FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

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

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Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

Postby frowsyowl » Mon Sep 16, 2019 8:03 am

Sunday--FAIL

Monday--too tired to process right now will report later. :duh:
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Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

Postby sirdle » Mon Sep 16, 2019 11:49 am

frowsyowl wrote:Sunday--FAIL

Monday--too tired to process right now will report later. :duh:

Fortunately, past performance is not a guarantee of future setbacks. ;-)

You can do this!

Cheers, :-P
"Before Enlightenment chop wood, carry water. After Enlightenment chop wood, carry water." -- Zen proverb
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Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

Postby frowsyowl » Tue Sep 17, 2019 8:24 am

Good Morning and Thanks Sirdle!

So...yesterday was weird. How quickly we (I) get back into the mindset of "why don't I just eat CRAP?" "It'll be fine" and "It'll be easier"...I think this weekend, besides being tired, I had come to the point where I can stuff more healthy stuff in before I'm full and didn't account for that, so ended up searching the house for other food. I also pro-cra-stin-a-t-e-d....all....day....Sunday....about cutting up the vegetables and preparing the foods that I bought.

Monday:

B: I think I had dry oats with almond milk, craisins? Can't remember
S: Noticed that husband left his cookies out in the open...had about five.
S: (Self-pity-party after doc appt) Convenience store muffin, candy, about 1/4th of a coffee
L: 1/2 of my lentil soup, 1/2 of the vegetables.
D: Angel Hair pasta (white)...didn't measure, just heaped it up. Sauce, and Boca (I use about half the suggested amount)
S: Ice cream (was not in the house, purchased with some other errands)--probably half a package--paid for this with nausea and heart burn, and was finally snapped out of my delusions :crybaby:

Today:
B: Hashbrowns...well more like warmed hash. I can never get them to cook correctly. I made more than I had this weekend, added a cup of peppers and onions. Was still hungry, so had some peaches. All the recommended iron, ibuprofen, and med suggested by my doctor.
S: Tea
L: Packed Soup, apple, and remaining veg from yesterday.
D: I think we'll have spaghetti again, but will be done with that left-over white pasta, so have whole wheat. Froz Broccoli. Edit: I had spaghetti without sauce, except for an extra helping, which had a bit on it. 1/2 bag frozen broccoli.

Plan to do more prep tonight. I need to cut up some lettuce, boil potatoes, and get dinner started for tomorrow night.
Last edited by frowsyowl on Wed Sep 18, 2019 9:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

Postby AnnetteW » Wed Sep 18, 2019 6:34 am

I too am having a bit of a struggle with the weekend. I know why also, it's because we'll eat out, and once I have one meal out, even though it is "fairly" on plan, I kind of start losing my conviction...which tells me the food was more "off-plan" than I realized. I think it's triggering me to want to eat other items. I try to plan ahead, and often I'm good about it. Since I tend to eat lunch out with the ladies on Friday, my dinner plan tends to be salad. I try to plan it at least.

Lately my plans have been not working out so well.

We just keep at it.
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Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

Postby deweyswakms » Wed Sep 18, 2019 7:03 am

AnnetteW wrote:I too am having a bit of a struggle with the weekend. I know why also, it's because we'll eat out,
We just keep at it.


Good morning ladies, I just cannot eat out and not see 2#s on the scale the next morning, despite how 'clean' the food is. I know it's the sodium in it. And it annoys me that it takes me another day, at least, to lose those sodium-pounds. So now I will ask for a big salad (dressing on the side) and a baked potato and/or steamed veggies.

I am so glad I only have to cook for myself. It would be hard to ignore forbidden foods like cookies and ice cream somebody else is eating, even though dairy really upsets my GI tract and I pay for it later. Yes, we definitely have to prep and cook a lot more! What's working for me is simple foods. Yesterday I had some veggie chili over roasted potatoes and carrots; so good. Sacks of frozen veggies and already prepped veggies, rice in a bag, canned beans, salsa = easy and nutritious meals.

Procrastination is a form of resistance. Good luck. Keep carrying on!
start weight 210 on 7/25/14; MWL recommit 7/2019 weight 197. 6/11/2022 weight 165.0. Height 5'8".
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Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

Postby frowsyowl » Wed Sep 18, 2019 9:43 am

AnnetteW wrote:I too am having a bit of a struggle with the weekend. I know why also, it's because we'll eat out, and once I have one meal out, even though it is "fairly" on plan, I kind of start losing my conviction...which tells me the food was more "off-plan" than I realized. I think it's triggering me to want to eat other items. I try to plan ahead, and often I'm good about it. Since I tend to eat lunch out with the ladies on Friday, my dinner plan tends to be salad. I try to plan it at least.

Lately my plans have been not working out so well.

We just keep at it.


Thanks to all of you, I'm keeping at it. I'm going to have to continue to adjust my boundaries about eating out. There are some options for me, but I either feel like I'm wasting money on something I could make at home, or I'm walking a fine line of triggering myself, like you mentioned.
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Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

Postby frowsyowl » Wed Sep 18, 2019 9:52 am

deweyswakms wrote:
AnnetteW wrote:I too am having a bit of a struggle with the weekend. I know why also, it's because we'll eat out,
We just keep at it.


Good morning ladies, I just cannot eat out and not see 2#s on the scale the next morning, despite how 'clean' the food is. I know it's the sodium in it. And it annoys me that it takes me another day, at least, to lose those sodium-pounds. So now I will ask for a big salad (dressing on the side) and a baked potato and/or steamed veggies.

I am so glad I only have to cook for myself. It would be hard to ignore forbidden foods like cookies and ice cream somebody else is eating, even though dairy really upsets my GI tract and I pay for it later. Yes, we definitely have to prep and cook a lot more! What's working for me is simple foods. Yesterday I had some veggie chili over roasted potatoes and carrots; so good. Sacks of frozen veggies and already prepped veggies, rice in a bag, canned beans, salsa = easy and nutritious meals.

Procrastination is a form of resistance. Good luck. Keep carrying on!


Thanks for checking in. I do need to simplify and be more careful! That chili combo with the carrots, sounds really good right now.
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Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

Postby frowsyowl » Thu Sep 19, 2019 7:47 am

Wednesday:
B: Oats, banana, a few strawberries. Flax?? Carrots and celery
L: Split pea soup, 1/2 pkg broccoli
S at work: Carrots and celery, and a few bites of apple.
S after work: a few small potatoes with mustard
D: Brown rice, stir-fry with a little baked tofu
S: Made and taste tested, Baked oatmeal,

Do not use soy sauce the night before your weigh-in! 206. Still happy that it's stable, and that I'm eating well. Will be planning next weeks groceries today, so will be deciding how simple/complex I want to make things. I've been kind of imagining rice, sweet potatoes, chick peas and veg. Also, have a bunch of random things in the freezer b/c my lunch recipes make too much for just me. The task will be to stock up with easy things for DH (that he likes).

Didn't get to the lentil loaf this week, but I think I'll still try to make that this weekend when I have more time...possibly freeze an extra one, or make burgers if I think the consistency will work.
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Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

Postby frowsyowl » Thu Sep 19, 2019 1:27 pm

Wobbling a bit today. Despite getting enough sleep, I feel distracted and tired. Packed a healthy lunch, but only ate part, and then had some popcorn (with oil and sugar) at work. Counting down the minutes til I can leave.

B: Baked oatmeal 1.5 servings, almond milk
L: Boiled potatoes and mustard, a few carrot/celery sticks, popcorn
S: Popcorn, and I keep eating sugar-free mints, one after another. Time to throw them out.
D: Will have left-over stir-fry tonight.
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Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

Postby AnnetteW » Fri Sep 20, 2019 6:47 am

Good morning, I hope you were feeling more yourself as the day went on, or did it just get worse? Wobbly and distracted were interesting words to describe how you felt. I kind of like the word "wobbly" myself.

I've never made baked oatmeal so am a bit curious about that. I've been eating oatmeal most mornings.
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Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

Postby frowsyowl » Mon Sep 23, 2019 9:15 am

Hi Annette,

Unfortunately, my food choices did get worse. I had to 'regroup' again over this weekend. Maybe this is an excuse, but I'm thinking MWL is too 'intense', for lack of a better explanation. It feels too much like a diet to me right now. Still experimenting with what will work. I'm aiming for about 50% fruits and vegetables at each meal, but I'm keeping in some of the calorie dense items, and exceptions. :oops:

I enjoyed the baked oatmeal, and it is a flexible recipe. It's a little more like a treat than regular, but the change of texture was nice. It can also be eaten on the go.

I managed to go for a walk this weekend too. It is finally cooler, and I think my iron levels are a bit better. I've written myself an exercise schedule--we'll see if it actually happens. My phone is set to remind me each morning to plan healthy meals, and each evening to check-off what I ate. I'm aiming for consistency and stability...and hopefully this turns into a habit with fewer "binges" and swings. I'm going to try to wait at least a month before deciding on any changes.

Edit:

Food Plan--this week

B: Oatmeal with fruit, maybe walnuts; oj with the iron pill :lol:
L: Open-faced veggie/hummus** sandwiches on Ezekiel bread, Raw veg, fruit (** store bought this time, will make a better version if I have these again.)
D: Lentil/Mushroom Soup; Veggie Burrito; Spaghetti...all balanced out with veggies on the side.
S: Fruit/Veg, additional starchy item, or a small portion of junk*

*This accounts for treats at work or road trip. I'm hoping this will be about 1-2 times/week.
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Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

Postby AnnetteW » Tue Sep 24, 2019 6:14 am

frowsyowl wrote:Unfortunately, my food choices did get worse. I had to 'regroup' again over this weekend. Maybe this is an excuse, but I'm thinking MWL is too 'intense', for lack of a better explanation. It feels too much like a diet to me right now. Still experimenting with what will work. I'm aiming for about 50% fruits and vegetables at each meal, but I'm keeping in some of the calorie dense items, and exceptions. :oops:


You are not alone in that thought. I too think MWL is too strict for me, and restriction causes me to start playing the mental diet game. That is something I do not one to do, a trap I refuse to fall back in to. So I waver between MWL and SS, with forays into the outside world, but the forays are small and there are less of them. I get better with practice, with my body/brain becoming used to not having the so-called "naughty" foods. I'm still working on the concept of "is this food helping or hindering me"...sometimes I don't care. But I have yet to fall into a major SAD binge, so I take that as an achievement.

Just letting you know you aren't alone. As long as my weight doesn't start trending upwards, I'm considering myself on plan.
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Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

Postby frowsyowl » Mon Oct 21, 2019 11:53 am

Pretty much treading water right now, and in and out of the cycle of trying to "change up my plan"...maybe Pritikin, maybe this, maybe that...but I received a big shot of motivation and focus this weekend from the Healthy Living conference that was in my town!

So awesome to see Dr. Essylstine, Dr. Thomas Campbell, and others in person, including local speakers. (Will get the list of names when I get home). I focus too much on the 'diety' reasons to do this, and not enough on the health. I was knocked back off the fence Saturday, and hope to keep it that way. My mom and dad are now "trying this for a week". I hope it's more than a week. Hopefully that was a ploy to get my dad on board.

A co-worker who has been struggling with staying plant-based and/or even eating healthfully as much as me, is also coming back around b/c of a family member's support and her health. We have been sneaking chats all morning about resources, and how excited we are to be committed again and to have someone working on the same things.

I know there will continue to be situations where this is hard to do. I don't think my husband will ever be fully on board unless he has a major health problem. And I'm still not comfortable explaining this to other friends and family when we eat at their homes/or go out--but I will just have to speak up b/c I'm side-tracked so easily.

Waiting for my doctor to call back today about my latest iron levels. I hope I'm making progress. It won't change that I have to be on medication for this right now, but I don't want her to bring up surgery as a solution to my anemia. If things get worse, I will have to start considering it--I may be past the point of being able to fix this with healthy lifestyle. My own fault.
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Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

Postby frowsyowl » Tue Oct 22, 2019 11:26 am

Food plan/Journal:
I did well Sunday too, but don't recall what I had--there were some extra snacks, just to get me transitioned back--toast, etc.

Monday:
B: 1c oats, 1c berries, 1T flax, 1tsp maple syrup, spices
Tea, 1/2c o.j. with iron pill.
L: Triple Lentil Dal, with some extra seasonings, brown rice, lg mandarine, tea. Double-serving of raw carrots/cauliflower.
S: Apple, Tea
D: Baja Vegetable wrap (filling only), steamed potato, heap of frozen veg, mandarine

Tuesday:
B:--same
S: two lg mandarines, tea, 100 calorie pack with nuts/raisins (from co-worker).
L: Left-over chili (with carrots and zucchini), brown rice; shredded cabbage with 3-2-1 dressing and a few sunflower seeds.
S: Apple, water
D: Mashed potatoes, Cooked carrots? (and/or frozen Brussels sprouts), pinto beans with some BBQ sauce. (Edit: actually had 2 pc dry raisin toast to keep me until dinner, but DH just wanted cereal, so I had some left over brown rice and vegetables and air-popped popcorn...and cereal with lite soymilk).

Rest of week plan:
I'm liking this version of oatmeal, so I think I'll keep that the same for awhile.
Lunches: Left-over baja vegetable/bean filling w/rice, there are some other things in the freezer to swap out if needed: Caribbean rice, and an eggplant/mushroom tomato something.
Dinners: Wed--repeat Tues, Thurs--spaghetti or left-overs?

Rotation starts again on Friday...
Last edited by frowsyowl on Wed Oct 23, 2019 2:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: FrowsyOwl's Final Commitment

Postby frowsyowl » Wed Oct 23, 2019 8:13 am

Sunday and Monday I was feeling pretty good, now tired again...Not sure if it's the shorter days, or an adjustment back on plan? Have been doing well though--thinking about having enough volume and vegetables. Had a bit less oatmeal this morning--don't know what I was thinking. Hope not to be too hungry this morning, but I haven't exercised yet today--fingers crossed.

Was late packing lunch this morning, so was going to be lazy and have my beans in a white tortilla wrap--but ultimately swapped it out for some corn and more vegetables. :eek:

Got results of my latest labs, and my iron has never been so high--but other markers (ferritin, etc) are still low, so I'll be continuing the 2x day iron for another month before we recheck. The only thing keeping my iron this good besides the supplements, is continuous BC pills. Don't really want to be on them, but don't have an alternative. Previous medication didn't help enough (even at a lower weight on McD), and it will be awhile before I have enough weight off me to hopefully make a difference.

I keep reading about my issues, and the theories about what prevents it, and they list all kinds of things--not sure I can optimize them all at once--vitamin d (wrong time of year). Calcium?--shouldn't I be getting enough on this plan? Greens, etc. Actually, wonder if my doctor checked my D in the spring, and if I was ever outside enough this summer to improve it. Since I already have the problems, don't know if all things things will actually have an effect.

Rambling now, should get going...
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