What I'm Eating - MWL

[Qwerty988]

Starting weekly weight: 167.0
Ending weekly weight: 166.8
Loss/Gain: -0.2


Friday 4/21/17:

B: oat groats w banana & spinach
L: salad, broccoli & sweet potato
D: veg soup, broccoli & sweet potato
S: apple, potato

Exercise: 45 mins walking

Saturday 4/22/17:

B: steel-cut oats w banana & spinach
L: salad, broccoli & sweet potato
D: bean soup, potato waffle, sweet potato
S:

Exercise: 30 mins walk

It's been a busy week playing host/nurse to my friend who's had oral surgery. Luckily he's had dietary restrictions due to the procedure so it's been easier for me to stick to the MWL plan for this visit. I haven't felt really comfortable exercising in the house, but have been going on walks/hikes/dogwalks that have left me suitably sore.

I've been able to maintain my big loss from last week even though I feel like I've been eating a lot of food every day. I did have one scary thing happen -- I almost fainted. I didn't lose consciousness but I came very close. This was on surgery day and I think I just waited too long between breakfast and lunch. Won't do that again.

Otherwise, all goes smoothly. I'm sticking with no-salt. So far, the food still tastes pretty bland -- but I'm hoping if I stick with this another week or so my taste buds will adjust and food will start tasting good again.

[Qwerty988]

Sunday 4/23/17:

B: apple, steel-cut oats w banana & spinach
L: big salad w roasted squash, potato waffles
D: bean soup, banana nice cream (2 bananas + 2 Tbs cacao powder)
S:

Exercise: none today

Made some navy bean soup yesterday which was pretty bland without salt. Today I'm going to bake a few butternut squashes along with my usual sweet potatoes. One thing for sure: dropping the salt really cuts the desire to eat unless I'm physically hungry. This is a big goal so I'll take all the help I can get.

I've fixed on a salad dressing I really like -- blending up a drained can of great northern beans along with water, dates, salt-free mustard and nutritional yeast. It's pretty good!

[Qwerty988]

Monday 4/24/17:

B: steel-cut oats w banana & spinach
L: big salad w mango, potato waffles
D: mashed potatoes w gravy & corn, broccoli w lemon juice
S:

Exercise: none

Tuesday 4/25/17:

B: steel-cut oats w banana
L: sweet potatoes & broccoli w lemon juice & nutritional yeast
D: veggie chili w rice
S: potato waffle

Exercise: gardening

Okay, mashed potatoes & gravy still taste terrible without salt. If I stay no-salt permanently, I'm going to have to consider some lower sodium options (using a little miso or low-sodium soy sauce) because that gravy was just awful. I know it hasn't been enough time for my taste buds to fully adjust.... but uggghhh!

Started on a self-pity spiral because of being genuinely hungry and not able to eat what would've been a delicious bowl of mashed potatoes if it had salt.... then shifted into ravenous-and-desperately-wanting-to-eat-anything mode.... and luckily had some cold baked sweet potatoes in the fridge. Chowed down on two of them like an animal, just standing there at the open fridge. Then was able to prepare some steamed broccoli and heat up a few more sweet potatoes (they're small!) and have them on a plate with knife, fork and seasonings like a human being.

During my self-pity spiral I also decided this MWL thing just wasn't going to work for me because I'm too old. It's been almost 3-1/2 months and I'm still fat and can't wear my jeans and the weight loss has slowed to the point of being ridiculous. So I decided to add up my numbers and see how it's been going, month by month:

1/12 - 2/10: -8.2 pounds
2/10 - 3/17: -3.0 pounds
3/17 - 4/16: -5.0 pounds
4/16 - 4/25: -0.6 pounds

So, yeah, I'm feeling pretty stupid at the moment as I consider that to be an impressive return on what is frankly a pretty effortless way of eating. Just as importantly, I'm taking good care of my health and doing everything I can to avoid future problems.

So, that was my morning.

[Qwerty988]

Wednesday 4/26/17:

B: steel-cut oats w banana
L: big salad, veggie chili w rice
D: veggie chili w rice
S:

Exercise: 25 mins NordicTrack

Thursday 4/27/17:

B: sweet potato & broccoli
L: carrots, veg soup, potato waffles
D: veg soup, sweet potatoes
S:

Exercise: more garden clean-up!

[Qwerty988]

Starting weekly weight: 166.8
Ending weekly weight: 166
Loss/Gain: -0.8


Friday 4/28/17:

B: steel-cut oats w mango
L: broccoli & sweet potatoes
D: veg soup, salad, roasted potatoes & veggies
S: veg soup, sweet potato

Exercise: 23 mins NordicTrack, 20 mins Weights

Saturday 4/29/17:

B: steel-cut oats w banana & spinach
L: big salad w rice
D: veg soup, potato waffles
S: cold sweet potatoes

Exercise: none today

[Qwerty988]

Sunday 4/30/17:

B: oat groats w banana & spinach
L: big salad w rice, sweet potato
D: broccoli & sweet potato
S: potato waffles

Exercise: 22 mins NordicTrack

Today I added a garlic clove to my regular salad dressing (white beans + dates + lemon juice + nutritional yeast + salt-free mustard) and it was sooooooo good! I think either my palate might be adjusting and picking up more flavors.... or I'm just so desperate for any flavor at all that I go crazy over the tiniest bit of it

It's been a rough month overall. The weight loss is slowing again but I took measurements this morning and saw I'm down another inch on my hips. That makes 3 inches off both my hips and waist since starting in January. Not bad! I'm pretty much clinging to every sign of progress to convince myself it's worth it to live without salt.... but my heart's not really in it anymore. No worries -- it was a good run.

[Qwerty988]

Monday 5/1/17:

B: rolled oats w banana & spinach
L: corn on the cob, big salad w rice
D: chili w rice
S:

Exercise: none today

Caved today and made High Carb Hannah's Enchilada Chili, which has a few higher sodium ingredients (diced chilis and enchilada sauce). I didn't add salt to it, but did use some tabasco for heat (which has salt). The chili didn't taste salty to me, which makes me think my palate didn't have time to fully adjust to no-salt eating. I was expecting it to taste overwhelmingly salty!

Anyhow, unless I suddenly have a huge reaction -- like wanting to eat constantly or suddenly gaining a few pounds -- I'm just going to continue to eat low salt, not no-salt. My son's been a good sport about cooking his own meals during this experiment, but it's much simpler just to cook foods we can both eat.

Also had first corn of the season -- and yum! It was great, just lightly steamed with nothing on it. This will definitely be a staple for us both in the coming months.

Tuesday 5/2/17:

B: steel-cut oats w banana & spinach
L: big salad w beans & corn, potato waffles
D: chili w rice
S: chocolate nice cream (2 bananas + 2 Tbs cacao + 1 Tb peanut powder) YUM

Exercise: NordicTrack 23 mins

[Jeff the Chef]

Looks great! Like you I don't like measuring portions. I'll use the portions Jeff Novick gives in MWL 50% starch/50% fruits and vegetables.

[Qwerty988]

Looks great! Like you I don't like measuring portions. I'll use the portions Jeff Novick gives in MWL 50% starch/50% fruits and vegetables.

Hi -- thanks so much for posting!!

And yeah, I totally agree on the measuring. It's so oppressive! The big shocker for me has been how satiating non-starchy veggies are when they make up half the meal. I always discounted them as being mostly water or too low-calorie to have much impact. Was I ever wrong! It's really been a game-changer.

[Qwerty988]

Wednesday 5/3/17:

B: oat groats w banana & spinach
L: veggie curry w rice
D: chili w rice
S:

Exercise: 23 mins NordicTrack, 20 mins Weights

[Jeff the Chef]

Looks great! Like you I don't like measuring portions. I'll use the portions Jeff Novick gives in MWL 50% starch/50% fruits and vegetables.

Hi -- thanks so much for posting!!

And yeah, I totally agree on the measuring. It's so oppressive! The big shocker for me has been how satiating non-starchy veggies are when they make up half the meal. I always discounted them as being mostly water or too low-calorie to have much impact. Was I ever wrong! It's really been a game-changer.

Yeah, they are satiating. I love my starches, fruits, and fats. I have to make the effort to eat nonstarchy vegetables, but enjoy them when I do eat them.

I've just got TickerFactory. How do you post the image and not the link?

[Qwerty988]

I've just got TickerFactory. How do you post the image and not the link?

When editing your signature, use the Img button (for image) and then add the TickerFactory Url. You want Img showing on either side of the Url, in brackets. Does that make sense?

[Jeff the Chef]

I've just got TickerFactory. How do you post the image and not the link?

When editing your signature, use the Img button (for image) and then add the TickerFactory Url. You want Img showing on either side of the Url, in brackets. Does that make sense?

Yep. Thanks a lot!

[Qwerty988]

Thursday 5/4/17:

B: oat groats w banana & spinach
L: big salad, corn on the cob
D: veggie curry w rice
S:

Exercise: None today.

Woooo-hoooo -- checked the scale, down almost a pound this morning!

I credit the no-salt experiment for crushing any enthusiasm I once had for food or eating.

No, I still love food and eating. But I do notice I'm eating less.

[Jeff the Chef]

Thursday 5/4/17:

B: oat groats w banana & spinach
L:
D:
S:

Exercise:

Woooo-hoooo -- checked the scale, down almost a pound this morning!

I credit the no-salt experiment for crushing any enthusiasm I once had for food or eating.

No, I still love food and eating. But I do notice I'm eating less.

Great! I updated my TicketFactory. It turns out I was 83.6 kg when I became plant based, but not lowfat vegan, in May 2014. And I've revised my goal from 69, barely not overweight, to 67, my college weight. However, as you can see, I can't display my new TicketFactory. Any suggestions?