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!

Has anyone tried a yoghurt maker? I'm realising the enormous number of plastic pots which I recycle when eating so much Greek yoghurt.
Wondering about buying a yoghurt maker & milk in glass bottles to be more eco.
Won't be very eco if it gets pushed to the back of the cupboard after a few goes!
I really want to make Greek yoghurt - lovely & creamy. What are other people's experiences? I would plan to use the previous batch of yoghurt to populate the new batch. Not interested in packet 'starters'. Thanks in advance.

Yes a couple of us use a yoghurt maker. I have mine on the go a few times a week, very easy. I used a supermarket greek yoghurt to get it going, and now I just keep it live from the previous batch.

@Winecheesesleep

I'm struggling a bit with this, I've been losing and regaining pounds for the last few weeks and I think I'm higher than when I started. I feel it too, it's not just a trick of the scales.

I wonder if this WOE just doesn't work for me? I've probably been eating too much fat and calories, my weight gain would make sense to someone from a WW/SW background looking at what I've been eating! Perhaps I've really thrown my body with all my diets over the years. I'm still drinking wine too.

I feel like I need to be told what to do, I'm wondering about going back to WW/SW but I completely agree they aren't long term solutions!

Have you been implementing all parts of the plan? What does a typical day's eating look like?

I've found it very helpful to make my own version of the guidelines in that pdf that Words posted a few pages back. My normal daily diet (i.e. not special occasions) looks like this:

• Two cups of cooked vegetables (min. half green)
• Two cups of salad or raw vegetables (min. half green)
• Two pieces of fruit or portions of berries (usually not tropical)
• 200g lean protein: chicken, fish, eggs
• Four to 6 tablespoons olive oil
• Two cups of dairy: milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, cream
• Two half cups grains or starch: nuts, nut butter, polenta, brown rice, oats, beans, wholegrain spelt bread or potatoes (grilled, roasted or baked)
• One or two squares of 85% dark chocolate

Wine, red meat, cured meat, puddings and refined carbs are a weekly (or less often) treat.

I also fast for a minimum of 16-18 hours a day and make sure that I get a good amount of exercise and relaxation. I am working hard to sleep better too, despite being a lifelong insomniac.

The above is working for me, and I've got into the habit of most of it now, which makes it much easier. I have the same lunch every day: raw vegetables with cream cheese and garlic dip, followed by raw oats and yoghurt. I only have to cook in the evenings, and we very rarely have any carbs with our evening meal, except what's in the vegetables.

@Winecheesesleep sorry to hear that.

Are you seeing any patterns as to when you lose or gain weight? Any foods that you have noticed make you gain for example?

I normally find i have a fairly direct relationship between carbs and weight. Going lower carb makes me slimmer. Except the time I accidentally went keto, which caused me to stall.

For me, bread is terrible, pasta isn't great, potatoes only slightly better, rice is ok.

Thanks @TheLeadbetterLife. What I have read about yoghurt makers - seems that you have to heat the milk up separately and use a thermometer.
Pls can you say is the thermometer essential? Also has anyone brands of yoghurt makers they recommend. Some of them use a strainer to make Greek yog. All tips gratefully accepted. Thanks

I use UHT milk, which cuts out the heating up step. But I live in a country where I can’t get fresh full fat milk, so using UHT is acceptable to me in a way it wouldn’t be in the U.K.

My yoghurt maker is a 1 litre model by Ariete. It has a strainer for Greek yogurt but I find it lets too much curd through so I use a cotton jelly bag.

I also make cream cheese in my slow cooker. It’s dead easy, and much nicer than shop bought.

Hello @PC20 !

I am a regular yoghurt maker user, so happy to pass on tips!

Mine came from Lakeland, and I use it at least once a week. It is permanently on the kitchen counter. I absolutely love it and it has probably paid for itself several times over by now.

I've tried all manner of types of milk, but settled on UHT milk. Rather to my surprise it makes the nicest Greek yoghurt, even though I thought I didn't like the taste of UHT. Turns out I do! I sometimes add cream to the milk for extra deliciousness. I get Moo organic milk from Ocado. The cartons are reçyclable where I live.

I use a cheap milk thermometer from Amazon and heat the milk to 42. Then add to a couple of heaped tablespoons of the starter yoghurt in the machine, give it a good whisk around, and away you go. If you use fresh milk you are supposed to boil it to sterilise, but I kept burning mine and it was too much faff. I have made it with fresh milk by just heating to 42 and it was fine.

The 8 hours cycle and 3 hours straining sounds a bit alarming, but I simply put mine on whenever I feel like it; if it has to sit in the maker for a few hours if I am not around to decant into strainer, it doesn't seem to spoil.

The longer you strain, the thicker the yoghurt, but bear in mind the more it's strained the less of the end product you will have. I've found three hours is about right. If you over strain, you simply mix some of the whey ( the liquid left from the straining,) back in. End result- delicious, creamy yoghurt!

The yoghurt you use as a starter needs to be fresh, so watch that. I have successfully frozen it too and it still works as a starter, but sometimes I have had to put it through two cycles to get it to thicken.

You can also use the yoghurt maker for cream cheese, which is very tasty. I have also made kefir in it.

The Lakeland one is super easy to use. The instructions say that the components aren't dishwasher safe. Obviously the outer casing isn't, but I have safely washed the plastic containers and the strainer on the lowest setting. I accidentally put them through on a higher setting once, and one of the pots got a little bendy, so avoid that. Always rinse the strainer immediately after use as the yoghurt is hard to rinse from the mesh when dried, and everything does need to be scrupulously clean, or the yoghurt won't set.

Please do ask anything else you might want to know, and I will be happy to try to help!

Well I've been wary of declaring this for a week or so, in case I was mistaken, but I think I'm finally off my latest plateau. I've lost a kilo. Hurrah. One or two more to go, and that'll do me.

Well done @TheLeadbetterLife onwards and downwards 👏

Fantastic Leadbetter!

Woohoo! Great news @TheLeadbetterLife 😃

@TheLeadbetterLife well done you! And with your advent pre Christmas effort you should reach your goal 👏

Great work @TheLeadbetterLife any idea what shifted you off your stall?

[quote samthebordercollie]@TheLeadbetterLife well done you! And with your advent pre Christmas effort you should reach your goal 👏[/quote]
If the wind is in my sails, yes, and then I will probably put it all back on again over Christmas!

@Bearyhumcrack

Hard to say a specific thing, but some new things I've been doing over the past few weeks:

• eating more vegetables, especially raw. I've got a bit obsessed with fibre after reading Metabolical. I'm sure it's all great for my gut, though at the moment the side effects of all the broccoli are... not delightful.

• Getting out for an hour long walk most lunchtimes, on top of my normal weekly workouts. This is as much for getting some sunshine and relaxing as it is for anything else. I put my phone on DND so I'm not mithered by work messages.

• fasting for longer each day (18 hours), and up to 24 hours once a week. This is a short term thing, once I've lost a bit more I will go back to a daily 16/8.

• Sleeping better. I've been working on the insomnia CBT.

I've also been eating heaps of nuts, so balls to Dr Jenkinson. I've been quite hungry, I suspect because it's cold, but trying to snack on vegetables, nuts and fruit rather than cheese and meat.

That sounds like a plan Leadbetter.

A while back people were asking about oatcake brands that use olive oil rather than veg oil.You'll probably recall I was all ' oh, I make my own, don't you know, here's the recipe'.

Well. My last few batches have been dismal, falling apart, crumbling failures-and I've all but given up.

Rude Health and Clearspring brands both from Ocado appear to be ok.

I have a packet of each in my basket.

Morning everyone, I’m half way through the book (and this really useful thread) can I ask a quick question - is no added sugar peanut butter ok or is it too high in omega 6?

welcome @WinterWeightlossGoal

Many of us on this thread are a bit sceptical of the no nuts thing. I eat plenty of 100% nut butters and whole nuts and I'm still managing to lose weight. I'm also feeling less bloating and inflammation generally - I was getting painful joints last year and that's pretty much gone.

I eat a lot of green vegetables and fish, and take a fish oil supplement, as well as avoiding foods that contain seed and vegetable oils. Hopefully this is improving my 3-6 ratio enough, without giving up on all the benefits of nuts.

Hello folks. Injured my back on Friday and my muscles went into spasm. It's improving swiftly now thank God but was acutely nauseous with the pain at first and going hot and cold. Codeine didn't touch it.

Needless to say I ate nothing for 24 hrs. ( A vanishingly rare occurrence!) Despite that I've gained two pounds this week. Do injuries or painkillers cause fluid retention I wonder?

Getting a bit down about losing this final stone now.

Oh @Words don’t despair! Just look after your back. I don’t know about painkillers, but injuries and illness cause inflammation and fluid retention, as it’s part of the healing process. I often find I put on weight if I workout too much, because it damages muscle when you’re not used to it.

Thanks Leadbetter , that makes sense. I've also googled my own question and it does seem that anti inflammatory medications do cause fluid retention, so double whammy!

I will keep on keeping on!

@TheLeadbetterLife

welcome *@WinterWeightlossGoal*

Many of us on this thread are a bit sceptical of the no nuts thing. I eat plenty of 100% nut butters and whole nuts and I'm still managing to lose weight. I'm also feeling less bloating and inflammation generally - I was getting painful joints last year and that's pretty much gone.

I eat a lot of green vegetables and fish, and take a fish oil supplement, as well as avoiding foods that contain seed and vegetable oils. Hopefully this is improving my 3-6 ratio enough, without giving up on all the benefits of nuts.

Thanks for that, I think I’ll continue with nuts in moderation as surely giving up vegetable oils and ultra processed foods will help tip the balance. I’ve just started taking a cod liver oil capsule too. This thread has so much great info on, thanks everyone and have a great Sunday:)

I keep reading that the seed oils are literally the worst thing so I try v hard for zero tolerance on that and then best effort on everything else.

Warning lights flashing amber here.

Am keeping mobile, but any proper exercise in terms of gym or Pilates or hill walking is not on the agenda for at least another week, so am trying to avoid the temptation to comfort eat. I don't do well when my routine takes a bit of a knock.

Additionally I feel really bloated around the waist as well as uncomfortable from the back pain.

I just need to keep reasonably ok food wise as best I can, I guess, and wait till it heals.

That’s really tough Words, and how frustrating to be unable to exercise.

We’ve been trying to come up with evening meals and comfort foods that feel like a winter treat but are within the rules.

At the weekend, inspired by something we saw on Masterchef, we made Thermidor baked potatoes - scooped out the potato, mixed it with Thermidor sauce and then put back in the skins and grilled with cheese on top.

It was a major treat for us because we don’t normally have potato. We had fish and greens with it.

Cheese omelette is another regular treat. Or just cheese. And toasted nuts with a bit of garam masala or five spice on them.

☹️ @Words get well soon.

I am about to have a gum graft operation. Kinda freaked out because it's basically gum tissue from dead people, on the other hand I need to keep my front teeth so 🤷‍♀️

Not sure what I will be able to eat yet! Maybe having to live on soup for a couple days will help shed the last stubborn few lbs still remaining from pecanpiegate.