My Daily "Weighing in"

Share your daily McDougall menus and/or keep a journal describing your personal progress.

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Re: My Daily "Weighing in"

Postby squealcat » Sun Aug 19, 2018 6:04 pm

Today is Sunday and is my "chill" day. I take a break from exercising and stay in my PJ's for a lot of the morning and watch TV a little. I also like to read and did some scrapbooking as well. I dug up old pictures of our family camping trips and decided to scrapbook using those pictures. Of course, those pictures brought back memories and mostly good but the very few pictures of me brought me back to days when I had back spasms and prayed that I would not get one while on vacation. I remember being out of breath and tired. I remember not having clothes that I felt good in.....etc, etc...

Things are so different now. I can walk three miles easily, my wardrobe is just fine, but small because I am still losing weight. The worries about activity during vacation are not with me either.

I look at my self back then and feel gentleness and understanding toward myself. I was a busy mom who worked night shift and watched my five children during the day. I was tired and fed my tiredness with all sorts of food. I had read about Dr McDougall but didn't know how to fit that lifestyle into MY life. I really didn't know if I would ever do it.

I weigh about 70 pounds less now. It is easier now as I am retired and my husband cooks for himself and I just have to think about my own meals. My husband is supportive as are my children. I have energy that I didn't have then. I guess this is my time now. I hope to live to 100 or as long as I can and still feel so amazing.

My journey is not ended. I continue to eat as well as I can and do my exercises and be active. There are more pounds to lose and i relax (usually) as I just eat what I love and wait for more losses and more life gains.

Have a good week everyone !

-(squealcat)
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Re: My Daily "Weighing in"

Postby Mark Cooper » Mon Aug 20, 2018 3:10 am

Thanks for sharing this moment of memory / introspection - I found it really touching and a beautiful outlook to have. You have had some amazing success and your entry reminded me to look back and appreciate how far I have come, as well.

Take care and be well! :D
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Re: My Daily "Weighing in"

Postby squealcat » Tue Aug 21, 2018 11:38 am

Thank you Mark for your kind comments. I like to scrapbook and look at all those pictures of my family but sometimes looking at the ones with "me" in them feels like a wound and just aches. I can just propel myself back to those days and remember just how I felt. Looking ahead now brings me hope and makes me smile. I play with my grandkids now as my children are all grown up. I can run around with them and get down on the floor to play. I look forward to a healthful future.

Today is my granddaughter's first day of school (kindergarten ) . It was fun to pick her up and listen to her chat about her day ! She makes me so happy and gives me lots of hugs !

I got in a 3 mile walk this morning before going to school to get her. Walking gives me a peaceful feeling....I think it is the rhythm of the stepping. We all need rhythm to our days; rocking in a chair, swaying to the music, repetition of things we do daily like brushing teeth, washing face, preparing our food....all give comfort and stability to our days. I hope you all do something today that gives you peace and makes you smile. It just might be something you did yesterday ! Pay attention, listen, smell, look, search and find !

-squealcat
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Re: My Daily "Weighing in"

Postby moonlight » Tue Aug 21, 2018 1:25 pm

Thanks, squealcat, for the reminder to pay attention to the good parts of the day, to notice the beauty and peace. I just finished working in my garden and I kept appreciating the beauty all around. The sun was shining but rain clouds were close. The wind picked up and just at the time I was ready to be done the rain came. By the time I was back in the house a nice strong rain shower was coming down. Very nice afternoon. I picked a bunch of green cherry tomatoes to make pickled green tomatoes. Someone gave me a recipe recently.

Your daily walking is an inspiration! I'm hoping to get a routine going, too. It's an on again off again thing for me...

I had a similar experience lately with photographs. My husband took some pictures of me recently with a friend out in her meadow. I liked them! This time last year I would have been so embarrassed by my body! It is sad to think about all the lost time when we could have been healthier but isn't it so cool to be finally doing something about it! I'm stoked!

Take care. I've enjoyed your journal. I learned about Zentangle from Buns, too. I love it!
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Re: My Daily "Weighing in"

Postby squealcat » Wed Aug 22, 2018 3:38 pm

Well, just read the comment from Moonlight ! You all continue to encourage me ! I have been ready to just leave and not do this journal thing and then I get such nice thoughts from others !

I went to a zentangle class last night and it was so fun ! We worked on variations of a tangle called Well, well, well . I had to laugh as I was drawing it as it looked like a uterus to me ! (I am a retired OB nurse so I see body parts in art all the time...can't help it ). The whole class laughed about it and I felt happy to be in a group that can have fun and yet relax and enjoy the moment.

Another thought about pictures occurred to me today : When I started assembling old pictures years ago I commented to my mother that there were so few photos of HER . I knew why. She didn't want to be in those pictures and the ones she was in she rarely smiled. She battled with her weight most of her life. Even a journal of hers that I have now is filled with "Monday I will start.....tomorrow I will start watching what I am eating ...." So sad. After that day I made sure that I was in photographs with my family no matter what ! My children didn't see me as overweight and my husband loved (loves) me. Accepting who I am at this moment is important. Without that acceptance, I cannot go on to take good care of myself. Shame makes me trip and fall. Living NOW and accepting myself NOW makes me feel happy and give me knowledge that I AM important . This has helped me to eat the foods that nourish me, make the changes and form those new habits that will sustain the life I want to live.

I feel I am rambling. Time to stop.

Enjoy your day TODAY and don't let it slip away !

-squealcat
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Re: My Daily "Weighing in"

Postby roundcoconut » Wed Aug 29, 2018 2:28 pm

Oh, squealcat, i really relate to those memories of having a mother whose life was dominated by weight-shame! My mother had a weight issue that started when my brother and I entered grade school, and those weight patterned just spiraled slowly upwarrds without end.

I feel as though we have the tools to offer people now, so that they don’t have to carry excess weight if they don’t want to. I don’t know if anyone with excess weight agrees with that, but I don’t feel weight needs to be a mystery anymore! :)
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Re: My Daily "Weighing in"

Postby squealcat » Wed Aug 29, 2018 5:57 pm

True that there are so many tools AND so much information available to help those that have weight to lose but it is what is in our heads that stalls us many times. I struggle with this myself. I wish it didn't feel like such a battle. Eating starched-based foods does help me feel satisfied but one minute I feel really good about my day and about myself and in an instant......I am looking around for sweet stuff or have an urge to run to get a big old deli sandwich somewhere !

I can stop this feeling eventually by trying to eat some more compliant food or trying dates and almonds or peanut butter with something.....then fearing that I have messed up what feels like my whole life. BUT I am able to turn it around so much faster now. I DO love to listen to Dr Doug Lisle's talks....always makes me feel better ! Sometimes eating something with beans in it holds me over for longer periods of time. Sometimes "giving in" and having toast with peanut butter will make me feel relaxed and then I can just jump back in and continue eating the McDougall way. I just wish it didn't feel like such a struggle.

I realize that this struggle feeling is much less now and that failure feeling doesn't visit me too much any more. I have been so much more successful this past year losing 60 pounds.....I must be doing SOMETHING right !

Reading my mom's journal makes me sad sometimes because she did feel shame about her weight. She felt that she was on all those meds and had all those different illnesses that she couldn't ever get back to her healthy self so she gave in and gave up. I DO know that she always wished the best for me and she is looking down on me right now and is happy that I am where I am now. I need to be happy where I am right now too. Maybe that is the key. I need to think about that a little. :idea:
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Re: My Daily "Weighing in"

Postby squealcat » Sun Sep 02, 2018 6:22 pm

I guess I should change the title of this journal because I certainly do not "weigh in" daily ! Daily is just too often for me to post although I love what a couple of people are doing in using daily checklists for the MWL program. Good idea !

I do journal what I have eaten just for myself and also keep track of my exercise by looking at my fitbit app. Sundays are one of two days off for me and I look forward to my easy day of reading, watching TV etc. Even though tomorrow is a holiday and the gym is closed I plan to get outside and walk my three miles and do my three sets of squats. Keeping things regular works for me.

I made some veggie burgers a couple of days ago with black beans and quinoa (from Vegan Under Pressure ) and they turned out great. I try to always have some things to eat that I can just warm up and put together. I don't always feel like following recipes. So right now I have brown rice cooked up, a couple of white and one sweet potato, black bean burgers and smokey black beans in the fridge and ready to warm up. I eat the smokey beans cold many times.....LOVE them ! :-D

So far this week has been going well. I had one afternoon that was difficult and I need to remember NOT to get too hungry !! I had exercised and then stayed outside to weed the garden (was already sweaty so why not keep it up ?). Well, by the time I got into the house I was STARVING and ate my lunch and continued to eat, eat, eat.....BUT I stayed within my guidelines and was able to stop before I was stuffed. Later, had dinner but it was a small amount because I was not really very hungry. So.....I count that as a success and a learning experience.

Tonight I had potatoes that were cooked in my small crockpot, seasoned them and put them over uncooked spinach. The leaves wilted a bit and it tasted good ! Also steamed veggies and my smokey black beans and a banana. I feel satisfied for the day and will just drink water this evening while my husband and I watch TV together.

Tomorrow will be a quiet day as my children all have prior committments. I plan on doing some work on scrapbook pages....still working on old pics of our camping trips.

That is all for now. Nothing too interesting.

Have a good week everyone and I will too !

-squealcat
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Re: My Daily "Weighing in"

Postby VegSeekingFit » Mon Sep 03, 2018 7:18 pm

squealcat wrote:Tonight I had potatoes that were cooked in my small crockpot, seasoned them and put them over uncooked spinach. The leaves wilted a bit and it tasted good !


Hi Squealcat!

This sounds really good and am going to try! :-D

Love your journal and your exercise consistency. Awesome!!!

Woot,
Stephanie
"Just put one foot in front of the other and don't worry about the length of the path.
Once you get on that path, and the longer you stay on it, there eventually will come a time when you will not turn back." - Martina Navratilova
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Re: My Daily "Weighing in"

Postby squealcat » Tue Sep 04, 2018 5:57 pm

Today my husband and I went on a day trip to a small city near Lake Michigan. It is very hot and humid here in Michigan (at least for a couple more days ) and being near the big lake sounded so good to me ! It was a beautiful day and we had a great time exploring the area. We got a little turned around as we drove home though. We tried to avoid traffic back-up (construction) and took the scenic route and it took a while to find our way back home. We made it though and STILL really thought it was a wonderful day.

I started writing this because I was going to talk about the lunch I had while on our little jaunt today. Now I have some more thoughts about that....

Our lunch was at a fun little sandwich place with indoor and outdoor seating (beautiful garden space !). I had to order quickly as there was a line-up behind me. I ordered the very veggie sandwich and squash bisque soup. I didn't look over the menu very carefully....just ordered. Well, I should have known better but just didn't want to fuss. My sandwich had cheese on it and LOTS of mayonnaise. I know I should have asked to hold the cheese and mayonnaise but didn't. I DID enjoy the lunch but afterward came that "OH NO" feeling . I did it again ! I instantly felt like I weighed 20 pounds more and got that "I give up" feeling :cry: . After getting home, I continued to eat other things and could barely stop. I always go back to old stand-by foods (but not meat or cheese this time ). I also think I should just give up....but I won't. I am getting close-ish to my goal and I have too many positives in my favor.

Anyway, when I was typing the first paragraph here, I realized that I DID have a great day and DID feel pretty good and relaxed today. We got turned around but DID make it home just fine.....

:!: I DID get turned around but I WILL make it back JUST FINE ! :) :arrow: This has happened before and I know I can do this. Tomorrow is a new and wonderful day. Tomorrow I will walk again in the morning (my daily habit) and go on just like I do every day. Tripping up but not falling on my face.....

I will think on this some more. Tomorrow will be a great day !

-squealcat
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Re: My Daily "Weighing in"

Postby Idgie » Tue Sep 04, 2018 9:24 pm

I had a pretty awful day today, but I'm going to commit to having a good one with you tomorrow.
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Re: My Daily "Weighing in"

Postby squealcat » Wed Sep 05, 2018 7:48 am

Thanks for joining me on the wonderful day Idgie ! It is helpful to have wonderful people with us and understanding us ! The sun is shining and I am looking forward to my walk today. I will be walking around and around on the track at the gym today....too muggy for me outside ! I will do a little weeding of the garden today to get myself in the fresh air and sunlight (Vitamin D !) as it puts me in an even better mood.

I have steel cut oats in the instant pot right now. This is my go-to breakfast that I never tire of. I cut up a mango to mix in and use cinnamon and cardamom to add more flavor. Rice and smokey black beans for one meal and potatoes with steamed veggies for the other.

I have realized that I have been eating fruit between meals a lot out of habit and not because I am hungry. This is a habit I need to eliminate as I think it is slowing down /stalling my weight loss. Weighing myself everyday has not helped. I tried it for a while but I think that is part of the reason for the continuous eating yesterday afternoon. Seeing the same weight every day or that up and down motion of the scale numbers has really played with my brain. Daily weighing was great when I saw a little loss every day but what the scale has been telling me in the past two week is "fake news" that has as effect on what I am thinking. I SO want to get into the 170's and it looks like it is not happening and I begin to fear it will never happen. That is the "fake news". I really know I will get there.....really ! I just get impatient...

Well, my oats are done. Time for breakfast ! Have a great day everyone ! Enjoy your day Idgie !

-Squealcat
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Re: My Daily "Weighing in"

Postby Idgie » Wed Sep 05, 2018 7:59 am

We've got this!

I'm off to eat some veg soup for breakfast. Lunch will be brown rice that I keep in my desk drawer (I have class before work, so I can't take refrigerated food to work today). Dinner will be leftover Indian food (MWL-compliant). The heatwave has broken, my ankle is healing, and I'm determined to have a good day today! We can do this.
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Re: My Daily "Weighing in"

Postby bunsofaluminum » Wed Sep 05, 2018 9:37 am

squealcat wrote: Weighing myself everyday has not helped. I tried it for a while but I think that is part of the reason for the continuous eating yesterday afternoon. Seeing the same weight every day or that up and down motion of the scale numbers has really played with my brain. Daily weighing was great when I saw a little loss every day but what the scale has been telling me in the past two week is "fake news" that has as effect on what I am thinking. I SO want to get into the 170's and it looks like it is not happening and I begin to fear it will never happen. That is the "fake news". I really know I will get there.....really ! I just get impatient...

Well, my oats are done. Time for breakfast ! Have a great day everyone ! Enjoy your day Idgie !

-Squealcat


It's easy to let the stupid scale discourage us, isn't it? It's bad on a daily basis, but even weekly for me...you stay on plan very nicely, feeling really good about yourself for being "so good" on your "diet" and you can't wait to step on the scale on "weigh in day" a week into it and it hasn't moved! :crybaby: That has happened to me and yes, VERY discouraging. But going into "why bother mode" isn't helpful, and your attitude is PERFECT. You're keeping an eye on how close you are to your goal and sticking with it, and that is GREAT!
JUST DON'T EAT IT

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Re: My Daily "Weighing in"

Postby squealcat » Sun Sep 09, 2018 1:23 pm

Well, I am NOT weighting myself every day and feel better about that choice.

I still have had a tough time this week being/feeling weak and thinking about food I cannot have. I really was just going to eat "healthy" food like I did in years past (hard boiled eggs, chicken .....etc ) but this morning I woke up and was thinking about what I would eat today and I felt nauseaous when my mind went to chicken, eggs etc ..... Oatmeal is what sounded the best to me so I went with that. A big salad is what sounded good for lunch along with potatoes and zucchini soup. I think I just need a little more variety in my day once in a while. I was feeling bored. I plan on making a stir fry for dinner with lots of stir fry veggies. Haven't had that in a long time.

Don't know what happened but I feel like I am in a better mood/ a better place now. I really do not want meat, cheese or eggs. I just want something a little different for now. Will see what happens !

Oh, also..... a McDougall group on facebook was talking about beans.....I bought cranberry beans this week and plan on making a new soup I have never made before. Hope it tastes good ! I need to freeze some for emergencies.

Have a good week everyone !

-squealcat
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