Dr. McDougall's Online Discussion Board

Thank you all for your kind words and support. This situation has been a reminder to me to cherish every day and every person in my life.

so sorry to learn about your friend's loss. Thankful that she has you supporting her.

I came across the following YouTube video about 10 years ago shortly after my mom died of cancer. I found it inspirational then and I still watch it when times are tough.

It was a finalist (winner) in a YouTube competition called Project Direct. I don't know if YouTube still holds the contest or not.

The year that it was entered there were 3 rules about the entries:

1. Somebody had to deal with a situation that was beyond their emotional maturity.
2. Somebody had to pass a photo to someone else.
3. Somebody had to say "I demand an explanation for these shenanigans."

The video is in Portuguese with English subtitles. The translation is rough, but that is part of the charm.

The title, Laços, means 'ties', and like in English can mean something you wear or a binding... a connection.

Laços (Ties) - Project: Direct - 7 min

Cheers,

Thank you, Buns and Sirdle. It's been pretty intense here. Hanging in there and amazingly, so is my friend.

I'm not sure when I'll be back to posting everyday. I hope soon. I'm eating good. I don't have much of an appetite, which is always nice. At least I'm not eating through some anxiety.

I stepped on the scales today and I'm maintaining my weight. It feels good to feel that my eating plan is just my way of life now. I guess I would get a smiley face for today. I just don't feel up to filling in my calendar. I'll put one here as a way to celebrate some good stuff.

July 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 30 31

Well, I'm getting back into a good routine. I'm going to try for a few smiley faces to finish out the month. Yesterday I stayed on MWL plan and hiked 9 miles. I feel good about that. The last week has been challenging.... I think mostly I've been exhausted mentally. A couple of times I ate at Mexican restaurants.... I think I've got that out of my system. It's a little scary to allow myself to do that more than once in the same week. My friend who lost her son has mental illness and has a stressful relationship with her daughter. It is all so challenging to help without becoming overwhelmed with grief and sadness for them... My husband has been out of town, too, so I don't really have someone to help ground and center me. Thus, I have sat in the dark Mexican restaurant a couple of times eating chips and salsa and spinach enchiladas...

I'm going to physical therapy for my hip and lower back issues. That is encouraging to think I may get my muscles stronger and stop having these issues.

Food Diary for Today:
Vegetable and potato soup, fat-free refried beans and WW tortilla
Buckwheat pasta, veggies and tomato sauce
bulgar and pesto sauce; tomato, onion, cucumber salad
WW tortilla (2) with jam

A little flour (tortillas), sugar (jam), and not much exercise (pear picking from our yard and physical therapy for my back) today doesn't rate a green smiley face but I think it warrants a big smile .

Eliminate All Animal Foods
Eliminate All Oils
Eliminate All High Fat Plant Foods
Eliminate All Flour Products
Eat Whole Grains and Potatoes
Eat Legumes
Make Green & Yellow Vegetables 1/2 to 1/3 of meals
Eat Uncooked Foods (Vegetables)
Restrict Fresh Fruit: 1-2 Ser/day; Avoid Dried Fruit, Fruit Puree/Juice
Use Simple Sugar Sparingly
Make exercise a part of each day

July 31

I've been making some great sauces using white beans as the base. Today I made a sweet-hot sauce with homemade fermented sweet pickles (just a couple of tablespoons of relish), 2 jalapenos, 2 cayenne peppers, 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast, and 1 1/2 cup beans. Very good! I've made cilantro sauce, horseradish sauce, and basil pesto sauce. It keeps well in the refrigerator. If I have liquid from canned garbanzo beans, I add a little of that and it becomes a little more fluffy. I used the cilantro sauce in a lasagna to replace the ricotta cheese. It tasted great.

Food Diary for Today:
2 WW tortillas with refried beans (fat-free), jalapeno sauce
large kale salad
spinach enchiladas at Mexican restaurant

Eliminate All Animal Foods
Eliminate All Oils
Eliminate All High Fat Plant Foods
Eliminate All Flour Products
Eat Whole Grains and Potatoes
Eat Legumes
Make Green & Yellow Vegetables 1/2 to 1/3 of meals
Eat Uncooked Foods (Vegetables)
Restrict Fresh Fruit: 1-2 Ser/day; Avoid Dried Fruit, Fruit Puree/Juice
Use Simple Sugar Sparingly
Make exercise a part of each day

moonlight wrote:July 30 31

I've been making some great sauces using white beans as the base. Today I made a sweet-hot sauce with homemade fermented sweet pickles (just a couple of tablespoons of relish), 2 jalapenos, 2 cayenne peppers, 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast, and 1 1/2 cup beans. Very good! I've made cilantro sauce, horseradish sauce, and basil pesto sauce. It keeps well in the refrigerator. If I have liquid from canned garbanzo beans, I add a little of that and it becomes a little more fluffy. I used the cilantro sauce in a lasagna to replace the ricotta cheese. It tasted great.

Food Diary for Today:
2 WW tortillas with refried beans (fat-free), jalapeno sauce

Eliminate All Animal Foods
Eliminate All Oils
Eliminate All High Fat Plant Foods
Eliminate All Flour Products
Eat Whole Grains and Potatoes
Eat Legumes
Make Green & Yellow Vegetables 1/2 to 1/3 of meals
Eat Uncooked Foods (Vegetables)
Restrict Fresh Fruit: 1-2 Ser/day; Avoid Dried Fruit, Fruit Puree/Juice
Use Simple Sugar Sparingly
Make exercise a part of each day

Mmm great idea, sauces w. white beans as the base...the scope for creativity is large!

I've been making some great sauces using white beans as the base.

I keep telling myself that I ought to do this to add beans into my meals and satisfy hubby's preference for saucy foods

July

I hope I can make today a good day consistent with my goals and intentions. Going to the Mexican restaurant definitely is not in the plan!

Yes, those bean sauce recipes are very good. I can make them thick, like a substitute for ricotta cheese or a dip, or make it thinner for pasta sauce. A spoonful in a bowl of soup is great, too. I like pasta water or bean water to adjust the thickness.

Food Diary for Today:
vegetable soup with corn and fat free refried beans
potatoes
veggie sandwich on WW pita bread
fruit juice

test

I could eat Mexican and alternate with Chinese all week. Hope you were able to choose wisely

Keep up those green smilies!

Thanks, Michele. Today starts a new month and I am trying to decide if I want to track smiley faces again. It's a little stressful and I have not been very compliant this week. I'm not sure what is going on with me... I'm eating well today so maybe,,, I lost 2 pounds in July. That's better than gaining but I still have at least 25 pounds to lose. I'd like to move off of maintenance and back to being a loser.

Your struggle is our struggle....we are firm and eat right and then on other days, some times too many, we lose it and can't be bothered focusing on compliance. We each have our demons...on the outside or inside of us.

You can do this...focus on what you REALLY want and create an overpowering 'will' to reach and celebrate that goal. I recently put up a picture of me with the weight and without the extra weight to remind myself of who I once was and want to be again. Find some little ways to remind yourself of your deeper desires and hang tough. Every day we are given 24 hours x minutes x seconds to choose good for ourselves and others....just start choosing good.

I am rooting for you...looking forward to your great August. Once you get past the threshold it gets really easier (until life throws a curve and then we have to reinforce our commitment to health). We all truly want health but many of us aren't willing to sacrifice in the short term for the long term gains.....but I think you can as you know what works and how to work it.

All the best

Thanks, Michele, for the pep talk!! Between you and the fact that it is morning and I just weighed myself, I think I'm getting fired up for an August challenge!! I've taken a break, eaten some off plan food like pita bread and tortillas, and dined on Mexican fare. It's time to get strict again. It's comforting to know that when I go off for a few days, I don't gain weight. I'm not binging or overeating. I need to get this extra 25 lbs. off for good!!

August Countdown
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Exercise: weed trimming for 1 hour

Food Today:
oatmeal with frozen mango
kale, carrots, onion, garbanzo beans, and bulgur
Yukon gold potatoes and okra
bulgur and tomato

Prayer for Today...
Eliminate All Animal Foods
Eliminate All Oils
Eliminate All High Fat Plant Foods
Eliminate All Flour Products
Eat Whole Grains and Potatoes
Eat Legumes
Make Green & Yellow Vegetables 1/2 to 1/3 of meals
Eat Uncooked Foods (Vegetables)
Restrict Fresh Fruit: 1-2 Ser/day; Avoid Dried Fruit, Fruit Puree/Juice
Use Simple Sugar Sparingly
Make exercise a part of each day

You can do this! woo hoo!