Expat in NZ - You are absolutely right that a loss is a loss, and that is a fantastic total for the month! I completely agree with what you observed about making steady, systematic changes in behavior, and then suddenly realizing you feel really great and don't need to "medicate" with troublesome foods.
It sounds like you have a really exemplary doctor!
LesleyMills - I wish you the very best with those personal / family issues. Give yourself credit for recognizing the pattern you were heading into, and getting back on track in short order. I think your idea of making a point to craft satisfying, flavorful, adherent meals makes sense - concentrate on including the flavors and ingredients you most enjoy (in an adherent fashion). Something I found helpful, when presented with similar circumstances, was to plan a few specific, comforting activities to turn toward that were not related to food, e.g. meditation, going for a walk, listening to a favorite song. You are so right that we're all "a work in progress," and trial and error in figuring out how we can best manage changing circumstances is an important part of the process.
PonysPlants - Gradual progress in the right direction is still progress! You are so right about how
a few "exceptions" here and there can be a slippery slope, and start to creep their way toward becoming the norm. It sounds like your assessment with the checklist functioned just as we would hope; it's much easier to manage the things we actually measure, I think. "Exercise is to make me feel good and has little relation to my weight loss." That has certainly been my experience. "It's the food!"
Waterfit - It can feel so jarring when our excellent efforts aren't made manifest on the scale. I think you are right to take this single point of data in stride; concentrating on the pattern of behavior is exactly the right focus, and close adherence will produce results (although not always on the timeframe we might prefer). Enjoying easy, tasty meals that you love eating seems like a great reason to move forward!
Cathy Ann - Another 2 lbs! You lost 2 lbs for every August weigh-in! Well done! That solid attention to the MWL 10-Point Checklist has definitely paid off. I think often that first step into daily exercise can be the hardest one to take; it sometimes helps to just promise yourself you'll put in at least 5 or 10 minutes, and once you get started continuing may feel less daunting.
Whole grain couscous is an acceptable choice for the starch component of a meal, with the same considerations as more typical whole grain pastas. I'm excited for September, too!
josietheschnauzer - That looks like a very solid week! That virtual Santiago de Compostela walk /run sounds amazing! Keep up your thoughtful attention to the recommended pattern of behavior.
Abe - That is great! I'm happy to hear closely tracking adherence to the 50/50 guideline felt helpful; it has definitely been my experience that conscious attention to a particular behavior provides a more accurate sense of progress, and since it makes me think about the specific behavior at the "decision point" I'm more likely to make a choice congruent with my goals. Have fun with that Bowflex Max!
jan_npr - Good progress! I think consistently tracking our pattern of behavior is essential, both for having a clear view of what we're actually doing and for providing some motivation toward the recommended habits. I feel for your struggles with that knee pain. Have you noticed it developing or changing in response to particular foods? If it were connected to a food reaction,
this post on the elimination diet outlines an effective approach. Keep at it!
goal140 - Kudos on those two 10/10 days! The more consistently you are able to adhere to the MWL 10-Point Checklist, the more consistent your results are likely to be. Sometimes it helps to take it a day at a time (or even meal-by-meal) and work on building a solid pattern over time. Having a "clean" environment and being well-prepared always makes things easier. Was anything different about those 2 days in regard to your routine, prep, or situation?
CindyD - Nice loss and nice work doing well with the guidelines! Well done not letting that single indulgence be the start of a string. 28 lbs gone since July!
calharv - Hang in there, Cal! I think you are right that ongoing attention and self-assessment with the MWL 10-Point Checklist ultimately moves us toward more consistent adherence. One of the reasons I think it is important to focus on the behaviors specifically, as opposed to outcomes, is that outcome-related "evidence" can sometimes introduce the idea of having "wiggle room" into our minds, and lead us toward making less than ideal choices.
Kathie - Kudos! Seems like you did well with the guidelines! Jeff has a great thread on
Dining Out, including some basic principles for doing so successfully. Keep at it!
Creaky - 5 pounds down in two weeks! Great progress with the guidelines! Added stress never makes things less challenging, but you are SO right that not having troublesome foods around to be eaten makes it MUCH easier not to eat them.
GreenFroG - Woo-hoo! 10/10!
Continue your diligent attention to the recommended behaviors and the scale will work itself out. That future shopping expedition sounds like a happy occasion!
connielovesdogs - Big result! That accounts for last week and then some, so your adherence seems to have been rewarded! Well done! That feeling of being on track is so pleasant. We've been loving the watermelon from our CSA the last few weeks, but I think we may have seen the last of it here, as well. Thanks for your kind words!
Trish - I think sometimes the perception that other people can seem to achieve desirable outcomes with a more lax overall pattern of behavior can feel quite unfair; we may not always have an accurate view into what their actual behaviors are, but of course some of us just naturally require more strict adherence to achieve the results we want (myself included). For me, it was really important to be honest with myself about what my observations over time taught me I would need to do to get where I wanted to be. Attending to the recommended behaviors is always the surest approach, and the best way to avoid troublesome foods is to eat of the recommended foods, in the recommended manner, whenever you are feeling hungry.
rlechols - Wow, Rachel! Down another pound and another excellent week of adherence! How wonderful that it feels like your food addictions have been eliminated and a sprinkle of sugar no longer triggers a pattern of counterproductive behavior.
I'm glad we'll have the benefit of your participation and experience in the group for at least a few more months! As you continue to hone your routine and gather information, I imagine you'll start to narrow in on an overall pattern of behavior that feels sustainable and satisfactory for you long term, while achieving and maintaining the results you want.
squealcat - Good work keeping to your exercise routine during what sounds like an otherwise challenging week. I think you are right that "proving" to yourself that you can adhere to the recommended behaviors for a significant duration of time goes a long way toward building a "belief" that you will succeed. I've found that "planning for success" is very helpful - what are the things I need to do to make this day / week / month a success? Planning and preparing the necessary components of an adherent pattern of behavior sets a precedent for adherence, I believe. Cheers to a successful September!
Amberlina - Hang in there! Knowing the things you need to change to progress as you would like lays out a clear path forward. Those recipes from Jeff are great; I would note that for MWL tahini is not recommended.
JeffN wrote:Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
Here is a similar set of recipes from Jeff.
Hope410 - Goodbye to 1.6 lbs! How wonderful that a week of closer adherence with simple meals felt good to you! See you in September!
Golightly - I think having an awareness of our pattern of behavior, making a prediction about the result, and having that checked against reality is how we learn what we'll need to do. That seems like it can be an important part of the process in actually making these changes durable and sustainable; we're "teaching" ourselves how our lifestyle needs to look. I'd be wary of using granular, short-term feedback from the scale as a means of gauging the impact of specific behaviors; during the weight loss phase, the general recommendation is to weigh once a week, for all the reasons outlined in
To Weigh or Not to Weigh. Try to focus your efforts on the process of changing the behaviors, rather than the outcomes, if you can.
OrangeBird - Excellent adherence delivering great results! Awesome! Wishing you the best with your medical thing; it seems like you are making some preparations that should help maintain your routine, which always helps.
Beeshell - Good for you not letting a challenging week provide the impetus to "give up!" You are so right that we don't make these changes overnight, and focus and effort toward making consistent, ongoing progress with the recommended pattern of behavior is more important than being "perfect." It has been my experience that feeling overwhelmed with powerful emotions makes adherence seem much more difficult to maintain "in the moment." Any efforts we can make toward planning and food preparation when we feel at our best really pay off, because then we have an easily accessible stock of adherent foods to draw from even when our energy and willpower is diminished.
Renestl - Being down 2.3 lbs since the end of July is still real progress! Knowing what you need to change gives you a direction for moving forward. The most effective way to support continuing and improving progress is to keep diligently working toward the recommended pattern of behavior. Onward!
ladevereaux - 8/10 is a substantial improvement from last week! Great work! It seems like you gathered some useful information about the effect of having those tortilla chips immediately available that you can carry forward. So glad to hear you were unaffected by the big storms!
wstokes - Nice loss! Those last pounds nearly always present a challenge. I think September makes a great opportunity for closer adherence to the MWL guidelines.
