2 lbs is 2 lbs! Good for you!
I have been struggling a little bit myself so I can feel your frustration. I understand completely.
I've been wondering about calorie intake. I went weeks without any cheating and lost minimal weight. I found a calorie counter website which told me the number of calories I'd have to consume to lose 1 lb a week (you put in female/male, age, current weight)...I thought this may be a fluke because it seemed like a heck of a lot less calories than I've been eating. I follow some people on YouTube who make it sound like you can just eat your face off in starch and the weight slides off. That hasn't been my experience. I started MWL because I was thinking mostly - maybe I haven't been doing the 50/50 thing as much as I should, figured I'd give it a real shot. While I have no interest in counting every calorie, I have scaled back a bit -- making sure that I don't eat until stuffed and that already seems to be helping, I honestly feel better. I eat because it's breakfast time, I eat because it's lunch time, etc. Anyway, when I read you were 2 lbs down and saw what you ate it made me wonder if you lost 2 lbs because, in essence, you cut back in calories a little bit, is that possible?
I'm cheering you on! Don't give up! We can do this! I really do think we are on the right track, I really do.
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Hi Mandybee,
Yeah, it is about calories when you get right down to it. We don't have to count calories on McDougall, because we're eating all our foods from the light end of the calorie density spectrum, but any weight loss comes about because we're taking in fewer calories. We just don't count them, but they are fewer for sure. Same with this Rice Diet Solution. You don't count the calories, but you measure the portions, which I haven't been doing with McDougall. I'm positive that even following MWL, I eat too much. I've been doing better eating just until satiated, but I still don't have a "good eye" for measuring volume. A 50/50 plate...well, if I'm using a 10" dinner plate, I'm eating a LOT of food. And quite surprising is how small a 2/3c portion of rice LOOKS, but combined with 1.5 c of cooked vegetables, this turns out to be enough.
I've seen some of the starchers on YouTube too...maybe if someone came into the Starch Solution after a lifetime of eating SAD, and shifting from highly processed non-foods to the whole foods, low fat, low protein...and their body is able to release the fat because this is so new. ??? That's my guess anyway. When I started about 11 years ago, the weight came off slow but steady, and all I was doing was McDougalling with 100% compliance, no cheats at all. I gained it back when I went to the ADDED FATS side, and now I'm in menopause and my adherence hasn't been as complete, so the weight sticks. Now I'm eating to satiation, and with the added control of portion sizes, I know I'm eating less. But I also bet these YouTubers aren't stuffing themselves. Eating to satiation
As for the 2 lb drop, for sure it is water weight, due to the very low sodium. And it's still there this morning, and I'm hoping another pound drops this week. But I try not to be too freaky about the scale. My biggie is the reduction in joint pain, and the clarity and calm energy I have mentally. It's just NICE, you know?
Hi Tina,
When I was having dinner last night, I wanted to sprinkle some balsamic vinegar over my potatoes and spinach, just for some dang flavor, you know? I ended up putting a little bit of garlic powder (no salt) and a sprinkle of Nooch over the top. As for nothing but potatoes. I've tried that, and potatoes bind me up. Probably my favorite thing about eating this way is the really good regularity I experience. With potatoes only, I stop pooping.
Not a comfortable feeling. But I am finding already that not adding the extra flavors really does help me listen to my stomach and stop when full. So yeah gonna skip the MWL sauces and spices for now. I'm sure I'll want to add them eventually, just to maintain this dieta. Some people look at MWL as their daily lifestyle, with regular McDougalling for feast days, and Mary's Mini when they need a temporary "diet" ... in my experience, when I did a MM using rice and spinach as LITERALLY my only meals for 10 days, I didn't lose an ounce. Probably had too much rice, I guess. But it was in the midst of steadily losing w. McDougall/MWL so I didn't worry about it. I've wondered though. It always comes back to eating too much, seriously.
Stepping on the scale daily. I lost two from day 1 to day 2 and it stayed the same.
SW 240
CW 238