Shmookitty's Journal

[Shmookitty]

Just cooked up a small bag of bulgur I've had for the past six weeks or so. It was a little bit bland, so I stirred some cinnamon in it, and it tastes really good! I've never had tabbouleh, so I didn't know what bulgur tasted like.

I also ordered some bulk amaranth and barley from Food to Live (off Amazon). I am deciding to keep amaranth in daily rotation if it's going to clean me out that well, and take Dr. McDougall's statement that I can use small amounts of sugar if it keeps me eating starch.

I saw on the Amazon comments for the bulk amaranth I ordered that there are a couple of people who eat it every day for the very reason that it keeps their bowels cleaned out. I will try to tactfully put that in my review when the time comes.

[AnnetteW]

I keep forgetting to note this here, but there is one more positive change that has happened since I started McDougalling two months ago.

I just turned 49 and have been in peri-menopause for the past several years. Part of that is the dreaded chin hairs that come when your hormones start getting out of whack. I used to have to wax twice a week and pluck daily, when I was still eating meat and dairy. After the first month of McDougall, it became just a matter of plucking a few strays. I can't remember the last time I got my cold wax kit out, I think it's been about a month now.

I'm not exactly sure what it is about the Starch Solution that fixed it, but I am DEFINITELY happy about that!

It sure hasn't helped my hairy face. I sat down to my makeup mirror last night and yelled out to my husband that I needed a good shave as I had just found a 1" long hair. No joke. That razor is going to be doing its job today. I only get fuzzy on the left side of my face, which I think is because I primarily sleep on the right side.

[AnnetteW]

TMI Alert - Maybe I am not giving amaranth a good enough trial. I have had three portions now, and I just had the biggest bowel movement of my life, full of amaranth seeds! I think they must have been like those little cartoon scrubbing bubbles that clean out your tub, but in my digestive system. (I normally don't examine my poo, but I was afraid it wouldn't all go down)!

I think I will try amaranth again. Maybe see if I can get away with less sugar. It is definitely too bland for me on its own. Today it tasted less sweet than yesterday. Might work out after all.

Also, I wrote this on Annette's journal but wanted to record here too - I have been moving to eating four smaller meals instead of three larger ones in the past two or three weeks or so, and I'm really doing well on it. Previously I had a small snack around 3:30 p.m. - usually a couple handfuls of greens with oil-free dressing. No starch, and not a lot of calories. But recently (pretty much since I started eating sweet potatoes at snack time), I have started eating more significantly at that time, and then I naturally eat a smaller dinner at 6. It seems 3:30 is really when I'm ready for dinner. Dr. McDougall says to eat when hungry, so that's what I have been doing. And I feel a lot better.

I will keep doing that as long as I find it helpful, even after I start working again. There are people who smoke several times a day, or socialize too much, my quirk will be eating at both noon and 3:30 p.m. Of course I will work while eating for the 3:30 period, but I don't intend to eliminate that mini-meal when I'm doing so well on it.

I am thinking that I do like my oats at breakfast time, so assuming I do take to amaranth, I will have a bowl of that at 3:30 (since I am no longer eating sweet potatoes, I would just "switch" starches). Easy to eat a spoonful at a time while doing something else, and very satisfying. Hmmm...I think it will work out.

I actually find this quite interesting. I don't remember if I tried Amaranth. I tried something that I detested, perhaps it was Teff. Clearing out the gut sure is helpful, but that also means the food wasn't digest or anything, so except for clearing out the body, and filling you up, are you getting any nutrition from it?

I definitely need to focus on the 4 meal concept rather than 3 meals and a snack. You are definitely right that it leads to a smaller dinner, which also makes for an emptier stomach when going to bed.

I'm really curious now to try the amaranth.

[bunsofaluminum]

TMI Alert - Maybe I am not giving amaranth a good enough trial. I have had three portions now, and I just had the biggest bowel movement of my life, full of amaranth seeds! I think they must have been like those little cartoon scrubbing bubbles that clean out your tub, but in my digestive system. (I normally don't examine my poo, but I was afraid it wouldn't all go down)!

I think I will try amaranth again. Maybe see if I can get away with less sugar. It is definitely too bland for me on its own. Today it tasted less sweet than yesterday. Might work out after all.

Also, I wrote this on Annette's journal but wanted to record here too - I have been moving to eating four smaller meals instead of three larger ones in the past two or three weeks or so, and I'm really doing well on it. Previously I had a small snack around 3:30 p.m. - usually a couple handfuls of greens with oil-free dressing. No starch, and not a lot of calories. But recently (pretty much since I started eating sweet potatoes at snack time), I have started eating more significantly at that time, and then I naturally eat a smaller dinner at 6. It seems 3:30 is really when I'm ready for dinner. Dr. McDougall says to eat when hungry, so that's what I have been doing. And I feel a lot better.

I will keep doing that as long as I find it helpful, even after I start working again. There are people who smoke several times a day, or socialize too much, my quirk will be eating at both noon and 3:30 p.m. Of course I will work while eating for the 3:30 period, but I don't intend to eliminate that mini-meal when I'm doing so well on it.

I am thinking that I do like my oats at breakfast time, so assuming I do take to amaranth, I will have a bowl of that at 3:30 (since I am no longer eating sweet potatoes, I would just "switch" starches). Easy to eat a spoonful at a time while doing something else, and very satisfying. Hmmm...I think it will work out.

I love BM posts How healthy we are to eliminate SO much, so often! it's awesome!

Thanks for sharing

[Shmookitty]

I think the amaranth digested, but it is like little seeds, sort of like quinoa, so it is probably hulls from the seeds I saw - I did not look for long but it was very obvious.

Here is what I ordered from Amazon the first time - you'll see what I mean about the seed texture. The seeds weren't intact like when I ate them, they were clear and fractioned. (sorry!) I saw recipes for popped amaranth, just to give you an idea.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00028Q450/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I made all but about 1/6 of the bag or so and it lasted for three breakfast sized servings and one afternoon snack. Not bad for $4.38. I'm sure you can find it elsewhere too, just wanted to show you what it looked like.

buns, yes, I enjoy the BM posts too. I am not very squeamish. I call them my epic bowel movements. It's only been since McDougalling so I fully credit that. Before that, I was still taking Citrucel caplets once or twice a day and only going about twice a week. Now my digestive system works so well! I mentioned here that I am a former bulimic - I did a LOT of laxative abuse over ten years, and, it seemed, completely messed up my system. Now you would never know it. Just another benefit to the program.

I woke up this morning and my underwear felt particularly baggy today , so I caved and jumped on the scale instead of waiting until Saturday. Down another pound and a half to 209.9, so 210. But it does count as being in the next-lowest ten pound range. 17 pounds now since starting McDougall eight weeks ago. Woo hoo! I also lost another inch each in my waist, hips, and around my tummy.

I am also making tiny bits of progress with my measuring food. I did not measure the amaranth at all (except when cooking), for three breakfasts, and then I just ate the partial portion that was left as my afternoon snack yesterday. And I did not measure my frozen cherries the last three times. I batch cooked yesterday and measured that stuff, but I am very slowly starting to get myself used to the idea of knowing how much I want to eat and putting it together. Some days will naturally be more, and some less, but I am done restricting for the sake of dieting.

To further this, I am not going to assemble my meals in advance anymore, except for lunches when I start working or when I go to my volunteer job on Fridays. I am still going to batch cook and open full cans of things (I have a TON of Rubbermaid and Ziploc containers), but I will store it in the fridge separately and just make up a bowl of food when I am ready to eat - without using a measuring cup - pretty much like cutting a salad. I hadn't thought of this yesterday when I was making grain bowls, so I still have five in there. But next time, I will just keep a large container of barley and containers of things like corn, peas, sauteed (in water) onions and peppers, and beans. Wait until it's time to eat and put it together based on appetite. Pretty much using your suggestion, Lyndzie, about using a certain sized bowl and filling it up. For me, that will be at least 70% starch.

I have been pretty much not tracking calories anymore since starting McDougall (except for those five days last week), and now I am not counting them either after reading those two Sparkpeople articles about eating for your maintenance weight. Then there has been the permission to eat four meals a day instead of three. Freedom from the measuring cups is next on the list. I have a big container of bulgur in the fridge I just cooked yesterday for afternoon snacks, and will not measure that. It should REALLY give me a good challenge, to not only not count the calories (I have no idea how many calories are in a cup of cooked bulgur - and don't tell me! lol!), but also not to measure it so I don't even know if it's a nice round portion.

I know I have had my bumps along the way of this first eight weeks, but Dr. McDougall, I KNOW you can heal the last of my eating disorder, plus all these other benefits I have experienced. I WILL learn how to eat freely and not regimented. I have made small progress already, so it's just a matter of making more small changes over time and they will all add up!

[AnnetteW]

OMG, have to laugh about the baggy underpants comment. I recently bought a bunch of new ones as the old ones were sagging on me. It really is a funny feeling.

So I just bought amaranth at Natural Grocers and I'm almost 100% positive it's what I bought before and trashed. Eek...But I'm going to try it again. How much "uncooked" do you think you are eating at a time. My label says 1/4c is a serving at 170 calories. I'm also thinking perhaps it would be good added just 1T a time to oatmeal perhaps, or other cereal, if the flavor is yucky.

Perhaps this afternoon I'll try it.

Do you have a special way you cooked it?

[Shmookitty]

I just double checked on Amazon since I don't have the bag anymore. My bag said to cook 1 cup amaranth and 3 cups water (covered) for 25 minutes. I did 2 cups amaranth and 6 cups water in a large pot, because I was batch cooking it. I don't know if it makes any difference, but I put the grain in right away and didn't wait for the water to boil. When the water boiled, I covered and simmered.

I honestly have no idea how much I was eating, I was trying to be good and not measure. Probably about one to 1-1/2 cups cooked, but I don't know what that is uncooked. Two cups raw did make a lot of grain, I'm guessing about 6 cups.

I hope you are pleasantly surprised and you like it! You mentioned teff previously, that it may have been that you didn't like. I didn't like the look of it when I was browsing on Amazon, so didn't order it. Hope the amaranth works out for you!

Like I said earlier, I found amaranth on its own to be pretty bland, so I put 3 tbsp of sugar in it after it cooked. I did the same thing with the bulgur I am eating right now.

As for baggy underwear, I have size 11 I am in now, and then I bought 9s and 8s. I have no 10s. I probably should rectify that!

[Shmookitty]

Okay, I am NOT going to weigh myself this Saturday.

We finally went out for my birthday dinner tonight. I had been going back and forth for the past ten days or so, anticipating what I would order. Finally at the dinner table, I decided on chana masala (curried chickpeas). It comes with white basmati rice. I didn't ask if they had brown, felt too subconscious, and I've never seen a choice on the menu. I think they only have white.

So, the meal was not at all oily, but I am not sure if there was oil in it. It really didn't taste like it. A quick google search on chana masala recipes shows about half with coconut oil and half without oil.

We each had an order of onion kulcha, an onion-stuffed tandoori bread. It came with a light shiny top, so I guess they "dusted" it with ghee. It was just a little bit, not at all greasy, but it was there.

But! It is one meal, right? I've been McDougalling since October 5, and haven't been non-compliant yet.

Well, we made a trip to Whole Foods on the way to the restaurant since we had a $50 gift card, and I wanted to get some bulk amaranth to tide me over until my Amazon order comes next week. I stocked up on boxed beans, got some Eden Organic aduki beans to try, and got some pantry basics like their oil-free vinaigrette, old fashioned oats, and some more Woven Wheats.

I was letting my husband browse in the baking aisle, and I saw a display of brownies and other types of individually wrapped squares. I noticed that some said "vegan" and some didn't. I picked up one that was labeled "Vegan Cinnamon Roll Blondie" and quickly scanned the ingredients, making sure there was no chocolate in it since I am allergic. I didn't notice the oil, and I bought one, as a birthday cake substitute.

I ate it a few minutes ago and was reading the label to get the web address for the company (Greyston Bakery). There is non-GMO soy oil. OOPS!! How did I miss that?!

So it may be one meal, but I definitely had a bit of ghee, if not oil, in my dinner, and then the "birthday treat" had soy oil in it. Dammit!

I don't feel very different - yet anyway - but I do feel like I have a coating on my tongue after the dessert. Totally gross. I was fine after dinner, until I ate dessert. And that stupid blondie had two servings, not one, so now that I've eaten it, I see that it has 280 calories, not 140. I have never baked desserts before, so I guess I should have known better about the oil. Someone else reading this might be thinking DUH, but I honestly don't know any better. I let myself be lulled into security by the "vegan" on the label, and didn't read it thoroughly enough. I will NOT make that mistake again, thinking, hey, I'm at Whole Foods, it must be okay! With my history of vegan junk food, and my strict to compliance to McDougall, I am really disappointed with myself that I did that.

The chana masala was the best I've ever had. I'm so used to canned chickpeas, and these were obviously made from dry. They tasted better. I do think it's possible there was no oil in the masala, there was no tell-tale grease or spots in the bowl. I should ask next time we go. We only go two or three times a year, it's a definite treat. Next time I will not get bread though - I don't want to eat ghee again.

I don't want to know what the scale will have to say about my performance today, between the ghee and the oil. I was fine before dinner, but I get a big fat F after that! I will weigh myself NEXT Saturday, not this one coming up.

[AnnetteW]

It's definitely the amaranth I can't stand. Oh geez, I've done it twice now. Luckily the 1 lb bag only cost $1.79 at Natural Grocers. I thought I'd add just a bit to my other cereals, but I can still taste it.

Too bad, it sounded like it works so well for you. I love trying things based on other people's suggestions.

[Ejeff]

Smookitty, This has happened to all of us I am sure, not reading a label closely enough. The important thing is you have learned from it and likely won’t do it again any time soon. And you are doing very well staying compliant so I applaud your progress.

I have never tried amaranth, but I will have to get some as now I am curious as to what it t is like.

[bunsofaluminum]

mmmm, now I want to get some dry garbanzos and cook them up. Dang that sounds good!

Isn't it funny about the labeling? One of the reasons I don't like shopping at "health food stores"...they look so green and healthy, with their little "Farm in the Country" stories on the back, and their GMO Free (or Vegan or Name The Current Fad all across the front of the photogenic label. Though I really do love the smell of a health food store.

Sweet potatoes in the produce bin don't have labels or ingredients lists. Neither do onions, apples, cucumbers, chard, or any other item in the produce section. Neither does the bag of rice or dried beans, even if there is a company logo on it, you know?

But like EJeff says, we all have done it. Shiny packaging (including a shiny health food store atmosphere) draws us in.

[Shmookitty]

Annette, I'm sorry you had a bad experience based on something I said! I guess now you won't forget what it is you don't like, so hopefully you aren't disappointed again. $1.79 is cheap, I paid $1.99 a pound yesterday at Whole Foods and thought that was pretty good too, but you had me beat! So that $4.38 I paid on Amazon for a pound bag was actually expensive!

I made two cups (dry) of amaranth this morning (I'm guessing it's about five or six cups cooked). Couldn't wait until 3:30 to have some as I planned so I had a small bowl after breakfast. I am getting better at eating freely. Also had a banana at 11:40 when I couldn't quite make it to lunch time. I had been stringent about when to eat. Have made some real progress in the last several days.

Those two Sparkpeople articles really filled in the gap for me, as far as eating in your goal weight's calorie range. Oddly enough, I have not been tempted to calorie count even once (disappointment in the blondie's two servings aside) since reading that. I know I already eat around my goal weight's maintenance range when eating freely, so my need to count calories is just magically gone. Under 1400 calories as I was doing prior to and in the first six weeks of McDougalling, I was obsessed, but a little bit higher, and I got this, no worries. I feel so free!

ejeff - You're right that I won't do that again! I am usually so thorough with label reading too. I don't know how I missed the oil, but it taught me a valuable lesson. I was scanning for chocolate, but blooped right over the oil. It wasn't even that big a blondie, just 2.5 ounces, so probably very little real harm done compared to the value of the learning experience.

It doesn't seem that I had any lasting damage from ghee and soy oil. No cravings for sweets after the blondie. Truthfully, I also learned that my desire for cake is in the past, I didn't even really enjoy the blondie. I was expecting to use my metal tongue scraper this morning after the oil and feeling gross last night (have not needed it since starting McDougall), but didn't need to.

Took advantage of free shipping and a 25% coupon to get some size 10 underwear, lol! I thought the ones I had were 10s, but I had 11 and then ordered 9s and 8s. I only paid $10.10 today for a ten pack of cotton undies. They should just give them away at that price. I can't imagine how they are making money, but they must be somehow. If anyone is in the market for undies or sweats, Hanes.com has some excellent pricing and free shipping right now.

Tried the aduki beans with lunch, they're very good! I knew them as adzuki beans when I was vegan last time in 2010-11 and used to do a lot of sprouting. They were good in the can too. I used to buy the dry ones in bulk when I belonged to an organic food co-op.

I am looking forward to eating my way through the last two grain bowls I have, so I can fully start not measuring my meals, like I mentioned in a previous journal post. I partly took Lyndzie's advice and partly thought that I wouldn't make salad ahead of time, so why can't I make my grain bowls at the time of eating too? I will still have tons of Rubbermaid containers in the fridge with all the ingredients!

I have been successful for the last few days with not measuring things like a snack sized bulgur bowl. I KNOW I can do this now, thanks to both Dr. McDougall and Spark Coach Dean. I think I needed the "diet" coach's inspiration that maintenance can start NOW, to finally convince me to let the restrictions go. I am not only not calorie counting, but starting to not measure at all. That is REAL peace. I thought I would log my food and measure my portions forever. I have two excellent mentors now that taught me to stop it. Once I got it in my head that I'm already in maintenance in a way, the need to restrict just vanished.

I will still use the measuring cups I have when cooking grains so I do the right proportion of grain to water, so it wasn't a waste to buy them. I did finally find my old set once I got my new ones - isn't that always the way? So now I have two sets of measuring cups.

I also decided after making that comment last night about not weighing in this Saturday that a week isn't even really enough time to register a good loss, so I am going to weigh myself on the 10th, 20th, and 30th of each month. I had just recorded a 1.5 pound loss on December 10. Let's see what happens between now and the 20th. I think that is a good plan. One more way to be less restrictive.

Finished re-reading The Starch Solution yesterday. My sister asked for some Christmas ideas, so I included links for The Healthiest Diet on the Planet, 12 Days to Dynamic Health, and The New McDougall Cookbook as options. Maybe she'll pick one of those.

[Shmookitty]

buns, I know, right? I would not have made the mistake at Food Lion. Whole Foods gave me a sense of "this is where they sell MY food," and I didn't even notice what I am meticulous about searching for at my regular grocery store!

By the way, I am embarrassed to admit that I just NOW got your user name...buns of steel...buns of aluminum. DUH!

[Shmookitty]

I know, right? When I was vegetarian and vegan before, I used to say you might as well call me a starchitarian because I pretty much lived on bread and pasta. White bread and white pasta, and lots of it, not healthy starches like I eat now, and I ate a good amount of vegan junk food and dairy replacements.

It has taken me the full past nine weeks of McDougalling to finally GET that this diet isn't too good to be true.

[Shmookitty]

I stopped at Whole Foods today after my volunteer job. We were just there on Wednesday, but I found out my Amazon order with my bulk amaranth is going to be delayed with the 15 pound bags being out of stock until the 18th. I hadn't bought enough to wait that long, so I went back to the bulk bin today.

I filled three gallon sized Ziploc bags I brought with me (they are fine with you bringing bags) and headed to the registers. The place was a total zoo at 2 p.m on Friday, so I had a long wait.

Both the woman in front of me and the woman behind me asked me what in the world I was buying so much of. They just saw big bags of these "little pellets" and so they both asked me what I do with them. I did get a McDougall mention into the conversation after the meat-buying woman behind me asked me if the grain was worth the price. I told her ALL grain is worth the price. I was very nice about it, but don't be judging my food when you're buying chicken.

The woman in front of me was buying four slices of pizza. They didn't even smell good anymore. They just smelled like grease. I had let her go in front of me since she had hot food, but it didn't make much of a difference. The line was long and not fast moving.

The one behind me was nosy and looked at my prices when I got rung up. She asked if that was a full month's supply because it wasn't that expensive. I told her I don't know, I just started eating it, but I don't want to ever run out. I ended up buying just under 12 pounds for $1.99 a pound. That's even cheaper per pound than the 15 pound bulk bag I have coming from Amazon...but it's worth a little extra to avoid a trip to Whole Foods. I love the place, but so does everyone else, and I have a hard time in crowds. I only go about once every 8-12 weeks.

I am PMSing. Don't have sweet cravings since starting McDougall, I am just retaining water and wanting to eat everything in sight. I just turned 49 and am ready for menopause! I know I am eating freely now, but I have to get a grip on reality and not overdo just because my hormones are out of whack. I am not really hungry, it's just my brain being on the fritz, so I am not giving in except for eating a "normal" amount of food for the day.

Oh, and I've been invited to my volunteer job's office holiday party next Friday at 3. They are going to be having hors d'oeurves. I am going to bring my own snack just to be safe. I normally eat at 3:30 and it's not going to be non-compliant.