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Later that same day - after SAD Thanksgiving Dinner

OK, I ate a very foodie thanksgiving dinner - recipes from various chef's from the Food Channel, others from magazines Bon Appetite or even older favorites from Gourmet, a few family favorites that are named for Great Aunts mostly things like creamed onions and various pies.

Surprisingly, I didn't enjoy this meal as I thought I would - in the terms of this is the type of food I have been depriving myself of or craving, as I have thought in the past, when I have been on diets and allowed myself the Thanksgiving meal.

This time I had a completely different observation of my association with this food: though it was well prepared and nicely presented and certainly made with love, it actually didn't taste good to me. And I know why - I have completely new taste buds!

What tasted REALLY GOOD was the sweet potato soup I made last night - it was fabulous and MWL. You could taste every component, the sweet potato, the carrots, the sweet basil and it wasn't burdened with the taste of oil. I am now actually bothered by the taste of fat -- to me it just completely drowns the actual taste of food. I believe this is why what was delicious to me last year is just not actually tasty to me now!

It's not to say that I didn't appreciate the SAD food; I surely did, immensely, but more in the vein of the effort and skills required to make such a beautiful dinner.

So, I am home now and glad to find that I have enough sweet potatoes left to make more sweet potato soup tomorrow - and I'll be just fine with that and not feeling the least bit deprived that I don't have Turkey Day leftovers in my fridge.

Frankly, I find this rather shocking, but I am also very happy about it too. I am also a little surprised that I am excited that I will take an hour long walk to help eliminate some of the fat I obtained tonight. It's cold,foggy and drippy here now, much colder than usual and yet, I know I can't wait to get up early and get out there.

It occurs to me that I am really thankful for some very simple pleasures and that makes me feel quite satisfied in a very new sort of way

So......I have heard about the MCDougall's Revenge (MR) -and after eating the SAD TG dinner yesterday I kind of anticipated there would be painful remorse. Oddly, I got through the day and night without experiencing MR. I still expected to wake up not feeling at all well: I prior to McDougall and trying vegan - I had some divergences that caused, nausea, headache, stomach and gut pain - never a full blown MR though. Yet, with all the oils and butter in the TG I was pretty amazed that I really only had some gut discomfort this morning.

Given that I felt well, I was up and out the door for my Penance March at 7 AM. It was a beautiful and almost solemn morning - except for the birds, the two collies that usually greet me and just one passing car, I saw no one on my route. My pace was good and I was chipper as can be -- I am a birder and I found two really exceptional Woodpecker Trees with Downy Woodpeckers working those acorns in droves, must have counted 12 or so of them.

BUT THEN, when I least expected it and 1/2 hour away from anywhere the stomach and gut started that tell tale churning. I dare say I completed my walk in record time for someone as out of practice as I am -- and I must say I had some kind of angel intervention when I picked a parking place right next to a public rest room -- that was TG open! More to be thankful for even the day AFTER Thanksgiving.

MR is real and it will hit when you least expect it -- avoid at all costs eating significant oils -- otherwise you will pay

Hey blondie; Boy, I'm with you in the pain - I ate lunch and crashed for a 4 hour nap and woke up in just complete pain head to toe -- fibro with a vengeance and tummy problems too. I kind of thought the MR was going to be the full extent, but oh no, not so fast. Going through all the foods I ate I think the tidge of stuffing may have been the most lethal, all the gluten in the bread. Next year, if I go anywhere - it's going to be with my own food -- I better start by planning now, just in case there is a Christmas invite!!!!! I hope the good food we are doing today pushes out all the bad, and FAST. Take care

Down 1.0 lb from hour long walk

Still up a pound from TG SAD

Will walk 30 mins today, I don't think I have another hour in me! Still hurting from the SAD food, but not as bad this morning as yesterday afternoon and night, which was TERRIBLE

I hope I don't go into next week with the extra weight though, so I will walk daily and religiously

Later That Same Day

Oh boy, out the door at 7AM; spent sunrise with the birds and even think I saw a rare bird, for this area, a White Headed Woodpecker! Not only that, I found a great new trail and was so happy to be hiking --- I ended up walking over an hour! I am a McDougaller for life, no ifs ands or buts - this is like a miracle for me!!!!!!

Happy, Happy, Happy

The SAD TG weight is gone as of this AM -- now to start loosing with no blips along the way

The SAD TG pain thing is gone too, as of today, but the weight is stable at 213. I guess 213 is my new 218. the body does not like to budge from this number too much.

Got a new cookbook this week -- and I also see there is a thread for it too, "Vegan Slow Cooker" by the woman who also wrote "Gluten Free Vegan for Dumbies". I guess that one will be my Christmas present to self, if I like this cookbook. Seems like others have per the thread and the recipes I have looked at at MWL compliant. Some even are very, very similar to newsletter recipes!

I'll put on kale and white bean stew tonight before bedtime and just see how it goes

Try measuring I've noticed that a lot of times when I hit the plateau's that I'm still losing inches somewhere on my body.

Sound like good books and your kale and white bean stew sounds yummy too.

Hi Rosey:

Great minds think alike )) I ripped through a junk drawer for 45 minutes yesterday to find the only accurate measuring tape I own. I will try measuring myself tomorrow AM.

I was in a nationally known diet program; that has such terribly bad for you food that I won't mention their name -- but nice counselors. Anyway, what I learned from them is if you measure yourself - your not likely to get accurate measurements - a tailor will tell you that too. But it's good enough for ballpark I guess and I know the inches are coming off because my clothes say so!

oh, the revenge of the nerds is what I call, al my tummy troubles when I eat off plan.
Your hiking and bird watching sounds so nice!
I am not tempted by the muscle flesh at all, way to greasy, but oh those sweets are always calling my name. and I do pay for them big time!
keep at it. keep on keeping on too!

Nov. 26, 2011 Day after SAD Thanksgiving ---- 214.5
Dec. 2, 2011 A Week of Eating Out Later -----212.0

I am now 1 pound below pre SAD TG

Lots of eating out to this week, 4 lunches. Tried to order compliant, but menu descriptions and final product were not, shall we say -- equivalent. So it's a huge and happy surprise that I lost weight and am below the pre SAD TG weight!

Tried to get friends to go to Chinese restaurants for our outting to San Fransisco. There is not a block in SF that doesn't have a good Chinese place - unfortunately, Dim Sum was not what I meant as Chinese and even though I ordered all veg & rice -- shrimp ended up in my plates and everything was swimming in oil!

At the end of the week, out Christmas shopping, I got to try a "Loving Hut" near me. I found it has two pretty close to McD entrees, that didn't set me back on the scale, but a little precious price-wise for lunch. $12.50 for entree and tea! Next time just soup and salad

Despite how hectic the week was I got in almost 6 hours of walking or swimming, not to mention the hiking through museums and out and about looking for gifts.

So to say I am happy with this weeks weight loss would be a supreme understatement -- I am THRILLED -- FiNALLY!


My Weight Chart:
>

I have finally lost 10 pounds on McDougall!

This makes 20 pounds lost as a vegan

Congratulations Michelle!

Bummer:

Last weigh in Dec. 2, 2011 212
This week Dec. 9, 2011 213.5

I attribute this not to going off program, I WAS GOOD. But no sleep 2 nights and only one day of exercise! It has been too busy to get the exercise in and if I don't sleep I can't even drag myself out of the house -- let alone to swimming or off for a walk. Not discouraged though, I am sticking to the program and with a god night's sleep behind me last night I weighed in the AM 1.....5 pounds lighter than the day before when I didn't get any sleep.

Seriously, it REALLY is about sleep for me!

My Weight Chart:
>

I flat out didn't weigh this morning as I was prodded awake by both cats early, early this AM and couldnt get back to sleep after. this would be like the 4th day in a row that I had less than 4 hours of sleep. Arggh!

A friend of mine who emails daily is complaining of the same issue and says that he thinks the eclipse and the full moon has something to do with it. I know he is just cajoling me -- but it sounds like agood story. so I'll weigh tomorrow regardless and hope for the best.

I also have to admit that though I have been on program --I haven't been at all good about logging my daily food for the Excursion. I really haven't been home enough to get on the computer. I was at the library the other day and got on the computer there to try to catch up some --didn't but it was a cool reason I didn't get to. A friend came in and sat down next to me and I got to show her around the McD site. She has only 20 lbs to loose but she thinks she'll McD MWL after the Holidays. Cool huh!!!