A new thread for a NEW YEAR! Let me offer a warm welcome to all our current and continuing MWL group participants! If you participated during the previous month and would like to continue, you are most welcome to do so and there is no need to take any further action. If you are a new entrant and would like to join the group, please thoroughly review the
Orientation Information, and follow the instructions for registering your participation.
The paramount
requirement for this group is
to commit to follow the McDougall Maximum Weight Loss program as defined by the
MWL Guidelines and the
MWL 10-Point Checklist. We don't expect perfection, because making these changes in behavior is extremely difficult; however, the intent of participation for the group is important -
are you willing to make an honest attempt to follow the guidelines as intended, and keep trying to work toward improvements when you are struggling? If so, you are in the right place, no matter what your starting point is, and how much (or little) success you may feel you're having at the moment. Intentionally planning NOT to follow the guidelines, or not attempting to make changes in the appropriate behaviors when needed, however, doesn't serve the individual participant well, nor is it good for the group as a whole.
Additionally, if you choose to participate in the weekly weigh-in and behavioral assessment, we expect you to observe the timeframe and context, as outlined below. Weigh-ins are on
Friday; 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 weekly summary, or receive replies.
Please post your report in the following format -
- Weight change +/- in lbs
- Assess the week in regard to each of the recommendations from the MWL 10-Point Checklist, at least in brief.
- Feel free to elaborate on specific points from the MWL Checklist where you succeeded and /or those that need greater attention, if that feels appropriate and applicable.
- Victories, comments, concerns, questions
You are welcome to make use of the template below when composing your weekly report.
Template for Weekly MWL Weigh-In and Behavioral AssessmentTo apply this template, use your cursor to highlight all the text in the code box, copy it (on most systems you can do this with a right click & copy, or Ctrl+C on the keyboard) and paste the text into your own post (right click & paste, or Ctrl+V). Feel free to add
bold text,
italics,
underlining,
&c, if you feel it would be helpful in communicating your assessment.
- Code: Select all
Weight change +/- in lbs:
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).
Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
Thank you in advance for your participation, cooperation and kindness! Let's start the year off right with a bounty of learning, growth and progress!