Thank you, again, for checking in this week and staying accountable to your goals!
Last week’s post touched on how some people will do best through keeping some wiggle room (while still aiming for very good adherence) in their MWL program in order to avoid the ego trap -i.e/ to not become ensnared in disappointment and feelings of failure due to not meeting internal expectations or perceived external expectations.
This week let’s focus on another winning strategy that may be a good route for others of you who consistently struggle to lose weight and keep it off. This is the Moderation is too Hard version of the program: aim for 100% adherence and eliminate personal trigger foods. Last week, longtime McDougaller Wildgoose shared her* most inspiring story MWL Works. She consulted with an expert and they determined that flexibility wasn’t working for her and it was time to go all in.
wildgoose wrote:I had tried Dr. Lisle's "slow fast way" before — aiming for 80% compliance on 6 "starch targets," focusing on the process rather than the outcome. This is a great idea, and it works for a lot of people, but that flexibility wasn’t good for me. I had to be close to or at 100% to stay on track. Dr. Lisle suggested I go all-in, eating very simple, minimally processed food: steamed vegetables and starches, some fruit, no salt, sugar, oil, or gluten. This is a suggestion he tailored for me (based on my symptoms and history), and it’s not necessarily for everyone.
Essentially, I've been doing — and am still doing— strict MWL. It worked. I now weigh 144.4 pounds. At 5’ 10.5”, that makes me a BMI of 20.4. I have lost 45 pounds since the 26th of March. I’m never hungry. I have no cravings. I have a simple, basic eating plan that I can stay with forever. I eat out very rarely, and my introverted self isn’t bothered at all by that. I can travel and stay compliant. My only issue now is to figure out what to do so I don’t lose a lot more weight and still stay well away from the Pleasure Trap. Nice problem to have.
Dr. McDougall discusses the reasons that moderation doesn’t work in his February 2006 Newsletter. Though his focus is slightly different (comparing regular diets to his regular program), it isn’t really all that different. If you are not having success with the MWL plan and are keeping certain foods in your life because (you enjoy them and) they are allowable on the regular McDougall program but know that they are an issue for you personally, it may be time to try a very very simple plan.
If you decide to do this, I highly recommend:
1) Cleaning out your pantry and fridge out before you begin. Get your home as free of temptations and triggers as possible.
2) Starting during a period of time where the external demands of your life are lower than average. You can choose your own period of time, but what I mean is: try to enhance your probability of success by choosing a period when you are not vacationing, swamped with client dinners at work or have back to back social events on the horizon. Plan for a period of about 3 weeks or so where you don’t eat out, minimize social events, and aren’t starting a new project at work or school. This will give you enough time to get out of the discomfort zone and adapt to the taste of your new simple style of eating while minimizing your cognitive load (which when too high can drip willpower away like a leaky faucet when you need it most: during those first few weeks of major behavioural change).
3) In spite of suggestion 2) above, there is no time like the present, so, if you feel ready just jump right in!
Focus on the McDougall Trapezoid, as VeggieSue has called it, for a few weeks and see where it takes you.
Have a lovely week and I really do hope to see you all in the October group!
Amy XO.
(* I have made an assumption here, please forgive me - and correct me - if I am wrong. )
Here are the results for the fourth week in September:
Next Weigh-In is on Friday, October 4th, 2019
Total group loss reported in 2019: 400.32 pounds
September 2019 Weight Loss Group :: Monthly Weigh-In Results
Total group loss in January 2019: 140.53 pounds
Total group loss in February 2019: 78.64 pounds
Total group loss in March 2019: 7.4 pounds
Total group loss in April 2019: 33.55 pounds
Total group loss in May 2019: 38.2 pounds
Total group loss in June 2019: 13.4 pounds
Total group loss in July 2019: 37.3 pounds
Total group loss in August 2019: 23.8 pounds
Total group loss in September 2019: 27.7 pounds
Week ending 09/27/2019: 8 participants reported a total loss of 8.4 pounds
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Moonlight - 2.0
Squealcat - 0.6
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Total gains: 2.6
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Vegman - 2.2
Stillcrazy - 3.0
ShortnSweet - 2.1
AnnetteW - 0.2
Deweyswakms - 2.4
Sirdle - 1.1
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Total losses: 11.0
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Total group loss in September 2019: 27.7 pounds
Week ending 09/27/2019: 8 participants reported a total loss of 8.4 pounds
Week ending 09/20/2019: 11 participants reported a total loss of 1.7 pounds
Week ending 09/13/2019: 12 participants reported a total loss of 17.8 pounds
Week ending 09/06/2019: 12 participants reported a total loss of -0.2 pounds