If I've missed anyone, please let me know - I'm doing my best to keep up! 
Let me extend a warm welcome to
CUgorji22,
mrsmike84,
cmjens ,
rsmallen,
ReadyForChange,
Pdx.gordon,
Eat4health,
KayVee,
chowbby,
Naartjie,
cmcavazos,
wakelandcj, and celebrate the happy return and continuing efforts of
louie3084 and
emmycaitlin.
Expat in NZ - Down 2.2 more pounds! Well done not letting that single deviation with bread turn into a pattern, Lindsey. I typically only eat 2 meals each day (based on when I'm hungry), usually around 10am and 5:30pm. I used to have breakfast early each morning, but over time, I found I was just no longer hungry really early in the day; that frequency works for me, but more meals is fine, too, provided they are driven by hunger - Jeff covers the topic in
this post.
LesleyMills - Goodbye to another 2 lbs and cheers to a lower BMI! I think you are quite wise to abstain from alcohol, both for the disinhibiting effect, and
all the reasons Jeff outlines, and certainly MWL directs us to eliminate liquid calories. One idea for that conversation about chocolate - would it work to present the question with openness and some vulnerability? You could explain that you find that food particularly challenging to resist, and you want to enlist his help in avoiding it, to better achieve your goals. No judgement about his own personal lifestyle, just seeking help to do what is best for you right now. I'm sure that opportunity to spend time with your daughter was a real delight! Onward and downward!
whereamac - Kudos! That is a substantial loss! How are you feeling about the week with respect to the MWL 10-Point Checklist?
PonysPlants - YES! Your close attention to adherence has definitely made a difference; congratulations on attaining a BMI in the healthy range! You are exactly right about taking daunting challenges day by day; that next milestone, just like your most recent results, will be achieved as the culmination of the pattern of behavior you establish over the duration.
tommy - Getting off to a solid start! When you can tolerate more physical activity, add that in gently, as you are able - getting the food right is the most important piece. Keep in mind that soup is also an easy, affordable option as a starter; as Jeff explains in
On Salad, Soup, and Success. A sprinkle of salt on the surface of one's food is completely acceptable within the MWL guidelines.
JeffN wrote:In regard to added salt and added sugar, we recommend buying and preparing food without either and if any are to be used, to add them at the table on the surface of the food. If either one is troublesome and create uncontrollable cravings for you, then leave them out.
Daniel35 - No matter where we are starting from, our journey begins (and continues the same way); the recommended changes in behavior, practiced consistently, over time, deliver results. Keep looking forward!
CindyD - Great progress!
CindyD wrote:the time it takes to enjoy the thing is massively eclipsed by the amount of time spent regretting that thing.
I agree! Keep steering clear of "things you don't need!"
Abe - Maintaining resolve in the face of stress and adversity is not easy; I applaud your efforts and that you didn't let trying circumstances serve as an excuse for choices that are incongruent with your aims! I'm sure that upcoming wardrobe switch will be an exuberant occasion!
Jrjazzyjack - Hi, Jack! Cheers to the success and hope you've been finding in recent weeks! If you are interested in practicing MWL and participating in the weekly weight change and behavioral reports, be sure to review the
orientation information for the group; all the foundational information is included therein.
courtneywagasky - Welcome back! My warmest congratulations on your engagement and upcoming nuptials! It will be exciting to see where adherence to the MWL guidelines will take you on your ongoing adventure!
mandybee - Today seems like an excellent time for your exciting new start! How are you doing adjusting to the behaviors recommended in the
MWL 10-Point Checklist?
Wfpb2020 - Ongoing progress, and you made the best use of the other 4 days of the week! Travel and vacationing (or any big change from our habitual environment and routine) nearly always bring significant challenges; try to look at those 3 days as presenting a really important lesson, and instilling that newfound appreciation for just how much planning, preparation and effort will be necessary to maintain adherence under similar circumstances in the future. That subjective knowledge, when retained and applied, has real value moving forward.
jan_npr - Hurrah for getting back in the saddle! Placing some of those repeating cues and reminders within your daily routine seems like a useful way to set some anchors for your desired behaviors.
Having the recommended foods prepared and ready helps so much, as does selecting those recommended foods that you find the most appealing. Keep doing your best!
Kappagator_96 - Congratulations on your efforts and the results you are seeing already! I'm assuming that weight loss number is cumulative since the start of September, so I'll log this weigh-in as your starting point for this group. You are clearly off to a solid start, and your assessment with the checklist offers some direction and opportunities for furthering your progress, where you feel able to make adjustments. Jeff offers some general tips to help increase iron levels in
this post. Are you including the flaxseed based on any particular directive or concern?
Ziara - You got your day off to a great start! Now just keep doing your best to practice the behaviors outlined in the
MWL 10-Point Checklist.
potatohead55 - Nice loss! This month's thread is indeed quite active! When we're cohabitating with family who don't necessarily practice this way of eating, it can definitely make for a more challenging daily environment; speaking as someone in similar circumstances, something I found helpful was to request that the selection of non adherent "snacks" not include the particular items I found most tempting. Carry on taking things "one bite" at a time, and learning as you go.
Rebecka22 - Hitting all 10 points from the checklist makes for an excellent start! Since MWL eliminate all flour products (excepting whole grain pasta) nixing the maple syrup for baking shouldn't present too much of a challenge, right? One easy way to have prepared food that automatically satisfies the 50/50 guideline is to use the
SNAP Template, or
Jeff's Basic Recipes.
oneesotericgirl - Hang in there! Making our way through those tough times when our circumstances and emotional responses don't work in support of our adherence, facing setbacks, doing our best to learn from them, and refocusing, getting back on track, and continuing to show up and put in the work is DEFINITELY an important part of the process. Try to take a moment to think through what you might do to better manage a similar situation in the future, be compassionate to yourself, and get back to the basics with the recommended pattern of behavior.
wstokes - You are making some headway! From my view, it is helpful to think of the points from the MWL 10-Point Checklist in a binary fashion - did I adhere to this point or not? Don't aim for being perfect, but when focusing on a particular point try to see the steps that will move you toward being adherent to that point, and put them into action as you are able. Aim for continuing progress, from day to day and week to week. Just to clarify, for the benefit of all participants, when making salad a full meal, you should be sure to include an adequate volume of starch as part of the salad.
Amberlina - Another pound disappears! Sometimes those cravings come back unexpectedly, but they will subside with time, Jeff's recommended approach is the surest way through.
JeffN wrote:If you experience cravings for unhealthy foods, you can beat these cravings by choosing healthy foods to eat and knowing that these cravings will eventually pass and stop. However, you can not beat your biology (hunger) and your biology/hunger will eventually win.
Keeping doing your best to stay active, and continue your excellent attention to the recommended behaviors.
Valeen - Welcome and kudos on what you've achieved already! Since that loss of 4.2 lbs occurred before joining the group, I'll record today's weight as a baseline, just to keep everything on a weekly basis. The pattern of behavior outlined in the MWL 10-Point Checklist is very effective for achieving healthy, sustainable weight loss; the better we attend to the recommended behaviors, the better progress we are likely to see. Keep at it!
chowbby - Just in case you missed it, Jeff responded to your question
here.
earthmonkey - Kudos, Tina! Do the best you can to begin adopting the recommended behaviors; when time and personal energy is in short supply, keeping things as simple as possible really helps - the
SNAP Template, or
Jeff's Basic Recipes are delicious, quick and very easy to prepare.
salbers - The surest path to the eventual achievement of that goal is the pattern of behavior described in the
MWL 10-Point Checklist- it will reward your efforts. Just to clarify, for everyone,
JeffN wrote:The fundamental basic principle of the MWL Program and the principles of calorie density is "whenever hungry, eat until comfortably full of the recommended foods."
For a comprehensive rundown of the reasons why MWL and the principles of calorie density generally are preferable to the various forms of fasting, see Jeff's thread
Reflecting On The 5:2 Diet & Intermittent Fasting.
wavingwheat - Down 5.4 lbs! Fantastic result, Carol! Cheers to seeing the underside of 160! Great attention to the checklist, keep making your best effort to adjust your behavior to the recommendations, where and when you see the opportunity to do so. Your diligent attention, planning and preparation is clearly paying off!
Noella - So long to 2 more pounds! Fantastic attention to the recommended behaviors! I feel for what you are suffering with that painful inflammation in your knees, and you continue to make your best effort under those circumstances. Being able to wear that red dress for the first time seems like a very joyous event! I applaud you for taking time to appreciate those non-scale victories and improvements in quality of life - it seems important to notice the "fruits" of our labors, where and when we find them.
GreenFroG - Woo-hoo! Traveling successfully! That is no small achievement; I remember very well the first time I was able to stay strictly adherent while vacationing - it felt like a real point of enlightenment for me. As you say "the work continues." Onward!
rlechols - The reading from your scale continues to drop, Rachel! Being able to take a vacation, without going "off the rails," is a wonderful and rewarding experience, for sure.
rlechols wrote:One thing I have come to realize is that for me, switching from MWL to the Starch Solution is not going to be "permission" to start allowing myself to freely consume things that were previously off limits. There is a reason why some things, even on the Starch Solution, are yellow light foods. So enjoying moderate portions on occasion might be ok, but is not permission to have them every day or in large quantities. Also, being in tune with what items start the Pleasure Trap and cravings with the associated downward spiral, is important.
You make an important, and well taken point here; I think your observation is borne out by a comparison of the respective checklists for the regular program and MWL -
It’s the Food! A 10-Point Checklist for The McDougall Program as compared to
MWL 10-Point Checklist. The differences for which the McDougall Program allows are meals comprising up to 90% minimally processed starches, and the allowances for LIMITED amounts of calorie dense foods and LIMITED amounts of higher fat plant foods. (Additionally, it omits the recommendation to begin meals with soup and/or salad and/or fruit.). I'm grateful to have your perspective as a veteran of the group, and I'm happy to have your participation continue for as long as MWL continues to serve your goals.
MelissaM - Welcome and congratulations on the remarkable progress you have achieved following the Starch Solution! Losing 120 pounds is no easy feat! The adjustments within the
MWL guidelines can be just the thing for attaining further progress when we're feeling stuck. Check out this post from Jeff, explaining
Why We Hit Plateaus and What We Can Do About Them.
Creaky - Another week of solid adherence and ongoing progress! My compliments on your successful rollout of that major project! That seems like an event that inspires pride!
Beeshell - Knowing the behaviors that take us off track helps light a path back in the right direction, but that doesn't make it easy. Times of struggle seem to inevitably arise, and I think the best we can do is try to plan and prepare to the extent we can, so that it is easy to reach for the recommended foods when we're hungry. Be kind to yourself, try to take a little time to think about any changes in your environment, routine, circumstances, or level of preparation that could be contributing to the challenges you feel, and address those where you are able. Kudos for not giving up - each day (and meal) is a fresh opportunity to make choices that serve our important goals.
Pdx.gordon - Down a pound! How does it feel like things are going with the
MWL 10-Point Checklist?
Hope410 - So long to 1.2 lbs!
SNAP meals were and are an absolutely crucial component of my own daily practice. Keep raising those last few %, when and where you can.
texaslil - Another week and another pound gone, Laila! To answer your questions: as you suspected, soy curls are not recommended for MWL, as they are a higher fat plant food.
JeffN wrote:Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
Drinking plant milks, or any caloric liquids is also not recommended for MWL.
JeffN wrote:Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
If those leafy greens are for salad, I have pretty good success keeping my greens fairly fresh by cleaning and storing them in the refrigerator, all in my salad spinner, it is key to keep them as dry as possible. Frozen greens work great for most other dishes, and,
as Jeff noted, are probably the best solution. Keep in mind it is completely fine to have a second 50/50 helping at a meal, provided the impetus is hunger. Noticing those pleasant differences in the fit of clothing is a fun, non-scale victory. When it feels like our rate of progress isn't at the pace we would like, the best approach is a
focused review of the fundamental principles, and increased attention to adherence.
Dot - Woo-hoo! My congratulations on achieving your initial goal! You are doing great and that looks like a very good week, to me! When practicing the recommended pattern of behavior, it isn't unusual to eat what might seem like a very significant volume of food; since the overall calorie density of the diet is low, eating in response to hunger, without worrying about number or size of portions shouldn't be a problem. To get a sense of the volume of food some of us eat,
take a look at the food pictures in my journal, (although I admit that I'm a bit of an outlier
). Carry on!
VivianS - Your scale just made a big swing back in the preferred direction! Keep plugging away at those remaining 3 points to best support continued success. I'm sorry to hear you are suffering with that lung infection, and I wish you a speedy recovery! While you are doing your best to rest and recover, just keep doing the best you can to behave in a way that supports your goals.
Eat4health - Fantastic work taking immediate action to get yourself and your environment prepared to support success! Here's hoping that cooler weather arrives sooner than later.
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Reminder for new group members who have not yet reported, Friday is our weigh-in day, and participants have until noon pacific time (19:00 UTC) on Saturday to post a report of their result for the week.Best to all; I'll be back with the remainder of my responses and summary tomorrow evening.
