May 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

For those wanting to learn about and follow the McDougall Maximum Weight Loss Program. You can also join our monthly weigh-ins.

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Re: May 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

Postby Mark Cooper » Fri May 29, 2020 3:01 pm

NomeOslo - Sorry you had a tough week. :) Was there something specific that contributed to that inconsistency you describe? Wishing you all the best with your move! I hope we will see you back posting here after your break! :D

pootsy - I love Sweet Potato Beginnings! I'm glad you are all stocked up, and you found a couple of new MWL recipes to enjoy. Did anything in particular contribute to this week's challenges to adhere to the MWL 10-Point Checklist? Way to go leaving those struggles behind, and immediately getting started refocusing on continued adherence.

josietheschnauzer - Excellent! That soup sounds great! I totally agree with you that "toasting" the spices can really make a noticeable difference for Indian inspired recipes. My personal favorite is Cauliflower Dal. Postprandial walks are a great way to get in some exercise, too. See you soon!

Abe - It feels so wonderful when adhering to MWL becomes routine and gets easy! I would expect that as you continue to adhere to the guidelines and keep demonstrating to yourself that you can navigate those big family dinners successfully, eventually those occasions will feel easy, too (but it definitely takes some time for those immediate temptations to exert less of a pull, I think).

jan_npr - That seems like a pretty excellent week of progress to me! When I'm feeling anxious or nervous about a particular occasion (or upcoming decision), I usually take that as a sign to stop and really "play through" how things might go. Is there a decision or adjustment you could make that wasn't a "cheat" or that would serve to ameliorate your nervousness, while still allowing you to celebrate that momentous birthday with your husband?

Ejg - Great attention to focusing on the 50/50 plate and way to go nixing the olive oil! One really handy aspect of using the checklist - it helps to pinpoint exactly the changes in behavior we can make to see continued improvement. There's no need to use a tracking app, eat when hungry in the manner outlined by the checklist, and the results follow. Regarding nutritional yeast:
Mark Cooper wrote:Another ingredient to use with care - nutritional yeast. Jeff covers the topic here - nutritional yeast is ~1700 calories / lb (just as calorie dense as sugar), so if one were to choose to use it, it should be used very sparingly - I would limit consumption to less than 2 Tbsp in a given day.


abible - Hang in there, Tony! It seems like that helping of rich food may have put you in a Pleasure Trap situation. In Dr. Lisle's article on Cravings - How They Work and How to Manage Them, he discusses this exact scenario -
When you are struggling, you can begin to notice that your cheats tend to come in little streaks. If you have a cheat on Monday, then for the next several days the image of that cheat is forceful since it is very clear in your memory. But if you don’t indulge that cheat again for a couple of weeks, the images start to decay in your memory and lose a lot of their power. It can be hard to start a good streak, but well worth it. The people who have the best “willpower” hardly use it at all, since they have rid themselves of their cheats quickly. Keep this in mind the next time you are thinking about skipping a little indulgence and living clean for the day – because you don’t just win at that moment. You also make tomorrow easier to live healthy and well.
Your plan to concentrate on satisfying any hunger with adherent meals is an excellent approach, and it is probably wise to be mindful that it may take some time before the "pull" of those salty, calorie-rich items feels less influential.

squealcat - It is interesting how quickly "mostly" doing things right can flip to "mostly not," right? I imagine doing really well with exercise felt rewarding, though. Good for you - you picked yourself up and got back to working on the appropriate behavior changes. Whenever you start feeling hungry, just turn right to the checklist.

wstokes - Kudos! How did you enjoy that workout?

rlechols - What a fantastic week, Rachel! It sounds like you are doing really well! :D That chickpea salad you describe does sound delicious. Carry on!

Judy_Bell - Congratulations on that nice loss and approaching your initial goal! Would getting out for a 30 minute walk (perhaps after a meal as josietheschnauzer mentioned this week) be something that could fit into your day? Jeff's Fast Food Burgers are really delicious and might work as an option to try for your next holiday cookout. Enjoy those soups!

AmandaSue - That is great that you are happy with how the week progressed! Feeling satisfied and enjoying the food is so important. You are so right that having food pre-prepared and available is extremely helpful. With continued progress on those areas where there is opportunity for further improvement, I would imagine you will continue to see encouraging results. Just to confirm - that change in weight is -3 lbs, correct?
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Re: May 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

Postby moonlight » Fri May 29, 2020 3:36 pm

Weight change: +2
Guidelines that are becoming habits:
Including soup or salad with meals,50/50 vegetables to starch are mealtime, eliminating animal products, and eliminating nuts. These are all huge gains for me. I don't want my continued inability to lose more weight to overshadow these accomplishments. I feel so good about my overall diet.
Guidelines needing work:
These 3 points got the lowest score for the week:
9. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.
10. Moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods (flour, popcorn)
I'll continue to work on these. My plan this week is to have food prepared to eat. I've been bored with the starches I normal eat. Today I cooked kamut. It's a nice change. I'm going to strive for at least 50% compliance on these points! :D

Thank you Mark, wildgoose, and JeffN. I really am inspired by your comments. Hopefully soon my weight will reflect that!!

Wishing everyone a good healthy week! :-D
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Re: May 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

Postby wildgoose » Fri May 29, 2020 5:15 pm

Abe wrote:I had one night where I worked late and was very cranky and ate four potatoes and a bowl of oat groats with a banana. All without starting with a salad or soup or having any non-starch veggies. Otherwise sticking with the MWL guidelines, and amazed at how this is getting pretty easy and routine most of the time. Bigger family dinners when I have the sights and smells of tempting food are still difficult, but most of the time I am doing well not thinking about non-compliant food when not prompted by an outside force.

Abe, this is actually a big victory! You had a long stressful day, and instead of hitting a favorite takeout place or raiding a family member's stash of goodies, you pigged out on STARCH and one banana?? That’s a major win in my book!

Well done on staying with the guidelines the rest of the time, especially if you have tempting food around. It’s much harder to stay on track if you can’t keep a totally clean environment, but if your coping mechanism involves starch, I think you’re on the way.

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How I determined my "goal weight"
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Re: May 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

Postby tinathescreamer » Fri May 29, 2020 6:05 pm

Weight loss -0.3 lbs
Not a good week, Getting back into the normal busy routine meant I also slipped back into my old eating routine, and rather than prepare proper meals I was grabbing bread and dairy when I was hungry. Need to get back into prepping my meals the night before; knowing I have a bowl of potatoes sitting at home helps keep me from grabbing something when I'm out. On the positive side I was walking to town each day day (45 mins each way).
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Re: May 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

Postby Miss Kim » Fri May 29, 2020 6:29 pm

Weight last week: 170
Weight this week: 169
Change: -1lb

I had a few extras this week. Two mornings I had cereal with a banana and unsweetened almond milk. I also made a one-pot rice noodle dish. It called for tofu which I didn't use and for 3 Tbs peanut butter, which I only use 1. It made 2 servings and my husband and I shared it. It was such a small cheat...I'll do better next week and for go the cereal.
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Re: May 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

Postby kirstykay » Fri May 29, 2020 7:32 pm

Weight Change: -0.6

Injured my knee this week, so had to take a break from my walks, which really bummed me out. I stuck closely to the 10 point checklist except for that. I made a big pot of veggie soup at the beginning of the week, and that really helped me. I also did the 50/50 plate most meals. Those two guidelines are the ones I've been focusing on and I feel like they make a big difference. I'm happy with the .6 loss.
"Remember, It's the food." ~Dr. McDougall

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Re: May 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

Postby josietheschnauzer » Fri May 29, 2020 8:32 pm

Thank you, Mark. I will make the cauliflower dal next week.
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Re: May 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

Postby Lucas » Fri May 29, 2020 9:25 pm

4/27/20: 203.2
5/1/20: 201.8
5/8/20: 200.0
5/15/20: 198.6
5/22/20: 197.8
5/29/20: 196.0
Change: -1.8


A 10-POINT CHECKLIST FOR MAXIMUM WEIGHT LOSS (MWL) 

1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.  Yes
Ate fruit all this week. Watermelon for lunch and dinner. So good.

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.  Yes.

2) Choose fruit for desert. Yes

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.  Yes.

4) Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). Yes.

5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).  Yes.

6) Eliminate any added oil. Yes.

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. Mostly, except for healthy, no oil, vegan whole wheat banana bread on Memorial Day.

8 ) Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).  Yes.

9) Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full.   Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. Yes. Did much better this week.

10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). Walked every day this past week except for a couple of days. Also, did some yardwork, tree stump removal, brush clearing so that was some great exercise.

I had a really good week in terms of getting my daily exercise in and sticking to the plan. Wife wanted BBQ on Memorial Day, so I did grill for her. I stuck to the plan, yeehah. In addition, I grilled some corn on cob for both of us. Yum, I grilled 2 extras so we could have some the next day. It is so good. We have been really enjoying corn on cob lately. Seems we have recently discovered how much better it is than even frozen corn. We have been microwaving our corn on cob for 5 minutes on high. Not quite as good as grilling it, but still sooooo good. Fast and easy. Try it!

Hope everyone has a great week! :-D
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Re: May 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

Postby carwex » Fri May 29, 2020 9:41 pm

Hello MWLers

My new login name is carwex but I was carolw 2 weeks ago. In the meantime my sign-in went haywire and i had to resign from my original names and register anew.

So carolw is back as carwex. And last week i was very happy to report a 1 1/2 pound loss which I could not report for technical reasons above. This week other problematic issues arose and consequently I have gained the 1 1/2pounds back!!! The weight gain was from eating extra food between meals (standing up) and not being careful about picking on other people's nonMWL food. The triggers were hunger since winter is coming on here in Australia and also more emotional- eating over anxieties. These are occurrences that happen to me from time to time. I already know that a slip does not mean I have to continue in this vein until I gains 50 pounds. I have much support in my life in my struggle against overeating, this discussion being one of them. I can utilize all of this help and get back on track immediately.

I am still enthusiastic about the 10 principles (so much better than a diet) and try to stay compliant. I continue to be free of bread, avocado, nuts, soy products but this week there was some tehina, miso soup and a bit of olive oil included. Exercise still eludes me but my foot injury feels like it's healing so my walks will get longer I hope.

Thank you all for being the audience I need in my struggle. Best of luck to you all.
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Re: May 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

Postby AmandaSue » Fri May 29, 2020 9:43 pm

Thank you for the encouragement Mark! And, yes, lost 3 pounds this week :)
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" -Mary Oliver, The Summer Day

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Re: May 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

Postby Rufus_519 » Sat May 30, 2020 5:11 am

Starting weight (4/4/20): 235.0
Weight last week: 223.1
Weight this week: 221.0
Loss/Gain this week: -2.1
Total loss/gain: -14.0

I completely "fell off the wagon" with MWL #5. I found a bag of raw almonds in my frig and thought I'd enjoy a few. I should have known it would be a trigger for me. I ended up eating the entire 2lb-bag during the week. I was totally prepared to have a bad weigh-in this week and was shocked to see that I lost 2.1 lbs. I don't intend to buy almonds again (at least not for now), but this week I'm going to try including some walnuts in my oatmeal and/or salads. If I can lose 2 lbs/week and still eat some walnuts, that's a win-win to me.

Any thoughts on why I had one of my best weeks while including so many nuts?
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Re: May 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

Postby Zoey » Sat May 30, 2020 6:10 am

This week, down - .9

Initial weigh-in: 160.4
First week: 157.8
Second week: 158.4
Third week: 157
Today, fourth week: 156.1

Still barely clinging to the pound-a-week club. It's frustrating, but isn't everything these days? :?
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Re: May 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

Postby Tian-De » Sat May 30, 2020 6:48 am

Last Saturday - 161.8
This Saturday - 159.8
Loss - 2 lbs.

High Points
I'm noticing the meals I enjoy most have whole starches and lot of veggies. Putting the veggies in is hardest for me. I never regret them, but my mind doesn't think to add them. I'm trying to make a game though, in which I get a point for every different veggie I have in a meal. My high score was 8 - a farro and bean bowl that lots of fresh produce from the garden.

Low Points
Motivation wise, It's getting harder to feel pumped about doing this. I'm already well within the normal BMI, and honestly don't need to lose weight any more. That said, I feel a lot better doing the 50/50 bowl and eschewing flours, oils, sugars, etc. . I feel like I need to find a way to do WFPB without a focus on weight loss at this point, but without relaxing my standands. I've had too much processed food the past week and my mind is feeling it. It's been harder because I've been running a lot more and when I get home, my appetite is often quite wild and unpredictable.

Highest Point
I started reading a new book about walking and running, by focusing on posture and Qi-Gong principles. I find my self motivated to walk and run all the time now.
世界需要真、善、忍
The World Needs Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance
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Re: May 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

Postby pootsy » Sat May 30, 2020 7:38 am

Thanks, Josietheschnauzer, for the tip on heating the spices. I will try that. The alu gobi was better the next day and I realized as I emptied my bottle of cumin how long I had it in my cabinet.I need to buy fresh spices with all this cooking. Those jars are like makeup, we forget how long its been since we bought new ones!
Thanks again, Mark for your encouragement. I hope you know how much help you are offering each week. My week was beset by intense cravings as I have been struggling to regain control and be compliant. It had gotten so easy to follow the program and I am surprised by how strong the pull can still be once off track....
I am going to spend some time this weekend watching some of Doug Lisle's videos. Thanks for sharing those links.
Good luck to all as we start June!!!
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Re: May 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

Postby courtneywagasky » Sat May 30, 2020 8:38 am

05/01: 127.4
05/08: 126.6
05/15: 125.2
05/22: 124.4
05/29: 123.8

Change This Week: -0.6 lb

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. 5/7
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, choose fruit for dessert. 7/7
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. 5/7
4. Eliminate all animal foods. 7/7
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). 0/7 (Flax) Need to cut out the PB Fit
6. Eliminate any added oil. 5/7
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products, puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit. 4/7
8. Don't drink your calories. 7/7
9. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. 7/7
10. Aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily. 7/7

Reflections
This week was not the best due to it being Memorial Day and my brother's birthday celebration but I still managed to lose a little over half a pound! This marks 25 whole pounds :shock: lost since I started my weight loss journey and 7ish pounds from starting MWL. This is the fastest and most consistent rate that I've lost weight. I'm really happy with this WOE. Thank you guys!
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