Moonlight - Let me also acknowledge those significant accomplishments - those are some important behaviors you are turning into habits!
Feeling good about your progress and proud of your efforts seems like a salient signal. I'm sure you will find that any investment in preparation almost always pays dividends. Keep on doing the best you can and aim for continued improvement on those remaining guidelines; the behaviors deliver the outcomes, so I expect ongoing diligent efforts will have a noticeable effect.
tinathescreamer - Wow! Those sound like wonderful daily walks! It makes sense to me that a return to a prior routine could make it easier to "slip back" into past habits; any time you can spend preparing adherent meals ahead of time seems like it could give yourself (and your willpower) a welcome break when faced with troublesome food choices. Do you think bringing some appropriate food with you when you go out could help?
Miss Kim - Good for you in not letting the inclusion of those few "extras" knock you off track. It seems like you still succeeded with 7/10 points from the checklist, and it sounds like omitting those "cheats" heading forward feels attainable for you.
kirstykay - Ugh, knee injuries are no fun! Sorry you are having to deal with that. It appears you had another successful week, in spite of the injury; good for you!
josietheschnauzer - Let me know how you like it.
Lucas - That looks like a really good week! Kudos on having "stuck to the plan!"
You mentioning corn on the cob is a welcome reminder that I ought to pick some up on my next grocery trip; my family really enjoys it, too.
carwex - I'm sure those technical difficulties were frustrating! Glad to have you back and able to post again. Those little "picks" at non-MWL food can really start to accumulate, right? You are absolutely correct to note that there is no reason "slips" have to continue forward into the future; getting right back on track the very next time you feel hungry is exactly the right approach. I'm glad you are feeling some relief from that foot injury, and wish you continued improvement.
AmandaSue - Way to go!
Rufus_519 - Apart from your "fall off the wagon" with those almonds, were you successful in adhering to the other 9 points? They do all have an effect.
Rufus_519 wrote:If I can lose 2 lbs/week and still eat some walnuts, that's a win-win to me.
Why does that feel like a win-win to you? Are walnuts a particular favorite, or some other reason? (I don't intend for these questions to be confrontational, I'd like to get a better sense of your perspective on this
).
I don't think it would be fruitful for me to speculate on what various factors may have contributed to this week's weigh-in; in general, I would avoid coming to any conclusions based on a single point of data (or attributing that one particularly noticeable correlate was the cause behind a given measurement). Jeff's article
Going Nuts Over Where The Calories Go? examines some of the factors that could be at play here based on the findings from a trio of relevant studies. (I wasn't able to find this specific article on the discussion board, so the link above is to Jeff's website).
The balance of scientific evidence (as well as decades of clinical experience provided by Dr. McDougall and Jeff Novick) demonstrates that the behaviors outlined in the MWL 10-Point Checklist are very effective for achieving healthy, sustainable weight loss. Of course we're all free to make our own decisions with respect to our food choices, and you are the best judge of your own satisfaction with your results. Likewise, if the situation changes, the guidelines highlight opportunities for impactful changes in behavior. Within the context of this group, my continued focus is on bringing our behaviors into adherence with the MWL 10-Point Checklist, not just our weight change from one week to the next. For me, the primary goal is to work toward establishing an ongoing pattern of behavior and a way of living that produces steady, healthy, and lasting weight loss.
Zoey - Do you feel like you had a successful week adhering to the guidelines? I'm sorry things are feeling frustrating. An ongoing "membership in the pound-a-week club" would leave someone 52 lbs lighter this time next year.
Tian-De - It's hard to go wrong enjoying meals of whole starches and lots of veggies! Your farro and bean bowl sounds quite appetizing! To provide a little context in regard to practicing MWL while at a healthy BMI, I can share my own experience. I'm 45 years old, nearly 6'3" and I weigh ~155 lbs. None of my biomarkers indicate any concern, and I don't have any health issues apart from my CRPS. I've been at the same weight (+/- 2 lbs) for over 2 years, while continuing to adhere to the MWL 10-Point Checklist; so, at least in my case, it has been completely possible to practice this way of eating without a focus on weight loss (but I do consume a substantial volume of food each day). You are absolutely welcome to continue participating in this group and focusing on maintaining the appropriate behaviors, without concentrating on further weight loss. That said, one alternative could be to transition to the
Maintenance Group - there are at least a few participants therein who continue to follow MWL while in the maintenance phase (including myself, although I haven't had much time to post there lately), while others follow the regular McDougall Program.
Lyndzie wrote:Many of us have lost weight and/or reached other health goals. We’re ready for that next chapter, maintaining the gains we’ve accomplished.
This group will have Friday check ins, where everyone can touch base. Weigh-ins are optional, and will not be tracked. Please feel free to share your non-scale victories (NSV) as well.
pootsy - You make an important point that the relative freshness of our spices can make a noticeable difference in how recipes might turn out. Pulling free from those strong cravings can be a real struggle! Hopefully, the memory of how easy it had gotten to adhere to the MWL guidelines can serve as a motivation to get back into that groove. Enjoy those lectures from Dr. Lisle, and thank you very much for your kind words.
courtneywagasky - Congratulations on your 25 lb cumulative loss! Holidays and other celebratory occasions can frequently present challenges - any ideas about how you might approach your next social engagement differently?
courtneywagasky wrote:This is the fastest and most consistent rate that I've lost weight. I'm really happy with this WOE.
Awesome! That is so great to hear.
chaz01 - A good week following the MWL principles and an adherent Memorial Day celebration! That gets a big THUMBS-UP from me!
Nice work.
NateKruse - Progress in moving toward health-supporting behaviors and maintaining those changes ALWAYS counts as progress!
It is great that you are pleased with your results - including what is reflected in the mirror, those non-scale victories are important, too. You have a good assessment of the areas where increased focus could make the most difference, I think.
Hope410 - Sounds like a great week! I'm glad the accountability provided by this group has been useful for you in overcoming temptations as they arise. If exercise feels really daunting, would it help to aim for just doing some specific activity for some amount of time each day? Maybe a short walk or something similar?
Belana - That lengthy list of considerations, distractions and travels certainly does sound intimidating! I agree with you that being able to prepare one's own food makes it much easier to stay as compliant as possible while on a trip. If you can, try not to be discouraged - you've lost ~3.3 lbs since starting this round of MWL, right?
Noella - What a beautiful, generous and inspiring report! I'm thrilled that you continue to experience relief from pain and better mobility. Your story describing that heavy umbrella base paints a vivid picture. Congratulations on no longer needing to carry around those 57 pounds! I will count you in for June and look forward to seeing you in the
June thread.
