pootsy - I'm excited to see you reporting again, and delighted that you are getting back on track! Having adherent food, that you enjoy eating, ready and easily accessible can indeed be a "game changer."
Often, the more we pay attention to planning and preparation, the easier it becomes to adhere to the recommended pattern of behavior.
Joanne_elon - Another pound bids farewell! How do you feel the week went for you overall?
ceeceeb - Cheers to starting the week off right! Seeing the posts and reports from our diverse group of participants really helps to provide a picture of how to make this pattern of behavior work, along with that welcome feeling of solidarity, I think. In
Jeff's ingenious template, SNAP stands for a "Simple Nutritious & Affordable Plan." Have an excellent week 1!
Dot - It seems to me you are doing a pretty great job adhering to the MWL 10-Point Checklist! Including a starch component in your snacks is not a problem (probably even preferable, depending on the circumstances); the closer you can bring the ratio of starches to fruit (or non-starchy vegetables) to 50/50 for that snack, the better to optimize both satisfaction and calorie dilution.
JeffN wrote:A meal of 50% starch and 50% vegetables by volume would have a very low calorie density. So, a bowl of 50% oatmeal and 50% berries by volume or a bowl of 50% rice and 50% veggies by volume may be the better choice. You get the starch to help satisfy you and the fruit and/or veggies to help lower the calorie density.
I think you are wise to expect the "going to be slow" for the last 10 lbs; try not to worry about that and maintain focus on the recommended behaviors - I think you are doing really well!
VivianS - The scale continues its downward journey! I very much agree that not "eating the first one" could be helpful for omitting those Pringles from your food choices. If you want to make things really easy for yourself, what might happen if you removed the Pringles from your environment completely? Let me reiterate that a sprinkle of salt on the surface of one's food is 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.
Something that sometimes helps avoid incidents like those "tax bites" you describe (or generally taking that first bite of troublesome foods) - try promising yourself that you will always eat something adherent BEFORE deciding to "try" those non adherent foods. I'm thrilled to know the SNAP meals are working out for you (and your friends)!
goal140 - Hello! Glad to have you back and happy you are moving closer to being back on track. I think sometimes that experience you describe of being full, but not satisfied can be driven by the Pleasure Trap; Dr. Lisle's lectures discussing the
Pleasure Trap and the
Cram Circuit could offer some insight. On the opposite end of the spectrum, that sensation can perhaps arise from focusing too much on non-starchy vegetables, while neglecting to include an adequate volume of starches; that can result in bingeing because of insufficient satiety - Jeff discusses this in
Finding The Sweet Spot: Balancing Calorie Density, Nutrient Density & Satiety.
VNiehoff - Down another 1.4 lbs! Your weight loss has been quite consistent the past couple of weeks! Clearly, you are being mindful about following the recommendations.
Enjoy the water exercising!
Dahabeena - Hello! I'm so happy you were able to report this week! After that big loss in the previous week, I don't think it is too surprising to see a more modest result for this weigh-in. It seems you have made a really strong start implementing the guidelines! Bringing your focus onto the 50/50 plate for the upcoming week makes sense to me; it sounds like that is the area that offers the most significant opportunity. The primary concern with hot sauces, salsas (I assuming they are commercial products, rather than homemade), &c. is the added salt. Many of those store bought condiments can be quite high in sodium so, if you choose to include them, they should be used minimally, as condiments; try to find versions that satisfy
Jeff's guidelines, or make your own adherent versions if you are able. Keep up your excellent attentiveness!
texaslil - That does look to me like a week that was "mostly good!" Nice work not letting the off plan Chipotle meal turn into the start of a setback. I'm elated to read that exercise has you feeling very good! Are the smoothies fulfilling some particular role on those days you chose to include them, or just something you decided to have on the spot?
Renestl - Hang in there! When you are choosing to include those animal foods, higher fat plant foods, and calorie dense selections, is there a particular context to that? Are you choosing those things instead of adherent foods that you have available and ready, or are you turning to the troublesome options when you're "on the spot?"
Reni - Hello and welcome, Reni! I'm thrilled you've decided to join us! As you note, you know this program works from personal experience, and the MWL 10-Point Checklist sets up a clear roadmap for where to direct your efforts. I think starting a journal is a great idea; that can be such a valuable tool.
Lucas - Oh my! That sounds like it was a pretty alarming bike crash! I can understand how that may take daily exercise out of the frame for a little while. Concentrating on being prepared so your meals will satisfy the 50/50 guideline, and being mindful not to stuff yourself seem like sensible points to zero in on. Something else that might be worth trying is shifting the preload from mostly fruit, to more of a mix of soup / salad / fruit. I wish you a speedy recovery!
chef16 - Goodbye to 3 more pounds! Best wishes for your return to work! Keep doing your best with those points from the checklist, and finding that balance between starches and non starchy vegetables (aim for a roughly equal visual volume). That sensation you describe as "not feeling satisfied" - when that occurs are you craving specific foods, or just not physically satiated? Does it feel like a variety of foods exist that might be satisfying, or that only calorie rich foods will serve?
Expat in NZ - Another nice consistent drop! Sometimes one has to celebrate those wins where you find them - great work keeping that little digression to an absolute minimum! I would think the only potential concern with sriracha would be added salt (and perhaps added sugar, depending on the specific ingredients); if you are using it modestly, as a condiment in line with the recommendations for added salt, that would be fine. Being pleased and comfortable sounds like it made for a pleasant week!
Kelly140 - Fantastic! Keep up those excellent efforts! Something that really helped me to make daily exercise a habit was scheduling it into my routine each day; for others who are a bit less regimented, it can be useful to simply identify 2 or 3 times in the day where you have the opportunity to include exercise, and aim for taking advantage of the first that presents itself.
Zoey - Nice loss! I'm sure seeing that change on the scale felt very welcome! Taking stock of and appreciating where you can be by Christmas, continuing as you have been, without any "suffering" seems a very astute viewpoint to adopt! I think you are right that recognizing (and avoiding) one's specific "trigger foods" really helps smooth the path. Keep at it!
Lachoffman - Congratulations on your loss and for staying on track while out of town! I've never encountered a restaurant-prepared black bean burger that satisfied the MWL guidelines, they nearly always have oil or other problematic ingredients; the only commercially prepared burgers of which I'm aware that fit are those made by Engine2. Wouldn't it be great if some restaurant started serving
Jeff's burgers? When you feel ready, think about how you might best eliminate that remaining soy creamer, if you can. Continue your impressive progress!
cmurphy - Still moving in the right direction! Have fun on that walk with your friend! Maybe you two can make that a regular thing? If those episodes of "mindlessly-eating" off plan foods were a result of being caught unprepared, then "re-arming" yourself with an adequate and easily accessible supply of the recommended foods is exactly the solution! Nice work!
minisweet - Take heart, Sarah! It is great that you can take pride in your diligent attention to exercise. As long as you keep trying your best to make these changes in behavior, you can't fail - so don't despair. Today is an excellent time to reset and make your choices congruent with your goals. When things feel like they "fall apart" after breakfast, what would you guess is driving that? Does it come from social situations? Inconsistencies in your daily routine? Stress? Lack of planning or preparation? Cravings? Not eating enough at breakfast? If you can identify the underlying factors and solve them, you should be able to make adherence more easy to attain. Try not to beat yourself up, making these changes is really difficult!
GreenFroG - Hang in there! We all have those weeks where something just feels "off," I think. In spite of those vagaries, it appears you didn't use that as an excuse to go off the rails, which is admirable! I wish you a speedy return to a nice, normal-feeling, routine week.
Growing a Pear - That rolling average, and your progress, continued in the right direction, even during a week with unexpected distractions and challenges! Great insight into how insufficient preparation can lead to difficulty in maintaining the appropriate balance of calorie density and satiety, which can then lead to reaching for more calorie dense options. Your success in well and truly turning the Clif bars into non-food makes me smile. Dry cereal was a particular problem food for me, too; especially "otherwise healthy" cereals without any other troubling aspects besides being calorie dense. Great work diagnosing ways to fortify your plan, and preparing appropriately! It certainly looks like you are really learning how to make this work for you.
Drew* - Modest progress is definitely still progress, especially after last week's giant number! My condolences for the loss of your mother's sister. It seems like you managed your meals within the context of that remembrance gathering in exemplary fashion. In my own experience, planning is the solution for specific, anticipated events (e.g. social gatherings); preparation solves recurrent, regular daily challenges, if that makes sense. It's a question of thinking about how one can overcome a particular challenge vs. just needing to put in the "elbow grease" to make daily adherence attainable. I absolutely agree that each meal is an opportunity to make decisions in service to your end goals. Have a great time hiking with your wife!
NateKruse - Keep doing the best you can! It seems possible that more infrequent use of the preload could be contributing to turning toward more calorie dense foods and liquid calories. Or perhaps those arose from a specific situation?
OrangeBird - Good job paying attention and taking note of the apparent effect the deviations in your food choices had on your palate and impulses. Restaurant food can certainly be replete with oil and added salt, so it makes sense there would be an impact. Was there a particular reason you decided to order in the meals on those days? Well done working to have a good week, takeout aside.
Pattyj115 - Way to go with those big gains in activity! You deserve to feel positive about that! A less that perfect week can definitely still offer wins to appreciate. I can empathize with the notion that excuses "don't matter," with the caveat that it can sometimes prove helpful to think carefully about why we might lose momentum, and whether we might have chances to change our routine to better support our efforts. Cheers to the lovely days that end in relative comfort; a nice swim sounds like a great bookend for those occasions. YAY!
lmggallagher - That heat wave sounds stifling, Michelle! Do your best to keep cool and stay safe! I want to applaud your decision to flush away the majority of those birthday candies - very well done! It does sound like the three that remained served as a potent reminder of what you AREN'T missing, which is a useful reference point going forward. How fantastic that your toes are finally showing some noticeable improvement! I'm feeling hot and stuffy just thinking about the weather and air you're describing.
by Expat in NZ » Sat Aug 15, 2020 1:49 am 
need to watch how much fruit I eat; had a more than my 2 servings a day the last two days
