September 2017 McDougall Weigh In Group

[amandamechele]

Hello Gang!

It's great to hear from all of you this weekend. Thanks for taking the time to check-in.

I thought I'd reiterate last week's post by including the replay link to this week's McDougall Webinar:
Dr. Doug Lisle: The Cram Circuit
I've seen this presentation a few times now and I'm still getting new insight and understanding about myself each time. I recommend it to any of you who have a history of night-time eating or binge eating or just an inability to adhere to the guidelines recommended here despite your very best efforts and attention.
I now realize/understand that I have been lumping more than one process under the term Pleasure Trap. I had attributed more than just taste adaptation to this concept and look forward to thinking more on this Cram Circuit and the other ideas presented. It will be interesting to consider what conditioned cues I subjectively speculate lead to my own stumbles and compare them to what is being postulated.(But can we really be accurately objective about a subjective experience, I wonder?)
I will leave you with Dr. Lisle's slide on exactly what he and Dr. G believe we are up against when it comes to working our way towards successful long term weight loss:

It's a long list, and probably not even a complete one, that may seem like a daunting task to work through. But my experience has been that knowledge truly is power when it comes to tackling a complex problem, such as this. Its important to keep learning.

I'm so thankful that there are some great teachers here so willing to share their experience and understanding...at the low low cost of FREE! (Behavioural economics research has shown us that the power of free is surprisingly influential - Ariely)
Anyhow - RECAP - Great webinar! Feeling grateful! Good luck this week and good night all!

Amy


Here are the results for the third week in September:

Next Weigh-In is on Friday, September 22nd, 2017

Total group loss reported in 2017: 613.86 pounds

September 2017 Weight Loss Group :: Monthly Weigh-In Results
Total group loss in January 2017: 137.25 pounds
Total group loss in February 2017: 102.91 pounds
Total group loss in March 2017: 111.3 pounds
Total group loss in April 2017: 56.1 pounds
Total group loss in May 2017: 41.8 pounds
Total group loss in June 2017: 44.4 pounds
Total group loss in July 2017: 34.9 pounds
Total group loss in August 2017: 59.6 pounds
Total group loss in September 2017: 25.6 pounds

Week ending 09/15/2017: 12 participants reported a total loss of 3.3 pounds
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amandamechele - 2.0
Galooop - 1.6
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Total gains: 3.6
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Zsilent1 - 2.0
Sirdle - 1.0
Qwerty988 - 0.0
BeHealthy - 1.0
Talita8 - 1.5
Yomom - We'll miss you!
Svenja - 0.0
Suey51 - 0.0
LadyM - 0.4
Sarabee - 1.0
---------------------------------------------
Total losses: 6.9
---------------------------------------------

Total group loss in September 2017: 25.6 pounds
Week ending 09/15/2017: 12 participants reported a total loss of 3.3 pounds
Week ending 09/08/2017: 16 participants reported a total loss of 13.1 pounds
Week ending 09/01/2017: 14 participants reported a total loss of 9.2 pounds

[amandamechele]

Yomom - This cartoon is for you Kathy...eh-hem...those aren't tears in my eyes, I'm just chopping some onions.


I'll miss hearing from you but understand the need for a break. I'll be sure to email you whenever we visit family in your neck of the woods, and maybe we can have lunch.

Svenja - I hope your long day went well and you weren't feeling too flat by the end. X

Sue - Your travels sound lovely! So does your mum.

Dee - They are often so right...lol! That's so exciting to hear that your family is being so supportive of each other (even kicking and screaming) I think if your son-in-law sees some lower blood sugar readings he may begin to come around. Last week my mom was going on and on about how good my dad's blood sugar is and how unbelievable it is. (Its so easy to forget how effective this dietary pattern is on diabetes when its not being applied completely correctly). I'm with you on the clothes shopping thing. I've often wished for a stylish uniform that I could wear so that I could look nice without having to actually go shopping myself. I'm so lazy about it I buy my everyday clothes at the grocery store...lol. I hope you have a great week as well.

Sarabee - Congratulations! You have done so well. I think many people here have lost those same hundreds of pounds in that same on and off way.
I have no doubt you can do this and maintain it too! Wooo hooo!

[sirdle]

I thought I'd reiterate last week's post by including the replay link to this week's McDougall Webinar:
Dr. Doug Lisle: TheCram Circuit... I will leave you with Dr. Lisle's slide on exactly what he and Dr. G believe we are up against when it comes to working our way towards successful long term weight loss:

Thanks for posting the link!

After noticing that #3 was "Sordid Pleasure", I eagerly queued up the video... only to discover that I need new glasses.

Sigh.

Cheers,

[galooop]

This just goes to prove - "It's the Food!"

Fascinating article about Diet vs. Exercise for Losing Weight:
https://www.vox.com/2016/4/28/11518804/ ... n-calories

Hilariously illustrated in this 5 minute YouTube video - Pizza vs. Treadmill:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQbuzsY_34Q

Of course, exercise is good for us in so many other ways. I love Doctor Mike Evans' 10 minute video -
"23 and 1/2 hours"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaInS6HIGo

I'm starting my '3-day Re-Set' today to get back on track...
Wish me Luck!

Chris

[Arewethereyet]

Hello all!

Had a stress situation early last week--similar to Sirdle. Did a virtual 'face plant' in terms of food, and even forgot about reconnecting here. I've pulled myself back up, and have been more compliant, but I'm back to where I started two weeks ago...(a six lb gain). It's amazing how I can swing from really healthy food to complete trash.

On another note, not related to the "stress" this past week, I belong to an in-person weight loss group, even became the default leader (sad example of a leader) when no-one else wanted to do it. Have been debating whether this is counter-productive, but have a lot of guilt over leaving.

Thanks for listening.

[ANNAUK]

Hey all no loss or gain for me last week and we were away camping all weekend
I was doing so well
Feeling great and so much happier now I've let it all slide mindlessly eating here and there when I'm not hungry
When I was skinny I would stay positive about weight loss now I feel I get positive then get despondent so easily
Trying to work out my owns habits and issues is a long journey which I hope I make
Good luck all
Ill check out your link too Amanda thank you xxxx

[ANNAUK]

Hello all!

Had a stress situation early last week--similar to Sirdle. Did a virtual 'face plant' in terms of food, and even forgot about reconnecting here. I've pulled myself back up, and have been more compliant, but I'm back to where I started two weeks ago...(a six lb gain). It's amazing how I can swing from really healthy food to complete trash.

On another note, not related to the "stress" this past week, I belong to an in-person weight loss group, even became the default leader (sad example of a leader) when no-one else wanted to do it. Have been debating whether this is counter-productive, but have a lot of guilt over leaving.

Thanks for listening.

Y
Can so relate to your post
Have made some healthy go to snacks for the fridge and been watching some inspiring webinars to get me back on it
Hard to not feel back about set backs as its so difficult and time consuming to lose what we have put on but the only way is onwards and upwards
This weight is not forever just a small part of our lives xxxxxx

[Suey51]

Happy Friday everyone!
A 3.2 pound loss for me since my last weigh in a fortnight ago

Thanks Amanda for the link to Doug Lisle’s webinar on the Cram Circuit. It's really interesting.
Thanks Sirdle – ‘sordid pleasure’ made me smile
Thanks Chris for sharing those links. How did the 3 day re-set go?
Thanks to everyone in the group for sharing stories, links, pics etc. you all help me keep going with this way of eating

Had a lovely week in Spain with Mum. We ate most meals in the apartment so that really helped me stay away from off-program items. I bought some new shorts and bikini, which were smaller and definitely more ‘va-va-voom’ than my usual clothes. They really help focus my mind on eating the right things! Stuck to veggies for breakfast most days, sometimes having rice and beans or a little porridge later in the morning. Here's a selection of my home made lunches and a snap of Mum and me in Spain.



When we ate out, I had a house salad without the off-program items. The salads were based on iceberg lettuce (my least favourite kind), with tomatoes straight from the fridge, cucumber, onion, carrots (sometimes long life ones), sweetcorn and olives. The olives aren’t McD MWL but having a few as a seasoning helped me chow down the salad. On previous holidays, I have struggled emotionally with ordering this kind of salad, through fear of missing out/being hungry afterwards. However, this trip I enjoyed them and didn’t feel as tempted to order something else. They were also more filling than I had expected. Maybe my taste buds are adjusting.

At one restaurant, the menu said main meals come with 'patatas y verduras' (which I translated as potatoes and veggies), so I asked the waiter for some 'patatas' with my salad. However, what arrived was chips/french fries; so I politely sent them back

Mum shared some of my McD MWL foods, and enjoyed brown rice, chick peas, potatoes, cauliflower and fruit. I was conscious of setting an example, which also helped me stay mostly compliant. She was happy with a zero weight gain over the week. (She would usually gain a pound or two when on holiday.)

Love and positive thoughts to everyone xx

[zsilent1]

Greetings Group Mates,

Hope everyone has had a great week! I'm happy to report 2 lbs gone this week. It seems that everyday I am feeling a little better and better. Pain in my knees is much less. I still get some aches and pains when the weather changes. Just gotta keep on keeping on.

Suey, you did great on vaca! Your Mum is beautiful just like you! Thanks Amy for the Cram Cycle, watching it bit by bit. Interesting!

Thanks to all for the sense of community and all the support, sharing and information!

To a wonderful week ahead and happy Fall (Autumn),

Susan

Released: 25 lbs

[Qwerty988]

Good morning everyone

Wooo hooo -- down 4.4 lbs!!

Still on my potato-veggie regimen, but having sleep problems that are making exercise a struggle. Ah well, I'm sleepy, but I'm so happy to finally see that scale moving again! Will weigh in again week after next.

Hoping everyone has a great week ahead moving forward!

[sirdle]

0.2 pound loss this week.

Cheers,

[BeHealthy]

Hello and Happy Friday!

I'm reporting in with a 2 pound loss for the week.

I had the week off of my main job and did some traveling which was fun. I did a lot of hiking in the West and some long walks along the beach on the East Coast. I was mostly MWL while traveling, but not perfect. I didn't expect to be either so it's all good. I'm back home now and ready to go again, fresh and dedicated.

I'm excited about soup season! I went through some cookbooks last night and found some good recipes and ordered some containers to use for freezing some big batches into smaller servings. This weekend, I hope to make 2 or 3 different batches and stock up for the week and put some away in the freezer for upcoming weeks.

Have great weeks!

[talita8]

Hi All,
I lost just under a pound this week. Do I put the exact amount. .889 or something. I am use to Kilos. I have got a new cooking machine called a Thermomix. Which has meant I have been in the kitchen more than usual. I have been making things like polenta, vegan butter, dressings and dips. And also non compliant food for the family. But it means I am around food a lot. So I have also spent a lot of time in the garden to get away from the kitchen. My family have been eating lots as they usually do, drives me nuts to see them eating handfuls of things like nuts, or smearing on the avocado to toast. They are all active and slim. It amazes me how many calories my husband can pack away and not put weight on. My loss is going to be slow now as I am on my last few pounds.
Great to see your photo Sue and your food. Very impressive holiday eating. It gives me inspiration for my next time I go away. I also saw Doug's clip. And would like to comply to his Mastering the Environment one too, but don't see how that could ever happen in my situation.
Thanks Talita

[galooop]

Lost 1.6 LBS

just a quickie post - computer crashed, but it's all good (got a new laptop - still getting used to it)

Cheers, guys!
Chris

[amandamechele]

Sirdle - LOL! Who needs glasses anyway, your version sounds much more fun.Thanks for weighing in. I'm thrilled to see that you are losing, all progress is good. Cheers.

Chris - How did the reset go? Thank you for all of the links. I loved the pizza treadmill video, it's so true that you can't out-train a bad diet. Great loss this week, and best wishes getting acquainted with your new laptop.

Arewethereyet - How is it going? I'm sorry that I didn't respond sooner. I completely know where you're coming from with regards to both of the points that you made. That kind of back and forth can be so demoralizing. The other week Jeff Novick sent me an interesting article that is written for physicians looking to help their patients navigate barriers of long-term behaviour change. We can totally apply this to your situation and learn from it. It's called A 'Stages of Change' Approach to Helping Patients Change Behaviour. The goal of the paper is to help doctors recognize at what point in the Stages of Change Model their patient is after recommending lifestyle changes for disease management. They can then tailor these recommendations based on that information in order to meet a patient where they are in the process. One of these stages is relapse and its important to recognize that for many of us its almost inevitable and just a part of the process, but we can learn to anticipate situations where we may slip up and devise strategies to have better success when challenged.
Figure 1 Lists a number of great questions that we can ask ourselves in order to examine and understand our motivation for wanting to change and what continues to stop us:

With regards to the weight loss group, if it helps keep you engaged and doesn't take away from time spent doing the prep work you need to do in order to successfully lose weight yourself, I say continue. The group, I'm sure, is well versed in how difficult continued weight loss and maintenance is and will not think less of you for being a fallible human who also struggles (that's exactly what I tell myself when I'm writing these posts for this group...lol). But, if it isn't working for you, this is when you may want to put yourself first and kindly and regretfully step down. Let us know how you're doing!

Anna - It is a long journey. I'm glad you are still making it with all of us. We can continue to learn from each other. This is just one part of our lives and its so important to remember our value in other domains.

Sue - You two are so cute...and you're so creative with the visual presentation of your food. I'm highly impressed with how well you did during your vacation, and you even got to spice up your wardrobe...woo hoo! Where are those pictures...lol? I'm so happy that your taste buds are coming around and you're enjoying salads happily. Here's an article I read (again from Jeff) about taste bud rehabilitation, that talks about just what you have been going through. The Case for Taste Bud Rehab by Dr. David Katz. I love your closing, love and positive thoughts to you too!

Susan - How fabulous to hear about your knees. I'm so excited for you, it must be very motivating as you begin to feel better and better! Thank you for being a part of this community and Happy Fall!

Qwerty988 - Woah! What a month! Congratulations on your loss. Keeping it simple with potatoes and veggies has been a winning strategy for you. Sorry to hear you're not sleeping, and I hope it passes. Have a wonderful week.

BeHealthy - Great loss this week. Did your travels take you to both sides of the country? Though I'm interested in hearing about that, I'm even more interested in hearing about which soup recipes you find...lol! It truly is about the food for me. What are your favourite soups?

Talita - It can be tough to watch others eating things that you yourself choose not to (in order to reach your goals). It took me a very long time to get over some of my feelings about eating out with friends and watching them eat whatever they (and I) wanted and still be slim, while I suffered with my "limited" choices. For me that feeling eventually went away; I realized that I had to choose between enjoying my new health and time with my friends without resentment or to choose the short lived pleasure of stimulating food that kept me from losing weight but satisfied me in that moment in time. This took a number of years. The temptations the foods trigger haven't completely gone away, but they are weaker. You are correct in thinking that controlling the environment will help with this. That may be a tall order, however, and I hope you are able to find a way to make it work in your home with your family. You are so close and are doing so well!