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!

@TheLeadbetterLife my son has ADHD. His hyper focus is unreal. But at a real cost to his health. Not eating or sleeping until it's through. He is freelance and gets results others don't. But in his work there's always been big new projects and so he never gets a day off! He can't work and do anything else.

I am at work- but I have a new diagnosis for my lameness. It is essentially caused by soldiering on in crises. It's pretty dramatic too. I teach yoga and meditation- you'd think I'd realise!

I too wish alcohol didn't make me so ill. It's so fun!

This is exactly how I am. I've slept so poorly this week, waking up earlier than I normally do with butterflies already in my stomach, which only go away when I start working. It does, like your son, make me very good at what I do, but at what cost?

This project might be a one-off for next week, but there's a strong possibility I may have to do it every couple of weeks for the rest of the year. And travel abroad each time. Once it's up and running I know it will become easier, but right now I am incapable of doing or thinking about anything else.

I used to work for a huge corporation doing this job, with a million (pointless) managers above me, but now I'm freelance. I much prefer being freelance, but if this job takes off I know I need to be firm with myself and schedule a good two months off at the end of the year. Hyperfocus has many benefits in this line of work, but the huge downside is that if I don't force myself out of it for a good, long recovery time, I burn out very, very quickly. It's happened several times in the past. It's only now that I'm coming to realise that neurodiversity might be at the root of it, that I fully understand the struggle I've had with this all my life.

@TheLeadbetterLife I'm sorry you are stresed: If scales were adding to the stress its a good idea to get rid of them: I couldn't do without mine, I watch the trend and mine give a fat and muscle readout which is the most interesting thing now I've started weight training:
I don't stress about food, we eat moreorless the same thing every lunchtime, and sometimes the evening, or we just have cheese and salad: I don't get hung up on having a hot meal or something different every night, I'm lucky that my son and husband are more than happy to eat pasta with cheese and ham if there is nothing else!
Weight gone up a little to 58kg but clothes are loose and scales show an increase in muscle so I'll take that!

@TheLeadbetterLife - it sounds like you have a firm grasp of the issues at play, and what you will need to do to avoid burnout. I am sorry you're feeling so stressed, and good call re the scales. While you're away, are you able to schedule some quiet time alone? Being constantly 'on' and around people and noise, as well as doing a stressful and responsible role, sounds very energy-sapping.

I have always seemed to circle between extreme focus and lethargy; I can appear to cope with pressure extremely well until suddenly I don't. I too suspect neurodiversity is at the heart of it. So much makes sense, viewed that way. I had always thought it was some sort of awful character failing. This realisation is helping me to be a bit kinder to myself I think.

Morning all. Not managing my own stress at all well this week. My eating has been erratic and I am sleeping badly, and getting very anxious about relatively minor things.I woke up feeling marginally better this morning so want to try and grasp that to get back on track.

I've been out of necessity, going at 100mph since Mum’s death, sorting the funeral and dealing with all the sadmin and now the investigation into events at the home leading up to her death, plus work, a sick dog and a house move too! I think it's all catching up with me.

When I get stressed I find it very difficult to prioritise my mental and physical wellbeing. I found myself wishing somewhat pathetically this morning that someone would come along and look after me for a while. I am generally utterly independent so that was quite weird. I know I need to be that person for myself, but it's very hard. So today my plan is a short stint in the gym , a visit to the farmer's market and will cook a good meal for tonight. Hoping work isn't too demanding either today.

Words - goodness you are having a hard time. Well done fir planning to look after yourself. It is so hard to prioritise healthy eating and activity under stress. I often fantasise about having a healthy eating cook and more time to exercise. Would make things so much easier. If you make time for some meal planning then the good food can follow so much more easily but it is finding that time sometimes that is so hard.

☹️ @Words

Do you see things easing up any time soon?

Hello @Aria999

Things are easing in that my dog is much better, ( worst case was toe amputation or skin graft) the sadmin with Mum has reached a sort of semi hiatus and I have spoken to work to re prioritise various projects.

So that is why I am now sinking a bit, if that makes sense.

Have semi achieved my objective today - got fresh air, went to gym for a gentle workout and planned nice meal. Then went to stressful work meeting at a related agency where I said ' No, I can't do that, you need to do this; I am happy to advise but I can't achieve this for you on my own' to a roomful of people. But now too tired to bother cooking.

Sounds like a step forward to have got that message out of the way! Hope they listened?

I was often too tired to bother cooking last week! DH was away.

packet of frozen cauliflower, roasted for 30 minutes, with a generous pile of cheese melted on top near the end is probably my easiest no-cooking-needed on-plan meal.

But a couple of pasta-and-sauce did also creep in there.

They listened but they didn't hear.
High status individual and all that.
I got there much too early for my meeting so in a nearby hotel had a pot of tea and a ham sandwich which came with a huge portion of veg oil soaked chips which I devoured.
I was blindsided by what they were expecting to be honest; had I been fully present I would have taken steps to ask more questions and manage expectations before I even walked in the room.

@Words I honestly would urge you to have the small easy wins days with gym and farmers markets, on rinse and repeat as often as you possibly can. When you are very capable it's easy to cause yourself damage further down the line, by keeping going.

Morning all- it's been quiet these last few days on here.

Thanks @stilldumdedumming - I am doing just that this week and taking things much more steadily.

How's everyone doing?

Well after a couple of weeks of eating very poorly indeed I had a migraine on Sunday - not great but I always feel it acts like a bit of a 'soft reset' if that makes sense - didn't eat for nearly 24 hours, eventually awoke after sleeping in the middle of the day, feeling much better, and determined to follow a better path! I'm back on TRE, trying not to eat till midday and finish eating by 7 pm, and I'm also trying to cook from scratch/use up veg in the fridge/not snack.

Last night I made fishcakes (ok, not low carb) using up some sprouty potatoes, and tonight is going to be a spinach and mushroom curry, no rice.

I'm also about to start the Zoe testing - my kit arrived last week but the blood glucose monitor wasn't working so I'm waiting for another one to arrive. I don't want to spam this thread with it because it's a different thing, but I am very interested to see how my blood glucose levels react to carbohydrates, a lot depends on whether you eat them with other stuff, time of day, etc.

Hope everyone else is doing ok. Be easy on yourself, @Words - it takes a lot out of you losing someone close, and as time goes on everyone else forgets and assumes you are 'back to normal' when in fact it's still like having an open wound hidden under your clothes.

PS @Aria999 I like the sound of the roasted cauliflower - might try that!

I'm back from the Middle East, absolutely shattered and a bit shell-shocked from the work - it was all a bit of a shambles and I ended up run ragged trying to keep everything together.

I was pretty careful with my food though, so I was pleased with myself about that. Eggs, mushrooms and tomatoes for breakfast each day, salads for lunch and meat curry with vegetables for dinners. I had the odd piece of baklava or flatbread, but didn't go mad. Obv no alcohol.

My waist is 2cm smaller. So that's something, even if my brain is shot to pieces.

Looks likely that I'm going to be going abroad (various countries) for this project every few weeks until November, so hopefully I can be as disciplined in the other locations.

Sounds good @TheLeadbetterLife glad you got through it ok. I love middle eastern food.

I had the enjoyable experience on Sunday of Going To The Beach In A Bikini While Slim. No mirrors but I always can't help watching my shadow, and the bulgy bits of lack thereof.

We are in Florida for the week.

Fully expect to have put on several lbs b the end as it's very hard to eat on plan while traveling with picky kids. Going to the beach on day 1 was definitely the solution 🤣

Newbie here. Just found this thread so going to go back to page 1 to catch up.

Welcome @PleaseStopSayingHuBbY

Well done @TheLeadbetterLife - that's no small feat - stress and travel are real triggers for a journey off plan. Hope you can recuperate a bit before the next stint.

I ate pasta last night as was caught out and needed something quick- and so wish I hadn't- feel really bloated and uncomfortable this morning. Courgetti are much the better option. And quicker too.

And great news re the bikini@Aria999

Hi All, I'm a newbie, too.... I have the book and have found it helpful so far...

However, I found myself tucking in to a traybake this afternoon. I'd made it ready for the kids' packed lunches this week 😣It was part of my plan to reduce the processed stuff in the house by at least being home-made and slightly less sugar, but I realise now that I find that much harder to resist than stuff in packets, or things such as custard creams which I can't stand so can leave...

I'd love your suggestions of what you put in kids' lunch-boxes. It seems unrealistic to cut biscuits out for them completely. And when they have friends round I'd like to be able to offer them something ...

I'm thinking: digestive biscuits, Soreen, those Go-Ahead packs.
What do you think? Any other/better suggestions??
Thanks in advance!

Hi @rushka !

My kids do get processed food and sugar unfortunately as they are the pickiest kids ever invented and I have to feed them something ☹️

I give DS7 a bag of goldfish snacks (at least they're baked not fried in vegetable oil) and two or three choc chip cookies (not recommended I know!). And a jam roll (with not enough jam in it according to DS frequent feedback so he often doesn't eat it). And a low sugar kid's yogurt and two squeezey unsweetened applesauce packets. Same thing every day as there is very little he will eat.

Occasionally we make a batch of sugar cookies and he has those. I freeze 2/3rds of the dough and use it over the next few weeks. He made them all by himself last time and was very proud of himself.

Thanks for your reply @Aria999 .... It's tricky isn't it?! And I don't want to make anything off limits for them in a way that passes on any issues. I have tried really hard not to pass on hang-ups and I do think they have healthier outlooks around eating. So, I guess I'll buy the stuff as I just find that easier to resist than when I'm baking myself... pick my battles!

Well I had a wisdom tooth out yesterday, so I am eating nothing but yoghurt and ice cream and I don't care.

Also on antibiotics, so there goes my carefully-nurtured gut biome.

☹️ hope you feel better soon @TheLeadbetterLife

I remember living on soup 🍲 n that situation but that was before I gave up processed food so I didn't have to make it myself!

It really sucks. I've never had a tooth out before, and this one wasn't even giving me any trouble. The dentist just insisted it had to come out because it was impacted (although it had been like that for 20 years with no issues).

It's so painful and the medication is making me nauseous. I've just eaten a white bread cheese sandwich to try to quell the nausea. I can barely open my mouth though so I had to moisten every bite with water. It's ridiculous.

And this afternoon I have to grout the floor tiles I've laid this week. Woe is me.

@TheLeadbetterLife that sounds nasty! Can you leave the floor tiles for a bit?

DH did get a nasty infection in his wisdom teeth one time when we were on vacation (fortunately in Greece where a pharmacist will give you antibiotics) and it was very unpleasant (though he still hasn't actually gotten rid of said wisdom teeth).

Mine was impacted too, all the way sideways .