Vintagesan - One month on MWL

[keithswife]

I don't understand any of this, either. Why do people need to berate and belittle those around them? Does it make them feel superior? Do they are doing you some kind of favor? People can be so rude and ugly to each other and it seems to keep getting worse. Props for you for getting healthy and doing better for yourself in spite of the ugliness coming from those around you. We can't change the people around us, only how we choose to react to them. Keep on, keeping on. You are doing great.

[Idgie]

Not clutter at all. I agree with you, and I have fought all my life to make sure that those around me understand a few things:

1) I may be fat, but I'm also fabulous
2) My worth (and yours!) is not dependent on the shape of my body
3) Fat people do not owe it to anyone to lose weight

I do not exist to decorate other people's worlds. My body is my business. If I want to gain weight, lose weight, pierce my nose (ouch!), sit on my couch, jump out of airplanes, eat McDougall foods or cheeseburgers, it's my body, and it's not their business.

Also, having been fat all my life, I can tell you that real men (and women!) have loved me, loved my body, and looked at me with pure lust, because they like how I look and who I am. That doesn't make them weird or wrong; it just means we all have different tastes. Personally, I think fat bodies are beautiful; I am treating some illnesses with a program (MWL) that also promotes weight loss, but not because I hate my fat body -- it's because I love my body, no matter what size it is! It's a good body that has served me well for over 50 years. I refuse to hate it, or to let anyone else treat it hatefully.

[Vintagesan]

Comments and Feedback

We can't change the people around us, only how we choose to react to them.

Yes, you are right. And I'm still learning to react correctly. Somewhere deep down inside I know it's not against me, it's against overweight people in general. And that's something I'm not okay with. I know a lot of lean people, a lot of overweight people...their weight doesn't change how I see them or how great these people are. Why can't other just see this?

Idgie, I love your self-confidence. Although self-confidence is maybe not the right word here. I love the way you enjoy your life - independent from a number. And I appreciate that you are loved for the person you are and not for a clothing size or body weight you are. I hope one day I'll be able to lead a life like this as well. Feeling not always judged for my imperfectness.


Thank you both for your reactions.
Big group hug is needed here now.

[Idgie]

It definitely hurts to be judged all the time. As time goes on, we can change the crowds we hang with and the abuse we're (not) willing to put up with, but some of it will always surround us, because we live in a society that has lots of good AND bad in it, and we can't help being part of that society.

[Vintagesan]

Missing some foods - 07/15/18

Since my head is thinking all day ( ) I have to think about so many different things.
Today I thought of ...bread and pasta.

Before I started TSS or MWL, bread was something that belonged to my life as a child.
I can still remember the whole family sitting around the table and my mother prepared slices of bread on a huge plate. During that time me, all of my friends, actually everyone I knew ate bread for dinner in the evening. Maybe this was a country-specific thing, I don't know. After I left home and moved together with my significant other the dinner habits changed. In my husband's family they are used to have a warm meal in the evening, so we started to have this as well.

After my son was born that mother-thing happened to me.
Maybe you know this on your own: Suddenly you remember what YOUR mother did and make the decision if this was good or bad for you. If it was good then you what will happen...
So we started to have bread for dinner as well.
My husband wasn't really amused in the beginning, but as soon as our son was able to eat with us we sat and ate together. And I liked this.

As a child, I can remember pasta used to be a quick dish.
My mother used to cook pasta when she had to work longer, so that the meal was prepared within 10 mins when she arrived home. Spaghetti bolognese or pasta napoli were served once a week. (=Pasta napoli is pasta with napoletana sauce which you use to call marinara sauce. I'm not a smartass, no no, I just had to find out because you all were talking about marinara and I never knew what you were talking about So if any of you wants to visit Germany ...order pasta napoli when you want a marinara sauce ) I always enjoyed pasta and so after moving out pasta was served more often in my own home. I did a lot more meals with pasta than my mother but bolognese and napoli were still quick dished here.

I'm really missing bread and pasta for some days now.
I found so great pasta at the supermarket (pasta made from chickpeas, pasta made from beetroot, pasta made from green peas...) but they all contain flour and so they are not okay on MWL. I also found new breads which I would love to eat, but actually they are not compliant as well.

For some reason I ask myself how a die-hard Italian survives on MWL?
Don't get me wrong when I say I am happy when the month is over... Maybe I will continue MWL, but I already know who will eat bread and pasta after the last weigh in for July.

[Idgie]

My mom is half Italian, and I grew up on pasta. I have LOTS of pasta in my house, and I haven't thrown it out, even though I'm going to be on MWL for at least a year. I justify that to myself by saying my partner might want it, and they might, but really I think I'm hoping I'll eat some of it at some point.

[bunsofaluminum]

Bread at dinner is a very common thing, possibly universal. It is a way to fill up, without costing too much. It is useful for mopping up gravies and sauces, too. In the Middle East and Mediterranean areas, flat bread is used. Tortillas in Central America and Mexico. Do they have a traditional bread in the lands of South America? African cultures have varieties of bread, as well. Often times, in these tropical areas, they are used to grab your food, because there are no eating utensils. You tear off a chunk and pick up whatever looks tasty on your plate, and eat it!

As for pasta, though it isn't on the MWL plan, it is low on the calorie density spectrum, due to being cooked in water. I don't fret too much over pasta, because I love noodles. But they aren't a frequent starch for me. A treat.

Hopefully your successes with this way of eating will be evident in the lives of those people who have been so ugly towards you. I don't get it, either. But you keep loving you!

[Vintagesan]

Just a little sign that I am still alive and still on track but really busy with my job at the moment.
I make notes for each day so that I can write down the missing days at the weekend.

[Vintagesan]

To sow we must open our hands - to grow me must open our minds - 07/16/18

It's somehow interesting how other people feel blamed when you confront them with facts.
I used to think that nobody likes to be told "Hey, what you are doing is wrong" but over the time I think it's a problem between different generations. Please let me point out first that this is my personal impression and opinion. And it's also not only about food choices...

My mother is ~30 years older than me.
When it comes to her computer or her smartphone, to online shopping or online payment she totally relies on me. In her eyes I'm the expert on these topics and she would never challenge anything I tell her about it. When it comes to parenting I really appreciate that my mother and I can talk about it at one eye level - even if we have different opinions on some topics. When it comes to anything related to food my mother is able to listen but not to understand.

Actually I don't blame her for this.
I am turning 33 this year...sorry, I mean 25 for the 8th time ...and I already feel like I've heard ANYTHING about right and wrong food choices. So how must my mother feel? I can remember her very first reaction to something I said about the McDougall plan : "Don't celebrate just yet. Next year you'll be told this will ruin your life." I wasn't angry about it because I could understand. It wasn't against McDougall or a plantbased way of eating - it was a new kind of information and she has experienced a lot of it. When my generation is told about something better we are (still?) willing to think about it. When my mother's generation is told about something better or new they just wait for the day it will be talked down again.

I don't experience this only with my mother but also with other people at her age.
My husband's parents aren't interested in any food talks either. They also don't seem to be willing to try out something new, be it new brands, new recipes or new devices.

Here in Germany a lot of ladies at my age are totally freaking out about the Thermomix.
My parents and my parents in law are not even interested in hearing about it. My father wouldn't even be able to tell yo what a Thermomix is. When I try to talk about a plantbased way of eating with him he looks compassionately at me and listens by courtesy.

They are used to so many information about nutrition that they simply do not care anymore.
I cannot tell if they don't want to think about it or don't feel the need to think about it - they are just tired of the topic.
It somehow sounds sad, but I can understand this. And it seems impossible to tell them "I know you've heard a lot but please read this...listen to them...for one last time. And belive me this is an information you can rely on." They've heard it so many times - from experts, from doctors, from family, from friends and I think especially women tried out so much...they are just tired of it and I can understand.

[Vintagesan]

Ants in the pants - 07/17/18

Ladies and Gentlemen! Please let us welcome...Vintagesan's motivation.

To be honest, I knew it existed.
When I was younger I did a lot of walking - not in the exercise way, I just needed to move. So I walked and walked and walked. When I reflect about it I was like Forrest Gump - except that I was walking an not running. I once started to walk for no reason and then I just walked. Day by day. Week by week.

Usually I thought while I was walking or I listened to music.
I walked at every weather, day and night, several times a day. Funny, I cannot even tell you when this stopped or why it stopped. I tried to think about it but honestly I cannot remember. But today was the day... I woke up and thought by myself "Hey, why don't you just walk around a bit outside?" Unfortunately there was no time for it in the morning but in the evening after dinner I took my walk - alone, with some music, and I loved it.

And it felt so good to just move around.
I cannot even explain. Since starting I moved a lot more in general but this morning I really had ants in my pants.
I NEEDED to walk. And this is interesting for me. I stopped some things from the past for no reason and never could understand why. Some of you may think "Why is she freaking about a walk" ... but actually I am freaking out about my old me which seems to come back to my life.

[Vintagesan]

The hash-brown dilemma part II - 07/18/18

I really don't know what this craving for hash browns is about, but guess who checked several stores just to find a frozen option which is compliant. Needless to tell I didn't find any. So I tried out some recipes I found online again - without success... again.
At least I was so frustrated I bought quite a lot euipment to create the perfect hash browns the next time.

In the end I still want hash browns but hey...I can laugh about all my trials.
Did I already ask if some of you knows a good recipe??

[Lyndzie]

Vintagesan, I just had an interesting conversation with my mom yesterday. I’m about the same age as you, and my mom is 30 years older than me. 6 years ago she had a heart attack, and I gave her the book [i]Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease[/i], which she returned to me unopened. Well, this past year she decided to eat oatmeal for breakfast, and her cholesterol plummeted. She just told me, “I wish someone had told me about this years ago!” We all have to be in a place to hear what’s being said. Continue being the shining star you are! Hopefully they will see your success and want to join you.

Also, what’s a Thermomix?

[Idgie]

My grocery store has compliant hash browns, but I also make them sometimes, by boiling potatoes until they're almost done, then cooling them all the way in the fridge. I find grated cooked potatoes come out crisper when cooked without oil than raw ones do. I also add a little onion powder for browning, because onions have a lot of natural sugar in them, and sugar is what makes foods brown.

[Vintagesan]

Comments and Feedback

Lyndzie, I hope your mom feels better today in general? It always makes me sad that people need to experience such kind of "wake up call" just to start listening. But I think it's that kind of "This won't happen to me" attitude we all seem to have...well, until something happens. Sometimes we all seem to forget we just have this one life on earth...

In my opinion a Thermomix is a quite expensive kitchen gadget no one needs.
But all of my friends own one and love it - before I try it with my bad English I'll leave a link to the >product page< for you.

Idgie , the prep part is not a problem. But I cannot make them stick together. They always fall apart And so they don't get very crispy as well.


When you affect others by just doing "your thing" - 07/19/18

Fun fact - you can now find more fruits and vegetables in the office fridge.
And no, they don't belong all to me.

Humans are group-living animals. And it's always funny to observe how a group behaviour changes when one or two people change. I was introduced to the Starch Solution by one of my work mates. He doesn't work as long as some others for our company so the new group member had a rough time in the beginning - especially with his healthy food choices.

He isn't just a quite fit and healthy guy, but also very smart. He did a lot of cool things since he is part of the company and just to sum it up: some of the others were quite jealous. We had a special group of lazy guys and since Mr Sporty is part of the team also our boss started to exercise and eat healthier.

The first reaction to this was that "the group" became even lazier and ate unhealthier than before. The second reaction was that "the big part" split up in two sides. So we had one group starting to exercise and eat healthier while the other hold on to ordering pizza, burgers, fries and using the elevator for only some stairs. When I joined the company there were already the two sides, but in my position I have to work with several people from both sides.

And for me this is quite an funny experience.
I am "accepted" at both sides. I'm eating healthy now, but I don't look lean and sporty.
The one group appreciates my efforts, while the other still sees me as one of them.
And the funniest about the whole situation is that I have to work most with the two group leaders - Mr Sporty and Mr Lazy. And in case you are interested: I am also married to Mr Lazy

When Mr Sporty joined there was this "healthy movement" in our company.
Some started to eat better and exercise. I've heard they also met in their freetime to exercise together. And now , after the last one in our company knows that I am trying to eat healthier, there seems to be a revival. People are looking for appreciation when they brought something healthy for lunch - this is somehow new to me. The ladies from the administration team send me selfies from them with fruity snacks. Mr Sporty and his knot of followers even want to spend their lunchtime with me. Isn't it interesting how things can change?

In my own team is one guy that used to describe himself as a "carnivore" and today he asked me about some of the McDougall recipes from The Starch Solution. (Yes, it is possible that one girl...we don't tell names ....left a copy of the book between all the coding books in the shelf) I'm curious if HE will take the road because he has a big influence on Camp Lazy and also on my husband. This could be quite funny.

[Vintagesan]

The sun is trying to kill me - 07/20/18

I don't know what's going on in Germany but I am totally convinced the sun is trying to kill me.
It's quite hot over here this summer and I am not sure if I should re-arrange my balcony to a mini beach or just pack my bags and move to Alaska. Althogh I am not quite a fan of summer we coexisted together peacefully for many many years. But this year also the sunlovers are complaining because it's simply too hot.

The air conditioner and me became best friends at work, but at home I am melting.
Today I was also wondering when I bought this fluffy black blanket until I realized it was my cat....
So no big news for today...