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!

Genuinely lovely to hear of people's nice Christmases.
Am feeling a bit fed up, and everything helps!

Ah Words, sorry you are feeling a bit down! Are you still in a lot of pain with your back? Can you get out for some dog walks?
We celebrated French style on Christmas Eve with my 2 DC and OH's (who is French) with his 2 DC, seafood, smoked salmon, roast beef with sauté potatoes and then the traditional bûche de noel. No-one had a lot of every course so although it sounds filling it wasn't and there is still a lot left over. Roast chicken on Christmas Day evening with lots of veg (English style!) and a fresh fruit salad. No Boxing Day here or bank holidays to compensate for Christmas falling at the weekend so everything is back to normal. I ate a little more chocolate than usual and drank some champagne, but didn't really over eat, and I still ran every morning so that has helped!
I looked at my weight for the last 2 years, in fact I'm the same or a little lighter than I was this time last year so maybe I'm at my set weight at 59 - 60 kgs.

Ooh Sam that sounds utterly delicious!

Yes, still have nagging back pain, boringly. Ddog with her other family which is just as well as not really up to exercising her. But that, along with no gym is making me feel a bit rubbish. So stress and boredom eating kicking in - all reasonably on plan, just too much of it.

Arrgh.

Just saw a recipe for a good non wheat bread on another thread but it's made with a small amount of ground almonds (and is mainly flaxseed). What do we think, do the almonds rule it out? www.thelondoner.me/2014/03/mums-low-carb-bread.html

Almonds are very, very good for you and I know some of us on this thread ignore the no nuts thing, since the science seems to be inconclusive about how much the omega 6 in nuts is a problem (as opposed to in refined seed oils and processed food).

I eat a lot of nuts (a calorie counter would have a fit), and I've had no problems losing weight.

That's helpful thanks! I'm inclined to turn a blind eye to the nuts issue too while still keeping them in check

Thanks @GoldilocksZone I am going to try this!

@Aria999 I did it today and it's pretty good - I did slather lots of butter on. There might have been more butter than flax bread. Was delicious.

New Year’s Day progress report

Today is Jan 1st I started March 6th. I’m 3.5 stone down. I’ve gone from size 18/20 to size 14/16. I’ve lost 3.5 stone and if I lose another 9lbs I will no longer be obese based on bmi.

My interpretation of the book. No sugar, no processed food but I haven’t cut wine. I’ve been on it with no sugar, I’ve had none, processed food slightly less disciplined with sausage and chicken Kiev and I have had takeaway chips a couple of times a month

My godsends have been big juicy oranges to curb the afternoon munchies and wild swimming, lowest temperature so far 4 degrees. It’s incredible for resetting the brain.

Good luck for 2022 everyone

Congratulations @Billybagpuss that is fantastic progress.

I will do a progress report when Christmas is over... and January is definitely going to be an interesting scientific study in how long it takes to lose the holiday weight on this plan.

Thank you 😊

Awesome @Billybagpuss that's amazing progress!

@Billybagpuss Fantastic progress and a really good advertisement for this way of eating (and not having to cut out wine!)
I thought I'd escaped the Christmas excess but the scales yesterday and today tell a different story am hoping it is just New Year water retention but not sure!

Don’t worry about the Christmas scales @samthebordercollie I put on 4lb Christmas week and it’s worked it’s way out over the week that 3lb of it has gone. Just keep doing what you’re doing and don’t worry about the numbers for a week or 2.

One part of the book I think I remember and liked reading, is when the body and it’s metabolism is working properly if you overeat for a week or 2 like Christmas the metabolism speeds up to normalise it and keep it at the set point. My problem was before I was constantly bingeing on crap so Christmas was just more of the same.

I agree Billybagpuss, the Christmas feasting has been a real treat, because we've stopped being gluttonous all the time like we were before. I haven't felt the slightest bit of guilt or concern, especially since almost everything we've been eating has been homemade. Also, we've been going for long country walks almost every day, making the most of having the time to explore.

We're having one last knees up with a dinner party on Twelfth Night, then we'll take down the tree and get back to normal. I'll weigh myself on the 6th, and we'll see how long it takes for it to get back to where it was on Christmas Eve.

Hello again everyone and a happy new year!

Am just checking in after a very busy December. Have like many of us fallen off the righteous path over Christmas. And feeling very fat and bloated. Not helped by 'rona rampaging through the house since 21st December, only ds (8) to get it then it will be a clean swoop. My isolation potentially finishes on Tuesday thank goodness. Not even been particularly ill, just a bit tired and headachey.

Have done all the nice Christmas food. Including bread, crisps, party food, beer, nuts, cheese and biscuits, chocolates. Tbf although I enjoyed them, I didn't enjoy them as much as I thought I would.

Today and tomorrow to get through then back on it. I can't wait to go shopping and buy lovely veg and salad and fruit and might even dust the yoghurt maker off!

Just got the book - and delighted to have found this thread.

Lockdown, massive stress, perimenopause and self-neglect has got me in a right old state. I'm finding my way back to my regular exercise (and loving it) but hoping this will be part of a reset around eating. I've veered from orthorexia to unencumbered comfort eating all my life and know I need a different attitude.

Welcome to the party pal @thedefinitionofmadness.

Well, Christmas is over, though after our Twelfth Night shindig I haven't had the energy to take down the tree yet. It always makes me sad. I get terribly maudlin and nostalgic over Christmas, it's a complicated time of year for me, emotionally. I will get all the decorations put away at some point today though.

Time to get back to normal eating, after a lovely couple of weeks. I am feeling it though - am tired, bloated, skin breaking out in spots.

I do need to follow up my weird blood test results and find out if there's something going on with my nutrient absorption and blood sugar. What a ball ache.

I’m back on it having gone a bit crazy over Christmas and New Year. 3 lb down in the first two days. Now just got to stick to it.

In the right frame of mind it feels easy…. Good luck to everyone getting back on it and amazing, Billybagpuss, what an inspiration.

Hi all, I hope you dont mind if I join.

I'm vegetarian and made modifications it to suit me, but not sure if i've deviated so far i'm not actually going to get the benefits.

I worry i'll lose weight, but not change my set point and be back to where I now, plus a bit.

Hello All

Another one here for thé tired and bloated club. I've not only fallen completely off plan, but back into somewhat disordered eating, and my motivation to get back on track is disturbingly absent.

Not helped by ongoing issues with my back, which has severely limited my ability to exercise. Gym out of question, and only short walks possible at the moment.

I feel really rubbish

I sympathise Words, I'm feeling pretty wrung out today. My husband and I are both about 2.5 kg up on our pre-Christmas weight. I'm sure it's mostly bloating and water retention, so we'll see how long it takes for it to disappear.

The biggest issue for me is that I've got into the carb-snacking-hunger cycle and keep wanting to eat all the time. We stuck to intermittent fasting over Christmas so that it wasn't too much of a shock to get back to it, but we grazed all through the eating window rather than sticking to two meals like we usually do.

Next week I'm going to do a 24 hour fast, even though I know it'll be tough. Snapping out of this is going to be the only way I think.

Welcome to all new posters!
@Words I'm so sorry your back is still causing you problems. It must be so frustrating for you not to be able to exercise.
@TheLeadbetterLife I'm sure your 2,5kgs will disappear quickly. I've lost 1kg in bloat since the New Year. The other 1kg isn't bloat unfortunately!
I've just bought the book 'Eat more, Live Well' which is geared towards the microbiome and I think will fit quite nicely with this woe. Lots of vegetarian recipes.

@TooExtraImmatureCheddar how are you? Are you still following Dr J? We are nearly up to 1000 messages on the thread so will soon need a new one

Hi @Yogabod welcome!

What changes did you make? I hope it works out.

Most of us (me included) seem to be in a kind of post Christmas slump at the moment. Normally we are more upbeat.

@Words sorry your back is still hurting. Backs are the devil when they go wrong. Have you had any medical advice about it?

@Aria999 thanks for the welcome.

TBH I'm not sure I can claim to even be doing this plan as i'm deviating so much. I'm keeping tofu, tempeh and quorn in my diet. They help with my protein levels, which are woefully low even with these included. I'm also keeping nuts and plant milk. I know I couldnt given them up forever so i'm not going to try. To try and compensate i'm taking omega 3 supplements.

I feel pretty good at the moment. Its strange how I feel better when i'm eating well, but the allure of the highs and lows of crap food seem to win in the end.