Grit and Determination

[moonlight]

Annette,
Here's the link to the Grandpa's Eat Loaf:

https://mealplanner.engine2.com/recipe/ ... a2e4f4f1e8

I recommend tasting it before cooking. I think the original recipe is too bland. I add salt, skip the soy sauce, and add other spices. Yesterday I added some BBQ rub spice. Also, I add the spices to the sauté.

I just read over the recipe. Mine is a little different. It is this recipe doubled, essentially. I can't remember where I got it... Mine calls for 1 whole onion, 1/4 C shredded carrot, 1 whole red bell pepper, whole cans of beans, 1 C oats, and 1/2 C nutritional yeast. Mine doesn't have spinach either. I think these loaf recipes are very adaptable to whatever you want to put in them. I was thinking about making one with curry spices.

[moonlight]

September 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

I'm still keeping my food to MWL allowed food. Last night I couldn't sleep and even though I was not hungry I ate because I thought it would make me sleepy. Usually I'll eat bread or one of these fruit cereal bars that my husband buys but I ate bulgur and blueberries. The thought to eat a little cheat food crosses my mind but I am just saying no. It is too exhausting to work at getting back on track. Once the little cheats start they always get bigger. I am looking forward to adding exercise to my routine. Maybe today I will feel up to it.

Tomorrow I leave to spend some time with my mother. I'll be gone 5 days. I can take my own food to eat. The problem is she lives in a small apartment; I sleep on a pull out couch. It's not very comfortable and when I can't sleep, I eat. She has crackers and ice cream. I'll make sure to have MWL food prepped in the refrigerator but I'm a little worried....

[moonlight]

My weight today is at 172. Thank goodness I’m losing again. I was at 169 a few weeks ago so hopefully I’ll be there again soon. My cold has finally resolved so I’m feeling better. I’m hoping to start exercising soon. I was driving for about 7 hours today to visit my mother. I managed to only eat McD food. It gets tricky for me on the road, only because I start craving something. I started craving a snack this afternoon and ate half of a baked sweet potato that I brought. I wanted to see if the craving would go away and it did. Very nice. Planning to stay compliant at least 80% of the time.

[AnnetteW]

So is McD food McDonalds or McDoughall?

[moonlight]

Ha! I thought about that after I wrote it. I haven’t walked into or driven up to a McDonald’s in many years. I would hate the thought of having to eat there.

After getting to my mother’s we had the conversation of eating in or going out last night. I said we should eat in. One dinner out diverted. We are eating out this evening with my aunt. I’m planning to get a big salad and baked potato, if available, or bread, or rice.

Last night I slept fairly well on the couch bed. I woke up several times. About 4:30 I ate some beans left over from dinner and went back to sleep.

My mother complained about the lack of healthy food served at lunch in her retirement facility. I looked at the menu. So many choices are fried or smothered in gravy. It’s shocking. She’s gained 30 pounds in 3 years. She was a normal weight when she moved there. Her choices for her other meals are not good either. She doesn’t really have the energy to cook nor the appetite to eat less fattening foods. It’s sad. We talked about her diet. I asked if she was still preparing microwaved potatoes or frozen vegetables in her steamer. She said no. All the food I bought for her in June is still in her kitchen. I know this is not a unique situation. I’m just surprised because she spent most of her married life cooking food for a husband with diabetes. She followed all the recommendations, measured food, counted carbs, etc. My dad died over 20 years ago. He was obese and had trouble keeping his diabetes in control. She knows how to eat healthy.

At least I can try to set a good example for my mother while I’m here. Hopefully I won’t give in to the cookies sitting on her kitchen counter or the Reese’s candy.

[moonlight]

September 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

I'm keeping up with my smiley calendar. It gives me perspective! Even though I have several days of non-compliant MWL days, I feel good about my trip. I didn't go crazy with off-plan eating. The only off-plan eating happened at the dinner meal and even then, it wasn't excessive. I was able to look at cookies and candy on the kitchen counter and didn't eat any. I cooked most of the time. I made vegetable soup that we ate for several meals. I made my mother some cornbread but I ate bulgur with my soup. I had a sweet potato every morning for breakfast. The most disappointing off-plan eating was yesterday. Driving back home (7 hour drive), I stopped at a Ruby Tuesday's for a salad to go. I put some dressing on it and got some crackers. Thankfully the crackers were stale (but I still ate 2-3). Then after I got home, I had a slice of my husband's zucchini bread and a small glass of chocolate almond milk. I'm not sure why my willpower had dropped. Relief from the stress of the visit?

Today I plan to exercise and batch cook something. I don't plan to weigh until Thursday because I'm sure my weight is up but could be mostly from sodium right now.

Exercise: rowing 30 minutes

B: potato kale soup and bulgur
L: short grain brown rice and steamed veggies
D: sweet potato
Snack: bulgur and banana

[sirdle]

I know the frowny faces don't look very supportive, but it sounds like you did very well in a difficult situation!

The hardest part for me is to keep a sense of perspective. Once I lose that, anything goes. When we travelled to Germany a few months ago, each meal was a struggle, but by keeping a sense of perspective I was able to avoid the worst (and the wurst) and carry on.

Cheers,

[bunsofaluminum]

Hi there Moonlight! I haven't looked over your journal for a long time. Looks like you're keeping track nicely That will help as much or more than anything else...consistency in tracking = consistency in food choices. Right?

[AnnetteW]

Just being off of one's schedule messes with our minds and make being compliant difficult. Being home is so much easier (for me at least, I'm sure other people feel the opposite way.) You'll be back on track in no time. Take care.

[moonlight]

September 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Thanks, you guys, for the support!! It really means a lot to know that others are traveling this journey and giving me encouragement. I really keep at this mainly because of the support. On my own, I think I would have given up long ago! But today I get to put a green smiley face on my calendar! Woot! For me, the coveted green smiley face is for staying within the MWL food plan and exercising. Finally, I've done both! According to my handy calendar it has been nearly two weeks since I achieved this. Two weeks doesn't sound as long as it feels. I have wondered if I would ever get back to these two simple goals. Whew.

Exercise: Walking 2.5 miles

B: salad
L: baked potato and steamed veggies
D: salad and bulgur
S: banana

[moonlight]

September 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

I think I'm back in the MWL groove. I was worried that going out of town might have weakened my resolve but I'm good. I've dodged cravings and opportunities to go off my plan.

I'm thinking about adjusting my MWL plan to include occasional air-popped popcorn and occasional whole wheat bread for veggie burgers. I think the reason both of those are excluded on MWL is because it is too easy to eat too much. I've eaten popcorn as part of this diet for a long time since it was in Dr. McD's book on the MWL plan. It doesn't seem to be a negative for me. I'd like to eat homemade veggie burgers with a WW bun. I guess if I don't lose weight I'll readjust.

[sirdle]

September 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

I think I'm back in the MWL groove. I was worried that going out of town might have weakened my resolve but I'm good. I've dodged cravings and opportunities to go off my plan.

Woot! 2 days in a row. Nice.

I'm thinking about adjusting my MWL plan to include occasional air-popped popcorn and occasional whole wheat bread for veggie burgers. I think the reason both of those are excluded on MWL is because it is too easy to eat too much. I've eaten popcorn as part of this diet for a long time since it was in Dr. McD's book on the MWL plan. It doesn't seem to be a negative for me. I'd like to eat homemade veggie burgers with a WW bun. I guess if I don't lose weight I'll readjust.

Sounds like a good plan to me. Keep an eye on the results, though, and adjust if necessary.

I love veggie burgers... problem is, whenever I cook extra to freeze for later, they never make it into the freezer: I eat them all.

Best of luck!

[moonlight]

Thanks, Sirdle. I wanted to write it out that I plan to deviate from the MWL guidelines and still count it as success. I feel more controlled that way. I'm a little hesitant because I still have significant weight to lose. I still want to weigh-in with the MWL Weigh-In group. I'm not sure if deviating is allowed...

B: roasted sweet potato and veggie soup
L: red beans, brown rice, and salsa
D: off the plan! there was flour products, nuts, and apple butter

[AnnetteW]

Thanks, Sirdle. I wanted to write it out that I plan to deviate from the MWL guidelines and still count it as success. I feel more controlled that way. I'm a little hesitant because I still have significant weight to lose. I still want to weigh-in with the MWL Weigh-In group. I'm not sure if deviating is allowed...

I'm kind of with you there. I want to be part of the weigh-in group, but since there isn't a thread for "people who try to follow MWL but have too many cheats and non-complaint foods"....I'll just continue to post. I don't talk much about food though (save that for my journal) and just post my weight.

If anyone complains, which I doubt, I'll worry about it then.

[Lyndzie]

Thanks, Sirdle. I wanted to write it out that I plan to deviate from the MWL guidelines and still count it as success. I feel more controlled that way. I'm a little hesitant because I still have significant weight to lose. I still want to weigh-in with the MWL Weigh-In group. I'm not sure if deviating is allowed...

I'm kind of with you there. I want to be part of the weigh-in group, but since there isn't a thread for "people who try to follow MWL but have too many cheats and non-complaint foods"....I'll just continue to post. I don't talk much about food though (save that for my journal) and just post my weight.

If anyone complains, which I doubt, I'll worry about it then.

Haha, I love this. If we were perfect, we wouldn’t need a support group! Trying to navigate a “toxic food environment” is not for the feeble, that’s for sure.