Why We Eat (Too Much) Thread 5

[TheLeadbetterLife]

Happy New Year regulars, lurkers and newcomers!

Welcome to thread 5 of discussion, encouragement and advice inspired by the book Why We Eat (Too Much), by Dr Andrew Jenkinson.

The basic principles of this "diet" (it's not one in the traditional sense, as it's meant to be a permanent set of changes), are as follows:

• cut out ultra-processed food
• massively reduce sugar, carbs, refined flours and wheat
• eat a wide variety of vegetables, whole grains and fruit
• eat full fat dairy and other healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil
• improve the ratio of omega 3 to 6 by eating greens, fish, eggs and grass-fed meat, and cutting out ultra-refined seed oils

Important lifestyle changes include getting plenty of rest, relaxation and sleep, as well as taking a moderate amount of exercise (or more, if you like that sort of thing).

You don't need to count calories (in fact, you shouldn't), though it may help to count carbs or glycemic load, at least to begin with, until you get the hang of it.

Some of us share recipes by following each other on Copy Me That - www.copymethat.com/recipebox/the-leadbetter-life/6661160/

As well as the book mentioned in the title, the principles are similar to those espoused by the likes of Rangan Chatterjee, Robert Lustig, Tim Spector and Michael Mosley.

There are many successes on this thread, and the main thing is that we are aiming to make permanent, sustainable changes to adjust our weight set-points downwards.

Join us!

I think it must take a while to reset our weight. It's taken me 50 odd years to have a set point of 18+ ish stone. Only fair that it takes a while to reduce, especially while I'm actually not 100% on plan.

I'm still eating some wheat- though not much. I'm eating some wrong kind of fat- though not much. I have a lot of diet drinks which is a big problem.

However, I'm eating rye bread, nuts, oats and cheese in quantities I haven't allowed myself in years. Even if my set point hasn't reduced, I'm eating better!

I am missing sweet stuff, the biscuit with a coffee at a certain time of day. That tends to trigger me eating an awful lot of something else I shouldn't be eating, instead. Hence my plan to make date oat slices, and oatcakes. And perhaps some fermented fruit drink.

It's a process!

Well I must say, the date slices really hit the spot- no added sugar in mine, just whatever they put on the dates. It was a bit too buttery as well- I'll add more oats next time.

The oat cakes are lovely too. I didn't add the teaspoon of sugar, I did add some random smoked paprika. They are delicious, so naturally sweet!.

The two of them should sort me out nicely this week.

Hello All!

Battling with some unpleasant life stuff at the moment hence not posting as regularly as usual.

I am managing to keep things vaguely on track with the plan: The fasting thing is suspended for a while - which is about as good as I can expect at the moment I think. I just haven't had the luxury of time or mental energy I usually have to meal plan, cook and shop.

The concern here is that this 'just about managing ' stage heads into The Rut - an uncomfortable yet strangely seductive place with which I am wearily familiar. That's when the weight starts to go back on...

Glad the date slice and oatcakes are hitting the spot. It's amazing how our tastebuds can retrain in a fairly short space of time. Most recipes now are way too sweet for my palate, so adjust accordingly.

Sorry to hear things are hard, @Words. However, this time in the rut there will be more healthy habits! Hang in there. Stick to as much as you can.

@picklemewalnuts

I've linked a few fermented drinks in my copymethat account, *@sleepraptor and @EngelbertHumperdinck* . Might be worth a look. One of them only uses a little honey, so may be worth a try.

I'm going to make the date flapjacks today. I'm not sure how little sugar I can get away with- I generally use none.

Last night I made cream cheese but was disappointed at the yield. I used the whey (which was still white rather than yellow, so perhaps didn't yield up all its fat) to make sugar free rice pudding. So a sweet treat that's 'allowed'!

Thanks for that @picklemewalnuts - what is your username on copy me that? I have followed a couple of links from here and found a couple of people and looked at followers but can't find you on there!

I've set up my own account on there and I'll slowly start populating it, I have a spreadsheet with links that I save all my online stuff too so I'll add to copymethat as I make things. It's a great idea, it's so annoying when a link for a recipe you like suddenly no longer works.

Hope things get a bit easier soon @Words .

It is so interesting about re-training taste buds, I think one of the podcasts I was listening to recently said it only takes something like 10 days for your taste buds to adapt when you make changes.

I've had a bit more wine this weekend that is ideal although food has stayed fine (albeit possibly more than I actually needed!). However I'm doing a movie night tonight with kids which will involve crisps which I've been craving for a few days. I probably just need salt but have already decided I'm allowing crisps tonight.

We go away for a week tomorrow but it's self-catering so hoping can largely stick to plan whilst allowing myself a few off-plan meals.

Ah, I never thought. I'm 'popcorn', I think. Have a look and see if I'm there, following leadbetterlife!

Let me know if you can't see it, sleepraptor. I'm not totally confident with the settings. I thought it was public already, then saw it wasn't. Confusing!

Found you pickle and have just followed you but it says "Popcorn limits sharing to members of his/her recipe circle" so I can't see any of the recipes! I think if you go to the drop down under your name and then look at "Profile & settings" then you can choose who sees in community sharing (public/private/recipe circle) and also further down define who's in your recipe circle.

I've had a go. Made everything public, I think, and added you and @TheLeadbetterLife to my recipe circle. Belt and braces!

Did anyone notice what that was about?

I made an awesome desert! I had a squash to use up (veg box). I roast it then made pumpkin pie filling. I subbed cream for Greek yogurt 'cos that's what I had in. A spoon of cornflour eggs and pumpkin spices.

The raw mix is gorgeous, so I'm going to make s9me more without any egg in. I'm waiting to find out what the cooked mix is like!

@picklemewalnuts

Did anyone notice what that was about?

I made an awesome desert! I had a squash to use up (veg box). I roast it then made pumpkin pie filling. I subbed cream for Greek yogurt 'cos that's what I had in. A spoon of cornflour eggs and pumpkin spices.

The raw mix is gorgeous, so I'm going to make s9me more without any egg in. I'm waiting to find out what the cooked mix is like!

Just spam

Thanks Pickle, I'm in! Interesting, will have to give it a go.

I've also made a lovely chocolate mousse using tofu - I'm assuming tofu is not UPF if just 3 ingredients. But whizz up tofu, Greek yogurt, cocoa, (tsp of nut butter if want nutty tasting), banana, cucumber and couple of dates, plus I added a bit of milk to thin down in high-speed blender and got a lovely sugar-free mousse! I've been trying to avoid "healthy" sweet replacements to try to change habits but I couldn't resist this one!

Both of those desserts sound delicious, pickle and sleep. I made cranachan the other day - dry toasted oats, whipped cream with a little bit of whisky and honey through it, and mashed raspberries. It was delicious, although next time I would stick some butter in the toasted oats. I did try hand whisking my cream but it took forever and I had to crack in the end and get the electric whisk out - how did women manage in the olden days?

I've had a difficult fortnight - my grandpa died last week and the funeral is tomorrow, so I haven't been on good form. I weighed myself this morning and I've crept up a couple of pounds, which is ok in the circumstances. I have discovered, though, that I've gone off sugar, at least in the form of Co-Op chocolate and ginger chunk biscuits, which I used to consume voraciously. I did eat them gradually over a few days because no one else likes them, but I just didn't enjoy them in the same way. Also, in support of this woe, the local chipper has gone to shit - the last two takeaways I've had from there have been dire, one tasted watery and the other was absolutely dredged in salt - which is helping me to maintain my resolve not to order from there.

Sorry to hear that @TooExtraImmatureCheddar
I've fallen off the thread and the proverbial wagon. I don't even have an excuse, I just wanted the things I'm not supposed to have and the want was stronger than my willpower.
Still, I'm back and will try again!

I'm sorry to hear that Cheddar. I hope tomorrow goes well for you and the rest of the family.

I too have been struggling- the world has conspired against me, throwing inappropriate foods in my face at every opportunity. And it isn't even Easter yet!

Cranachan is great, though I find i don't need the whisky or honey. Just raspberries, cream/yogurt and toasted oats is enough.

I really need to focus on having things like that, which are truly yummy but take some organisation, over easier but less nutritious options.

How is everyone doing? I have had a bread filled few days as we got nice bread from the bakery and totally unnecessary cake for MIL and PIL visit.

Just checking in. struggling with bereavement and other things. Not feeling great or eating well but wanted to check in.

@Heartbeats0708

I enjoyed the date flapjack *@picklemewalnuts* but had to sub dates for prunes - I think my tastes have altered a bit but even with a quarter of the sugar in the recipe it tasted very much like a sweet treat, poss because the prunes are sweet too. I'm having a disheartened wobble- it's great that I haven't gained and am not going hungry but I did think I might've lost a little due to being pretty strict with chocolate and wheat. Had a bacon sandwich this morning

Please can i have this flapjack recipe

Why don't you download 'copymethat' and join the recipe circle/follow us there? There's TheLeadbetterLife, and I'm Pickle.

I'll try and find a link for the recipe too.

Hang in there @Words and @TooExtraImmatureCheddar . Bereavement is tough.

I'm doing it all wrong right now, but soon I will have no Easter chocolate left and I'll concentrate again!

Actually @Oatsandstuff I'm popcorn, not pickle!

This is the recipe. I've removed the sugar, and increased the oats as I found it a bit rich.

You soak the dates in the boiling water for 20mins. Blend to a paste.
Melt the butter, stir in seeds and oats. Press half the mixture into the tin, spread the date paste, then top with the rest of the oats. Bake.

Cut up when fully cold.

Thanks so much