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Re: Buns Again

PostPosted: Wed Sep 23, 2020 8:35 am
by bunsofaluminum
On Dairy and Added Oils

After I had been McDougalling for a while, I had a "feasty" dessert: strawberries and shortcake with real whipped cream. Oof McDougall's Revenge! the gas started immediately, and later there was diarrhea. I'm sure that it was the dairy. More recently, about two years ago I guess, I had a salad with parmesan grated over it and had the same physical reaction. At this point I knew that dairy was not something I can ever consume...unless I want bloating, gas, and diarrhea. Dairy is not food for me.

Now that I've been very careful with the plan (except during my camping trip and the yucky snack mix the other day) and feel my joints responding to no added fats, I can say the same about fat. It is not food to me. Dairy makes me sick. Added fats make me sick. The thought of going back to the pain sock or the bone spur pain is what stopped me when I was feeling so sorry for myself and wishing I could just eat whatever. When I thought "hmmm, tortilla chips" I immediately thought "foot pain!" and "get over yourself"

Fat is not food for me.
Fat makes me sick.
Fat causes joint pain.

I haven't touched dairy since realizing that even a small sprinkle of parmesan cheese will give me intestinal distress. It is not worth it.
Now I know what fat does. Can I shut it down like I did dairy? Refined fats will probably be no problem. Rich foods such as nuts and avocado? Hmmmmm.... And, a valid question, quite important to following this plan: can I really eat plain, humble food every day... steamed broccoli and rice. Potatoes, beans, and salad. Sweet potatoes and green beans. etc. I mean, there's recipes too. But simple foods with minimal processing and nothing rich like a couple slices of avocado or some toasted slivered almond added to it.

Maybe I'm thinking into the future and not living in the moment, but judging by my recent history with this, will I be able to keep to plan without ever having some treat that ISN'T part of the SAD diet? Will having a rich treat every few months (some pistachios and dates; avocado chocolate pudding) keep me more compliant on a day to day basis? One of my most successful weight loss diets was a two weeks on, three days off thing. Knowing that at the end of two weeks, I could take a three day "break" and eat whatever I wanted kind of kept me going. Is that legit? Not that I want to eat rich every two weeks, but sometimes I get downright ticked off at the thought of never having say butter again. Buttered popcorn? :unibrow: NEVER?!?!!! but if I know that I can chunk an avocado into my rice as a treat after 30 days? Will that keep me solid all the rest of the time? Or will even rich plant foods, with the fat still inside the food, trigger me?

Re: Buns Again

PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2020 9:00 am
by Ejeff
Just wanted to chime in. I also love taco chips, I make my own from corn tortillas so there is zero fat. I feel that for myself having compliant treats is very important. Like for example I always have banana oat cookies in the freezer. As for popcorn, I know it sounds super weird, but I never use butter anymore. As I’m eating it I spritz with water and use some salt and I’m quite sure it’s the salt and how the popcorn softens that makes it tasty. It’s my hack to not miss butter.

Perhaps until you reach your goals you cannot have any compliant treats. Thinking that you can never have something that you really miss or enjoy might cause you to give up.

As for butter and eggs, I just think about what these things actually are and I literally feel sick to my stomach. It’s the same with meat, when you really think and visualize what it is why would you want to eat it. This is just a strategy I have used that helps me stay compliant so I mention it to you in the hopes that it might help you in some way too.

I enjoy your journal as you are so honest (and funny), and most importantly you don’t give up!

Erin

Re: Buns Again

PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2020 9:51 am
by bunsofaluminum
TODAY'S FOOD

B: cooked grape nuts w. oatmilk; berries
L: Not Chicken Noodle Soup
D: lentil stew over baked potatoes

We have SO MANY potatoes! 5# each of golden, red, and russet. I want to bake half of each bag. Also sweet potatoes. When I've plowed through the soup I made yesterday, I'm going to make Moroccan Sweet Potato stew. Going to put half the lentil stew in the freezer, because DANG that's a lot of stew. It's also time to inventory the freezer and make a grocery list.

Forward Strides in My Eating Habits.

Lately I've been focusing on stopping as soon as I feel satiated. Actually, right now I feel that "can't take another bite" sensation that I've only experienced about three different times/eras in my life. I'm such an overeater, I've always been able to cram more in, but right now not so much. It's kinda good, you know? There are two naturally thin people in my family: My sister, and my younger son. Both of them simply don't eat if they're not hungry, and they stop when full. Even if there's delicious, yummy food on the plate. If I can get there, I've got it made :nod: I mean, think what that means for "My Relationship With Food" for starters. And think what it just MEANS for my caloric intake. If I am eating this plan to perfection, so that all my intake is pure, and have not stopped when full, all my speaking is as clanging cymbals...

wait, wrong program :lol: :lol: :lol:

Anyway, even if my eating is all on plan, and I'm stuffing myself, chances are I'm simply getting too many calories. So I'll continue with the eating to satiation, eating on plan. We shall see.

Re: Buns Again

PostPosted: Thu Sep 24, 2020 12:09 pm
by bunsofaluminum
Ejeff wrote:Just wanted to chime in. I also love taco chips, I make my own from corn tortillas so there is zero fat. I feel that for myself having compliant treats is very important. Like for example I always have banana oat cookies in the freezer. As for popcorn, I know it sounds super weird, but I never use butter anymore. As I’m eating it I spritz with water and use some salt and I’m quite sure it’s the salt and how the popcorn softens that makes it tasty. It’s my hack to not miss butter.

Perhaps until you reach your goals you cannot have any compliant treats. Thinking that you can never have something that you really miss or enjoy might cause you to give up.

As for butter and eggs, I just think about what these things actually are and I literally feel sick to my stomach. It’s the same with meat, when you really think and visualize what it is why would you want to eat it. This is just a strategy I have used that helps me stay compliant so I mention it to you in the hopes that it might help you in some way too.

I enjoy your journal as you are so honest (and funny), and most importantly you don’t give up!

Erin


Hi Erin

Thanks for the comment. I've done that popcorn hack. Used to spritz soy sauce with a Mr. Mister until it clogged up and then broke. I also don't mind home baked tortilla chips with salsa, but haven't done that for a while. But you may be right about reaching my goals before "allowing" treats. I bought myself a pair of earrings when I made it through the entire month of August without straying. I can set little goals and treat myself to non-food treats for sure. Having the scale go down would be SO huge right now. I lost 10 lbs in August, but that's because I was out of control for most of the summer and gained water weight from salt/fat/sweet things I was putting in my face all day.

It's funny. Giving up milk was no problem at all, because pus. I stopped drinking milk 20+ years before McDougall...but didn't stop with the ice cream, cheese, sour cream, etc. As for butter, I've always considered that a fat, not dairy and the yuck factor of pus/milk didn't carry over for me into that realm. But I stayed altogether away from butter for more than 5 years and now, for the past more than a month (except the camping trip)...and eggs. Because I've raised chickens, I know JUST EXACTLY where they come from, and have even had the misfortune of opening an egg with an embryo in it *shudder* ... maybe I can turn myself off for them. Meanwhile, I can just not eat them because they're not on plan, right? Meat's not a problem. I feel a little nauseous going through the butcher department in grocery stores, from the smell.

anyway...changes taking place. Work in progress, wot?

Re: Buns Again

PostPosted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 7:03 am
by bunsofaluminum
Friday, September 25, 2020

B: grapenuts w. craisins; oatmilk
L: not chicken noodle soup
D: baked potatoes; raw veggie stix

Feeling pretty good today. Woke up with zero pain, anywhere :nod: I like it. Alert and calm mentally, as well. Maybe depression ISN'T coming back.

Today is Friday, the day I have an 8 hour shift at my FT job, then go straight to a 5 hour shift at my PT. Recently I let myself get pulled into a pity party about how much of my life I trade for dollars...but this is temporary as I work towards paying off some debts. When I was ticked off, I thought "Give me courage to change the things I can" and if I don't like working two jobs, then I better figure out how to pay it off quicker and work towards a goal. Can I do it in two years? But I won't know until I look at my finances.

AND we are going to do the 72 hour kit/bug out bags which we decided to look at pre-assembled back packs. They're expensive, in the $300 range, so we'll have to do it one paycheck at a time. THEN back to big payments on the debts. And maybe just not shop on Amazon every other day, eh?

Anyway. Lots of sitting. Need to get outside during my breaks today :nod:

Re: Buns Again

PostPosted: Fri Sep 25, 2020 7:06 am
by squealcat
Reading your last few posts made me remember just what I have been thinking the last few weeks. Can I just eat PLAIN food for the rest of my life? No treats? no snacks? Even while trying to lose weight I feel I want something special once in a while. But when I have a treat I want it to be something that will not tempt me to start eating endlessly into the future ! Sometimes popcorn does the trick (yes, I have spritzed it with water and added salt too !) and I have made muffins with just whole foods (not adding raisins or dried fruit or nuts) and I can just eat one or two and stop. It's tricky for me.

I don't want to get into mindless eating so I have to be careful. I don't know the answer just thinking about all of this.

-squealcat

Re: Buns Again

PostPosted: Tue Sep 29, 2020 12:26 pm
by bunsofaluminum
squealcat wrote:Reading your last few posts made me remember just what I have been thinking the last few weeks. Can I just eat PLAIN food for the rest of my life? No treats? no snacks? Even while trying to lose weight I feel I want something special once in a while. But when I have a treat I want it to be something that will not tempt me to start eating endlessly into the future ! Sometimes popcorn does the trick (yes, I have spritzed it with water and added salt too !) and I have made muffins with just whole foods (not adding raisins or dried fruit or nuts) and I can just eat one or two and stop. It's tricky for me.

I don't want to get into mindless eating so I have to be careful. I don't know the answer just thinking about all of this.

-squealcat


Hey squealcat

This is going to seem off topic, but I watched a VERY cool documentary about a man who befriends an octopus "My Octopus Teacher" It's on Netflix. Watch it. :) anyway, my thoughts followed this track: in that undersea world...in all of nature...every waking moment of every day is full of "Survive"...that means avoiding predators (don't get eaten and survive) and hunting prey (eat, and survive). That octopus had to avoid sharks, but also had to hunt fish and shellfish and she didn't gripe about it. That's life. Right? She just did life as it was.

This ties into a huge spiritual deconstruction I went through in 2013-2014 (still going through it, but those years were really bad. Like the rug had been pulled out from under my feet and left me staggering) ... And that crisis came about partially because of the lifelong fight I had with myself...Christians don't do sex outside of marriage but darned if that wasn't my biggest issue. I fought myself SO HARD. ALL. THE. TIME. and failed over and over and hated myself, and repented, and fell again. Over and over and over. Until I just stopped. I have a high libido. Yes, marriage is the best place for me and I'm really glad I AM married. Settles me down. Anyway, I stopped fighting myself, accepted my high sex drive, and said "I will fight no more forever"

Interesting, that decision of self-acceptance made all the strife and stress over myself just go away, and I stopped acting out! Imagine that. And I had amazing peace for a long time.

But then I found out something that is true: Life is fighting. I don't fight my sex drive anymore, but lo! and behold! I have to fight cravings for unhealthy foods. I fight depression now and then, which includes fighting unhealthy self-talk or negative thoughts that spring up. I used to not like my sex drive. I still don't like my fatness. Etc. Fight, fight, fight. Always striving, always wanting things to be different than they are.

But that octopus just did life, you know? She hunted and ate, hid from sharks and survived until she mated, laid eggs, and died. She just WAS, in the midst of an environment made for her, and for which she was made.

Okay so. I have an "efficient metabolism" that stores extra calories very easily. Now that I am in menopause it's even slower and all my old tricks aren't working as well as they used to. This could mean never having treats, you know? Maybe life as it now is means not ever having rich food again. *hmmmm* but that's worrying about the future, isn't it.

Point being, can I accept daily life as it is, including "simple humble food" and "just don't eat it" for the rest of my life? Do I need to do that, or will there be adjustments and eventually I'll either WANT it this way, or I WILL be able to indulge for a one time thing without triggering myself into binges. And if it triggers me to indulge now and then, getting to the point that it just isn't worth it. One feast sending me into prolonged "Don't care. Gonna eat whatever" mode...nope. Not worth it.

Ha. Well I've certainly meandered here. I still think about the octopus and her way of just being in life and not fighting it. She was busy every day fighting for survival, but she didn't fight LIFE. She was just IN life.

Re: Buns Again

PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 9:23 am
by bunsofaluminum
Okay new month coming in.

I have a goal for my meals (sticking with The Plan, of course)...for the month of October, I am going to concentrate on making 50% of my meal non-starchy vegs by sight. :nod: I have a boatload of spinach in the freezer, and a large broccoli, also some veggie soup mix vegs and such. Starches are abundant, no problem there.

Will also continue eating until just satiated. I overate the other night, on a pretty rich meal (Our 1 year anniversary) and ended up with heartburn...and also didn't need anything to eat until lunchtime the next day...

Eating meals of 50% non starchies, and eating until satiated FTW!

Re: Buns Again

PostPosted: Wed Sep 30, 2020 4:45 pm
by kirstykay
Have you seen the "eatyourveg challenge" on IG put on by High Carb Hannah and Plantiful Kiki? Its a 50/50 challenge that they host for a week every month. You might enjoy the community.


Sounds like you've learned a lot and have a good plan moving forward.

Re: Buns Again

PostPosted: Thu Oct 01, 2020 9:25 am
by bunsofaluminum
kirstykay wrote:Have you seen the "eatyourveg challenge" on IG put on by High Carb Hannah and Plantiful Kiki? Its a 50/50 challenge that they host for a week every month. You might enjoy the community.


Sounds like you've learned a lot and have a good plan moving forward.


Hi KirstyKay

I've never heard of IG...but I have heard of High Carb Hannah. Wait...Instagram :lol: :lol: :lol: I don't do IG so...but Hannah has a YouTube channel. Maybe I can find something there.

B: cooked grapenuts w. berries
L: rice cakes w. pea pesto; chili over spinach
D: ramen veggie soup (fat free noodles from the Asian market) (actually had spaghetti w. pea pesto and chopped tomatoes, with a huge serving of broccoli on the side...YUM)

Going to bake some tortilla chips...hmmm maybe I'll have that with my chili instead of rice cakes. Hmmmm.

Feeling really good today. Pain free in both feet, and both knees and ALL joints :nod: Going to take a walk during lunch. And I found a delightful YouTube channel Zorro. He posts short clips of close calls or sweet moments, or things ending not as expected. Feel good videos that make my day brighter. A welcome change from TV garbage, and frankly my viewing habits of ghost stories or true crime on YT. Going to make him a daily habit.

Re: Buns Again

PostPosted: Thu Oct 01, 2020 11:12 am
by deweyswakms
bunsofaluminum wrote: Life is fighting.
But that octopus just did life, you know? She was just IN life.


I enjoyed this post. It took a lot of therapy to 'get it' that trying to fight addictions, whether spiraling thoughts or food or alcohol or whatever, doesn't work. What does help is doing the work to understand WHY we try to numb the pain, anger, boredom, fatigue etc with our drug of choice. In other words, 'the problem isn't the problem'. Overeating (or drinking or whatever) isn't the REAL problem.

I do a lot of writing when something is 'eating' at me, to try to dig out what is really going on.

And yes, that octopus is practicing mindfulness although it may not call it that. Just staying in the moment and going about the tasks it needs to stay alive. Good lesson for me too.

Have a good day. Marsha

Re: Buns Again

PostPosted: Fri Oct 02, 2020 7:35 am
by bunsofaluminum
deweyswakms wrote:
bunsofaluminum wrote: Life is fighting.
But that octopus just did life, you know? She was just IN life.


I enjoyed this post. It took a lot of therapy to 'get it' that trying to fight addictions, whether spiraling thoughts or food or alcohol or whatever, doesn't work. What does help is doing the work to understand WHY we try to numb the pain, anger, boredom, fatigue etc with our drug of choice. In other words, 'the problem isn't the problem'. Overeating (or drinking or whatever) isn't the REAL problem.

I do a lot of writing when something is 'eating' at me, to try to dig out what is really going on.

And yes, that octopus is practicing mindfulness although it may not call it that. Just staying in the moment and going about the tasks it needs to stay alive. Good lesson for me too.

Have a good day. Marsha


Hi Marsha,

thanks for commenting. I write like anything when I need to think about things. It helps me sharpen my ideas better than anything else I do.

Self acceptance is what I learned when I was in therapy during my divorce. I went in pretty much a stressed out blotch from the underside of the barrel. I couldn't think of anything that I liked about myself, but I figured out a few things (all the writing my therapist assigned to me!) and one of them is I have extremely good things about myself that don't look like the good things that other people have AND the healing in acceptance. You're bearing pain? Feel it. Let it be there, and FEEL it...you'll come through the other side stronger and closer to healing. You have things about yourself that you don't like? well, you don't have to like them, but they are part of you, and accepting ALL of yourself is absolutely essential to rising above those things.

The spiritual fight/surrender thing...how naive I was to think that I would never have to fight again. But the fight is not against myself. It is about the struggles that life itself offers. With those, I'll always have a "fight" on my hands, but with myself it is only acceptance and healing. :nod: Fight the battles that need to be fought, and have gratitude for all the wonders that exist in my life.

B: cooked grape nuts w berries
L: rice w/Thai mushroom blend; spinach
D: nuked potatoes; cauliflower florets

The scale showed down two lbs one morning this week, and now back up to the old standby 240 :| Just gonna keep doing what I'm doing, and reveling in pain free life!

Re: Buns Again

PostPosted: Sat Oct 03, 2020 10:49 am
by earthmonkey
"Maybe I'm thinking into the future and not living in the moment, but judging by my recent history with this, will I be able to keep to plan without ever having some treat that ISN'T part of the SAD diet? Will having a rich treat every few months (some pistachios and dates; avocado chocolate pudding) keep me more compliant on a day to day basis?"

Hi Buns,

I want to respond to this quote from you above.

Yes, I do think there is worry/concern projected into to the future here, and it causes a bit of panic.

In exploring all things McDougall says, I read up more about the rice diet and its history, because the super slow whole foods plant based eating wasn't working for me to lose the now 80 pounds which would be healthy for me to shed.

I read The Rice Diet Report and The Rice Diet Solution. The former was from a woman who attended the original Rice House program in Durham NC, and the latter is a modified version of the original program written by the doctors who ran the rice diet program after the original Dr K died. Both books were very helpful to me in a motivational way, and both books promote portion limits.

In summer 2019 I started eating based upon the Phase 1 section of the Rice Diet Solution which I vaguely recall tops out at 1000 calories per day. It very specifically excludes using any added salt. I had amazing results. After one or two weeks of this eating plan I felt used to it enough to shift to the more limited Rice Diet Report plan. I had started around 195 pounds and lost 22 in a two month period. I was walking about 30-60 minutes a day. It was very exciting, I had a lot of energy and it was the limited eating portions and keeping to them that helped me most because it did make such a huge impact. I wish I had stayed compliant at least with the Rice Diet Solution, but I allowed myself to get off track.

The Rice Diet Report author made this point: that once a person gets to their healthy target weight they metabolize food differently. So basically a SAD snack once I get to 120 has a much different effect upon me when I am at my current 206. So my loving suggestion is to know that no SAD snacks for now is a compromise you can work with, knowing that in the future at your healthy weight, you can now and then afford to eat such a treat.

Another author I like is Chef AJ and her second book The Secrets To Ultimate Weight Loss has been inspirational.

For myself, I see a big difference in my compliance of eating when I have my week of meals planned out, and have all things on hand and premade nightly for the next day, and then as soon as the week ends, figure out my next week and prep. The other thing that helped me was keeping a daily food journal that included my daily weight (which I know this McD web site doesn't support but it helped me a lot), as well as noting what exercise I did, and how I felt that day.

This year I have allowed too many excuses to distract me from my goal at 52 to get to my healthy weight of 120 from 206. My area had wildfires in Oct 2019, my sister was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer in Oct 2019, covid hit, and as a hospice chaplain I am eating my feelings a lot. I find Star McDougaller Elizabeth TeSelle an inspiration because her age, height and start and end weights are similar to mine, so I know this is a viable goal for me.

I'd be happy to be a regular encouragement buddy. Let me know~

Tina

Re: Buns Again

PostPosted: Mon Oct 05, 2020 4:00 pm
by bunsofaluminum
The Rice Diet Report author made this point: that once a person gets to their healthy target weight they metabolize food differently. So basically a SAD snack once I get to 120 has a much different effect upon me when I am at my current 206. So my loving suggestion is to know that no SAD snacks for now is a compromise you can work with, knowing that in the future at your healthy weight, you can now and then afford to eat such a treat.


Hi Tina

Yes, I think you're right. The successful McDougallers who are menopausal have been successful with zero SAD anything, ever. There was even a testimonial on FB from a woman in her 60's whose big treat is good crusty bread. It is a very rare treat, otherwise she stays on MWL for every meal, every time. And she has cured several ailments, gotten to her healthy weight, and is happy with how things are. Honestly, it does get that way. I've been very strict since finding out about my sister's heart disease in the final week of July...except camping and yadda yadda blah blah blah... and I'm finding that 1) the cravings kicked my arse the few days following the camping trip and 2) it isn't appealing, truthfully. I get hangry and irrational and eat things because MOOD, but truly none of the stuff sounds remotely good to me, once I'm thinking with a level head. A baked potato out of hand is yummy to me, much more than a donut.

Huh, this also tells me that my worst eating is for non-hunger reasons. Cranky? Restless? eat a chip. A handful of chips. A BAGFUL of chips! When I'm calm and centered, I don't need anything at all usually, and if I do I reach for healthy on-plan stuff. Which brings me back to being in the moment. I must begin a habit of stopping to "feel" before reaching for food. Feel if I'm hungry, feel if I'm in the midst of emotions, and what can I do to bring myself around without food. :nod:

Oh, btw...I am intrigued by your experience with the Rice Diet. I've looked at it briefly now and then, but haven't ever gone for it. I'll be shopping for those books, now that I know they're out there! thank you!

B: grape nuts; craisins; oat milk
L: pea pesto over spaghetti; asparagus; sliced cucumber (green EVERYWHERE :lol:)
D: grilled veggie kabobs

*sigh* I ate some cheezits yesterday :angry: at work.

Moving onward now.

I'm excited, because Wylie, with some help from my nephew, put up raised beds for our garden. Next year I'll have a 8'x2' box of my own to plant with whatever i want. Spinach, here we come! and sugar snap peas. And ZINNIAS WOOT!

Re: Buns Again

PostPosted: Tue Oct 06, 2020 8:07 am
by bunsofaluminum
B: grape nuts, berries; oat milk
L: chili; baked tortilla chips and salsa
D: Moroccan sweet potato stew

Going to cook today. I'll make my sweet potato stew, and I think I'd like to cook up a big batch of Thai Curry Rice.

Also thinking hard about looking into the Rice Diet. At least I'd like to read the books mentioned by Tina. My body is holding onto the fat really hard. I'd like to get it moving. Portion control. Hmmm.