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Weight loss chat

A space to talk openly about weight loss journeys and challenges. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. You may wish to speak to a medical professional before starting any diet.

Why We Eat (Too Much) Thread 5

1000 replies

TheLeadbetterLife · 12/01/2022 23:13

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!

OP posts:
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34
Opensesame1 · 25/04/2022 09:04

Well done @NowYouListenToMeFella on your loss! It feels so motivating to see the hard work reflected back on the scales doesn't it?

NowYouListenToMeFella · 25/04/2022 10:35

Thanks Words and well done to you too OpenSesame. It definitely does feel great seeing it reflected on the scales.

Lifeissweet that seems really tough going. Like Lapwing I'm wondering what you do eat. Fair play for trying it and I really hope it helps you.

lifeissweet · 25/04/2022 11:46

Thanks all.

It's going ok at the moment as I'm just not hungry or interested, but I am mainly eating fish and veg, but ensuring lots of olive oil and avocados and making quite a bit of the fish oily so that I am getting good fats in.

I'll have a salad for lunch with some tinned sardines and then a veg soup I made in the slow cooker at the weekend (that has coconut milk in it for fat content). I will throw in some protein like chicken pieces and have some sauerkraut on the top.

When I lost a lot of weight before I was doing that by accident - lots of veg soups and salads - but I didn't know about the tomatoes and chillis then. I am missing chillis and spices, but am using lots of garlic and herbs to compensate.

It's a big change from the last few months and I am getting withdrawal symptoms from caffeine and sugar mainly (I think). I don't feel all that good today (day 6), but I hope that's almost a good sign that I am readjusting?

It sounds as though some of you are doing brilliantly. You are inspiring me!

tencent · 25/04/2022 19:43

Think I've buggered it up on the first day. From the book it seems that he's an advocate of fasting, so I thought I'd eat from 12 noon until 8pm. Had 2 ryvita and full fat cottage cheese at 12, then had 5 mushrooms, handful of spinach, 2 eggs fried in butter with a small grating of cheddar on top and a banana to follow at 4.30ish. Supper was stir fry veg fried with butter/olive oil and then I realised I had no idea what to use as protein, so chucked in a handful of quorn pieces. I'm damn sure my grandmother wouldn't have eaten quorn, but if I can't have tofu what else could I have included for protein? Perhaps I should have just had veg stir fry, but then I was worried I'd be hungry later. Will have strawberries and blueberries just before 8. I'm rubbish at having ideas and being veggie makes it a bit harder I think - or I'm just feeling sorry for myself.

picklemewalnuts · 25/04/2022 20:03

Having quorn has not buggered it up! It may not be the best choice- I don't know- but everything else was on plan, so don't worry.

Can you keep some chickpeas, other pulses, cheese, hard boiled eggs, nuts etc to hand to fling on anything?

I've been sprouting beans to have with salads. Quite tasty, and makes a change.

tencent · 25/04/2022 20:23

Thanks @picklemewalnuts , really appreciate the reassurance 😀I didn't think of chickpeas - do you think they would have worked in a stir fry? No reason why not I don't suppose. I'm trying to make sure that every day doesn't become a constant round of eggs and cheese, just in case I get sick of them, but what I really need to do is make a list of meals. Curse my lack of imagination!

lifeissweet · 25/04/2022 21:03

tencent · 25/04/2022 19:43

Think I've buggered it up on the first day. From the book it seems that he's an advocate of fasting, so I thought I'd eat from 12 noon until 8pm. Had 2 ryvita and full fat cottage cheese at 12, then had 5 mushrooms, handful of spinach, 2 eggs fried in butter with a small grating of cheddar on top and a banana to follow at 4.30ish. Supper was stir fry veg fried with butter/olive oil and then I realised I had no idea what to use as protein, so chucked in a handful of quorn pieces. I'm damn sure my grandmother wouldn't have eaten quorn, but if I can't have tofu what else could I have included for protein? Perhaps I should have just had veg stir fry, but then I was worried I'd be hungry later. Will have strawberries and blueberries just before 8. I'm rubbish at having ideas and being veggie makes it a bit harder I think - or I'm just feeling sorry for myself.

That sounds like a pretty good day to me! The Quorn was just a tiny part, but you have a nice variety of other things going on. Sounds fine!

Opensesame1 · 25/04/2022 21:07

I made a list of all the things allowed that I like to go back to for inspiration when I'm stuck!

Today I have had:

Breakfast: oats honey and fruit
Lunch : leftover parsnip chips veg and cheese from last night
Dinner: kallo rice cakes, Boursin cheese and grapes

I went and did a big shop and came home so tired so went for something handy!

Opensesame1 · 25/04/2022 21:08

@tencent

I made a list of all the things allowed that I like to go back to for inspiration when I'm stuck!

Today I have had:

Breakfast: oats honey and fruit
Lunch : leftover parsnip chips veg and cheese from last night
Dinner: kallo rice cakes, Boursin cheese and grapes

I went and did a big shop and came home so tired so went for something handy!

tencent · 25/04/2022 21:14

Thanks @Opensesame1 - is it ok to have honey then? I like porridge, but find it a bit like wallpaper paste without anything to flavour it, so honey would be good. Part of my problem is that I'm not a fan of cooking and I work long hours, so the last thing I feel like doing is creating time intensive dishes. Simple and fast is good!

Aria999 · 25/04/2022 21:29

@tencent well it's glucose but not very processed. I have a ton of it on my yoghurt every morning. Try it and see I guess 😊

Opensesame1 · 25/04/2022 21:29

I have seen loads of people use a wee bit of honey for porridge! I struggle to eat it without the honey..

Dinner didn't quite fill me so I added a snack of 2 slices of smoked applewood cheese! 😂

sleepraptor · 25/04/2022 21:31

Well done on the losses / too-big-trouser-victories!

Tencent - I eat tofu, I have the minimally processed stuff so it's just water, soy beans and nigari so that doesn't sound too bad to me - processed but not UPF. It's about balance and doing the best you can.

What about making your own date paste instead of honey - just smoosh a date with water and add that if you need some sweetness.

Also meal prep at the start of the week can help - roast some mixed veg, cook a few pulses etc, cook sweet potato, hardboil some eggs, make up a on-plan salad dressing, then during the week just mix and match and few things together with some fresh salad / olives / cheese.

tencent · 25/04/2022 21:40

Thanks all, great ideas. Does anyone else struggle not to count calories. So many times today I've had to fight the urge to tot up or estimate the calories I've eaten. I have such an unhealthy relationship with food and am the biggest I've ever been. Lost a stone and a half on saxenda last year, but then it stopped working and I have now put it all back on. I was also anxious for the whole time I was on it due to the risks, so it wasn't sustainable and is very, very expensive as well. This WOE is my last chance saloon as I've tried everything else, but I can't bring myself to trust in it, although reading positive stories does help.

Aria999 · 25/04/2022 22:15

@tencent give yourself some time. if you start losing weight on this it will be easier to trust it.

My impression is that most people do but not everyone.

When I started out I was skeptical of the unlimited cheese option (it seemed a bit too good to be true) but then the pounds started melting off (slowly but surely).

Aria999 · 25/04/2022 22:17

@tencent give yourself some time. if you start losing weight on this it will be easier to trust it.

My impression is that most people do but not everyone.

When I started out I was skeptical of the unlimited cheese option (it seemed a bit too good to be true) but then the pounds started melting off (slowly but surely).

Opensesame1 · 26/04/2022 18:40

@tencent I try not to think about cals at all!

Has anybody else found their appetite has reduced? Like I'm getting hungry but I don't fancy anything to eat other than cheese and fruit and rice cakes/ryvita! I would happily eat it for 3 meals a day. Even when I'm really hungry and I'm trying to figure out what I want to eat it's all that appeals to me!

picklemewalnuts · 27/04/2022 07:56

Maybe it's because you aren't driven by cravings anymore?

I've fallen off the wagon so far, I can't even see the wagon!

Still, it's just an opportunity to restart. I think, basically, I can't afford to deviate from the plan. Once I'm off, I'm miles off. Shame!

NowYouListenToMeFella · 27/04/2022 08:02

OpenSesame I definitely find that I'm not hungry and grazing. I'm satisfied sticking to breakfast, lunch, dinner and one snack. It's great. When I used to calorie count I'd be hungry as I'd keep calories for a treat. Nice to eat but feck all nutritional value.

Pickle that's a great way to look at it. An opportunity to restart. Better than being oh Christ I made a balls of it I may as well keep going with the crap eating.

Aria999 · 27/04/2022 13:47

I find falling off the wagon is a cascade effect.

Are a lot of bread when the in laws were here 2 weeks ago. Only put on 2lbs and was happy.

The problem I have is when I'm eating on plan I love eating on plan and don't want anything else but if I relax it then I find i want to start bending the rules further.

So I have now put on an additional 3lbs taking it to 5. 😫. DH is away for a couple days so i am using the opportunity to live on vegetables, in the hope it will help.

picklemewalnuts · 27/04/2022 13:51

That's me, too, Aria. It's a real binge driver.

Lapwingslore · 27/04/2022 18:36

Phew, have caught up. Well done to all those losing and empathy for those struggling.

Lots going on here = stress = rubbish eating.

Need to be really good tomorrow to try and restart !!

lifeissweet · 27/04/2022 19:06

Tomorrow is another day, Lapwing. You've got this! You all do. There is nothing easy about this and having your mind in the right space is such hard work. It's awful how our own brains like to sabotage us.

I'm trying to think about food as medicine and that's the only reason I am (currently) sticking to it. Everything I eat has a value and the combination should make me better. So it's about what I am eating and not about what I'm not, if that makes sense?

This is very easy for me to say, because it's early days for me on re-starting and I'm in the zone. I will be back again in a few weeks saying I've eaten a whole sharing bag of crisps and 4 Twirls and 'what's the point?! I can't do this!' I sadly know myself too well to think this is plain sailing.

On the positive side, my psoriasis is already looking loads better and is less red and angry, so something must be going ok...

Aria999 · 28/04/2022 01:52

@lifeissweet that's interesting about your psoriasis.

One of the things that makes me feel we are onto something here is the massive variety of health issues people see improvement in but I think that's a new one!

I was having joint pains in my hip which have totally cleared up.

Lapwingslore · 28/04/2022 11:27

@lifeissweet I agree that is interesting about your psoriasis

Stood on the scales this morning and only a pound of damage for my roller coaster week.

I fed the last of the tomatoes to my visitor yesterday and am going to do as suggested and avoid tomatoes, potatoes and eggs as well as the current gluten, dairy and sugar, to see if that helps calm the Sjorgrens flare I am experiencing.

I love MN. I am learning so much from this thread and am beginning to feel far more in control.

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