January 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

[rlechols]

1/31/2020 Weight: 165.5 (loss of 2.0 lbs)
Goal weight: 150 lbs
Total lost for January: 6 lbs (started at 171.5)

I did really well this week, followed all the MWL rules, but especially paid attention to eating smaller portions, and not waiting to stop until I felt full. I got hung up without any weight loss for 12 days in the middle of the month, even though I was exercising 5 days a week and following the rules. I am down to needing to lose the last 20 lbs and things are definitely getting harder. So anyway, this week I tried to eat slower, and less, and stop eating early. No eating after 7pm either. Doing that definitely budged things along. A couple of times I felt a little empty by bedtime but just went to bed. Otherwise I wasn't overly hungry, maybe just barely satisfied. Continuing shouldn't be a problem but it does take a lot of mindfulness.

I have been exercising on the treadmill (weather outside is awful) and this week I switched it up by slowing down the speed and really ramping up the incline so it is closer to climbing. It's a very good workout. Once it becomes easy I will switch it up again.

I'm looking forward to the February weigh ins and am planning on trying to add some upper body weights/toning to my exercise regimen.

[chaz01]

Weight Change = -3.2lbs for the week! (-13.2 lbs for the month).

MWL Checklist where I succeeded...

2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, filling half your plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50% (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches. Choose fruit for dessert.
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts too. If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood)
6. Eliminate any added oil.
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).

MWL Checklist need greater attention...

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. - My goal is to cut up some salad vegetables and pre-wash some lettuce to make having a daily salad more manageable, but didn't get a chance this week.
And it wasn't even that good. But other than that, I've done pretty good with my diet choices this week.
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy) - Minimized this area, but can't say I "eliminated" all.
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (i.e. bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit. - I had to come up with an emergency dinner earlier this week and ended up settling on take-out pizza. I got it without cheese and loaded with vegetables, but the pizza crust itself would count as bread area.
8. Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). - Hard for me to eliminate. I've been drinking ice tea for lunch, mixing the unsweetened tea with the sweetened version.

Solid week for me, both at the eating and exercise level. I'm certainly not perfect, but I'm really pleased with my consistency that I've had, not just this week, but for the entire month. As for exercise, I've succeeded in getting a workout in (even if it's only walking 1 mile) every single day this month. I have a fitness app that I use to track my distance, and it says I have 111km (69 miles) for the month. To put that in perspective, my app says last year I have 105km -- for the entire year! So in one month, and the coldest month with the some of the shortest days at that, I've managed to exceed my exercise output for the entire 2019 calendar year.

I know that might sound like a lot, and I guess it is for most people, but I'm certainly no athlete and I'm still getting used to getting all these miles (I've yet to break a 16 minute mile, even when jogging, which is incredibly slow. Most of you can walk faster than I can run). When you spread that distance over an entire month, it's really only a little more than 1-2 miles a day, so it hasn't been something terribly difficult. The key for me is committing to doing at least 1 mile every day. Sometimes I'm up to doing more, but I'm committing to getting at least that 1 mile in.

It sounds corny, but I'm reminded of the old fable of the tortoise and the hare. Even though the hare is much faster, the tortoise keeps trudging along and his consistent effort gets him to the finish line before his more skilled opponent. Well this year, I am the tortoise!

[squealcat]

This was a good week for me !

Down 2.2 pounds !!

What worked: I didn't eat out this week and enjoyed every bite of what I ate at home. I kept it simple with potatoes, brown rice, sweet potatoes for my starch, a large salad with lots of raw veggies each lunch time, a soup rich in veggies with some whole wheat pasta added in. Exercise was also in the mix as I hit the gym 5 days.

Not much that was tough. Had a couple of snacky moments but tried to just eat a potato and my hummus which usually works well. Keeping busy really helps as well.

Hope everyone else had a good week. Hope to meet again in February !

-squealcat (Marilyn)

[pootsy]

Happy Friday!
Weight loss this week 5.6# which astounded me because I was travelling, visiting friends, going to a birthday party.
I am still struggling with MWL guidelines 4,8, and 10. Only got in the pool once, but got there and loved swimming. Still deficient with a little milk in coffee but none in the house now. Cappaccino haunting me!
Doing better with all the rest- not perfect but improving.
Went to an Italian restaurant with friends and avoided eggplant parm, my all time favorite or pizza. Instead had a bowl of pasta fagiole soup and a salad....the best I could do. The other event was a brunch buffet and I had tons of great choices. Ordering water with lemon instead of soda most of the time.
I am grateful for all the support from Mark and the tips from my fellow travelers. I am amazed that I stuck with this for the month and want to continue. I am realizing a problem with "drive throughs" that needs to be addressed. I often drive with my dog so it became an easy habit...especially for coffee. I guess the first step is admitting the problem so there it is! Looking forward to a successful and healthier February. Thinking about getting a bicycle

[FoodisFuel]

Hi. I haven't been on this site as much this month as I would have liked because it is helpful.

Here are my weights:

January 1, 2020 162.0 (This is the day I started the MWL)

January 3, 2020 159.0 (This is the first day that weights were posted)

January 10, 2020 158.2

January 31, 2020 156.8

My weight loss has felt really slow, but I am losing weight. Unlike when I've done previous points based diets I have not seen my weight vary up and down dramatically. Since my weight loss has been slow I tried Cronometer one day to see if maybe I was eating more calories than I thought. My consumption was just under 1300 calories which seems fine but the act of tracking my food made me instantly want to save calories for sweets (which I no longer eat) so I have decided not to track again as it leads me into an unhealthy spiral.

I have learned some things about myself.

~When I'm tired during the day I crave sugar. If I can take a nap that is a great substitute as when I wake up I no longer crave sugar. If I can't take a nap then I slice an apple and eat that.

~When I'm sick I crave cookies, cupcakes, you name it. I was surprised by this because I haven't been eating any of that this month and was perplexed as to why I suddenly want it. I think it is a habit and that it may have begun because I don't have much appetite when sick leaving me calories for baked goods that I normally avoid.

For the first two-three weeks I didn't enjoy my food. I have eaten both vegetarian for much of my life and WFPB (not MWL) before so knowing that I once loved zucchini, etc. kept me going. It took much longer than I thought it would for me to start enjoying those foods again.

I'm glad that I started back to WFPB with MWL because it kept me from using avocados, nuts, nut spreads, etc. as comfort food. I'm learning that I don't need them.

As far as the checklist goes:

I'm doing well with most everything except:

Starting each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. I've started making this more of a focus this week and can see that I need to start doing this regularly. To that end, I need to find some soup recipes. The ones I make are more of a meal. I'm just not loving salads in the winter.

Exercise - I have not been feeling well recently and have been conserving my energy for getting done the things that I need to do. Once I'm feeling better this will come.

I plan to keep going with MWL. Since this program uses whole grains I don't feel deprived eating bad gf substitutes for bread, etc. It's a win.

Thanks!

[SherryW]

It's looking pretty good after my first 5 days (I started last Sunday).

53, female, 5'2"

01/26/2020 - 171.6 or thereabouts
01/31/2020 - 169.2

For a 2.4 lb loss, which is amazing since I've been sticking to WFPB almost 100% for the past 2.5 months. Another few weeks and maybe I'll get out of the obese category and just be on the upper end of overweight. Yay me!

Things I've done right:
2. got it after the first day when I figured out starches could also be vegetables
4. check
5. check
6. check
8. check
9. check

Things that I didn't or won't do right:
1. half my plate is a non-starchy vegetable or salad. It's as much as I can eat. I can't start off with more.
3. I don't add salt or sugar to anything, but I'm not giving up my 1 square of 92% cacao chocolate per day. I don't think that's going to do too much damage and it means I don't really crave anything else. My lifestyle isn't one where I can stay away from meat, etc. I'm not forcing my family onto the plan and we have a lot of pets who're going to eat meat.
7. I had 1/2 a slice of homemade bread my husband made from scratch. We split it and it was really good. On the plus side, it didn't turn into a bread binge like it has in the past.
10. This is where I need the most work. I've been getting at least 15 most days, but I have really busy days so I need to make myself go to bed early enough so that I can get up earlier. Best for me to do it first before other things get in the way.

Next week, the list won't look so good. I have a planned cheat for tomorrow night's Super Bowl game. I'm not going to go on a binge, but I'll have a little bit of what I want. I did the same on Christmas and it went well. I didn't eat nearly as much as I thought I would and got right back on track the next day. Everything we'll have will be from scratch except for some chips and salsa, so it won't be so bad, and I'm making a big raw veggie and fruit tray for some safe choices too.

Hi Sherry,
you sound like me. I was WFPB for years and lost about 13 #s right away. Then I stalled out by making poor eating choices. I kept gaining/losing the same 3-4#s. Last July I got fed up with this and committed to MWL program. I was 197 then (I am 5'9") and six months later I am at 182.4, so this program works. You will lose the weight. Most importantly, you will change what you eat and get healthier! Eating starches with every meal is key for me. Good luck, Marsha

Hi Marsha,
Thanks for your thoughtful reply!
I think I am changing, and learning more about myself in the process.
It's helping me finally get it through my thick skull that I don't have to be 100% perfect to start, but to keep at things and develop better habits.

At 53, I'm still very much a work in progress.

[deweyswakms]

Weight Change = -3.2lbs for the week!
(-13.2 lbs for the month)

It sounds corny, but I'm reminded of the old fable of the tortoise and the hare. Even though the hare is much faster, the tortoise keeps trudging along and his consistent effort gets him to the finish line before his more skilled opponent. Well this year, I am the tortoise!

Wow, you are doing great! Marsha

[KathyS]

-3.6 for the week.

-20.6 for the month.

[VGuzman]

weigh in for Jan. 31, 2020

Starting weight Jan. 3: 125.2 lb.
Last week Jan. 24: 122.8 lb.
This week Jan. 31: 122.0 lb. loss of .8 lb.

Thank you for the accountability.

Vicki

[victw]

Down 2.2 lbs from last week.

I don't normally do the thing where you get on and off the scale a couple of times hoping the number will change. But I wish I had this morning. The scale did not reflect the junk I've eaten this week.

I gave a blood donation last weekend and used it as an excuse to eat junk food.

I eat my veggies and have at least 2 good meals a day. I track my food and put it in cronometer. But I did not realize until FoodisFuel wrote that I am also using it to cheat. If I ate completely WFPB I would likely be underweight. I've been saving calories and having junk. But it has not affected my weight.

Since my weight loss has been slow I tried Cronometer one day to see if maybe I was eating more calories than I thought. My consumption was just under 1300 calories which seems fine but the act of tracking my food made me instantly want to save calories for sweets (which I no longer eat) so I have decided not to track again as it leads me into an unhealthy spiral.

Some of the positives of tracking are that it can help maintain some realism about what I'm doing right. I think we tend to minimize or accomplishments and maximize our failures.

I think I will have to find a way to record my food without counting calories. This feels like it might be hard to give up. Interesting.

Love all the activity here. Wishing everyone the best in February.
Vic

[Mark Cooper]

MaryP - No problem if you aren't able to weigh yourself this week, continuing the behaviors that lead to weight loss is the most important thing on which to concentrate. Well done! I hope you are having a lovely holiday!

RacingSnake108 - Kudos to you! Meal sequencing is one of the underlying principles for pt#1, so if snacking on cucumber while you cook helps you, (and importantly, circumvents behaviors that feel unwise to you) that makes sense. Just to clarify in regard to salt (and sugar), the guidelines recommend buying and preparing food without either and if any are to be used, to add them at the table on the surface of the food. I'm glad you enjoyed the week, and are feeling well! Enjoying the food is SUCH an important piece of the puzzle.

NomeOslo -

I feel so much better than I did on January 1st. I can't remember who said it first, but it's definitely true, "Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels."

I totally agree!

Abe - Congratulations on an awesome week and month! I, too, am very fond of that sensation of fullness - it is one of the reasons I continue to strictly follow MWL, despite being at a maintenance weight for close to 2 years. One thing I found to be useful was making a point of really chewing and tasting each bite of food and trying to slow down my eating. You ABSOLUTELY should let everyone know when your relationship with exercise makes the switch from hate to love! My personal favorite topping is Kirkland No-Salt Seasoning (I also really like some of the various salt-free "lemon-pepper" type mixes that are available from various vendors).

Wild4Stars - I'm pleased you feel positive about the month! It is great that you didn't allow those "slips" to knock you off track. I continue to applaud you for your "March to One Million!"

Kirsty - Kudos for the progress toward making exercise a daily habit! Those vegan restaurants can DEFINITELY be a danger zone - isn't it crazy how quickly the pleasure trap can start to reassert itself? You'll have to let us know what soup you make, and how you like it.

BlackBeanSoup -

It is so fun when the pants start to get too big!!

Isn't it!? What a great feeling! Way to go this month! I hope your upcoming move is as stress-free as it can be.

Michele613 - Kudos! I agree with you - this is an amazing group!

Stormy - Way to go with the home-cooking, and I hope your escape from the pleasure trap will be imminent and permanent! It is fantastic that you have a supportive physician.

Leah Bell -

My main accomplishment this month is avoiding the weight gain I usually have in January from snacking on these cold winter nights. Also, I have avoided desserts this month, and the cravings are pretty much gone! That is such a great feeling!

Saying goodbye to those cravings makes a big difference! Now you just need to think through and put together your plans for the big game and your Valentine's Day festivities.

AnnetteW - Slow and steady! And consider this week vs. a year ago.

Jocewally - My condolences on the passing of your brother-in-law, and well wishes to your niece. That seems like a really tough week, and it sounds like you did the best you could under the circumstances. I'm glad you are sticking with the plan. Your plan seems well thought out. You might perhaps try brainstorming a really specific non-food activity or thing to use for comfort when you are in need of it. I'm glad you aren't discouraged (nor should you be, this can be really hard).

wstokes - Kudos! I'm glad the MWL 10-Point Checklist has you convinced! The MWL group thread for February should go up on Sunday.

Nat13 - You are very welcome, and I'm glad you found the suggestions helpful!

Marsha - Way to go! I'm sure it is thrilling to approach that first goal! Simplicity seems to be a key to success for many of us. I look forward to seeing you in the February group!

symbas - Time does seem to be flying! Congrats on your loss, and hopefully upcoming days will be less hectic for you.

Butterfly043 - You are right, it isn't easy, but it is worth it. I am so glad that you found the sense of comfort and normalcy you were needing - it seems like Jessica's narrative came to you at a really fortuitous time. It is stunning sometimes how the current food environment (and social environment) can, in concert with our own thought processes and instincts, conspire to work against us. I think MANY people struggle with feeling like they are failures; this way of eating is relatively simple, so we tend to think it should be EASY - but it is not. We're in a struggle against myriad environmental, social and economic forces pushing in the opposite direction. Recognizing that those struggles are actually PART of the process of learning and changing is a BIG and important realization! If I could, I would give you a big hug!

Lynn Fox - Thanks for reporting! I'm glad you had fun! (Hopefully your husband did, as well)

Rachel - Way to go! It seems like you are really starting to get attuned to your satiety, and big kudos on your exercise regimen.

Chuck - Kudos on a solid week! None of us are perfect, and consistency over the duration is key. I applaud you for your commitment to integrating exercise into your daily routine! Cheers for the tortoise!

Marilyn - Congrats on all the different ways you made this week work for you! Awesome job redirecting those "snacky moments." I look forward to reuniting in the February thread!

pootsy - That is quite a loss, especially while travelling and socializing! Pat yourself on the back for all those areas of improvement, and doing your best in a variety of scenarios. If you are looking to break that drive-thru habit, might you try choosing a totally different route for your drives? Just one idea. If you decide to come home with a bicycle, please let us know all about it!

Lisa - I'm so glad you reported this week! I think your decision to refrain from tracking calories is well-considered and wise. You seem to have made some really valuable insights into your behavior patterns! That is awesome. My favorite soup is Jeff's Longevity Soup, but there are quite a few in the MWL recipe section.

SherryW - Congrats on week 1! I'm glad you were able to avoid any binges. We all have to decide the level of adherence that we are willing to practice at any given time, and it won't always be the same for everyone or for all of our days to come. Making things work for you, within the context of your individual situation, and striving to consistently improve your habits is laudable. Just so you have as much information as possible, here is Jeff's thorough discussion of chocolate.

KathyS - Wow! Congrats on a substantial week's and month's weight loss! How are you feeling about things? How has the checklist been going?

Vicki - Kudos!

Vic - It is so interesting how those little excuses can worm their way into our heads!

I think we tend to minimize our accomplishments and maximize our failures.

I think that is very well-observed. I would encourage you to experiment with abandoning the calorie tracking, and instead start a journal to record your food. You could use the MWL 10-Point Checklist as a way of tracking your progress over time and maintain that realistic view of where you are succeeding. Just something to consider, maybe try it for a week and see how it works?

[Cnmsth]

Gained 1 lb.

I start each day with a bowl of veggies and a few hours later I have a bowl of oatmeal. (My favorite meal of the day.) Lunches are salad with starch. Afternoon snack is veggies and plain mashed potatoes. mmmm The plate thing is fine. I have already eliminated animal foods, higher fat plant food, added sugars & salts, and oil. I don't drink my calories. I'm exercising for 30 minutes daily.

I struggle with sweets and bread. I understand very well the principle of cleaning up my environment, but until spring my daughter is living with me and she does not follow these principles. So my problem is coming home tired and not wanting to cook. Though, using Jeff Novick's menus have helped. They are good and easy. I also get anxious and in the past, food has been my comfort, so I need to work on that. I struggle to forgive myself for not staying on plan. Sigh.

That all said, I'm not feeling totally down with this trend, because my clothes fit better and I feel lighter.

This next week, I'll listen to more motivating stuff on the web, work on my behaviors and will plug along.

[Mark Cooper]

Cnmsth - Those calorie-dense foods can be a really trying temptation, especially when they are sweet or salty. Eventually, it sounds like you'll be able to have a less tempting environment, perhaps in the meanwhile your daughter might be willing to keep those foods that are most tempting for you somewhere "out of sight" so they can more easily be "out of mind"? It sounds like simplifying things has started to work for you, and some planning and preparation may help to deal with those times when you feel you don't have the energy to cook. Please be gentle with yourself, and don't lose sight of the other 9 areas of the checklist where you are succeeding. You're down 8 lbs cumulatively for the month, if I'm not mistaken, and feeling the change in the fit of your clothing is a fantastic non-scale result. I would also suggest you consider not delaying your morning bowl of oatmeal, keep in mind that eating only non-starchy vegetables for breakfast is not recommended within the MWL guidelines. I applaud your determination to continue working toward your goals.

[VegSeekingFit]

It's so exciting to see how everyone is progressing this month!

Scale shows weight down 2.0

Start weight - 146.4
Last week - 143.2
This week - 141.2

I'm doing well with points 1-9. Have improved on 10 - but only exercised 3/7 days over the week for 30 min. Additionally, have been sneaking in short walks during the day and doing some stairs too. Will continue to be mindful of the 50 / 50 plate - as I am a starch lover and could quite happily fill my plate with the potato / beans /rice.

Thanks, Mark for sharing the 6 minute clip of Dr. Lisle. His point "assembly line" cooking to string healthy meals together into 1,000 for a year and 5,000 over the next 5 years really resonated.

Hope to see everyone in February!!

Happy weekend,
Stephanie

[SherryW]

SherryW - Congrats on week 1! I'm glad you were able to avoid any binges. We all have to decide the level of adherence that we are willing to practice at any given time, and it won't always be the same for everyone or for all of our days to come. Making things work for you, within the context of your individual situation, and striving to consistently improve your habits is laudable. Just so you have as much information as possible, here is Jeff's thorough discussion of [url=https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=6010]chocolate[/url}

That link was very informative - thank you. I was OK until I got to the heavy metal contamination part. I was just reading about aluminum and Alzheimer's on the site earlier today and started checking all my cookware with a magnet. Now, I guess I'll probably be giving up the chocolate too. If I finally gave up soft drinks, I can quit anything.

For anyone who's struggling, and I know a lot of people are, this is the longest I have every stuck with any kind of diet change. Ever.

What helps me is to picture the things I've seen in documentaries that illustrate what's happening inside my body when I eat something I shouldn't. My favorite is from Game Changers when they take the blood samples about an hour after feeding the participants meat-based food vs. plant-based food. I can't un-see the cloudiness in the vials.

I also like how plant-based can remove the fatty build-up in our arteries naturally because it can help the cells start to produce nitric oxide (I think?) again. I didn't even know our bodies could do that! The science behind all this is so interesting. I'm like - why didn't anyone tell me?!