PonysPlants - Another nice steady loss! I wouldn't anticipate any problem with relying on a couple primary foods for the starch portion of your meal - I am much the same myself, eating mostly potatoes, sweet potatoes and brown rice. As Jeff has mentioned previously, "when following the MWL guidelines (particularly starting meals with soup or salad, and the 50/50 guideline) one's diet will be very nutrient dense." So, enjoy your potatoes, brown rice and fruit (within reason
![Very Happy :-D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
).
Cathy Ann - Huzzah! Best week yet, no binge eating and down 2 lbs! Adhering to the MWL principles is indeed a great way to break those previous habits. I think if a food feels especially troublesome for you, removing it from your immediate environment makes a great deal of sense, especially so when the food is attached to a habitual behavior you've come to expect (like that Sunday night non adherent meal). The sooner and more fully you can break that habit, the more quickly the cravings it inspires are likely to subside. Keep striving to make more and more of the "mostly" points into "Yes." I think you are approaching exercise with a useful mindset - just start as soon as you are able with whatever activities you can do, for whatever period of time, and build from there. I'm delighted that the future has you feeling excited!
Expat in NZ - Happy Friday, and congratulations on shattering that plateau! It looks like you had a great initial week adhering to the MWL 10-Point Checklist, Lindsey.
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Keep it up!
Abe - As always, be patient, and keep striving to subdue that "last frontier!" Have you tried any SNAP meals or
Jeff's recipes using his basic 5 ingredients lately? Those can be especially helpful for satisfying the 50/50 guideline, since they achieve the desired ratio automatically, can be adjusted to large batches, and freeze, refrigerate and reheat well.
josietheschnauzer - Down 2.2 lbs this week and 27.4 total! It sounds like you had a great week, and prepared for and managed your dining out and houseguest very well! How gratifying that your cousin enjoyed your MWL meals with enthusiasm. I think it is great that you have been so successful finding strategies to help with not stuffing yourself - it sounds like that herbal tea hit the spot for you. Don't overlook the possibility, though, that sometimes when you want to eat a bit more, you might just actually still be hungry.
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Way to be so consistent with your level of adherence and activity!
Joanne_elon - Try not to feel too disappointed, if you can! It seems like you know which behaviors to correct - as you observe, in this situation (especially as one gets closer and closer to a natural weight) the answer is ADHERENCE + TIME.
Dennis h - Nice loss! Keep aiming for closer adherence in those areas you "need to work on," that is the best way you can support your continuing progress.
Waterfit - Yay! I think your inclination to keep "plugging along" is the right one; overall, you are averaging just under 1 lb / week, which is more or less right in line with what would be expected, given your weight range. A review of
what we can do about plateaus, never hurts. Just to clarify for all participants, neither
"compulsive" exercising, nor
intermittent fasting is recommended for MWL or as part of the regular McDougall program.
JeffN wrote:While optimal health requires a certain level of activity, exercise and fitness, more exercise does not always equal greater health, and too much exercise can lead to less than optimal health.
JeffN wrote:We do not promote or endorse intermittent fasting, not eating when hungry, time restricted eating, every other day eating, 5/2 fasting, etc, etc
Violet3135 - Hang in there! I think you are wise to take any single week's weigh-in result in stride. Strive for that vigilant adherence - I find it helpful to think of each point from the checklist as either / or, i.e., either I adhered to this particular point or I did not.
cmurphy - Very nice loss, and great work doing better and better with exercise! Sounds like you had a solid week and you know where to focus your attention moving ahead; the SNAP meals work great, right?
BarbaraLynn - Yay! A successful week adhering to all 10 points (including exercise) is what I like to hear!
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Sounds like a strong week, and I applaud you for listening to your body when that hike became painful.
jkcook - Nice loss, Janet! Keep aiming toward moving that "pretty good" toward "great!" Might it be useful, rather than thinking about giving up that sushi completely, to consider doing an August "experiment" where you omit it and see how that feels? That's only one month and may provide some information to better inform your ultimate decision. After all, adherent sushi rolls are available as an option. Just a thought.
VNiehoff - That scale keeps on moving in the right direction! I'm sorry you're dealing with discomfort in your hip - good for you in being mindful about not reaching for calorie rich processed foods as a "salve." Veggies for the win!
rlechols - That needle on your scale continues moving downward though! How fun to keep being pleasantly surprised on weigh-in day! Looks like an A+ week to me.
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If you are able to post your before and after pictures, I have no doubt that many would find them encouraging. Kudos for your excellent efforts! Information for everyone, in regard to posting images -
Mark Cooper wrote:I use flickr for my photos. You can get a free account (if you don't already have one) and then upload the images you want to share. For a specific image, if you select the share button, then BBCode, you can just cut and paste the code for the image into a post here on the forum. (You may know all this already, but I thought a quick primer might benefit everyone
![big grin :D](./images/smilies/biggrin.gif)
).
The code to embed an image looks like this
- Code: Select all
[img]URL for your picture goes here[/img]
OrangeBird - Down 2.6 pounds! Your assiduous attention to daily exercise is definitely worth feeling good about! Did any particular developments in your day on last Friday or Tuesday contribute to those deviations? I would certainly agree that watermelon is a far superior choice to a bowl of chips.
Amberlina - Kudos! I think you've successfully assessed that including some adherent snack options in your preparation will be a great support, particularly as you continue to incorporate exercise. Might be worth taking some time to put together a solid plan for your father-in-law's visit, so you'll be planning for success!
vegyluvver - Congrats on the loss, Val! Adhering more and more closely to the MWL 10-Point Checklist is exactly the direction you want to be moving. Any idea how to reduce (or eliminate) those days when you "have to figure out what to make when already hungry?" If you can solve that problem in advance (when you aren't hungry) it should make for smooth sailing.
CindyD - Fantastic result, no doubt supported by your attention to adherence! In regard to being overfull, I tend to use physical comfort as my personal measure; I'd just continue to use your best judgement, as you seem to be doing already by being mindful of this point. Are you including the flaxseed based on any particular directive or concern? Keep in mind, the recommendation is to
Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
Thank you for the very kind comments! I think your closing sentiment deserves to be quoted!
CindyD wrote:Good luck everyone! Setbacks are totally understandable, just get back on the horse!
Hope410 - Cheers! I'm glad to see you back and reporting; I'm especially sympathetic to being offline, after our recent power outages here in Princeton! Have a great week and keep working to turn those remaining 90's into 100's.
squealcat - It is always a delight to see you here in the group, Marilyn! And down a pound already! I think making yourself intentionally aware of the demotivating effect an "off" scale result can have, and focusing your idea of success on the recommended behaviors is wise; forewarned is forearmed. It appears you had a successful week implementing those behaviors, and you have a good idea of what areas will be rewarded by further attention. If you haven't seen it already, Jeff has a great thread providing support for
Dining Out. Enjoy the sprouts - you're making me want to rustle up some!
Trish - I think it is natural to feel discouraged when the results we are seeking don't manifest on the scale, but if you can, try to temper your disappointment. Right now you are feeling puzzled and confused, but this situation does have a
solution. As your rundown of the MWL 10-Point Checklist suggests, there are some areas where you might better support your efforts - eliminating higher fat plant foods, calorie dense foods, and liquid calories. The MWL guidelines advise limiting fruit to 2 servings per day (on average), which Jeff discusses in more detail
here, I made a fairly lengthy post on fruit
here. Don't neglect to include adequate starch each time you eat; toward the bottom of
this post, Jeff helps explain the philosophy behind following the 50/50 principle, even for snacks. It is nearly impossible to accurately count calories, for all the reasons Jeff outlines in
How to Successfully Count Calories; I think having that daily "calorie count" in our heads can actually be counterproductive - in my own case, I believe my past attempts with calorie counting really stood in the way of my progress. Try not to let the feedback from the scale take the "driver's seat" for your efforts; instead, concentrate on adhering to the recommended pattern of behavior and the scale will sort itself out over time. Of course, you should definitely proceed as feels necessary (in consultation with your physician) for managing your type-1 diabetes. Do you feel like you might be willing to take a break from tracking with Fitness Pal, try two weeks of strict adherence to the MWL 10-Point Checklist in all respects and see how things go?
Kathie - Kudos! Keep working toward fully adhering to those points where there is room for improvement. If you feel like you have a tendency to consistently overeat whole grain pasta, it would be fine to exclude it; often that problem can be solved by serving the pasta primavera-style, with an equal visual volume of non-starchy vegetables.
JeffN wrote:Whole grain pasta is allowed on the MWL. Remember to follow the 50/50 with it and load the dish with lots of non-starchy vegetables.
Chocolate is not recommended for MWL; Jeff has a thorough thread on the topic
here, discussing the various considerations and his recommendations / allowances which might give you some direction.
GreenFroG - Great progress! You deserve to feel good about this week! I'm glad you found those links and information helpful. Keep working out those "little bugs," it is an ongoing process and everyone faces a learning curve.
laura_delao - Keep working and keep learning!
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I'm glad you are enjoying that breakfast "dessert!" Focusing on continuing improvement in practicing the recommended pattern of behavior is a solid approach. Any ideas for making your next experience
dining out one that is adherent? It feels exciting to have a whole month filled with new opportunities ahead!
Vegeloon - Hang in there! Mindless eating never leads us in the right direction, but you seem to have made a hasty return to "reality"
and to a pattern more conducive to your goals. Being stocked up and ready always helps. Happy birthday! Give yourself a great gift; let's see how many of those 75's can transform into 100's!
Renestl - Sorry to hear you were dealing with swelling this week! Continue with the progress you are making, doing better and better in eliminating animal foods, oil, calorie dense processed foods, and reducing added salt. I totally agree that satisfying one's hunger with adequate starch makes overall adherence more easily achieved. Onward!
ladevereaux - Off to an auspicious start, Leslie! Great work eliminating that sweet tea! Aim for continuing headway on that "work in progress;" keep reducing added sugar where you can and as you are able, eliminate the liquid calories, and work on excluding those calorie dense foods - it can really help to have adherent starches, non-starchy vegetable and fruit prepared and ready to go, so making your best choice at any given time feels as easy as possible. My preferred salad dressing is a mix of lemon juice, cider vinegar, and balsamic vinegar, but keep in mind that
salads are not required; starting meals with soup satisfies the guideline and may be preferable.
This is Jeff's favorite salad dressing; there are also several dressings included in the
MWL recipes. Keep doing the best you can!