Irreducible Minimum

[Downandout123]

Someone on here introduced that term roughly one week ago, and I thought it was brilliant! If you could all find it and read it, it would be great!! For those of you who are dieting, or who have achieved your goals, can you give some examples of how you used irreducible minimum to do that with food? Thanks! The writer used the example of-let's say you eat take out every single day. Then just start out by not eating it one day out of the week. This term can be used to help people in every area of life!! 😊

[Tiggerr]

I remember the post Downandout.

I haven't reached my goal yet but I've gradually moved from cal counting to 'mostly lchf'. I only stopped the cal counting a few days back.

The irreducible minimum principle is still ongoing and I'm still changing. I've slowly removed carbs from some meals in the day, I then added intermittent fasting, I've reduced carbs even more and I'm working towards adding more fat into my meals.

How are you getting along?

[Downandout123 in reply to Tiggerr]

Well that sounds great!! Slowly getting to where you want to be!! I'm trying once again, but nighttime is HARD!! I'll get a snack really late at night, and I'm not even hungry. Stress and depression is getting to me!! I've GOT TO come up with something else besides food as my go-to!

[Tiggerr in reply to Downandout123]

Perhaps you have the same problem I had/have! I've found that eating any carbs in the afternoon/evening just leads to me mindlessly craving more carbs and, as you say, snacking despite not being hungry.

This is why I've ended up moving away from carbs.

[Downandout123 in reply to Tiggerr]

I find it very hard to move away from carbs. Especially in the morning. What do you eat? There carbs in basically everything except eggs, and I don't eat eggs.

[Hidden in reply to Downandout123]

Something else besides food at night is too hard. Not minimum enough. I was eating A LOT of biscuits in the night to help me sleep. So I switched to spelt crackers & oatcakes. I still let myself have carbs late at the night & in the early morning, but just less nice/palatable ones. And now it’s one cracker a night, or none, not a whole packet of sweet biscuits.

[PandQs Maintainer 3st 7lbs in reply to Downandout123]

Hi Downandout and Tiggerr (I used your advice from another post on how to tag you in!). I’ve totally switched to LCHF without counting calories following the theory that all calories are not treated equally. It’s got rid of all my hunger pangs and cravings, the “hangry” times when my insides used to gnaw away at me. It’s been a long time since I felt this good and in control of what I eat, and the weight loss is the bonus. Next time you feel stressed, reaching for food, watch one of the videos from the series “The Skinny on Obesity”. Episodes 3 and 4 are particularly good, and put me on the right track. Good luck! Also how about changing your name to something more positive like “UpandAtEm” 😀

[Downandout123 in reply to PandQs]

I watch all those shows on obesity. My favorite is "My 600 Pound Life". It seems the season has ended now, and I can't wait for it to come on again! I am writing down "The Skinny on Obesity" as a must watch! Thank you!

[PandQs Maintainer 3st 7lbs in reply to Downandout123]

😀 I don’t think they’re the same, this isn’t on tv, they’re information videos on YouTube:

m.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo3TR...(Not working as expected?)

[Downandout123 in reply to PandQs]

Ah-ok got it! Thank you!

[PandQs Maintainer 3st 7lbs in reply to Downandout123]

Hope they’re useful to you I’ve watched them again and again to remind me WHY I’m doing it.

[Downandout123 in reply to PandQs]

Not sure who can really see this reply, but I'd love for others to share stories about how they applied irreducible minimum to their eating patterns.

[Hidden in reply to Downandout123]

I’ve had a bad few days at work. I was travelling, little sleep & no access to healthy food. On my way back on an interminable train journey I wanted chocolate. Chocolate will make my blood sugar ping up & down & make me eat my head off for the next 12 hours. So I ate some crisps. Which are terrible, but not AS terrible as chocolate for me. That was my tiny good choice.

[Hidden]

It was me, and the idea introduced to me by a friend. The idea is that we set ourselves a goal that is so insanely easy that we can’t fail to meet it, and though small it gives me the confidence that I can do something, and also, lots of tiny changes mount up to something, whereas doing nothing about a major goal, do not.

Examples for weight loss:

- I can’t stop eating chocolate: I won’t eat chocolate before lunchtime today. I can have chocolate this afternoon & evening, but not this morning

-.i can’t plan all my meals: I will plan tomorrow’s breakfast

- I end up eating takeaways every night: I will ask the restaurant not to include poppadoms or crackers next time / i’ll have the next size down of chips with my fish / I won’t order garlic bread with my pizza. Just once this week.

In the non health sphere, I am have a pile of books to read but they are all very worthy & worky. So instead of waiting for the perfect moment to read them, I am going to read one page, today.

Note, the target must be pathetically easy - you could not make it any easier - that’s the irreducible minimum part.

[Tiggerr in reply to Hidden]

Thought it was but I often mention the wrong people so kept shtum

[Hidden in reply to Tiggerr]

Oh i’ve got all the answers as well as a fat arse!

[2718281 in reply to Hidden]

I think this works for absolutely everything in life, big changes are difficult, small changes are easier, but they accumulate and become big changes!

[Downandout123 in reply to 2718281]

Yes!! That's why I love this so much!! I have a hard time trying to wait for changes,though, because this way they happen very slowly. But my way of starving to lose 10 pounds in one week, doesn't work ANYWAY!!! I did have to absolutely remove certain foods from my diet though. They were very addicting, so I don't even buy them anymore. But then my brain turns on me sometimes. It says-"Come on, this has been a horrible week-you deserve it!! I buy it, and then starts the addiction again, because I can never just eat it once. Nope. Have to keep buying it time and time again. For instance, once all these Oreos are gone, ( haven't eaten any since that night), lol-that's IT!!! NO MORE!!

[Downandout123 in reply to Downandout123]

Can anyone else share stories about how they have brought the idea of irreducible minimum into their lives? Whether it be with eating habits or something else? I can't tell you how much I LOVE this idea!! Please share your stories with me!! 😀😊 There haven't been too many answers.

[Downandout123 in reply to Hidden]

I'd like to know how much weight you have lost and if you are still doing irreducible minimum. I see the problem with that is that there is basically no weight loss for me doing it that way. ☹ I'm at the very end of my rope. Can't take it anymore. Just wondering how it's working for you. Thanks.

[Hidden in reply to Downandout123]

I’ve lost a stone but not via irreducible minimum as a diet. It’s just a way to make a small amount of progress when everything feels hopeless & you feel have no control over anything you do & eat. The diet that will make you lose weight is zero sugar and no refined carbs. It works because those are the things that stimulate insulin swings, blood sugar drops and significant hunger pangs. Also, while the things can can eat will satisfy you and fill you up, they are not nice enough to stuff your face with them day after day. I use irreducible minimum to prevent myself completely off the rails and make other small changes in my life that I am finding too difficult.

[Downandout123 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for responding. No sugar or carbs will not work for me. I simply cannot/ will not cut them out. Hopeless. 🙄

[Hidden in reply to Downandout123]

This is going to be hard but if you feel you cannot live without them, then you are even more susceptible than the average person to insulin issues. Either you are at the end of your rope or you are not. If you really were, you’d give up sugar. Why don’t you try the irreducible min thing & try no sugar or carbs for 6 hours. That’s one meal

& snacks. And then, you could try a day. Or, (and this is the ‘she’s bitch’ bit) you’ll stay fat.

[Downandout123 in reply to Hidden]

OUCH!!! That hurt!! But I had it coming to me. 😔😣😢

[Hidden in reply to Downandout123]

And I am really really sorry if I have upset you. I hate it when sugar ruins lives...

[Downandout123 in reply to Hidden]

It's ok. I know.

[Hidden in reply to Downandout123]

I knew someone in Kenya who lost a foot & then his life to type 2 diabetes because he could not stop taking so much sugar in tea & biscuits etc. I at least ‘just’ have a biggish bottom...

[IndigoBlue61 in reply to Downandout123]

But could you reduce them? If I know something is forbidden I want it more, but I have significantly reduced them, just as I’ve reduced calories and sweet stuff. Small reductions add up to a big difference.

A saying on here is “eating less is hard, being overweight is hard, choose your hard”

Good Luck 😊

[Downandout123 in reply to IndigoBlue61]

Thanks

[Hidden in reply to Downandout123]

Indigo has put it much better than me. It’s about choosing which hard. The thing is that for some of us, we can’t eat just a little bit of sugar, we eat a lot. I would say also that there are some delicious whole grains out there. I am really into making my own spelt & sometimes rye bread in the bread maker. I love Bulgar wheat as a salad or as a hot substitute to rice or pasta. Buckwheat makes great pancakes. I make my own oat muesli too. Yummy yum yum.