Surviving Christmas ~ 20 Days

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

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Re: Surviving Christmas ~ 20 Days

Postby AlwaysAgnes » Wed Dec 14, 2011 6:53 pm

Pacificfords wrote:
toadfood wrote:What wonderful news, PF! Now how about sharing that tamale recipe?


I don't really use a recipe, except for the sauce. :)

2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 cups water
1 8 ounce can tomato paste
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt

If too thin, you can thicken a bit with cornstarch.

Then I heat the corn tortillas briefly in a non-stick skillet to make them easier to roll. Fill each tortilla with a small scoop of baked (cooled) sweet potato and some fresh spinach. Then line them up in the dish and pour the sauce over. Cover and bake @ 350 for about a half hour. You can also sprinkle things on top like black sliced olives or green onions... whatever you like. :) I just kind of put it together from a bunch of different recipes. :)



I think those would be considered enchiladas. Tamales involve steaming the masa dough. :nod:
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Re: Surviving Christmas ~ 20 Days

Postby Pacificfords » Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:29 pm

AlwaysAgnes wrote:
Pacificfords wrote:
toadfood wrote:What wonderful news, PF! Now how about sharing that tamale recipe?


I don't really use a recipe, except for the sauce. :)

2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 cups water
1 8 ounce can tomato paste
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp salt

If too thin, you can thicken a bit with cornstarch.

Then I heat the corn tortillas briefly in a non-stick skillet to make them easier to roll. Fill each tortilla with a small scoop of baked (cooled) sweet potato and some fresh spinach. Then line them up in the dish and pour the sauce over. Cover and bake @ 350 for about a half hour. You can also sprinkle things on top like black sliced olives or green onions... whatever you like. :) I just kind of put it together from a bunch of different recipes. :)



I think those would be considered enchiladas. Tamales involve steaming the masa dough. :nod:


Oh my gosh... I am sorry. That was just me not paying attention. They are enchiladas. The other recipe I have is tamale pie and I mixed the two up when I was talking. :) Thanks for clarifying that. I have actually never made tamales. They seem more complicated. :)
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Re: Surviving Christmas ~ 20 Days

Postby nicoles » Thu Dec 15, 2011 11:53 am

Pacificfords wrote:... I have actually never made tamales. They seem more complicated. :)



They totally are! Tamales taste great but are an endeavor and a half! I let my husband make them :lol:
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Re: Surviving Christmas ~ 20 Days

Postby toadfood » Thu Dec 15, 2011 1:24 pm

Here I was all excited about fat free vegan tamales :) . . . . Those enchiladas do sound tasty though.

I am a big fan of tamale pie (ate some for lunch today), and it occurs to me that I could make tamale pie with a sweet potato and spinach filling, and put the enchilada sauce on top. Yummo!
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Re: Surviving Christmas ~ 20 Days

Postby Potatohead » Thu Dec 15, 2011 4:59 pm

I just wanted to stop in and say I am rooting for your success :D
Also, I would like to tell you that in 2004, my Mom had Aorta valve surgery...while she was recovering, her kidneys began to fail....she ended up having to be on Dialysis while being in the hospital...as her health improved, so did her kidneys....after 2 months in the hospital(her wound site got infected..that accounts for the long stay)...she went home...without Dialysis...her kidneys were never 100% functional, because of diabetes, but they did improve enough to keep her off dialysis....Kidney's can heal themselves to some extent..(Her kidney DR. told her this)....I hope yours do...
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Re: Surviving Christmas ~ 20 Days

Postby Pacificfords » Thu Dec 15, 2011 6:52 pm

Potatohead wrote:I just wanted to stop in and say I am rooting for your success :D
Also, I would like to tell you that in 2004, my Mom had Aorta valve surgery...while she was recovering, her kidneys began to fail....she ended up having to be on Dialysis while being in the hospital...as her health improved, so did her kidneys....after 2 months in the hospital(her wound site got infected..that accounts for the long stay)...she went home...without Dialysis...her kidneys were never 100% functional, because of diabetes, but they did improve enough to keep her off dialysis....Kidney's can heal themselves to some extent..(Her kidney DR. told her this)....I hope yours do...


Kidneys can heal in some cases, depending on the damage and the length of time they have been in failure. I am so glad your Mom was able to heal. I am happy just to be maintaining and I have hope for healing, but I am also realistic and know that it is not likely at this stage because I have been in failure so long. :)
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Re: Surviving Christmas ~ 20 Days

Postby Pacificfords » Fri Dec 16, 2011 7:58 am

I am always amazed at how fast time goes by and how much better I feel when I can look back and say "I did it." :)

My son loves most of what I cook. He has adapted very easily. In fact, I made brownies last night (posted on the recipe forum) and he was SO excited. I let him taste first and tell me how much he loved them. Then I shared how healthy they were. That made him even happier.

My husband... is eating everything I cook. Very small amounts. He has switched from soda drinking to coffee drinking (with diary free creamers full of junk and some kind of chocolate syrup he bought). He just seems to have to go from one thing to another. He really cannot let go of his addictions very easily. I guess I wouldn't be too worried if it was one cup of coffee, but no... he drinks cup after cup, rather than filling up on the healthy food I am cooking.

I am trying to be patient. He has lost almost 12 pounds already because he just isn't eating all that junk food and he isn't eating much of the healthy food because it isn't laden with the usual fats, cheeses and meats he is used too. There are no junk snacks in my house now. I am so happy about that. In fact, other than fresh fruit and veggies - if I don't cook it - no one can eat it. :nod: That seems to be working out very well.

I have lost a solid 3 pounds this week so far. If I could just keep that up every single week... I would be at my goal weight in a year. :) That is my plan... to be consistent and keep my family healthy at the same time.
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Re: Surviving Christmas ~ 20 Days

Postby toadfood » Fri Dec 16, 2011 8:11 am

What great news! It must help a lot to have your son's appreciation and support.
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Re: Surviving Christmas ~ 20 Days

Postby Pacificfords » Fri Dec 16, 2011 10:06 am

toadfood wrote:What great news! It must help a lot to have your son's appreciation and support.


That is what keeps me sane right now. Watching my husband pick at food and barely eat anything makes me a little crazy. I work so hard at cooking good stuff... non MWL for him to enjoy. He is just going though the motions, thinking he is being supportive. I guess he is to some degree.

My son gobbles up anything I cook and loves every bite. In fact, he had four servings of dinner last night... Shepherd's Pie... all I did was saute mushrooms and onions in vegetable broth and then added some cornstarch to thicken. I mashed potatoes with a little bit of almond milk and then put it on top of the mushrooms and onions and baked it all for a few minutes. My husband choked down a small bowl... my son devoured serving after serving. It was super good. Tasted very much like comfort food to me.

Same at lunch yesterday. I made curry rice noodles with sauteed cabbage/carrot (shredded). It was SO delicious. I made a bowl for my husband and he ate a few bites and left his bowl unfinished. It doesn't feel good to know he is so miserable.... but it does feel good to know he is eating healthy and loosing weight. Hopefully, if he isn't cheating when he is out of the house - his cravings will start going away and things will start tasting better to him. :-(
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Re: Surviving Christmas ~ 20 Days

Postby Pacificfords » Sun Dec 18, 2011 7:45 am

It is just as I knew it would be. Time is moving fast and as I look back over the past week, it feels so much better to have stayed on track and even maintained than to have sped out of control and gained. I was actually down three pounds a couple days ago. I will weigh tomorrow and see if that is still the case. I have stayed on track, but we have been eating out more than we normally would with the holidays approaching.

I found it really interesting last night to look around as I ate. We made the choice to go to a Chinese Buffet that we love because a) the price is amazing and b) we have more options than anywhere else for healthy choices with me being gluten free. There is a Sushi Bar with some of the best veggie Sushi I have ever had, there is a nice salad and fruit bar, there is steamed rice... and of course a large number of veggies that have sauces and such on them, but I will take that over meat, cheeses, and fried foods any day. What was really incredible was watching people. We asked for a table way in the back corner away from the buffet and hordes of people. It was nice and quiet and we had a view of the entire restaurant while we ate as well as a VERY long walk to get more food. :)

I started with a few pieces of Sushi, a dab of Wasabi Paste and hot tea. I looked around me, ate slowly and observed. The ratio was about 10 to 1... obese to thin people. (that might even be generous to the thin people) The plates around me... stacked often about 4 " high with food. Some people carried two entirely full plates. I couldn't really figure out if they were just wanting to walk back and forth to the buffet less or if they were afraid the food they enjoyed was not going to be there the next trip up. I went back once for some steamed rice and veggies. I watched more. It was incredible how much people ate. Even more incredible was how fast people gulped food down. They didn't even look up. I was able to really watch people without them even noticing. Many had 3 or 4 soda refills, 4 or 5 plates of food (heaping), and then desserts... often going back for seconds and thirds. There were times when it appeared to me almost like a feeding trough with people rushing to get their fill. There were even small children eating more amounts of food than I have ever seen children eat. I was saddened by how their lives will probably be affected by starting to eat so much, so unhealthy at such a young age. One little boy (about two years old) was laughing and playing with me for almost a half hour and NO one at his table even noticed because they were so busy gulping down copious amounts of food. I couldn't believe that I could interact with the child so long without either of his parents taking notice. It was rather shocking to me. But... their focus was on their food not their child.

I knew, just a short time ago, I was one of those people and I found myself being so grateful ~ that is no longer the case. I could have eaten much more, but instead I stopped after my serving of rice and veggies and just sat enjoying my hot tea and ice water while my husband ate. I left feeling great! :) I didn't even revisit the buffet to have some fresh fruit for dessert. It felt good to be in control.
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Re: Surviving Christmas ~ 20 Days

Postby Melinda » Sun Dec 18, 2011 2:38 pm

Hey, you're doing awesome, Pacificlords! As my husband says, the taste is only momentary, but the results last a lot longer!
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Re: Surviving Christmas ~ 20 Days

Postby Pacificfords » Mon Dec 19, 2011 7:21 am

Well, I am almost halfway there. Day 8 of my 20 days ~ surviving the holiday. I am happy to report that I lost 4 pounds this week, am feeling good and I avoided almost all temptation. :D The only thing I couldn't seem to avoid is a tad bit of oil here and there in veggie sauces that I have eaten when we went out a couple of times. That and a little square of dark chocolate a couple of times. Honestly, I am okay with that. I am beginning to see, in my family, that 100% compliance will probably never be where I am at. It will be what I strive for. I think I am finding a balance that works, not just for me, but for my husband and son as well. My husband lost 9 pounds this week, just with changing his eating at home (still eating whatever he likes when we go out or when he is at work). :)

My breaking point is always the mental part of this. I expect to do things a certain way, then I fail to reach that goal 100%, then I get frustrated and give up temporarily or usually try another approach. That is the circle of insanity that I have been trying to let go of this past month. I am always looking for something that will be "better" than what I am doing. People suggest "you should go to Furhman" or "you should (fill in the blank)" and I go and I read and I think... hmm... maybe I should switch to something different. (not that there is a whole lot of difference) I have finally come to a place where I am resting comfortably. The most important thing is that I am comfortable with my mistakes and they don't set me back for weeks at a time. That has never happened before. I eat a piece of dark organic chocolate... I stop at just one or two squares (instead of the whole bar) and I don't beat myself up and think "well, I might as well eat _____." I just keep going on my plan, having enjoyed that little bite of chocolate.

This has been a huge obstacle for me and it is likely over time, those "bites" will become fewer and farther between and that eating out will become less and less. However, even if they don't.... a loss of 4 lbs in spite of my couple slip ups, works for me. :D
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Re: Surviving Christmas ~ 20 Days

Postby fulenn » Mon Dec 19, 2011 1:53 pm

It sounds like it has been a smooth and positive week for you. Glad to hear that your husband is being so supportive now. :-D

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Re: Surviving Christmas ~ 20 Days

Postby stoumi » Mon Dec 19, 2011 3:17 pm

Pacificfords wrote:Once December is over, many people shift their focus to getting healthy in the new year.


Thankfully I had November and December to "transition" to this lifestyle change instead of trying to get through feasts like Thanksgiving and Christmas (including New Years) without being a little bad.

My thinking was I could read Dr. McDougall's book, The McDougall Program and learn more about what was required of me before just jumping in and potentially becoming frustrated. So far it's been very positive, as I have dropped 26 pounds since the end of October. I have also tried to walk 20-30 minutes a day.

In January I will go with the 12-day program and add a weight lifting routine to the exercise in conjunction with walking. Much like you I will start my 12 day journal then. Good luck!
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Re: Surviving Christmas ~ 20 Days

Postby Pacificfords » Fri Dec 23, 2011 11:23 am

I find myself taking a couple of steps back today. This past couple of days were a bit harder and I did give in to temptation. I am also feeling it this morning. I actually woke up a couple of times in the night feeling a bit queasy. Not pleasant. The fear for me is so much more than just eating something I shouldn't. The fear of queasy is that I will be crossing over into the need for dialysis. That is the one thing my doctor told me to watch for - a feeling similar to morning sickness. I have had it a couple of times in the past and it did not lead to dialysis, but it still leads to that unsettling fear each time it happens. This time the cause is gluten. I knew better. It is those unexpected things that seem to trip me up. The neighbors brought over a plate of homemade treats. I wasn't planning on touching them, but I could not throw them out. Our kids play together and I knew my son would say something. I didn't want to be rude. :duh: The frosted sugar cookies tempted me. Then we went out to eat yesterday and I had some additional gluten and most likely oil on some of the food. I never seem to remember this ick feeling when I am feeling great. But... I am just moving on... eating my oatmeal and blueberries for breakfast and making split pea soup for later. I have good plans for the weekend. Christmas won't be an issue with any need to eat unhealthy. We are just staying home and I am cooking. Onward... :nod:
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