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!

@Words glad you are feeling a bit better and your back is recovering! I find it is reliably +1lb for morning drinks for me.

@TheLeadbetterLife your food always sounds so sophisticated!

Hi and welcome, new people!

Waves at @Aria999

I think I might be getting a bit giddy. I've just cleaned out the fridge

Decided on pigeon for dinner, from the waning supply of protein in the freezer. Having a go at this:

https://www.copymethat.com/r/oCA1ZtKZo/one-pan-pigeon-breast-with-spinach-bacon/

It may sound a bit 'out there' but I do eat a fair bit of game as I live in the country so it's both plentiful and cheap.

Also getting a bit more mainstream with the likes of Ocado, who sell quite a reasonable selection these days too. Though not pigeon yet I don't think....

That looks delicious Words, I love pigeon. Used to eat it a lot when I lived in the countryside in the U.K., as well as pheasant.

Game is quite expensive here, unless you befriend a hunter who can get you wild boar. I am working on this, while eyeing up the fat partridges that run around outside my house.

Funny that our food here sounds sophisticated Aria, it’s really just Portuguese peasant cooking. I am learning how to make choriço this afternoon with a neighbour. Very labour intensive!

Morning All

Leadbetter - that sounds amazing. I would love to make that pâté you linked to on Copy Me That. I don't have a mincer but I guess the butcher would oblige.

Last night's dinner was really tasty, easy and quick, Did some sprouts fried in butter and a small amount of mash instead of the toast. Cheese omelette for lunch, cheese for a snack ( I sense a developing theme here) and a square of dark choc and a tiny portion of sorbet ( a couple of teaspoons) to keep my friend company. She had never eaten pidge before and declared it good. Oddly I have absolutely no craving for sugar at all.(yet.)

Going to get a wider variety of veg from market today as am out of nearly everything.

Anyway. Climbed on the scales and could hardly believe my eyes. I have lost 4.25 pounds since Thursday. I might expect to lose that over the first week on plan, But over three days is just insane - Thumbs up to set point theory, I say.

Another bad night so feel bleary^^ and out of sorts but that was because my dog was ill so had a disturbed night. She is much better this morning thankfully after her stomach-settling breakfast of chicken and rice, and would like that every day for eternity now, please and thank you.

Sunday morning breakfast - banana omlette made with banana, porridge oats egg and chia seeds in the mix. Fried in coconut oil. Blueberries added once cooking and Greek yogurt on top once on the plate. Yummy.

I went a bit wild with the olive oil crisps yesterday but no damage showing on the scales yet.

We made a chicken omlette from Tom Kerridge’s diet book last night. It is quite good for this way of eating as long as you ignore the reduced fat vegetable spread ingredients. He does use cream in the recipes so is trying to include fat - I am just adding a bit more

Argghh - chocolate attack. Started and kept going a bit on my Dds snacks and leftover Christmas chocolate. Stopping now.

That omelette sounds good serenade! Recipe? I regularly have leftover chicken and am always looking for new things to do with it. Could it have been the banana that set off the craving do you think, or are you generally ok with them? Early on, I made myself some freshly squeezed orange juice not really thinking and that set me off big time.

Yesterday I had grilled bacon and poached egg with roast toms; veg soup and a couple of good sausages for dinner, with more roast toms, sprouts in bacon, a modest ( for me!) portion of mashed spuds and a spoonful of cauliflower cheese.

The c cheese is a meal In itself and plenty left. I found some Shropshire Blue in the freezer and used that in the sauce. It worked extremely well. I find cheese freezes ok- it affects the texture rather than the taste.

Not as much exercise as anticipated yesterday as the dogling was still a bit delicate and I was shattered from lack of sleep. At last slept well last night - over nine hours!

That boulder is starting to creak and rumble along in the right direction. Good routine re established which in itself makes me feel tons better. I feel more myself again, if that makes sense.

Hope everyone else is doing ok. It is possible to climb out of that rut, however impossible it might feel when you're down there in the dark.

Morning all. I'm still a bit in the rut, but I can see over the top of it now.

It's the exercise rather than the food, I can't seem to bring myself to get properly back into it. It's partly the weather. I absolutely detest being cold, and dislike even getting undressed at this time of year. The UK dwellers would probably think I'm mad, because it's sunny outside and gets up to the mid-late teens every afternoon, at which point we go for a long walk. But I find it so chilly in the mornings that I'm slacking off on the workout and choosing instead to sit under a duvet, in a woolly jumper.

I realise this makes no sense, and that I'd be plenty warm enough five minutes into the workout, but I'm sure everyone in this thread is familiar with the excuses we make for ourselves when it comes to these things.

@TheLeadbetterLife I hate being cold too and I always am. Poor circulation.

The only exercise I have had really since the kids arrived is going up and down stairs a lot. And the occasional hike while backpacking a hefty toddler.

Luckily we have a LOT of stairs.

I have my banana pancake as my Sunday morning treat every week, I don’t think it was that. Just gave in to a leftover chocolate reindeer in the fridge and once I start I find it hard to stop. Ok so far today though.

The chicken omlette:

Fry 2 sliced leeks and 2 garlic cloves for 3-4 min. Take out of pan and fry 300g thinly sliced chicken and a chicken stock cube crumbled in until the chicken is cooked.

Put leeks back and add 2 tbsp chopped tarragon and 2 handfuls of spinach. Cook for another two minutes.

Mix 4 eggs, 50g ricotta, 50g single cream and salt and pepper. Pour over chicken mixture and cook for a few more minutes without stirring.

Sprinkle 50g grated cheese over the top and grill until the cheese is golden.

Apparently it is meant to be a breakfast but it’s great for supper or leftovers for lunch. Supposed to be a bit like pie but without the pastry.

Hello
I am looking for a new way.

Thank you @SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun. I will definitely try that!

Welcome @breakdown19. This way of eating is working for loads of us, as you can see. Join in the conversation - we are a friendly and supportive bunch!

@theleadbetterlife - If you don't enjoy exercising at this time of year, maybe cut yourself some slack? I guess with the veg growing and chicken keeping etc you will be getting sufficient incidental exercise, so to speak. I exercise as I happen to enjoy it- but only once I get going. For me it is more a routine thing than overcoming an aversion, if that makes sense. And of course the dog walking is pretty non-negotiable!

Another good food day for me yesterday. Oddly,my appetite appears to have reduced since I fell off plan, which is a Good Thing, as sensible portion sizes have always been more an ambition than a reality! I am also aiming to eat within an eight hour window ( the thought of a 24 hr fast fills me with horror but 16/8 is doable) . Made my first batch of Greek yoghurt for a while as well.

Anyway, for all those feeling the cold, pop round to my place later and I'll fire up the wood burner and make it all toasty and cosy. I will need at least five of you - a lap for each cat and several more to stop the dog feeling jealous. No Yoga/Pilates mats allowed.

Hi all,

I was on thread 1 (can’t remember my user name). Fell off the wagon in the summer and had lots of barriers to getting back on, still am not tbh BUT I am (largely) cooking everything from scratch so although my weight has crept back up (too much processed crap), I feel I still really support the principles.

How is everyone doing? Weight loss wise, how they’re feeling etc. not sure I can trawl through all the posts to find out!

I have another very busy week this week so nothing to contribute but would like to get back on board as it just makes so much sense to me.

I had a good day yesterday but the weight gain from Sunday hasn’t fallen off yet. This is the downfall of daily weighing. Usually I am quite accepting of the fluctuations but I’m annoyed this morning. When I should be feeling proud of my eating yesterday. Oh well another day begins. Onwards and upwards.

@Words you might be right about my body wanting a rest at this time of year. I am getting a decent amount of activity in - I do a brisk walk with the dog for an hour or so most days, plus walking anywhere I need to go that's less than a few km.

What I'm concerned about is my complete disinclination to do my proper workouts i.e. yoga and HIIT, which I do for resistance, muscle building, heart etc.

I'm sure part of it is that I have a big work project which I'm massively procrastinating on out of sheer fear. It's a personal work project, rather than one for a client, so there's no particular deadline. I've always had trouble sticking to a routine when I have things looming over me like the sword of Damocles. I feel like I can't do anything else until the sword is gone, but at the same time I procrastinate on removing the sword.

I'm a mess.

@theleadbetterlife I do exactly the same with procrastination. Effectively plunge myself into agony for weeks - entirely needlessly.

And all the while that boulder ( to go back to that analogy) just gets bigger and bigger. And the thought of trying to move it gets scarier and scarier, and the guilt escalates and escalates.

Until eventually something shifts, the work is done,the relief huge... until next time.

Why do we do this to ourselves?

Morning All
Another good day yesterday. I made @HighlandCowBag 's baked eggs. So delicious and quick:

Put a piece of good roast ham in bottom of dish. Sliced cherry toms on top. Crack one ( or two) eggs over, grated cheese on top of that, and bake for ten to 15 mins till white set but yolk still runny. Chopped chives on top.

I've said this before but this is one of those dishes that taste even better than the sum of their parts. Great for a hearty brunch or light supper.

Before and after

Oh Words I'd actually forgotten my own dish lol. Was debating something hammy and eggy yesterday for lunch but didn't fancy omelette.

I'm still struggling a little to get back on it. Have been better this week after we finally had new years day dinner party thing. , it feels like Christmas is finally over. But have meal planned and shopped this week. Not been anything amazing but all homemade and no bread which is my nemesis. Bread and leftover Christmas chocolates apparently 😋.

Checking back in, I was doing well before Christmas but that and my birthday weekend away mean I’m 7 pounds heavier (probably the alcohol!!) 🤦‍♀️
I’m trying to stay calm and get back on plan. I’ve listened to the doctors kitchen podcast with him again and need to reread the last chapter of the book.
Muesli for breakfast, veggie balls for lunch and shepherds pie with green veg for dinner. Although I’ve just tested positive for covid so not sure how I’ll be feeling!

I've been doing well this month, obviously the losses are dwindling in size as the christmas weight gain has disappeared and am now working on the harder to shift weight.

I had a sneak peak on the scales this morning ahead of Friday and it's saying 2.5lb up! I experimented buying a naice loaf of sourdough as a rest to accompany soup on the weekend, and it's clear that I can't get away with it, so lesson learned. I don't expect losses this week anyway as my body tends to rebel after a few weeks, then will settle down. But still, 2.5lb seems excessive, so we'll see on Friday

1.5lb off for me this week. I am happy with that, consistently down for three weeks now. I am having cold lunch with a friend shortly and there will be bread going. Can I resist?

Hi all!

@AIBConsiderate I also find bread is the worst for me. It bloats me up like a balloon. Some of the 2.5lbs may be very temporary.

@SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun that's good progress 😊

If I am having bread I try to have very little e.g. 3 or 4 wafer thin cross section slices from a baguette. And make up for it with extra portions of whatever it comes with.

@Chunkymonkey123 hi! Sorry to hear you have covid - hope it's mild. Ours the other week was fine (and we now have 3 months where we don't have to quarantine for close contact yay). I actually find I put on more weight when I drink less alcohol, because I crave sugar. The calories from the alcohol seem to have no effect. It has taken me ages to re-lose the weight I gained at thanksgiving though (that was definitely the pie and ice cream). I am nearly there, 1lb to go.

@HighlandCowbag hope your week goes well

@breakdown19 hi and welcome 😊

One small slice of bread and my friend took the rest of the loaf home again. Win win I think.

Good luck for Friday AIB.

@SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun well done!

@Aria999 I hope I'll have clawed some of that back by Friday. I expect a funny week no matter how well I eat or not, to be honest. But at least now I know that I really do have to tell the bread monster where to go when he comes calling. Maybe in a few months I'll experiment with more complex grains, but will leave for now.

@aria99 - glad to hear you and the family have recovered from Covid. No lasting effects I hope? My main fear in catching it is losing smell and taste, possibly permanently. I know this is a tiny percentage of people, and as such an irrational anxiety, but the thought totally freaks me out as food is one of my main pleasures in life.

@AIBConsiderate and@SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun - well done with your bread monster strategies.

Good day food wise yesterday with lots of veg, and also did a really solid day's work. One of the many downsides for me in falling off plan is the effect it has on my concentration, energy and motivation levels. Those are all returning and am generally feeling more positive.

I'm going to weigh in on Saturday. Hoping I have maintained that loss I achieved in the first few days back on plan. If so have five pounds to go to get back to where I was before Christmas and my back injury. I gained 10.5 pounds in just six weeks.

I have an important presentation to do today for my most senior colleagues. I will be onscreen, they are meeting in person. It is a very large screen. Note to self to check for chin hairs... wish me luck!