On the Road to Better Health

[VegSeekingFit]

I muted the person I was finding problematic, so I haven't seen his responses, but appreciated that I wasn't the only one having a problem with his posts.

Cool! We are all people and who cares about gender, race, sexual orientation, etc. in the gym? I am now fuming at these comments and I can't seem to reply. Anyway, glad to not be alone in this.

[Idgie]

Those women, daring to exist in bodies at the gym! How could they!

*sigh*

[Idgie]

Glad Scott is standing up for us, too.

[VegSeekingFit]

Those women, daring to exist in bodies at the gym! How could they!

*sigh*

Love this!!

Edited to remove my "in the moment" mad comment that was not reflecting the positivity that I declared that my thread was about.

A serious appreciation / thank you to the administrators who removed the thread in question - as it was not one that should live on.


"All you need is a little faith, trust, and pixie dust." - Peter Pan

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi,

Just wanted to post my excitement at trying Idgie's mushroom gravy - can't find the link to respond to original post-- but it was saute garlic, onion, mushrooms until they get really brown. Then, add 2 cups of water (or veg broth) with 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour whisked in. Added Italian seasonings and lots of black pepper. Delicious over a baked potato!!! Lots of extras for another day - not MWL compliant with the flour, but 110 calories or something like that of flour. Haven't had gravy for eons and this was awesome!!


Still trying to get closer to 50 / 50 veggie starch and going to make Jeff Novick's Longevity Soup tomorrow.

So, I have taking some liberties and am halving the recipe -- as well as using fresh veggies instead of frozen. Will be throwing the following in the slow cooker tomorrow. Maybe I have taken more liberties than I should - but just trying to get this calorie density / more veggies concept into some meals - slowly but surely.

28 oz. can NSA crushed tomato
14 oz. can NSA diced tomato
15 oz. can NSA kidney beans
1 lb. fresh veggies chopped - carrots, celery, onion, mushrooms
A bit of frozen corn and frozen spinach

I'll add water to fill the crock pot in the AM -- also Italian seasonings and garlic (because no vampires live here.


Quote for today:
"If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear." - Winnie-the-Pooh

Best to all on the board,
Stephanie

[Idgie]

Yay, glad it worked for you! To be honest, I haven't had gravy since I went MWL, but if I do, I am going to try to use beans instead of flour to thicken; I'll post to let folks know if it works!

[VegSeekingFit]

Yay, glad it worked for you! To be honest, I haven't had gravy since I went MWL, but if I do, I am going to try to use beans instead of flour to thicken; I'll post to let folks know if it works!

Was an excellent recipe - I haven't had gravy all year until this week. Yummy! Would love to hear how it goes it you try it with beans!!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi,

After not wanting to designate a "goal" weight number, I'm now ready - planning to manage weight between 111-114 - which is in low normal BMI range (right for my frame size) and should be "do-able" as long as I keep eating the same and walking in the AM. I'm down .6 lbs. this week to 111.8 (after being up .8 lbs. last week)...


Today's Eats:

B: Potato waffle, smashed black beans, cherries & blueberries
L: Lentil chili, raw veggies, honeydew & cantaloupe

D: Veggie soup, baked potato, roasted veggies

Ate a few regular McD compliant (but not MWL compliant) foods this week. Had planned monthly tofu scrambled with lots of veggies for a weekend breakfast. Discovered wonderful mushroom gravy. At work, had a handful of Snyder's pretzels (will be not doing this again... not a good habit to get into). Other than those items, ate MWL compliant and targeted adding more veggies.

Today's Exercise:
Will be going for a walk shortly for about an hour. Blissfully off work today. Have walked consistently this week, but a bit less time than last week. Don't love walking in the dark - so have either used treadmill or delayed start a bit (which makes for a shorter walk).

Quote of the Day: (From McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss, p. 75)
"The McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss is not a gimmicky weight loss program that you discard for your ruinous eating habits the moment you achieve your weight goal. In order to maintain your weight loss, you must continue to follow the program. Why would you want to return to the rich American diet anyway, when you look and feel so much better now?

Look at the principles of the McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss not as a prison but as a set of tools." - Dr. McDougall

[moonlight]

Congratulations on meeting your weight goal!! I think sometimes we get caught up in worry about whether we will have to be on a diet the rest of our lives, the lifestyle vs diet debate. We always have to consider what we eat, whether it is choosing to eat something that is MWL compliant or not. People who never diet have to consider what they eat daily, too. It is a lifestyle. It can be a lifestyle habit of healthy eating. It doesn't sound that bad to me. You will occasionally be able to eat things not on the plan. That's the way life is supposed to be. Moderation. Good luck to you on your journey into the maintenance phase. I think you've got this!

[VegSeekingFit]

Congratulations on meeting your weight goal!! I think sometimes we get caught up in worry about whether we will have to be on a diet the rest of our lives, the lifestyle vs diet debate. We always have to consider what we eat, whether it is choosing to eat something that is MWL compliant or not. People who never diet have to consider what they eat daily, too. It is a lifestyle. It can be a lifestyle habit of healthy eating. It doesn't sound that bad to me. You will occasionally be able to eat things not on the plan. That's the way life is supposed to be. Moderation. Good luck to you on your journey into the maintenance phase. I think you've got this!

Hi Moonlight!

Thank you!! I agree with your insightful post completely!!

I think the moderation piece is important - as each of us may be better at that. Personally, I know that I will have to be vigilant and draw boundaries - especially with old favorites like peanut butter, dried fruit and avocado (items I won't keep in the house again - they got me where I started at).

Best,
Stephanie

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi,

So, made Mary McD's awesome Mashed Pinto Beans recipe yesterday (from the newsletter). I halved it and made it in the cute small crock pot.

1 C. dried pinto beans
4 C. water
Onion Powder, Garlic Powder (ok, I didn't halve that)
2 T. taco seasoning
1/2 C. salsa

Cook them on high for about 8-9 hours. Put them in container - use slotted spoon (avoiding another bean debacle...) Mash them with a potato masher. Enjoy. Refrigerate excess.

Also, made split peas soup again in small slow cooker with Harmony House mix as base. Added fresh chopped carrots, celery, onions and smoked paprika + rosemary. Delicious.

Preparing Red Lentil Chili so that I have some for my lunch tomorrow. Have a coupld of hot peppers left in garden to throw in the pot. Score!

Exercise:

With the You Vs. 2018 Challenge, I started on 6/28 - 81 days ago. I am at 262.5 miles walked and 68 walks. This doesn't count the walks I've done on treadmill (but I have missed a few days totally). This only puts me at 422K of 1018K - so pretty confident that I won't beat the 1018K in outdoor walks with the weather getting worse. Love a challenge - so will have to find something else to motivate through the colder, darker weather....

Maintenance:

Not sure if I did the right thing by picking weight range (when I may still have fat to lose) -- but reason for that is consistent with my initial goals going into this year. My goal was to get healthier and feel better. Also, to build habits that I could follow on auto-pilot without getting overwhelmed. It wasn't to see how low I could go with weight. I love my meals -- and I have built in some McD compliant (but not MWL compliant) treats (to not feel deprived). I'm not planning to change anything for the next 6+ months - except continue to focus on vegetable / starch ratio (I need the remedial calendar). Will be journaling, weighing, posting at least through 4/15 (and I'll remember that because tax day)... Not sure how others pick a target weight or what is right. Or, if perfection is sought. I am not (nor will I ever be) perfect - so going with "Know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em... " and calling it...

Best to all McDougallers,
Stephanie

[Idgie]

I've never been thin, so I have no idea what weight will work for my body. Plus, I am pretty happy with my body whatever size it is, so I have decided not to have a goal weight. I have goal behaviors instead. My goal is to stay on MWL until it's been a while (I'm thinking six months) since I lost any real weight, and then see about reintroducing some higher-fat plant foods if I still miss them at that time. That's as far ahead as I've planned, goal-wise.

[VegSeekingFit]

I've never been thin, so I have no idea what weight will work for my body. Plus, I am pretty happy with my body whatever size it is, so I have decided not to have a goal weight. I have goal behaviors instead. My goal is to stay on MWL until it's been a while (I'm thinking six months) since I lost any real weight, and then see about reintroducing some higher-fat plant foods if I still miss them at that time. That's as far ahead as I've planned, goal-wise.

Hi Idgie,

I love your healthy attitude!!

Also, this goal behaviour concept resonates with me. Love that!! I'm also looking to build these and not trying to set up a mass fail.


I think you've got this...

Cheers,
Stephanie

[f00die]

...
Maintenance:

Not sure if I did the right thing by picking weight range (when I may still have fat to lose) -- but reason for that is consistent with my initial goals going into this year. My goal was to get healthier and feel better. Also, to build habits that I could follow on auto-pilot without getting overwhelmed. It wasn't to see how low I could go with weight. I love my meals -- and I have built in some McD compliant (but not MWL compliant) treats (to not feel deprived). I'm not planning to change anything for the next 6+ months - except continue to focus on vegetable / starch ratio (I need the remedial calendar). Will be journaling, weighing, posting at least through 4/15 (and I'll remember that because tax day)... Not sure how others pick a target weight or what is right. Or, if perfection is sought. I am not (nor will I ever be) perfect - so going with "Know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em... " and calling it...

Best to all McDougallers,
Stephanie

hi there,
if i may suggest a different perspective:
a doctor and a dietician have taught us
what a healthy diet/good nutrition is about
how to conduct a healthy lifestyle
simply carry on with that
and not use certain (favorite) values
for surrogate biomarkers as goals

[VegSeekingFit]

...
Maintenance:

Not sure if I did the right thing by picking weight range (when I may still have fat to lose) -- but reason for that is consistent with my initial goals going into this year. My goal was to get healthier and feel better. Also, to build habits that I could follow on auto-pilot without getting overwhelmed. It wasn't to see how low I could go with weight. I love my meals -- and I have built in some McD compliant (but not MWL compliant) treats (to not feel deprived). I'm not planning to change anything for the next 6+ months - except continue to focus on vegetable / starch ratio (I need the remedial calendar). Will be journaling, weighing, posting at least through 4/15 (and I'll remember that because tax day)... Not sure how others pick a target weight or what is right. Or, if perfection is sought. I am not (nor will I ever be) perfect - so going with "Know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em... " and calling it...

Best to all McDougallers,
Stephanie

hi there,
if i may suggest a different perspective:
a doctor and a dietician have taught us
what a healthy diet/good nutrition is about
how to conduct a healthy lifestyle
simply carry on with that
and not use certain (favorite) values
for surrogate biomarkers as goals

Hi F00die,

Thank you for your comment - made me think... I think that we are on the same page, here is my rationale... (happy to hear feedback, if any from anyone... )

I am just a bit weary of toying with the scale... Picked "goal" weight way late in the game and mainly because it got me to 18.5-19.0 BMI (and I don't aspire to the lowest "achievable" BMI). Maybe I am getting lazy because I am small framed and could probably lose a few more pounds. But, that wasn't my goal.

I am happy to continue forward - as I have traveled these past several months (daily rational exercise, minimal processed food, mainly MWL). I'm just not motivated to take additional measures to lose the couple of extra lbs. of fat that I'm carrying - and I'm trying to stick with my initial goals, which were in support of getting healthier, not to feel overwhelmed, building healthier habits...

So, that's why I called it. Will be keeping on with habits built this year and weighing in / journaling at least each Friday for the forseeable future. If I lose more, great. If not, I don't really care... (done with that biomarker? )

My most important change isn't one that I can quantify -- feeling better emotionally and physically. I'm not eager to get off the wagon... Firmly on. I feel great!!! And, I'm ready to "Get a Life"...

Cheers,
Stephanie