations as long as the long-term trend is not upward.

@Winecheesesleep, it could be a range of things such as time of the month, how hydrated you are, how recently you ate prior to weighing, how recently you were at the loo, what you were wearing, etc.

Gaining half a pound one week could be anything - most likely temporary fluid retention for some reason. A heavy or carby meal the night before? Time of the month? Sudden increase in exercise? Don’t panic, keep going and next week will be better.

Thanks all for the supportive messages. You were all quite right and I lost a pound overnight meaning I'm half a pound down overall. I need to not panic so much over minor fluctuations!!

The main thing is I'm really enjoying my food and feel really good, more energetic and positive. I do feel like I'm making healthy choices for myself.

Great plan @Styletryle !

And excellent news @Winecheesesleep. So glad to hear you are enjoying the food. That is half the battle! I think you're right to try not to stress over minor fluctuations. They happen naturally anyway, and there may well be a settling in period additionally with this woe.

Speaking of fluctuations, I am still bumbling around the same weight. My remedial measures have been at best half hearted so far so I need to knuckle down.AND STOP EATING CHOCOLATE!

The weird thing is, apart from a roll of fat round the waist, I look nicely toned and my face is almost skinny. I'm a comfortable 14 on waist and hips now, 16 on top, but that was always the case so not fussed about that. I wish I had taken measurements to start with for comparison purposes, but I was too ashamed.

If it were not for what the scales say, I would be happy at this weight. But I do recall reaching a similar weight to now years ago, and being appalled. So there is some way to go. I am realistic and know I will never be the same weight I was in my 20s, but for health reasons this last stone needs to come off.

I felt confident enough to take another load of old and too -big clothes to the charity shop the other day.

Hi, I have come over from a thread I started on chat. I'm well aware how addictive sugar is. How do I break it?

As an example last weekend I switched to a healthy diet including good fat. I am trying to exercise at the same time as I believe it goes hand in hand. Also though I can see there is a swapping of sugar addiction for exercise addiction.

I overdid it by going to spin on Monday. Felt great at the time. On Tuesday I had that slightly 'coming down with something' feeling and an overwhelming feeling of anxiousness.

I did have a healthy homemade protein shake after exercise but there was some stress going on at work too? How to deal with stress and not derail back to sugar?

Anyway I was not tired AT ALL on Tuesday evening. So this is one issue. I had so much energy. How to stop and go to bed, and not sit up on my phone?

The other issue - argh - I then ate my whole advent calendar. I don't even know why. Once I started I had to get rid of it.

I then felt really angry all next day, due to sugar low. I then ate unhealthily the next 3 days and now have a chronis sinus headache.

I am going to try again with giving up sugar as I know it can be done, I just wanted to post this to acknowledge how hard the journey is.

I know what the answer to all the struggles is - for me it is and always has been yoga. I'm just trying to build up to doing a class. I know I can at home but that doesn't work for me, I have to go to a class.

Hi @MistySkiesAfterRain

That all sounds upsetting!

I think you need to find a way of having a little bit of sugar.

When I was starting out on this I would have literally one half teaspoon of actual sugar for a sugar craving, plus a non sugar snack (normally cheese). It basically worked.

Now I often have one square of dark chocolate instead.

Possibly don't replace the advent calendar...

Hi @MistySkiesAfterRain and welcome to the thread.

It sounds like you need motivation and guidance. We know the feeling in this group.

I have to say, as well as the Why We Eat Too Much book, you might benefit as much, if not more, from Rangan Chatterjee’s Four Pillar Plan book. It’s the same sort of principles, but more focussed on small, simple, practical action. It’s very uplifting and positive.

Thanky you, I feared I killed the thread!

Interesting. I do have fruit. It's more chocolate cravings and for that I have cacao powder in hot milk. I could add some honey to this. I also do quite like dried fruit. I find the trick is having things I like a little, but not enough to binge. The advent calendar was a gift. I thought I could control myself but that never changes!

I feel much better today. Despite headache I did a full day of housework and I cooked and ate a substantial healthy roast.

About to have breakfast then go for a brisk walk before starting WFH.

Have good days everyone.

Welcome @MistySkiesAfterRain.

Some good advice there.

I don't feel qualified to offer any today. The dog and I were approaching the ten mile point and feeling a little peckish, when we came across a fabulous little cafe on a farmyard in the back of beyond.

So in the spirit of supporting rural businesses, I had coffee and cake.

Oh dear.

@MistySkiesAfterRain I have very little in the way of direct advice, but what I will say is that this is a fantastic group of people who will be there for you through every success and failure, and that I greatly commiserate. I have found if I have any processed sugary food, even a small kinder bar, the cravings go ham and I find it very difficult to stop.

@Words I think cake once in a blue moon won't hurt. As long as it doesn't start a chain reaction of sugar cravings! It sounds lovely.

@aria99 It was excellent!

All good so far too!

Meat free ish Monday here so having the tomato mascarpone and basil risotto someone recommended upthread. Vair tasty!

The ish part was the use of chicken stock rather than veg. But anyway...

It looks lovely @Words, I hope you enjoyed it!

Somewhat up and down week for me last week - I've been very good with meals and been on-plan for most of them, but the Christmas snacks have started finding their way into our house.
I had cleared out the snacks and stopped buying any more, which was great as no temptation. However people keep giving treats to our family, supposedly for the kids. Something I don't particularly care about I can easily ignore for days, but if something tickles my fancy I really struggle to moderate.

I may have even almost an entire box of cookies over the last few days all by myself 😳

I need to be careful because I'm an 'all or nothing' personality and if I start to eat rubbish I'll not stop.

Please everyone feel free to give me a kick and make me wise up!

So pleased to see there is a thread on this! I’ve just read this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. It cemented the lessons I’ve learned this year following on from a whole30 and then aiming for paleo ish.

I’m lacking dinner inspiration at the moment! Does anyone have any good recipe books?

I've been using this a lot: Eat Well for Less
There are lots of compatible recipes in it plus others that would be easy to convert. They do go for low fat everything so I just substitute the full fat versions eg. yogurt.

Re recipes, some of us are using the Copy me That app to collect suitable online recipes, or ones that can be easily adapted.

Here's mine:

www.copymethat.com/recipebox/thatll-do/6661790/

My weight is creeping up again. I ate too much chocolate again yesterday, and cheese and oatcakes which I really didn't need either. Maybe I didn't get away with that weekend treat after all.

My margins of error are clearly greatly reduced and I can't get away now with what I used to do in the early days.

I'd hate to give it up altogether as I love good dark chocolate, but sugar is sugar when all's said and done.

If it wasn't for the wretched BMI I would be happy as I am - size wise I am pretty much there and I am happy on the whole with how I look and I am stronger and fitter than I've been for years.

The last lap is very much the hardest.

@Words that sounds depressing. I have been creeping up the last week as well (I put on 3lbs - I am still under my target weight but not for long if this goes on).

I like to think it's because we're coming into winter but I know I have been overdoing the carbs recently and I had 2 squares of 45% chocolate last night.

I normally see the chocolate as a kind of weather vane. As in, it isn't so much that it's bad in itself (though that's also true) but if I want it, it means that other things are slipping.

Clearspring organic oatcakes are made with olive oil. I buy them from Ocado, but don't know who else stocks them

@Aria999 Sympathies!

You are so right about the weather vane/ chocolate barometer. Things are slipping!

I need to take good care at the moment as my routine is a bit disrupted and tomorrow I have a day of travel, a highly stressful work thing to manage and various boring arrangements to fit round it all. Making sure to take something nice, filling, and on plan for lunch, otherwise I will be at M and S scarfing down the sandwiches and cake.

This afternoon I have a half day to collect my friend from hospital after a small operation, bring her here, give her some sort of comforting dinner and take her home. I could do without all that to be honest, as work is mad at the moment, but I've committed to it now, so best foot forward.

Oh and last bit of news. One of my cats has been declared very overweight and is now on a special diet, so no food can be left down for grazing or she will hoover it all up. This is a nightmare as I have three, all of them greedy, and feeding them separately then removing their dishes is going down like a lead balloon. One has just stormed off into the dawn ( to check out his mates' breakfast situations probably) and the other two are glaring at me.

They hate disruption to their routine too!

The wagon crashed into DH's home made pecan pie and is currently on its back with its wheels in the air. Thanksgiving is a minefield.

Sorry to hear about your cat @Words . Th special diet sounds basically impossible with multiple cats!

Hi quick question, what oil would people use for cooking a stir fry? Thanks!

@Arcadia I would go for coconut

Glad I've found you all again!

I've lost 27lb on this WoE (and alcohol free) since 1 Sep but seem to have hit a plateau. I'm thinking that this is the time to consolidate as that's just over 10% of my body weight so I'm hoping this is a new set point.

Going to listen to the book again to make sure I'm not missing anything!