JAAP AMESZ

[sirdle]

Hello Jaap!

Everyone here wants you to succeed.

So please understand that if someone on this board questions your approach, they are not being critical, but rather they are expressing concern that your approach might cause a lapse that will be hard for you to overcome.

We each have different triggers. Sometimes I think the hardest part of this approach to life is figuring out what those triggers are and developing strategies for managing them.

Chocolate is my trigger. I have been drilling into my head, over and over, that chocolate is not food: it is poison. A little bit won't kill me, but it's not doing me any good either... and it could be doing me a lot of hidden harm. I need to stay away. Coming to this forum every day helps me keep this point fresh in mind. Reading about all the people who have slid down the slippery path, helps keep me centered.

I need to protect myself. Staying on the program should be a core value, much stronger then I considered it in the past. It should be a value like not raping, no violence, no stealing and no straying of the program NO MATTER WHAT.

This is true. But keep in mind that whatever happened yesterday is not nearly as important as what will happen today. If you do stray, don't beat yourself up about it. Get back on that fiery horse, and with a cloud of dust and hi-o silver get back on the plan.

Wishing you the best,

Cheers,

[Jaap Amesz]

My friend invited me for a beer party in may. Last year I visited his beer party which was a meat loaded barbecue with his own developed and brewed beers.

I declined this party. I need to protect my sobriety. So I walk my talk.

However not to hurt his feelings, and to prevent discussions, I just said I won't attend, but I'd love to buy some of his new beers. Then I just gift those beers to others on a birth day party or something.

The WFBP / Starch way is uncommon in my society. I guess sometimes you have to solve social issues like this in a smart way.

[Jaap Amesz]

Small indiscretion, happened before I even noticed it. I'd better not tell, cause that would reinforce my rep as the great reveller.

No worries, tomorrow I start counting from day 1 again to remain brutally honest. Will I reach 30 days this next run?

Revelling Revisited

When the mod first talked to me about my revelling tendency, I had to look the word up in the dictionary, which only gave me synonyms. So I guess it means something like revealing a fact in a somewhat dramatic way. I couldn't quit place that feedback, till I listened to a Doug Lisle interview regarding esteemed dynamics.

So when an individual has tried and failed many times, in order to defend ego, that person might turn to "kicking the table" (Lisle's words). They may deliberately not give a serious effort anymore, worse yet, using showmanship to reveal to others opposite behaviour to let the world see they are NOT trying. Who doesn't try, cannot fail and cannot lose ego points compared to others.

My dear friends on this forum, trust me, I did not get out of bed "to revel on McDougall's site". I didn't even comprehend this esteemed dynamics mechanism before. Herewith, I am sorry anyway. My bad, I will do better from now on.

More importantly, how come and how to solve?

There are folks who made an honest effort, but failed anyway, while having a world view they were doing the correct things. That causes some bitterness and learned helplessness, like in my case. Been with Fuhrman, Greger, Campbell etc etc and still it ain't working!

Look, doing a SAD based diet for 95% correctly, is considered a great success. Whether you stray to 5% higher CD, within a context of 95% also pretty high CD doesn't matter that much. Though when doing WFPB/ Starch style for 95% correct is actually a bad thing! It's like torturing the brain with 5% much higher CD then the standard green stuff.

How come?

Small indiscretions messes with your brain and leads to failure. Almost adherence isn't good enough! That indeed is an ungrateful aspect of this eating style. Well, you can't change the earth form turning either, so better accept it.
Doing it 99% correct = still losing! Maybe not today, but it will be a loss somewhere in the long run.

How to solve?

Stay the course soldier! Winning = 100%. Practice makes perfect.

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source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN6TOLO0WO0 , from 1:10 to 1:20

[Jaap Amesz]

All from phone. Test picture. I actually ate these meals in the past. Now I can just upload 1 picture with all info. Weight is old photo don't know my current weight.

So what info do you think is missing?

2019-3-27 by Jaap Amesz, on Flickr

[Jaap Amesz]

Picking your variable of success

Yep, been thinking again. Well, I could better say reflecting on old experiences, failing & succeeding, what makes the difference?

It starts by defining success. Most fat people see losing fat as success, they measure that on a scale. The more you lose, the better you did right? At least this is how the masses view success on weight loss. Let me give you 2 cases.

A: Lost 20 pounds in a month. Lost enormously in week 1 just fasting, then in week 2 gaining some by eating candy, in week 3 and 4 some chemical diet shake only.

B: Lost 10 pounds in a month. Steadily, eating WFPB/starch.

Who is better off? Who would you pick? I would pick B. Since A might have lost more, but general health may be worse then before, while B has nurtured the body and is more resilient in maintaining that flow, while A is more likely to collapse.

So "most weight lost" seems a dumb variable and "steadily" a better one. So some people have communicated with me telling me to "stay the course". Yes, stay out of the pleasure trap and brain torturing.

How to measure "stay the course"?

I guess you can measure your streak. How many days of unbroken McDougall program are you now? If you have even the smallest indiscretion, you start over. Does is really matter losing X or Y in a month if you stay on your 100% perfect compliance streak? No, it doesn't.

Suppose I would give you a magical contract from heaven where you can reduce your risk on a heart attack to 0,4% only, so 99,6% heart attack prove? (actual numbers from Esselstyn's research!) But the catch is you can't be the biggest loser, but a somewhat slower loser. I would pick being a slow loser! Not to mention stopping 'the most carcinogen' variable (animal protein) and being maximum protected against the cancer killer.

Is being the biggest loser more important then preventing leading killers?

Sound like a no-brainer right? Still, you have to be prepared to give yourself intrinsic cudo's for that path. All my friends, family, neighbours, gym members etc etc etc will give cudo's to the biggest loser, the faster the better. What's happening inside, like clearing your arteries, making cells cancer proof..... that all is worth nothing to the people around you. For them it's about appearance; do you look thinner from the outside, where is your sick-pack, where are your fake tits?

For getting social status, losing slower but healthier, it's an ungrateful path. It feels unfair, it is unfair. To bad, it's how the world works. Better face it and keep your streak, regardless people around you.

[Jaap Amesz]

1) My friend mailed me with the question if our dinner appointment was still on, which we made many months ago. I said,"yes, but I won't eat, since I am on a diet". I just will eat nothing at the restaurant. I will drink water or tea. Eat before and after at home. If pushed, I will explain shortly. I will be clear to drop the issue, if not, I have no choice to leave. PROTECT MY SOBRIETY!

2) I kept my vouch. I didn't weigh in march again. I weighed myself early April (on the scale for tree weighing, no joke). I was at 188 kilo.

3) Tomorrow will be day 1 again. No problem telling you what happened this time, but I am not allowed to tell you as to keep the forum focussed on success stories. (or PM me)

4) Got a membership of a Dutch audio book company. I noticed 1 McDougall book, 3 Colin Campbell books, 1 John Robbins book, 5 Joel Fuhrman books. So I got some listening to do during my walks in the forest. Unfortunately The Pleasure Trap audio book was not there.

5) Yes, still on the McDougall plan. No, not on MWL, since I am over 2 fruits a day and exercise longer then 60 minutes a day, and my starch/veggie ratio is leaning more towards starch.

Have a nice day my friends.

[Jaap Amesz]

I'm back! Became a member in feb 2019, now it's feb 2020. Ironic. What happened since the last time I was here?

Tried some insulin tricks a la Taubes and imitators. Actually had good results with lowering insulin. At least, that I think so, cause doing 1 thing in isolation is hard to measure anyway. I got intrigued in regard lowering insulin more general. So not the carbohydrate insulin theory, but regardless of it. Just like a portfolio of lowering insulin measures. And I wondered, eating veggies is already lowering your serum insulin levels, so why not explore whole food, plant based again? That served me well in the past.

Then I read Michael Greger's book How not to diet. You can guess which chapter I read first: the insulin chapter. Greger argues (with references) the lowering effect on serum insulin levels eating WFPB. Then I read the chapters on fasting, another big issue in my 2019 journal entries. Gave me some ideas. I read the book twice in a row.

Now Jeff Novick's words linger in my head.... "in the end people always come back to these principles". I couldn't really accept that last year. Maybe there still is a trick? Maybe I can find it? Well, I did find temporary tricks worth nothing in the long run.

Though Greger doesn't say it literally, there really is this harsh message in the book, it goes like this:

-metabolic slow down always appears to be there
-once you have reached a very fat state, it's like losing a leg, it cannot be reversed, you just have a slower metabolism for life

So revolving around veggies, it's the only way to eat freely and losing the weight.

I actually got the book in November, pre-order, read it at once. Let the harsh truth linger in my head, postponed, but yesterday I accepted it.

I have lost my metabolic leg, just like people losing a flesh and bone leg, the best course is to accept that and make the best decisions from now on.

So goodbye Ben & Jerry's, goodbye Big Macs. I have accepted that. Even taking better health out of the equation, society is just mean to fat people. I need to get slimmer. Fair or unfair, it is like it is.

I feel pretty relaxed now. Already ate lentils + veggies, a salad with balsamic vinegar and airfried potatoes with hot pepper sauce (no suger added, just mashed peppers). I liked it. Let's retry.

Oh and I am happy that Gregor is more relaxed then Colin Campbell. Greger says you are following a WFPB diet striving to maximize WFPB foods. Like vinegar, isn't WFPB and the mashed peppers from a jar contained some added salt.

Well, let's see where it goes from here. Thanks for reading my friends.

[Jaap Amesz]

I have joined the Spudfit club!

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Unfortunately, the chairman of the Intensive Care Counsel in my country stated that 80% of intubated patients are fat. There is clear correlation, From Sars, the same type of virus, in 2002/2003 there is the number of 61% of casulties were fat.

Covid-19 makes it easy to diet. I feel bad, I had time before, but I failed time and again. Now I ran out of time, a dangerous virus is lurking. I feel so stupid.

[deweyswakms]

I have joined the Spudfit club!

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Unfortunately, the chairman of the Intensive Care Counsel in my country stated that 80% of intubated patients are fat. There is clear correlation, From Sars, the same type of virus, in 2002/2003 there is the number of 61% of casulties were fat.

Hi from Oregon. I just read your journal. WOW you have done so well so far. I want to read Dr. Greger's book too; libraries are all closed now so it will be awhile for me. I LOVE Spuds!! Truly a nearly perfect food. One of my favorite comfort foods is mashed potatoes with corn and peas.

I too am saddened by people in poor health and thus more susceptible to the virus. Truly we can save ourselves, and help the besieged medical staff, by losing the weight. In July 2019 I recommitted to MWL guidelines; joined their monthly weigh-in group for accountability, fired up my journal here; surprised myself how my attitude shifted about food. And bam, I lost 20 pounds. I want to lose 5 more.

Keep on doing what you are doing; it works.

Marsha

[Jaap Amesz]

Actually, I have lost a year since first joining here. I appreciate your nice words, thought the facts are that my actions last year were mediocre. I am about the same weight still.

Well, nothing to be done about that. From now on, I will do better.

[Ltldogg]

Hi Jaap,

Stay the course. Success is just a matter of being prepared, consistently following the program, not allowing excuses to creep in, and time. You've got this!

Best,
Scott

[Jaap Amesz]

I am prepared. Stocked up on WFPB foods for months to live on. My goverment wants 60% of the population to get infected with Covid-19 to form an immunity wall to shelter the weak. I am not joining the wall, since I am in the high risk group.