What I'm Eating - MWL

[Qwerty988]

Friday 5/25/18

B: rice w banana & flax
L: broccoli + veg + rice
D:
S: raw veg; brussels sprouts

Wow -- absolutely stuffed on just 4 cups of rice today! I think I can be more flexible and not insist on 3 starch meals a day, every day, because my servings are so huge.

Saturday 5/26/18

B: rice w banana & cinnamon
L: SNAP veggies & rice
D: brussells sprouts; leftover SNAP veggies & rice
S: raw veg

Stuffed on 5 cups of rice today. Measuring it out feels awful, but I don't trust myself to eyeball appropriate portion sizes, either. 4-5 cups feels right, so I'm going to play around with that and have lots of veggies as well.

Sunday 5/27/18

B: big salad w 1 cup rice (& sauerkraut, yum )
L: broccoli + veg + 2 cups rice
D: broc + veg + 2 cups rice
S: raw veg

Monday 5/28/18

B: big salad w 1 cup rice
L: stir-fry broc, mushrooms & bok choi w jasmine rice
D: broc & mix veg + rice
S: raw veg

The longer I'm on this regimen, the more I love rice!

Tuesday 5/29/18

B: fresh tomatoes, peppers & cukes
L: SNAP-style veggies w 1 cup brown rice & fresh spinach & flax
D: more of that w another cup brown rice & spinach
S: salad w rice; brussells sprouts

Last night (Memorial Day) I indulged in some cocktails, so today I'm playing it close to the vest, calorie-wise. Kind of impartially observing my hunger today. Not really hungry for starches until lunch. I'm curious to see where my hunger leads today and how many cups of rice this translates into.

Wednesday 5/30/18

Okay, 3 cups of rice yesterday and the result was full and happy with lots of veggies added. I'll see how it goes today!

B: tomatoes; stir-fry broc & mushrooms w jasmine rice
L: raw veggies; stir-fry broc & mushrooms w brown rice
D: raw veggies; SNAP-style veggies w brown rice
S:

Breakfast: Honestly, 1 cup of rice per meal is fine if I'm following the 50% plate rule on the veggie-starch ratio. Plus starting with some raw veggies beforehand and I'm really and truly stuffed! This is a big revelation for me. I've never consciously limited the volume of starches before. I feel like I'm onto something major!

Dinner: So, it seems 3 cups of rice a day is fine for me, with a high ratio of raw and cooked veggies. I never would've believed I could feel happy and satisfied with so little starch!

Thursday 5/31/18

We'll see how today goes.

OMG, I just realized this is Day 11 of my rice MM and I feel like I only just started!! (I could kind of eat this way forever.) (And I might! )

B: tomatoes & cucumber; stir-fry broc & mushrooms w jasmine rice & fresh spinach
L: big salad w rice; brussells sprouts
D: raw veg; stir-fry broc, mushrooms & rice
S:

[Qwerty988]

6/1/18 Friday

Wow -- that was a TON of veggies yesterday. But I'm just following hunger signals and eating what I need, when I need. Soon I'll start weighing again, then I can tell better if this whole less-starch-more-veg thing is working or not.

Another thing is, the enjoyment from Jasmine rice in certain dishes is worth making the less-pure choice somtimes, IMO. Also it cooks in just 5 mins in the Instant Pot, which is good since everyone in the house eats it instantly.

Coleslaw mix was on sale yesterday -- .99 cents a bag -- so I bought a bunch to put up as sauerkraut.

B: tomatoes & cuke; big salad w rice
L: stir-fry broc & mushrooms w rice
D: nice cream! (2 bananas + cocoa + soy milk)
S:

Hmmm... only 2 cups of rice, not good. But I needed a treat!

6/2/18 Saturday

Uggh, I injured my right wrist, which is going to make food prep (and everything else) more difficult for a while.

B: tomatoes; 1 cup rice; brussells sprouts
L: cukes; frozen broc & veg w rice
D: more frozen broc, veg and rice
S: raw veg

Not sure I'll be able to continue, tomorrow I'll try a big batch of SNAP-style veg and rice and see how it goes

[Qwerty988]

6/3/18 Sunday

B - cukes, tomatoes, rice
L - cukes, peppers, raw corn on cob
D - rice, broc & mushrooms stir-fry w spinach
S

Uggh, cooking is pretty hard. I might have to end this for now. But i'll be back!

Later -- okay, im staying on MWL.... lets see how i do it with one hand! the secret will be buying pre-cut and frozen veg. rice is easy and microwaved potatoes and raw corn on the cob. Hmmmm.....

[moonlight]

Hey there! I'm sorry you hurt your wrist. Hope it heals quickly. I've been reading your entries. I admire your dedication to such a simple meal plan. Kudos to you!

[Qwerty988]

Hey there! I'm sorry you hurt your wrist. Hope it heals quickly. I've been reading your entries. I admire your dedication to such a simple meal plan. Kudos to you!

Thank you so much! The wrist is broken, so i'm looking at a challenging month or so. im just grateful for mcdougall, knowing my body is getting all the nutrition it needs to heal asap

[Qwerty988]

6/4/18 Monday

B: cukes; rice, stir-fry broc & mushrooms w spinach
L: more rice, stir-fry broc & mushrooms w spinach; tomatoes
D:
S: blueberries

Well, i know smoothies and juices aren't allowed on McDougall, so I'm going to stop posting my daily meals until this wrist is more healed up. In truth, I have a pain management issue and taking A LOT of fresh ginger really helps. what works for me is having a big chunk in a smoothie or with a shot of carrot juice. That was my dinner last night and it really helped with the pain. So, I'll be back in a few weeks!

[Qwerty988]

6/8/18

Just a quick check-in!

Am able to prepare at least one stir-fry veg + rice meal a day, which I pile on top of raw spinach. I've had a few smoothie meals with lots of ginger, collard greens and parsley added. The challenge is to keep the green veggies as high as I want for healing without hurting my broken wrist and potentially spraining my good (left) one.

Salads are out -- too much prep -- but I can snack on whole raw veggies. I also made a pot of bean soup yesterday, wooo hooo!

I'm taking lots of bone-healing herb tea and even some homeopathic remedies too. No vitamin supplements (other than B12 per Dr. McDougall), but I am taking bromelain.

I feel sad because it seemed like I was in such a good place with my rice + veg regimen before this happened. Now everything is kind of chaotic because my focus is less on MWL and more on getting in lots of certain foods, like ginger and greens.

I just need to keep it simple I guess. Another week or two of this and I should be in shape to function normally again!

[Qwerty988]

6/10/18

Another quickie check-in!

Foodwise, still doing well

I've made it through so far without painkillers other than herbs, ginger and bromelain -- plus this naturally anti-inflamatory WOE which must certainly help -- and today I'm finally having my first truly pain-free day, woooo hooooo!

I've kept up the basic broc-mushroom stir-fry meal, with fresh spinach and jasmine rice. Been snacking on peppers, cukes, tomatoes and carrots, as well as berries. I've had 2 oatmeal meals and no smoothies past the first few days when I was really hurting. Basically, have kept my calorie density at a really good level! No cheating, not even when those around me had ice cream hahahha

I haven't stayed with rice only, but rice mostly -- and aside from the smoothies I've been true to MWL.

Feeling good and like my wrist should be healed very quickly!

[americaninca46]

Hi Qwerty, So sorry to hear about your wrist. I feel for you as I am just recovering from a broken shoulder. It has healed well, but mobility is still not back to normal. I had a friend who was very helpful and made me 16 litre pots of vegetable soup each week or so. Chopping veggies was impossible. I did find a one-handed can opener run on batteries. It was a life saver for opening tomato sauces and beans. it took two months to heal the bone. The pain was manageable, but I don't think I was as stoic as you. I took pain meds. Hopefully you have someone who can help you out. I always have soup in the freezer and just add beans, rice or pasta to it. All the best for a quick recovery. I did loose 7 lbs while recovering even though I was bored and wanted to eat more than usual. No idea how that happened' Take care, Rebia

[Qwerty988]

Hi Rebia!

I'm so sorry to hear about your shoulder! I hope there weren't any ligaments or tendons involved. I know from my own experience (and from friends who've been through it too) that there are few things in life as painful as shoulder injuries. A few years back I had a torn rotator cuff and you better believe I was downing all the painkillers I could get my hands on! For whatever reason, this wrist isn't nearly as painful, so I can afford to be zen about it and rely on natural remedies instead. I think it does take a while to get full mobility back with shoulder injuries -- I remember it was close to a year before I could raise my arm over my head, and I didn't even have a bone fracture!

Veggie soup is a great idea, thanks for suggesting it! I'm the only cook in the house, but it's probably worth it to put up a big batch for the coming week of one-handedness.

[Qwerty988]

6/12/18

Another 2-day update. It seems I'm most secure checking in this way. Not sure why, since I haven't strayed or had any smoothies or off-plan foods!

Just kind of grazing the past few days, many small meals, keeping it simple. I stocked up on easy to eat veggies: mini cukes and peppers and grape tomatoes. I've been having oats w spinach and blueberries. Snacking on fruit. I've had some raw corn on the cob. My main staple is still rice, though. I'm not measuring but averaging 4-6 cups a day. And just tons of broccoli stir-fry.

One good thing is I'm not really eating unless physically hungry, mostly because getting food is harder with one hand. I don't expect to lose any weight though because my goal every day is to do as little physical movement as possible until this wrist is healed. I'm terrified of falling on an already-broken wrist!

Anyhow, that's all the news. Not healed yet, but still pain-free.

One last thing: I still haven't weighed myself since recommitting to MWL. It's been a few months now! I realize I'm happier not knowing than beating myself up over regaining weight I just recentlly lost.

[verde]

6/12/18

Another 2-day update. It seems I'm most secure checking in this way. Not sure why, since I haven't strayed or had any smoothies or off-plan foods!

Just kind of grazing the past few days, many small meals, keeping it simple. I stocked up on easy to eat veggies: mini cukes and peppers and grape tomatoes. I've been having oats w spinach and blueberries. Snacking on fruit. I've had some raw corn on the cob. My main staple is still rice, though. I'm not measuring but averaging 4-6 cups a day. And just tons of broccoli stir-fry.

One good thing is I'm not really eating unless physically hungry, mostly because getting food is harder with one hand. I don't expect to lose any weight though because my goal every day is to do as little physical movement as possible until this wrist is healed. I'm terrified of falling on an already-broken wrist!

Anyhow, that's all the news. Not healed yet, but still pain-free.

One last thing: I still haven't weighed myself since recommitting to MWL. It's been a few months now! I realize I'm happier not knowing than beating myself up over regaining weight I just recentlly lost.

Hi there! Just curious: have you been tempted to go back and log everything into cronometer?
Or was it an easy transition?
I've been on and off with it, still unsure whether to use it or not, but like you I really don't see it fit for doing forever...
Insights would be helpful!

Thanks in advance!

Verde

[Qwerty988]

Hiya, Verde

Yeah, Cronometer's hard to quit! I was very afraid I couldn't keep losing without it, but I just hated the way it felt to have to log in and measure out every mouthful. At a certain point, it wasn't feeling motivating or helpful anymore. It just felt like I was trapped, like I was always *on a diet*, and like I was only using it out of fear of letting it go.

FWIW, I did continue losing after I quit. The rate was slower and I had to keep experimenting and making adjustments -- but it did keep coming off. (I'm losing weight again now without it.)

More importantly (to me, anyway) was finding a way of eating I could feel happy with long-term. It sounds like you're in a similar place?

What made the transition work for me was logging my meals here on this website instead of Cronometer. It gave me accountability and also a kind of structure without being so restrictive. Maybe starting a public or private journal would help you too?

[Qwerty988]

6/13/18

Got sloppy yesterday and had oats for TWO meals. Not so bad except I had to add sugar (out of bananas) and too much calorie-density (nowhere near 50% fruit & veg). So, back to daily posting for me!

I'm in a sling though, so my meals are pretty primitive.

B: oats w blueberry & spinach
L: cukes, toms and peppers; jasmine rice
D: broc, mushrooms & spinach w rice
S: carrots; cob corn

6/14/18

b: oven fries; tomatoes & cukes
L: broc, mushrooms and spinach w rice
D: chocolate nice cream
S: a japanese sweet potato

6/15/18

b: raw veg & oven fries
l: japanese sweet potatoes
d: broc & frozen veg w toms & rice
s: skinny margaritas! Oh well....

6/16/18

b: tomatoes, cukes & japanese sweet potatoes
l: stir-fry rice & veggies
d: the rest of the stir-fry rice & veggies
s: sweet potatoes!

Ahhhgggkkk -- can't stop eating those japanese sweet potatoes! Fortunately, I'm out after today. I'm also running out of fresh veg though! Luckily I've got some frozen stuff. I should really be using mostly frozen until my wrist heals anyway I guess.

6/17/18

b: oats w banana, spinach & blueberries
l: stir fry rice & veggies
d: leftover stir-fry rice & veggies
s: raw veg; strawberries; sweet potato

[Qwerty988]

6/18/18

Yayyy for me! Last night, while those around me celebrated with pizza, chips, ice cream and mai tais, I had myself a raw veggie plate and water with a few delish strawberries for dessert. Woooo hoooo

In truth, it wasn't that hard as I wasn't physically hungry. Also, my weight loss -- IF there's a weight loss -- is going very slow anyway as I'm doing absolutely zero exercise right now. But my wrist is about 10,000 times better than it was, so I'll be back to normal soon.

B; tomatoes; strawberries; brussels sprouts
l: potato w veggies & mustard
d: stir-fry veggies & rice
s:

6/19//18

b: raw veg plate; oats w banana, spinach & blueberries
l: stir-fry rice & veggies
d: chocolate nice cream (2 bananas + 2 Tb cacao + 1/4 cup soymilk + 1/4 tsp almond extract -- yum!)
S: strawberries; sweet potatoes

6/20/18

b: raw veg plate; sweet potatoes
L; potato w veg & mustard
d: rice & stir-fry veggies
s: sweet potato

Okay, now that I've secured a local source for Japanese sweet potatoes, I think these are going to be my perfect go-to starch for the foreseeable future! They microwave in minutes and require absolutely zero toppings to be satisfying and delish!

I love my rice, but chopping veggies for stir-fry is no fun w this wrist...