Discussion Board

I so forgot. You need one of these to make banana ice-cream, hummus, or homemade salsa.

http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product ... U=17412655

PS>> I am in no way working for these companies or earning money for doing this. These are just the things that have made staying on program easier for me and help with a sort of fast-food preparation.

Let me know if you have any questions!!

I love these posts, Boots. It's a nice roadmap for anyone who wants to be successful just like you!

HI Boots YAY for you.... You are doing soo sooo good.

I am impressed with your restaurant know how. I think eating out is the hardest part of eating whole foods starch based. Doing it at home is actually easier than SAD cooking.

Hi Boots,

Thanks for the info!

I had a great time hearing Dr. Barnard. I just wish he could have spoken longer. I want to hear him go on for hours and hours. He is very entertaining at the same time and is able to keep the audiences attention. It was great to meet other Mcdougallers and know that we are not alone in this journey!! We are never alone!! Such great people too!!

Whelp, I'm tired, it's been a long day. My hubby made dinner of mary's rich brown gravy, mary's mash potatoes, garlic bread, and baked tofu.

It was all wonderful!!!


Baked Tofu
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Marinating Time: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 25-30 minutes
-20 ounces extra firm tofu
¼ cup soy sauce
,1/8 cup rice vinegar,
1 teaspoon agave nectar
-Drain tofu and cut into ¼ inch thick slices. Place in a large flat baking dish. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the tofu slices. Allow to marinate for at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour. (Or place in the refrigerator and marinate overnight.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Remove from marinade and place on a non-stick baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, turning once halfway through the baking time. It should be brown and crispy on the outside. Remove from oven and cool. Slice into strips or cubes for use in recipes calling for baked tofu.
Hints: Use as much as is needed in the recipe above, save the remainder in a covered container in the refrigerator and use within a few days. Or freeze for later use. This tastes much better (and is less expensive and healthier) than the baked tofu found in packages in many markets and natural food stores. Other seasonings may be added as desired, such as garlic, ginger, balsamic vinegar, or rosemary, to change the flavor of the tofu. It’s also delicious just marinated in plain soy sauce. The marinade may be saved in a covered jar in the refrigerator a couple of weeks for later use. The tofu may also be cubed before baking with slightly crispier results.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Preparation Time:  10 minutes
Cooking Time:  20 minutes
Servings:  makes 2 cups
-4 large Yukon Gold potatoes
,2 cloves garlic
,¼ cup unsweetened soy milk,
Several twists freshly ground white pepper,
Dash sea salt
-Peel potatoes and chop into chunks.  Place in a stainless pan with water to cover.  Add 2 whole cloves of peeled garlic.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 15 minutes until potatoes are tender.  Drain.  Mash in pan using electric beaters or use a hand masher, adding the remaining ingredients as necessary to get a smooth consistency and delicious flavor. 

ROASTED GARLIC BREAD
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Roasting Time: 45 minutes
1 baguette, sliced on the diagonal
,1 head garlic,
4 tablespoons vegetable broth,
salt to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut top of garlic head off and drizzle 2 tablespoons of broth over the top. Wrap in parchment paper, then wrap in foil and place in oven for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Place bread in oven on a baking sheet and bake until light brown.  Watch carefully.   Squeeze out garlic from cloves, add remaining broth and salt, and mix until smooth. Spread on toasted bread.

RICH BROWN GRAVY
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Servings: makes 6 cups
1/4 cup water,
1 onion, chopped 
1 cup whole wheat flour, 
5 1/2 cups water, 
1/2 cup soy sauce, 
fresh ground pepper to taste
Place the 1/4 cup water and the onion in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and mix in well. Continue to cook for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly. (This will toast the flour and give it a rich flavor.) The flour and onions will clump together. Add the remaining water and soy sauce. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Blend in batches in a blender jar until smooth. Place in a clean pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until gravy thickens, about 10-15 minutes. Season with fresh ground pepper to taste.

You got to see Dr. Neal Barnard? So cool! Those recipes sound yummy, expecially the garlic gread, I absolutely love it but have no idea how make it fat-free.

I recently saw "Forks over knives", and seeing Dr. Campbell and Dr.Esselstyn, in their 70s mind you, jogging and riding bikes, that gives you big hope for this WOE. I am 100% on board now. Especially after last night when I got to eat my fill of pepper squash curry and potato-rutabaga puree and not feel guilty about it.

When I'm 90 I want to still be jogging.

Baked garlic is one of our favorites. No need to worry about the fat already in the garlic. No need to add any, either. Roasted garlic on bread is heaven!
f1jim

Thank you so much for posting the recipe for the roasted garlic bread. It sounds so good!

A man who will cook for his wife is to be cherished.

A man who will cook a McDougall meal for his wife is worth his weight in gold.

I was reading Marla's post the other day and it did get me to thinking. I'm one of those people that has to follow MWL to lose weight. This has been a struggle for me. I also get a bit jealous when my husband can follow the regular Mcdougall plan and still has to worry about losing weight. I need to get on MWL to lose the rest of this weight, I've never even been a person who can lose weight on the regular Mcdougall program. I lost my first 85 pounds on MWL. It has to be MWL for me and the last year I've been maintaining and gained around 10-15 pounds following Mcdougall diet 90% of the time.

It's just how my body processes food. I've been struggling with not wanting to give that up as I have/had a mentality that I already gave a lot up but I know that if I want to get to true health I need to follow MWL and it really is not that bad. She is right, I enjoy most the foods on MWL. They are really good and I don't miss much. I need to get back to it. I don't want to be talking about the same thing next summer saying how I need to get the last few pounds off. Silly girl!! It shouldn't be about jealousy and what I can't eat. It has to be about my health and knowing that I will be healthier at a smaller weight.

My husband made this tea yesterday and it was so divine, I want more right now!! We drank it right up

Dairy Free Chai Tea
Recipe by Stephanie Roston, R.D.

Yields about 4 cups

2 cinnamon sticks
6 cloves
4 black peppercorns
1 tsp. whole coriander seed
4 green cardamom pods, smashed
2 star anise (can substitute 1 tsp. fennel seed)
2 bay leaves
5 cups low fat milk alternative (such as soymilk, almond milk, hazelnut milk)
1” piece ginger, sliced
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
4 tsp. strong loose leaf black tea (such as Darjeeling)
4 tsp. sugar (optional) (can use brown sugar, agave nectar, maple syrup, etc)

Heat a small saucepan on medium heat and add cinnamon sticks through bay leaves. Toast spices until fragrant, being careful not to burn (should take about 2 minutes). Add milk alternative, ginger, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered for about 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to infuse. Next, add the tea and turn off the heat. Cover and steep for an additional 3-5 minutes, or longer, depending on desired strength. Strain and add sugar if using. Serve hot or allow chai to cool slightly and pour over ice.

Allow leftover tea to cool to room temperature and place in refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Hi Boots,

I have full confidence in you that you can do this. I think that it is a very good goal to not be regretting the same thing next year-I am with you there. I think by this time next year we both do not regret eating too much off-plan. I'd say 95% on-plan is good!

You have already proven to us that you can indeed follow on-plan, I know you can finish this!

Hello out there! Here we are continuing on our journey today. Sometimes we just have to take it 1 day or 1 hour at a time, you know what I mean .

I was going to do a Mary’s mini but then I decided I was crazy since I haven’t even been doing MWL. I’ve been following the regular Mcdougall plan for the past month and having such things such as avocados, tofu, and bread. These things are all good but they do not help with my weight loss. Yesterday, I decided to commit back to MWL. I was very ravenous yesterday. I didn’t feel like I could keep me full. I just felt a constant hunger so I kept feeding myself. I know my body will adjust soon. It just have to have time.

I also started morning workouts again yesterday. BAM!! Look ey there. I hit myself with 2 things at once. I always work out but I decided that I feel better overall when I exercise in the morning. I can’t really explain it but it helps put me in a better mood. It takes a while for my body to adjust to getting up early and that is the hard part. I already want to give in and go back to sleep right now! I don’t want to go on any longer but I will because my mood is improved. I’m just tired. Does one outweigh the other? Would you rather have a nasty mood and be awake, LOL. No, I want to be pleasant around others.

I know my theory is true about morning exercise because I’ve done it before. Its just that old habits do not die hard, so I will do it for a couple of months and then go back to sleeping in. 30 minutes means the world!!! I will fight it this time and prove myself wrong. I will do this...!!!!!!!!!!

Today is day 2 of morning working out and MWL. I had oatmeal for breakfast. I exercised for 25 minutes. I’m tired but life will go on.

On today’s menu:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with fruit, cinnamon, brown sugar topping
Lunch: sweet potatoes, white potatoes, mixed with greens and potatoes with indian spices
Dinner: Same as lunch
Snack1 throughout the day: Left over oatmeal from breakfast
Snack 2: banana ice-cream

Exercise Total: Will be 1 hour for today

Have a good one 

Hey Boots!

I love this renewed determination to improve your diet and attain your goals. We can do this!

Morning exercise has the same effect on me. Helps my mood, and sets me up to eat well all day. I think it even curbs my appetite (well, aerobic exercise does....weight training makes me hungry).

MWL has such an abundance of good food on it. I am starting to understand why the people who do strict MWL say that they really love their potatoes, rice, and veggies. I am starting to feel the same.

What does Jeff N always say? Time and adherence? That's my mantra right now. If I can do it for long enough without compromising, it will get easier and easier. I will manage my environment and social commitments so that I am less tempted to eat richer foods; I will remind myself daily of my reasons for needing to be compliant; and I will remember that every time I give myself my permission to eat something I shouldn't, I am just making it harder to say no the next time. I don't want it to be harder! I want it to be effortless. I am sure we will both get to that place.

Boots, you rock.

After I beat this cold, I will start going back to the gym too. I have made too many excuses. I find that if I go to the gym while I have a cold, I can't.

I agree 100% that if you stick to healthy eating you lose the taste for the unhealthy stuff. For instance, a little while I go, I ate some popcorn. I did not put much margarine on it but I found after a couple of handfuls, this was just fat and salt. Gross. I threw the rest out. Popcorn is usually my favourite thing to eat, and in most cases I would have just eaten the rest.

Great to catch up a bit on your journal, Boots! Glad to see you're doing so well. Congrats on fighting the urge to go back to sleep! You Rock!

Good morning

I pounded out 3 miles in 45 minutes of exercise this morning. I was up at 5am. Today seems easy. I’m not sure why but it does. I am now down 8 pounds for the month since I started my 100% commitment back to Mcdougall, without the added oils (I’m always was vegan though). This is a good pace for me. I’ve been MWL for 4 days now and I’m feeling stronger. Food is making me fuller sooner. This is a good feeling and a good place to be. I actually getting to the point where I crave food like a bowl of oatmeal with fruit in the morning, or some steamed potatoes and squash, which is what I had for dinner. It does get easier with time and adherence. We can’t preach that enough around here. That is what it is all about and never let that junk food in your house. Get rid of the excuses. Don’t let excuses rule your life because they will. It was nice to be up before the sun came up and to be awake before the rest of the world. Now I am into my day and I wish you all a good day.

Exercise: 45 minutes of jogging at a 14 minute mile pace
Breakfast: Oatmeal with fruits
Lunch: Steamed veggies with steamed potatoes
Snack: Fruit
Dinner: Probably steamed veggies and potatoes
Snack: TBD