What I'm Eating - MWL

[Qwerty988]

Monday 9/25/17:

B: oven fries & salad w flax
L: leftover mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies
D:
S:

Exercise: None

Yeah, grateful to be sleeping better, but until I get these daytime hot flashes back under control, all bets are off with the gym!! Just keeping up with regular work and staying on point with food is challenging enough.

Tuesday 9/26/17:

B: oven fries & salad w flax
L: potato cake w applesauce
D: mashed potato
S:

Exercise: Don't even.

Wednesday 9/27/17:

B: mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies
L: hannah sweet potato & green salad
D: leftover mashed & stir-fry veg
S:

Exercise:

So tired I can barely type this. Taking stronger supplements and hoping for resolution soon.

Thursday 9/28/17:

B: potato cake & green salad
L: oven fries
D:
S: sweet potato

Exercise:

Clearly my energy is being hijacked by something I can only partly control. Last night I slept on and off for 12 hours and feel more human today. I'll see if I'm up for a spin class or a hike!

Friday 9/29/17:

B: oven fries & green salad w flax
L: mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies
D:
S: Hannah sweet potato

Exercise: spin class, woo hoo!

I give up! No, more like: I surrender. I'm doing everything I can to get through this and improve. I'm sleeping incrementally better each night. I'm loading up on the proper remedies and getting these flashes under control. Now I'm facing another big work deadline this weekend and.... I'm relaxing into it. I'm not guilt-tripping myself because I probably won't get to the gym or do anything but work the next 3 days. I'll try, but meeting my deadline, eating right and restoring balance so these flashes stop is enough right now.

[Qwerty988]

Saturday 9/30/17:

B: leftover mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies
L: salad w sweet potato & flax
D:
S: the last of the mashed

Exercise:

Slept MUCH better, woo hoooo! Hopefully the worst of this crisis has passed.

Exercise will be a wash this weekend and through till Tuesday, but I'm determined to make spin classes Wed and Fri.

Sunday 10/1/17:

B: oven fries
L: potato waffle & miso-veg soup
D: mashed potato & stir-fry veggies
S:

Exercise:

That soup was terrible! I just threw it together without most of my usual ingredients and really blew it. So, I was busy working and hungry most of the day, which was not fun. Finally made myself a decent meal of mashed & veggies for dinner and IT WAS SO GOOD! The taste, as usual, was *just okay*... just good enough to eat.... but it FELT SO GOOD to be really full of veggies and starch. Physically, it just felt great. My body is really loving this regimen.

Monday 10/2/17:

B: oven fries
L:
D: mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies
S:

Exercise:

Tuesday 10/3/2017:

B: oven fries & green salad
L: sweet potato
D:
S: sweet potato

Exercise:

Wednesday 10/4/2017

B: sweet potato & green salad w flax
L: oven fries (spicy ones today!)
D: mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies
S:

Exercise:

Okay, spent yesterday wiped out after making my work deadline. Today I'm feeling better, but still tired. Not great sleep.

It's okay. Just trying to be kind to myself and to stay on point food-wise.


Thursday 10/5/2017

B: sweet potato & green salad w flax
L: oven fries & leftover stir-fry veggies
D: mashed potatoes & stir-fry veg
S:

Exercise:

Feeling worried about weighing in tomorrow. I don't know how I can lose any weight when my sleep's been so messed up! On the other hand, this isn't a race. I've given myself a year to lose 30 lbs and another year to lose the last 20-odd. The goal here is to be healthy and build up some musle.

Not worried about losing more so much as not gaining anything back. Oh wwell, guess I'll find out tomorrow.

Friday 10/6/17:

B: Mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies.
L: green salad w flax & oven fries
D: leftover mashed & stir-fry
S:

Exercise:

Hahahaha -- for all my nerves, I'll have to wait until tomorrow to weigh in! I was up late working last night and hit the ground running this morning -- totally forgot to get on that scale and had breakfast already.

Not expecting any great loss, that's for sure. Bad sleep, no exercise, soymilk and sweetener in coffees to nurse myself through these work deadlines.... yow! If I can just hold steady foodwise, I should be okay. And this is the busy part of my month, I'll have a lot more free time for workouts etc. after this weekend rush.

[Qwerty988]

Saturday 10/7/17:

B: potato-veggie stew
L: potato-veggie stew
D: oven fries
S:

Exercise:

So got on the scale first thing, and I'm down 0.8 pounds! Can't even believe it, given my lack of exercise and messed up sleep, etc.

Just so, so grateful to be on this path.

So I don't forget, here's what I put in this totally filling and delish stew:

28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 big zucchini
2-4 mushrooms
a few handfulls kale
1/2 bag frozen veggies
a cup or 2 veggie broth
garlic clove
6-8 microwaved golden potatoes
.... all chopped and simmered with these seasonings: nutritional yeast, soy sauce, italian seasoning, garlic powder

[Qwerty988]

Sunday 10/8/17:

B: green salad w flax, potato cake w applesauce
L: mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies
D:
S:

Exercise:

[Qwerty988]

10/10/17 Tuesday:

Gah!! Too busy with work, I lost track of my meals! Oh well. Here's what I had today:

B: green salad w flax, potato waffles
L: mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies
D: leftover mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies
S:

Exercise:

10/11/17 Wednesday

B: mashed potatoes & stir-fry
L: ditto
D: ditto
S:

Exericse:

Basically for the rest of this week I'm focusing on housework, skipping the gym entirely, and eating a simple streamlined diet of mashed potatoes with sitr-fry veggies and salads. That's really what I need to do and super simple feels like it might work for now.
I'm basically hanging on by a thread with these hot flashes waking me up all night. But I'm lucky to have found this basic meal to see me through -- that's filling, tastes good enough to enjoy, but not so good that I'd overeat.

Thursday:

B: mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies (x2!)
L: green salad w flax
D: mashed potatoes & veggie stew
S:

Exercise:

Okay, turns out it takes A LOT of mashed potatoes & veggies to fill me up! Especially when trying to maintain a 50-50 ratio. This is not a good strategy long-term. I've been having cravings for all kinds of seasonal sweets and alcohol the past few days, very unusual and really strong. Yesterday I was craving fast food! So, I've got to figure out how to navigate this time of crazy hormones/bad sleep and a bit of life stress into the mix.... after this weekend, I should be fine to get back to the gym on a regular basis and I'll figure out my new food plan then.

Friday the 13th!

B: mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies
L: more mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies.
D:
S:

Exercise:

Crazy sleep.

[Qwerty988]

Saturday 10/14/17:

B: green salad w flax; steel-cut oats w blueberries
L: veggie stew w potatoes
D: more veggie stew w/ potatoes
S:

Exercise:

Okay, I'm ready to change things up again.

I'm expanding to start bringing in other starches, but trying to keep to the 50% veggies rule. We'll see how it goes!

Sunday 10/15/17:

B: steel-cut oats w flax & green salad
L: brown rice & veggie-potato stew (2x, I was famished!)
D:
S:

Exercise:

Monday 10/16/17:

B: steel-cut oats w banana, blueberries, flax & spinach
L: veggie stew w potatoes & rice
D: veggie stew w potatoes & rice
S:

Exercise:

[Qwerty988]

Uh-oh! Falling behind, let me reconstruct!

Tuesday 10/17/17:

B: steel-cut oats w banana, blueberries, spinach & flax
L: veggie stew w potatoes & rice
D: falafel wrap w veggies
S:

Exercise:

Wednesday 10/18/17:

B: steel-cut oats w banana, blueberies, spinach & flax
L:
D:
S:

Exercise:

Thursday 10/18/17:

B: green salad; steel-cut oats w chopped apple & flax
L: mashed potatoes w stir-fry veggies
D: bean chili w rice
S:

Exercise: A big hike

Friday 10/20/17:

B: steel-cut oats w banana, blueberies, spinach & flax
L: green salad; bean chili w rice; grapes
D: potato & bean chili
S: more grapes

Exercise: big hike

Yow -- I've been falling behind on posting, but I'm determined to keep it up until I reach my goal!

This week has been busy and social and there have been cheats: wine, movie theater popcorn and a falafel wrap that wasn't prepared McDougall-style. I'm not beating myself up. This is for the long-haul! My main job is to continue on day by day and try to get more exercise in. Onward and downward!

[Qwerty988]

Saturday 10/21/17:

B: steel-cut oats w banana, blueberries, spinach & flax
L:
D:
S:

Exercise: Big Hike

Saturday, weigh-in day, and I'm up 0.8 pounds! Oh well, not shocking as I've let myself have a few cheats recently as I have company staying with me. I'm trying to offset this with more exercise, but I'll have to reign it in. Also, ending potatoes-only for starch is having an effect, too. This food is just too delicious! It's too easy to overeat rice and beans without keeping to 50% veggies on a plate.

I'm going to make up a bunch of mashed potatoes today and try to have veggie stir-fry with them.

Sunday 10/22/17:

Grrrr.... okay, I keep getting too distracted with company and activities, which leads to not journalling and little cheats keep chipping away at my resolve.

TODAY I RECOMMIT to journalling and staying strictly on plan. I've come too far to start gaining back this weight! My old size 12 jeans are very lose and I'm almost back into size 10s. Plus, last night I had a nightmare that I had my bloodwork done and got the results that I was testing positive for Type 2 diabetes.

So, yeah, my body's telling me that a little soymilk & sugar in my morning coffee and a glass of wine or two is *NOT* what it wants to be doing right now.

For me, staying with a very limited menu of potatoes & veggies really works. The problem is, cooking for others and getting pulled into the pleasure trap... I'm going to take steps today to pull myself out of this.

B: steel-cut oats w banana, blueberries, spinach & flax
L: green salad; spinach & tomato dal w rice
D: mashed potatoes w stir-fry veggies
S:

Exercise: walk

[Qwerty988]

Monday 10/23/17:

B: steel-cut oats w banana, blueberries, spinach & flax
L: mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies
D: dal w rice
S:

Exercise: Big Hike

Mashed potatoes for the win!

Tuesday 10/24/17:

B: green salad; steel-cut oats w banana, blueberries, spinach & flax
L: mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies
D: more mashed & stir-fry
S:

Exercise:

I am CLOSER to being back on plan.... but not 100% there yet! I still have my company, and although I ate well and hiked during the day, at night I succumbed to wine again and some chips. Grrrrrrrr!!! All these big hikes are my only hope to avoid a big gain

I'll try again today to stay on track.

Wednesday 10/25/17:

B: steel-cut oats w banana, blueberries, spinach & flax
L: mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies
D:
S: apple; rolled oats w soy milk

Exercise: Big Hike

Feeling a bit better, getting back on track.

Thursday 10/26/17:

B: steel-cut oats w banana, blueberries & flax; green salad
L: mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies
D: more mashed & veggies
S:

Exercise:

Friday 10/27/17:

B: steel-cut oats w banana, blueberries & flax
L: mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies
D: mashed potatoes & veg chili
S: oats & rice w soymilk

Exercise: Big Hike

[Qwerty988]

Saturday 10/28/17:

Meh. Up another 0.4 pounds. Not so concerned about gaining, but annoyed to be moving in the wrong direction. So, my plan of action moving forward is to get back on potatoes this week and cut out soymilk & sugar in my coffee. The oats are SO delish, but I do eat very large portions, even having salad in the mornings.

I need to be careful not to make my food too good.

B: Oven fries; salad
L:
D:
S: hannah sweet potato

Exercise:

[Qwerty988]

11/2/17 Thursday:

Gah!! Too frequent weighing -- even just weekly -- has done me in!! I need to take a break from posting/weighing for a bit

[amandamechele]

Hi Qwerty988,

I wanted to send out a quick hello! I hope you are doing okay and finding a pattern that works for you.
Your last comment here is so familiar to how I feel sometimes...I'm down to weighing myself monthly for sanity reasons...lol. Please consider joining us again in MWL if you ever want to switch things up again. XX


Best wishes,

Amy

[Qwerty988]

Hi, Amy! Thanks so much for checking in, I'm so touched!! Your support really means a lot.

I will for sure be rejoining the weekly MWL weigh-in group soon -- as soon as I'm back on the MWL plan. For now, I've just been enjoying some foods from the regular McDougall plan, letting myself have occasional cheats and taking a breather on monitoring my weight so closely. Weighing monthly sounds much better than weekly at this point!

I have to say, hitting the pause button has really allowed me to appreciate how far I've come this year. I've lost over 25 pounds since January! I know I'm still far from my final goal, but the weight I've lost so far has made a big difference. I've been buying new clothes and really feeling good about my new size. It's something I lost sight of when I've been so focused on the scale.

But I know I need to get back to MWL if I want to continue losing -- especially with the holidays coming, yow!!

[Qwerty988]

Ahhh.... potatoes! Potatoes are magic! Said it before, I'll say it again, wooo hoooo!

In just a few days of having just potatoes + veggies, I'm already feeling thinner and less preoccupied with food. I finally feel really full again after eating and those cravings are going away, too. I LOVE IT!

So, here I go, starting up again on MWL. I'll do potatoes + veggies for a while, try not to cheat too badly for Thanksgiving and Xmas, and work my way back to the gym. Time to be accountable again on a daily basis!

But low pressure. I'm not going to weigh in until I really want to and I'm not going to beat myself up about exercising or always eating veggies at every meal. I'm just going to do my best and hopefully this'll see me through the holiday season.

11/17/2017 Friday

B: oven fries
L: mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies.
D: mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies
S:

Exercise: a big hike

11/18/2017 Saturday:

B: Oven fries
L: potato-veggie soup
D: potato-veggie soup
S: potato-veggie soup

Exercise:

I've been having oven fries for breakfast the past several days and have really been enjoying them. They don't take any longer to set up than oatmeal and I can shovel in a whole baking-sheet's worth without having to feel guilty about being such a glutton. I recently found a food scale I didn't know I had, and this morning I weighed my potatoes and saw I've been eating about 2 pounds worth for breakfast.

I've been making them topped with black pepper, red pepper, chili powder and paprika and dipping in ketchup and hot sauce. Yum!

When I'm sick of this, I'm going to try making chip-shaped fries topped with onion powder, garlic powder, dill and salt. Possibly dredging in vinegar first.

They keep me full for a long time, but nothing activates my off-switch like the combo of mashed potatoes topped with stir-fried veggies and hot sauce. Something about that combo works like magic. (I guess it's just the weight + fiber + nutrients). I eat a massive portion (or two) and then I don't want food hours and hours; I don't even think about food! And that's been the most troublinng part of incorporating other starches recently... it seems to set in motion this non-stop preoccupation with eating, cooking, shopping, finding recipes... the food is just too good! Even rice or beans can set me off.

Oh well. For now, I'm happy to keep it super simple.

[Qwerty988]

Sunday 11/1/9/17:

B: Oven fries
L: potato-veggie soup; mashed potatoes & stir-fry veggies
D: chocolate banana nice cream
S:

Exercise:

Monday 11/20/17:

B: Oven fries
L: salad w flax & sauerkraut; mashed potatoes w stir-fry veggies
D: potato-veggie soup
S:

Exercise:

Tuesday 11/21/17:

B: steel-cut oats w banana, blueberries & spinach; salad w sauerkraut
L: oven fries
D: toast w marmalade
S:

Exercise:

Gah! Trying to finish off the food in my fridge -- but I fell short for dinner and ended up eating toast with marmalade for dinner! Oh well. At least it was oil-free compliant bread.

Wednesday 11/22/17:

B: oven fries
L:
D:
S:

Exercise: