June 2019 McDougall Weigh In Thread

[sirdle]

Very physically demanding week at work plus maybe a little dehydrated...

2.8 lbs loss

... I'm off to Germany for 3 weeks, where I'll most likely gain a gazillion pounds , but I'll do my best to eat standard McDougall (but not MWL). Hopefully it won't be too bad, as we will be doing a lot of walking...

Sirdle - Thank you, your synopsis has me really wanting to read the book now. That protagonist sounds like a wonderful example that any young girl (and middle-aged woman like me) would be proud to emulate.

Such is the power of Pierce's writing, that I think any young boy (or middle-aged man ) would be proud to emulate her heroines, too!

Cheers,

[Belana]

Hi MWL,
No weight loss for me this week. I'm afraid it'll be very difficult for me to get leaner from where I am, but I'm not stopping or giving up.
I've got 4.5 lbs left to go.
Weight: 106.5
Loss: 0 lbs.

[laurag]

hey again I was here before but I am back five pounds heavier no biggie I know right where to go, I really did love this forum and the program and I am looking forward to being back. I just lost my Mom in Law who was an amazing part of my life and My husband and I have some huge life changes coming up. I think I want to be part of a positive direction and I am tired of food making me beat myself up. I just want to do this right and give it my best so I can create this new world with out Susan here with us but she will always be a huge part of my life. sorry I am using u all as therapy but everyone was so nice here thanku people.
My weigh in is 155

[amandamechele]

Midnight - You’re still losing, so you are making a lot of good choices. Here is a bit of inspiration from Dr. Esselstyn to get the oil out of your diet. LOL. I love it when he yells No Oil!. He just doesn’t seem like the yelling type which is what makes it so endearing. Here is a wonderful recent interview between Dr. McDougall and him, as well. You will see the weight drop, keep up the good work.

ShortnSweet - That’s a solid loss! You are still in this. Best wishes making continued good choices. The better the adherence, the better the losses, but just do your best; meaning keep yourself comfortably full with meals of wet starches, veggies, legumes and fruit. The weight will come off - as you have experienced. Re-losing weight that you have recently lost and gained back can put a bit of urgency in your head that may work against you. You may feel like this weight loss doesn’t count because you already did it last year and it may not feel as inspiring or exciting because you are not traversing new ground, so to speak. Be very proud of every single pound down because they all take effort and dedication and planning - whether you lost that same pound once or 10 times. Best wishes this week!!

Sirdle - That’s a bit loss, congrats! Enjoy your travels. What will you be visiting? Is this a vacation?

Belana - You are so close! I’m so proud of your determination. You can do this.

Laura - I’m glad you’re back. I’m very sorry to hear about your mother-in-law. It is so hard to lose someone very close to you. There will always be a small hole in your heart that will ache when something reminds you of her. Hold onto all of the good memories you can, they will have you smiling through the tears when you think of her. XO.
Hopefully we can help you negotiate with that Lil Angel you mentioned months back, that loves food so much, because I don’t want you beating yourself up about this. It’s difficult, especially at first. Pull out all of the stops this week. Clean out your cupboards of any junk or tempting highly-palatable foods. Pick 2-3 recipes that you remember loving from January and February. Chop up the fruits and veggies in your fridge and have them ready for snacking and steaming. Bake a whole bunch of potatoes, keep your rice cooker full. This is your time to re-focus on you. Best wishes this week.

[moonlight]

Hi everyone,

I’m out of town and can’t weigh this week. I’ve been staying with my mother at a hospital and now back at her home. I found some good food at the hospital, mostly salads and cooked vegetables, but mostly with oil. At my mother’s I’ve been compliant until this middle of the night eating binge.? I’ve been eating ice cream and pimento and cheese spread that’s been staring st me every time I open the refrigerator. I hope I don’t continue tomorrow night. I’m staying until Tuesday!! If you feel like sending me strength to stay strong and compliant, it would be greatly appreciated!! Tomorrow is a new day!!!

Laura, I’m so sorry for your loss. I hope you can find comfort and peace in knowing your MIL lives on through you and all the others she touched with her kindness. I hope you can stay strong to the MWL plan. It will provide a healthy foundation on which to approach your difficult times ahead. XO

Amy, thank you for your support. I won’t give up! Mainly, support like yours keeps me wanting to try to get this right. It gives me the energy and hope needed to just do my best as often as I can!

I wish everyone great success this week!

[laurag]

thank you so much for the amazing kindness .... I am very touched that I am remembered here and the help with everything is truly appreciated .. for food stuff I wrote down all the advice for the week it will keep me grounded

for moonlight Sorry you are having health issues with your mom I know its really hard , hang in there, I totally get the draw to pimiento cheese spread lol I will not give in tonight either, my thing is to snack on everything after dinner so let us both succeed it will be hard but it will pass and we will feel amazing in the morning knowing we did good

[amandamechele]

Hi Everyone,

Thank you so much for checking in. I truly enjoy hearing how things are going and feel quite lucky to get to follow your progress while you work towards a new you, each and every week.

For this week’s recommended viewing, I suggest binge-watching the McDougall program staff psychologist’s lectures. I consider Dr. Doug Lisle’s talks required viewing for anyone who has struggled with the weight loss process, has a tendency to yo-yo up and down the scale, or for those who just can’t stay on track long enough to experience any progress. Quite honestly, everyone will enjoy them and could gain insight on what can feel like self-destructive eating behaviour, learn strategies to navigate your own personality and tricky social situations.

This is my preferred order for viewing them, if you are new to his work:
The Pleasure Trap What guides our food acquisition behaviour?
Losing Weight Without Losing Your Mind Why are there weight problems in the world and why are human, dogs and cats the only species that become overweight or obese?
Getting Along Without Going Along What is the best way to answer questions from loved ones about the changes you are making?
The Perfect Personality - Why do some people find adopting a new dietary lifestyle easier than others?
The Cram Circuit - Why do you often feel the urge to eat late in the evenings, after already having had dinner?
Emotional Eating Part 1 and Part 2 - Do we overeat for emotional reasons, like past trauma, and can food be addictive?
Explaining of the Ego Trap: Part 1 and Part 2 - Why can striving for perfection sometimes backfire and how can you ensure this doesn’t happen to you?

There are many many more lectures out there if you enjoy this kind of thing, try searching YouTube. I like to watch/listen while doing my food prep or while out for a walk.

Best wishes for the coming week!

Amy XO.

Here are the results for the second week in June:

Next Weigh-In is on Friday, June 21st, 2019

Total group loss reported in 2019: 304.62 pounds

June 2019 Weight Loss Group :: Monthly Weigh-In Results
Total group loss in January 2019: 140.53 pounds
Total group loss in February 2019: 78.64 pounds
Total group loss in March 2019: 7.4 pounds
Total group loss in April 2019: 33.55 pounds
Total group loss in May 2019: 38.2 pounds
Total group loss in June 2019: 6.3 pounds

Week ending 06/14/2019: 6 participants reported a total loss of 4.3 pounds
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
Total gains: 0.0
--------------------------------------
Midnight87 - 0.8
ShortnSweet - 0.7
Sirdle - 2.8
Belana - 0.0
LauraG - 0.0
Moonlight - 0.0
---------------------------------------------
Total losses: 4.3
---------------------------------------------

Total group loss in June 2019: 6.3 pounds
Week ending 06/14/2019: 6 participants reported a total loss of 4.3 pounds
Week ending 06/07/2019: 15 participants reported a total loss of 2.0 pounds

[amandamechele]

Hi everyone,

I’m out of town and can’t weigh this week. I’ve been staying with my mother at a hospital and now back at her home. I found some good food at the hospital, mostly salads and cooked vegetables, but mostly with oil. At my mother’s I’ve been compliant until this middle of the night eating binge.? I’ve been eating ice cream and pimento and cheese spread that’s been staring st me every time I open the refrigerator. I hope I don’t continue tomorrow night. I’m staying until Tuesday!! If you feel like sending me strength to stay strong and compliant, it would be greatly appreciated!! Tomorrow is a new day!!!

Laura, I’m so sorry for your loss. I hope you can find comfort and peace in knowing your MIL lives on through you and all the others she touched with her kindness. I hope you can stay strong to the MWL plan. It will provide a healthy foundation on which to approach your difficult times ahead. XO

Amy, thank you for your support. I won’t give up! Mainly, support like yours keeps me wanting to try to get this right. It gives me the energy and hope needed to just do my best as often as I can!

I wish everyone great success this week!

XO. Keep wanting it.

I hope your mom is doing ok? How did tonight go? I’m up late tonight too...surrounded by junk (we are hosting a post-prom party). I have managed to not eat a single bit of junk food and have stayed MWL compliant I am proud to say. I wasn’t even going to bring it up, but I feel my resolve being challenged the longer I am around it, so this is a personal accountability post for me too.

You can do this. If you wake up and want to eat, post a message here. No one may answer (depending on the time), but it could be just enough of a stop to give you time to think before you eat. It’s worth a shot! XOXO

Amy

[amandamechele]

thank you so much for the amazing kindness .... I am very touched that I am remembered here and the help with everything is truly appreciated .. for food stuff I wrote down all the advice for the week it will keep me grounded

for moonlight Sorry you are having health issues with your mom I know its really hard , hang in there, I totally get the draw to pimiento cheese spread lol I will not give in tonight either, my thing is to snack on everything after dinner so let us both succeed it will be hard but it will pass and we will feel amazing in the morning knowing we did good

XO. Stay grounded, you can do this. If you struggle with consistently eating after dinner, even when already full, be sure to watch The Cram Circuit, which I posted above. It discusses this exact issue and is so helpful.

You will feel so good about yourself if you can get through those cravings without giving in. And, as Dr. Lisle explains, they will begin to fade, the longer you do not indulge in post-dinner eating. It’s a habit that needs to be broken,is all.
Best wishes trying to break it! I hope it goes well.

Amy

[Shortnsweet]

“Re-losing weight that you have recently lost and gained back can put a bit of urgency in your head that may work against you. You may feel like this weight loss doesn’t count because you already did it last year and it may not feel as inspiring or exciting because you are not traversing new ground, so to speak. Be very proud of every single pound down because they all take effort and dedication and planning - whether you lost that same pound once or 10 times.“ —amandamichele

True. I feel like the weight I’m re-losing now doesn’t count. I wish I could fast forward to the 38-lb loss I had last year. It’s very frustrating.

I have also had a very weird/interesting week Becoming aware that my 14-year-old daughter who is 4‘11“ weighs 127 pounds. I remember when I was 16 I weighed 128 pounds. I’m 5’1”.

I look at her and try to imagine myself being her size and I can’t fathom it. I can’t picture it. I can’t believe it. I can’t visualize it. Honestly all I can think is that even if by some miracle I was able to get down into the 120s ( 100 pound loss) I fear that I would look disgusting because of all the flabby skin. So, there is one part of me that doesn’t believe it’s even possible and there’s another part of me that’s afraid of what I will look like if I do lose 100 lbs.

Sigh

[moonlight]

Laurag and Amy, thanks for the encouragement!! I'm doing better! Last night it was 5:00 AM before I had a little pimento cheese spread. And I didn't eat ice cream! I hope you both did well with your temptations. I do great during the day. I'm battling hot flashes which wake me up during the night, then the snack monster rears its ugly head! Argh!! But, I am really proud of myself for staying 95 - 98% MWL compliant while being at my mother's apartment. She is doing really well. She is 82 years young. She had a massive mass (Ha!) removed from her chest. It was pressing against her vocal folds, her esophagus and trachea, and her lungs. It was a critical situation. The surgeon was great. He got all of it and said it was benign and didn't think it would grow back. Some kind of freak thing... I am caring for her for a few days. I feel so good that I am able to stay with her and help her recover. We've been talking about diet. She was very healthy and active before moving to the retirement home. Their meals have too much fat. She gained 25 pounds in 3 years... Well, now she is ready to cook for herself and eat a healthier diet.

I've been walking every day and eating MWL everyday. There's no scales here so I hope my weight has been stable.

Amy, thanks for putting a link to Dr. Lisle's lectures. That was very kind of you. It's so nice to have a link for each one, all in the same place. I've never watched the emotional eating Part 1 and 2. I look forward to watching them all.

Shortnsweet, I get where you are coming from with the thoughts of can I do this and what about the skin issue. A couple of thoughts: 1) Yes, you can do this!! Just keep trying! You will fail only if you quit trying!! 2) I have some sagging skin but I'm much happier to be getting healthy than I am worried about the skin issue. I think those fears will evaporate as you lose weight. Chin up

[amandamechele]

True. I feel like the weight I’m re-losing now doesn’t count. I wish I could fast forward to the 38-lb loss I had last year. It’s very frustrating.

I have also had a very weird/interesting week Becoming aware that my 14-year-old daughter who is 4‘11“ weighs 127 pounds. I remember when I was 16 I weighed 128 pounds. I’m 5’1”.

I look at her and try to imagine myself being her size and I can’t fathom it. I can’t picture it. I can’t believe it. I can’t visualize it. Honestly all I can think is that even if by some miracle I was able to get down into the 120s ( 100 pound loss) I fear that I would look disgusting because of all the flabby skin. So, there is one part of me that doesn’t believe it’s even possible and there’s another part of me that’s afraid of what I will look like if I do lose 100 lbs.

Sigh

ShortnSweet,
I know how you feel. XO. Restart the counter where you are now. Aim for a 1 pound a week loss. This is what can reliably happen with good adherence (vs very good or excellent adherence). By aiming for 1 pound, it will be much easier to exceed expectations periodically and feed your soul with extra motivation. Make plans to take 100 weeks to lose this weight. Let that be the goal, if you need a timeline at all. It is very realistic and thus a good bet.

Have you been overweight for a long time? My BMI ranged between 38-43 from the age of 17.5 to 40 years old. So I understand not being able to picture what you would look like. I want to share with you a couple of my photos because I want you to believe its very possible for you. The belief isn’t enough to get you to your goal, but it is great for getting things going. Here are some pictures of my progress:

BMI of 43 and an unfortunate haircut in 2006:


June 2015 at a 10-Day Program: 204 pounds


This picture is after a short stay at True North Health Centre in 2017. I got to around a 24 BMI while staying there, for the first time in my adult life. It felt great, but was fleeting.


I’m up about 20-25 pounds since that time. I’ve settled into a certain equilibrium and it is fairly stable (this is relative - for someone whose weight has been the same their whole life a 15 pound range would not seem stable, but for a lifetime yo-yo dieter with historically large gains after losses this is not too bad).

2019 and 20 pounds heavier than in 2017:


I’m aiming for more weight loss, but haven’t been quite able to get there yet. It will happen, with continued effort and education. The effort will forestall backslide (weight gain) during less motivated times and the education will forestall despair/negative affect during the less motivated times. Jeff Novick likes to remind me to remember how far I’ve come.

I’ve been McDougalling for a number of years now. I cannot claim to be the best example of how to reach your goals, just an example. Many have come and conquered and then moved on and I’m really happy for them. Their success does not demean other people’s struggles and it does not mean one cannot be successful using the guidelines provided by the program in alternate ways.

You will find your footing and walk the path in the best way to suit your life’s circumstances and your personality.

With regards to flabby and hanging skin: I’ve got it, and tons to spare...LOL. It, and many many stretch marks are my battle wounds. Some people will fair better than others in this regard. I figure it’s one of those things that there isn’t a need to be concerned about at your stage in the game. What will be, will be.
You will love whatever the new you turns out to look like because of how hard you worked to get there.

This turned out to be a bit longer and free-form than I wanted, but I’m going to leave it as is. All I’m trying to say is please don’t give up on yourself. Not having a historical personal template to refer to can make your goal feel more uncertain but that doesn’t mean you can’t get somewhere better than you are now.

Amy


PS. I’m not quite 5’1 myself, with a daughter of the same age (surprisingly). We have some things in common.

[Shortnsweet]

Hi Amy,
Thank you so much! I LOVE the idea of a 100-week plan. I made a spreadsheet and 100-weeks and plotted 1 lb loss/wk to April 30, 2021.

Interestingly, when I restarted this, I had the thought that it would take 2-years (Dr. Lim also told me that last year). I had the idea to treat this like a 2-year education program. Lots of people go back to school to get Master's degrees (not me because 4-years of college was enough), but OTHER people do it and I could think of it like that. 2-year investment in my education and health.

When you post links to stuff for us to read/watch I add that to my 'lesson plan' and check them off as I complete them.

Anyway, thanks for the pep talk. And, thank you for posting pictures. That definitely helps make it more tangible, relatable and seem attainable.

[laurag]

img

[Lyndzie]

Amy, you are the best! You inspire me so much!!