September 2018 McDougall Weigh In Thread

[Mark Cooper]

Glad to have you participating, medamoso! Cheers.

[GlennR]

I was fairly sure that I would have a bounce up this week with the big loss the previous week but that didn't happen.

I'm one pound down this week. That puts me at 218.

Thanks to everyone here, it's nice to belong to a group of like-minded folks.

[Mark Cooper]

Way to go, Glenn!

[Stacey]

Hello. I am considering joining this group but I am hesitant so I wanted to post to share some issues and ask questions.

I have been part of this group in the past although it was only one week-this was a few years ago.

Here is the thing-I am having issues in my life that are interpersonal based but stem from me being not my ideal body size. It is infuriating and frustrating all at the same time.

I have been plant based for the past ten years, and I originally went plant based because I discovered that eating a diet with lots of raw veggies and no oil and no added fats helped me go to the bathroom. I had years of issues with that. It caused lot of stress and I just wanted to have life where elimination happened daily. Well, it does now, and honestly I feel great most of the time. I am very active and work out daily except when sick. The working out helps fight off depression which I deal with too. The problem is that with this way of eating I have gained weight over the years and it is leading to relationship issues.

The main crux of the problem is that i have former eating disordered thinking and behavior from when I was in high school, and I have disordered thoughts about scales, and about using "diets or methods" for weight loss. The only behavior I have been able to get on board with for losing weight is exercise. It works really well for me. But that is the key point- for me.

I get sick sometimes and then I can't workout, so of course I gain some weight back. Personally I think it is all part of the process. But the problem is that I don't live alone, and my actions get noticed.

I believe with out a doubt that I am on a good path for my own mental and emotional well being.

With that said, I am not doing well right now and I need some support from some other women. Have the women on this forum always gotten support from their spouses no matter how long it has taken them to lose the weight? Has it taken other women on this forum about ten years to figure out their own true method that works for them?

So on to the forum specific questions? Is it possible for me to participate and not weigh myself? I have a measuring tape method that I am using? Can I just post on Fridays and be counted as a zero but talk about any weight loss struggles or positives I had.

I have not worked out for a couple of weeks because I got sick again, but I am just tired of feeling so down on myself about this. My self esteem is low and I know that with this kind of negativity I will never get to my fit self.

Thanks for your time.

Stacey

[Idgie]

Hi, Stacey,

I'm pretty new here, so I will leave the rules question to the mods, but I would love it if you were here.

What I wanted to say, though, is that it's not okay for someone else to make you feel bad about your autonomous bodily choices, and it's totally okay to draw a boundary about that, even if it makes them unhappy.

I have a (long-ago) history of disordered eating, and there is NOBODY, not my partner, not my mom, nobody, who gets to say what I put in my body or how I am comfortable in my body. Nobody. That's a mental health issue, and for me at least, it's a hard red dealbreaking boundary.

I hope that you will be able to have some conversations with your person(s) (I was assuming partner(s), but whoever it is) that include something like "I appreciate that you think you're looking out for me, but I know what is best for my body, and this is working for me right now."

(Another unsolicited suggestion: I haven't binged since I read Geneen Roth's "Breaking Free From Emotional Eating" in 1996, and it's a good way to eat healthy without any food rules.)

If you don't decide to post to this forum, please know that my inbox is always open, either here on the forum or in email.

[squealcat]

Sad to say that I gained 2.8 pounds this week. I am trying to fix this and think positive thoughts. Today I managed to get through the grocery store without taking any treats. I just thought about how good I would feel if I got home with no treats and that worked well. BUT when I got home I was STARVING ! I just cannot let myself get that hungry !! I ate my planned lunch and then continued to eat until I put a stop to it. I have thrown away the crackers I ate and really need to put the bread in the freezer for a while. It is the Dave's Killer thin sliced bread and I really love it (too much ).

I have been reading the Beck Diet Solution and the thoughts in it are really helpful. The book is not a diet in itself but it helps you stick to your way of eating no matter what it is. It is helping me to change my thinking and get back on track faster. I have just started it in the past two days so I plan to continue using her suggestions. Eating at the table is a big one and one I haven't done well in the past.

So, I am off to put that bread in the freezer and eat dinner at the table.Today's reading was about giving yourself credit. I DO give myself credit for walking over 10,000 steps today, working those weight machines at the gym, not taking/eating any treats when at the grocery store and writing to all of you today about my week.

Very proud of all of you that did so well this week. I hope to join you next week !

-Marilyn (squealcat)

[Idgie]

Marilyn, I want to give you credit, too. That's awesome that you're already back on track. The Beck book has helped me so much.

(I don't eat at the table, but I do eat sitting down, and that's working out fine for me.)

[Lyndzie]

Today I’m +.4 lbs.

I made some poor food this week. On Wednesday I ate three pieces of bread with Nutella, then to add insult to injury, made brownie batter just to eat the batter. I made the brownies, and fortunately by then some common sense showed up and I threw them out. I’ve had two totally on plan days since then, but the scale reflected my misstep. Hopefully I can have more success this upcoming week.

Mark - an easy way to boost iron absorption is to eat your iron rich foods with sources of vitamin C. I’m a big fan of black beans and salsa. Another option could be lentil soup with spinach and tomatoes, or simply hummus with bell peppers. Hopefully all you need is a little dietary tweak to get those numbers up.

Idgie - sounds like another rock star week. Bummer about being sick, though.

Marilyn - it sounds like you have a solid plan going forward. Bread in the freezer is a great idea. It’s not quite as tasty when frozen solid!

Stacy - welcome! I think the reason most of us are here is because we are still working on how to eat and live to be our personal best. It’s a lifelong journey. You are in good company!

Glenn - Well done!

Medamoso - welcome!

VSF - SNAP meals for the win!

Moonlight - thank you for sharing the quote. I definitely need some more umph.

I hope I got everyone. Keep on keeping on.

Lindsey

[amandamechele]

Moonlight - That's the spirit! I love both of those inspirational quotes. Though we are still working on weight-loss triumph, consider yourself triumphant in dedication to this goal. The nighttime cravings-discomfort will fade, and stay in the background most of the time for as long as you abstain from reinforcing the night-time eating habit. Best wishes as you work on that particular sub-goal. It's a tough one, but well worth the effort if triumphant!

Mark - Nice loss and congratulations on sticking to being caffeine-free. Feeling tired but happy with yourself is a good way to end the week. (I managed to not go back to my green-tea...so I'm also feeling tired but happy. I'm beginning to wonder if the tiredness is really a plea for more sleep and not more caffeine...LOL) I'm glad this first appointment went smoothly and progress is being made towards a diagnosis.

Idgie - Your week sounds like one from the silver linings playbook. Nice loss and I hope you are on the mend. What's your favourite way to prepare a sweet potato? Your talk of lentils had me remembering this delicious lentil/sweet potato recipe that I had once at a potluck. I think it was something like this one. (Maybe it had less salt than that...or at least I hope it did, that's a lot of salt)

Stephanie - You totally didn't say it in a disparaging way. My comment was in response to your awesome can-do attitude. There's nothing you can't do with the right attitude and you keep proving that to me. It's going great; I mentioned above I've had a successful week drinking teeccino and hot lemon water. Still feeling quite tired by the end of the day...but I guess this is what happens without the external stimulants. It's been interesting because I didn't think I was using so much caffeine that I would feel it so much (I used 2 heaping tsps of tea leaves a day in 2 pots of tea). I guess I was wrong. I'm glad you have had success staying away from coffee. It sounds like you've made some good progress this week with your 50/50 plate goal. How many lunch/dinners would you say you were able to succeed? Any consistent situational snags?

Medamoso - Hi and welcome! I hope you travel with us for a bit. We are all here just trying to get each week a bit closer to the MWL guidelines. Some people do best jumping right in at 100%, and many others like to make small changes, one at a time and reinforce them until they become a habit. I'd love to hear more about how you came to be here, if you wish to share (no worries if you don't).

Yay Glenn! - You must be making some consistently good choices. Keep up the great work.

Stacey - Hi and Welcome. You are very welcome to post each week with a zero loss. If you think posting your measurement progress would help you with accountability, please do so - I just won't be able to tally it into the group chart because I can't think of a way to make apples into oranges...LOL. But, we will all be here to cheer on your successes and be a shoulder for the tougher weeks. I have found eating well, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, and exercise can be great for my mental well-being and hopefully yours too. I'm glad you are finding what works best for you through trial and error, keep up the good work. Remember there are many other resources in your own community too (psychologist, family doc, etc), if you ever feel so down and exasperated by this struggle and your changes in dietary inputs have not quite had the desired effect. I live in a mixed-food household, as I like to call it, and it has been a very long process of change for me and my family. Almost 10 years of learning, applying, slipping up, trying again, having some success, backsliding a bit, having more success...it has kind of looked like this:

I am lucky to have my spouse's support, but that was an evolution as well, which took me getting very serious about following the guidelines in order for him to realize this wasn't just another half-hearted try. When someone who loves you sees you absolutely giving your all to something, even if it's not going perfectly, they can't help but want to support you and help you and cheer you on. Keep on working towards better adherence to the MWL guidelines, if that is your goal, and you will eventually convince all of the naysayers about how serious that you are. I'm glad you will be joining us, this can absolutely improve how you feel about yourself. Best wishes this coming week.

Marilyn - Way to get through the grocery gauntlet! It sounds like you also realized a weak spot in the plan and can now remedy it. Don't get too hungry without ample starchy goodness nearby. I'm happy to hear that you've found a book with some great strategies to help you with the application aspect of eating this way. Find every little trick that you can and use it! You will do well this week!

Lindsey - Sending you a hug (I giggled at your stumble off plan, not in a judge-y way, but in a I-totally-have-made brownie-batter-for-that-reason sort of way)! Oh, and thank you for the hot lemon water suggestion...it is becoming a fast favourite for the mornings on the run.

[Svenja]

Good Morning!

Sorry that I didn't show up last week ...
A friend of mine died at age 49 from a heart attack. Overweight, no exercise and a big love for rich and fatty food.
I was very sad. We used to serve together on a ship.

But I still managed to eat right most of the time and can report a loss of 2 pounds for the last two weeks. I am very happy about this ...
2,5 pounds to go for this years weight loss goal!

Here, northern Germany, the summer is definitely over .... very, very sad! It's raining with 10°C and I have to get back to more indoor exercise.

Have a great weekend everyone!
Svenja.

[moonspirit]

Hi everybody,

Per usual, thanks to all for being so real here. This weigh-in group has come to mean a lot to me.

I'm down 1.5 lbs this week to 164.1. Yesterday, I tried on a pair of jeans that I had almost forgotten about, and they fit comfortably - no tightness. I wore them yesterday and felt sexy all day. I haven't felt that way in a very long time.

Welcome to the new people! Stacey, I want to reply to you because I have also struggled with a lack of support from my partner in the past.

When we met, I was vegan and at my goal weight. After we started dating, I started eating some of the things he was eating. Over the course of about a year or so, I gained about 15 lbs. My partner is naturally thin and can eat whatever he wants without gaining weight. He was not happy about my weight gain, though I was far from fat at that point. He said some hurtful things; he also felt betrayed. I let him know how hurtful his comments were, and for a while he couldn't really hear me about that.

Over the next 8 years, as I started working full time again and was also going through peri-menopause, I gained about 40 more lbs and then leveled out at about 185. I shared my struggle with him, and he could see me trying many different types of plans and exercise. He became more accepting and discovered that he could be attracted to me despite my extra weight. I had told him long ago that being critical just made me want to hide from him, and that it was not a motivation. Instead, I would feel depressed and hopeless, which made it harder to do what I needed to do to be healthy. I enlisted him in going for hikes; he could see how my asthma made things harder. I had a health scare last fall (a pulmonary embolism); my asthma was also getting worse. This spring my blood pressure started going up. I decided to return to the one thing that had worked for me in the past: low-fat plant-based eating. He is not eating that way exclusively, but eats what I make and then supplements. He keeps his junk food and high-fat foods out of sight, and I didn't even have to ask. Even as I am losing weight, he does not bring it up (because I think he now knows instinctively that this needs to be about me, not him). But I share my successes with him, and I know he's happy for me.

We've been together 13 years. At first, I settled for neutral - just having him refrain from being negative about my weight. Eventually, it stopped being as much of an issue for him internally. I kept pointing out that it was my body and my relationship with my body, and that I needed it to not be about him. I was in denial for many years about being able to eat more mainstream food. I know now that I can't do that. He understands now that my body is different than his. He is proud of me, and happy that I'm doing something that works for me. He doesn't tease me about my food choices; he doesn't disparage my efforts. He is glad that I'm feeling better about myself.

It wasn't overnight. I just kept drawing that boundary that Idgie was talking about. Also, inviting him to see me more deeply. Many men (and women) in this culture have been poisoned by the images we see of airbrushed models and actresses in the media. People whose livelihoods revolve around being fit and beautiful. They make it look easy. They make it look like you can eat anything and still be fit, and that anyone who isn't fit must be just gorging themselves. It's all a myth, and much easier to maintain when young than when middle aged. We need to allow each other the space to be human. To find our own self-acceptance. It is so hard to do that when others are berating you, strengthening your inner critic. It's just so counterproductive. Anyone who is fat knows that they are fat. We don't need to be told. And we certainly don't need our self-critics to be reinforced.

As far as tweaking your diet, you might look at Jeff Novick's video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CdwWliv7Hg) on calorie density, and the strategies he has for lowering it (eating your veggies first; increasing your veggie-to-starch ratio; etc).

I wish you the best of luck. I have found this group to be so supportive, and I have never seen anyone berated for going at their own pace here. We're here when things are good for you, and we're also here if you have an off week or three. We've all been there.

[moonlight]

Hi everyone! I’m down 1 lb. this week and so proud of it!! No night-time eating for the last couple of days. I’ve exercised 2 mornings in a row. I’m focusing on a point made by Dr. Liam about the10 common mistakes people make when trying to change behaviors. Focusing on the outcome instead of the habit. I’ve started thinking about developing the habit of morning exercise. I want to do just that every morning when I wake up. 30 minutes of exercise.

Amy, thank you for keeping us all on track and providing such awesome food for thought (haha). I LOVE the graph of the journey with the straight path and reality. It reminds me of something Lyndzie said about models and thin people. How it looks so easy to be and stay thin. However, in reality, I would guess that most models struggle with keeping that thin physique. We really don’t see what’s under the layers unless we take the time to understand, as in an understanding and caring partner or friend.

Welcome Stacy, Medamoso, and Belcimo! This is an awesome supportive group! I look forward to hearing about your journey.

Svenja, I’m sorry to hear about your friend. 49 is such a young age to die.… Congratulations on keeping to your goals.

Lyndzie, thank you for sharing your Nutella and brownie story. I find it hard to admit those frustrating times but then it feels so good to get back on track. Congrats for throwing out the brownies!

Marilyn, congrats on your dedication to exercise and working this diet plan. We must just keep trying and finding what works best. I think being aware of the triggers and reflecting on the mistakes and going forward, rather than giving up, is what helps us figure it out. I ordered the Beck book from Amazon. Too cheap to pay for faster shipping. I’m looking forward to reading it whenever it shows up.

Glenn and Stephanie, congrats on your weight loss!! Woot Woot! I really appreciated developing a habit around the 50/50 veggies-to-starch ratio for meals. Now, my meals don’t feel complete w/o the veggies.

Idgie, congrats on the nice weight loss!! Congrats on tossing the crackers. I’ve been loving sweet potatoes, too. I love lentils, too. I think that will be my soup of the week. Having barley mushroom soup saved me several times this week. When I’m so hungry I don’t feel like I can wait for the microwave to cook my potato, I start with soup and it really calms me down. Glad you are feeling better.

Mark, congrats on the super weight loss and successful elimination of coffee. I really want to do the same with the coffee but I feel I’m struggling so much with my diet, I couldn’t add another stressor.. Glad you’ve found some answers to your health issues. You are definitely on the best diet you could be on to help your body heal.

I wish everyone a stress-free MWL compliant week!!

[amandamechele]

Hi All!

Congratulations on another completed week of working your program. Thank you to everyone who weighed in.

I want to send a shout out to the maintainers in the group and those following along silently who have met their goals but recognize the need for constant vigilance in order to protect your hard-won losses. By keeping your health in an important position on life's to-do list you will continue to succeed.



The National Weight Loss Registry is an ongoing study following the results of over 10,000 people who have taken off weight and successfully kept it off for a longer than average period of time. We can learn a lot from the ongoing success of these individuals:
Wikipedia also summarizes more information here.



Best wishes this week and always keep learning...about what the evidence tells you works and about what your body tells you works. Those two sources of information will be your best guides on your weight-loss journey.

Amy XO


Here are the results for the second week in September:

Next Weigh-In is on Friday, September 21st, 2018

Total group loss reported in 2018: 432.91 pounds

September 2018 Weight Loss Group :: Monthly Weigh-In Results
Total group loss in January 2018: 54.7 pounds
Total group loss in February 2018: 49.3 pounds
Total group loss in March 2018: 52.5 pounds
Total group loss in April 2018: 26.9 pounds
Total group loss in May 2018: 50.8 pounds
Total group loss in June 2018: 54.3 pounds
Total group loss in July 2018: 50.3 pounds
Total group loss in August 2018: 73.85 pounds
Total group loss in September 2018: 20.26 pounds

Week ending 09/14/2018: 13 participants reported a total loss of 9.8 pounds
---------------------------------------
Squealcat - 2.8
Lyndzie - 0.4
Amandamechele - 1.2
---------------------------------------
Total gains: 4.4
--------------------------------------
Mark Cooper - 3.3
Idgie - 4.8
VegSeekingFit - 0.6
Medamoso - 0.0
GlennR - 1.0
Stacey - 0.0
Svenja - 2.0
Moonspirit - 1.5
Moonlight - 1.0
Rosey - 0.0
---------------------------------------------
Total losses: 14.2
---------------------------------------------

Total group loss in September 2018: 20.26 pounds
Week ending 09/14/2018: 13 participants reported a total loss of 9.8 pounds
Week ending 09/07/2018: 13 participants reported a total loss of 10.46 pounds

(Edited to add a participant)

[Jobet]

Amy, I'm taking a break from reporting in, but just wanted to let you know I always read and look forward to your weekly encouragements in this thread.

[squealcat]

Amy: LOVE your diagrams of what we plan to do and what is reality !! It speaks to me because I always want to do everything perfectly and want my path to be without bumps. I think that is why I had given up so many times. This time I decided to learn about those bumps in the road and maybe get better at jumping over them or going around them.

I just got up to date on all that everyone is doing and thinking about. You are all so encouraging and I feel so uplifted by all the positive thoughts and actions ! I feel like you are all friends of mine and I also really care about all of you even though we will never meet.

-Marilyn (squealcat)