Caroveggie's Journal

[Idgie]

Way to go! That sounds like a really successful beginning to me.

[Caroveggie]

Way to go! That sounds like a really successful beginning to me.

Thanks Idgie! I feel I could've done better but at least my mindset is getting in the right place. I'm trying to change some habits so I'm being gentle with myself when I slip up. At least I'm really enjoying eating this way. I think I just need to work on patience that I'll lose the weight at a decent rate and you can't really rush it. Just stay the course.

[VegSeekingFit]

It was like a cycle - spiral.. I've already had the tacos kind of thinking. But I got myself together and had another great day. I need to take this day by day. Breakfast and lunch I do well, it's dinner I need to watch out for. I was depressed when I wasn't eating well and using food to feel better.

Hi Caroveggie!

Sounds like you know exactly what to do... and your meals sound great!!

This taking it day by day thing is so true for me too. Helpful to know yourself and what does / does not work and strategize how to overcome challenges...

Wishing you well on your journey!!!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Caroveggie]

Thanks for visiting! I appreciate your support.

I'm thinking I should stock up on McDougall soups to make lunches at work easier. While I've been doing really well getting up early and cooking brussels sprouts, I don't know how long term that is.

Since I have quinoa and frozen broccoli, I'll probably have it for lunch today. It turns out really yummy and I eat it with the hummus and a little soy sauce on the quinoa.

I'm not sure if I'll walk today. It's very early right now but I'm planning on going back to bed to get more zzz's and not sure I can get up early enough. I'll try to take some walks during the day to get some exercise though.

I've been doing well. One thing I've noticed is that when I eat this way I don't have to get up in the middle of the night to pee. TMI maybe but it's nice.

[moonlight]

Hi Caroveggie,
Welcome back to the best forum on the internet! I wanted to tell you I'm very envious of your ability to walk to work! I live in a rural area, which I love, but one drawback is having to drive everywhere. Congrats on making the commitment to recharge your McD lifestyle. I've gone on and off this WOE 2 or 3 times. I feel so much better on this plan. It really is a simple lifestyle...
Hope you have a good day!

[Idgie]

Caroveggie, you're not having just brussels sprouts for breakfast, are you? Hope you have some starch in there, too.

[Caroveggie]

Hi Caroveggie,
Welcome back to the best forum on the internet! I wanted to tell you I'm very envious of your ability to walk to work! I live in a rural area, which I love, but one drawback is having to drive everywhere. Congrats on making the commitment to recharge your McD lifestyle. I've gone on and off this WOE 2 or 3 times. I feel so much better on this plan. It really is a simple lifestyle...
Hope you have a good day!

Thanks moonlight. I'm glad I can walk part way to work sometimes (I take Bart also). Here's to this time working out. Hope you have a great day also!

I ended up biking to Bart, taking Bart, and then walking the rest of the way to work. Bart is too crowded for me to take my bike on, so I lock it up at the first station. Someone mistook me for a pregnant woman and offered the seat but I told them I was good standing. I get mistaken for pregnant so many times I lost count. When I gained the weight, at first it went to my thighs, hips, and butt. Then it all went to my belly and I really do look pregnant. It'll be nice when I don't have that issue again. I most certainly am NOT pregnant! It's usually a pretty embarrassing encounter. Strengthens my resolve to really commit to this way of eating, and no cheating!

I just had breakfast, Grapenuts, raspberries, and oat milk.

Lunch will be quinoa, broccoli, hummus.

Not sure what for dinner but probably a McDougall soup.

I have a really sweet tasty apple to snack or else the split pea McDougall soup.

[Caroveggie]

Caroveggie, you're not having just brussels sprouts for breakfast, are you? Hope you have some starch in there, too.

No, I cook them and put them in a thermos and have them with either brown rice, quinoa, or a sweet potato that I also bake in the AM. No way can I go without my starches. I'd be too hungry! Starches really are satisfying.

[Caroveggie]

I did well for dinner. I had 2 soup cups and chickpeas and a brown rice cake. I've been watching youtube of Chef AJ's red lentil chili and salivating over it. Pretty soon I'll get an Instant Pot and then I'll be able to make it myself.

Today was a good day. No struggles whatsoever sticking to the program. I hope I continue this way and don't develop some crazy craving for chocolate or something. I'm very motivated and want to be able to handle stress without getting into any bad eating habits.

That's it for now.

[bunsofaluminum]

Hi! Welcome back from a fellow McDougall returnee. In fact, your journey sounds a lot like mine. Gung-ho for several years, then slacking off until I've gained back to where I started plus 5lbs.

Great idea, those thermoses. Makes it more portable, especially taking it on a bike or public transportation. Or walking But it looks like you're setting yourself up for success. Glad to have you "back!"

[Caroveggie]

Hi! Welcome back from a fellow McDougall returnee. In fact, your journey sounds a lot like mine. Gung-ho for several years, then slacking off until I've gained back to where I started plus 5lbs.

Great idea, those thermoses. Makes it more portable, especially taking it on a bike or public transportation. Or walking But it looks like you're setting yourself up for success. Glad to have you "back!"

Aw thanks for the welcome. We can do this and I'll support you all the way too I like reading Etselle's journal and success story because I relate to it. Falling off the wagon but sticking to bad vegan options - we're even close to the same height and (high) starting weight the second time round. Thanks for stopping by to welcome me back into the fold. It's good to be back.

I'll post tonight with the day's meals. So far I'm doing well and my mindset is great!

[Caroveggie]

I drove today which meant an hour of traffic on the way home (ick, ick, ick) and while thoughts of junk food would enter my head (must be a habit thing) I would not entertain them. Ok, at least not seriously. It's too bad some of the yummy food is off plan. But I'm surviving, and even thriving.

For dinner I had leftover brown rice, chickpeas, and cherry tomatoes. I didn't feel like making hummus and just wanted something fast. It was filling albeit light on the veggies. So I went to Safeway (in walking distance) and bought chard, brussels sprouts, a red bell pepper, and white sweet potatoes. At least I'll be more prepared for tomorrow.

[Caroveggie]

Taking it day by day and meal by meal, I'm doing well right now. So far today:

Breakfast - Grapenuts, oat milk, and raspberries (this hardly ever changes)
Lunch - broccoli (microwaved from frozen), pita bread slice with hummus and an oil-free chutney, creamed corn

Dinner will likely be a baked sweet potato wedges and Brussels sprouts. I ordered a salt and pepper shaker which I'm eager to start putting to use. While I know a lot of people try to lower their sodium intake, I just listened to The Starch Solution and the section on salt and sugar. Since salt is allowed "at the table" I might as well add it for the occasional times I want to season something. I'm not much of a salt user except for chickpeas it seems. I salt them and I salt my hummus too (using garlic salt). But I might want to salt potatoes or wedges and I'm looking forward to doing so! (and pepper).

I also biked, Barted, and walked today so yay me. I still feel I need more exercise, particularly in the evenings. I just get lazy then and want to be home doing quiet things instead of out and about exercising then.

I want to weigh myself because I'm curious, but I also want to not weigh myself because the next time I weigh myself I want to see a loss.

I'm going to try to add veggie soup to my lunches or dinners to lower the total calorie intake. So far I'm thinking Amy's fat free (no oil added) veggie soup can do until I learn how to cook some other veggie stews and soups.

[Caroveggie]

Tonight I made quinoa and brussels sprouts with my rice cooker. The quinoa turned out a bit mushy and the Brussels sprouts a bit undercooked. They were just barely cooked all the way, I mean. I ate the meal with salt and pepper, and soy sauce (low sodium) for the quinoa. It was OK - not incredibly tasty but good enough. I wanted something else to add additional flavor, but I was too lazy to get up and cook again. Besides, I was hungry. Anyway, I'm sure I'll get better at prepping and cooking dinners as time goes by. I'm sure glad I ate healthy at least. I have been working on keeping my mindset on "healthy mode" rather than "poor me, I want ..." mode. So I try not to let myself even get tempted by chocolate, taco bell (spicy soft potato tacos), etc. I think I'd enjoy this more if I were a really great cook, but I'm not. I'm too lazy to cook elaborately. So it's gonna be mostly simple food for me until I learn some better meals. At least I do enjoy (usually) the simple meals I cook. And for more intensive meals, I'll get there. Maybe once I get my Instant Pot I'll start batch cooking something yummy on the weekends. That sounds like a good plan.

So still here, chugging away.

[bunsofaluminum]

this is one of my very favorite lectures about vegan eating simply. He talks about strips of zucchini saute'd in water as an actual dish. It was an eye opener.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV6dpDwYKvo