Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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 6

1000 replies

TheLeadbetterLife · 15/07/2022 10:59

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!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
29
TheLeadbetterLife · 11/04/2023 13:47

sounds lovely @Theelephantinthecastle

One of our regular meals is an adaptation of the Greek papoutsakia "little shoes". You roast aubergine halves in olive oil (we do them in the slow cooker), then top with sauce and cheese. We usually use a bolognese or ragu, but it can be anything you'd normally put on pasta.

OP posts:
Words · 11/04/2023 14:32

Hello All
Still here but struggling again and fallen way off plan, and so feel rubbish.

@TheLeadbetterLife I love the idea of those Grecian little shoes but doesn't the aubergine go a bit slimy in the slow cooker? I've taught myself to like aubergine with the Mary Berry caponata recipe but not ventured further.

Whoever mentioned green drinks- I love thèse although the texture can be off putting to some, I don't mind it as long as there is plenty of ginger in there

TheLeadbetterLife · 11/04/2023 14:37

I find in our slow cooker on the high setting, aubergines cook nicely and brown a little, without going slimy.

I know what you mean about teaching yourself to like them - I’m still not a huge fan of the taste, and especially not the texture.

OP posts:
Words · 12/04/2023 09:54

www.copymethat.com/recipebox/thatll-do/6661790/

This is the caponata recipe. It works well!

Aria999 · 13/04/2023 01:24

Hi @Words sorry you are having a hard time.

Virtual hugs xx

Theelephantinthecastle · 13/04/2023 18:04

Day 3 here and so far I have stuck to it pretty well.

The thing that's been interesting is how it's upped my veg intake. Today's food:

Fava beans with avocado

Berries and yoghurt as mid morning snack

Greens, broccoli, onion and feta frittata with avocado/tomato/cucumber salad

Dinner will be bulgur wheat, courgette and goats cheese salad

In total, approx 9-10 portions of fruit and veg which I have tried to do before but never really managed

nancyglancy · 13/04/2023 18:24

Can I join the thread please? Back from holiday today and feeling dreadful after living on cake and chocolate. I have an auto immune condition and am overweight with cholesterol on the high side. I'm going to use a visual diary app. This was my day today so far. Breakfast buffet but I avoided bread or sugar.

Why We Eat (Too Much) thread 6
nancyglancy · 13/04/2023 18:25

The quiche was made with potato as a base. Energy balls are carrot and pecan with coconut flakes. Not finished the book yet so feedback welcome!

gettingalife · 23/04/2023 17:13

Am complete newbie after finishing the book on Friday. I started sticking to the 'diet' rules yesterday and feel really sluggish and headachey today. I've cut out wheat, corn and sugar. Is this how others felt? I have other questions:

  1. Do you snack at all?
  2. If so, what on? Yoghurt, cheese, eggs?
  3. Are bananas ok?
  4. Has anyone found a substitute for tomato ketchup/mayo/salad cream?
  5. How soon did anyone see weightloss?

Thank you to anyone who can help!

Theelephantinthecastle · 23/04/2023 17:23

@gettingalife

I haven't ordered it but this site looks to have some options on the mayo front at least

https://hunterandgatherfoods.com/

I started recently - haven't really felt that different and haven't lost any weight yet. Planning to give it another three weeks to see how I feel after that.

I have been snacking on Greek yogurt and berries

Award Winning Real Food & Supplements | Collagen, Mayo, Sauces, Oils

Hunter & Gather are the Real Food & Supplements Brand, Simplifying Optimal Healthy Living for All. The UK's Finest and Award-Winning Mayonnaise, Collagen Protein Powder, Ketchup, Avocado Oil, Ghee, Olive Oil & Coconut MCT Oil, that are Refined Sugar Fr...

https://hunterandgatherfoods.com

Billybagpuss · 23/04/2023 18:20

gettingalife · 23/04/2023 17:13

Am complete newbie after finishing the book on Friday. I started sticking to the 'diet' rules yesterday and feel really sluggish and headachey today. I've cut out wheat, corn and sugar. Is this how others felt? I have other questions:

  1. Do you snack at all?
  2. If so, what on? Yoghurt, cheese, eggs?
  3. Are bananas ok?
  4. Has anyone found a substitute for tomato ketchup/mayo/salad cream?
  5. How soon did anyone see weightloss?

Thank you to anyone who can help!

There are many on here who are very awesome and follow the book so well. I simplified it so for me the rules were you can eat what you want provided sugar free and made from scratch. I was very strict for around a year. I lost 4.5 stone. I’ve now added back in crisps and sadly peanuts which have always been my nemesis. I’ve put on a stone but it feels safe. I don’t feel out of control. I have been sugar free for 2 years now.

to answer your questions for me

  1. yes (wine is a bit of an issue and the only sugar I have)
  2. yes
  3. yes
  4. dont like them anyway
  5. quite quickly but bizarrely it wasn’t about the weight loss it was about health. But it actually kicked in quite quickly.
Aria999 · 24/04/2023 15:03

Hi @gettingalife !

I snack mostly on cheese or olives. Sometimes yogurt. I always eat when I am hungry.

Apple and cheese is a nice combination.

Sometimes you need a little sugar. When I started out I gave myself a half spoonful of granulated sugar straight out of the bag to treat a sugar craving, like medicine! It seemed easier to stop after a little bit that way.

Don't forget about the oils part. I think vegetable oil is probably as big a part of the jigsaw as sugar.

Hi @nancyglancy sorry I missed your post. Looks good! How are you getting on?

Aria999 · 24/04/2023 15:04

P.s. re mayo, I eat one made with avocado oil

gettingalife · 24/04/2023 18:47

@Billybagpuss @Billybagpuss @Theelephantinthecastle thank you for your helpful responses. I'm on day 3 and doing ok, especially now I know I can snack. It just feels so wrong eating full fat things!

Did you lose weight within the first few weeks or did it take longer? Did you gain any weight at first?

gettingalife · 24/04/2023 18:48

Sorry @Aria999 was meant to be tagged in the previous post!

Aria999 · 24/04/2023 18:59

@gettingalife I lost about 4lbs in the first two weeks.

I had a 'OMG this works!' moment.

It's slow but my set point still drops a couple of lbs every now and then, even though I reached a weight I was comfortable with ages ago.

Once you have it working for you, you can also experiment a bit (does it really make a difference if I eat pasta 3x a week?)

Having said that there have been a few people on the thread over the months who it just hasn't worked for. It didn't look like they were doing anything wrong. I think bodies are just complex, and different.

nancyglancy · 24/04/2023 19:08

I'm doing ok thanks but can't say I've not had any blips/given in to cravings. I may have eaten a bag of Maltesers at the cinema last night and a choc biscuit today...

However, I have massively cut down on sugar and processed foods. I'm doing the photo tracking and I'm really trying my best!

I came home tonight to find DH had left a huge bowl of cooked pasta. I held my reserve, cooked a smaller portion of wholemeal, pan fried a tuna steak, and served with broccoli. I just had some grapes for pud. 😇

Theelephantinthecastle · 24/04/2023 19:11

I am a bit over a week in and, if anything, have slightly gained weight 😔

But I have had maybe slightly more carbs than ideal - not bread but some rice, couscous, bulgar wheat etc every day, not huge amounts but still. Am going to try and cut that down a little and then see.

Aria999 · 24/04/2023 19:14

@Theelephantinthecastle sorry to hear that. You should be ok to eat some carbs, though cutting down further is worth a try.

How are you doing on the sugar / processed food/ vegetable oil?

Aria999 · 24/04/2023 19:21

@nancyglancy if it helps, a lot of us have found after a few weeks that we stop wanting chocolate etc and that it tastes way too sweet.

I still eat Lindt occasionally but I find KitKat pretty horrible now and I used to love them.

Theelephantinthecastle · 24/04/2023 19:22

Aria999 · 24/04/2023 19:14

@Theelephantinthecastle sorry to hear that. You should be ok to eat some carbs, though cutting down further is worth a try.

How are you doing on the sugar / processed food/ vegetable oil?

Pretty well I think. I don't have a sweet tooth which helps. I do eat fruit but nothing with added sugar

Aria999 · 24/04/2023 19:24

A lot of fruit?

I had a problem at one point where I started putting unsweetened applesauce on my yogurt and immediately started gaining weight. Once I figured it out I stopped and all was well again.

(I was having honey on it too and still am, maybe it was just the extra sugar that tipped it over).

Aria999 · 24/04/2023 19:26

Sorry should have tagged @Theelephantinthecastle there

Aria999 · 24/04/2023 19:27

Also I now have blueberries on said yogurt and all seems well 🤷‍♀️

Theelephantinthecastle · 24/04/2023 19:47

Aria999 · 24/04/2023 19:24

A lot of fruit?

I had a problem at one point where I started putting unsweetened applesauce on my yogurt and immediately started gaining weight. Once I figured it out I stopped and all was well again.

(I was having honey on it too and still am, maybe it was just the extra sugar that tipped it over).

Maybe 3-4 portions a day? But I do aim to mostly have berries. I could try going lower

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

This thread is not accepting new messages.