APRIL 2020 Maintenance Thread

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Re: APRIL 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Suey51 » Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:48 am

Erin - your food sounds delicious, as always!
Mark - well done on holding steady while juggling home schooling and facilitating the MWL thread - you're doing a great job!
Marsha - good idea to adopt a new mind set. Your split pea soup does sound yummy! Sending you a big socially distanced hug in these strange and difficult times xx
Glenn - glad you had a good week. How did your online video call go?

Weight this week is up by 0.4. I know what I need to do to correct the slight upwards trend the past couple of weeks, so now just need to do it! ;-) Exercise and stopping the after-dinner calorie dense snacks are my two focus areas for the coming week. Meal-wise my husband is still doing the plan which is very helpful. We've had root veg and pearl barley soup, soups from the freezer (courgette for me and one of my husband's no-recipe/chuck it all in soups for him), new potatoes, caramelised onion, aubergine and tomato pasta, penne with a wild garlic pesto (foraged from underneath the beech hedge in our garden!), tofu and veg stir fry with brown rice, plus salads and / or cooked green veggies.

Had a couple of slightly tricky days this week, but otherwise am doing OK. UK lockdown has been extended for a further 3 weeks so i still have plenty of time to perfect my coping strategies :lol: I've also ordered an adult dot-to-dot book (used to love that as a child) and a colouring by numbers book. Already have an anti-stress colouring book, but deciding which colour to use seems to be a little too trying at the moment!

Spent a lovely couple of hours in the greenhouse yesterday potting up circa 50 tomato seedlings. Still waiting for a delivery of seed potatoes, after our first order was cancelled. However, if we don't receive them at least we'll have room at the allotment for all these tomatoes!

Best wishes to everyone xx
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Re: APRIL 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby deweyswakms » Fri Apr 17, 2020 6:47 am

Good Friday morning,

I am determined to get back to MWL eating and lose a couple more #s. Shopping of course is more challenging now. I still can't find lentils. I miss worry-free trips to the store for things. Now I plan them like a fast strike military operation!

Yesterday I made a tasty veggie chili using several veggies that needed to be eaten. I also added some elbow macaroni to it, so I had a 'chili mac'! It was tasty. I made a good cornbread from a mix, but it's hard for me to 'portion control' cause it's so good with jam! So, will not do that again (for awhile!).

What are you all cooking?

Marsha
start weight 210 on 7/25/14; MWL recommit 7/2019 weight 197. 6/11/2022 weight 165.0. Height 5'8".
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Re: APRIL 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Ejeff » Fri Apr 17, 2020 9:14 am

Week was pretty good overall. Still eating too many baked snacks, but also getting fruits and veggies in. Weight holding steady. Sticking to exercise everyday of some sort, doing the stairs in my house twice a week and, some weights twice and walks daily. Sue that root veggie soup with barley is what I’m planning to make this week too. We were finally able to buy some big bags of whole wheat flour which is nice as we are eating only homemade bread and the flour goes fast.

Yesterday I chatted with a friend on the phone while walking. Was very therapeutic and passes the time so quickly. Will plan to do that more often. My stress these days is not from worrying about the virus it’s whats happening with the economy and how long it might take to recover. Also very concerned with releasing violent prisoners. Makes no sense to me. In our province they also passed a bill that gives them much more power should they choose to use it. Things such as forced vaccinations and coming into your home to remove a sick person. This is not democracy to me it’s power gone mad. Shameful if you ask me.

What a great idea to order a dot to dot book. They are fun!

Marsha I agree about the shopping in and out as fast as possible. Ordering online and picking up is working well, but it’s now 10 days out. Good as it gives time to keep adding to the list, bad if we really need something. I think I will make another lentil loaf this week and mashed potatoes. It’s such a comforting meal. Will also make roasted chickpeas as they are a nice crunchy snack. I was able to get a huge cauliflower so pasta with garlic Alfredo sauce sounds nice.

Wishing you all a good week and outside walks to enjoy spring.
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Re: APRIL 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby GlennR » Fri Apr 17, 2020 12:47 pm

I am within my preferred weight range. Although I went over mid-week, I'm now a couple of pounds under the top of my allowed range. I am trying to figure out an optimum amount to eat to build muscle while controlling my overall weight. That might take a while. I did my three resistance training sessions and walked every day for five miles.

Erin and Marsha, I'm still finding shopping a bit weird. I count myself lucky that I am 65 and able to take advantage of the special time that many supermarkets have allotted to seniors. The lack of crowding is good. There are still things missing from the shelves like yeast around here.

Sue, It's nice that your husband is on board. My family is so-so in eating this way.

Mark, I'm not sure I could juggle as many balls you have in the air. How much time do you spend managing the MWL thread?

Lindsey, are you still making masks?

The video call we had with my oldest son and his wife at our virtual Easter dinner was very nice. We'll have to repeat that when traveling isn't possible.
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Re: APRIL 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Lyndzie » Sat Apr 18, 2020 8:05 pm

Time has it’s own new feel these days, being fast and slow at the same time, with the days sort of blurring together.

Erin - we are big fans of the Vegan8 lentil loaf, too. I’ve been making two at a time and freezing one for later, it is just as good as fresh. I’m glad you commented on the governmental changes happening in your area, my husband is not too happy with how things have been managed here and likes to wax poetic about how wonderful Canada is. Every place has it’s problems, but that universal healthcare is looking mighty nice at a time like this. How has the weather been? Is the snow gone?

Marsha - The gravity of what is going on hits me in waves. The world has certainly changed, and rather quickly. Did you find an online yoga class to watch? You are dead on about the fast strike military operation. No such thing as just popping in the store anymore.

Mark - So nice that you took the time to touch base. You have a lot going on, with school-at-home on top of all the other things going on. To echo Erin, you do an excellent job keeping up with the MWL thread, and it’s a huge undertaking.

Sue - Such a good idea to order those activity books. My eldest daughter loves color-by-number books. I’m not sure this is available in the UK, but we’ve really enjoyed Colortronic Animals. What kinds of potatoes and tomatoes are you planting?

Glenn - Nice to hear the virtual get-together went well with your family. We have a lot of zoom calls and facetime here as well. Sounds like you are doing a good job of staying active. Have you had a chance to get out in the garden at all?

I’ve been keeping myself busy with more sewing - as of yesterday I have made 118 masks, including 24 that went to a hospital cafeteria where the staff was not given any PPE, since it was all reserved for the health workers. I’ve been working on distributing them mostly to the general public, hoping that if we can avoid getting sick, that reduces the strain on the healthcare system and keeps people healthy.

Tonight my neighbor hosted an outdoor family movie night, so we all went on the lawns and watched Onward from a safe distance. It was so nice to get together, even though it was quite chilly and we were all spread out. I am very grateful that sheltering-in-place for us is more of an inconvenience than a true hardship, but it does wear on one after a while.

Wishing you all a great week!
Lindsey
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Re: APRIL 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Ejeff » Sun Apr 19, 2020 7:56 am

Lindsey, it’s so kind of you to make masks for the cafeteria staff and others. You’ve sure done a lot of sewing! Thanks for asking about our weather. It seems spring has finally decided to arrive and I would say in about 3 more days the snow should be gone. Our forecast for the week is in the low 60s. It’s really nice to watch all the walkers from my front window and the cyclists have just come out as well.

I’m happy that you live in such a caring community, that movie night was very creative. :-D
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Re: APRIL 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Mark Cooper » Sun Apr 19, 2020 9:37 am

Sue - Your mention of your husband's "chuck it all in" soup made me smile! Your greenhouse work sounds like a wonderfully relaxing and productive way to spend a few hours. Best wishes for perfecting those coping strategies! :D

Marsha - I can totally relate about missing "worry-free" grocery trips, it does tend to feel more like putting together an attack plan nowadays. For my lunches the past two days, I've gotten really basic - 1/2 head of red cabbage, 5 or 6 big collard leaves, and a sweet potato, all thrown into a steamer basket and steamed in my Instant Pot. Once that is cooked, I dump everything into a bowl, dress with a can of NSA tomatoes, lemon juice, vinegar and seasoning blend, give it a good stir and voila! Lunch is served.

Erin - Glad you're holding steady; your daily exercise routine sounds great! I hope those therapeutic "walk and talks" are a continuing source of enjoyment. :)

GlennR - I wish you continuing success in your search for that optimum balance between your food intake and strength training. I try to consciously limit how much time I'm spending on the discussion board, but I have to confess that on Fridays and Saturdays the weigh-in takes over most of my day. :lol:

Lindsey - Fast and slow at the same time perfectly captures the zeitgeist in many respects! I am so impressed by your thoughtfulness and industriousness in making and distributing all those masks - what a wonderful service to your community!

I'm continuing to hold steady, eating MWL, and exercising with daily walks, calisthenic strength training 3 days / week, and high-intensity low impact workouts the other 4 days, along with my ongoing daily PT exercises. Sadly, the float therapy center has been closed for the duration of our confinement, I really miss it!

Best to all, take care & be well!
Last edited by Mark Cooper on Wed Apr 22, 2020 4:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: APRIL 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Starchyme » Wed Apr 22, 2020 3:45 pm

Hi, I'm back. Been on maintenance for almost 1 1/2 years and happy to report I haven't gained any weight back. I'll be getting a blood test the beginning of June and have confidence everything will be normal finally. Since I can't go to the grocery store with all that's going on, as well as no restaurants or carry-out food, my house is fit for Mary, John, Jeffrey, and others to dine here. Hoping all is well with all of you also.
Happy McDougalling!
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Re: APRIL 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby deweyswakms » Fri Apr 24, 2020 7:10 am

Good Friday morning, April 24, 2020 in the Year of the Virus

I am maintaining steady, not gaining or losing, and that's OK. I do want to drop another 3-4 #s though, so have to rededicate myself to the plan.

Mark, love your idea for a basic lunch which I will copy: 1/2 head of red cabbage, 5 or 6 big collard leaves, and a sweet potato, all thrown into a steamer basket and steamed in my Instant Pot. Once that is cooked, I dump everything into a bowl, dress with a can of NSA tomatoes, lemon juice, vinegar and seasoning blend.

My local grocery for dried goods like rice, beans, lentils, nuts, flax seed and hemp hearts, now has NONE in bulk food bins. So have to buy the prepackaged items which are more expensive. I can afford it, for now. Still lots of produce and potatoes available! and frozen fruits & veggies.

I do walk as much as I can; miss the swimming pool which is so good for my aging and achey body parts.

Hope everybody is doing well. Marsha
start weight 210 on 7/25/14; MWL recommit 7/2019 weight 197. 6/11/2022 weight 165.0. Height 5'8".
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Re: APRIL 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Starchyme » Fri Apr 24, 2020 7:20 am

I'm holding my own with the weight maintenance. A first in all my history! Being in stay-at-home and not going to any restaurants has really been a boon to me. Making more recipes from Mary and Jeffrey and enjoying each and every one of them.
Happy McDougalling!
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Re: APRIL 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Suey51 » Sat Apr 25, 2020 3:24 am

Hi everyone and welcome Starchyme!

Lindsey - well done on making such a huge number of masks, fantastic effort! Am in awe of your ability to do that alongside everything you juggle! funny that you mention Colourtronic Animals, I did look at that but went for Coloutronic book instead. Think it was the picture on the front that attracted me and then the mixture of pictures. My step-daughter has done three, but I must confess I haven't done any yet. Enjoyed doing my first adult dot-to-dot picture while watching some TV.

Mark, Marsha and Starchyme - well done on your maintenance efforts!

This week my weight is holding steady. Evening snacking was much better this week but not quite there on the exercise front yet. Food-wise we've been having some more soups from the freezer for lunch, plus salads, hummus, veggie burgers with BBQ sauce and rice, a vegan cottage pie, mushroom fajitas and my favourite brown rice with steamed veggies. For those of you that have bread flour and yeast, I can recommend this Brand New Vegan Rustic No Knead Bread recipe which I made for the first time. Super-easy, looked and tasted good! I used half white and half wholemeal bread flour. Was planning to use less salt than the recipe suggested, but completely forgot to add any and it still got the thumbs up from my husband and step-daughter. :lol:

I've made a couple of masks and some heart shaped lavender sachets for friends and family which has been wonderfully immersive and satisfying. The sachets are slightly tricky to sew, but not too difficult, and it's manageably creative! I've used last year's lavender from the garden and scraps of fabric and trimmings, some of which we've had for many years. The smell throughout the house is so calming. Hoping to pick up some pre-cut fabric to make a batch of scrubs next week. I've also done some volunteering this week, delivering meals to local elderly and vulnerable. It feels good to make some kind of contribution to others' well-being.

In the garden, some of our tomato plants have been adopted by the lovely family who live opposite so we have a little more room in the greenhouse nursery :-D Their 7 year old daughter is going to use the experience to gain her cubs gardening badge. The beetroot seedlings are now outside, along with broad beans. Hopefully, we'll be able to get some of the other plants outside and into the soil over the coming weeks. We had some home grown rhubarb this week which was delicious. :-D

Best wishes to all, Sue x
Last edited by Suey51 on Sun Apr 26, 2020 1:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: APRIL 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Ejeff » Sat Apr 25, 2020 7:17 am

Sue nice you got some rhubarb, I love it. And in reading this thread I was just reminded I have some red cabbage in my downstairs fridge lol, better bring it up and have it for lunch. Nice you are sewing and helping in your community.

Nothing much to report this week, weight is the same, exercise is consistent. Not sure what I will cook, but I have lots of peppers so a marinara sauce will be on the menu. Wishing everyone a happy week ahead.
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Re: APRIL 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby GlennR » Sat Apr 25, 2020 1:49 pm

A bad week for my weight, pretty good for my workouts. I will have to reinstate a couple of rules I relaxed when I hit my target.

1) One and done, no more double helpings at dinner time.
2) Weigh every day

I know these aren't official McDougal requirements but they have served me well in the past and will going forward.
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Re: APRIL 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Lyndzie » Sun Apr 26, 2020 9:03 am

Marsha - I think the bulk food bins will be closed for a while, I hope that you can still get what you enjoy. With states easing restrictions, I wonder if swimming pools will be open this summer (and whether I will feel comfortable going to them). Glad to hear you are holding steady!

Starchyme - Good to hear from you! Thanks for checking in. Please keep us upstaed on your blood test results so we can celebrate alongside you.

Sue - I might pick up that book next, we’re almost done with the other one. Those lavender sachets sound lovely! Excellent work on reducing evening snacking, that is a hard habit to break. What do you do with the rhubarb? Admittedly, I’ve only ever had it in a pie.

Erin - Thanks for touching base, good to hear all is well.

Glenn - It’s good that you are aware of what you need to do to stay successful. Wishing you a successful next week.

I’m holding steady here, admittedly getting a little tired of the shelter-at-home guidelines, but simultaneously I wouldn’t leave my house even if they suddenly lifted restrictions. Weird enough, we got some chickens this past week. My husband had wanted some, and I agreed as long as they live out their life here (no butchering my pets!). A local high school had no one to care for their flock since school is out for the rest of the year and were offering them free, and a neighbor up the street was getting rid of her old coop, so it all fell into place. They are so much fun, and a much needed distraction from world news. Seeing where eggs come from really solidified my position on not eating them. They are lots of fun, probably even more so since I’m not treating them like livestock and more like outdoor pets.

I got the lettuce beds planted, too, with two types of beets, lettuce mixes, spinach, and kale. In a few weeks we’ll be able to plant everything else. Thank goodness for spring!
Lindsey
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Re: APRIL 2020 Maintenance Thread

Postby Mark Cooper » Sun Apr 26, 2020 3:13 pm

Welcome back, Starchyme! So glad to hear you are doing well!

I hope you enjoy that lunch, Marsha! I used the same formula today, but with a head of cauliflower, a bunch of gai lan and a russet potato in the steamer basket; it was delish!

Those lavender sachets sound lovely, Sue!

Erin, I'm glad you're holding steady and doing well! Marinara sounds great to me.

I know for me, Glenn, getting on the scale each day (with fluctuations smoothed in a 7-day rolling average) has been a really important piece of my maintenance routine - it makes it much easier to head things off before they escalate.

Lindsey - I'm really weary with the confinement here, too. I know it is totally necessary, but I am SO looking forward to the future day when I can return to the gym and have a float therapy session.

I'm holding steady and still adhering to MWL.

Take care everyone!
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