Why We Eat (Too Much) thread 6

[TheLeadbetterLife]

Whoops, we let thread 5 get away from us a bit there...

I'm going to boringly copy-paste the previous thread opener, because it's too hot to be imaginative.

Welcome to thread 6 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!

Well done Words with your cooking and planning at a stressful time. Hope your Mum continues in a positive direction. I did eat the freekah. I decided that it was better than having a sandwich even if not ideal. Shopped now so should be easier to be on plan today.

@Words glad to hear that your mum is a little better: 91 is incredible, but falls so dangerous so good that she is on the mend: And a reminder to all of us how important strength training is to maintain our skeletal muscle and bone density:

My weight seems to have settled, at around 57,5 - 58kg, 1kg up from start December: I think it dropped due to lack of activity and therefore muscle following my foot op: I'm doing weight and strength exercises for an hour every day now; plus walking at least 5 miles and the muscle tone gained is impressive! Thanks Caroline Girvan -no more arm dangly bits! I feel a lot fitter and more supple than when I was running hundreds of miles a month! Trying to maximise protein and lunch is sometimes 2 boiled eggs instead of homemade soup; but I confess to eating 50g of wholegrain toast with the eggs:

Sorry about your mum @Words, hope she recovers soon.

I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things, but I'm utterly exhausted. I don't feel like I've had a break at all. I might need to organise myself a quiet weekend away from home.

@samthebordercollie your exercise regime sounds top notch, but then you always have been miles ahead of the rest of us on that front. Jenkinson says you need extra carbs if you're working out, so I'm sure a bit of toast is well-earned.

I don't think a bit of toast is too far off-plan, while it's good to avoid refined carbohydrate we all need some carbs in our diet. I'm just trying to eat fewer of them. Well done on the exercise, @samthebordercollie. It's something lacking from my life.

I'm getting back to the weight I was before Christmas, without really trying too hard so I am hoping this represents a new 'set point' - I still have a couple of stone to go though so I will be trying to push it down further.

Just spent the weekend with friends; on Saturday we had toast for breakfast, toasted sandwiches for lunch and then pizza for tea! (They are having a domestic crisis, normally they cook a much wider range of food). I was really aware that in spite of having eaten lots, I felt hungry - and not the 'tummy rumbling, haven't eaten for a few hours' feeling that I have got used to recently. I hadn't noticed how much that has changed, until I missed it, if you see what I mean!

I've finished the Tim Spector book - he doesn't agree with some of the theories about Omega 6 and Omega 3, but broadly his recommendations are similar - Mediterranean style diet, try and increase the range of vegetables to 30 a week (but this would include spices, herbs and seeds) and don't eat UPF. I think my plan for this year is to try and widen my range of foods, I do eat the same stuff a lot of the time.

Oh and that reminds me - can I say thank you from the heart of my bottom 😁to all those people who recommended flaxseed. I can't believe just a few spoonfuls can make so much difference. I eat loads of vegetables but have suffered all my life with constipation, how I wish I'd discovered this years ago.

Hello all, I started reading these threads when they started but never quite got going. I read the book but seem to let things get in the way, like worrying about cooking for fussy children with an aversion to veg!
I need to get on top of things, I need to start feeling better. I've taken on an online pilates subscription which I enjoy so I need to tackle my food. My weakness is chocolate, crisps, pasta and bread.

I'll need to re read the book to refresh my memory but I also got another book by a Dr who runs an NHS programme. It seems very much along the same lines, cut out up and eat real food, stay low sugar and low insulin.
Its the Full Diet by Dr Saira Hameed. Anyone read it?

Welcome @Justkoko ! That sounds pretty similar to the Jenkinson plan. I haven't read the book you mention.

Thanks for the good wishes all. Unbelievably my Mum had a further unwitnessed fall yesterday . Her alarm was left unanswered and she was found in a pool of blood on the floor by the district nurse who was coming to check up on her. Fortunately nothing was broken. I am furious with the home and am absolutely on the warpath and looking for alternative provision.

@samthebordercollie - absolutely reminds me of importance of strength and suppleness training to protect and stabilise the bones, especially from mid life on. Reformer Pilates is amazing for that and I do strength work in the gym too. I really prefer that to the aerobic stuff!

I am giving myself a day off from driving today and plan to work off the stress in a long gym session, go to the market and catch up on some work. I've got some good stock in the fridge and am tempted to make my mother's French onion soup.

@MerelyPlaying - the difference between false 'craving' hunger and genuine hunger is very interesting, isn't it. I find the craving kind does go away if you don't feed it with sugar or other sub optimal stuff. Sometimes even a large glass of water is enough. Otherwise, cheese, apples , olives, cold meat, eggs are good to have on stand by. Also, cinnamon, ginger or mint tea also does it for me. Usually.

Welcome @Justkoko - I haven't read that book, but I have been reading lots of books around this area. They all pretty much come up with similar conclusions: more veg, a wide range of foods, avoid UPFs and refined carbohydrates and try to avoid 'spiking ' insulin increases. Jenkinson is particularly keen on reducing the Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio.

All I can day is that I'm losing weight slowly, rarely feel hungry in that 'craving sweet things ' way and generally feel really well when I follow this. I went off plan over Christmas naturally, and really didn't like the way I felt, bloated and uncomfortable.

@Words - what a horrible situation. Ask the district nurse whether she raised a safeguarding alert? Or raise one yourself perhaps. It sounds like there needs to be some scrutiny here?

Thanks @stilldumdedumming - yes a safeguarding issue has been raised and I am waiting to speak to a social worker from the LA. I suspect the issue is more widespread across the facility unfortunately.

Would very much appreciate a few words of wisdom. My blocker has largely been evening meals. Cooking for fussy kids but then also eating food that's on plan. I've lost my way entirely and need to start from scratch. I need extremely simple meals that could suit children. If I cook separately, then I feel guilty that I'm eating the healthy stuff and they are having pasta and potatoes! I have literally lost the plot with it all, I think all the years of trying to lose weight and keep everyone happy has taken its toll and my brain has shut down to it now.

Any advice, Simple meal plans that aren't too expensive would be great. When I say I've lost my way, I really mean it. I've lost hope.

I'm sure we can come up with some ideas @Justkoko , don't despair. We cook very simple meals here, unless it's a special occasion.

What will the kids eat?

@Justkoko how old are your kids? I cook for the family (I have OH and teenager) and don't eat the rice/pasta/potatoes just have a green salad instead

Hello again @Justkoko. I don't know about cooking for children, but maybe a good approach would be protein plus veg and/or salad, with pasta for them, as sam says?

This is the sort of thing I do. I use butter, olive oil and lard for frying/ roasting.

So roast chicken thighs, veg and maybe mashed potatoes ( this is a low carb not no carb plan - it's wheat based stuff we avoid.)

Fillets of fish? Roast in a bag or foil with a squeeze of lemon and a knob of butter in oven in about 15 mins and veg

Roasted peppers, tomatoes and onions are tasty and sweet. You could have those with rice ?

Have you thought about courgetti? Get a cheap manual spiraliser off Amazon. Fry the courgette strings in butter and garlic if you like it. ( careful not to burn the garlic as it goes very bitter, as I was reminded at the weekend.) That's a great pasta alternative. I get a lot of childish pleasure from making the swirly-whirlies. It's like a big pencil sharpener.

Make a pot of inauthentic beef/ turkey/ pork ragou: fry onions carrots celery and garlic in oil and butter. ( you can buy frozen mixed and chopped cheaply to save time) Add mince and brown, add tinned toms, chuck in some wine if you have any to hand and simmer. Season well. Have that with the courgetti above and give the children pasta if they won't eat the courgettes?

Lamb or pork chops/ steaks with veg

Egg and bacon. Can't beat that with fried mushrooms and tomatoes. Yes you can eat it without the toast, but it takes practice in my experience.

Eggs: how about an omelette and salad or courgetti/ roast veg?

Chips: slice a potato very thinly into rounds and fry in lard. Top with fried egg. Very tasty.

And finally my all time favourite snack dish from the early days: put some roast ham in bottom of a small ovenproof dish. Put sliced cherry toms on top. Crack an egg or two carefully on top, and grated cheese on top of that. Bake in oven till white is set. Add chopped chives if you are feeling fancy, and serve. Yummy.

Hope that gives some inspiration?

(PS - if anyone identifies with my off topic post about my mother, there's a wonderful series of threads called 'cockroach cafe' in the elderly parents section. Great for support and guidance.)

I had a crazy chocolate and hula hoops meltdown day on Wednesday but really pleased that yesterday I was straight back into my usual sort of day - fruit, plain yogurt and chia for breakfast, lentils with veg and flax seeds and fish for lunch and salmon, air fried chips and stir fried veg with cumin for supper. Cheese for snack.

I have my lentils batch made for the week and am feeling positive 😃. Paella for supper tonight.

Thank you, some great suggestions @Words . I actually have a spiraliser lingering at the back of the cupboard from a previous failed low carb attempt, I'll maybe try making garlic "pasta" with it. Pasta is one of the toughest things to give up. Maybe I'll try a pesto pasta dish.

@samthebordercollie they are 8 - 15. I'd be so happy if I could make vegetables appealing to them.

We thought we’d find pasta difficult to give up, but it turns out it wasn’t. We find that the sauces are what we really crave, so we still make them, but have them on meat or fish instead. Chicken is especially good for this - pesto chicken, chicken puttanesca etc.

Roasted aubergine or courgette is a lovely conduit for bolognese sauce, or any ragu.

Are there any vegetables your kids will happily eat? Will they eat them raw, in coleslaw for example? I make vats of quick blender mayonnaise every week and use it to dip crudités in, or for coleslaw (which is very cheap to make as it’s not fancy vegetables).

To keep things simple, I make large quantities of coleslaw in the food processor, and add mayonnaise to the portion on the plate. It keeps if you don’t add dressing, and it’s an easy side dish for an evening meal of something like strips of chicken fried in garlic, butter and olive oil (with Parmesan grated over, ideally).

A standard evening meal for us is along those lines - fry onions in the pan, add meat, garlic, tomatoes, peppers and chilli. Maybe a fried egg on top (especially good if the meat is choriço). Coleslaw or salad as a starter or side dish. Takes 15 mins tops and hardly any washing up.

It’s usually either that or an omelette or frittata.

Peanut butter spread into a stick of celery is my favourite snack - maybe they would like that?

I realise of course that these meals are filling because they have lots of protein, and we’re lucky to be able to afford it. We don’t miss the potatoes and pasta, but I can’t honestly say I would feel the same if we weren’t able to have lots of eggs and meat. Even vegetables are getting pricey these days.

This is a luxury diet, no two ways about it.

@Justkoko with my non vegetable eating kids I am mostly trying to focus on the low upf aspect and otherwise a balanced diet.

So I give them bread, fruit, yogurt, for the one who will eat these things I do omelette and home made pizza. And just try to make sure I am choosing low sugar options or things without too many nasties (the better end of the chicken nugget range, with hidden veggies in them for example).

They drink milk or water - juice is for special occasions and we never have soda.

It's not perfect but I feel it's ok.

Thanks for your words everyone. I have to put it here, because I'll very easily forget, that I'm feeling wide awake and very positive today. I don't know if it's because it's finally a bright sunny day, or the food I've eaten. I've just had water, Greek yogurt then a Greek salad with a couple of hard boiled eggs.

I feel energetic, even though I was so exhausted first thing this morning. Best I've felt for a while.

Next time I say I don't know what to do with myself, remind me of this, because I will forget!

Anyone know of a shop bought mayo that has good ingredients. I looked on the back of the usual and it was rapeseed oil or something.

Thank you! Food intake's underlying biology is intricately entwined with pleasure. Eating is intrinsically reinforcing because it is vital for survival, especially when one is hungry. Even when there is no calorie shortage, eating can still be encouraging. This is why we eat past the point of fullness and indulge in sweets like candy bars and cupcakes that aren't filling. Unfortunately, the many factors in our contemporary food environment, such as ease, affordability, and social influences, interact with our innate propensity to consume these kinds of foods to eventually promote the overconsumption of extremely appetizing foods.

Hello - has anyone looked into the Happy Pear fellas? They're plant based though so not for everyone. I like them because they're full of energy and talk a lot of sense. Although they also suggest no oil because you can get fat from whole foods (but then having said no upf advocate shop bought hummus - when it's so easy to make and shop bought has so much crap in it).

Anyway they're engaging and I like the recipes. So might be worth a look for inspiration.

I'm trying to cut down on coffee and am on fresh turmeric and fresh ginger tea (grated the root for this)

Omg I take it all back, I've come home from work absolutely frozen and bone tired. Plus a very upset stomach 😩 what's going on! Is it the lack of carbs like a carb flu?

Could be some kind of carb flu @Justkoko. We often discuss in this thread how eating sugar makes us crave more sugar, and makes us feel hungry. Your body could be adjusting.

I'm weaning myself off the Christmas carbs by allowing myself to eat snacks more than I normally would, as long as those snacks are on plan, like celery and peanut butter, hard boiled eggs, or cheese. I've also had quite a few spelt flour oatcakes with liver pate today, as well as a lot of yoghurt. It's far too much food for one day, but it's cold here, is my excuse.

Yesterday I had a bit of a cook-up for the freezer and pantry. I made chilli con carne, Delia's Boston baked beans, pickled eggs and pickled cornichons. I have to wait a month to eat the pickles, but we'll be having baked beans and fried eggs for dinner.

I hadn't heard of carb flu, koko but it seems about right to have some sort of 'whoah!' Reaction in your body.

I recall various episodes of the opposite problem- constipation at first with the increased protein, sorted with flaxseed and dulco ease.

I am over eating a bit at the moment, and allowing myself to do so. My mother is very unwell still but am keeping the intermittent fasting ( 17 hrs currently) routine going and taking along on plan foods to the hospital. Also keeping up exercise.

It's been beautiful here the last couple of days so making the most of the sunshine while it lasts.

@Words yes it seems to be the shock of no longer running on biscuits that makes you feel so rotten! When there's little sugar coming in then it's a bit of a shock.

Finished eating at 8 but didn't sleep well, very awake and agitated, woke up every couple of hours. It must be the adjustment. I'll keep on.