Getting Real & Getting It Done!!

[Pacificfords]

I have to say that I am starting to have a blast with cooking. Lunch was amazing today. It was such a variety of things. I made a cucumber salad that is in the MWL recipes (the book), a green salad, a rice and corn salad... and then boiled potatoes with sauteed onions and cabbage (in water) to go over it. I am trying to keep a variety of things "ready" to eat in the fridge, and it seems to be working great. I basically spend extra time cooking once a day and then eat leftovers the rest of the time. I am also learning to use my spices. There is a learning curve to that for sure, but the cookbooks help so much.

My husband loved my lunch and ate plenty and went on and on about how great it all was. Then he made a big container of egg salad for his dinner at work... with 4 eggs, mayo, cheese... bread.

[Pacificfords]

I am a slave to the SCALE. I have made excuses for that in the years past, weighing every single day. I even used it in relation to my kidney failure - thinking I needed to keep closer track because of my water retention issues.

I have concluded that I am obsessed with my weight and with weighing myself and it leads to much frustration and self-loathing. I have to curb the habit. One of the reasons I weighed each day was to keep track of how I was doing as per the scale. If I overate a bit of the standard diet, but still lost a little or stayed the same - then it was okay. Then the next day I might add a little bit more... eventually the gain would come and frustration would hit...then back to being strict. That is my experience with the scale.

I am putting the scale away today. I am going to put it where it isn't easy to get to. My goal is to weigh once a week and since I am staying on plan - I will lose weight. The scale needs to take a back seat now and my eating habits need to stand on their own. I think I can, I think I can...

[StarchBeet]

I see the daily fluctuations and situational fluctuations make daily weighing in frustrating, too. I have new adjustments to make, that include daily walking, stretching and keeping eating simple (with salads and soups first, and waiting 20 minutes before getting a second helping). That's when weight will start coming off again for me.

I have to say that I am starting to have a blast with cooking.

I'm tickled to see someone else enjoy the new way of preparing and seeing foods. So from what I've read I see a lot of good things coming your way. I think I have obsessional issues and having a good obsession seems to be a nice thing. I will read up on your kidney situation, and I hope that's resolving.

You're strong, as many are here, to not be affected by others' choices (and not offer unasked for advice). Just keeping yourself on track is a wonderful skill to master.

[Pacificfords]

Lunch


Rice & Bean Salad, Squash/Bean Soup from Dr. McDougall's MWL Book, and a green salad with marinated cucumbers (lime juice/soy sauce/cumin/chili powder.)

I am enjoying how much easier it is to plan, cook and enjoy eating when the mindset is truly on board with a plant based diet. There is no resistance... within me anymore. I am not tempted. I do have some really strange cravings - like yesterday for root beer (which I hardly ever drank anyway.) That was really weird, but it was brief.

I am certainly feeling the 100% transition in my body. In the midst of my kidney health issues like severe anemia - I have more energy and less fatigue. I've also noticed a definite improvement in my arthritis. The difference is incredible.

Thanks StarchBeet for your post. I am definitely needing to increase my activity/exercise level. I am going to tackle that soon...

[Rosey]

That looked very yummy.

[kirstykay]

I'm so glad to see you back here, Pacificfords!!! I've often wondered how you were doing. The way I see it, I think you can use your "all or nothing" tendency to your advantage. I am the same way, and in the past it has led to roller-coaster dieting. But people like us can be very successful on this WOE because we aren't afraid to jump in with both feet and commit to the program! It sure looks like that's what you're doing now! I wish you much success and can't wait to hear continue on this journey with you.

We'll get there!

[Pacificfords]

I'm so glad to see you back here, Pacificfords!!! I've often wondered how you were doing. The way I see it, I think you can use your "all or nothing" tendency to your advantage. I am the same way, and in the past it has led to roller-coaster dieting. But people like us can be very successful on this WOE because we aren't afraid to jump in with both feet and commit to the program! It sure looks like that's what you're doing now! I wish you much success and can't wait to hear continue on this journey with you.

We'll get there!

Thanks!!! It is so good to be back and even better to be back on the right track. I have found the only way for me is all-or-nothing. And it is working - fabulously! I have finally been able to get all of the static out of my head as far as this program and that program, this diet and that diet. Tunnel vision is excellent in my case.

[Pacificfords]

Today was a really rough day. Eating was no issue. That wasn't the rough part. Dealing with a husband that feels so threatened by my changes he feels the need to express it through a bullying kind of tactic was the rough part. He isn't a mean guy. He just can't deal with me being serious and strict about this. He says he will support, but then makes snide and hurtful comments, when I just wish he would be happy that I am trying so hard. Today I gave in and decided to go out for Sushi because I know he loves it. I knew I would be able to be selective enough, but I really didn't want to go. I just thought it might improve his mood. We got there and it was closed. He was just plain angry. It was really interesting. I think he wanted me to offer to go to a buffet where they had Sushi and I said nothing except that I would be happy to cook at home. The afternoon didn't go so well after that. What a long day...

On a positive note: my eight year old is really getting it. This morning I started making him oatmeal and he saw the brown sugar. He said "mom... isn't sugar kind of bad for me... we could just leave that off." That was amazing! A little good... a little bad... all in all... I stayed focused even if the day was tough, that is what is most important. I just wish it wasn't so hard. I'm grateful that the eating part isn't difficult for me this time. I am so dedicated with that, so it makes it a bit easier that I am not fighting that change too. Glad that my dedication runs deep. Looking forward to this becoming easier within my family.

[Spiral]

Pacificfords,

I want to congratulate you on taking charge of your health. Keep up the good work.

Just a question though. I noticed that in that picture there are a fair amount of beans. Do you think you might benefit from restricting beans, since beans are a high-protein food? I believe Dr. McDougall sometimes recommends that people with kidney disease limit or eliminate beans from the diet.

Don't get me wrong. I think you're doing a great job. Just wondering if you had made a determination about the beans/protein issue.

[Pacificfords]

Pacificfords,

I want to congratulate you on taking charge of your health. Keep up the good work.

Just a question though. I noticed that in that picture there are a fair amount of beans. Do you think you might benefit from restricting beans, since beans are a high-protein food? I believe Dr. McDougall sometimes recommends that people with kidney disease limit or eliminate beans from the diet.

Don't get me wrong. I think you're doing a great job. Just wondering if you had made a determination about the beans/protein issue.

Hi Spiral,

Thank you I have gone back and forth with my protein. In the beginning, when I was diagnosed, I restricted my protein to about 40 grams a day for several months. It was difficult. Then I have, at times, not counted at all and am quite sure have gone well above that. I think I have become so comfortable in "maintaining" my disease that I hadn't given it as much thought lately. Honestly, I also got tired of counting every gram. I was keeping track of potassium, phosphorus and sodium as well.

It would probably be a good idea for me to consider and maybe count grams for a few days in what I am eating to see where I am at. I have conflicting advice on my protein intake, so that makes it challenging too. My doctor doesn't give advice... online many doctors recommend the low of 40 or so... and my dietitian said according to my weight I should be getting about 75 grams a day. So, with all the conflicting advice I have been kind of winging it.

Thank you for the input. It can't hurt to keep track for a bit and adjust where needed. I really should be more careful with my numbers rather than just relying on my labs to point me in the right direction.

[Spiral]

It can't hurt to keep track for a bit and adjust where needed. I really should be more careful with my numbers rather than just relying on my labs to point me in the right direction.

I was thinking that perhaps instead of "keeping track" of your protein intake on a gram by gram basis, which I would think would be difficult, you might just see how you do while excluding beans, peas and lentils.

I think counting grams of protein would be hard. I wouldn't want to do it either. My wife has polysistic kidney disease, but appears to have well functioning kidneys currently. Her mom had a kidney transplant about 20 years ago and has had many health problems since. I would like to persuade my wife to go on the McDougall diet. But so far, my wife is about 50 percent compliant. When she eats my food, she's compliant. When she goes to Arby's or Taco Bell, she's not.

P.S.

Maybe before you change anything, maybe you should email Dr. McDougall and/or ask Jeff Novick.

[Pacificfords]

It can't hurt to keep track for a bit and adjust where needed. I really should be more careful with my numbers rather than just relying on my labs to point me in the right direction.

I was thinking that perhaps instead of "keeping track" of your protein intake on a gram by gram basis, which I would think would be difficult, you might just see how you do while excluding beans, peas and lentils.

I think counting grams of protein would be hard. I wouldn't want to do it either. My wife has polysistic kidney disease, but appears to have well functioning kidneys currently. Her mom had a kidney transplant about 20 years ago and has had many health problems since. I would like to persuade my wife to go on the McDougall diet. But so far, my wife is about 50 percent compliant. When she eats my food, she's compliant. When she goes to Arby's or Taco Bell, she's not.

P.S.

Maybe before you change anything, maybe you should email Dr. McDougall and/or ask Jeff Novick.

Thanks again Spiral ~ I have been down the road of emailing the good doctor, but he was only able to point me back to links on the site. My diseases, all combined, are complicated enough that it is really difficult for anyone to offer advice without taking a thorough look at my history and labs. Understandable.

Your thoughtful posts sent me on a bit of a search this morning to, once again, see how much protein is in beans, peas and lentils. I was surprised to find that cooked and uncooked makes a huge difference in the nutrients. I believe that when I looked previously I was looking at raw and uncooked levels. Those were incredibly high. Cooked brings the numbers down considerably. So, what I am more conscious of now is potassium. Protein in beans, peas and lentils for 1 cup falls into the 15-18 gram range. So an entire pot of soup would be safe for me to eat because I use only small amounts of the beans, peas and lentils to cook. However, I never eat that much... usually just a bowl or two a day. The potassium is up in the 6 and 7 hundreds for all of them and with all of the veggies and fruits I am now eating in addition, it is important to make sure my potassium stays within the right range. It is seemingly the more dangerous aspect with this style of eating.

I appreciate you taking the time to comment and offer your perspective. I really didn't take this stuff as seriously as I should until I watched Forks over Knives and The Rave Diet (eating) videos. Dr. Essylstyn and Dr. McDougall really made strong points in those videos and the statistics blew my mind. Now I won't eat any other way... but I do need to find the right balance for my kidneys, so I do appreciate your thoughts. Debi

[Pacificfords]

Happy, Happy Thanksgiving! I can truly find hundreds of things to be thankful for on this wonderful holiday and many of them have to do with this board, the people here and the wonderful doctors and professionals that all come together to offer such amazing information!

I am especially happy that I am down 5 pounds since my Monday weigh in (hey, I made it two days off the scale - that is a record for me)...lol

My goal today is simple... enjoy the day with my family and friends and just do what I do without over-thinking it (eating) and not cringing every time my family and friends put a bite of animal fat/protein in their mouths! In my family there are many with health issues and varying lifestyles... vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, diabetic, and SAD eaters. So, we will be having a turkey available for those that want some, but the main focus is a salad bar and potato bar with lots of choices. That way everyone can enjoy what they like. I will be having a nice big salad and a potato with salsa! My goal today... is to stay away from the olives, the pie and the Tofutti sour cream... all of which are McDougall friendly, but not MWL friendly. I know I can... I know I can... I know I can.

[Spiral]

I appreciate you taking the time to comment and offer your perspective. I really didn't take this stuff as seriously as I should until I watched Forks over Knives and The Rave Diet (eating) videos. Dr. Essylstyn and Dr. McDougall really made strong points in those videos and the statistics blew my mind. Now I won't eat any other way... but I do need to find the right balance for my kidneys, so I do appreciate your thoughts. Debi

It sounds like you have done lots of investigating on this issue of what your diet should look like.

I'm glad that you appreciate my advice/thoughts on your diet choices. I was afraid my writings could have been offensive.

Why do I say that?

Recently a relative of mine suggested that I increase my protein consumption because I will begin training for a half-marathon soon. I have to admit that I was just a little bit upset at her suggestion because her advice seemed to be based on the premise that I didn't understand nutrition very well, that I somehow stumbled onto a plant-based diet endorsed by Dr. McDougall, Dr. Esselstyn, Jeff Novick and others, but had not made getting adequate protein a considertion.

Even though this relative of mine is very, very smart, I can tell she has not researched the role of nutrition in many diseases. So, even though she is more intelligent and educated than I am, on the subject of nutrition, I believe that I have taken the time to do the research on these subjects (including the issue of how much protein is required in our diets) and she has not.

I looked at your comment and I thought, "Geez. I acted just like my relative did. I just assumed that she had not even thought about this issue. That's exactly the assumption that I didn't like when directed at me."

So, I'm relieved that you don't seem offended by my suggestions. You have the detailed knowledge of your own health/nutrition situation. I'm glad you are on top of it.

As Jeff Novick said at the end of each of his newsletters, "Your health is your greatest wealth."

[Pacificfords]

Spiral ~ I definitely wasn't offended at all. I just kind of figured you hadn't read some of my other threads. I welcome any and all advice. You never know when someone is going to say something that helps define this journey we call life. Thanks for your input.