August 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

[Mark Cooper]

August 2021 RESOURCES
This section will be updated throughout the month with links to useful resources, as they are added to the thread.

Orientation Information for McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group
MWL 10-Point Checklist
MWL Program Guidelines
Calorie Density: How To Eat More, Weigh Less and Live Longer
MWL Recipes
SNAP Meal Template

1- 28 oz Can No Salt Added Tomatoes
1- 16 oz Bag Frozen Mixed Veggies (any type)
1- 4 oz Frozen Green Leafy Vegetables (collard, turnip, mustard, etc)
1- Around 200-250 Calories of a Cooked Starch (Brown rice, Yam, Potato, WW Pasta, etc)
1- Seasoning (to your preference)

200- 250 Calories Of Starch options
~ 1.25 to 1.5 Medium Potatoes
~ 1.25 to 1.5 Cups (Cooked) Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
~ 1 to 1.25 Cups (Cooked) Brown Rice

The Road to Success: Creating Healthy Habits
The Pleasure Trap: Dr. Doug Lisle at TedxFremont
How to Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind with Dr. Doug Lisle
Dr. Doug Lisle on The Ego Trap
Dr. Doug Lisle: The Story of Willpower – What it Is & How it Works
Dr. Lisle's Three Top Tips for Dietary Success
Jeff Novick, RD - Nutrition & Health FAQ: Answers To The Most Asked Questions
A Review of the Rules & Guidelines for Reading Labels
Passive Overconsumption: The Unintended Intake of Excess Calories
Why We Hit Plateaus and What We Can Do About Them
Struggling to Achieve Results? Here are 9 Reasons Why
Dining Out and Travel Food
Exercise, Health & You: How Much Is Enough?
Optimum BMI? / Optimal BMI - redux
Building Self-Efficacy
Amy's Giant List of Links to Dr. Lisle's Lectures

[Gabby7]

I’m in for this month, excited to keep the progress going!

[onajourney]

Hello All,

I have been lurking around these boards for a long time. I’ve followed a “McDougallish” eating style for a number of years, but have been unable to fully commit. In January 2020 I weighed 214 pounds. I was having some health issues and decided it was more than time to make a lifestyle change. Since then I have slowly gotten down to my current weight of 188 and have made a lot of improvements to my health, but I haven’t lost any more weight for several months and would like to lose at least 30-40 more pounds.

I’ve been dabbling on my own with trying to tighten up my eating plan, but I haven’t made any progress. I want to do this. I’m sooo tired of trying, failing, going 3 steps forward and then 2 steps back. I’d like to join the MWL forum. I’ve reviewed all the orientation information and am ready to go.

[veggiemelt]

Hello! I have completed orientation and would like to be added to the group.

[Mark Cooper]

Welcome to the group, onajourney & veggiemelt! Glad to have you here. Cheers for another month of progress, Gabby7!

[squealcat]

I will be gone for a couple of weeks. Leaving on vacation. I plan to be back and reporting on August 20. I am looking forward to a much needed break .

-squealcat (Marilyn)

[Mark165]

I have completed the orientation material. Please add me to the August weigh-in group.
Start weight:
231

[Mark Cooper]

squealcat - Have a lovely vacation, Marilyn!

Mark165 - Welcome to the group!

[Rebecka22]

149.4 Weight change +/- in lbs: -0.2 pounds
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. Choose fruit for dessert. 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. YES
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
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). YES

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: I wanted to eat sweets and other junk this week, but I didn’t. I stuck with the advice that the feeling would pass and just ate the on plan food instead and it did…sort of. But I finished the week with all yeses and another week of following the behaviors behind me. Thanks for the support!

[GreenFroG]

Weight change +/- in lbs: No change

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: Not a lot to report. Lost last week, so this week I figure I am evening out. Trying to stay the course and follow the checklist. Hope everyone has a great week!

[Gabby7]

Weight change +/- in lbs:  -2lbs

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. YES
3. 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. YES
5. 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
7. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). YES
9. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). YES
11. Eliminate any added oil. YES
13. 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. YES
15. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). YES
17. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. YES
18. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). YES

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: Really happy with my progress with week and compliance despite some traveling. Went to Santa Cruz and had to navigate all the challenges of the boardwalk and pulled through with no funnel cake . Appreciate the support and tips from the group. Started roasting a big pan of veggies and sautéing a big pan of kale so I have veggies ready when hunger strikes. Prep has made a huge difference for me the last couple weeks. Hope everyone is having a great starch filled week!

[Angelea]

Weight change +/- in lbs: -0.9
Friday, July 30: 125.7
Today: 124.8

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. ALL MEALS EXCEPT THIS MORNING'S BREAKFAST. ARGHH!
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, filling half your plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50/50 (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches. Choose fruit for dessert. 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. YES
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
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). YES

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: Stressful week, so I'm glad to see I'm still headed downward. Didn't take my stress out by eating or making poor food choices. Stuck to plan and feel good! Went out to eat for the first time and had Japanese...veggies and rice. Got really sick to my stomach afterwards..added oil is probably the culprit?? Good week!

[Health 1st]

Weight change +/- in lbs:  -3.8

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.----I did pretty good, but not as good as last week.

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.----I do this (50/50) for just about every meal.  Since I started 7/13, I have not had any fruit for dessert except for 1 time this week as the dessert for my dad's birthday:  organic red grapes.

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.----100% compliant

4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).----100% compliant

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).----100% compliant except for on my dad's birthday I had 4 slices of vegan, no oil added "ham" = 1 serving.  It was primarily made from vital wheat gluten, so at least it was low fat or no fat since there supposedly was no added oil per the label.

6. Eliminate any added oil.----100% compliant

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.---Did fine except for 1+1/2 rice cakes when was away from home + was "starving" + had 2 slices of no oil, NSA whole wheat bread on the outside of the 4 slices of "ham" to make a sandwich.

8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).----100% compliant

9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.----One time over-ate.  Strange but true, I was laying on the sofa on my side to alleviate the pain in my leg/hip + was eating a bowl of sweet corn (1 meal not 50/50.).  Didn't realize until I was vertical just how over full I was!  Yuk!  I learned valuable lessons:  1-- to start with less + 2--just how filling starch is, which is a wonderful thing, a big blessing!

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).----Still haven't been able to actually exercise, but I finally did some more movement because I just had to get some things done.  On the right trajectory with healing, thank God, + hopeful it'll continue. One day I overdid it, though, + paid for it the next day because the pain was worse.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: 
--Due to continued pain, I still found it hard to do regular food prep.  With that I'll be able to do #1 a lot more easily. I finally was able to use the Instant Pot Mini (3qt.).  It is so much easier to handle--carrying the inner pot with food + to hand wash (I'm the dishwasher--lol!) than if I tried to cook on the stove or use the 6qt. IP. 

--I know I went off MWL with the 1 "ham" sandwich, but I feel good that it did not derail me in any way. I did have some very valid concerns that having this "treat" could cause me problems, but the "ham" not having any oil really helped my mindset.  I consider this a real victory!

[Health 1st]

Went out to eat for the first time and had Japanese...veggies and rice. Got really sick to my stomach afterwards..added oil is probably the culprit?? Good week!

Congratulations on a great, week, Angela! Yes, it was the oil. I remember years ago Dr. McDougall saying that when people who were following his program ate out + consumed oil, it had the same effect you had + the people called it "McDougall's Revenge"!

[Mark Cooper]

Rebecka22 - Kudos to you for sticking with the recommended behaviors, even when that didn't feel easy! Something that really helps me to quell the sweet tooth is including some of my favorite fruits in my meals.

GreenFroG - Ten Thumbs-up! Well done staying the course and attending to the recommendations! Have a great week.

Gabby7 - All YESes and down 2 lbs! Such excellent adherence, particularly in the context of travel, is definitely something to feel happy about! Dedicating effort toward preparation almost inevitably pays off. Carry on!

Angelea - Really solid week and nearly another pound gone! It sounds like you were very successful in managing the added stress and staying focused on your pattern of behavior. Personally, I know that I have had some strong (and unpleasant) reactions after accidentally eating something with added oil, so that makes sense. Onward!

Health 1st - Down 3.8 lbs! I'm glad that deviation on your father's birthday wasn't the first in a series; well done getting right back on track afterwards. Fantastic that the Instant Pot Mini has been working out for you. Best wishes for continued healing as the days go by!