Birdy Takes Flight

Share your daily McDougall menus and/or keep a journal describing your personal progress.

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Re: Birdy Takes Flight

Postby Anna Green » Tue Sep 25, 2012 5:10 pm

Hey Birdy! Came to see what you are up to. You sound good except the foot. I've got the plantar f thing too. It's keeping me from running and I hate that. Hope our feet heal soon. Look forward to hearing about you.
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Re: Birdy Takes Flight

Postby Anna Green » Wed Oct 31, 2012 7:19 am

Birdy, came to find you! It took a few minutes. Come back and do the Holiday Challenge with me! We'll feel so good in January! I want that. For you too.
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Re: Birdy Takes Flight

Postby Birdy » Mon Nov 05, 2012 10:03 pm

Hi Anna. I just found your post and, since you invited me, sure I'll do the Holiday Challenge. But what is it? Is it the journal that Katydid is doing? Will go check that out. Thanks for drawing me out of the closet here.....I still may not post super often because of the limited computer situation.
"The program is essentially cost and risk free." ~ Dr. John McDougall
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Re: Birdy Takes Flight

Postby Birdy » Mon Dec 31, 2012 2:15 pm

Ben Franklin said, "Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man." I might substitute the word "person" for "man" to be more inclusive. He was a vegetarian too.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!
"The program is essentially cost and risk free." ~ Dr. John McDougall
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Re: Birdy Takes Flight

Postby Birdy » Sat Apr 27, 2013 11:29 am

It's been almost four months since I posted in my journal and I went completely sideways during that time. I've regained the 15 pounds I'd previously lost because I've been eating SAD, not even vegetarian. Also, I haven't gotten enough exercise.

So I'm back to journalling and exercising and eating a low-fat, plant based diet. The only time I've ever lost a significant amount of weight it has been a result of following this way of eating. I've started walking one day a week with a friend and on other days by myself or with my husband. This week I will have walked 3 times, but my goal is to walk daily and start strength training again 2 times a week. The friend I walk with told me about a new pedometer called FitBit that you don't have to calibrate or anything. It does that automatically for you online. I've set mine up and this is the first day I'm using it.

The past few months have been a happy period of time because one of my daughters is newly engaged to be married. The only sad part of this is that she and her fiance are moving to Texas this coming week. I'm really sad they're moving so far away, but happy for them too.

Lots of gardening to do today and hoping the rain holds off long enough for me to get some weeding done and plant new flowers.

I pre-ordered a copy of T. Colin Campbells' new book that's due out next month, and I got another book for free through a promotion that was linked in someone's post on the General Board.

I'll post my food for each day, starting tomorrow. I need to get organized today and do some grocery shopping.
"The program is essentially cost and risk free." ~ Dr. John McDougall
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Re: Birdy Takes Flight

Postby f1jim » Sat Apr 27, 2013 11:33 am

Welcome back Birdy. Glad to see you back in the saddle. I'm anxious to watch your progress.
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While adopting this diet and lifestyle program I have reversed my heart disease, high cholesterol, hypertension, and lost 54 lbs. You can follow my story at https://www.drmcdougall.com/james-brown/
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Re: Birdy Takes Flight

Postby WeeSpeck » Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:43 am

Hi Birdy,

Good to see you again.

I got a fibit for my birthday and I love it. I have been using it for the last two months and it is amazing how it has motivated me to move more, achieve more with my activity.

It brings an awareness to the level of motion we put our body through. Now, I find enjoyment in walking across the street and up four flights of stairs to use the ladies room on my break, just so I can log the extra floors and steps.

I love how it monitors my sleep patterns and records my day without any extra effort on my part. Earning badges is fun too.

Welcome back! I look forward to following your journey.
--\--@ Nancy @--/--

I am but a wee speck in the big picture of the universe.
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Re: Birdy Takes Flight

Postby Anna Green » Sun Apr 28, 2013 3:54 pm

Birdy, Hi! So glad to see you and hear that you are doing well. Congrats on the wedding of your daughter. Whereabouts in Texas is she moving?

I think I might get that fitbit too. Sounds motivating.

You have a great week and enjoy all your food and exercise.
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Re: Birdy Takes Flight

Postby Birdy » Tue Apr 30, 2013 9:24 pm

Hey Jim, Wee Speck, and Anna,
Thank you all for the "welcome back". Jim I'm also looking forward to seeing some progress this time. I appreciate your encouragement.

Wee Speck, I also really like the FitBit. I got the $50 version that doesn't track sleep or other things, just steps, distance and time. Yesterday was my first "over 10,000 steps" day. It's very motivating and I like the FitBit website that charts everything for you each day.
Now I need to start strength training twice a week.

Anna I've followed your journal even though I haven't posted. Congratulations on getting your license for social work. Your progress with diet and exercise is very inspiring to me! My daughter is moving to Austin which I hear is a great place to live. I look forward to visiting her there, but right now am just sad to see her go.

I definitely chose the wrong date to restart the McDougall Plan. With my daughter moving, things have been so busy and I'm also emotionally frazzled. I'm eating well as many meals as possible, but tonight, for example, I made a big family dinner of enchiladas and salad which was not vegan/vegetarian. However, the past couple of days, I made some great vegan dishes. Sunday night I made an old recipe from a Seventh Day Adventist cookbook for vegan "meatloaf" which was delicious. I served it with a homemade ff mushroom sauce and steamed asparagus. One question I have is that the "meatloaf" called for Yves Veggie Ground Round which has about 5% naturally occuring fat from the soy, but no added oils. So that seems like a good fit with McDougalling, especially if you don't eat it often. I'm looking forward to making the crockpot dish "Pizza Potatoes" from Mary McDougall. It's in The Starch Solution which I'm reading for inspiration.

Another recipe in that book is for simple oats soaked overnight in plant-based milk with rasins and cinnamon. I'm putting that in the fridge as soon as I log off here.

It'll probably be another few days before I get back to my journal.
"The program is essentially cost and risk free." ~ Dr. John McDougall
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Re: Birdy Takes Flight

Postby Birdy » Sun May 05, 2013 11:53 am

It's a beautiful Sunday morning and today I'm eating well and exercising (mostly gardening and housework).

Breakfast: Coffee and half of a whole grain bagel (plain); water

a.m. snack: fresh fruit (apple and/or orange); water

Lunch: brown rice, kale, nutritional yeast, soy sauce; iced tea with lemon

p.m. snack: fresh fruit

Dinner: We're going to a jazz club in Seattle to hear Chick Corea! I plan to eat vegetarian, but it will probably not be McDougall legal. I've found it easy to ask for vegetarian meals without dairy in most restaurants and it's always good.
"The program is essentially cost and risk free." ~ Dr. John McDougall
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Re: Birdy Takes Flight

Postby Birdy » Mon May 06, 2013 10:45 am

Monday morning. We went to the jazz club and I had a great vegan (though not ff) meal there. That was a surprise because we've gone there several times in the past few years and this was the first time they had a vegan option. It was also totally delicious. Fantastically good music from Chick Corea and his new band of a horn player, a guitarist, a bass guitarist, drums and a Venezulean percussionist.

I slept like C--- last night worrying about stuff. One thing I hope to "heal" in my life is anxiety which runs really high and probably contributes to making bad food choices.

One goal I have in mind is to lose as much weight as I can before I visit my daughter in late July/early August in Texas. I'd like to look my best when I meet her fiance's family. And also, of course, I'd like to be at my ideal weight by the time of their wedding in February. So this gives me a specific time frame and goal to work toward and keep in mind everytime I choose what to eat.

Food for today:
Breakfast - half of a plain whole grain bagel, coffee, water
Snack - banana; water
Lunch - tofu "egg" sandwich w/cherry tomatoes and carrots
Snack - orange; water
Dinner - Mary McDougall's Thai green vegetable curry over brown rice

Exercise to be determined. It's going to be hot here today and I'll be at work most of the day. Probably a two mile walk in the cool of the evening with my DH if I can get him to go.
"The program is essentially cost and risk free." ~ Dr. John McDougall
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Re: Birdy Takes Flight

Postby Birdy » Fri May 10, 2013 10:52 am

Friday. I've been fighting an infection that I went to the doctor for last week and am finishing a prescription today, but still have the infection. It's wearing on me. So I've gotten off to a slow start, but at least I've started.

I lost one pound in the past two weeks.
I'm about twice as active as I was two weeks prior, mostly because of the FitBit device that provides good feedback and motivation to walk. Also, I'm outdoors gardening most days.

T. Colin Campbell's new book Whole arrived a couple of days ago. It's a very detailed, technical explanation of the science, politics and economic forces that obstruct plant based diets from being much more widely used. It's textbook quality writing and will perhaps be used in nutrition classes. I doubt the general public will read it.

Breakfast today:
Coffee with toast (I did have a tsp. of Earth Balance on the toast because it was dried out, but next time will choose jam). Water.

Snack: Orange; water

Lunch: Brown rice, beans, vegies, salsa; iced tea w/slice of lime

Snack: Banana or apple; water

Dinner: Mary McDougall's Pizza Potatoes; water

I decided to include water in my daily menus because I haven't been drinking anywhere near enough.

Exercise for today: 2 mile walk; gardening.
I want to start strength training twice a week, but with all the other changes I'm doing, it's hard to add one more thing. Maybe I'll start with my arms and add lower body later. More on that soon.
"The program is essentially cost and risk free." ~ Dr. John McDougall
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Re: Birdy Takes Flight

Postby Birdy » Sat May 11, 2013 1:23 pm

Saturday
Sat around for a couple of hours this morning reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Great book. I'm about halfway through it and can hardly put it down.

One hour of gardening until it got a bit too hot for me. Cleaned the kitchen and ate lunch.

Later I'll go for a walk and probably do some more gardening.

I started off well today with a breakfast of plain toast and coffee. Water

Lunch was leftover Mary McDougall's Pizza Potatoes (very good by the way), but I added a small amount of cheese to the dish when I made it because we had last minute company coming and I didn't think it would be good without a little cheese. Stupid I know. There was no other added fat at least, and next time I make it, I'll go without added fat of any kind so I have confidence in how it tastes. I can always serve cheese on the side for those who want it. Don't know why I didn't do that last night. Water

Snack: orange; sweet ice tea with lime

Dinner: I'm looking through cookbooks trying to figure out what I want for dinner. Then have to go grocery shopping. I'm learning how to plan and cook differently, not only to be a successful McDougaller, but also to cook for just my husband and me. I've been used to cooking for 4 or more for many years. Will post my dinner choice tomorrow. I know we'll have a nice big green salad (no oil dressing).
"The program is essentially cost and risk free." ~ Dr. John McDougall
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Re: Birdy Takes Flight

Postby Birdy » Tue May 14, 2013 4:51 pm

I'm feeling better finally.

Food for today, Tuesday:
Breakfast: Mary McDougall's Ovenight Oats from the Starch Solution which is surprisingly good. I've never really liked the consistency of oatmeal before; coffee with soycream/sugar; water
Lunch: a "from scratch" vegan burger with small side salad; sweet iced tea; water
Snack: hot tea; orange
Dinner: broccoli, potatoes topped with tofu "hummus", homemade apple crisp; water

Water

Exercise: evening walk with my husband; strength training for upper body

I haven't weighed for about 10 days so need to update soon.

:-D
"The program is essentially cost and risk free." ~ Dr. John McDougall
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Re: Birdy Takes Flight

Postby Birdy » Thu May 16, 2013 9:07 am

I was happy to read Dr. McDougall's email this morning about Angelina Jolie. His comments are both compassionate and fair. In her article for the NY Times, Ms. Jolie made a reference to future lifestyle changes, which might mean dietary. I'll be interested to follow her story and, like so many other women, I applaud her courage. The circumstances she's faced are very difficult.

We're going to be out of town, leaving in a few hours, so I won't be posting again until next week.

I lost another pound since I last posted. I'm not being 100% successful since I still have days of eating SAD, but I am improving. And I'm more active.

I bought the Forks Over Knives Cookbook and there are lots of great recipes in it. I like that the cookbook authors are a range of five people, one Black American (the primary author), one Asian American, one East Indian American, and two Caucasian Americans. Right now, vegan cookbooks are a major resource in my efforts to eat plant based without added oils.

Food today Thursday:
Breakfast = Coffee; toast topped with sliced avocado; water
Snack = orange
Lunch, etc. to be determined as I will be travelling
Exercise = a swim tonight at the motel where we're staying
"The program is essentially cost and risk free." ~ Dr. John McDougall
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