Idgie's MWL journal

[VegSeekingFit]

Yes, the time commitment is a big reason for me to stop tracking each food. I am willing to take that kind of time if I need to, but I feel like as long as I'm compliant, it's unnecessary.

Hi Idgie!

I tracked every bite for the first three months -- and then it became a chore....

Agree with you wholeheartedly, if you are following this way of eating -- no need.

Your pictures of food and recipes are amazing!!!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Idgie]

I found this online https://www.chipotle.com/ingredient-statement
It shows that the beans (black and pinto) and rice (white and brown) have rice bran oil.

Thanks! I find that now that I've been so compliant for so long, I can tell if something has oil just by tasting it. Sometimes it's easy (like the slaw my partner makes that has a little sesame oil in it -- that has a distinctive taste), but sometimes it's just my mouth saying to me, "Okay, this has a little fat. Probably not much, but a little," so I knew the Chipotle stuff was low-fat, but I could also tell it was not fat-free.

[Idgie]

I tracked every bite for the first three months -- and then it became a chore....

Agree with you wholeheartedly, if you are following this way of eating -- no need.

Your pictures of food and recipes are amazing!!!

Thank you for the datapoint and the validation. Appreciate you!

[victw]

honeymoon period

Honeymoon period. I've been experiencing one of those - it's quite thrilling. I'm going to roll with it as long as it last.

This one really made my day.

Vic

[Idgie]

Just a quick update.

On July 8, I posted this:

Today's weight: 316.8, down 13.2 pounds
Today's fasting blood sugar: 90
Today's compliance: 100%

Other than an occasional tiny bit of oil in something I didn't prepare (like less than 3 grams of fat for a whole meal), I've been 100% compliant. Here are my numbers right now:

Today's weight: 310.4, down another 6.4 pounds in about 2 weeks, for a total of 19.6.
Today's fasting blood sugar: I've been between 90 and 98 every day except today, which is 112, but that may be related to my migraine
Today's compliance: 100% (partner just informed me there was no oil in the slaw. I didn't miss it.)

I have been having zero problem staying on this food plan. I think it's because I have found some starches I really like, like sweet potatoes, unfried brown rice, and garbanzo beans, which I eat in moderation.

[bunsofaluminum]

Isn't it something, how you get to where you can feel the fat in a meal? Now for me the trick is to say "i can't eat this, it has oil in it" just like I did when I quit meat. "Can't eat this. Meat" but it sounds like you've got a good handle on that, and the pounds are falling off of you! woot!

[Idgie]

So glad I've been keeping cooked starches in my fridge. I am tired and sluggish this morning and didn't feel like cooking my breakfast, so I grabbed a cooked sweet potato out of the fridge, and bob's yer uncle. Today me is so grateful to yesterday me!

[Idgie]

Another good week. Maybe a little lower on veggies than last week, but still did really well. The longer I'm on this plan, the less I miss other foods. I ate my lunch in the breakroom at work and was not even a tiny bit tempted by the mountain of free pizza a co-worker's department had bought for all of us. Now, pizza's not my fave thing, but still, a half hour surrounded by it normally would have meant I ate at least some of it. But I just ate my curry and rice and veggies, and moved on with my day. So happy about that!

[Suey51]

Congrats Idgie on your week and on the impressive numbers!

[Idgie]

Thank you, Suey!

Having a good weekend. Bought a bunch of veggies to green up my meals. I ate a little more volume than usual today, but it was heavy on veggies, so I have no idea if I will have lost weight or not tomorrow. Sure feels good to have lots of prepped food in the house, though. Tomorrow, I'll make some lentil salad or something similar, but right now, I've got mango salsa, tabbouli, salad greens, and a bunch of frozen stuff at the ready.

Partner was eating something deep-fried in the car today, and while it smelled delicious to me, I had zero desire to have a bite. I honestly think that 100% compliance is changing my desires -- maybe cancelling out the pleasure trap? Anyway, it makes me really happy.

Still not doing much exercise, but I suspect it will get easier to move without pain as my health improves.

Co-worker noticed my weight-loss yesterday and said something like "So you're not eating carbs?" I laughed and said, "Oh, I'm eating almost exclusively carbs. Carbs are my friends!" You know the expression "my jaw dropped"? Well, her jaw literally dropped. I had to keep from laughing. Everyone in my office acts like carbs are evil, and I've lost count of how many have had weight-loss surgery. I'm definitely on my own with this way of eating, but already I've been asked for a couple recipes, so I have hope that I can be a little bit of a good influence.

[midnight87]

Thanks for the comment The story about your co-worker made me laugh! Isn't it crazy how many people still think you need to cut carbs to lose weight? I know one guy at my work, very fit, but he keeps going around promoting a keto diet. I'm saying nothing for now lol. Keep up the good work!

[Idgie]

Well, I had my first unplanned off-plan food today. I have a toothache (will call the dentist in the morning) and 1) it's making me cranky; 2) I can't eat anything but soft stuff; and 3) it's 100 degrees outside today. So I decided I was going to eat out, someplace air conditioned, and someplace with soft food. Enter my fave sushi buffet. I did not stuff myself, but I ate off-plan food in a mindful and careful way, stopping before I was full, and drank a diet soda because I know from experience that I don't like the taste of local tap water and they don't offer bottled.

[Edit: Oh, and then we went for a half-hour walk in the shade, so I'm glad of that.]

I feel good about the reasonable detour I took today, and if I get hungry again today, I will boil a potato on the burner we have set up outside on the patio, so I don't heat up the house. Or find something else soft to eat -- maybe a bowl of fat-free refried beans.

[Lyndzie]

Idgie - here is the secret to the PERFECT BAKED POTATO in the microwave: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=55982&p=566518&hilit=Microwave+perfect+potato#p565984

Nuke that bad boy and keep your kitchen cool. Top with salsa and beans for an awesome “taco potato.”

Good luck with your tooth!

[Idgie]

Thank you so much, but I haven't had a microwave since, um, 1990? when I left home. Thanks, though, truly.

[Idgie]

Stephanie (VegSeekingFit) made a post about motivations and goals that made me really stop and think. Why am I doing this, and what do I want the result to be?

Motivation 1: I had a scary hypoglycemia episode, and hypoglycemia can kill you, so I'll be honest, I got scared

Motivation 2: I have a couple heart conditions, and I know from experience they behave better when I'm McDougalling

Motivation 3: I'm a cancer survivor, and I know this diet starves cancer

Motivation 4: I want more energy

Goals: I want to be able to move around without too much effort. I want my heart to be healthy. I want my blood sugar to be perfectly normal. And I want to feel good about making ethical, healthful dietary choices.