December 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

[Zoey]

First off, congrats to Noella for an amazing year. Well done! And check your PM box.

As for my week, down .4



1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
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.
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.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
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.
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
My failures this week were on #7 and #10. I had a few water crackers. Plus with the stress and shopping for Christmas, I haven't made time for my daily walk/jog. And I know I should make the time, because it would help to ease the stress. (sigh)
I won't make promises for the upcoming week, but I will strive to make it happen today.
It's so good to see everyone back here. I'm looking forward to the year-end wrap up next week.

[Wfpb2020]

Weight change - .8 lbs.

1) Start each meal with soup/salad/fruit. Yes
2) Follow the 50/50 plate. Yes
3) Reduce or eliminate sugars/salts. 5/7
4) Eliminate animal foods 5/7
5) Eliminate higher fat plant foods. 6/7
6) Eliminate oil. Yes
7) Eliminate higher calorie-dense foods. 5/7
8 ) Don’t drink your calories. Yes
9) Eating when hungry and stop when full. Yes
10) 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily. 6/7

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: Still struggling up going in the right direction.

[chef16]

12/11/2020 235#
12/18/2020 233#
lose of : - 2#

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.75%
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.95%
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.95%
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).100%
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).95%
6. Eliminate any added oil.100%
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.95%
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).100%
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.100%
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). 50%

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: This holiday crap is killing me!

[Growing a Pear]

Weight change +/- in lbs: -0.3#
1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals. Choose fruit for dessert.
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.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products.
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).

A slow loss but I'll take it. Though qualitatively I've fallen short on the same 2 items as last week, quantitatively I've improved. Think I might have found an exercise routine I'm willing to do consistently. I'm getting better at keeping the fridge stocked with MWL foods at all times.

Also, in past battles getting rid of Clif Bars, if I banish them altogether I've ended up dipping into dry cereal or dried fruit--so a lateral dietary move rather than an improvement. Last Sunday I had my husband remove them from my sight and made the deal with myself I could have 2 in a week if I really wanted them. (Sadly, this would be a huge improvement over what went before. Hence the crying emoticon.) Somehow, having that release valve has meant I didn't touch them, nor did I dip into the other foods. My intention is to do without altogether but make use of this mind trick to wiggle out of the pleasure trap. Hope that allows me to continue participating in the thread. Thus far I've had 6 days without and I intend for that streak to continue.

PS: So glad to see you manning this thread again, Mark. I hope your health is continuing to improve. If there's anyone who can modify the course of an illness through sheer grit and determination, it is you. I used to work with a psychologist who studied hope and remember her talking about someone who'd come down with a rare disease. She said that in that context, there was actually extra room for optimism as the N was so small, no one had any real data on what was possible. I can't imagine there are many dedicated and consistent exercisers--never mind star McDougallers!--with your condition. I'm sure that has to give you an edge.

[Gimmelean]

Welcome back Mark!

12/11/2020. 126
12/18/2020 127
Weight change +1.0 lbs

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).Had some nuts this week.
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 (i.e., brisk walking).yes

Victories, comments, concerns, questions
Accountability time!
I start out each day with the best of intentions and this week went downhill from there. In retrospect my poor food choices and habits are nowhere near what they used to be even when I thought they were the right ones. I ate some nuts and hung around the kitchen when I know it’s best to find another table and the scale reflects a pound up vs a pound down.I actually made a conscious decision to eat nuts. While it was not the best of decisions, no food amnesia occurred here. I’ve learned so much from participating in this discussion group and from all of you. I learned that eating a small amount of hyper concentrated food (pleasure trap) can really trigger me into eating oblivion.My goal this week is to continue practicing 1-10, focus on what went well and continue to do more of the same, and work really hard to make item 5 a resounding yes next week.
Be well and safe everyone. Take good care of yourselves and loved ones.

[wstokes]

no change

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. 85%
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals. 80%
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. 100%
4. Eliminate all animal foods. 85%
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods. 100%
6. Eliminate any added oil. 90%
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods. 80%
8. Don't drink your calories. 100%
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. 85%
10. Avoid being sedentary. 100%

Gift basket temptations arriving Wed/Thu nights eroded my progress this week....it really shows me how much just a little straying can make me pay. I'll try to stay in bounds this week - at least until I step off the scales on Christmas morning!

[GreenFroG]

Hi all,

Mark, I am so glad that you are back and getting better! And I'm sure you are happy to be home and able to enjoy your family. Wildgoose took good care of us while you were away -- thanks Wildgoose for all your helpful feedback. I appreciate all of you - Mark, Wildgoose and Jeff!

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas this next week!

Weight change +/- in lbs: -0.2

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
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.
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.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Eliminate any added oil.
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.
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: We had an early Christmas this past week with family in town, and the fact that I stayed about the same weight is a big plus! I tried really hard to start each meal with a cup of soup or salad, which helped a lot. I did have a couple of bites of popcorn, chocolate and a piece of pumpkin bread when we celebrated Christmas - #3, #6 & #7. I tried hard to stay away from temptation, but found myself nibbling a couple of times. I ate a lot of sweet potatoes as snacks throughout the week. I was hit and miss with the exercise but managed to get a little in. Just happy to be maintaining!

[texaslil]

Weight change +/- in lbs:
-.6
Current weight: 171.4

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. IT SEEMS I'M BECOMING ADDICTED TO PUTTING SOME HOMEMADE HOT CHOCOLATE IN MY CAFFIX DRINK IN THE MORNINGS AND THIS DOES HAVE SOME SUGAR IN IT, OTHERWISE I HAVE BEEN DOING WELL ON THIS POINT
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). ATE AVOCADO AND TOFU AT A COUPLE OF MEALS
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. HAD OUR WEEKLY HOMEMADE PIZZA
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). SEE HOT CHOCOLATE ABOVE
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. DID MUCH BETTER THIS WEEK ON THIS POINT.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). 5/7 WALKING

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: GOOD TO SEE THE SCALE GO DOWN A BIT, BUT I'M NOT SEEING THE PROGRESS I WOULD LIKE. LOOKING AT MY NOTES ABOVE I KNOW I NEED TO WORK ON #5 ESPECIALLY! I GUESS IN THE BACK OF MY HEAD I KEEP THINKING 'HOW BAD COULD TOFU AND AVOCADO BE'...?? BUT THERE IS SOMETHING THAT IS HOLDING ME BACK FROM CONTINUING TO LOSE AND THAT PLUS ALL OF THE HOLIDAY DIVERSIONS HAVE HAD AN IMPACT. MARK, THANKS FOR ASKING IF I FEEL LIKE I'M BACK ON TRACK, IF I'M BEING HONEST WITH MYSELF, I KNOW THAT I AM NOT. I'LL BE FOCUSING HARD ON ALL 10 POINTS THIS WEEK, BUT IT CERTAINLY WILL BE A CHALLENGE AS MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY ARE GATHERING FOR XMAS. I'LL MAKE SURE THERE ARE OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR ME AND WILL TURN UP THE WILL POWER DIAL AS HIGH AS I CAN MANAGE!

HERE'S WISHING EVERYONE THE VERY BEST ON ALL 10 POINTS THIS WEEK! HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

[Hope410]

Hello Mark, and All,

Nice to see you back Mark, and thank you Wildgoose for filling in. You both are always so encouraging and helpful.

Weight change: +2.0 Not a great week this week, had two days (Wednesday & Thursday) in the pleasure pit wallowing in the CRAP food. So bad that it even spilled over into yesterday a little bit.

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. 75%
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. 75%
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. 75%
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). 90%
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). 100%
6. Eliminate any added oil. 100%
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. 75%
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). 100%
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. 90%
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). 50% Was able to exercise three times for 30 minutes.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: So sorry! Hopefully I'm able to turn the corner and get back on plan to close out the rest of the year. I'm not quite sure what set it off , but it may be what a friend calls "FOOD PORN", you know the vegan cookbooks with pictures or blogs with the same. Anyway they are going to be off limits for now, and will try to get back to adherence of the MWL guidelines and 10 point checklist.

Have a great week everyone!

[Marla]

Report for the week of 12/11-12/17 (Fri-Thurs)

Weight change: -0.4

Starting weight: 230
Weight last week: 154.8
Weight this week: 154.4

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.18 of 21 meals.
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. 21 of 21 meals.
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, except for one homemade oil-free, sugar-free banana-oat "muffin" that I ate on a day when I was traveling.
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 (i.e., brisk walking). Yes, exercised every day, though on several of the days I only did the minimum 30 minutes.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
All in all, I had a good compliant week. I'm not sure why the scale didn't move a bit more; maybe residual water retention after a travel day (Thursday) where I was on 3 different flights. I ate well that day, and even exercised by doing a 45 minute brisk walk in one of the airports, but in the past I've noticed that air travel makes my ankles swell, so it does seem to mess with my fluid balance.

Still, just happy not to be losing ground over the holidays! Earlier this year I saw an acquaintance I hadn't seen in a while, and she commented "Looks like you are losing weight, unlike the rest of us during Covid." I feel that the holidays, too, are a time when most everyone is putting on extra pounds, so even maintaining during this season is an accomplishment as far as I am concerned! I am determined to finish the year strong and am committed to building on the habits I've worked hard to cultivate this year. The reinforcement of this group, and my daily journaling, has helped so much!

[CUgorji22]

Happy Saturday, everyone   

*Weight Change = -2.2lbs*

*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 7/7 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 3/7 days

*Summary:
- My not so good points = (1) My family ordered Indian food for pick-up on Monday. I chose "vegan" options & made sure to ask specific questions when placing the order, by phone. I did not think to ask about oil. I could see the separation of oil on my plate as I finished eating my dish...sigh! I also ate naan bread. (2) I started the week with hopes to exercise at least 5 days. I only made it to 3...sigh! I realize now I overcommitted myself this week and was in over my head. I allowed my schedule to run-away from me. I failed to schedule, commit to & actually exercise the days I told myself I would. Very disappointing BUT I will recommit myself and do a better job creating boundaries in my schedule that allow me to take care of myself this upcoming week. I've been so busy this week taking care of other people (their problems, their needs - which I actually love to do) that I did not take care of myself in the way I had in mind. A "better" me can give more to others. 

- My good points = (1) Again, I am very pleased with my weight loss this week! Slow & steady! (2) I experienced a TON of tempting, intrusive thoughts about food this week. I was under enormous stress! This is the 1st week I started taking on/carrying some of the load in my father's care; he has major health problems to include colorectal cancer. My new role has affected EVERY area of my life! But there's GOOD NEWS! I felt I "deserved" a soy chai latte from Starbucks while I was out picking up groceries...I could taste it in my mouth as I thought about it. I did not buy one! I reasoned the soy + sugar were not worth the sacrifice. YAY! Other cravings this week include: wanting sweets throughout the week - I did not give in, wanting a late night snack although I have eliminated snacking - I did not give in, wanting a 3rd serving of fruit this week knowing 2 servings/week is recommended by Dr. McDougall for weight loss - I did not give in! (3) I was more mindful this week about overeating. I did much better this week at stopping myself!

*My 44th birthday is on Tuesday!! It was super helpful to hear a different perspective from my personal trainer, Karen, this week. We talked about not allowing food to be the center of attention/the star of the show for my birthday. Karen encouraged me to consider other things that can bring me joy on my birthday, besides food...which is ABSOLUTELY a foreign concept for me BUT such great advice! I'm gonna give it a go this year!! My plan (because I need one-lol!): Make a couple of my fav McDougall recipes for dinner & make a McDougall Kitchen (compliant) fruit recipe for dessert! Open to any input.

Happy to have you back, Mark! Hope you are enjoying the holiday season. Wildgoose did a great job stepping in!

[Mark Cooper]

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.

[Mark Cooper]

cmcavazos - Good work getting back on plan and not letting a couple days with lapses lead to a lengthy relapse, Christine! Do you feel like you went into that workplace holiday event well-prepared? Anything you might do differently in the future? Our bodies definitely have noticeable ways of letting us know when we start to drift in the wrong direction. Onward!

lmggallagher - Nice loss, Michelle! And 8 thumbs pointing straight up! Even "healthy" dry cereal is typically ~1600 calories/lb, so it can definitely serve to impede weight loss. In my own case, it was one of the foods that really gave me trouble; I couldn't consume it in moderation, and would find myself eating an entire box of Rip's Big Bowl Cereal in a single meal! Removing it from my diet entirely ultimately solved that problem. I think it is pretty neat that you still posted a loss this week AND picked up some new information to apply going forward. I want to sincerely thank you for your kind words, thoughts and comments regarding my recent hospitalization; it's been a real eye-opener for me! We can be trucking along doing everything "right," and the universe can still jump up and knock us off our feet sometimes. You might be interested to know that since getting back home I've been working with an Egoscue therapist (previously I'd been doing a menu based on my own reading of Pain Free), the weekly therapy sessions and daily application of my new customized menu of exercises has already had a positive effect. Once things settle down a bit for me, I'm going to post an update in my journal discussing what a typical day looks like for me, including the numerous therapeutic modalities I apply to the management of my CRPS/RSD, with the hope that may be of value to other forum members who struggle with chronic pain.

Noella - An amazing year, indeed! Congratulations on your fantastic results! If added salt feels like it is spurring cravings that are difficult to control, it might make sense to experiment with eliminating it completely, to see if that makes adherence feel easier to attain. Something I have done in the past, in the interest of being "fun" about foods and beverages for celebratory occasions: make something that is adherent, but different and special, as a way to mark the occasion and have "fun" (I confess that this may be just as much a signal to show loved ones that we care and are acknowledging the importance they vest in the occasion, as well as a signal to "ourselves"). This will look different for different people - it might be preparing a fancy new recipe, making a "cocktail" with fresh or frozen fruit and sparkling water, buying a favorite exotic fruit (or other ingredient, Okinawan sweet potatoes in my case ); it could also include doing a special, non food-related activity to honor the celebration. Maybe you can mull over some ideas with your husband and come up with something that will be fun and festive for both of you? Carry on with your excellent efforts!

Rita<3 - I think you are making solid progress! Well done implementing 9/10 of the recommendations from the checklist, and kudos for your commitment to keep putting effort toward daily exercise. As you continue to practice, and get comfortable with the recommended pattern of behavior, I would encourage you to move toward weighing yourself once each week, rather than daily, for all the reasons Jeff discusses in To Weigh or Not to Weigh.

Zoey - Kudos for those 8 s! This can definitely be a stress-inducing time of year; I totally agree that a daily walk can be an excellent tool for managing that added stress. I think your inclination to just strive to make that happen day by day is an apt approach to take; focus on getting outside for a bit today, and let tomorrow keep for now. YEAR END WRAP-UP!

Wfpb2020 - Keep at it! Turning those food-related 5s and 6s into 7s can really make a difference toward the results you want. Are there particular events, situations, or environments that are presenting the biggest challenges for you right now?

chef16 - Nice loss! The holidays can be a real challenge, Doreen! Try not to beat yourself up if you run into some obstacles or face a setback, but do try to capture the lesson from that situation - if you can adjust your routine and better prepare based on what you learn, adherence will get easier. The important thing is that you be patient, treat yourself with compassion, and just keep putting in the effort.

Growing a Pear - Slow losses still count, and steady quantitative improvements can ultimately lead to qualitative improvements, too! (if that makes sense?) Interesting how giving yourself permission with that "release valve" helped produce a more adherent pattern of behavior overall; that seems like a reasonable tactic to apply, as you make your way out of the pleasure trap. Don't be afraid to eat as much adherent food as you need to satisfy any hunger that arises, and as often as you feel the urge, too. I love that anecdote about having extra room for optimism when facing a rare disease! Thanks for sharing that, and for your kind words and goodwill!

Gimmelean - I really appreciate your willingness to hold yourself accountable, as well as your realistic assessment of your current pattern of behavior vs. past habits and choices!

I learned that eating a small amount of hyper concentrated food (pleasure trap) can really trigger me into eating oblivion.

That seems like a very valuable realization.

My goal this week is to continue practicing 1-10, focus on what went well and continue to do more of the same, and work really hard to make item 5 a resounding yes next week.

That is an admirable goal! Are there any adjustments to your preparation or routine that might help you achieve that?

wstokes - Keep doing your very best to stay "in bounds;" the unexpected (or expected, for that matter) introduction of very tempting items into the environment can definitely lead to some erosion in progress. Are you expecting new temptations to rear up in the days ahead? Devising a "cope ahead" strategy for those might be a way to make straying less likely.

GreenFroG - The fact that you were able to maintain your weight (actually reporting a modest loss) during a week replete with visitors, celebrations and temptations shows that you must have managed things pretty well!

I ate a lot of sweet potatoes as snacks throughout the week.

Great idea! Keep doing your best, and putting obstacles and barriers between yourself and unwanted temptations. Thanks for your kind regards, I am very much enjoying being back home with my family!

texaslil - You are making some progress, Laila, though it may be less than you might wish. Feeling back in control can be a precursor that points toward getting fully back on track; you know what to do, so it is likely that with adequate attention and preparation for those upcoming challenges you'll be able to support renewed progress.

I'LL BE FOCUSING HARD ON ALL 10 POINTS THIS WEEK, BUT IT CERTAINLY WILL BE A CHALLENGE AS MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY ARE GATHERING FOR XMAS. I'LL MAKE SURE THERE ARE OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR ME AND WILL TURN UP THE WILL POWER DIAL AS HIGH AS I CAN MANAGE!

Being prepared to celebrate in a successful way that supports your goals is key; "supercharge" your willpower by eating the recommended foods in advance of your holiday event, if necessary.

Hope410 - Hang in there! At least the "pleasure pit" only swallowed a little over two days, and not your whole week. I think your intuition that heavy exposure to rich, exciting new recipes (and pictures of the food) could have contributed to those challenges makes sense, and banishing such things (at least for the time being) is probably wise. Were there any other noticeable changes in your environment, preparation or routine for the week? The more you can prepare your environment to support adherence to the guidelines, the easier you are likely to find it.

Marla - Kudos! You've certainly been on a remarkable journey from your starting weight, and you seem to be doing a great job building habits that will support continuing progress. Don't worry if you have a week where your excellent efforts aren't immediately reflected by the scale, so long as you are eating the recommended foods, in the recommended fashion, and staying active, you are doing exactly what will best deliver the outcomes you seek. I really enjoy reviewing your journal; it seems like an excellent piece of your toolkit. Carry on!

CUgorji22 - A solid loss to go with a solid week of attention and effort! Great work not indulging those cravings that arose during the week, even when you felt "deserving." You deserve to feel great, be happy and achieve your goals! Sadly, restaurant prepared Indian food is almost always EXTREMELY oily, in my experience. I think it can be really helpful to build that time for exercise into our daily schedules, even if that means exercising at different times each day; making a "date" with yourself to get in some activity can make it easier to follow through. I totally agree with you about needing to take care of ourselves, so that we are better able to support those we love. I hope you have a very happy birthday, and many happy returns of the day! I love your trainer's encouragement to consider making your celebration joyful in ways that don't involve troublesome food choices. Good for you to take up that challenge, and great work recognizing a solid plan is needed to make that attainable. I really enjoy the White Bean Pâté, as something different for gatherings and special occasions. Banana nice cream is a perennial favorite fruit based treat (although I find that pretty easy to overeat, personally), and my family enjoy this Baked Apple Dessert, too.

[Mark Cooper]

Please note - I replied to each participant individually in the two lengthy posts linked below, provided that their reports followed the guidelines for weigh-ins.

Mark's Replies for December 18 - Part 1
Mark's Replies for December 18 - Part 2

By my count, 26 participants reported for our third 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 third Friday in December:

Week ending 12/18/2020: 26 participants reported a total loss of -29.10 pounds
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Hope410 +2.00
NancyNancyR +2.00
Gimmelean +1.00
Cmcavazos +0.80
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Total gains: +5.80
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Noella 0.00
Wstokes 0.00
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GreenFroG -0.20
Marla -0.20
Veganjo -0.20
Growing a Pear -0.30
Zoey -0.40
Rita<3 -0.50
Texaslil -0.60
PonysPlants -0.80
Wfpb2020 -0.80
Josietheschnauzer -1.40
Lmggallagher -1.40
CindyD -1.80
Carwex -2.00
Chef16 -2.00
CUgorji22 -2.20
Expat in NZ -2.40
AnneG -3.00
Squealcat -4.00
Tian-De -5.10
Rebecka22 -5.60
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Total losses: -34.90
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Cumulative group loss for December 2020 to date: 64.40 pounds
Average loss for week ending December 18: 1.12 pounds
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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, December 25, 2020.


I am so very impressed and gratified by everyone who has stuck with the group and continued to work at maintaining the recommended pattern of behavior, during what can be among the most difficult times of the year for many of us! Give yourself a big pat on the back!

For those of you who are struggling a little (or a lot!), please know that setbacks are natural and understandable. I would encourage you to treat yourself with compassion in the face of lapse or setback; don't beat yourself up and don't presume you did something "wrong." I think it can be really helpful to look at challenges, obstacles and setbacks as a gift, with real value; each occasion you face difficulty or struggle, you are learning something about yourself: your personality, your needs, the soundness and resilience of your plans and routines, the vulnerabilities in your environment, &c. Capturing the fruits of these lessons, and adjusting your practice accordingly creates an "upward spiral" of habits and behavior that supports your end goals and, ultimately, leads to lasting, durable success. Next time you face a hurdle, give yourself a hug, take a deep breath, learn what you can, and start building your "upward spiral."

The Friday for our upcoming (and final) December weigh-in falls on Christmas day; please feel free to report as usual, if that serves your goals and suits your plan for the day. Otherwise, please do be sure to report by noon pacific time on Saturday. I want to thank all of you for reporting in the requested format and including sufficient information to offer a picture of your progress and practice. I really appreciate it.

My thanks to all for the glad tidings and many very kind words! I am most assuredly on the mend, and feeling very content knowing so many people care for me.

Take care and be well! My best to all for a wonderful close to this peculiar year.

[Artista]

Hi Mark and MWL Group,

My name is Nancy and I would really like to join you all for December if it's okay to join in the middle of the month. I weighed myself yesterday, read all of the intro materials, watched the calorie density video a couple of times, and printed out the 10-point checklist to keep where I can refer to it. I'm feeling really motivated. Last Dec. and Jan. I was following MWL pretty closely and got down to the lowest weight I've been in awhile. Since then, though, I've drifted from MWL and I've gained 8 lbs. I've identified two dynamics that seem to throw me off course, one is that I begin to worry that I need to eat more fat, more nuts and seeds etc., for nutritional reasons, the other is that I just begin to miss the richer foods and start looking for ways to include them in my diet. But I know now that I can't eat those foods without gaining weight. The MWL Plan is what has worked best for me. I'm looking forward to being part of this group again and getting back on track.