February 2018 McDougall Weigh In Thread

[SonjaK]

Hi all!

That Friday weigh-in feeling again

I am reporting a loss of 2.1 lbs this week! Back on track again, been a good girl, bit less bread and got myself a pressure cooker where I cook with absolutely no oil so bit more compliance with the MWL programme

Made this lovely bean stew and also lentil stuffed cabbage leaves, delicious! really enjoying this journey

Will you share the lentil stuffed cabbage recipe? I grew up eating filled cabbage (with beef) and miss it (although won't eat it again for obvious reasons). Just reading that made me sit up and pay attention.

Congrats to all who lost weight this week!

Sonja

[amandamechele]

Landog - I'm a little ways from Victoria, but if I get there before the end of February, I'll take a look for them at Whole Foods...thanks.

Kirsty - Ok, thanks, I love Chuck's recipes. Amazing Vegan Cheese Sauce. I'll give it a try once I'm back home. Maybe the kids will like this one.

Talita - Woo hoo! Congratulations on getting back to your goal. I know you can maintain it...keep doing your best, one day at a time. With regards to posting pictures, I use Flickr.com, like Sue. Upload your photo, change privacy to public, go into photo stream tab, select photo you want and click on it. It will open and have a black background behind it. In the bottom right corner of that page there are 4 choices for editing, sizing, etc. Click on the downward pointing arrow over the line and select a size (I tend to choose medium). It will open your photo onto another page with a white background. Copy the url of this page and post it in between the following BB code [img]pastelinkhere[/img]. There is possibly an easier way to do this, but this worked so I never explored any further. LOL. With regards to smoothies, Landog is correct, they are not recommended. Jeff Novick explains why in this thread: Fruit Smoothies. But I'm not saying whether you should or shouldn't drink them here, just pointing you to the explanation behind the why.

Sue - I want to add you are one hot momma in that little black dress!! You look so great and I am so happy for you. I think a heart emoji would be great too!

Landog - Happy Friday to you too, great loss this week.

Susan - Good loss this week. I'm sorry to hear about your sinus woes. I hope it is clearing up for you, and understand not wanting to take any extra antibiotics than absolutely necessary; if you see no improvement over the coming weeks, I would maybe consider a revisit to the doctor just to check on it again. Better safe, in my opinion. Colds and flu are the worst!

Yay Chris - Good loss this week. I think your new strategy sounds good. Hang in there yourself! XO

Welcome Larryb - We are happy to have you! Let us know if you have any questions, but you are probably pretty well versed in the basics with a 10-day under your belt. Best wishes this week and keep us updated on your progress. Congratulations on your current loss, that's hard work.

Sundog - You had a good loss, evidence of many good choices. So try not to worry too much about the more calorie dense items, they are still good choices but will just slow the weight loss down a bit if you include them too often. I'm so glad you decided to reflect on how far you have come. Look how far you have come...16 pounds!!! Celebrate that for a minute. The scale needle is moving in the right direction AND you know what you need to do if you want it to move it slightly faster. The ride down can be bumpy but you will get there if you keep at it. I understand your frustration and share those same feelings about the weight I still have to lose. With your resolve strengthened there is no stopping you.

Olalka - I totally read your whole post in Tom Jones's voice...LOL...with the tune of That Loving Feeling running through my head... Wow, really great effort this week, I'm so happy for you. Are you loving your new pressure cooker? Is it an instant pot?

Sonja - Nice to have you pop in here, great question...I was wondering the same thing...I'd love a great cabbage roll recipe.

Here's a little peek at what I'm up to this weekend:


That's me and Jeff at the 3-Day Program...on now! His talk tonight was so fun...I'd forgotten just how funny he is, so enjoyable to watch. It goes without saying that it was extremely informative too.
I cornered him to take a couple of photos together (because I seem to have no shame about these things when I'm at plant based conferences...this wouldn't happen in any other situation in my life but I figure who knows if I'll ever again get to see these people that I admire so much and am so thankful to for helping me change my life). So the one with the thumb in the corner was my favourite, so that's what I'm posting.

Here's the fabulous Dr. Lim:


Mary's Lasagna was served for dinner:


It looked delicious, but since I'm trying to stay a little closer to the MWL guidelines here is what I ate (not perfect, as you can see with the gravy, but pretty darn good):


The split pea soup was delicious. I'll post the recipe once I find it in the collection of papers we were given.
For tomorrow's tally post I think I'll stick to posting some more photos.

Have a good night all!
Amy

[olalka]

Will you share the lentil stuffed cabbage recipe? I grew up eating filled cabbage (with beef) and miss it (although won't eat it again for obvious reasons). Just reading that made me sit up and pay attention.

Congrats to all who lost weight this week!

Sonja

@SonjaK no problem! I love my stuffed cabbage, in my family, they make it with pork mince meat but I found this recipe online and I was not disappointed! see the recipe below:

@amandemechele hahaha I love Tom Jones! With regards to pressure cooker I got myself the one that goes on a hob, not the insta pot which is electric, I suppose the principle is the same

Stuffed cabbage leaves recipe:


Ingredients:

For stuffing:
- 1 large or 2 smaller heads of Italian cabbage/ or white cabbage will do just well
- half a cup of rice (white or brown)
- half a cup of dry millet
- half a cup of lentils (green or red)
- 1pack of dried tomatoes (3 oz)
- 1 pound of mushrooms (any fresh mushrooms should do, I used plain white mushrooms)
- a bunch of parsley
- teaspoon of oregano
- a teaspoon of thyme
- a teaspoon of curry
- salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:
- 2 cans of sliced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- a teaspoon of smoked pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons of any syrup (maple, agave, date)


Method:

Cabbage leaves prep:
- cut out the core from the cabbage and separate the leaves gently. Then put the leaves into water and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Take the leaves out of the water and leave to cool.

Stiffing:
- rinse millet several times with boiling water and cook in a cup of water under cover on medium heat. cool down
- Cook the lentils until tender and strain them out of the water. cool down
- rinse rice several times in cold water and cook for about 15-20 minutes under cover (until it absorbs all the water). cool down
- mushrooms cut into cubes and fry in a frying pan. cool down
- Soak dried tomatoes in hot water until they soften and chop finely
- mix lentils, mushrooms and tomatoes in a food processor. Add the millet, rice and finely chopped parsley, season with favourite spices and mix thoroughly ( I used a few tablespoons of low sodium soy sauce, sweet and smoked paprika, garlic and onion powder, oregano)
- form balls from the mass and wrap them in the cabbage leaves

Sauce:
- put all ingredients in a pot and heat on low heat until some of the water evaporates from the sauce.

- place the stuffed cabbage in an oven dish and pour the sauce. Bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Enjoy!

[landog]

Here's a little peek at what I'm up to this weekend:

That's me and Jeff at the 3-Day Program...on now! His talk tonight was so fun...I'd forgotten just how funny he is, so enjoyable to watch. It goes without saying that it was extremely informative too.
I cornered him to take a couple of photos together (because I seem to have no shame about these things when I'm at plant based conferences...this wouldn't happen in any other situation in my life but I figure who knows if I'll ever again get to see these people that I admire so much and am so thankful to for helping me change my life). So the one with the thumb in the corner was my favourite, so that's what I'm posting.

Wow, Amy!

I've been thinking that I'd like to do the 10 day, but mostly in order to meet Jeff Novick, in person.

When starting out this way of life, I was first motivated by discovering the work of Dr. Esselstyn. I actually met Dr. Ess and Ann within days of starting out (I'm in Cleveland, so I've seen Dr. Ess, Ann and his family a few times.) Of course, I soon learned of Dr. McDougall, who reinforced Dr. Esselstyn's teachings. That led me here, and this forum is an invaluable resource. Besides the support of my wife, who gladly went along with this WOE, finding others who are successful with this is a huge help.

On top of that, and vitally important to any success, is the help and advice of Jeff Novick. I need to understand why this is healthy, and learn what to concentrate on to reach goals. Jeff explains so many aspects of this WOE here, in a straight-forward and humorous way. He is awesome and I'm so jealous .

Have a fantastic weekend, Amy!

[moonlight]

I'm reporting a loss of 3 pounds this week. I'm so pleased but I must admit it would have been 4 if I had resisted the cheese dip and chips on Wednesday night. I gained a 1 pound! It felt like I ate a pound of cheese, too! Anyway, I'm pleased with the loss.

Amy, thank you for sharing photos from the 3-day event. I think about going to one of those but I'm not sure I would learn anything new. Do you feel like you learned anything that you didn't already know about the McDougall program? I understand the desire to meet people, too.

This up coming week is the big chocolate and candy week!! Put on your armor. Get ready for battle. Good luck to everyone.

[kirstykay]

Amy,
I'm so jealous that you're at the ASW this weekend! I am determined to go one of these days! Thanks for the pictures!

I am thrilled to report a 2 pound weight loss this week! I feel like I've got my head in the game again. Been listening to those Doug Lisle posts and it's helping.

So happy to hear how well everyone is doing!

[Svenja]

Heya!

I miss out on the weigh in this week ... I am at a Leadership summit (it's fantastic) and I didn't get into my little weigh in routine.
But I am sure I gained last weeks pounds back. I didn't eat any of the goodies offered at the summit .... but took some bread rolls and had pasta ... all within the normal Mcdougall program ... but most likely a weight gain for me.

Not sure yet how it's gonna work out but I am planning on a fast (I know ... not part of the program). So the next days I will finish up the food that I have at home and see how I am doing. Did this before and know that after the first few days I will feel great!

Have a great Sunday everyone!
Svenja.

[landog]

Been listening to those Doug Lisle posts and it's helping.

Hi Kirsty!

OK, I'll bite - how do you listen Doug Lisle to a post?

[Svenja]

Been listening to those Doug Lisle posts and it's helping.

Hi Kirsty!

OK, I'll bite - how do you listen Doug Lisle to a post?

You find his videos on youtube and Amanda linked some of them.
Maybe start with this one and make you way from there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAdqLB6bTuQ

Also on the this website under 'live webinars' is a lot of stuf with Dr. Lisle.

Have fun!

[amandamechele]

Hi All,

Thank you so much for checking-in this week. It makes my weekend when I hear from all of you, to celebrate the successes and reflect on the set backs we've experienced while continuing to improve our adherence to following this starch-based lifestyle, and more specifically the Maximum Weight Loss Plan. You have all worked really hard this week and the numbers show it! Congratulations.

As you know, I'm in Santa Rosa this weekend at the McDougall 3-Day Program getting a refresh on my recall and understanding of the guidelines while meeting others just like us: people trying to figure out how to lose weight and regain their health. It has been a joy to be here so far. I thought it might be fun to give you a bit of a day-in-the-life at the program and to make the point that you can find everything that you need to understand the whys and the hows of this lifestyle right on this website, for free. Meeting the McDougalls, their expert staff, and other people trying to change their lives one mouthful at a time is HUGE for motivation, BUT totally not necessary for getting yourself started and on the right path. Here's how the day was scheduled: (I'll put in a link to the free lecture if there is one for each particular entry, that way you can pretend you were here with us, just for the day).

Breakfast:


Lecture 1:John McDougall: Dairy: Marketing Milk and Disease


Lecture 2: Jeff Novick: Calorie Density: How to Eat More, Weigh Less and Live Longer
I am hopeful that all of you are already very familiar with this one!!

Lecture 3:Doug Lisle: The Pleasure Trap

Lunch:

Lecture 4: Heather McDougall & Jeff Novick: Meal Planning
(Here is the equivalent lecture done by Mary McDougall: Planning Meals)
I managed to get a picture with Mary, she is so nice.
[img]11https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4610/39477198194_4de0339af9_z_d.jpg[/img]

Lecture 5: Doug Lisle: The Willpower Paradox
This lecture discussed how psychologists came to understand the concept of willpower and then provides strategies we can use to keep from depleting it; we are all going to find ourselves in situations that will tempt us to make poor choices that conflict with our long term goals.
To summarize: Dr. Lisle discusses the work of Roy Baumeister (The Cookie Study, the Mardi Gras Study and the Lemonade Study) which lead to the conceptual shift in psychology away from the psychodynamic view of Ego Depletion to the more modern understanding of willpower as a dynamic between a cycle of rest and recovery (Here's a media blog that discusses the archival study highlighted in this lecture...but it is not in any way referred to in his lecture...this is just me finding a way to tell you about it: Justice is Served, but moreso after lunch)
Understanding the mechanics of willpower provides us with the foundation needed to stay on track through temptations when trying to maintain a healthy dietary pattern, like what is recommended by Dr. McDougall.
Dr. Lisle's Great Secret Strategies for Willpower are:
1) Clean Your room - more generally, keep your environment orderly, that way it won't be in the back of your mind nagging at you to be done and be a small but constant drain on your mental energy.
2) Lay out exercise clothes - that way you're more likely to do some, and research indicates that exercise gives you a boost in willpower for that day.
3) Always eat something healthy first - before you go out, before you shop, before you decide to just try a bite of something tempting but not on-plan...eat something good first and then reasses how you feel.
4) Get to bed on time - Get enough sleep, consistently. We tend to make better decisions when we are well rested.

I couldn't find this exact lecture online, but I have a feeling many parts of it have been discussed over the course of the17 McDougall webinarsthat Dr. Lisle has done with Gustavo Tolosa. Gustavo is here too, btw, I also flagged him down for a photo - no shame, remember - but I'm making a weird face in it, so it will not be making the rounds here on this site...lol. Since I won't show that picture, here's a picture Dr. Lisle drew of me when I didn't think anyone was watching:

Just kidding! LOL. The closest I ever get to chips anymore are my homemade whole-grain pita chips...and those are a rare treat since we all try to avoid refined flour products here in the MWL program.

(Here's a linkto purchase this particular lecture if you would like to hear it)

Lecture 6: Jeff Novick: Should I Eat That? How to Choose the Healthiest Foods

This lecture is the one that includes a lesson on how to read packaged food labels, here's the quick take-away:


Dinner:


Q & A: Jeff Novick (and Anthony Lim)
The day was closed with a variety of audience questions. Jeff went over the 3 most important things he recommends for long term success: Compliance on a Healthy Diet

And that was the day! For those of us attending that are not here for current major health crises, the experience is quite unique in that it's vacation-like, but not quite. For museum lovers, or those that enjoy watching documentaries this is just plain fun...but for those who want to eat this way and just need a bit of information to get themselves started the website is sufficient and doesn't cost a cent.
I'll post some more photos sometime during the week, once I get home...assuming you all want to see more.
I'm very grateful to Dr. McDougall and all of the staff at the program for treating the guests here like family and doing their best to ensure we get more healthy years with our own families.
Best wishes to all of you this week!

Amy XO

Here are the results for the second week in February:

Next Weigh-In is on Friday, February 16th, 2018

Total group loss reported in 2018: 82.1 pounds

February 2018 Weight Loss Group :: Monthly Weigh-In Results
Total group loss in January 2018: 54.7 pounds
Total group loss in February 2018: 27.4 pounds

Week ending 02/09/2018: 13 participants reported a total loss of 19 pounds
---------------------------------------

---------------------------------------
Total gains: 0.0
--------------------------------------
AnnaUK - 0.0
Talita8 - 2.0
Suey51 - 0.4
Landog - 2.5
Zsilent1 - 1.0
Galooop - 2.2
LarryB - 2.3
Sundog - 1.5
Olalka - 2.1
Moonlight - 3.0
Kirstykay - 2.0
Svenja - 0.0
amandamechele - 0.0
---------------------------------------------
Total losses: 19
---------------------------------------------

Total group loss in February 2018: 27.4 pounds
Week ending 02/09/2018: 13 participants reported a total loss of 19 pounds
Week ending 02/02/2018: 14 participants reported a total loss of 8.4 pounds

[moonlight]

Amy, thank you for the great links and pictures. I'm inspired through cyberspace! I bet it is very inspiring and reaffirming to be there with the founders and drivers of this way of eating. Thank you for including us in your trip.

Wow, we all made it through the week without any gains! How wonderful is that?!? Good luck everyone! I hope you have a great week.

[Suey51]

Congratulations to everyone this week on the great numbers! Woo hoo!!!!

Thanks Amy for the summary and fab pictures, I almost feel like I'm there with you all!

Best wishes x

[zsilent1]

Amy, I’m going to take a hiatus for a while. I’ll be checking in periodically. All’s well and I will be continuing on my McDougall journey.

All the Best Group Mates. See you in the future!
Much Love!
Susan

[SonjaK]

olalaka, thanks for the recipe! I will definitely be making these (with the sauce being different since I can't eat tomatoes). But I'm excited to try it!

Amy, thanks for the recap and the great pictures. As others said, fun to live vicariously through you. Especially liked the way you posted the schedule, mixed with pictures, etc. I hope to see/meet all of them some day too. They've definitely all changed my life.

Sonja

[ANNAUK]

Chris - I'm glad you posted again, I had wondered what happened to you. I'm also glad you're still fighting the cravings, keep at it and remove things one at a time, if that works for you, until there's nothing hyper-palatable left...and if I understand Dr. Lisle's lectures that's when the cravings will start to fade. You're on your way!!

Moonlight - You're welcome. Dr. Lisle also did a McDougall Webinar with Gustavo Tolosa that is a longer version of that podcast. Dr. Doug Lisle: The Cram Circuit. I'm sending you good thoughts while you work on breaking that habit. XO. I still have trouble with the nighttime eating...sometimes fighting it for awhile with great success, then (to quote Emeril Lagasse) BAM, a spontaneous recovery surprises me while I'm in autopilot and I walk my way back up the extinction curve a bit. Keep up the good fight; the longer that you eat very closely to the recommended guidelines the fainter and less frequent those periodic, surprise cravings will be. Thank you for the soup recommendation, if its delicious enough to miss I think I must try it...LOL.

Landog - Did you end up getting to the store for those Sumos? I live on Vancouver Island, in BC. I wonder if I can grow a Sumo tree here? (Is there such a thing) I was surprised to learn that with a bit of care lemons, limes and olives can be grown here, outdoors.

Anna - Its awesome to have you back. A fresh start it is...let's get you back on track. Have you seen Dr. Lisle's The Perfect Personality? (Sorry, I can't remember if I've recommended it to you before). I found it very helpful in identifying what kind of challenges to adherence I may face based on my individual temperament. I also recommend a re-watch of Jeff Novick's Calorie Density: How to Eat More, Weigh Less & Live Longer.

Thank you so much for these links I'm going to look at them tomorrow evening when the children are asleep:)) xxxxxxxxx