October 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

[Noella]

Hi Mark,
Thank you for this answer to my question! It’s exactly what I need to learn! I had no idea that reduced balsamic vinegars are more like maple syrup. Based on what I learned from reading, including your personal comment about being better off avoiding balsamic vinegar, I have decided to remove these from my diet.

I thank you for providing such a complete answer!

I just learn so much from you each and every week!

Best regards,
Noella

Noella - N Jeff has a great post on the sorts of balsamic vinegars you are describing - Infused Balsamic or Balsamic Crack?

If you are using a basic plain rice, red wine or apple cider vinegars, which have 0-5 calories, I have no problem with it.

If you are using the flavor infused ones (or the reductions or glazes), and they are 30-35 calories per tbsp (or more), understand it is almost the same as using maple syrup and it now counts as an added sugar and you must be very aware of its calorie density, sugar density and its potential impact on blood sugar, caloric intake, etc and its potential to trigger the pleasure trap.

Remember, as I explained in this previous article, concentration is the issue and these infused vinegars are very concentrated. You can think of these as Balsamic Crack

A Date With Disaster: The Pleasure Trap of Whole Natural Foods

And so yes, my guidelines for added sugar would apply to them, which is no more then 5% of calories from added sugars.

For someone consuming 1500 calories, it would allow up to 75 calories, which would be slightly more then 2 tbsp of these flavor infused vinegars.

For 2000 calories, it would allow up to 100 calories, which would be just under 3 tbsp of these vinegars per day.

So, if someone is using more than 2-3 tbsp of these a day, that alone is causing them to exceed my sugar guidelines.

And, if you struggle with the pleasure trap, any amount may be too much.

Speaking personally, I'm very sensitive to added sugar and I've found I'm better off avoiding the balsamics described above. I love Apple Cider Vinegar, so that is mainly what I use. Occasionally, I do use regular balsamic vinegar (the kind that is 5-10 calories per serving); even with that, I can tell a difference.
Mark

[Beeshell]

@Beeshell - I'm right there with you. I had my best report ever for the weigh-in, but I must not have hit 'Submit' when I thought I did.
Let's just try to do better for the next one, and then really shape up for November.

@Mark - You're so gracious and kind. See ya for the next round!

@Zoey - thank you for these kind words! (Hope I'm replying in the right way; haven't quite gotten used to these message boards)

@Mark - I agree with Zoey. You are so kind and patient!!!

[josietheschnauzer]

Dear Mark, Wild Goose, Jeff, and all. I returned from my extended road trip and had a wonderful, wonderful time. Please add me to the November list. I had no access to a scale (and didn't try to find one) and did have some pleasure trap moments.....sugar..... fat.....flour....tortillas in New Mexico.... but all in all, it was not that bad. I stayed in Marriott "suites" and ate lots of oatmeal and potatoes and tried very hard to have my 50 percent greens. I know I should weigh...but I am a cowardess.... so the first Friday of November here I come. It was very touching how friends and family had "my" food for me. I came home with some of their recipes and discovered that I love plain baked apples with cinnamon. Thank goodness for Wendy's on the road. While I did have too much caffeine (to keep me alert) and to take a driving break with my little dog, I appreciated all the food kindness I encountered along the way. I was also able to get exercise in.... just hoping the scale is good to me.... I still haven't learned to "let go" of being driven by the scale....thank you for all of your encouragement. Elsa aka Josie the Schnauzer.

[Zoey]

@Mark Oh no, we lost a giant panda? That took some dedication!

@Beeshell Got ya loud and clear!

[texaslil]

Hi Everyone!

I apologize once again for my late weigh-in. As I mentioned previously, my scale has been acting up and I have been waiting on my new one to arrive. My old scale had me weighing in at +4 lbs! and I just knew that couldn't be correct as I had been compliant and felt great this week. My scale finally arrived late yesterday and when I got on I was down another 2.4 lbs!

Last week - 175.2 lbs
This week - 172.8
lbs lost - -2.4

I am very pleased with this! I didn't feel deprived at all during the week and was compliant on most points.

1. Start meals with soup or salad: I did very well with this, I increased my greens intake at each meal, I'm finally 'buying-in' on this point, even had water sautéed spinach/mushroom before breakfast.
2. Follow 50/50 plate volume: YES
3.Eliminate sugar and salt: YES
4.Eliminate animal based foods: ALWAYS!
5.Eliminate higher fat plant foods: JUST A BIT OF ACOCADO AT A COUPLE OF MEALS
6.Eliminate oil: YES
7.Eliminate higher calorie dense foods: YES
8.Do not drink your calories: NO SMOOTHIES!
9.Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself: I DID OVEREAT A BIT AT A COUPLE OF MEALS, I AM GOING TO START GIVING MYSELF 5 MINUTES BEFORE I GET SECONDS TO SEE IF THAT GIVES ME MORE TIME TO REGISTER MY FULLNESS.
10.Avoid being sedentary 4/7 IT WAS RAINING A COUPLE OF MORNINGS THIS WEEK AND MY POOCH AND I TOOK THE MORNING OFF FROM OUR OUTDOOR WALKS, DID DO SOME YOGA ONE OF THE MORNINGS

I happy with my new scale, and I am able to link it to an app on my phone for tracking. I'm not sure how it registers my body fat composition but it said that I'm at 21.7% which seems low given that I have another 28 lbs to lose. I'm wondering how much I should rely on that measurement.

Thanks for any feedback and onwards to November!

[texaslil]

Also, for anyone else struggling to change their ticker, I finally figured out that I had to use a different browser. I switched to Google Chrome and it finally worked!

[Mark Cooper]

Noella - I'm glad that information helped inform you in making a decision that felt appropriate to your own situation and goals.

Beeshell - Thank you for the kind words!

josietheschnauzer - Welcome back, Elsa! I'm thrilled to hear you had a wonderful road trip, filled with kindness from friends and family, fun, exercise, and lots of delicious health-supporting food! No matter what that first new scale reading says, you know the behaviors that deliver your desired outcomes, so why worry, right?

texaslil - That is a fantastic result, Laila! What a difference an accurate scale, paired with close adherence, can make! In my experience, the body fat readings on scales aren't especially accurate, in objective terms, but they seem to be fairly accurate in a relative sense. In other words, the exact % reading may not be in line with what the "real" number is, but they give a good sense of change - if the reading is going down, it seems safe to assume actual body fat is probably going down, I should think. Hope that makes sense. Onwards!

[Mark Cooper]

The November thread has been posted. Hope to see you there on Friday!

[connielovesdogs]

I haven't figured out how to quote a sections, so am copy/pasting what Mark wrote: "When you decided to get non adherent takeout / Starbucks, was anything different about your routine, preparation or context? Were you just going past Starbucks, or did you make a special trip? Could you change your route and or routine to avoid it? Now that you know the Starbucks didn't taste good, do you think that will make omitting it feel more attainable moving forward? Hyperpalatable foods do seems to trigger a desire for more of the same, for many of us"

These are helpful comments to think about, and I thank you for you thoughtfulness and attention to each person on this forum! Starbucks are ubiquitous, but since I'm mostly working from home I am definitely making a special trip to go get it. It is the habit (although I am actively breaking it, so there's significant progress) and seems to be that even though it doesn't taste the way it used to, some part of my brain still connects it with a treat. The days I'm successful are days I'm not working (so it is absolutely connected to a break from the stress of work), or when I plan to take a walk and/or eat an apple (a little sweetness) when I want to go there. In the past I've used a sugary drinks as a way to deal with hunger (not as a diet technique, but when I was in a space where I needed to hold out for an hour due to a work thing before I could get to my healthy lunch back at the office). Now, though, I am all set with good, healthy food at my disposal at all times, so that issue is dead.

Thanks again for the feedback and things to think about!!!

[Zoey]

@connielovesdogs Isn't Mark the best coach ever??!!

[connielovesdogs]

@zoey Cheers to Mark!!

[Mark Cooper]

connielovesdogs - That all makes sense. Since the act of getting Starbucks has a habituated connection to taking a break from work and having a "treat," it seems understandable that you had success when substituting some other action to fill that stress-break/"treat" role, like taking a walk and eating an apple. Make that sort of switch often enough, for long enough, and you'll find you have replaced that old habit with a new pattern of behavior.

Many thanks to you & Zoey for your kind regards!

[eag]

This iquestion is for after maximum weight loss, I know no flour during. But I haven't been able to do no flour and I think I need to cut it out forever because of my compulsion towards it.

I have noticed over the years, regardless of what I plan to eat, I binge on any products with any kind of flour (even pasta that is "healthy" like lentil pasta or chickpea pasta). Even Ezekiel bread, I will say just one slice, and I end up eating 4 in a day (with low sodium peanut butter which is the only way it is edibleto me). And often, what ends up happening is I will eat flour-based foods that are carbs÷fiber=5 or 6 and they won't be satisfying enough, even if I eat 5 servings, and so then the next day, I'll go back to my Barilla Plus which is not as healthy.
I have been going back and forth with this idea that flour products are ok if it's less than "5" (carbs÷dietary fiber = less than 5), and maybe it is, if I didn't always seen to make exceptions...and that number starts to increase. First it was 5.6 (Barilla Red Lentil Pasta, then it's Barilla Plus ("9.75") and before I know it, I'm eating pizza with white flour. So, I think I might just have to say no flour, no matter what. Has anyone had this issue?
If you don't have experience with serious food compulsion/addiction, please do not comment advice, because you don't know what it feels like and because I am in a delicate situation.

[Mark Cooper]

This iquestion is for after maximum weight loss, I know no flour during. But I haven't been able to do no flour and I think I need to cut it out forever because of my compulsion towards it.

I have noticed over the years, regardless of what I plan to eat, I binge on any products with any kind of flour (even pasta that is "healthy" like lentil pasta or chickpea pasta). Even Ezekiel bread, I will say just one slice, and I end up eating 4 in a day (with low sodium peanut butter which is the only way it is edibleto me). And often, what ends up happening is I will eat flour-based foods that are carbs÷fiber=5 or 6 and they won't be satisfying enough, even if I eat 5 servings, and so then the next day, I'll go back to my Barilla Plus which is not as healthy.
I have been going back and forth with this idea that flour products are ok if it's less than "5" (carbs÷dietary fiber = less than 5), and maybe it is, if I didn't always seen to make exceptions...and that number starts to increase. First it was 5.6 (Barilla Red Lentil Pasta, then it's Barilla Plus ("9.75") and before I know it, I'm eating pizza with white flour. So, I think I might just have to say no flour, no matter what. Has anyone had this issue?
If you don't have experience with serious food compulsion/addiction, please do not comment advice, because you don't know what it feels like and because I am in a delicate situation.

Personally, there are a good number of "otherwise healthy" foods that I choose not to consume, and don't intend to consume in the future, and keep out of my immediate environment, because I find myself unable to moderate their consumption: dried fruits, nut butters, popcorn, dry cereals, bread, &c. That is one of the reasons I've continued to adhere to the MWL 10-Point Checklist, despite achieving my "goal weight" over 2 years ago. If you feel like flour products are especially troublesome for you, and inspire cravings, it makes sense to eliminate them and see how that goes. In my own case, deciding that the specific things that caused me trouble were no longer "foods for me" felt very helpful; I find abstinence much easier than "perfect moderation."

[eag]

Thank you Mark. I think it is time for me to accept this, as well.