Artista’s Journal

[Artista]

My last two posts were lost. I still have the more recent of the two so I'm reposting that one here.

Monday 9/18/23
B: green tea, cantaloupe, green beans, arugula, chickpeas
L: 1 fig, 1 nectarine, steel cut oats
D: Tomato, carrots, Calif.-style veg with arugula, smashed pinto beans w/brown rice
Exercise: 53 min. Walking

Tuesday 9/19/23
B: green tea, cantaloupe, green beans, arugula, chickpeas
L: collards, Calif-style veg, smashed pinto beans, brown rice
S: grapes
D: salad, natto, lentil soup w/kale
Exercise: 1 hour walking

I'll post a report for the last few days later.

[Artista]

I haven't been doing a good job of reporting what I’m eating but my food has been consistently within the 4 food groups of fruit, vegetables, intact whole grains, and legumes. I’ve had in the back of my mind the 10 points for MWL and I’ve been trying to fall more in line with them. My main area of noncompliance has been eating traditional soy foods like natto, edamame, and unsweetened soy milk, also not being consistent with preloading and the 50/50 plate. I’ve been working on those and it’s been going fairly well. The hardest has been giving up the soy milk. I’m a tea drinker and I always drink it with soy milk, I don’t like it plain. Lately I’ve been having trouble sleeping so I’m working on giving up the tea altogether to see if that helps.

I’ve been working with a physical therapist to regain strength and mobility in my shoulder since fracturing it in August. It’s gotten so much better with the physical therapy but it’s not quite all the way back to normal yet. I can’t do push ups or any yoga poses that put weight on the arms. I’m really looking forward to getting back to doing yoga again.

Today I took some time to browse around the forums. I read through a thread from June 2015 titled “People who come and go”. I haven’t been around the discussion forums long enough to be an old timer but it was really heartwarming to read posts by people who have been at this a long time, to hear them remembering old friends and talk about why people might disappear form the forums. Some people had passed away but others weren’t active on the forums because they were out living full and busy lives, not because they fell back into SAD eating and bad health. It was inspiring to hear of the health benefits people have achieved though following this diet and lifestyle and to see them keeping it up for a lifetime.

[bunsofaluminum]

What a treat, seeing that thread! I am an oldie around here, and it's always so cool when people from "back in the day" come around again.

Best healing to you, because yeah you want to do yoga again! I started again with seated yoga/chair yoga (knee surgeries) and it's making the biggest difference. Feeling comfortable and at home in my body is so wholesome and good.

[Artista]

Hi Heidi! Thanks so much for visiting my journal and leaving a comment. Sometimes it can seem kind of lonely around here. I miss those old days and I wasn't even here then, but it seems that there was more lively participation then. I'm going to try and do better with posting more often and not just lurking. That's great that you do yoga. I haven't been doing any since injuring my shoulder but I decided to get back into it and just do what I can and skip the poses that I can't do. I always felt so good in my body after yoga.

[Artista]

What I ate yesterday (Tuesday):
3:00 am. (couldn't sleep): steel cut oats, blueberries, honeydew
Late morning: 2 c. tea with 2 T. Soy milk, green beans, arugula.
L: apple, steamed cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, collards, and kale, a couple small gold potatoes, chickpeas
D: salad, grapes, stew of pinto beans, butternut squash, tomatoes, onions, and corn
Exercise: 50 minutes walking

I saw the orthopedic doctor today and she is happy with the progress on my shoulder. She said everything looks good as far as the fracture healing and now I just need to push through the discomfort to regain strength and mobility in the joint. Also my physical therapist said they could work with me to create an exercise routine for building overall muscle strength and bone density and I can use their machines to work out. I need to wait until my shoulder is able to bear more weight before I can do that though, maybe by the end of the month, but I'm happy to see things moving forward.

[Ejeff]

Artists, glad your shoulder is healing well. Great news! I have had problems with both my shoulders and even though it does seem to take forever the shoulder strength will come. Glad your PT can assist you with a strength program and you can use their machines.

I have found in my own situation as long as I keep the weights lighter with more repetitions I don’t have pain and I am slowly getting stronger.

Erin

[Artista]

Hi Erin! Thanks so much for leaving your comments and insights. What you said aligns exactly with what the physics therapist recommends: gradual, incremental steps toward increasing range of motion and strength rather than trying to do too much too soon. I've found that pain is a good guide in that respect!

What I ate Wednesday (10/11)
B: Normandy-style vegetables, arugula, chickpeas, oatmeal, blueberries
L: raw tomatoes & carrots, steamed Calif.-style veg w/greens, stew of pinto beans, onion, tomato, corn & butternut squash
S: apple
D: grapes, tomatoes, cucumber, steamed cauliflower, carrots, chickpeas, baked sweet potato
Exercise: 30 min. rebounding, PT exercises

Thursday (10/12)
B: Calif.-style vegetables, 2 mandarins, oatmeal, blueberries
L: apple, raw tomatoes & carrots, steamed Calif.-style veg., smashed pinto beans & corn
D: salad, grapes, steamed calif.-style veg., smashed pinto beans & brown rice
Exercise: 40 min. walking, PT exercises.

I joined the MWL group for October and I'm feeling pretty positive about it. My hope is to stay with it for the long term but we'll see how it goes. One thing I've noticed is that I need to be really careful in what I watch and listen to, not linger too long at the bakery window so to speak. One of my favorite programs is the Great British Baking Show, there's something so comforting about a cake or loaf of bread baking in the oven, and I enjoy seeing the artistry and creativity of the bakers. But I've noticed that it can really set up cravings for some of my formerly favorite unhealthy foods. But on the other hand, if I watch a video from Dr. McDougall and colleagues, I feel very fortified in my resolve to make healthy diet and lifestyle choices. Something I need to pay attention to going forward.

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Artista!

Glad to see you joined us in MWL group.

Thanks so much for referencing this old thread - “People who come and go”. Gave it a read and ❤️ it! I also go back and read old discussions of all types. It is amazing the treasures to be found on this Discussion Board.

Awesome that your shoulder is healing well and that you can use equipment at your PT to rehab! I saw you were thinking about a trainer as well. Your PT may have some recommendations of trainers that may be a great place to start. I did a lot of looking and asking questions before I found the trainer that I am working with now --- and I am glad I took the time because I am super happy with the situation.

Hope that you have a great week!

Best,
Stephanie

[Artista]

I decided to start posting what I’m eating again, at least for awhile, to help get a more solid footing with MWL.

Yesterday I ate:

Breakfast: green tea with a couple Tbsps of soy milk, orange, green beans, arugula, oatmeal, banana
Lunch: apple, split-pea soup, raw veg (cucumber, carrots, tomatoes)
Dinner: raw carrots, steamed cauliflower, broccoli, kale, and collard greens, pinto beans, potatoes, chilis
Snacks: oats, sweet potato, pear

Exercise: 45 minutes of yoga. It feels good to be able to do yoga again after so many months of dealing with a shoulder injury.

MWL 10 points: 8 out of 10 (missed on #5 & 8 because of the soy milk)

It will be a busy time coming up. We'll be working on cleaning out my mom's house and getting it ready to sell, that will be a big job, plus I have a few art classes coming up. I'm going to try and keep my food as simple as possible. Also I have a new cat! My friends found him in the snow meowing around their cabin. They couldn't find an owner and couldn't keep him, so now he's with me. He's a funny kitty, an orange tabby, kind of friendly, kind of persnickety, wherever the mood takes him.

[Artista]

1/7/24:

Breakfast: orange, oatmeal, banana
Lunch: apple, pinto beans, potatoes, steamed vegetables
Dinner: cabbage salad, split-pea soup
Snacks: oats, sweet potato

Exercise: 45 minutes strength training & walking

MWL 10 points: 9 out of 10 (forgot to preload at dinner)