Discussion Board

Maybe "Feast Days" is the wrong term. It implies, at least to me that I can pig out!! Instead of what it is supposed to mean, you can eat a meal that is not on plan. Yes, one meal!!

I have found I do less damage if I eat at the end of the day, instead of all day. Even though I may be uncomfortable when I go to bed, it doesn't seem to trigger me so much the next day. That being said, I have only done that one time so am not really speaking from experience.

I am the same on the hand to mouth thing, it certainly triggers something & I am the same way. I can't let it start or it takes me too long to get back on track. At my old job, it was so stressful, I used to keep m&m's on my desk to make me feel better. Of course they didn't really help as I felt horrible & they kept adding to my weight. Dont ever want to go back there now that it is under control. As far as Feast Days, I am just not gonna go there for now. I have to concentrate on losing/maintaining the rest of my weight .

Jan

Today I sort of binged on McDougal legal foods. It felt like feast except that every byte I put in was full of nutrients. While I know eating this much won't necessarily help me lose weight fast, I know that it won't make me gain weight or make me fell off the path tonight or tomorrow. Who knows, maybe I wont be hungry for dinner. I am inspired by so many people here. I want to be like them, successful in losing weight and optimum health The one of the reasons I like this program is because I like abundance. That's why I can't do MAry's mini. Not for me. Maybe look up some McDougall friendly treats and make them on regular basis to make your feasts more McDougall friendly... Just a thought it may work...

I aim for habits to deal with stress that are as beneficial to me as the food I choose to eat. I do like the (unfortunate) habits of sugar and sweets that I've learned when I didn't know any better. So I decided to regularly include some of the foods in acceptable form in this past year. I know it's why I've lost, on average, 5 pounds per month.

I learned to make banana oat muffins and enjoyed that pineapple nectarine pie a LOT! Ok, the two pieces of (acceptable feast) chocolate pie sent my body into a panic attack so I learned too much of a good thing is not helpful. And when I was ready to look at the slower loss more closely I learned about calorie density and MWL and that's where I am happy to be now. I wish we each had someone to call on when we are in need of better guidance but all I have is myself to rely on now, so I have to be here for myself. I waited for others to join me in the last 20 years and I couldn't find enough people to support me. Now I make what I need.

Keep working at it buns; you will succeed if you can figure out how to be there for yourself and never give up. Choose to eat what you really enjoy in an acceptable way and always have plenty of the foods that give you health at hand. Well that seems to have worked for me so far anyway.

Best of health to you!

Okay. So.

Yesterday I got out of the shower and found that I have cellulitis on my leg. Took the day off. Went to the dr. Got an antibiotic. Dozed in front of the TV all day. Went to bed early.

The strange thing is, when I get cellulitis, I normally FEEL it. For one thing, i get pretty sick before. This time: general funky ick feeling for a few days. Another huge symptom is the searing pain of the rash on my leg. This time, I didn't even feel a thing. Didn't know i had it until I was drying off after my shower yesterday. I can feel it today, though. It still is NOTHING like the agony I've had in the past from this stuff.

Thank you, McDougall!

Though I felt drained and tired yesterday, I got good sleep and woke feeling my usual energy and alertness. I really do wish I could afford to take another day off, but I REALLY can't.

I've made good choices for foods. I still have this "hand to mouth" thing going, so I made some garbanzo munchies and nibbled them. Hey, if I'm gonna nibble, I am going to choose healthy.

I hope I can make it through my day today. I'll have to be on my feet for more than an hour...can't find my knee high socks, and I gave my support stockings to Bill's daughter when she was pregnant and she can't find them. That support on my leg really helps, so I might invest in another one. Hope I don't have to buy a pair, cuz they're expensive.

HI Buns I just wanted to pop in to your journal to tell you what an inspiration you are to me. When I look at your chart I see how consistent you have been and that even when you have gone off for a bit you always have come back to things and continued on. I hope this time around I can be as successsful as you.

I am sorry to hear of your losses.
I hope you continue on your journey here and I look forward to more of your posts.

(((Hugs)))

Buns, I love reading about your struggles too. Keep at it, I know I am praying for you and for all of us on the McD path to optimum health.
So I love it that we are all so human, with our ups and downs, if we were all machines, there would be no problems.

Good luck sweetie, and God Bless

Buns, I've been reading back through your journal for the past month. I can identify with your emotional eating as I do the same thing. And the slippery slope. Also, I'd just like to say that I believe it's important to have a steady, daily pattern of eating that is habitual and consistent. No extremes like fasting or binging, just the steady middle. That's what I'm working on currently in my life. Big hugs for you!

Thanks Kitty, Carrollynne, and Birdy

Your words of encouragement mean a lot to me.

I've been doing pretty well this past week. I got pretty sick with cellulitis that knocked me down for a weekend. However, I know that eating this way really did reduce the severity of this outbreak. Usually I'm completely wiped out for a solid week...this time, two days.

Nuts were my "munchy downfall" and I haven't touched any in days. No pistachios, no almonds (though I have them in the house), no cashews, no peanuts. I did make some fat free popcorn the other day (spritzing it with soy sauce REALLY DOES work!) but that's the only munching I've done in the past week (there were the garbanzo treats, but they are MWL) Well, anyway. The scale has gone down two lbs, which is wonderful! I feel like I'm in a balanced place. Like I'm going to be eating sanely on a day-to-day basis without the freaky pendulum swings that I've been putting myself through.

TODAY'S PLAN

B: baked potato and spinach w/creamy cauliflower dressing
L: baba ganoush and veggie stix
D: baked potato bar with creamy cauliflower dressing, steamed broccoli and hot salsa toppings
S: apple? carrots?

Your baked potato bar sounds so de-lish!! I will have to try that.
I bought a mix of neat looking potatoes in a bag, red, white and purple!! all small ones. I just bit into and ate a little purple one, and funny but it doesn't taste different to me at all. but it is great. Just plain. I made up some borscht yesterday.... it was good, but not as good as my mom used to make.... but of course she did put in some leftover meat and then added sour cream to it!!
Have a good day, and keep on the plan!

So glad to hear that you're feeling better, and sounding strong

The creamy cauliflower dressing for the baked potatoes sounds interesting, how do you make it ?

creamy cauliflower dressing/dip/spread

I use this instead of creamy things...sour cream, salad dressing, mayo, etc

1 head cauliflower, broken into florets

mustard
salt
nooch yeast

Boil the cauliflower in water and a TBSP of salt (boiling softens it quicker than steaming it) until soft.
Let it cool some, then put in a food processor with a couple TBSP of good mustard (I really like any stone ground mustard in this) and a TBSP of nooch yeast.
Process until smooth. Refrigerate until cool.

this is really good over hot baked potatoes. I've also used it in open face veggie sams (Rainbow Samwiches). It could be the base for a creamy salad dressing, too. But I like the 321 dressing enough that I've never experimented with that. It's okay as a dip, too.

Yesterday's dinner was good. I didn't want to cook, so I opened a can of black beans, drained and rinsed them. Put them in a bowl with three TBSP or so of Fresh Tomato Dressing (it's a Mary McD recipe that is tangy and spicy and sweet) and I'm planning on just that for lunch today. I also made me some crispy potato skins w/salsa. that was good

Oh. I had baba ganoush and veggie stix for lunch yesterday, and found that the baba was icky. I've made it before without tahini, and it was okay. This time, it was inedible. The texture just wasn't right. So, when I got home I made some tahini and added it. It's high fat, for sure, but I wasn't about to waste two eggplants worth of baba. I would never eat it, if there were no tahini mixed in, so I did that and now I'll be able to eat the baba ganoush. It made all the difference. The texture just was off so badly I could barely gag it down...well, I didn't gag it down. I just ate my veg stix and left the baba sit. But after I added the tahini, it is now quite good.

so, not a low fat day yesterday.

Hmmm, I wonder if that cauliflower dressing would work on potato salad. I think I'll give it a try. I'm trying to make a yummy, creamy, no-fat potato salad. I'm pretty close using Fat Free Nayonaise but I have to order it on-line because they don't sell it in my area and it's more expensive than cauliflower for sure. Thanks for the recipe!

You sound like you're doing great. I need to look up that tomato dressing too. I love summer!

thanks, too, for that recipe!! I will be trying it and soon. and you just reminded me that I had some pureed up cauliflower and zucc spiced with paprika and basil.... that were leftover and added some lemon juice, then promptly forgot it last night.
I hat to waste food too, have a good day!!

Hi Buns,
I'm also going to try the creamy cauliflower recipe. That sounds delicious and I love cauliflower. Glad you are over the cellulitis and feeling better!

HI Buns... what are the amounts on the cauliflower dressing I want to try it too.