Weight Loss and Recovery

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

Moderators: JeffN, f1jim, carolve, Heather McDougall

Re: Weight Loss and Recovery

Postby bunsofaluminum » Fri Aug 14, 2020 12:37 pm

kirstykay wrote:That's exactly right, Buns!!! How long have we been at this, girlfriend?? Too long! I want to not only internalize these truths, but apply them so I CAN bust out of this vicious treadmill and regain my health once and for all. Not that the fight will be over, but I'd like to be at my "fighting weight" lol!! :lol: :unibrow:


Seriously, we started here within a month of each other! ha! one of the originals ;) The 2009 gang. I got SO FIT by 2013 I was walking at least three miles a day, yoga with DDP every morning, down 60 lbs from where I started...hiking several times a week, boulder hopping, busting with energy.

Hhahahaa then I met Wylie...got in a relationship and got happy and relaxed my standards. Ugh. Now I'm starting over +5 lbs. *sigh* as for the fight, I ran away from a huge fight about 10 years ago, internal stuff that I just said Phooey on it I'm not fighting it anymore. And guess what. I still have to fight myself in every other area so... :duh: Like it or not, we're going to have a battle about SOMETHING for the rest of our lives. Let it be without aching joints and flab, eh?

keep it up KK! You rock!
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Re: Weight Loss and Recovery

Postby kirstykay » Fri Aug 21, 2020 10:17 am

Weight change this week: -2.2 !!!!!!!

I'm THRILLED! As I believe I mentioned earlier this month, I decided to do a Potato Mary's Mini for the month of August. I began the month having GAINED weight last month after a month of the scale NOT MOVING the month before, so it is an understatement to say that I was getting discouraged and dangerously close to throwing in the towel. Although, admittedly, I knew that was not an option. So, I bowed out of the MWL weigh-in for the month and went on a rescue mission before I was lost completely. I committed to doing MM 100% to see if it would help. I began the month at 187. My goal for the month is to lose 10 pounds. Today, I weighed in at 180.9!! Those aren't miraculous results for some, considering today is day 19. Some of the lovely people who agreed to do the 30-day challenge with me have lose much more. Several have lost a whopping pound a day. I never expected those results-especially because my diet had been pretty clean going into the challenge (having been on MWl since January). In fact, I lost the first 4 pounds almost right away and then sat there for about a week, happy to have lost the weight I had gained and knowing I shouldn't compare myself with others. But working hard not to get discouraged.

I've really been examining my eating and also working on my mindset, which I understand is vitally important. And, I've been continuing my exercise which is becoming a habit, happily. Here's something I am more convinced of than ever is that it all boils down to being in a calorie deficit! Jeff explains this in the article he wrote on trying the WFPB "hacks." He reminds us that these hacks, like intermittent fasting, vegetables for breakfast, even Mary's Mini, only work when they create a calorie deficit because that is what is required for weight loss. It's simple science-the law of thermodynamics. I honestly have spent many years believing the lie that my body was somehow "broken" from so many years of yo-yo dieting. But it is NOT! Simply, when I am in a calorie deficit, I lose weight. Many factors influence whether I am in a calorie deficit. But that is predictable, scientific fact. That doesn't always mean I'll see it on the scale exactly when I feel like I should. Many factors influence the number on the scale. For instance, last week I didn't lose any pounds, but my body fat % went down by one whole percentage point. Obviously, my body was up to something, and this week I saw a 2.2 pound loss on the scale.

Something someone on the 30 day challenge said is that she tries to see how little food she can eat and be satisfied instead of how much food she can "get away with." This was a mind-shift for me. I started thinking along those lines...taking less food, fully knowing I could get more, stopping as soon as I felt satisfied, not eating a meal just because it's mealtime if I'm not feeling hungry. It has been amazing to me how much less food I'm eating. And yet I am never hungry. If I get hungry, I eat. This seems like a simple thing and may be like "duh" for some people, but I think I just have gotten into a habit of chronic overeating, eating beyond full. I truly believe this may be the missing piece for me!

I am going to finish out the month on my MM because I made the commitment and I want to. It is helping me recognize my hunger more easily. I feel more satisfied sooner than I was. I don't have cravings like I was. I'm losing weight. I have 12 more days on this and then I will happily go back to MWL and follow the 10-point checklist carefully. I believe I will get to my goal. I believe it will take time, but I will not give up until I'm there.
"Remember, It's the food." ~Dr. McDougall

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Re: Weight Loss and Recovery

Postby kirstykay » Fri Aug 28, 2020 11:29 am

Keeping with the habit of weighing in and reflecting on Fridays... I have lost 1.1 lbs this week. Not bad, not the typical results from a MM, but pretty good, considering. I have 5 days left, if you count today. So far this month I have lost just over 7 pounds...totally worth it, and more than that, it has helped me tremendously in terms of seeing what I've been getting wrong and fixing it. I am not tired of potatoes yet, but I want to go back to MWL anyway. I will just have a focus on potatoes because they are just so darn satiating! And I LOVE them. I've enjoyed so many different ways of cooking them, and will continue to do so! And can I just say...cheeze sauce!!! It is a complete game changer. I will put my recipe here for my own sake, mostly, because I've taken a few different recipes and perfected it to my taste preferences. This makes 1 quart that lasts me a week, typically (unless I make cheezy hasbrown casserole too often, and then I have to make it twice).

Kirsty's Kitchen Cheeze Sauce
4 cups diced potatoes (peeled unless using golds)
1 cup diced carrots (or baby carrots)
1 cup cooking water
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp minced onion
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp seasoned salt

Place potatoes and carrots in a pot with a steamer basket, adding 1 1/2 cups water to bottom of pot. Steam until potatoes and carrots are fork tender. Combine remaining ingredients in a high speed blender. Add potatoes, carrots, and 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Blend until all ingredients are well mixed and very smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. YUMM!!!!
Note: To make a spicy Queso, reduce water to 3/4 cup and stir in 1 can Rotel tomatoes with green chilies after blending. To make Chipotle Cheese sauce, stir in 1 Tbs Chipotle seasoning aft.er blending

There, now I have it in a permanent place. I love this cheeze sauce over broccoli, on baked potatoes, in hashbrown casserole, broccoli rice casserole, mac 'n cheeze, twice baked potatoes, burrito bowls... it just adds so much flavor and makes me really happy!

I got some grief from the admins on the MM fb page because they said this isn't compliant with a MM because it's not "boring" enough. I would have to agree. It's NOT boring, but I disagree that it is not compliant. ALL the ingredients are compliant, so that makes it compliant in my book. The other thing I KNOW about myself is that if I don't like my food, I go looking for treats. Maybe some people respond to "boring" but not me! Especially when doing a longer MM. I can understand if it was only 10 days, but sheesh, a month is a different story. I didn't get kicked out of the group, but I feel like I was walking a fine line. I'm happy to be going back to the MWL group with a new mindset and focus, and I am happy to be expanding my food choices just a bit. I will happily comply to 2 fruits a day after having NONE for a whole month! But I did learn about myself that if I wasn't in the mood to eat a potato, I wasn't hungry! That is my litmus test because I could easily have eaten fruit many times, but I didn't - that wasn't an option. I think this is the most valuable lesson I'm taking away from this "experiment." And the other thing is that I have a clearer understanding of what it feels like to be satiated and still be in a calorie deficit. I am getting to know my body and appreciate it. I am learning to work with it instead of feel like it is my enemy and completely unpredictable.

Julieanna Hever said in one of her livestreams that weight loss is totally predictable. That really intrigued me because I have felt like it's a complete mystery. I have though a lot about that statement. She also said we have to "decouple" exercise and weight loss. To see weight loss as a temporary state of being, lose the weight, and then work on building strength and fitness. It's an interesting concept but also confusing to me. Maybe I can ask Jeff Novick to comment on this. I am afraid that doing this creates a "dieting mindset" instead of a changed lifestyle. Besides, with T2 Diabetes, I HAVE to exercise. Exercise is like "natural insulin" according to the Mastering Diabetes experts, and that has been my experience. Plus, I do believe exercise helps get me into a calorie deficit. Also, I don't think someone like Julieanna who has never been obese has any understanding of just how sedentary I can be if I don't see daily movement as non-negotiable. Plus, it's my understanding that obesity shuts down the mitochondria and exercise turns them back on. And without those little fat-burners working away in my cells, fat loss is MUCH more difficult. Anyway, I am not giving up my daily morning and evening walks because I think they help tremendously. I am waiting to do intense strength training until I get much closer to my goal, however.

Okay, this is long enough. I'm very encouraged and excited to keep going on this journey and actually make it to the finish line...even if it takes me another year to do so. :nod:
"Remember, It's the food." ~Dr. McDougall

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Re: Weight Loss and Recovery

Postby ladevereaux » Fri Aug 28, 2020 1:22 pm

I am relatively new to the boards (I joined the August MWL group) and love reading everyone’s posts for insights that will help me on my journey. I am glad I read your post today because I have drastically reduced my dairy consumption over the last few years, but I miss a good cheese sauce over my vegetables. I normally eat them just with an herb and garlic seasoning with a little butter, but your cheese sauce sounds delicious. I can’t wait to try it!
Thanks, Leslie
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Re: Weight Loss and Recovery

Postby kirstykay » Fri Aug 28, 2020 8:29 pm

Oh, you will love it, Leslie!! Let me know what you think when you try it! It's a gamechanger.
"Remember, It's the food." ~Dr. McDougall

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Re: Weight Loss and Recovery

Postby kirstykay » Fri Sep 04, 2020 12:08 pm

Today's post is more about the "Recovery" part of my journal than the weight loss. I went for a check-up with my doctor yesterday and I have the results from my blood work. The last time I had blood work done was January 2nd. I was supposed to have it done in June, but my Dr. changed my appt to telemed and I never got around to going in for the blood draw. I didn't see the point because I wasn't willing to go on meds anyway, and I knew that the more time I had for this diet to work it's magic the better. Needless to say, I was quite interested in seeing how the numbers came out now, 8 months into being super serious about this WOE. I was NOT disappointed!

Most importantly, I'll start with my A1c. I was diagnosed with T2D 15 years ago, 6 years after having gestational diabetes with my youngest child. To say it was a shock is an understatement. I won't go into the details, but leave it to say that that diagnosis led me to Dr. McDougall and on the path to my plant-based journey. It has been somewhat of a windy road that brought me to January 2020 with an A1c of 12.1, a dangerously high number. My doctor strongly recommended that I begin medication, and warned me that not doing so would lead to very serious consequences, especially for my eyes and my kidneys. However, my past experience with the MWL diet, and further testing that proved my body was still making its own insulin (the C-Peptide test), made me confident that I could do reverse this horrible disease. I am very fortunate to have found a wfpb, board certified lifestyle medicine doctor in my town who did a residency with Dr. Barnard and believed I could too. But I knew I was living on borrowed time and that I needed to do this 100% or else...so I did.

Yesterday, my A1c was 7.8!!!!! :nod: I am beyond excited!!! I go back in for blood work again in December, and I fully expect it to be in the normal range of around 5! Remember, this reduction is WITHOUT MEDS!!!! :-D

Other Stats (requiring less explanation, but not less exciting)

Total Cholesterol
Jan 2020 - 181/ Sept 2020 - 138 :unibrow: (Can I just say "Heart-Attack Proof" !!!

HDL
J-64/S-43

LDL
J-99/S-69

Trigycerides
J-88/S-133

She also tested my B12 and vitD levels. I am right in the middle for B12, but slightly low on D. I may have to supplement.

These lab results are so incredibly motivating to me and make me want to be even MORE compliant and see where I can go! There is no stopping me now! I hope these results encourage anyone out there who is just getting started or struggling to stick with this. I am here to say, "It's the FOOD!" Thank you, Dr. McDougall!
"Remember, It's the food." ~Dr. McDougall

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Re: Weight Loss and Recovery

Postby JeffN » Fri Sep 04, 2020 12:14 pm

kirstykay wrote:
She also tested my B12 and vitD levels. I am right in the middle for B12, but slightly low on D. I may have to supplement.


Congratulations on your recovery and success

“Low” is a relative term and many recommendations are too high

What was your actual number?

In Health
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Re: Weight Loss and Recovery

Postby SilverDollar123 » Fri Sep 04, 2020 10:21 pm

Congratulations Kirsty! I'm so happy for you. You are motivating me to get back to eating better. These past few months quarantine have been rough & living with late teens,who think they are invincible makes it worse....All the more to eat right. Blessing to you! RAS
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Re: Weight Loss and Recovery

Postby kirstykay » Thu Sep 10, 2020 10:58 am

Congratulations on your recovery and success

“Low” is a relative term and many recommendations are too high

What was your actual number?

In Health
Jeff


Thanks, Jeff!
My Vitamin D was 26.7 ng/mL
The normal range said it was supposed to be 30-100. My doctor said it is borderline and recommended a D3 supplement of 2000 IU daily. What do you think?
"Remember, It's the food." ~Dr. McDougall

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Re: Weight Loss and Recovery

Postby kirstykay » Thu Sep 10, 2020 11:01 am

Congratulations Kirsty! I'm so happy for you. You are motivating me to get back to eating better. These past few months quarantine have been rough & living with late teens,who think they are invincible makes it worse....All the more to eat right. Blessing to you! RAS


Thanks RAS! Great to hear from you! Living with teens is difficult on so many levels! You are right...all the more reason to take care of ourselves by eating right!! Best to you!!
"Remember, It's the food." ~Dr. McDougall

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Re: Weight Loss and Recovery

Postby JeffN » Thu Sep 10, 2020 12:00 pm

kirstykay wrote:My Vitamin D was 26.7 ng/mL. ?


If you were to present those levels at the McDougall program, we would say "excellent" and not treat it.

Here is some info from the Vitamin D thread on why not.

Vitamin D Levels for Preventing Acute Coronary Syndrome and Mortality: Evidence of a Nonlinear Association
J Clin Endo- crinol Metab 98: 2160–2167, 2013
https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/98/5/2160/2537113

"Vitamin D in the 20–36 ng/ml range was associated with the lowest risk for mortality and morbidity. The hazard ratio below and above this range increases significantly."


Vitamin D Deficiency — Is There Really a Pandemic?
NEJM 375;19 nejm.org November 10, 2016
http://www.nejm.org.sci-hub.cc/doi/pdf/ ... JMp1608005

"A common misconception is that the RDA functions as a “cut point” and that nearly the entire population must have a serum 25(OH)D level above 20 ng per milliliter to achieve good bone health. The reality is that the majority (about 97.5%) if the population has a requirement of 20 ng per milliliter or less. Moreover, by definition of an average requirement, approximately half the population has a requirement of 16 ng per milliliter (the EAR) or less.”



Vitamin D: What’s the “right” level?
Monique Tello, MD, MPH
JANUARY 06, 2017 (Updated)
http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/vita ... 6121910893

For perimenopausal women or other groups of people with higher fracture risk, certainly a level of 20 or above is ideal,” and he adds: For the vast majority of healthy individuals, levels much lower, 15, maybe 10, are probably perfectly fine, and so I would say I agree with what the authors of the New England Journal perspective article are saying.”


Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level, chronic diseases and all-cause mortality in a population-based prospective cohort: the HUNT Study, Norway.
Sun YQ, Langhammer A, Skorpen F, Chen Y, Mai XM.
BMJ Open. 2017 Jul 3;7(6):e017256. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-017256.
PMID: 28674149 Free Article

http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/7/6/e017256.long

”It appears that the risk of dying flat lines above 15 to 16 ng/ml. The HR increases quite a bit once you get below 12 ng/ml. A level of 20ng/ml does not appear to be associated with any significant increased risk of dying from all causes. Up to 44ng/ml doesn't seem to be associated with any significant impact on the overall risk of dying. From this, it looks like 20 to 44ng/ml could be considered the normal range. Anything below 20ng/ml may be insufficient for some and anything below 12 to 15ng/ml appears to be associated with an increased risk of dying as many people maybe deficient.”


Also, I don’t think we should be doing much, if any, vitamin D testing, except in high risk groups.
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=10055

I would be happy with a level of 26.7 for me and/or my wife.

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Re: Weight Loss and Recovery

Postby kirstykay » Fri Sep 11, 2020 8:25 am

Thank you Jeff!
This is very helpful information, and it's great to know that I am in a healthy range. I will share this information with my doctor. I really appreciate your input!
"Remember, It's the food." ~Dr. McDougall

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Re: Weight Loss and Recovery

Postby kirstykay » Tue Sep 29, 2020 9:47 am

I'm posting this here so I have it when I need it.

A concern I often hear is that people can’t follow my dietary recommendations because they think large quantities of salad are required as a way to successfully incorporate the principles of calorie density, which are important for both weight loss and weight maintenance. They say consuming such large amounts of salad takes too much time, too much money, and/or may cause digestive issues. Too often, this leads them to conclude that the principles of calorie density cannot be helpful to them.

Setting the Record Straight on Salad
Salads are not required for success. They can be very time consuming and expensive, which are often key issues for many. All of the time, energy and money spent on salads is not only unnecessary, it may not the best way to incorporate veggies into your daily diet. (The same applies equally to raw vegetables.)

While adding vegetables to a meal lowers the overall calorie density and is an important part of my recommendations, salad is not required. In fact, when we look at the research on this, the form of vegetables that lowered overall calorie density the most and was the most filling was not salads, but vegetable soup. (See references 1-9 below.)

Practical Tips on Soup
Soups can work in many ways, the same as you may be using raw veggies and/or salads in applying the principles of calorie density. Here are 3 simple tips:

1 – Soups can be an effective pre-load to a meal:

Soups filled (mostly or entirely) with non-starchy vegetables can reduce the overall calorie density of a meal if consumed before the meal as a “pre-load.” Studies have shown that salad pre-loads reduced the overall calorie density for the meal by 7% for a smaller salad and 12% for a larger one (5), while soup preloads lowered the overall calorie density of the meal by 20% (4).

2 – Soups can lower overall calorie density of the meal:

To help lower the calorie density of a meal, I recommend that up to 50% of your meal (by visual volume) be non-starchy vegetables. Soups can be effectively used for this strategy. For example, have a bowl of vegetable soup with a plate of rice and beans.

3 – Soups can be the main meal:

Soups can also be the main meal. If they are main meals, make sure you make them hearty and also include plenty of starches (legumes, pulses, intact whole grains, starchy vegetables) in the soup.

Success!
After I posted this on the McDougall 10-Day Program FB page, someone added, “One of the big advantages I see to taking this route, is that it totally bypasses the excuse of ‘I can’t find a salad dressing I like.’ Or in my personal case, ‘I cannot tolerate the items often recommended, such as lemon juice and vinegar.’”

With fall coming, this is a perfect time to incorporate warm, satiating soups into your lifestyle. They can be inexpensive, quick to prepare and soothing. So, if you are struggling with the time or the expense it would take to include large amounts of salads and raw vegetables, try a big bowl of vegetable soup instead.

In Health,
Jeff


This is absolutely brilliant. I agree wholeheartedly that having a salad bigger than my head (as recommended by WFPB SOFAS Free Gurus) is exhausting and expensive. Sometimes I do want a huge salad. In fact, I became accustomed to making a yummy kale salad frequently this summer and really enjoyed it...until I didn't anymore. I get really tired of salads. Jeff gets it. I LOVE how he has a simple solution for every excuse; an answer for every objection. This is so simple because I love making and eating soup, especially in the fall and winter. Salads are nice in the summer, but with the weather cooling down, Soup hits the spot! I guess, for me at least, certain foods have their seasons, and it's okay to embrace that.

This weekend I made a delicious White Bean Vegetable Soup with just things I had on hand. And yesterday I made a yummy Cabbage Veggie Soup that included onions, celery, peas, carrots, corn, and green beans in addition to the cabbage. I enjoyed it for both lunch and dinner and even as an evening snack. I served it over rice and added some garbanzo beans to it for dinner, but I think I'll have it with potatoes today. Others I enjoy making often are Split Pea, Taco Soup, all kinds of Chilis, Chickpea Noodle, White Bean and Kale, Eat the Rainbow Black Bean. Oh, man! This article and the weather have really put me in the mood for SOUP!!!

I have resisted starting each meal with a soup or salad, but I think that is going to change as October approaches! Thanks, Jeff!
"Remember, It's the food." ~Dr. McDougall

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Re: Weight Loss and Recovery

Postby bunsofaluminum » Tue Sep 29, 2020 2:28 pm

I'm with you KK...salads don't turn me on. I go through phases of eating a huge salad every day, sometimes twice a day, and then I'm done. But soup! Soup is magic. Forget the pre-loading, if I have soup made, that IS the meal and it's always enough.

Back in the day, probably the 1970's or so, my mom got on a soup diet. The idea was to eat soup every day, prior to at least one meal. Maybe they were tapping into calorie density before it was a thing :lol:
JUST DON'T EAT IT

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Re: Weight Loss and Recovery

Postby kirstykay » Wed Sep 30, 2020 2:04 pm

I'm you, Buns! I just made Eat the Rainbow Black Bean Soup and it's what's for dinner! (recipe from Fat Free Vegan's blog). Your mom was obviously onto something way back when! I remember a diet from the 90s that said to eat an apple before every meal. Same idea.
Wasn't there a Cabbage Soup diet, too?


I just deleted Facebook from my phone. Too much noise, not enough signal. I waste so much time just scrolling through the posts. I'm done! I was staying on it because I belong to several WFPB groups, but I've realized that so many of those are really WFPB "hacks" and I don't need them. I'm going to hang out here more and stick with what works. I just read an article today about a study finding that Intermittent Fasting (or time-restricted eating) doesn't result in weight loss. Dr. McDougall and Jeff Novick have been saying that for literally YEARS! It's just the newest FAD diet "hack." But that kind of stuff gets in my head and I am highly impressionable, so I'm not going to listen to any of it anymore! I'm McDougall all the way! Add to that all the political nonsense, and I'm just OVER IT!!

I follow a YouTuber that just posted a very sad video this week. I won't mention names, but it was a cautionary tale for me, to say the least. I saw so much of myself in her. She lost A LOT of weight, and has gained back most of it. I found myself feeling so much compassion for her. And I realized that in many ways, I WAS her. I lost 100 pounds. It took me over 3 years. It was HARD and often frustrating, and exhilarating. But I still had about 30 pounds to lose, and it wasn't coming off fast enough, so I began fasting on and off- juice fasting, water fasting, intermittent fasting, long and short fasts. This YouTuber did the same thing. It set me on a downward spiral of restricting and bingeing. I had no peace. I had no confidence and was terrified that I would gain all the weight back. I worked out 2+ hours/day. I got my certification as a personal trainer and health coach. I joined program after program, tried counseling, hired my own personal trainer, and a nutritionist...spent 1000s of $$. None of it worked. I finally just couldn't do it anymore. I burned out and gave up, and ended up gaining about 60 pounds back. That was about 6 years ago. I've been fighting ever since.

Finally, finally, finally, I am winning again! At the beginning of 2020, I decided to come back to McDougall and not look back. Finally, my brain is calm. Finally, I've said goodbye to any kind of fasting or "hack" forever. I am 100% McDougall (mostly MWL). I am not perfect, but I don't beat myself up anymore. I have surrendered to the fact that this process is slow and I'm okay with that. I am 15 pounds away from being back down to the 100 pounds lost. I am going to get there. It may take me the rest of 2020 to lose those 15 pounds; it may take longer. It may take another year to get to my goal weight. I don't care. I am winning. I am no longer fighting. I am no longer terrified or filled with shame or exhausted. I walk everyday, but that's it. I hurt my foot recently and didn't walk for a week but that wasn't a fail, I'm back to it this week. My clothes are getting too big. I can see my collar bones. When I catch a glimpse of myself in a store window, I don't cringe. I am loving myself and the process. I am grateful to finally not only have the answer but believe I can do it. I wish it hadn't taken me so long, but I'm even forgiving myself for that. This is my process and everything I've been through has brought me to where I am, and where I am is pretty great!
"Remember, It's the food." ~Dr. McDougall

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