Keeping the weight off: riding the wave

[Idgie]

Sue, thanks for the joyful look at a great McD week!

[Suey51]

Thanks Idgie!

Weight is holding steady at a pound under my goal weight. It's been a good on-program week, with the exception of a couple of small diversions.

This week I've been reading about habits, including this great post from Jeff Novick on the importance of consistency and repetition The Road to Success: Creating Healthy Habits. I'm continuing to work on building my healthy eating habits and starting to work on some non-food habits. On the food front, I find it helpful to:

- Keep the fridge stocked with ready-prepared items. Often these items are very simple, like chopped veggies, chopped fresh fruit, cooked brown rice, cooked potatoes. There's also leftover porridge (oatmeal) as I make a double batch and keep half for snacking or another day's breakfast. This week, my husband cooked a large batch of green lentils with a few veggies, veggie stock and rosemary which we have used in about 3-4 meals. He likes them cold with salad and cold potatoes while I prefer them reheated with rice and green veggies. This reduces the need to think too hard about what to eat, its all there when I open the fridge door. I also have items in the freezer, but often I forget about those when it comes to mealtimes.

- Take food with me when I go out. I often take a banana with me when I go out walking as eating this helps me avoid other items when we stop for tea/coffee at a local cafe. Last night we met some friends at a local pub in the early evening. On Fridays the pub staff bring round free food (all high fat/high salt/containing animal products) and if I'm hungry I am tempted to have some. Last night I took a small sandwich with me and had that when I felt hungry. This helped me avoid most of the off-program snacks and kept me going till we had a small meal back at home.

I'm also trying a different approach on the exercise front. I'm scheduling it in my diary at the start of the week. Like with deciding what to eat, when the appointed time comes around, I try not to think about it too much. Just 'oh its time for me to go the gym' rather than have an internal debate about whether to go now or later. If I leave it to later in the day, chances are I won't go. I'm also trying to stick to a schedule for some work tasks. In the past I've tended to let work take up way too much time and energy and this has affected my ability to stick to other healthy habits like food and exercise.

I'm hoping that reducing the thinking effort and willpower needed on these aspects of my life will allow me to keep some willpower in reserve and free up creative energy in other areas. I'd love to hear about others' experiences in this area

Best wishes, Sue x

[Idgie]

I'm with you on this. I am working on making everything as mindless as possible, in a good way. I have cooked sweet potatoes in the fridge at all times, plenty of cut-up veggies, etc. I have been practicing saying to myself "not an option" when I see off-plan foods, rather than trying to decide if a little will be okay. And so on. Dr. Beck says that it's like developing a muscle -- I want to keep developing the healthy eating muscles so that it just becomes automatic, and I can't do that if I don't make myself exercise that muscle.

[WeeSpeck]

Hi Sue!

You had an awesome week and I love the way you approached it. You offer up so many good tips to those of us riding the wave and those of us who are still learning how to surf.

Here are my healthy tips for the week.

Although I am the main food shopper, I am not the only person who lives and eats in my home. Sometimes food comes into my house that I don't necessarily find healthy and is overwhelmingly tempting. When my resolve is strong, I tell myself that the treat-that-shall-not-be-named will be there after I have a piece of fruit.

And the fruit that is available now... oh my. My refrigerator is overflowing with cantaloupe, watermelon, apricots, plums, nectarines, peaches, apples, strawberries, cherries, pineapple, blueberries, mangos. How can anything taste better than a wonderful sweet treat like that. Nothing tastes better than a peach that is so sloppy delicious that you can only eat it hanging over the kitchen sink while the juices run down your chin and arms.

I don't like to waste food, but if the food is forbidden, sometimes I will take a piece of it and just throw it in the garbage. In my mouth or in the bin, it all goes to waste sooner or later, right? In that way, I am not throwing away "good food" in a fit of frenzied frustration. I am throwing it away in a controlled masterful, "you don't belong in my mouth, you don't belong in my house" way.

Of course, the right answer is to never let that food in your home, but that isn't always possible when you are not the only person who lives in your home. It can be very empowering to control the food in this situation, instead of having the food control you.

To everyone's continued health!

[Suey51]

Thanks Idgie. I like your phrase for off-plan foods 'not an option', and as you say, easier than trying to decide whether a little would be OK Someone (sorry can't remember who!) referred to off-program foods as 'non-foods' which I also like. Healthy eating as muscle to be trained is a lovely analogy!

Thanks Nancy. I like those strategies And I like the sound of your fridge! I don't think I really understood how sweet and delicious fresh fruit was until I stopped eating processed sweet. You description of eating a really ripe peach has me drooling right now! Throwing away a piece of an off-plan food is an interesting idea and it does sound empowering! It must feel good to take control like that and perhaps it also gives your sub-conscious a reminder that those items aren't on the agenda?

Best wishes to you both xx

[Suey51]

Idgie’s comment a couple of weeks ago and JackyE's post 'Will the joy return?', got me thinking about the joy in this way of eating. It's been a surprise to me to realise that there is a joy in this way of eating: the simplicity; the tastes; the textures of crunchy fresh veggies, soft fluffy potatoes or moreish brown rice; the sensation of a burst of juice from fresh fruit; the feeling of being pleasantly full and well-nourished, knowing that you’re doing something good for yourself and the environment. However, there’s also a deep joy in being able to live life to the full because you're are healthy. This week I’ve been on several walks in our beautiful local countryside, took part in an informal outside Tai Chi session in a gorgeous park I’d never visited before, enjoyed a lovely weekend with family staying over and completed some jobs that had been hanging around for a few weeks.

What have others found joyful about this way of eating/way of life?

Weight is down by half a pound this week. It’s been a good week eating-wise, apart from some restaurant food and a couple of items at home. We went with visiting family to a Turkish restaurant which serves food meze-style with lots of small sharing dishes. I chose some vegetable options and asked for them to be prepared without oil, and for salads with the dressing on the side etc. but I forgot to ask about the mixed dips.

The weather in the UK has been unusually hot the past few weeks and I haven’t felt like spending much time in a hot kitchen. We’ve had lots of salads, tinned beans/legumes, steamed baby potatoes and my husband made some soup made with garden veggies and beans. I suspect the weight loss is a slight lack of water weight as I’m struggling to drink enough water to keep properly hydrated. The heat has been so intense, that I’ve mostly stayed indoors in the afternoons which has given me the opportunity to get computer-based jobs done.

On the topic of habits, reducing thinking effort and keeping will power in reserve, Amy pointed me to her summary of a lecture by Doug Lisle on The Willpower Paradox given at the February McDougall 3 Day Program.

This lecture discussed how psychologists came to understand the concept of willpower and then provides strategies we can use to keep from depleting it; we are all going to find ourselves in situations that will tempt us to make poor choices that conflict with our long term goals........
Dr. Lisle's Great Secret Strategies for Willpower are:
1) Clean your room - more generally, keep your environment orderly, that way it won't be in the back of your mind nagging at you to be done and be a small but constant drain on your mental energy.
2) Lay out exercise clothes - that way you're more likely to do some, and research indicates that exercise gives you a boost in willpower for that day.
3) Always eat something healthy first - before you go out, before you shop, before you decide to just try a bite of something tempting but not on-plan...eat something good first and then reassess how you feel.
4) Get to bed on time - get enough sleep, consistently. We tend to make better decisions when we are well rested.

I have a way to go on Number 1, as I tend to be a natural clutterer so it was interesting to see that on the list!

Wishing you all a healthy and joyful week!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Sue,

I love your journal! Thanks for sharing your experiences and your success in this way of eating.

I had seen Amy's link in MWL and forgot to go back to read it -- so appreciate you posting those recommendations from Doug Lisle. I remember early on in my journey this year - finding one of his webinars so helpful in reinforcing how to go about changing habits. I can't remember exactly how he phrased it, but something like radical postive change requires meticulous planning. He went on to talk about coring an apple to bring to eat - so that you will eat it.

On your question about joy, I couldn't answer any better than you already have!! I will say that I like that it is a kind way of eating. Being kind to yourself creates an impact that results in kindness to your family, friends, the environment, animals. All of these great impacts make me feel better about myself, which results in wanting to repeat...

Cheers,
Stephanie

[JackyE]

Glad to have given you food for thougth too, Suey. It is great to read your journal. It made me realise that, although I have been on a MWL program for 6 or 7 days now, I started my journey in december and did experience some changes. No weight loss yet, but more energy and less migraines. An extra difficulty for me is that I've started the MWL on the first day of our holiday abroad. No scale to weigh myself. But also a small kitchen without my collection of herbs, beans, etc. Not being able to read the labels in the foreign language in the supermarket, so I can only buy fresh things if I want to know what I'm eating. It makes it quite a challenge. (Especially all these icecream-, frenchfries-, hamburgerstand on the side of the roads)
But it also forces me to discover if all that food is really so important to me. Sitting down with my family, playing a cardgame, have so much fun with each other, why does it have to be dressed up with snacks and alcohol? Sunset at the beach can be as astonishing without a Magnum caramel with white chocolate in my hand. It is still a very concious process. But I hope to get to that point where I no longer feel the urge to celebrate every beautiful or fun moment with some extra foodtopping.
Thank you for this beautiful journal. It helps me in my own journey.

[Suey51]

Thanks Stephanie and JackyE for dropping by and your kind words

Stephanie - it might be this webinar but I haven't had chance to rewatch it this week! I love your comments about this way of eating being a 'kind way of eating':

Being kind to yourself creates an impact that results in kindness to your family, friends, the environment, animals. All of these great impacts make me feel better about myself, which results in wanting to repeat...

You explain it beautifully!

JackyE - hope you've had/are having a good trip May I ask where you are? That's great that this way of eating has helped with migraines and energy If you stick to the MWL plan, the weight will come off. Like you, I've struggled with the notion of special moments or celebrations without off-plan food or alcohol. You're right that it helps to reflect on the real source of happiness in those moments. For me, it was a very conscious process at first, but has gradually got easier

Best wishes, Sue x

[Suey51]

Weight has gone up slightly from last week, due to some off-plan eating, but I'm still a pound under my goal weight.

I've been reading 'Willpower: Rediscovering Our Greatest Strength' by Roy F Baumeister and John Tierney this week. I wanted to dig deeper into the subject with regard to both my eating and a couple of other areas where I want to make changes. It's an excellent read with many messages that will be familiar/build upon what we learn here from Dr McDougall, Dr Lisle and Jeff Novick. One sentence jumped out at me this morning as I was thinking about checking in here:

Public information has more impact than private information. People care more about what other people know about them than about what they know about themselves. A failure, a slipup, a lapse in self-control can be swept under the carpet pretty easily if you're the only one who knows about it. .... By going public, you're not just exposing yourself to potential shame. You're also outsourcing the job of monitoring, which can ease the burden on yourself. An outsider can often encourage you by pointing out signs of progress that you've taken for granted, And when things are going badly, sometimes the best solution is to look elsewhere for help.

So there you have it. That's why I'm here, logging the ups and downs of weight maintenance each week. And that's why I'm so grateful to all of you for helping me keep on track.

Best wishes, Sue x

[SilverDollar123]

Hi Everyone! Haven't gone down the tubes.Holding my weight steady. Went to Minnesota for a week with a group of friends
who seem to be foodies.Not healthy at all. I did lots of salads,soups.No meat but the oils were there.So back 100% in the morning.
It's hard to get back in the mind set, but knowing this way of eating=s life. so onward!... RAS

[Suey51]

I had seen Amy's link in MWL and forgot to go back to read it -- so appreciate you posting those recommendations from Doug Lisle. I remember early on in my journey this year - finding one of his webinars so helpful in reinforcing how to go about changing habits. I can't remember exactly how he phrased it, but something like radical postive change requires meticulous planning. He went on to talk about coring an apple to bring to eat - so that you will eat it.

Hi Stephanie,

I this is the webinar: Dr. Doug Lisle: Secrets to Positive Change He mentions coring apples right at the end! Thanks for reminding me about this, I found it really useful to re-watch It's great to listen to him explain why detailed planning is so important to making change.

Hope you're having a good week, Sue x

[Suey51]

Hi Everyone! Haven't gone down the tubes.Holding my weight steady. Went to Minnesota for a week with a group of friends
who seem to be foodies.Not healthy at all. I did lots of salads,soups.No meat but the oils were there.So back 100% in the morning.
It's hard to get back in the mind set, but knowing this way of eating=s life. so onward!... RAS

Hi RAS! Lovely to hear from you

Well done on the salads and soups while you were away. So hard to avoid oil when eating away from home isn't it? And exhausting if you're away for multiple meals/days. I also had some slippages last week so joining you in getting back on track this week

Best wishes, Sue x

[Suey51]

Hello everyone,

Weight is up by a half pound this week, so it's just a half pound below my target weight. It's drifted up by 1.5 pounds across the last 2 weeks, so its time for me to nudge myself back towards lower calorie density foods. Some richer items have been sneaking their way in.

A couple of challenging days this week resulted in some poor food choices. Feeling a little overwhelmed, tired, stressed and anxious, I decided to eat some off-plan items that were lurking in the house. I was very aware of why I was doing it and how I was feeling at the time. A couple of years ago I wouldn’t have been aware of what was happening. So that’s still progress in my book

Partly inspired by Jeff Novick's post 'Get A Life! ' I've recently taken on some new projects. This week I've been putting in extra hours on those and have learnt that it's easy to slip into old, unhelpful habits. Almost in parallel, I’ve made a start on getting more organised, to help me do more projects and develop helpful habits. I’m testing out a new way of working, on personal as well as work tasks, described in the book 'Getting Things Done' by David Allen. It’s early days but I can see that it will help me get more things done, get control of big to do lists and tidy up the home/work environment. (The latter being one of Doug Lisle's 'Secret Strategies for Willpower'.)

I'm hoping that getting more organised in other aspects of my life will also help me make mostly good food choices in the long term, by reducing the feelings of being overwhelmed etc. Being able to lose weight and mostly stick to this way of eating has given me confidence to think I can make changes in other areas of life. Plus, it’s given me tools and skills that are transferable. Who knew losing weight would lead to so much positive change!

Best wishes, Sue

[Suey51]

Hello everyone

Today I’m back to target weight. However, it’s gone up by 2 pounds in 3 weeks, so I need to make changes this week to stop the trend. Some richer plant foods have crept in, particularly in the evenings. Since coming off the Maximum Weight Loss Program, having wholemeal bread back in my life has been lovely. However, I wonder if it’s a gateway food to white bread and crackers? I didn’t buy either item, but they arrived in the house and I’ve been eating them. There’s also been some fatty/salty snacks when we’ve been outside the house. And, I haven’t done as much exercise as planned. This weight maintenance malarkey is a real balancing act and things are slightly off balance at the moment....

I log my weight in MyFitnessPal and noticed this morning that I’m 10 pounds lighter than I was a year ago. It was a bit of a surprise and made me realise it’s still relatively early days for this new weight. I happened to see myself in a long mirror this week and noticed that my legs are so much slimmer than they used to be. I confess it did feel good! External appearance wasn’t my motivation to lose weight and I don’t think I’ve really got used to the new look. Has anyone else noticed a time lag in their sense of external appearance/identity following weight loss?

There's been real progress on work and personal organisation this week. I spent a fair bit of time at the weekend putting in place a new system based on David Allen’s 'Getting Things Done' book and then sorting out the backlog. It's surprised me how good it makes me feel making this change – more in control, less stressed, lighter in spirit – and much more productive.

Surely it’s no coincidence that I also tried out weekly meal planning for the first time this week Didn’t manage to plan the whole week in one go this first time, but it’s definitely been a helpful tool. For example, we have planned to cook evening meals based on what we have available like my husband’s courgette bake and a new tabbouleh recipe (without the oil) using up garden veggies. Then we eat up leftovers for a day or two and/or freeze them for another day. The meal planner also has entries like ‘freezer meal’ where we plan to get items out of the freezer in the morning to have in the evening, along with prepped veg or leftovers in the fridge. We tend to forget what’s in there, so this has been useful. It also gives us a quick meal when we have a busy day. I’ve made notes on it about batch cooking/preparation and any shopping that’s needed. Do you have any tips on using a meal planner?

Looking at this week’s meal plan as I write this post, I noticed that bread and all those richer food items don’t appear anywhere! But they’ve featured big time in those ‘in between mealtime and evening eating opportunities’ AKA snacks. So it's time for a reset. Writing this journal is an opportunity to reflect on the week and always helps me gain some insight into what’s happening. This snack thing now seems so obvious!

Onwards and upwards, or should I say downwards to next week. This isn’t a race towards a fixed endpoint, it's all about the day-by-day and week-by-week process and keeping balanced.

How has your week been?

Best wishes, Sue xx