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!

Thank you all.

That all sounds great - I like IF (16:8) as it suits my lifestyle so nice to know I can carry on.

I will finish the book and hopefully say goodbye to diets.

Im in a complete state but it can only get better!!

Sorry been reading all the threads and I may have missed this but a couple of questions….

Can you have dairy alternative mills like Oat Milk? I’m veggie and trying also to cut down on dairy so been using Oat Milk mostly.

And it seems you can use coconut oil to cook? If so what one do people use and does it taste of coconut?

Thanks!

I either use coconut oil or butter for cooking. You do get a slight taste from coconut oil but I like it.
Can't comment on the alternatives to milk but I think it's to do with the omega 3 to 6 ratio.

I don't like coconut oil for cooking, I find it has a really cloying flavour. I use lard!

No breakfast today, no time.
Lunch around 1:45pm was leftover BBQ chicken breast and salad.
Two small apples around 5pm
Dinner at 8pm was bacon and chorizo, fried with red onion, shredded savoy cabbage, garlic and herbs with a creamy sauce of soft cheese and goats cheese stirred in until melted. Was gorgeous. Kind of like a creamy pasta dish, but cabbage. Even DH liked it and he isn't keen on cabbage.

The last few days I have stopped wanting breakfast 😢

I like breakfast and have always felt it was good for you. I hope it doesn't tip me into wanting snacks.

I am reassured though that there are others on here who don't eat breakfast and are still doing fine, so I probably don't need to worry too much!

I like cooking Thai food in coconut oil, otherwise I use butter, lard / chicken fat or olive oil.

Have breakfast food for lunch Aria999, that’s what I do (I like breakfast foods). One less meal to think about!

Does anyone use subscription boxes for fruit and veg and meat? I’m quite keen but not sure if it’s just faddy.

We used to get local farm fruit and veg boxes when we lived in the UK. I really liked them for getting good seasonal food and also using vegetables that I wouldn't necessarily have thought to buy in the supermarket. It can be a good way to get more of a variety and try new things.

Morning All

Another visit to the office in the big city yesterday, but I learned my lesson from last time ( took no packed lunch so bought M and S off plan snacks and two cream buns for dinner! ) Took leftover risotto to re heat and all was fine.

Wore a pair of expensive trousers I have never been able to fit into and which now look rather flattering. I do have a good figure, now it's not encased in 'insulation.'

A colleague I hadn't seen since pre Covid tactlessly said ' You're half the size!' Which was nice and not nice at the same time.

Need to start thinking about washing and packing ahead of walking holiday on Friday. Naturally the forecast is terrible. I even bought a pair of waterproof trousers to ensure a long period of blistering heat, but that hasn't worked.

The weatherman is calling it 'anti cyclonic gloom'

Wow @Words, the trousers are a great success, well done!! I know what you mean about other people commenting on weight loss. Whilst it is often given as a compliment and usually meant well it always makes me feel a bit annoyed as, firstly, it really isn't other people's business and, secondly, it makes me wonder what they were thinking (but not saying to me) when I was overweight.

However I do try and give people the benefit of the doubt and accept that they mean well, I'm sure this was the case for your complimenter.

The trickiest for me is giving up wine, pasta, bread

Welcome to the thread @Styletryle!
You don't have to give up wine, if you did I wouldn't follow this woe 😂
Dr J doesn't recommend giving up breakfast, I never ate it before so it's become a habit not to do so. It's possible to eat bread made from ancient grains, spelt, rye, buckwheat etc. But I'm sure one slice of granary with a poached egg won't hurt. It's all about moderation. I still eat homemade pizza once a week.
Good luck!

I find I don't miss pasta at all (bread is another story), which surprised me.

We still have pasta sauces, but with vegetables or chicken. A meat ragu like bolognese is lovely on griddled courgettes or aubergine. The tomato sauces like puttanesca or marinara go well with chicken breast or prawns.

I've realised it's the sauces I love, not the pasta.

He doesn't say so, but my view is that he isn't prescriptive because different people will be starting from different places.

If your diet is very high in sugar and processed foods, or your life is very stressful, any of these steps is going to be a big change and will take time to adjust.

When I read the book I had already been doing lower carb, Mediterranean whole food diet and intermittent fasting for a year (and have never eaten loads of processed food), so I went straight in and did all the steps straight away.

Just start with what feels comfortable and achievable.

Lol yes if you had to give up wine I would not be here 😂

I'm sure if I did then my belly flab would improve but 🤷‍♀️

That's great about the trousers @Words 😊

I know what you mean about the comment but hopefully you're never going back to the size you were so you can focus on the positive side of it. People don't think they're being rude do they!

Hello all!

I took the comment in the spirit it was meant, of course, but it does make you reflect what people might have thought to themselves, which is slightly humiliating I suppose.

I do know that I had to suppress those feelings of self-disgust and guilt as I wasn't ready to tackle the problem.

Until, magically I was. And now I can fit into my lovely trousers.

Well done, Words, sounds like great progress.

I have been away for the weekend eating rubbish but am pleased to say I am back on the WOE now or at least working on it. I haven't managed to move away from my wholemeal bread at lunchtime but will aim to have left overs when they are available or fish and salad etc maybe a jacket potato and see how I get on.

I am constantly googling omega3 : omega 6 ratios and mostly being a bit disappointed but I guess we are only aiming for 1:4 anyway so most things will have more omega 6. I had lean pork and lentils for supper tonight with carrots, onions, stock, tomato and balsamic vinegar. Felt really healthy but actually pork isn't particularly encouraged is it and balsamic vinegar has so much sugar in it. One step at a time.

thanks for the advice re the stock cubes - I will have a look at the Kallo ones.

We have signed up for one of those vegetable boxes while we were away so I am hoping that will give me some inspiration to try some new things.

Also I have tested positive for Covid so am stuck at home which was a big trigger for eating during the lockdowns but I am hoping that as I am so motivated and there is no home schooling to do that perhaps it will be ok this time. I am not feeling particularly ill (yet) thank goodness.

Hi all, I stumbled across the book and am listening to it as an audio book (only 7 hours to go ).

I'm finding it fascinating as I have always said that my body returns to a set weight every single time. I've had years where I've lost weight but no matter what I did, I always went back to that weight. I then tried to lose more and found my set weight increase and now I'm stuck at that weight! Nothing I was doing made a difference! And now suddenly it all makes sense!

My predecessors were farmers yet all their descendants now do office work. Of my parents, 50% of my dad's siblings are morbidly obese. My dad wasn't but he was the only one that wasn't overweight. The genetic stuff in the book I found fascinating.

I haven't got to the bit where he tells you how to do this! I see you are all avoiding wheat - is that just highly processed stuff like white bread or all forms?

Great to hear how everyone is getting on!

It's wheat in all forms @PinkFishGreenFish
I found the genetic stuff fascinating too.

I have lost 12 lbs in 5 weeks! And I've not even been hungry!

@Styletryle

I'm looking what to have for a late breakfast. I'd love a poached egg but I've got seeded batch loaf in the cupboard and don't know what else I can put my egg on? How can I make my egg on toast friendlier to this woe?

I don't try to find direct replacements for things like toast, because there aren't any. A poached or soft boiled egg has to go with toast, that's the joy of the meal. I save those for occasional treats now, when my partner has made a spelt sourdough loaf.

For more everyday eggs, I prefer to eat them in other formats, like omelettes, so I'm not thinking about the lovely toast I'm not having.