December 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

For those wanting to learn about and follow the McDougall Maximum Weight Loss Program. You can also join our monthly weigh-ins.

Moderators: JeffN, f1jim, carolve, Heather McDougall

Re: December 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby CUgorji22 » Sat Dec 26, 2020 12:50 pm

Happy Day-After-Christmas everyone! :D

*Weight Change: -1.4 lbs*

*Guidelines:
Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Compliant 7/7 days
Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, filling half your plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50% (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches. Choose fruit for dessert. Compliant 7/7 days
Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts too. If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them. Compliant 6/7 days
Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). Compliant 7/7 days
Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). Compliant 7/7 days
Eliminate any added oil. Compliant 6/7 days
Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (i.e. bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit. Compliant 6/7 days
Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). Compliant 7/7 days
Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself. Compliant 7/7 days
Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). Compliant 4/7 days 

*Summary:
- My not so good points = (1) All of my non-compliant, food days were basically the night we ordered take-out this week (salt, whole-wheat vegan bread, oil)...ugh! I want to be more confident in making "special requests" for the vegan foods I order so they're MWL compliance. It's such a battle. I want to "enjoy" a take-out meal with my family...but sometimes I think I may need to go back to eating food I cook while they eat what they want...which is what I HAD to do in Sept when I did a (potato) Mary's Mini for 1 month. (2) Still working on daily exercise. I did one more day of exercise this week than last week, which I feel means I'm (at least) moving in the right direction.

- My good points = (1) Still very pleased with my weight loss this week! Slow & steady! That seems to be my motto. Lol! (2) My birthday was a HUUUUGE MWL success! YAY! I was 100% compliant on my birthday, to include hopping on my exercise bike, which was the best gift I could give myself! I even surprised myself. I planned to make the McDougall "Baked Apple Dessert" (thanks Mark!) but realized I didn't need to eat dessert just because it was my birthday. SURPRISE! Lol! And I felt satisfied after eating dinner; there really wasn't a need to eat more or have a sweet treat. My birthday dinner came out great: navy bean soup to start, portobello mushroom stuffed with mashed potatoes, topped with homemade marinara sauce (Mary McDougall's recipe) and nutritional yeast. The other half of my plate was sauteed spinach with onions & garlic. And my usual mason jar of water. My focus that day wasn't food; time with my family & my Zoom party with extended family was the highlight of the birthday!

*Trying to determine if I should be in the Group next month because we're moving mid-January, from Denver to Seattle. I know there's 1 week I will not be able weigh-in (I plan to pack my scale) or report a summary because of the days we'll be traveling. I'd love to stay in the Group for Jan...I think it will help me stay focused during a high-stress time but not sure if the 1 week gap is acceptable. No matter what, you'll see me in the Feb Group! Open to your thoughts, Mark.

-Chesca
CUgorji22
 
Posts: 38
Joined: Thu Oct 01, 2020 9:29 am

Reporting for December 25 Weigh-In is now CLOSED

Postby Mark Cooper » Sat Dec 26, 2020 2:00 pm

The window for reporting this week's weigh-in and behavioral results has officially closed.

The remainder of my replies and the weekly summary will follow.
User avatar
Mark Cooper
 
Posts: 2174
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:17 am
Location: Princeton, NJ 08540

Mark's Replies for December 25

Postby Mark Cooper » Sat Dec 26, 2020 2:01 pm

Expat in NZ - That is a very modest upward change and you posted a big drop last week, so I wouldn't worry too much over it, Lindsey, so long as you are adhering to the recommendations. Of course, moving those last two 95s up toward 100 would be one way to spur progress. :) Happy Holidays!

NancyNancyR - Clearly you kept your health goals near enough to the forefront to post a loss for the week! I'm happy you were able to vanquish the "ghost of Christmas past!" Sorry to hear you are dealing with chronic pain, as well; those daily "pop-ups" are no fun at all. :nod: With the holiday past, now is a great time for renewed focus on those recommendations that would benefit from more attention in continued service of your important goals.

Veganjo - That gradual, "little by little" downward trend in weight makes sense if you are maintaining an overall pattern of behavior that puts your daily consumption just under "equilibrium." Did the lasagna you were planning on work out well for you this week?

Rebecka22 - Down a pound! Nice work not letting those deviations derail your whole week, and remaining mindful of the recommended behaviors, even while venturing "off track." I wholly agree that losing 9 pounds during the month of December is a big accomplishment! Congrats to you!

Tian-De - Cheers for tracking and evaluating consistently, and setting a solid plan of action! Would having several days worth of soup/salad/fruit to start meals prepped and ready help make that recommendation more easily adhered to at breakfast and dinner? Removing the chips from your immediate environment should definitely help to avoid them. :nod: Keep aiming to make each day and week better than the last.

AnneG - Great progress, both for the week and the month! Your attention to the fundamentals is serving you well.
AnneG wrote:I want to be very mindful of my choices and eat consciously rather than thoughtlessly or out of habit. I plan to slow down and enjoy my food instead of eating in a frenzy and concentrate on savoring experiences with family rather than food. I have a lot of fruit on hand and will always have MWL options available.
Excellent intention, supported by the necessary planning and preparation. :thumbsup:
AnneG wrote:Walking has been a great experience this week and I have really enjoyed longer times outside. I am looking forward to continuing those over the next 10 days! Yesterday I walked with umbrella in hand but it was still an enjoyable experience.
Fantastic!

texaslil - Ha! Huzzah for producing a "Christmas miracle!" You didn't let "a few" cookies continue to multiply, Laila, and it sounds like you are well-prepared to face the rest of this week. :D

squealcat - Hang in there, Marilyn! Since you feel like overexposure to recipes for rich food, cooking videos, and "a little bit" here and there started a spiral, taking steps to eliminate those triggers can turn that spiral around. Staying away from non adherent recipes and videos is a solid step in that direction. Do you recall any differences in routine, preparation or environment on the 2 days that were "perfect" vs. the other 5?

wstokes - Kudos for confronting that "brutal reality!" The degree to which our decisions and behaviors are aligned with the MWL 10-Point Checklist definitely makes a difference in regard to the results we see. 42 lbs lost since the end of last year is REAL progress, and I can understand the desire to protect that and continue toward your ultimate goal. Personally, I find it pretty difficult to allow for lapses and not have them lead to trouble, but I know for some people, planning those lapses in advance, and getting specific about the parameters of what you will or won't do, how much, how often, &c. can be helpful. Have you tried that in the past? If so, how did it work for you? That could inform the path forward.

Artista - Don't despair, Nancy! I second your inclination to focus on consistency in adhering to the guidelines and give that some time to produce the results you seek. Omitting the flaxseed and soymilk, scheduling some moderate activity for each day, and making breakfast 50/50 seem like the most apparent moves to spur more rapid progress. Keep in mind that fruit can work for the 50/50, too.

Marla - As you say, a very solid week right up until Christmas Eve. :nod: Do you think anything in particular tipped the scale toward those unplanned indulgences? Getting straight back on track post-celebration is exactly the right approach. Have a wonderful holiday and a lovely week!

CindyD - I take your meaning about feeling you look the same as back in June, and agree that is a distortion (we humans can be pretty weird, indeed). You've attained admirable results, and it is definitely worth taking time to acknowledge and be mindful of your efforts and the fruits thereof. Keep it up! :D

cmcavazos - Cheers to surviving the holiday celebrations, Christine! Now that the "food frenzy" has passed, renewed focus on the fundamental recommendations will keep things going in the right direction. Hooray for a healthy, MWL 2021!

jkcook - Down a pound! For a week filled with celebrations, and the attendant richer foods, that seems pretty good. Now is a great time to refocus and move those percentages of adherence upward. Enjoy your adherent french fries!

Hope410 - Goodbye to 2.4 lbs and kudos for all the 100%s!
Hope410 wrote:Still needing to work in exercise everyday. This and bread and popcorn are areas that need better compliance, so that is my goal to work toward this week and in the new year in order to make these new habits.
Seems like a sensible and manageable goal; are there any adjustments to your environment, preparation or routine that might aid in achieving it?

carwex - You are getting so close to that goal! It is lovely that you were able to enjoy celebrating with your loved ones, without troublesome cravings or other setbacks. Cheers for getting right back to MWL! I really love the convenience of frozen diced onions, too! It sounds like you are continuing to build a routine that works for you; I'm sure the ever-present soup and salad are a great support. :nod:

josietheschnauzer - It appears you did pretty well staying within the constraints you established for your holiday celebrations, Elsa! I find that the addition of richer foods to my diet often makes me "feel" more hungry than usual, but I will say that I tend to have a somewhat bigger appetite in cold weather, as well. Enjoy your run! One foot at a time into a NEW YEAR!

PonysPlants - No need to feel any shame, Naomi, but thank you for staying accountable! Sorry your holiday plans were cancelled so abruptly. The immediate effects (both on the scale, and in the way we feel) of some indulgent meals can definitely be shocking. The good news is that renewed attention to the recommended pattern of behavior can reverse those effects. It feels pretty great to have MWL as your "normal," right? Making today an improvement over the past is what it is all about! I am feeling MUCH better, thank you for asking, and for your kind words. :)

chef16 - Holding steady, Doreen, and on the other side of Christmas relatively "undamaged!" If you can, take a little time to plan your best approach for getting through next week, so you can make things easier for yourself. Interesting observation that staying on track may feel easier in the new year, as so many other people start to focus on their health (at least for a while). Happy New Year to you, too!

Growing a Pear - Very nice loss! And great job with your "cumulative tightening" and confining indulgences to Christmas dinner. Recognizing that you can settle in to adherence without feeling deprived seems like an important realization. Oat "pudding" for the win! Reducing "decision points" and having a well-appointed fridge both seem like excellent supports for your adherence. I'm sure making meaningful progress with your exercise goals (and the recommendations overall, for that matter) feels very gratifying. Onward to 2021!

Gimmelean - It is fascinating how lousy a "big no" can make us feel, right? Fantastic job taking immediate action to stock adherent foods, be mindful of your motivation, and return to the recommended pattern of behavior!
Gimmelean wrote:Saying no felt so much better mentally and physically than not thinking at all and feeling guilty and lousy from eating the wrong things.
This really resonates for me; for some of us, saying NO consistently makes everything much easier. Your observations about seasonal, social, and pandemic related changes in our environment, routine and activity level making increased focus on behavior necessary seem astute to me. :nod:

lmggallagher - 7 thumbs up support the observation that you did OK over Christmas week, Michelle! Those well-meaning (or maybe not so well-meaning) acquaintances can certainly toss some hurdles in our path at this time of year; great work disposing of those tempting baked goods after a single bite. Between your neighbor, Instacart, and the See's candy, the universe was really conspiring against you (free Pomi tomatoes, though :-D ). I applaud your exercise of restraint, Saint or not!

GreenFroG - All the rich foods that tend to abound during the Christmas holiday can definitely wear upon our "willpower." Making a point to recognize the specific triggers that took you off course seems wise; being mindful of those particular challenges can make things easier in the future. Cheers for staying accountable by posting today, and setting the intention to get back on track. Any direct steps you can take to ease your path back to adherence?

CUgorji22 - A 1.4 pound loss and six 7/7s makes for a pleasing week, indeed! Slow, steady progress can be very advantageous, Chesca. I tend to forgo restaurant food, but I would imagine finding somewhere with a take-out menu that requires simple, easy adjustments for adherence, rather than more involved changes to a given item would make that "battle" less fraught. Of course, finding somewhere that fits that bill, AND satisfies the rest of your family may be a tall order. I've had reasonably good luck with Asian restaurants in the past. Definitely moving in the right direction with that progress toward your exercise goal. Congratulations to you for making your birthday such a HUGE success! I think it is awesome that you planned an adherent meal that left you so satisfied, and made a point of keeping your focus on quality family time as a highlight for the day. Very well done! I would encourage you to continue with the group for January, since you feel it will be helpful. You can weigh-in and report on those weeks when you are able. That trips sounds like an excellent opportunity to do some planning, and get some ideas for how to make things work "on the road."
User avatar
Mark Cooper
 
Posts: 2174
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:17 am
Location: Princeton, NJ 08540

Weigh-In Report Compilation - December 25, 2020

Postby Mark Cooper » Sat Dec 26, 2020 2:32 pm

Please note - I replied to each participant individually in the post directly above, provided that their reports followed the guidelines for weigh-ins.

By my count, 24 participants reported for our final December 2020 MWL weigh-in! If I neglected to include anyone, or you notice an error in the tally, please let me know (via PM so we can keep the thread as tidy as possible, or in a post here if you cannot PM).

Here are the results for the final Friday in December:

Week ending 12/25/2020: 24 participants reported a total loss of -2.90 pounds
--------------------------------------------------
Wstokes +2.80
Squealcat +2.60
PonysPlants +2.20
GreenFroG +1.80
Gimmelean +1.40
Josietheschnauzer +0.60
Artista +0.40
Expat in NZ +0.20
--------------------------------------------------
Total gains: +12.00
--------------------------------------------------
Chef16 0.00
Texaslil 0.00
Veganjo 0.00
--------------------------------------------------
Cmcavazos -0.40
CindyD -0.50
Lmggallagher -0.60
Marla -0.80
NancyNancyR -0.80
Tian-De -0.80
Jkcook -1.00
Rebecka22 -1.00
Growing a Pear -1.20
CUgorji22 -1.40
AnneG -2.00
Carwex -2.00
Hope410 -2.40
--------------------------------------------------
Total losses: -14.90
--------------------------------------------------
Cumulative group loss for December 2020 to date: 67.30 pounds
Average loss for week ending December 25: 0.12 pounds
--------------------------------------------------
Cumulative group loss for January 2020: 384.15 pounds
Cumulative group loss for February 2020: 96.60 pounds
Cumulative group loss for March 2020: 60.10 pounds
Cumulative group loss for April 2020: 218.00 pounds
Cumulative group loss for May 2020: 191.50 pounds
Cumulative group loss for June 2020: 120.63 pounds
Cumulative group loss for July 2020: 524.80 pounds
Cumulative group loss for August 2020: 240.30 pounds
Cumulative group loss for September 2020: 172.61 pounds
Cumulative group loss for October 2020: 216.25 pounds
Cumulative group loss for November 2020: 59.90 pounds

Next Weigh-In is on Friday, January 1, 2020, in a new month, a new year, and a new MWL group thread!

I salute everyone with the determination and wherewithal to maintain their efforts at behavioral change through this temptation filled time of year! A round of applause to all this week's participants (with accompanying claps for all who participated over the past 12 months)!

What a year this has been! Over the course of 2020, the participants in this group lost a cumulative overall total of 2352.14 pounds! That is equivalent to TWO GRIZZLY BEARS! Clearly, the behavioral approach to weight loss has been a resounding success!

Facilitating this group throughout 2020 was a great pleasure and a privelege for me. I'm very thankful to have such excellent partners in wildgoose and Jeff, and I'm most grateful for the many kind, compassionate and dedicated participants who have made there way through the group this year. I've learned so very much from all of you!

I don't have any new secret strategies, magic words, or other quick fixes to offer, as we bring this year to a close. You all know the behaviors that will best support your goals, and the pursuit of those behaviors is replete with opportunities to learn and grow. ADHERENCE + TIME = RESULTS!

A new thread for JANUARY 2021 will be posted on Monday, December 28; our inaugural weigh-in for the new year will be January 1st. :D Onward to the future!

My best to all for wonderful and healthful NEW YEAR!
User avatar
Mark Cooper
 
Posts: 2174
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:17 am
Location: Princeton, NJ 08540

Re: Weigh-In Report Compilation - December 25, 2020

Postby CindyD » Sat Dec 26, 2020 4:35 pm

Mark Cooper wrote:Over the course of 2020, the participants in this group lost a cumulative overall total of 2352.14 pounds! That is equivalent to TWO GRIZZLY BEARS! Clearly, the behavioral approach to weight loss has been a resounding success!

Whoa, two grizzly bears. That is bananas!
Thanks again, Mark, wildgoose and Dr. Novick! See you next year! :)
CindyD
 
Posts: 85
Joined: Fri Jul 31, 2020 10:20 am
Location: near Chicago, IL

Re: December 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby Noella » Sun Dec 27, 2020 12:30 am

Merry Christmas Mark, Wildgoose, and Jeff, and all MWL weigh -in participants,

+/ - zero (0) pounds

Current weight :162 pounds
Goal: 140 pounds
Starting weight December 29th, 2019—240 pounds
Image

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. YES
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, filling half your plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50% (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches. Choose fruit for dessert. YES
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too. If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them. YES
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). YES
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). YES
6. Eliminate any added oil. YES
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (i.e., bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit. YES
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). YES
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. YES
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily YES!! This is going so well! My fitness level is improving and the best thing is I look forward to getting some exercise each day.

My apologies, Mark, for not posting before noon today, as is expected. I am committed to following the MWL guidelines set out for this program yet I wasn’t organized enough today. I am very excited to continue with MWL in 2021.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Everyone,
Noella
User avatar
Noella
 
Posts: 282
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2020 10:52 am
Location: Canada

Re: December 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby Mark Cooper » Sun Dec 27, 2020 11:47 am

Noella - What a great year you have had! Down 78 pounds with 10 BIG YESes on the checklist!
Noella wrote:10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily YES!! This is going so well! My fitness level is improving and the best thing is I look forward to getting some exercise each day.
That is fabulous! :D
User avatar
Mark Cooper
 
Posts: 2174
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:17 am
Location: Princeton, NJ 08540

Re: December 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby birdy birdy » Sun Dec 27, 2020 7:57 pm

I'd like to join this group! I have read through the orientation and viewed all the resource materials and I agree to the format.
Thanks!
Image
birdy birdy
 
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Dec 27, 2020 5:09 pm

Re: December 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby Mark Cooper » Mon Dec 28, 2020 4:21 am

birdy birdy wrote:I'd like to join this group! I have read through the orientation and viewed all the resource materials and I agree to the format.
Thanks!

Welcome to the group! The January thread will be posted later today. Let me know if you have questions that arise.
User avatar
Mark Cooper
 
Posts: 2174
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:17 am
Location: Princeton, NJ 08540

Re: December 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby josietheschnauzer » Tue Dec 29, 2020 10:05 pm

Dear Jeff, during the program I attended in Santa Rosa you gave us a "quick, not perfect, but good enough" way to calculate acceptable or somewhat acceptable sodium levels in packaged products from the labels. I was at the store today and wanted to buy a packaged soup and couldn't remember what you told us...something about serving and calories divided by sodium milligrams or vice versa ........ any help would be most appreciated, Thank you. Elsa.
josietheschnauzer
 
Posts: 131
Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2014 3:50 am

Re: December 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby Mark Cooper » Wed Dec 30, 2020 4:31 am

josietheschnauzer - I know you directed this question to Jeff, and I expect he will reply once he sees it, but in the meanwhile, I believe the guideline you are looking for is discussed in the links below.

Rules & Guidelines for Reading Labels
Label Guidelines
JeffN wrote:2) Check the sodium in mgs per serving against the calories per serving
a. Should be no more than 1:1 ratio Sodium:Calories for regular products
i. If something is 100 calories, the sodium should be no more than 100 mgs per serving

b. Should be no more than 4:1 ratio Sodium:Calories for condiments
i. If a condiment has 50 calories, the sodium should be no more than 200 mgs per serving
User avatar
Mark Cooper
 
Posts: 2174
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2018 8:17 am
Location: Princeton, NJ 08540

Re: December 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby JeffN » Wed Dec 30, 2020 7:16 am

josietheschnauzer wrote:Dear Jeff, during the program I attended in Santa Rosa you gave us a "quick, not perfect, but good enough" way to calculate acceptable or somewhat acceptable sodium levels in packaged products from the labels. I was at the store today and wanted to buy a packaged soup and couldn't remember what you told us...something about serving and calories divided by sodium milligrams or vice versa ........ any help would be most appreciated, Thank you. Elsa.


Mark is correct.

The guideline for sodium on packaged products is 1:1. So if something is 100 calories per serving, then the sodium should be no more then 100 mg per serving.

In regard to a “quick, not perfect, but good enough” guideline, you may be thinking of the guideline for added sugars. Instead of doing the math of no more then 10% of the calories, you could check that there was no added sugars in the first 3 ingredients of the ingredient list.

I hope that helps
Jeff
User avatar
JeffN
 
Posts: 9412
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2008 5:56 am

Re: December 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby josietheschnauzer » Wed Dec 30, 2020 10:47 pm

Dear Mark and Jeff, thank you so much! That is exactly what I was trying to remember! Happy New Year! Elsa.
josietheschnauzer
 
Posts: 131
Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2014 3:50 am

Previous

Return to Maximum Weight Loss Program

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 22 guests



Welcome!

Sign up to receive our regular articles, recipes, and news about upcoming events.