Buns Again

[bunsofaluminum]

THE WEEKEND

Program outlined in the MWL book, page 60.

1. Eliminate All Animal Foods


2. Eliminate All Oils


3. Eliminate All High Fat Plant Foods: Nuts, Nut Butters, Seeds, Seed Butters, Avocados, Coconut, & Olives.
Avocado

4. Eliminate All Flour Products


5. Eat Whole Grains and Potatoes


6. Eat Legumes


7. Make Green & Yellow Vegetables One-Half to One-Third of your meal
I can do better...starches were the vast majority of my meals

8. Eat Uncooked Foods


9. Restrict Fresh Fruit to No More Than Two Servings a Day, and Avoid Dried Fruit, Fruit Puree, and Fruit Juice


10. Use Simple Sugar Sparingly
otter pops

Get some exercise every day


A good weekend overall. We ate lunch out at a very average Mexican restaurant, so there was a little bit of high fat. I won't be eating there again. Everything tasted like Lowry's Seasoning Salt, but their hot sauce was good.

On otter pops. They are a cold, sweet, lo-fat, lo-cal treat. I allow myself 3-5 a day during this horrible heat. I am not handling the heat very well at all. It exacerbates my supra-ventricular tachycardia and makes me feel kind of gaspy. But they do have sugar, and I know it isn't the best. Oh, well. It's been years since I had them, and I'm finding them just the thing this summer. Banana Nice Cream is delicious, but it's thicker and gloppy, not light and sweet and melty like Otterpops.

On fresh fruit. I got thinking about that this morning. In the summer, fruit comes in season. If we are eating seasonally, aren't we going to eat more than two fruit a day? So far I haven't, but if watermelon were in the equation, nothing else matters. I would eat it all. Talk about low calorie density.

Anyway, I'm proud of myself with the weekend being as moderate as it was. The only thing I could have done better, that I thought about and then didn't, was the 1/3 to 1/2 of my plate being non-starchies. I'm going to do better with that. But I sure do feel good, other than the sun trying to kill me.

EDIT"

Forgot about this: a family reunion this afternoon, after work. We always order Subway for the gang, with a tray of non-meat selections, which is good. And people bring salads and sides...Plan of action: forego the chips, choose the salad(s) that aren't pre-dressed, eat lots of watermelon! and participate in the water fight. Possibly go home and get my oil free salad dressing to bring. It will be McDougall compliant, but most likely not MWL.

[VegSeekingFit]

Awesome, Buns!! The template seems like a great tool !!!

[bunsofaluminum]

The cousin reunion went exceedingly well, comparatively. It wasn't MWL, and I did allow myself an off-plan treat. A small piece of two different sweets. My plate was 50% leafy greens, with fat free salad dressing that I brought. I chose the veggie delight samwich, and when I was done with one plate, I was done. Except the watermelon. I had the watermelon. I had some more at home, and I had some with brekkie this morning

when I consider how self-indulgent the (frequent) family gatherings have been for me for the past year, I feel REALLY good about how I did at this one. Planning made the difference. And...mindset. Maybe months of tracking my meals, and now moderate tracking of my calories, has brought me around.

I visited the Dr today, a bariatric specialist who is a lifelong vegetarian...Indian but she almost insisted that I should have some "healthy oils" However, she was cool with how I want to do it. My numbers all look good, in the blood testing, but my BP is up, and it was the last time I visited. So...she told me poor sleep could bring BP up, and I didn't sleep well last night. She recommended a sleep apnea study. I will probably ignore that, and start making an earlier set bedtime of 9:00. I mean, I wake up naturally at between 5:00 and 5:30 every morning, so I should be hitting the hay to aim for 7-8 hours.

Yes, Dr McDougall recommends less sleep for people with depression (which I no longer have, thanks to eating this way) or lack of energy (ditto)...but yeah, my sleep is disrupted easily after about 3:00 a.m. and the mornings when I am still in bed at 6:30 are exceedingly rare. So I'm going to work on getting better uninterrupted sleep by going to bed earlier. See if that helps. They say getting enough sleep is a factor in weight loss...

[bunsofaluminum]

July 10

Program outlined in the MWL book, page 60.

1. Eliminate All Animal Foods


2. Eliminate All Oils


3. Eliminate All High Fat Plant Foods: Nuts, Nut Butters, Seeds, Seed Butters, Avocados, Coconut, & Olives.


4. Eliminate All Flour Products
saltines

5. Eat Whole Grains and Potatoes


6. Eat Legumes


7. Make Green & Yellow Vegetables One-Half to One-Third of your meal
a salad to start for dinner makes a HUGE difference

8. Eat Uncooked Foods


9. Restrict Fresh Fruit to No More Than Two Servings a Day, and Avoid Dried Fruit, Fruit Puree, and Fruit Juice


10. Use Simple Sugar Sparingly
otter pops

Get some exercise every day



Hopefully MWL will work for me and I'll start shedding pounds. I've really worked on bringing myself back to compliance with McDougalling, starting back in January. J A N U A R Y. I wasn't very compliant at first, really I wasn't, but I began pulling it around and I changed rapidly, and whenever I counted up my meals, I found myself to be 85% compliant consistently. That is to say, since January, despite many mess ups and indulgences, and quite a few "feast days" where I went off plan for a meal, I have striven to keep my eating low fat, non-processed, high starch.

At any rate, it feels like I've been working on this for a long time, and it FEELS LIKE I've been pretty "good" for the most part. And my weight has pretty much stayed the same. I mean, there was a four lb drop, but when I stepped on the scale at the dr it was up seven. Read me: I started coming back around SIX MONTHS AGO. It is feeling quite frustrating to have such small "results" and to find that my BP was up? similar to that horrible arthritis that hit in 2014...what on earth is my body DOING, when I've been feeding it so healthy? I mean, in 2014 I was close to 100% compliance and got sicker than I've ever been in my life.



Well, MWL is my current setting. I'm doing great with it, so far. We'll see. PLEASE let it start working.

[bunsofaluminum]

The three day intensive program would cost me about $1,000.00...we are moving right around the same time as this year's September weekend, but I can aim for the one next March.

Maybe I'll make that a goal.

[bunsofaluminum]

Program outlined in the MWL book, page 60.

1. Eliminate All Animal Foods


2. Eliminate All Oils


3. Eliminate All High Fat Plant Foods: Nuts, Nut Butters, Seeds, Seed Butters, Avocados, Coconut, & Olives.


4. Eliminate All Flour Products
saltines

5. Eat Whole Grains and Potatoes


6. Eat Legumes


7. Make Green & Yellow Vegetables One-Half to One-Third of your meal
a handful of spinach mixed in with your beans and rice doesn't equal half of my plate

8. Eat Uncooked Foods


9. Restrict Fresh Fruit to No More Than Two Servings a Day, and Avoid Dried Fruit, Fruit Puree, and Fruit Juice


10. Use Simple Sugar Sparingly
otter pops

Get some exercise every day


Looking over yesterday's food diary, and finding pretty much all starches. I mean, there's veggies in the Thai Curried Rice, but they don't comprise half the serving, let alone half the plate. I did grate some yellow crookneck squash into my dinner (rice and beans) to try and get that 50% non-starchy guideline in.

Otherwise, I'm doing my best to follow the MWL guidelines. At least, they are always in my mind when I'm deciding what to eat.

Oh! my wrist no longer hurts, so I am back to 25 "edge-of-the-sink" push ups in the morning. build some freaking muscle. also, there is some added stress in my life right now and I am NOT turning to food! This is a good thing. Thankful for the habits I've developed these past years...now let's see some damn weight fall away, eh?

[Idgie]

Wow, you're doing great! And I'm glad your wrist is better.

[bunsofaluminum]

thanks Idgie. I'm glad about my wrist, too. It took a long time to quit hurting. Though nothing was broken, and it was a simple stumble on the sidewalk, my wrist landed on the edge between sidewalk and empty lot...I think the edge made it a bit worse. Anyway, that happened in January, and it is only the past three weeks or so that I've had no pain with various things. Used to hurt lifting a skillet, or shaking water off my hands. Or doing nothing. But it's all good now.

~~~

Now pardon me while I do some thinking out loud...

I've been thinking, clicking around in the forums here...thinking about sustainability of eating MWL or Mary's Mini. Or that guy who ate nothing but potatoes for a year. One of the changes in him was he now sees food as fuel, not a pleasure activity, because only potatoes? and food changed priorities for him, because it was monotonous. That's the idea behind Mary's Minis...I did a Mary's Mini back in the day. Rice was my starch and I decided on one meal. Not "rice plus whatever veggies you choose" No. I chose spinach and ate rice and spinach for EVERY meal, for 10 days. I put tamarind paste on it for flavor, or sometimes a splash of hot sauce and/or soy sauce. I did not get tired of it, and I did NOT lose any weight at all. My portions were a dinner plate, covered with spinach, with 1/2 to 1 cup of rice. I used a measuring cup most of the time, but sometimes had seconds. But I had been losing weight, so I didn't give it a second thought. Hm. Mary's Mini didn't cause weight loss for me. Hm.

Now, I've been back at this since the second week of 2018. Not super compliant to start with, but bringing it around to now, where I am lining myself up with MWL and being very aware of what I put in my mouth, and choosing NOT to put it in my mouth if it is 1) not compliant to MWL and/or 2) high calorie. The two exceptions are 5-10 saltines a day( 60-120 cals), and 3-5 otter pops (up to 75 calories, total)

I have been counting my calories for six weeks, and have kept it between 1200 and 1500 a day, overall. The recommended calorie intake from My Fitness Pal for me is 1,670 if I want to lose one pound a week. That is based on my BMR, which I checked online. It's based on how many calories my system consumes, just metabolizing, so it should work if I do not a lick of exercise, right? I've been honest and entered all the foods I've eaten, and can honestly say that my intake is well under 1,670 a day. And other than a four lb drop a couple of weeks ago (and I'm not even sure about that, since I didn't weigh when I started counting cals)...the scale hasn't moved. Some jackets are fitting a bit better in the arms, but nah, I'm not losing weight.

Frustrated much?

So when I got thinking about Mary's Mini, or a mono-diet like all potatoes and nothing but potatoes...groovy but not sustainable. Even MWL...it works wonderfully until a get together, or dinner out. Let's face it, I'm not going to go the rest of my life never eating out at a restaurant, and when we get together for family things, there's food. That's been a bit of a hurdle for me, granted. However, if I have one "food event" that is way off, among dozens and dozens that are spot on compliant (which is pretty close to what I was doing, based on my little calendar that I kept for so long in the Menus forum)...well, THAT pattern is more sustainable for me. Eating MWL for 85% of my meals. Many days in a row of good compliance, with an evening out where the food may have some oil, a couple times a month?

What if I do get on a mono-diet and lose weight? Eating only one food is the very epitome of non-sustainable. Mary's Mini is considered a "diet" around these parts. Etc. What I have been doing: many 100% compliant meals with "off" weekends or over indulgence a couple times a month...Not losing weight doing THAT, now am I. Sheesh, I'm strongly tempted by the SonoBello commercials...suck your fat away! but I'd be thin, now wouldn't I.

Sorry. /rant?

[Idgie]

Just my opinion (an informed one, but still), and please ignore if unwelcome:

1200 calories is a starvation diet. 1500 is barely above starvation level. When you starve yourself, you don't lose weight faster, you lose it slower, because your body hangs onto fat, believing there may not be more food coming.

Fewer calories is fine if you're eating 4,000 a day. On what you're currently eating, it seems really obvious to me that you need more food.

TOTALLY fine with me if you decide I don't know what I'm talking about, but if it were me, I'd ditch the saltines, and eat more food. Like, a lot more.

Either way, keep being kind to yourself. You deserve it!

heart by Dean McCoy, on Flickr

[bunsofaluminum]

Just my opinion (an informed one, but still), and please ignore if unwelcome:

1200 calories is a starvation diet. 1500 is barely above starvation level. When you starve yourself, you don't lose weight faster, you lose it slower, because your body hangs onto fat, believing there may not be more food coming.

Fewer calories is fine if you're eating 4,000 a day. On what you're currently eating, it seems really obvious to me that you need more food.

TOTALLY fine with me if you decide I don't know what I'm talking about, but if it were me, I'd ditch the saltines, and eat more food. Like, a lot more.

Either way, keep being kind to yourself. You deserve it!

heart by Dean McCoy, on Flickr

Thanks Idgie...I'd agree completely if I were feeling hungry, or if I was weak, cranky, or had other signs of low intake, but I'm not. I feel satiated at every meal, and don't get hungry until close to the next meal. My energy levels are very nice...I'd be unstoppable if my ankle wasn't an issue. Haven't been ill for more than a year, while all around me people were getting the flu in the winter, and a stomach virus that went around recently barely made my stomach grumble. Besides, I'm pretty sure if I were eating 1200 a day, my body might hold onto the fat for a while, but it would eventually give it up. Low calories DOES lead to weight loss. It's inevitable. Think about famine-stricken populations...no overweight problem there. Or someone on a hunger strike...they get pretty darn skinny. I may just ditch the saltines though I love em, just like I loved the pretzels that they replaced. They are "whole grain" but they are a processed flour item.

When it comes down to it, what actually are my options? I know I'll start gaining again if I just go all Junk Food Vegan, or back to SAD. I have good energy, and feel pretty good overall...It's too bad I've got this apron of dang blasted FAT on the front of me. Grrrr.

[Idgie]

Yeah, I kind of get that. I've been fat and basically healthy all my life, so I guess it just doesn't bug me as much as it does some people.

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Buns!

You sound discouraged - ((hugs)). I don't mean to sound presumptuous, but wondering if you may want to ask Jeff N your questions in his forum or try to have a phone consult? Wishing you the best!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[bunsofaluminum]

Hi VSF,

Yeah, I'm a little discouraged. That may be why I said screw it and ate peanut butter toast for a midnight snack the other night. I also had an omelet for dinner, out with family. The ONLY vegan option was a Greek tomato and cucumber salad and that didn't sound even a little bit good. And it would have had oil anyway so PFFT I ordered a veggie omelet and it was good.

the weekend was a bit stressful, but everything was resolved in a wonderful way, for which I am grateful. And today is Monday, and so back to regular programming.

Yeah, I kind of get that. I've been fat and basically healthy all my life, so I guess it just doesn't bug me as much as it does some people.

Heh, I had a "weight loss specialist" baffled when all my blood work came back completely normal, and me at least 100 lbs overweight. "Why are you overweight?" ummm because I overeat? And I've recently had the blood labs all done again, and everything is still normal. Grand. Except nothing I do seems to shift the poundage.

As for bothering me, I used to think I wasn't bugged by being fat, until I started losing big pounds, and got under the obese range and was wearing size 14 jeans and had energy coming out my ears, fingertips, eyes, and fronds of my hair. And making eye contact with people, brimming with confidence and cheer...etc. Being closer to a normal weight was life altering, personality freeing...and I want to go BACK to that!

well, I'll keep going with what I'm doing. I did see a four pound drop, and I've stuck to that so it's more than water weight. Maybe things will budge again soon.

[bunsofaluminum]

Hm, after clicking around and commenting in a couple of journals, it occurs to me:

That 50% non-starchy veggies goal is important. I think I need to start focusing on it. I have some field greens and cabbage in the fridge, but doesn't chard just sound amazing? Ooh I have an unopened bag of spinach, too.

The summer before I started McDougalling, I made a goal of eating a large tossed green salad every day. Got in the habit of chopping my greens by the GALLON on the weekend, then every day grabbing a couple handfuls of them, into a bowl (my medium large stainless bowl was perfect for this) add salad vegs, and (because I wasn't McDougalling at the time) plenty of Ranch and eating a humongous salad every day. I did this just a few years ago, too now that I think about it, and just put my entree on the salad. Well, I noticed that my eyes adjusted in bright to dark lighting so much quicker. And since it's summer, lots of greens available everywhere...I think I'm going to do a 30 day run of "one large tossed green salad a day" starting NOW.

I need a creamy salad dressing. Vinaigrette, and that 3-2-1 dressing, do not turn me on. Sprinkle balsamic on it? NO.

Maybe a 3-2-1 with half a cup of white beans blended into it. Hmmm. There is a grocery store near my work, and another one on my way home. Maybe I'll stop there and get a couple bags of prepared lettuce/greens/what have you. Maybe heads of iceberg, green leaf, and red leaf and when I get home I'll chop them up, ready for a daily salad.

But I also want to add steamed Swiss Chard or other greens. Mmmm, 50% of tonight's dinner plate? and start planning on a huge green salad to start dinner every evening.

[Rosey]

We can do this Buns. I'm slowly moving in right direction now. Been doing Mary's mini's. Been surprised I'm not getting sick of potatoes.