A turbulent month**It's been a month since I last wrote in my journal and the waves have been bigger than usual. Firstly, Mum had total knee replacement surgery in September. She lives alone so I stayed with her for a few days when she came out of hospital and then my brother was on hand to support her. She is still in a lot of pain but is doing really well with her recovery. Secondly, we spent three weeks away in Southern Spain with various house guests (my adult step-children and two sets of friends staying with us at different times).
Today my weight is back to my goal weight which is a pound down on my last post here. I’m happy to be here, particularly given the more challenging conditions
I've been reflecting on my experiences over the past month.
• Seeing Mum in so much pain after her knee surgery has reminded me why I started doing this in the first place.
• Anxiety, stress and tiredness still trigger a desire for richer foods. Preparation and planning are key to staying on track during those times.
• Sharing home-prepared meals with friends and family while in Spain was a complete joy. We were lucky to have people with us who are happy to eat similar foods, with the addition of some non-McDougall items for them, for example a lunch with a range of salads, homemade oil-free hummus and wholemeal bread, plus some other items for the non-McDougallers. We kept any oil-based salad dressing separate and there was always plenty of McDougall foods for me. When in Spain I love shopping for local fruit, salads and veggies plus jars of chick peas, cannelini beans and lentils. There seems to be a better range of beans and legumes there and they definitely taste better in jars than in cans. Our family/friends were happy to try foods/dishes that were new to them and generally enjoyed them
(One of the couples have since decided to try out MWL for themselves – yayyyy!)
• We ate out more often in Spain than at home, which is still tricky for me. However, I’m more confident now to ask for menu items to be tweaked to suit my WOE. Where I couldn't get a compliant option, I just did the best job I could, and enjoyed the time with people and overall experience. We enjoy going to tapas bars where they offer you a small dish of food included in the price of the drink. However, the tapas options are never WFPBNO. On reflection, I could have eaten before going out and then not eaten tapas, or asked for a salad from the main course food menu or even taken my own snacks. More strategies for me to try on our next visit!
• Some fatty/salty/sweet snacks were brought into the house and I ate them. Often this would be in the evening when my willpower was depleted, when old habits kicked in or when I was feeling tired.
• Overall, I’m very grateful and happy to be this weight and to be in good health. It feels so good to be more comfortable in the hotter weather, to wear clothes with more wear more va-va voom and to enjoy walking without knee pain
Thinking back over the past few months, I’ve noticed a slight sense of fatigue with this way of eating. Or to be more accurate, with trying to eat this way within the wider context. There’s been a feeling of being on a long and tiring journey and wanting some respite (in this case, richer foods in my life). I suspect its partly down to the more turbulent environment, where I’m constantly having to use willpower to resist richer foods and partly due to trying to change other habits at the same time. As a result, there’s been a lot for my brain to handle!
So, I’ve decided to follow the MWL Program for a fortnight to help reset everything - habits, mindset and taste buds - and to resume meal planning after a break while we were away. We are at home, with less turbulence forecast so that will help
It’ll be good to keep company with the friends who've recently started MWL. Plus, my husband has regained some of the weight he lost earlier this year and would like to lose it and a little more, so he's going to do it too. Plus, there are all my original reasons for starting McDougalling last year - pain avoidance, general health, weight loss - and the side benefits of improved appearance and reduced impact on the environment. There are so many reasons to do this! I'm feeling a renewed sense of energy and enthusiasm and a little bit of excitement about this new challenge
Do any other maintainers or long-term McDougallers ever get that slight sense of fatigue? And if so, how do you deal with it?
Best wishes to everyone xx
** Using 'turbulent' in the same way that Dr Doug Lisle uses it to describe change in your environment.