August 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

[MonkeysMom]

Hi, I have reviewed the orientation information and would like to become a member of this group.

I currently weigh 172.4 and am 5’ 6.5” I had gastric bypass surgery about 5 years ago (at almost 300 lbs). Overall it’s been great but I become anemic frequently and my dietician is constantly telling me that I don’t eat enough protein.

Between a new, sedentary job and working from home due to the pandemic, I’ve put on about 35 lbs. But more importantly, my blood pressure has become high enough that my dr wants to put me on anti-hypertensive medication; I’m hoping that dietary changes will bring my BP down enough to avoid medication.

This week I’m planning on just incorporating more plant foods in my diet, figuring out what I can eat without getting dumping syndrome, finding foods I like, etc. I’ve signed up for PlantStock and plan to use that weekend to kick off the change for real!

[chef16]

Hi Mark,
I feel I really benefited from last month and would like to continue on in August.
Thank You

[Mark Cooper]

Hello everyone! I made it back home, and with newly restored (post Isais) electrical power, I've made it back to the discussion board, as well!

Let me extend a very warm welcome to ladevereaux, Tbear, & MonkeysMom! I'm glad each of you found this group and I wish you a successful and beneficial August.

A jovial welcome back to squealcat (great to see you Marilyn!), Beeshell, Joanne_elon, conniegeerhart, Drew*, chef16, and all other returning participants.

Expat in NZ - After completing the orientation, you would be welcome to join the group, Lindsey.

[Mark Cooper]

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's weigh-in and seeing everyone's reports! Friday is this group's weigh-in day, and participants have until noon pacific time (19:00 UTC) on Saturday to post a report of their result for the week. Reports posted outside that window of time won't be included in the summary that I compile for Saturday evening. This group is all about changing patterns of behavior, so it seems reasonable to me to expect those who choose to participate in the weekly weigh-in to honor that time frame for reporting. In addition to reporting your weight change in pounds, more importantly, please be sure to evaluate your behaviors within the context of the MWL 10-Point Checklist, if you please. I will respond to everyone's reports in a cumulative post on Friday evening and Saturday evening, and the summary for the week will be posted Saturday night.

For more information on why participants are recommended to weigh themselves once a week while in the weight loss phase, check out this excellent and thorough article from Jeff - To Weigh or Not to Weigh

My very best to all, and I'll see you tomorrow!

[PonysPlants]

Down 0.8 lbs this week. Again! Nice to see steady weight loss but I wish it was a bit more if I’m honest! Never mind, I’ll just keep plugging away.

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. YES
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. I’ve been mainly eating brown rice and potatoes because I love them so. Is there any problem just mainly eating 2 starches, or should I make an effort to branch out more?
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). Easy. Vegan for life
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. Had some uncooked oats with a bit of oat milk one night when I let myself get too hungry.
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). Still having a little oat milk in my tea. Also had a bit with the oats.
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. Yes.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily. Pilates most days with walking.

Working still on just having 2 fruits. Some days it’s been 3 or 4. The fruit is just so good here right now and we get a veg box delivered weekly which has fruit in it. Not having fruit at breakfast as much which helps keep the total down.

Huge thank you, as always, to Mark and the other mods for looking after us and providing so much information and help. You’re superstars.

[Cathy Ann]

-2

Current Weight 231
August Start weight 233
July Start weight 245

August loss -2
July loss -12

10-point plan
1. Start each meal.... Yes
2. 50/50 Plate...& fruit for dessert. Yes
3. Reduce added sugar and salt. Yes
4. Eliminate all animal foods. Yes
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant food. Mostly
6. Eliminate any added oil. Yes
7. Eliminate all high calorie-dense food including Flour. Mostly
8. Don't drink your calories. Yes
9. Follow principles, Eat when hungry.... Mostly
10. Avoid being sedentary...Poor effort from me this week. I need to overcome my lazy mindset to exercise. but on a positive note, I did have one pool session this week.

This has been my best week yet! with no binge eating whatsoever. I am going to break my binge habit by sticking to the MWL plan. There has been my Sunday night meal of 2 slices of toast, (one topped with baked beans the other topped with peanut paste.) I so crave this. And mentally, I feel a bit excited because I'm being naughty. and then I feel guilty by not being 100% all in! peanut butter is going to be banned from our house, because it is just so easy to open the jar and eat it, not good to have around a binge eater. Next week I need to work on being less sedentary, have to work out a plan for myself. even if it starts with one minute at a time. just need to have a plan and to stop procrastinating. Thank you for letting me continue with my weekly reporting, I feel extremely privileged, and I'm excited about my future and hopefully a pain free me. Have a fantastic week everyone!

[Expat in NZ]

Happy Friday all! - I completed the orientation and would like to be officially added.

Weigh in - Aug 1 193.4
Aug 7 191.8lb (-1.6lb - plateau FINALLY broken!)

Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. - I do not always do salad or soup, sometimes I steam a bunch of broccoli and Brussels sprouts and eat half of it first then do the 50/50 plate.

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. - this is the easiest part haha!

Choose fruit for dessert. - I usually don’t want dessert but I do choose fruit if I get hungry at 9pm.

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. - 100% on this

Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). - Ages ago!

Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). - 100% compliant

Eliminate any added oil. - 100% compliant

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. - Done!

Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). - 100% on this too

Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.
Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). - I lift heavy weights 3-4 times per week but I have been trying to use my Fitbit more and get my steps in on non-lifting days.

[LesleyMills]

I'd love to join the August group but completely forgot to weigh myself this morning. As I've now eaten dinner I can't weigh myself now or my weight won't be consistent with previous weeks. I'll weigh myself Saturday morning ie a day late but please can you include me in this month's group regardless? Thanks and sorry.

[Mark Cooper]

I'd love to join the August group but completely forgot to weigh myself this morning. As I've now eaten dinner I can't weigh myself now or my weight won't be consistent with previous weeks. I'll weigh myself Saturday morning ie a day late but please can you include me in this month's group regardless? Thanks and sorry.

Since you were a participant last month, you have a spot automatically, so no worries. I look forward to seeing your report tomorrow (or later today local time).

[Abe]

Weight Change: 0 lbs.

2. Follow 50/50 plate volume.
I really was aware this week of how often I am eating more than 50% starch for a meal or snack. I did not really do anything about it, but I did notice it. I am struggling with this MWL point. The starch is so much more delicious, filling, and easy to eat. I also feel like I am eating soooo many vegetables. Literally buckets full of non-starchy vegetables. I will recommit to working on this point, but I sounded really convincing last week, and yet I did not follow through. This is the last MWL frontier for me, the rest of the 10 point checklist has become routine.

[josietheschnauzer]

Thank you again to to Jeff, Mark, and Wild Goose, and to all the participants. I look forward to reading the posts every day! I started the MWL in April-- I have been a McDougaller but wanted to control my emotional eating during the Corona Crisis. I am apt to overeat on the forbidden fat: oil. I didn't want to gain back weight during Corona and I wanted to ban the poison oil so to MWL I came. Wow, I have now lost a total of 27.4 pounds. I would have never thought this possible.

Weight loss this week: 2.2 pounds. I guess I haven't reached the magic "equilibrium" yet!

Ten Steps: I too, have to concentrate on the those non-starchy vegetables. I was concerned this week because I ate at my wonderful Chinese restaurant and had company (cousin) in my house. So I did make sure I was eating extra broccoli and kale to balance the brown rice and potatoes. My young cousin (first cousin, once removed) who stayed with me is in no way plant based but she enthusiastically ate what I cooked and even gave me a recipe which is whole foods plant based. I made sure I had lots of food, our MWL food, for her! She was stuffed...whoops we don't want to be stuffed.... I think it is important for me to only cook MWL in my house for people; my dog is my only exception to policy! If I have lots of food for them to eat they will not feel deprived.

I don't have my list here for some reason, but the step about eating until full and not stuffed is my constant issue. I have been so much better--walking the dog after I eat, waiting 15 minutes, etc. But this week, I just "wanted" more fruit. So I had a cup of Celestial Seasonings herbal tea, Raspberry Zinger, and it did the trick! Just enough flavor to satisfy that "sweet" need.

I continue to exercise 7 miles every day. Thank you again! Have a beautiful week of healthy eating and exercise!

[Joanne_elon]

Good morning.
My weight is unchanged ....126 pounds.
I had hoped to lose 1 pound this week but it didn't happen,
I had some noncompliant food....It showed!
I am disappointed.....but will try to do better.
Hope you met your goals for this week.

Thanks Joanne

[Dennis h]

last week 222lbs
this week 220lbs

-2 lbs for the week

1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. NEED TO WORK ON THIS

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. NEED TO WORK ON THIS

2) Choose fruit for desert CHECK.

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. CHECK

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

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

6) Eliminate any added oil.CHECK

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. NEED TO WORK ON THIS

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

9) Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. CHECK

10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). CHECK

Thank you all for your support
have a good week
dennis h

[Waterfit]

Beginning wt: 120.5
Current wt: 115.5
Goal wt: 105
Loss: 1 lb

Yay! I lost the 1 lb I put on last week but still discouraged in 38 days I have only lost 5 lbs which was in the first 2 week. It really makes me want to compulsively exercise because I am not sure I can change my food up much more with out intermittent fasting. I really don't want to do either. I will keep plugging along. My weight is in a normal range, but just not ideal for my preference.

[Violet3135]

I am happy to be continuing into the August group. I have no weight loss to report this week. I did not go off the rails but perhaps not quite as vigilant as before or maybe weight is just coming off gradually.

7/31/20 Weight: 176
8/7/20 Weight loss : 0

Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Frontloading with raw veggies
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.
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.
Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). Had some peanuts this week.
Eliminate any added oil.
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.
Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.
Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).