January 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

[Noella]

Since several people mentioned feeling a bit stalled or stuck this week, I think we could all benefit by spending some time reviewing Jeff's article on Why We Hit Plateaus and What We Can Do About Them. It is one of my all time favorite articles, because it so clearly illustrates why the results we see tend to slow down, stall or even reverse over time. As Jeff explains, the appropriate response to these challenges, based on sound science, is to make an honest, thorough appraisal of the MWL guidelines and our understanding and adherence to them. Having done that, we then need to focus our efforts on making the recommended adjustments to our behavior wherever needed. That will always put us back on the road to success.

Hi Mark,
Thank you for telling us what to do when our weight loss results slow down, stall or reverse. Jeff’s article explains why our we hit plateaus. Understanding the process really helps and I’m not feeling worried about it after reading Jeff’s description. Following MWL is a healthy plan to reach my weight goal and I will be patient.

I have thought about how this applies to me. I need to continue to practice each of the ten behaviours as conscientiously as I can and keep building on what I have learned so far. To lower the calorie density of my food slightly, I will try to exchange one serving of fruit each day with a serving of veggies...probably at breakfast, as a start to my day, but maybe even for a snack or dessert. I plan to be diligent with my preload of soup or salad at each meal, including breakfast, and gradually increasing my daily exercise.

I appreciate the opportunity to be a part of this discussion group. It’s a privilege to be here!

Best regards,
Noella

[Mark Cooper]

Growing a Pear - I'm glad taking some extra time to think through this challenge felt fruitful! I think taking some time to note the specific effects from those calorie rich hyperpalatable foods (with vivid imagery) can really help those memories to "stick." Let us know how your experiment with the bread box works out.

Rita<3 - I think many of us are inclined to attempt to avoid eating anything at all when faced with cravings, which is why I mentioned Jeff's advice; rather than not eating, eating freely of the recommended foods is a valid way to deal with cravings.

Noella - "I think I need to simply practice each of the ten behaviours as conscientiously as ever and keep building on what I have learned so far." That seems like an excellent way to proceed!

[carwex]

Re: the discussion about clearing the countertops of all food except fruit. I agree that helps and I have found that I had to go one step further: I realized that any food that is placed at eye level in a cupboard or a fridge eventually presents a real problem for me. So I put the peanut butter and tahini at the back of the shelf where it doesn't attract my eye every time I open the cupboard. Same with bread and nuts. Visual cues set my brain up for a slip.
Carol

[sunshine-oats]

Hello.. my name is Anna and I seem not to know when to stop eating when it comes to apples and cucumbers and other things.. but there were none of those at home.. at least not after I threw out that tub of almond butter..

Weight change +/- in lbs: - 2.8 pounds this week

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. 5/7
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. 7/7
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. 6/7 ate some vegan cookies
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). 7/7
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). 3/7 a few table spoons of flax seed, almond butter and those cookies
6. Eliminate any added oil. 6/7 those cookies again..
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. 6/7 yes those cookies were made out of flour..
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). 6/7 I had a zero calorie sweetened ice tea
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. 4/7 I am very confused about my hunger signals at the moment.. plus there were those evenings where I ate all the apples and tomatoes and cucumbers that did not roll away fast enough..
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). 5/7 It was very rainy and cold.. but that should not be an excuse..

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
*The weight went down! This makes me very happy
*If food is in my house I will eat it.. that is a very unfortunate truth I had to learn again this week..
*Keeping the food log here is very helpful!

as for questions and concerns..
*do we really not need any omega 3 fats? I put approximate amounts of what I ate for a few days into cronometer and the most I got was, on a totally compliant day, 0.4 gr omega 3, 0.5 gr omega 6 and a total amount of 4.8 gr of fat.. (3% of total calorie intake)
*next question would be about soups as starters.. do they have to be chunky? do broths count? (self made of course) has anybody read what kind of soup they fed them in that study? ^^
*and the last.. I think.. snacking.. on the one hand the program says it is ok to graze.. on the other hand it says it is ok to be hungry.. which one is it and if snacks are ok and not to be eliminated.. should they follow the 50/50 plate method?

thank you for everything!

[PonysPlants]

Lost 0.6lbs this week. Not great but at least it’s a loss. Thought it would be a bit more this week as I’ve been pretty compliant but it is what it is!

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. YES
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too. YES.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). YES Easy. Vegan for life
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados,) 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. NO. Had a couple of rice cakes and a couple of dates.
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. 75%. Still trying to do Pilates and a workout every day. Winter lockdown is hard here in the U.K. right now. It’s hard to get motivated and I miss being outdoors and walking.

I have reached the 50lbs lost marker which is great. I turn 40 on Monday and happy to be 39lbs lighter than I was when I turned 30. I didn’t quite reach the goal I set to be 147 by my 40th but I’m only a couple of pounds away so I’ll take it!

Thanks as always to the moderators and especially Mark. I sincerely appreciate it.

Naomi

[jan_npr]

Weight down 1.3 lbs

A 10-POINT CHECKLIST FOR MAXIMUM WEIGHT LOSS (MWL)

1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.  Better
2) Follow the 50/50 plate method better
2) Choose fruit for desert. Struggling because my visiting daughter has been baking for family. That and making buttered popcorn.
3) Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. Getting better with salt. Sugar as above.
4) Eliminate all animal foods. always
5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). Need more mindfulness here. I keep thinking I need nuts for health.
6) Eliminate any added oil. Daughter cooking for family has allowed this to creep back in.
7) Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products, puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit. As I continue down this list I see that much work to be done.
8 ) Don’t drink your calories no problem here this week.
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 Here’s something I can cheer about. Getting much more exercise. Signed up for virtual classes. Giving me that accountability.

Thank you to the moderators.

[CindyD]

Jan 15, 2021 150.4
Jan 22, 2020 150.4
-/+0 NO CHANGE

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. YES
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals YES
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. I suspect the salt creeped up this week, so I'm going to work on that. I got a new shaker of garlic salt and the holes are too big!
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 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. YES
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). 70%, shorter walks on super cold days.

Not too worried about showing no loss this week. As mentioned above, likely too much salt and a bit less exercise than normal. I'm also near the end of the process - current BMI at 22.5. Maybe another 10 pounds, and if it takes 10+ weeks, that's ok!

I ordered a couple bundles of Forks Over Knives on dvd in the last couple months, and have given out five copies so far! Believe me, I have learned it's best to be a good example and stay quiet, but I like to have the dvds on hand in case anyone asks.

[Rebecka22]

175.6
Weight change +/- in lbs:  -1.6 pounds

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. 100%
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. 100%
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. 100%
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). 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. 100%
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). 100%

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
I think this is my first perfect week, but it’s been hard! I really wanted chocolate and other off plan food. I was able to take your advice and just eliminate coconut milk from certain recipes with no problem, probably just need to lessen some of the spices in the future and I continued to substitute cauliflower for recipes that call for cashews and had no complaints from my family. Of course I don’t tell them, but they didn’t seem to notice, so that’s a definite win. I also found a way to have chocolate by adding unsweetened cocoa powder to my oatmeal with a banana and I guess my tastebuds have adjusted enough that it’s no longer bitter. Yay for that! Thank you so much for this group, I look forward to the day when ten 100%s come easy and regularly.
Thanks,
Rebecka

[wstokes]

-2.4 lbs 

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
100%

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.
90%

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.
90%

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).
70%…2 days with snacks that included nut, peanuts

6. Eliminate any added oil.
95%

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.
30%…5 of 7 days with calorie dense snacks

8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
80%…it just occurred to me that a Christmas gift that flavors soda water is just adding sugar. The good news is that I’ve used that up and will not be replacing it…I prefer soda water without added sugar. This will go back to 100% in the future.

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).
100%

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
I have to confess that I was looking at a +3 to 4 lb report this morning with the various straying that occurred over the past 7 days. I don’t know what got into me other than some of the emotion of the past 7 days of national current events (stress/celebration eating). The large increase that resulted from those indiscretions has really been informative and I do NOT want to have this be anywhere close to a regular pattern. So I fasted yesterday. I am gratified that it allowed me to show a decrease and am very surprised at the magnitude of the decrease (given where things stood yesterday morning).
Now I have a new low to try to “beat” for next week…that will be a challenge that will not allow (and should not allow) indiscretions to be cured with fasting. I have been curious about the various benefits of trying a fasting day and I may do this again in the future…I’m just saying I do not plan to use this as a trick to have better “scores” on my weekly report here.

[Rita<3]

Hi everyone!
I hope everyone is doing well & hanging in there the best they can.

Last week-164.5
This week-160.5
Loss of 4lbs

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

I had a fairly decent week & I’m so grateful. Grateful for the help that this supportive group offers & thankful for our collective persistence despite sometimes staggering odds.

I’m finding that if I follow the plan & exercise a little longer for one day during the week, I can sometimes see that difference in weight loss. Not always, but it is indeed noteworthy.
Sometimes that’s a viable option but not always am I up to the task.

Challenges were changing up recipes out of boredom & I’m grateful that I found the recipe for Mrs. McDougall’s Creamy Beany Soup. I love it! With the colder weather; I’m loving soups. The last (& most frequent challenge) is battling chronic pain to exercise.
That’s it for me!! Thanks all.

[birdy birdy]

Weight change +/- in lbs: +1.2

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. 100%
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. 70%
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. 90%
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). 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. 70%
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). 90%
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. 95%
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). NONE

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: To paraphrase Viorst's 1972 children's book, I had a terrible, no good, very bad week. The part for our kitchen sink was stuck in the eastern part of the state, due to landslides, and didn't arrive until Wednesday. So I had nearly another complete week with no sink. My back is just now getting to the point where I'm up on my hind legs. That combo has made it very difficult to be compliant. Not being able to exercise AT ALL has definitely had a toll both physically, mentally, and with weight management.

Soooooo. Circumstances are looking up. The sink is operational, groceries have been secured, and today my back is feeling the best it has in over a week. Onward!

[brookelikesrunning]

Weight change +/- in lbs: -2.0 lbs

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. 50%

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. 50%

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. 100%
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). 25%
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% (dried fruit...)

8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). 75%
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). 0% No..

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

This week I've been sick, yup.... COVID-19. It's been a mild sickness. Cough, congestion, no fever, loss of appetite.
I was going to the gym, and now I've been staying in. Walking outside with the cold, and sickness is obviously a no- a lot of people in my neighborhood enjoy walking all hours of the day, socially distancing isn't practical.
I have major allergies to ALL grains and white potatoes.
I have been enjoying salads more this week!
Hoping this weight loss wasn't just because I was sick, as I am recovering now with no symptoms, and thankful I have been able to work from home during this time, and not taken any time off.

[squealcat]

Weight change +/- in lbs: +1.6 pounds

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.some days yes and some days no
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).maybe had a slice of something once
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).failed
6. Eliminate any added oil.failed
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.failed
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).I don't drink my calories
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.I was uncomfortably stuffed on one day
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).did my usual 5 days walking 3 miles each day

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:This was a tough week and I don't know why. Letting in a little rich food turned into letting in more. I am OK now. I made a big batch of veggie soup a couple of days ago and cooked food I really like and are within MWL guidelines. That is key for me. I had made some soup I really didn't like and was without food that tasted good to me. That just makes me tumble down. I have fixed that now. I guess from this week i have learned to just stick to what I know I love. I am not a big fan of veggie soup either and this week looked up the recipe for Weight Watchers vegetable soup. I remember liking that one. The recipe I found hit the spot and is filled with all kinds of vegetables and no cans of tomatoes (don't like a lot of tomatoes in my soup). I have roasted Japanese sweet potatoes and lentils all cooked. I am ready for this next week.

-squealcat (Marilyn)

[GreenFroG]

Hi all,

Weight change +/- in lbs: -0.2 lbs

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: Stayed with the 10 point checklist this week, but am finding it more difficult to get rid of those couple of pounds I found in December. I increased my exercise this week and found my appetite increased as well. I stayed with appropriate choices so I am hoping that the scale will work out eventually. I am finding as I get closer to my goals I have to be much more attentive to the checklist. This week I will be focusing on the 50/50 plate rule and trying to make sure my snacks fall in line with this as well. I know a couple of times I was reaching for fruit and had more than I should have for the day.

[jkcook]

Weight change +/- in lbs: -2

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit — 90%
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 — 90%
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) — 90%
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) — 100%

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: Pretty good. Did celebrate with salmon sushi because of the inauguration