June 2018 McDougall Weigh In Thread

[amandamechele]

I'm down to 246.0! That's down 6 lbs. from the beginning of the month! I think much of it is water weight from the lower salt intake, but it is encouraging! I have been mostly consistent and on-plan. Probably about 90%. I regularly buy frozen steamed vegetable blends with and without starches and they have really helped when I don't have something prepared or I just want something different. I'm planning to make a big pot of stew and some lasagna this week.

Michael

Michael, fantastic!! It is encouraging, I'm so happy for you.

What did you end up making to eat?

Amy

[amandamechele]

Moonlight - I look forward to hearing how your exercise goes, if you wish to share it.

I'm using your template for reporting on each guideline in my journal: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=56756

After a few days I should be able to keep all the guidelines in mind and my eating pattern will become second nature, right?!?

I took a look yesterday, that's awesome. How are you finding it?
Try not to get discouraged if it shows you things that you don't want to see. That's where the learning happens. Keep up the honesty and the effort.

If you adhere really closely it absolutely does become easier. For me that has meant 100% adherence for a bit less than a week and then the cravings feel manageable but are still there.
It can feel a bit like HIIT training....LOL
Extreme effort for short durations (to get out of the traps), then medium/light effort for longer durations (to avoid what Dr. Lisle calls extinction bursts while working your way out of conditioned cram circuit).

Practice anything enough it will totally become easier.

XO

[amandamechele]

Not sure I want to do this reflection...

However, when I've gained, it's because I'm eating things that are not on either plan. When I'm hovering around the same weight, I'm usually eating regular plan foods and also cramming bread and crackers in the evening.

This week, even after getting back on track, I still was having difficulty stopping myself from eating, and balancing my meals with vegetables. I'm using more structure the last few days in order to deter myself from grazing all evening in the kitchen and remembering my fruits and vegetables. I'm white-knuckling it, but it's helping. I'm closer to the regular plan than MWL.

Jennifer,

I'm so happy that you did it. Now you have a better idea of which strategies to potentially employ to help you through your personal snags if you want to tackle them.

I am sending you much virtual support this week as you white knuckle through the pleasure trap part of the problem.

Very best wishes,

Amy

[Jobet]

Continue to make great choices in the present and soon that will become your past.

Oh, Amy! I love that. ♥

[Chumly]

"Michael, fantastic!! It is encouraging, I'm so happy for you.

What did you end up making to eat?

Amy"

I made a big pot of vegetable stew last night. It's based on one of Dr. Fuhrman's recipes (African Lentil Vegetable stew, I think), but I don't follow it precisely. It has lentils, carrot juice, broccoli, kale, onion, garlic, zucchini, butternut squash, celery, tomato sauce, mushrooms and peanut butter with some spices. I make it about once a month. It's really chunky and filling and tasty! I'm eating some now for lunch as I write this.

Michael

[Svenja]

Good Morning!

I'll post my weight a day early ... I am off to another 3 day training weekend.

I lost 2 pounds ... right direction !!!

My direct colleague is on break, so I worked long hours this week and still saw patients in the evening. I had to cut down on my exercise program to fit all in a day But I am slowly extending my running distance. Feels great!

Yesterday I wore a jeans to work that didn't fit some weeks ago and that I haven't worn in aaaages! Great feeling.
Patients starting to ask about my weight loss ...
All very encouraging.

Amy, you asked about my mom ... she changed some things in her diet when she eats at home. I am very happy that the stopped drinking milk. She eats little meat, but still dairy on a more or less daily bases. I would love her to be a little stricter ... her cholesterol and fasting sugar could be better. But her Doctor keeps telling her that everything is fine. ........ she lost some weight with the changes she made!!! I am not pushing her ...

Have a great weekend everyone!
Svenja.

[landog]

Vacation is over. It's back to the old grind. I didn't lose any weight during vacation, but I did lose one pound since coming back.
So I'm happy to report that one pound loss.



My focus is going to switch to another metric. My goal is heart health and my aim is to keep my LDL as low as possible. To do so, I'm following Jeff Novick's advice to include more foods higher in soluble fiber in my diet. These foods can be remembered by the acronym BYOB&B . Beans, Yams, Oats, Barley and Berries. So, my breakfast is now oatmeal and berries. I'm including sweet potatoes and beans in my meals daily. My LDL has dropped by following this advice!



I'm not sure how long I'll be reporting weight loss here. Maybe another month or two.

My vacation was wonderful. I stayed on the McDougall regular program. They served a wide variety of McDougall foods for ten days at this hotel that was a throwback to the 60s. I ate a lot, so I didn't lose any weight.



Santa Rosa is beautiful this time of year!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi to the Group! Happy Friday!

Congrats Svenja and Landog on your losses!

Thanks, Amandamechele for posting the 10 rules and encouraging us to consider what further changes that we could make to achieve better results! I love this format! Making us think!!

I am down 1.8 lb. this week!! Yahoo!!! Have increased walking to usually 45 min each morning (from 30) - with a longer walk on either Sat or Sun. Today the weather is NOT cooperating and it may be treadmill is better option.

Hope that everyone has a wonderful week!!

[Arewethereyet]

That's some hotel, Landdog!

198.4, I think that's a loss of 3.8lbs!!

I've been tracking my food, and also doing my best not to eat after dinner. If I'm very hungry I'll have something, but if it's just mild or I'm searching the kitchen, I make myself work on a project, or get far away from the kitchen.

I had kind of a lapse yesterday afternoon, and went through a drive-thru almost on autopilot. I managed to throw away most of the meal. Had I eaten the whole thing, I think that would have destroyed my motivation to get back on track. A close call, but a win! This was set up a few days back when I didn't sleep well Tuesday night, ate a bunch Wednesday to keep myself awake, and then was a bit wobbly in terms of preparation on Thursday.

On a side-note, my non-food activity has been learning to sew clothing. I have not had much success making something I want to wear out of the house, but it keeps me occupied working out the problems, and planning what to do next. Found some funny old patterns at the thrift store yesterday--big collars, blousey men's shirts (sort of pirate-y), ladies 'play clothes' with little shorts from the sixties. I don't think these things were meant to be made in my size or for my age--but it's entertaining me to think about.

[Rosey]

287.7lbs this week for a 1.8lb loss. It's going going gone gone gone. laugh.

[victw]

Down .8 from last week

At 147.2. Funny yesterday morning I was at 148 and was kind of bummed as I had been on track this week. So it's funny that ups and downs still niggle at me.

I've been doing less weighing, measuring and recording this week. This was actually super helpful for increasing my veggie intake and rounding out the nutrition profile.

I will be doing an FMD starting on Sunday - the idea is to give my immune system a little extra boost.

Vic

[landog]

I will be doing an FMD starting on Sunday - the idea is to give my immune system a little extra boost.

Vic

Hi Vic,

What foods will you be eating? How will that differ from your current diet?

Thanks,
-dog

[squealcat]

Well, this week didn't go so well. Sorry everyone ! I am up 4.6 pounds......very hard to type this in but I am owning it. One more week and I hope to fix this or make it better.

The last two days have been great and I walked 3 miles each day. Onward I go !!

-Squealcat (Marilyn)

[Rosey]

Well, this week didn't go so well. Sorry everyone ! I am up 4.6 pounds......very hard to type this in but I am owning it. One more week and I hope to fix this or make it better.

The last two days have been great and I walked 3 miles each day. Onward I go !!

-Squealcat (Marilyn)

HUGS!!! Don't let it get you down. Something I like to say to myself a lot is yeah you slipped now get back up on your feet now not later.

[amandamechele]

Michael - That stew sounds delicious. It reminds me of one of my favourite recipes of Mary McDougall's Tunisian Sweet Potato Stew. I use defatted peanut powder instead of peanut butter to lower the fat content (admittedly it tastes slightly better with the real thing, but surprisingly not that much different). I hope the rest of the week went well.

Svenja - That's a very encouraging non-scale victory... Congratulations on getting into those jeans. It's great to hear about the running and how dedicated you've become to it. You are doing right by your mom, just keep modelling it well and hopefully she will come around more and more and if she doesn't it wasn't for a lack of you trying. My mom has been eating this way on and off and I just keep hoping for more but she is her own person, whom I love very much, so I just have to follow that same advice and keep modelling it. She had a stroke in her eye this past week and was advised it had nothing to do with lifestyle and that there were no recommended dietary changes that she needed to make. I started to say but they couldn't hurt and realized it was just not the time to push it. Enjoy your training weekend.

Landog you lucky dog!!! Do you have more pictures that you would be willing to share? How wonderful that you got to meet the whole team. What did you think? Did you get to talk with Jeff? I'm glad to hear that you'll be with us for a couple of more months possibly. I hope your LDL goal happens as consistently for you as the weight loss did.

Stephanie - Happy Friday to you and great loss and thank you. I love walking outdoors too, and I hope the weather changes to your favour soon.

Jennifer - Woo hoo! It is a very unique hotel, huh? You've had quite the week, I'm so impressed with the changes you're making.... and catching yourself during a slip. Fantastic! Your sewing projects sound sew fun...hehe. Did the pirate-y shirt look anything like this?

I love the idea of sewing your own clothes. I've made a few things in the past and have more half started projects than I care to admit. The idea of making exactly what you want, in a style best suited to your body, hem length, sleeve length, collar type, fabric...oh so fun! I'd love to hear what you end up attempting.

Rosey - You hit it out of the park this week! Congrats!

Vic - When you put a lot of effort into something negative surprises will smart just a little bit more... I'm glad it ended up not being a negative surprise after all. I am curious, like Landog, what are you thinking of changing? Just decreasing your feeding window, or something more extensive?

Marilyn - [Hug] I'm glad you're owning it and picking yourself up from a fall quickly. This week will be better; focus on the process (being prepared, chopping, cooking) versus trying to take a certain amount of weight back off. You will be very proud of yourself if you do the work (and you can't control what your body decides to reward your efforts with anyway). XO. Onwards you go girl!!