December 2018 McDougall Weigh In Thread

[Yomom]

I am minus one for 146#.
This time next week our house will be overflowing with guests, and I will be cooking many SAD meals for them, along with McDougall-compliant foods for me. I am so excited to welcome our dear family, but as a McDougaller and an introvert, the holidays will be tough, as usual.
Kathy

[amandamechele]

Hi All!

It’s good to hear from everyone checking in so far.
I’ll chat more later.
Our power has been out for much of today so I’ve only had my phone to peak in here with, while conserving my charge (and recharging in the car when running errands). I’m happy to see some losses and I’m just as happy to have you check in when things haven’t gone according to plan. We’re only ever one meal away from doing better!

Talk to you all tomorrow night.

Amy xo

[lakeeriemom]

Super frustrated this weigh in... somehow I am up 8 pounds in less than a week. In fact, I didn't post yesterday because I was up 9 pounds and I was hoping it was just water weight. I still think it is but it is still mindblowing. It must be the store-bought tortilla chips. I normally make my own but we had them here from a party and I added them into my veggie soup that I made. (2 days in a row)

On a positive note, I am so much stronger now - stronger than I was a few months ago. (struggling with newly diagnosed autoimmune disease in May 2018) Now I am to the point that I started walking every day with some intermittent jogging, added some planks and squats just to start working on my muscle strength.

I am super stressed and I don't know if that can have an effect or not but I am working 3 jobs and starting a new one on Monday... I have nothing ready for Christmas to which I am hosting. UGH. I am a very positive person normally but I am very down on myself today. Holding up my world is weighing me down... literally.

I could use a word of encouragement and maybe some ideas to get rid of this water gain.

Thank you all for listening to my rant. I am hoping that by releasing it here... I can start today as a new day.

Amy D.

[Lyndzie]

Any D. - My weight can easily fluctuate with poor food choices, even seemingly small ones. A pint if water weighs roughly 1 lb, so to put a positive spin on it, you are just extra hydrated right now. It can take me days to drop a couple of those pounds, so keep on with the good food choices and you’ll see the scale move. Good luck with juggling everything! It sounds like you have a lot to manage, but are able to handle it.

[JeffN]

'if you do find such a thread, please share it as I'd love to join in!' and then I saw that Lindsey had shared the thread I created earlier this year LOL!

If someone wants to help facilitate such a thread (could be monthly or not), similar to how Amy facilities the MWL Weigh-In Thread, just let me know. You can send me a PM.

In Health
Jeff

[Idgie]

I've been mega-busy this week and not checking in as much as I'd like, but I'm going to take the weekend to catch up. I'm up 5 pounds this week, but I'm not taking this lying down. Fresh start today includes the idea that I need at least a year of 100% compliance before my next "day off" from it. However, if I do deviate from MWL, my only other option is supposed to be regular McD compliance, not the abysmal nonsense I've been eating this week. I know I'm under stress with the work stuff and the home stuff, but making my body sick isn't going to make the stress better.

Off to catch up on the threads. Thanks for being here, awesome people.

[lakeeriemom]

Lyndzie - Thank you!! I am already more inspired today.

[moonspirit]

Very quick post as I'm heading out the door: down 1.1 to 152.5. More later, I hope.

[ForestGoddess]

I haven't had time to read but I will later. Debated not checking in but...that would be giving in to the dark side! This week was not stellar eating,so I have to report a gain of .8 lbs...back where I started Another day.more choices....hopefully better ones!

[moonspirit]

I just got caught up on reading. Lol Lindsey on the fruit tree - that was hysterical.

I don't have a lot to add, but I just wanted to say once again how much this group means to me, even when I don't have a lot of time. It's just so human to share our struggles and victories here, and it has really helped me with compliance.

I do have a question: I've been feeling the itch to fast for 23 hours, just once a week (eat dinner one day and then have dinner the next day be my next meal). Mostly for the benefits of autophagy (the body's self cleanup system). Would I still be in compliance with the plan if I did this? I don't want to throw things off. I'd still be eating MWL foods, just fasting one day a week.

Thanks! And have a great week!

[amandamechele]

Hi All,

Well, we are in the thick of it now. LOL.
I love the holidays.
I love eating this way.
But boy oh boy can it be a challenge. Continue the great efforts and do what you can to keep your McDougalling a priority over the next couple of weeks... but in a reasonable way. Switching back and forth between the regular McDougall program and MWLing during holiday events can keep your weight stable, and add variety and novelty in a celebratory way without sending back into the Pleasure Trap.



Jeff posted a comment on Facebook recently that I wanted to share here because it speaks to what some of you may be feeling right now after a rough week, with two more on the books.

One of the main messages Dr Lisle speaks of, besides The Pleasure Trap, is the Ego trap. We all know the pleasure trap. The ego trap is when we set the bar too high (especially above and beyond what we know and have proven to work the best)
Quoting from Doug...

"The question becomes, does setting the bar very high win you more than it loses you?

I’m probably in the best position of anybody to guess. I’ve talked through the shame and the ego trap with probably 500 individuals. The ego trap is a huge influence here. Set the bar too high, and a huge percentage of people wander off and never return.

More potatoes, rice, beans in place of meat and dairy is a solid message, and may permanently alter habits more effectively than Salt and Sugar (free).

Flexible results in greater net benefit. Better to have sustained improvement than embarrassing and frustrating incapability.

It is a fine empirical question, unanswerable by theory. It comes down to the inverse relationship between the pleasure trap and the ego trap. I believe the optimal solution is likely in compromise. "

From my perspective, having spend as much if not more time then anyone else other than Doug in counseling patients over the last 3 decades in this way of life, the Ego Trap is way more powerful then The Pleasure Trap. We can avoid "hyper" palatable foods and we can learn new behaviors and habits and we can overcome cravings. However, we can never overcome biology or escape our ego's.

I share this because I just wanted to let you all know that they get it. Dr. McDougall and his staff have worked with so many people and know how hard this is. They want you to succeed by coming back, again and again, until you reach your goal. Overcoming your natural desires to seek out calorically dense foods can be difficult. Add in a holiday or two... more difficult. Add in all the mental baggage that surrounds publicly sharing a rough week on a weigh-in forum and it's understandably easy to succumb to the desire to take time off until after the holidays.

Please continue to check in. Having that tiny agreement with yourself could influence small choices and keep you doing just slightly better than you would have done otherwise.

Best wishes to all and to all a good night!

Amy XO

PS. For more info on the original context of Dr. Lisle's quote and Jeff's comments see here. It was from a discussion about added salt and sugar.

PPS. I'm sure this is posted all over the website but I'm sharing it too. Here's Dr. McDougall and Dr. Barnard in the most recent McDougall Webinar.

Here are the results for the 2nd week in December:

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

Total group loss reported in 2018: 500.88 pounds

December 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: 44.06 pounds
Total group loss in October 2018: 30.9 pounds
Total group loss in November 2018: 18.47 pounds
Total group loss in December 2018: -5.3 pounds

Week ending 12/14/2018: 14 participants reported a total loss of -5.4 pounds
---------------------------------------
Starbright831 - 1.0
Lakeeriemom - 8.0
Idgie - 5.0
ForestGoddess - 0.8
---------------------------------------
Total gains: 14.8
--------------------------------------
Svenja - 5.0
Starchyme - GOAL!
Lyndzie - 0.2
Anne57 - 0.0
Arewethereyet - 1.8
Rosey - 0.0
Yomom - 1.0
Moonspirit - 1.1
Amandamechele - 0.3
Moonlight - 0.0
---------------------------------------------
Total losses: 9.4
---------------------------------------------

Total group loss in December 2018: -5.3 pounds
Week ending 12/07/2018: 13 participants reported a total loss of 0.1 pounds
Week ending 12/14/2018: 14 participants reported a total loss of -5.4 pounds

[amandamechele]

Moonlight - XO. I know how you feel, really I do. I admire that you continue to check in, no matter what. Weigh or don't weigh, you can figure out what feels best for the time being. I hope this week is going a bit better, your plan is a good one; just get back to the basics.

Thank you, Amy! I wondered if it would be okay to check in on a thread titled Weigh-In. My attitude about my diet has improved significantly since last week, thank goodness! I'm back on track with my daily eating plan. I'm eating WW oat cereal and soymilk, though. Not on MWL plan but better than the alternatives of last week. Hopefully, I'll be able to wean myself off that for an evening snack real soon. My plan is to start weighing again in January. I will weigh the week before the first monthly weigh-in for January so I can start anew. Thank you for your support.

Moonlight,

Best wishes and I hope this week has gotten progressively better for you.
Weigh in when you feel ready and keep doing what your doing...baby stepping back towards feeling in more control. XO

Amy

[amandamechele]

Svenja - It is going to be awesome, I'm very excited for you!! You've been diligently plugging away at this and your progress has motivated many people following it. A healthy weight next year is a very realistic goal, you've totally got this.

Starchyme, congratulations!! Lindsey linked Sue's thread, and it is a great place to meet for support. Also, you are more than welcome to post here too, if you find checking in (whether weighing or not) helpful for accountability. We're all McDougalling! Have you considered writing about your success for the Testimonials and Success Stories Board?

Moonlight - My apologies, I somehow missed that you checked in...I'll add you to the tally. I must have been scanning for numbers. I'm glad you did, I was sad when I took your name off the list yesterday (even though I knew you were coming back for January).

Anne - How wonderful to have you back...there is definitely room for one more! Congratulations on your remission, may I ask, what does NAFLD stand for? MWL sounds like the perfect match for you.

Arewethereyet - Good grooves are the best! They are the place we all aspire to be, where eating this way feels natural and easier than usual. Keep up the great efforts, the closer to adherence one stays, the deeper that groove will get as Dr. Lisle has talked about in a number of webinars. I certainly don't mind sounding like a broken record player in this instance...LOL!

Hi Sue, don't be a stranger, we love when you stop by.

Dea - Sorry to hear about the slight gain, but it can happen for no reason at all sometimes. Best wishes this week.

Rosey - Da-na-na-na nana they say it's your birthday! I hope have a great day and have a wonderful week full of celebrations and healthy food!

Kathy - I completely know how you feel. XO. I love the smells, the music, the conversations happening all around for a certain amount of time and then I equally love the quiet afterwards...once I've cleaned up...LOL. Good luck this week. Enjoy yourself and keep lots of healthy choices ready and waiting.

Amy D. - I'm so glad you are feeling stronger, and hopefully your change in diet will /or has greatly improved your autoimmune disease symptoms. With regards to the added weight this week...let's see what next week brings; by just following the plan as it is laid out the water weight will come off. Your schedule sounds slammingly busy, and hopefully you will find some enjoyment in it too. If you're cooking a meal for family that is not MWL, I recommend having lots of chopped fruit, veggies and pre made potatoes on hand to munch on while you make all that stuff. Also, you can keep your food very simple in order to not add any extra things to your to do list. If you plan on making a McDougall style feast, check out the October 2011 Newsletter for some ideas.

Idgie - Great image...I picture you jumping into action... right into the kitchen. It may be a bit of a struggle this week, if you've fallen into the pleasure trap, but you've pulled out of it before and can totally do it again.

Becca - Wonderful, consistent effort and losses! Have a great week.

ForestGoddess - I'm glad you decided to check in. Thank you! You are doing the exact right thing by just getting back on track. Mitigate the damage, quickly, that's the best thing to do. But also, be kind to yourself this week, it has the potential to be extra tricky if you celebrate any holidays. You can do it!

Becca (again) - Though fasting isn't a part of MWL, you are more than welcome to continue to be a part of this group, even if you do it. We all get curious as we achieve the health benefits that eating this way bestows about whether or not there is more out there to get (well, maybe not everybody, but I know I did too). Jeff has a few threads talking about the research behind fasting that I highly recommend reading through. I have done it and don't regret it, but would be remiss if I didn't say it isn't necessary to do, for most people, in order to reach their goals. It can also introduce risk if you struggle with bingeing or cramming, so please keep that in mind if you have ever had that kind of issue. All that being said, I love hearing how you are doing, so please keep us posted about what you decide to do.
Fasting, IF, Time Restricted Eating & Juice Fasting
Fasting Question
Reflecting on the 5:2 Diet and IF
Eating Between Meals & Meal Frequency
Jane Brody's Personal Secrets to Lasting Weight Loss

[Rosey]

Rosey - Da-na-na-na nana they say it's your birthday! I hope have a great day and have a wonderful week full of celebrations and healthy food!

Laugh Thanks. Yep it's my birthday. I did stick to mainly McDougall and all of it was vegan. A friend that also follows this way of eating made me dinner Saturday night and nice cream and we ate air popped popcorn and watched Christopher Robin. Was a blast. The husbands were with too. laugh. Got to include them. Then this morning wasn't quite as good because we went to The Space restaurant with my cousin and her son and had GF Waffles that really didn't meet McDougall but were Vegan. Hopefully I get back on track enough rest of week that it doesn't affect my weigh in.

[anne57]

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