by wildgoose » Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:03 pm
I can't do a regular weekly weigh-in -- it derails me every time I try. But I can report that I've been totally MWL for almost 6 weeks. Totally. As in, not one non-compliant mouthful.
It finally got through my thick skull that the little slips were what caused the raging cravings that turned into big derailments. One bite of anything with flour and I craved bread for the next three days. One even slightly sweet dessert and I would be STARVING the whole next day. Banana "ice cream" might be legal, but it's a minefield for me.
What do I eat? Rice (brown rice, wild rice, jasmine rice or mixtures of the above). Potatoes and sweet potatoes. Steel cut oatmeal. Corn. Pinto beans and kidney beans. Lentils. Soups (homemade) and Jeffburgers. SNAP-like meals made of rice, frozen mixed veggies, spinach and broth. Lentil chili (my own recipe, which we go through a lot of around here). Broccoli by the ton. Raw veggies. The occasional salad (not thrilled with salads in the winter). A frozen Mexican blend of corn, broccoli, cauliflower and red peppers. Bananas, Cutie oranges, apples and blueberries. I do salt my food, although I use no-salt-added canned/frozen ingredients and low-sodium broth. I use salsa, ketchup (no HFC, low sodium) and mustard for condiments. No salad dressing.
I can honestly report that I have no cravings. None. Amazing.
The only thing that happened once, which was more interesting than concerning, was when I was in the kitchen and somebody put a couple of slices of whole-wheat bread in the toaster. My response to the smell of toasting bread was instantaneous. I WANTED that bread. I wanted six slices of that bread, and I wanted them fast as I could shove them in my mouth. Of course, I didn't eat them. And I noticed the feeling. I was clearly able to differentiate it from regular hunger, and even from what I would call a normal craving in the old days. The only thing it reminded me of was the kind of shaky, ravenous hunger I got when I was prescribed steroids in the past. Maybe that means I always stay away from bread even if I can someday eat on the regular McDougall plan.
I'm fine with simple food. I always have food available. Meal-size containers of rice, casseroles full of soup, plenty of cooked spuds in the fridge. I usually eat 2 meals a day because that's what I feel like, but those meals are pretty big. I've been known to eat out of a mixing bowl, because it's easier to microwave my food in it and I'm too lazy to wash a bunch of dishes. That raises a few eyebrows, but hey, it works.
I'm satisfied. No cravings, no starvation, no worries.
Oh, and in those almost 6 weeks, I've lost 11.6 pounds and one pants size. Onward and downward!
Goose