May 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

[Rufus_519]

Starting weight (4/4/20): 235.0
Weight last week: 224.6
Weight this week: 223.1
Loss/Gain this week: -1.5
Total loss/gain: -11.9

I did well with all 10 MWL points. The 50/50 rule is still the one I have a hard time mastering.

[Zoey]

This week, down -1.4

Initial weigh-in: 160.4
First week: 157.8
Second week: 158.4
Today, third week: 157

I'm a very impatient member of the pound-a-week club. (Cheers, KirstyKay!)
After foot surgery, when I was immobile and depression eating, I gained two pounds a week. So now that I'm walking again, and 4-6 miles daily at that, AND eating right again, I don't think it's unfair for me to expect to lose it in the same amount of time. Obviously my body has a different idea of fairness. Aaaarrrrggghhh!
As for changes, I refrained from fruit all week, just to test myself and my weaknesses. Then I added it back yesterday, but I did it mindfully. Did the same this morning, and realized that half a banana was actually enough.
So my challenges continue to be the tasting, snacking, grazing, etc... I guess all I can do is concentrate on the mindfulness until it becomes a habit. (sigh)

But wow, sounds like everyone has experienced some great things this week. I can't respond to every post this morning, but I congratulate you all! And, um, has it been raining all week on every one of us?!

SaraC9, I will miss you. And I understand the desire to take a break from posting. If you ever want to vent to a compassionate stranger, you can PM me anytime. Best of luck to you.

[Hope410]

Hello All,

Weight loss this week -.4

Points # 1,3-6, and 8 all 100% this week.

Point # 2 90%, was a little heavy on starch for a couple of meals.

Points # 7 & 9 both 95%, ate a bean sandwich because I delayed eating when hungry, and didn't have any prepared food.

And we come to point # 10 again, my bugaboo. 15% WHAATT? No good reason or excuse. I know what my goal is going to be again this week.

Have a great week everyone.

[moonlight]

Weight change - 1 lb
Points from the MWL Checklist where I succeeded this week
Hmmm, the only point I can report 100% would be no added oil. The points that I hit at least 90% of the time are 50/50 veggies and starch, and no animal products. (I took a couple of bites of a sauce that had cheese in it. I'm relieved that I left it at only a couple of bites.)
Points from the MWL Checklist that need greater attention
I think the point that needs the most attention is the habit of only eating when hungry. I can adhere to this 2-3 nights but I have a long way to go to get to 100%, or even 90%. Maybe I'm making a little progress on this one. I continue to try. I know there are other points that I have really improved on so I hold out hope that I will eventually improve on this one.
General impressions & observations / resources to share / sources of excitement / requests for input & support
Regarding air-popped popcorn: I have eaten popcorn in the evenings, not for hunger, but for the craving to eat something. I have always thought it was a better choice than some other foods I typically choose to snack on. I realized this week how many calories are in the nightly popcorn bowl. Wow! Too many! I have reduced the amount by half. There was a couple of nights I resisted eating it.
Regarding attitude: My week was going real well earlier in the week, so I decided to step on the scales to see how much I was losing. The scales indicated I had gained 2 lbs.! So, what did I do? I decided to give up and eat stuff I had been resisting. Where's the logic in that?!? I didn't go overboard but I ate tortilla chips... The next day I realized it was probably from salt because I had been eating watermelon and fresh corn, which I add a little salt to both of these. Lesson learned - for now.

Congratulations to everyone here. I love reading how others cope with trying to lose weight. It helps keep me accountable and gives me hope that I will eventually succeed at dropping the extra weight I'm carrying around.

Thank you, Mark, wildgoose, and JeffN, for your remarkable dedication to helping us figure this out. Mark, thanks for posting Jeff's dressing recipe. I'm going to try it this week.

Good luck to everyone! May you stay safe and healthy. May you have a very successful week at following the MWL plan!!

[chaz01]

Weight Change
Week: -0.8 lbs
May: -4.6 lbs
Year: -60.8 lbs

I'm a little bit disappointed in the weight loss this week - I was having a really good week and thought I would do a little better than that. My goal has been to lose 10 pounds a month, and for the first time this year, it doesn't look like I will accomplish it this month.

In going through the 10 point MWL Checklist, I think there are two areas where I focus on next week. I've been eating vegetables, but haven't always kept the 50/50 rule in mind, so this week I'm going to make sure I get enough vegetables to match the starches that I am eating. I went to a farmer's market yesterday that has recently re-opened and got some fresh veggies to aid in that effort. The second area of improvement is drinking your calories. I've been doing a good job of reducing the amount of caloric beverages I consume, but I sometimes will indulge in a beverage at night - sometimes alcoholic and sometimes non-alcoholic, but in either case, I'll work this week to reduce this more.

But aside from the rate of weight loss, I'm very pleased at where I'm at. I'm happy that I still managed some weight loss for the week, I was very happy with a couple of dishes that I prepared this past week, and I continue to improve my overall fitness and health.

Hoping everyone is having a nice Memorial Day Weekend!

Chuck

[Tian-De]

This Saturday: 161.0
This Saturday: 161.8

Fun observation: Was 158.4 Friday morning, but this was after a 10 mile trail run the night before, so I'm guessing that isn't a normal state. I ate so much yesterday that I was back up to 168 last night, then 166.8 before going to the bathroom this morning (5 pounds in one sitting?!). Honestly, I find the amount of ruffage I'm able to store in my gut at any given time to be absolutely ridiculous. I have not idea what scale readings mean anymore, other than a slow gradually trend in one direction or the other.


Physically, I'm feeling great. Basically I feel like a ravenous teenager again. I've started doing a lot more hard runs - farleks and long trail runs. But this has made it a lot harder to follow the 10-guidelines whole-heartedly. In terms of the guidelines, probably was only consistent with not eating animals. The failing point is that I've just be a lot hungrier, and the internal mechanisms automatically go for peanut-butter bread before anything else. Basically it takes two seconds to make and has a lot of calories. One change I need to make to succeed is that I need to batch cook my grains and save them in the fridge, I usually cook a cup of dry grains at a time, but when I'm super active, this is only enough for a meal and a snack.

[NateKruse]

01 May 2020 weight: 230.6 pounds.
08 May 2020 weight: 227.6 pounds.
15 May 2020 weight: 225.0 pounds.
22 May 2020 weight: 225.8
Weekly Change: +0.8 pounds.

This one surprised me because I kept my diet and exercise extremely consistent with previous weeks. I had groceries delivered on Thursday and maybe got carried away with the bananas (I ate an entire bunch in one day). I'm not going to get hung up on the numbers. I will just keep doing what has been working and weigh myself again next Friday.

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.100%
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. 90%. Still room for improvement by having less starchy vegetables.
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. 80% Still using canned vegetables with sea salt. Also adding garlic salt at the table.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). 100%
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). 100%
6. Eliminate any added oil. 100%
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. 100%
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). 100%. One gallon of water every day.
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. 100%
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).100%. 45 minute morning walk with the dog and a 45 minute home workout every day.

[Lakegirl]

May 8: -1.5 lbs
May 15: -2.0 lbs
May 22: -2.3 lbs

Hi Mark and all,

I posted a long post to I think "somewhere else" on this site. Will try to find and repost. So this one will be short, as I'm doing this on my phone...argh. Had a good week...lots of veggies, legumes & a bit of potato. This was a bean week for me. Mark: that bean dip/dressing of Jeff's was awesome. As was his Chubby Chips (potato), both a few pages back (EDIT: bean dip/dressing on pg 12, chips I googled to Jeff's info). Just GREAT, thank you!

Otherwise, will post that "other post" again if I find it. Working on avoiding prepared desserts this weekend - even vegan ones!!

Have a wonderful Memorial Day remembrance, everyone, and thank you for all your posts. I learn from every single one.

And good job this week Zoey!


- Lakegirl

[lmggallagher]

SW: 241.9
CW: 224.8
GW: 150.0
Total Lost: 17.1
Last Week: 223.0
This Week: 224.8.

Gained : 1.8

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
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).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
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
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
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).

Areas that demand improvement

7 - Eliminate higher calorie foods. I'm having significant problem here - I do now have sufficient potatoes - it's been hard to get them in my food orders. But I relied on quinoa that I cook up for the week and corn tortillas because those were the easiest while I was in fibro flare. Quinoa is great but it's calorie dense compared to other grains. I don't loose weight when it's my starch staple. I can't do rice, so I need to get some millet. Millet was my weight loss friend last week. I am now permanently out of tortillas and won't order them again!

10 - Exercise -- Still having problems here. This week the fibromyalgia was still in high flare with lots of fatigue and poor sleep. I didn't even get to my floor exercises which is rare. The weather is going into a heat wave and that should turn me around. Today I will take advantage because my fibro is much better for the improvement in weather.

Good progress to everyone and stay healthy - Michelle

[Mark Cooper]

NikkiNewcomer - Kudos! Trying to adhere to the MWL 10-Point Checklist as well as we are able under a given set of circumstances is about the best any of us can do. If you decide you would like to try making your own hummus, Jeff's recipe is great.

My favorite hummus recipe - Basic Hummus

1 Can Eden Foods No Salt Added Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained.
~1/4 cup water
~1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic

Blend in food processor or blender

Adjust water & lemon juice to the consistency you like.

To make it spicier, add in some hot red pepper flakes.

To make it chunkier, only blend about 2/3 of the can, and mash the remaining 1/3 by hand, and then add in

Optional - to make it really creamy, blend in 1-3 tsps of either unsalted tomato paste, cooked sweet potato or tahini.

Enjoy!

In Health
Jeff

P.S. 1 can beans is approximately 1 1/2 cup cooked beans.

Lucas - That looks like a pretty successful week to me! Does it feel to you like you are stuffing yourself to the point of being uncomfortably full? Like you, I think watermelon is really delicious, so I can imagine myself eating it to the point of being uncomfortable. Of course, one could think of many more troublesome foods in which to overindulge. Something that I found helpful in avoiding becoming stuffed - after I finish what seems like a reasonable 50/50 serving, I try to allow myself 15 or 20 minutes for my meal to settle; if I'm still hungry after that, I'll have a second helping (or some fruit for dessert). Try not to overanalyze the results from any individual week, since many different factors can influence a single weigh-in. I'm glad you were able to make a relatively rapid recovery from that axe swinging inspired soreness. Have a great week!

pootsy - Powerful feeling cravings can be tough, but hopefully you can take comfort in the knowledge that they do eventually subside after a sufficient period of abstinence from indulging them. It can often be helpful to take a little extra care to not become overly hungry when we are in the midst of that struggle with the Pleasure Trap.

The few times I have been on the road have been disastrous food wise- I wasn't prepared and I was hungry.

That seems like an important observation, adherence seems much more attainable in our own home, and environments that aren't totally within our control present additional challenges and temptations - thoughtful preparation seems key to overcoming those difficulties.

I went out this morning for the first time with friends to breakfast and ordered oatmeal and blueberries and enjoyed it.

Take a moment to celebrate that! You were able to choose an enjoyable meal that adhered to the MWL 10-Point Checklist and share a meal out with your friends.

courtneywagasky - Kudos! That seems like a solid week! I've been loving the warm weather. Is there some particular aspect of the Mary's Mini that feels appealing to you right now?

jasonrhoads1 - Congratulations on your progress! It is gratifying to know the group is helping you stay motivated as you make these behavior changes.

Rufus_519 - Awesome! Another successful week doing well with the checklist. Is there something in particular that is making the 50/50 plate more effortful?

Zoey - Give yourself a pat on the back for all this week's successes! Wouldn't it be great if it was as easy to lose unwanted pounds as it was gaining them? As long as you keep making progress in the right direction, you will eventually arrive at your destination, whatever the pace. The rain didn't hit here in Princeton until today, but it has really been coming down now.

Hope410 - Kudos! Something that really helped me make exercise a daily habit was scheduling a set time each day; others have found it more helpful for them to have a "menu" of times and options for exercise throughout the day so they have a bit more flexibility. Do either of those ideas feel like they might suit you? Have a great week!

Moonlight - Making a little progress and continuing to try is a path that leads to improvements, so give yourself credit for that. You are right to note how popcorn can make a substantial contribution of calories; I always found it very easy to eat mindlessly, and I think most of us almost always consume popcorn outside the context of a meal - clearly it is specifically mentioned in point 7 of the checklist with good reason. I'm sure that impulse to "kick over the table" is a familiar one for many of us here, as counterproductive as we all know it to be, in the moment it sometimes feels like it "makes sense." Let us know how the salad dressing suits you.

chaz01 - It can certainly feel a bit disappointing when it seems like our efforts aren't lining up with our outcomes. Keep in mind that you reported a pretty big loss last week; things could perhaps just be "evening out" somewhat. You seem to have derived some useful analysis from the MWL 10-Point Checklist - I would expect eliminating liquid calories and closer attention to the 50/50 plate will make a difference. Being grateful for and pleased with things that are going well is always worth noting; successfully preparing really delicious adherent dishes is fun and rewarding, too.

Tian-De - I expect you are pleased to be feeling so energetic, Daniel! I agree that batch cooking and having an adequate supply of adherent and "ready to go" foods seems especially important when managing an increased activity level and the accompanying increase in appetite. I've never tried it myself, but I believe some of the discussion board members make big batches of cooked grains and store them in the freezer, as well as keeping portions in the refrigerator. Maybe worth trying?

NateKruse - Your weight loss has been quite steady, so I'm sure that particular weigh-in does seem surprising.

I'm not going to get hung up on the numbers. I will just keep doing what has been working and weigh myself again next Friday.

That seems like a great idea to me! Salt can, of course, have an effect and bananas are one of the more calorie dense fruits at ~400 calories / lb, but it seems wise to take this weigh-in in stride, keep focusing on the MWL 10-Point Checklist, and not fret too much.

Lakegirl - The return of the "vanishing post!" Don't worry, that has happened to many of us. Sounds like you had a really good week! I'm glad you enjoyed the Chubby Chips and dressing.

Have you tried Chubby Chips? Want a really simple, fast and healthy recipe for potatoes? Check out my recipe for Chubby Chips! We love them and so will you!

Chubby Chips Recipe

-Take your favorite potato (white, sweet, yam, yellow, etc)
-Slice into rounds, about 1/4 inch thick
-Layer them on a non stick baking pan
(or line it with parchment paper)
-Add Seasoning (garlic, chili powder, cinnamon, curry, etc)
-Broil till golden, turn them over and repeat
(Or roast till golden)

We love to add garlic &/or chipotle seasoning to the regular potatoes and curry &/or cinnamon to the sweet potatoes.

lmggallagher - Give yourself credit for succeeding in following 7/10 points from the checklist! I'm glad your flare has subsided, I know that is never fun to endure. Quinoa and millet are fairly comparable in sheer terms of calorie density but quinoa does have a higher % of calories from fat, as well as protein; of course corn tortillas are nearly twice as calorie dense as either millet or quinoa. The 50/50 plate method could also make some difference in terms of the broader dietary pattern. Enjoy that improved weather and the wonderful accompanying benefits!

[Mark Cooper]

By my count, 32 participants reported for our fourth May 2020 MWL weigh-in! If I neglected to include anyone, or you notice an error in the tally, please let me know (via PM so we can keep the thread as tidy as possible, or in a post here if you cannot PM).

Here are the results for the fourth Friday in May:

Week ending 5/22/2020: 32 participants reported a total loss of -42.50 pounds
--------------------------------------------------
Lmggallagher +1.80
NateKruse +0.80
SaraC9 +0.80
Tian-De +0.80
Wstokes +0.60
--------------------------------------------------
Total gains: +4.80
--------------------------------------------------
Hope410 -0.40
NomeOslo -0.60
Chaz01 -0.80
Courtneywagasky -0.80
Lucas -0.80
Belana -0.90
Kirstykay -1.00
Laurag -1.00
Moonlight -1.00
Rlechols -1.00
Ejg -1.30
Josietheschnauzer -1.40
Zoey -1.40
Rufus_519 -1.50
Squealcat -1.50
Noella -2.00
Pootsy -2.00
Jasonrhoads1 -2.20
Tinathescreamer -2.20
Lakegirl -2.30
Goal140 -2.40
Abe -2.60
Jan_npr -2.60
Miss Kim -3.00
NikkiNewcomer -3.00
Abible -3.40
AmandaSue -4.20
--------------------------------------------------
Total losses: -47.30
--------------------------------------------------
Cumulative group loss for May 2020: 165.80 pounds
Average loss for week ending May 22: 1.33 pounds
Cumulative group loss for January 2020: 384.15 pounds
Cumulative group loss for February 2020: 96.60 pounds
Cumulative group loss for March 2020: 60.10 pounds
Cumulative group loss for April 2020: 218.00 pounds

Next Weigh-In is on Friday, May 29, 2020.


Congratulations to everyone for all your efforts this week! It seems to me like June will be here before we know it. I've really been enjoying the lovely spring weather and the absolutely beautiful blooming flowers and foliage while on my daily walks.

During the course of writing my responses this week, I happened upon some resources that seem worth sharing here.

Considering our discussion of salad dressings, I thought I ought to check the list of Canned and Packaged Foods that can be used on the McDougall program; salad dressings are included here.

Salad Dressings
Forks Over Knives
Ginger Creamy Italian, Pomegranate Tarragon, Orange Sesame Ginger, Balsamic Fig

Simple Girl
Organic Balsamic Vinaigrette, Organic Sweet Vinaigrette, Organic Sweet Mustard, Organic Citrus

Note: Oil-free salad dressings are almost impossible to find. Balsamic and red wine vinegars make good salad dressings. Or find a complete list of easy to make dressings here.

Not all of these will necessarily satisfy the MWL guidelines and sometimes formulations are changed, so it is important to always read the Nutrition Facts label and the Ingredient List (as Jeff recommends in The Label Reading Rules). This discussion thread on Acceptable Packaged Products might also prove useful - it's filled with lists of specific products that meet or come very close to meeting Jeff's guidelines; again many of these are satisfactory for the regular McDougall program rather than MWL, so use the MWL 10-Point Checklist to evaluate ingredients before you decide to make use of a particular product. For those who are giving Jeff's favorite salad dressing recipe a try - if you come up with a variation to suit your own tastes that seems especially delicious, please feel free to share it here.

Some of you noted that as your localities begin to transition into "reopening," the challenges and temptations presented by socializing, dining out and easier access to troublesome foods have started to exercise some influence. If that feels like it may lead to some struggling, or you are simply in need of a motivating "boost," check out this very helpful post Amy put together last year - a huge list of links to Dr. Lisle's lectures!

I thought that since many of you are starting to sound like old-pros at the MWL guidelines, you may want to consider taking a deep dive into all of the potential bumps on the road that you may face psychologically. This is especially relevant for serial and yo-yo dieters; those of us who just aren’t able to get this done all in one shot. So instead of feeding you the odd link that I’ve posted in response to a comment, I thought I’d just post a whole list of Dr. Lisle’s lectures, from this website and his own website Esteem Dynamics for you to peruse. He has done many many other fantastic interviews, so if you think this isn’t comprehensive enough, please goto YouTube and do a search (such as “Doug Lisle and Healthy Living Live”). Additionally, he is the feature on a weekly podcast called Beat Your Genes that touches on pleasure trap/ego trap dilemmas but more-so on navigating life’s issues in other domains as understood through the lens of evolutionary psychology.
So here it is:
From the McDougall Website:
McDougall Webinar: The Slow Fast Way, 01-14-16
McDougall Webinar: Stepping Stones to Self Esteem, 02-11-16
McDougall Webinar: Losing Weight Without Losing Your Mind, 03-10-16
McDougall Webinar: Dare to Be Lousy, 04-14-16
McDougall Webinar: Food Addiction, Emotional Eating, Weight Loss Part 1, 05-12-16
McDougall Webinar: Food Addiction, Emotional Eating, Weight Loss Part 2, 06-23-16
McDougall Webinar: Discusses Friends and Family, 07-14-16
McDougall Webinar: Anxiety and Panic Attacks, 09-08-16
McDougall Webinar: Anxiety and Panic Attacks: Q & A, 10-13-16
McDougall Webinar: Dr. Lisle Questions and Answer, 11-17-16
McDougall Webinar: Dr. Lisle Questions and Answer, 12-08-16
McDougall Webinar: Dr. Lisle Questions and Answer, 12-15-16
McDougall Webinar: Dr. Lisle Questions and Answer, 02-09-17
McDougall Webinar: The Perfect Personality, 03-09-17
McDougall Webinar: Dr. Lisle Wide-Ranging Topics, 04-13-17
McDougall Webinar: Dr. Lisle Questions and Answers, 05-11-17
McDougall Webinar: Dr. Lisle Questions and Answers, 06-08-17
McDougall Webinar: Dr. Lisle Questions and Answers, 08-10-17
McDougall Webinar: The Cram Circuit, 09-14-17
McDougall Webinar: Dr. Lisle Questions and Answers, 10-12-17
McDougall Webinar: Dr. Lisle Questions and Answers, 10-19-17
McDougall Webinar: The Secrets to Positive Change, 02-26-18
McDougall Webinar: Dr. Lisle Questions and Answers, 03-19-18
McDougall Webinar: Dr. Lisle Questions and Answers, 04-24-18
McDougall Webinar: The Story of Willpower: What it is and How it Works, 08-28-18

From the Esteem Dynamics Website:
The Continuum of Evil
Losing Weight Without Losing Your Mind
Questions and Answers
The Perfect Personality
The Path of Least Resistance**
The Pleasure Trap
Getting Along Without Going Along
Success Forces
**(I’m trying to create that path for you all right here, by making it as easy as possible for you to just click and watch these links...LOL. These lectures really are helpful and I hope some of you will PUSH THE LINK! Ha!)

I have a feeling every single question that you can think of has been covered somewhere in those many, many question and answer periods.

Happy viewing this week!

Amy XO

My own favorite Dr. Lisle video is one of his shortest - Dr. Lisle's Three Top Tips for Dietary Success.

I wish you all a comforting weekend and a safe and rewarding week to come. For those to whom it applies, may this year's Memorial Day bring you good memories of those you have lost. Take care everyone.

[moonlight]

Moonlight - Making a little progress and continuing to try is a path that leads to improvements, so give yourself credit for that. You are right to note how popcorn can make a substantial contribution of calories; I always found it very easy to eat mindlessly, and I think most of us almost always consume popcorn outside the context of a meal - clearly it is specifically mentioned in point 7 of the checklist with good reason. I'm sure that impulse to "kick over the table" is a familiar one for many of us here, as counterproductive as we all know it to be, in the moment it sometimes feels like it "makes sense." Let us know how the salad dressing suits you.

Thank you , Mark, for your kind words. They are always uplifting! I love Jeff's salad dressing! I used Navy beans and added a little mustard. Just what I needed. I've been experimenting with white beans for other sauces. They work really well. I've successfully made cilantro pesto using them.
Here's Jeff's recipe:

Speaking for myself, I've never come across a commercially prepared dressing that fits the bill for me, but I haven't spent much time looking, as I prefer to dress my salad with lemon juice and vinegar. Jeff provides a recipe for dressing here; it's easy to prepare and quite adaptable to individual tastes by adjusting or substituting your favorite herbs or spices.

My favorite salad dressing recipe - Creamy Garlic Dill Dressing

1 Can Eden Foods No Salt Added Butter Beans, drained (save the drained bean liquid).
4 (-6) Tbsp bean liquid
2 (-3) Tbsp plain vinegar or balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
1/2 (-1) tsp garlic powder
1/2 (-1) tsp dried dill weed

Blend in food processor or blender till creamy.

Adjust the amount of bean water & vinegar/lemon juice to the consistency you like.

Adjust the amount of garlic & dill to the flavor you like.

Any white bean will work but I find butter beans make the creamiest dressing.

I also use this on baked potatoes!

Enjoy!

In Health
Jeff

P.S. 1 can beans is approximately 1 1/2 cup cooked beans.

[courtneywagasky]

courtneywagasky - Kudos! That seems like a solid week! I've been loving the warm weather. Is there some particular aspect of the Mary's Mini that feels appealing to you right now?

Mark– I started a new instagram account solely for MWL and WFPB living/eating. I noticed a lot of people doing Mary's Mini challenges for a variety of reasons. I think I want to try it just so I know I can.. if that makes sense! I think the hardest part would be the no fruit. I have fruit for part of my breakfast, (occasional) snacks, and dessert so that would be a definite challenge. Even if it was just for a few days or 5, or the whole 10! I'm still debating though.

[Mark Cooper]

moonlight - Navy bean pesto sounds wonderful!

courtneywagasky - Ah, I see. As George Mallory is so famously quoted as having replied to the question, "Why did you want to climb Mount Everest?" - "Because it's there."

[lmggallagher]

Mark - thanks for posting JeffN's Hummus recipe! I thought to read back through everyone's weigh in posts tonight before making up my food order for the week. I figured it would provide motivation - it did - plus just the right recipe! I can give up the corn tortillas no problem but I have been eating them as a hummus sandwich with store bought hummus. Both are verboten but giving up hummus for veggie dipping was going to be more than I can handle. I made Mary McD's hummus before but even that had tahini - so, as often is the case you posted just the right thing at the right time - likely for many of us! Thank you for being so prescient - so often.

PS - I some how dropped 2 pounds plus over night. I can't even imagine what made that happen - but sure enough it would come the day after my weigh in post