January 2021 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

Mark's Replies for January 29 - Part 2

Postby Mark Cooper » Sat Jan 30, 2021 2:15 pm

deb102 - Nice loss! Since you were able to adhere to the guidelines on most days, was anything different about the days when you included tofu, meat or cheese in your meals? Any changes in your environment, situation or routine? Given that the MWL guidelines recommend eliminating both seeds and dried fruit, why do you think you decided to add those to your breakfast this week? Attending to the recommendations where you have the opportunity to adhere more closely will best support further progress.

cmcavazos - Clothes fitting more loosely is a great non-scale victory, Christine! I understand how it can feel discouraging when the scale doesn't show the results we were hoping to see, but keep in mind that there are often positive changes happening that have not yet been captured by the scale. When it felt like you were overeating, were you eating past the point of being comfortably full? Did those occasions correspond with the inclusion of higher fat plant foods and extra added salt and sugar, or were those separate days? Cheers for February!

GreenFroG - Kudos for doing pretty well for most of the week! The temporary blip with the crackers illustrates what a significant role our immediate environment can have in supporting or challenging our efforts. Your observations about the context of that incident definitely seem worthy of attention; any strategies you can try to shore up your resilience during that time are likely to be helpful. Would it help to intentionally replace the after dinner snacking with an alternate activity (more congruent with your goals)? Keep in mind, too, that if you are actually hungry, an adherent snack is always an option.

CindyD - Thank you so much for your kind words! I feeling quite well. :D

carwex - Congratulations on smashing through that 60 kilo barrier! Heartening indeed! I really relate to the "feeling of freedom" you describe, for me that freedom is a product of TIME + ADHERENCE, but I definitely agree that inner calm or equanimity is also a key component of a healthy, happy, successful life. I'm glad the information shared was helpful in resolving your concerns. Enjoy that feeling a freedom, and protect the good groove you have established. :thumbsup:

Noella - Your consistent, diligent adherence, positive attitude and willingness to be patient are inspiring! Being able to visibly recognize the results of your efforts in the mirror is an awesome demonstration of your success. Love the quote! In many ways, feeling great is the most significant goal, right?

Hope410 - Down 3.2 lbs! Kudos for eliminating the popcorn and making real progress with those "problem points," being so close to answering YES to number 7 is real headway. :nod: Your effort and concentration are serving you well; have a great week!

texaslil - Cheers for keeping things mostly in check during an exciting time (with abundant temptation, and some added stress, I imagine). The ease with which you are staying on plan in your current situation shows what a big difference one's environment and routine can make, Laila. Continue your streak, and watch for any useful practices you can bring with you when your situation goes back to "normal."

jnc - Another 1.4 lbs gone and solid progress for the month! Being fully aware of the fundamental principles, and able to accurately discern when we are following them (and when we aren't) is an important and often overlooked component of success; lack of understanding can interfere with adherence as much as lack of application. Keep in mind that when one closely follows the guidelines, there often isn't any cause for concern over volume of food, since the overall calorie density of one's diet will be low (often a greater volume of MWL food might have significantly fewer calories than the rich foods that abound in the standard fare). Keep striving to eliminate the higher fat and calorie rich foods from your menu.

josietheschnauzer - I applaud you for exercising every single day, even in the cold, and for your overall excellent adherence, Elsa! I imagine the ongoing "weight dance" is largely due to being pretty close to a point of equilibrium; remember, too, because so many things outside our control can influence any single weigh-in, it's quite possible to be making progress that has yet to register in a way that can be easily measured. Hooray for no stress-eating! On to February!

chrisg - Looks like a pretty solid week; kudos for nixing the bread and oily takeout! Keep attending to all the recommended behaviors, and I'm sure the scale will reflect your efforts before long. :)

Gimmelean - Nice loss! A full day of strict adherence demonstrates you are quite capable of making things work! Now it is just a matter of making each day resemble that particular day; are there tools, practices or tactics that helped deliver success that you can incorporate in a daily routine?
Gimmelean wrote:If I’ve satisfied my actual hunger I’m in a much better place to manage the emotional drive to cram. I’m coming to the conclusion that there’s a thin line for me ,if any line at all between striving for perfectionism and being non compliant. Knowing the consequences of either choice helped me get out of my slump.
:nod: That makes so much sense; great application of Dr. Lisle's lecture.

Growing a Pear - Lack of sleep can really effect our ability to face even a "normal" day's responsibilities and chores, right? I think you have done a great job studying the context and causal chain for the challenges you were facing. Recognizing that tendency toward the Ego trap seems important, and something to manage with care. I'm a big believer in SMART goals as a tool for walking that line you describe (getting things done adequately, without moving goalposts, obsessing or falling into perfectionism). When I make a goal Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely, I find I'm less likely to stray into maladaptive perfectionism. So, for example, for the next week I will exercise for 30 minutes each day, after I get up and have some water, recording the exercise I performed after I finish.
Growing a Pear wrote:So my specific goal for this next week is to accomplish #10, but never expect more of myself than the 30 minutes.
That sounds like a very good plan. Thank you so much for the update on your "out of sight" experiments. Very cool results! I'm glad you were able to relate to Naomi's report; I completely agree with you that our thoughts, feelings and beliefs are in a mutual and interdependent relationship with our behaviors and choices. :nod:

Rita<3 - Hang in there; your week looks pretty good, overall! Overly salty packaged foods can be an easy trap to spring! Glad you feel prepared to face that challenge and refocus. Since the Dr. McDougall's Right Foods soups (at least the dry versions) have seasonings in a separate packet, limiting (or eliminating) the seasoning used can be helpful in reducing added salt. Keep doing your best, and learning as you go, one day at a time!

JaBee - Congratulations on hitting that "long time" low weight! Excellent effort. Consistent, ongoing success overall is a worthy aim, without expecting perfection. Onward!

Cliv - Down a pound! You are making progress; eliminating the remaining animal foods and other calorie rich foods will serve to support your efforts. Would it be possible to put the leftovers from your children in the fridge for them to have later?
Is there a particular form of exercise you have enjoyed in the past?

DisneyPrincess - Nice loss! I'm glad you feel happy with your progress. It sounds like you tried to make the best of the choices available; I imagine Disney World felt like a very tempting environment without abundant adherent options, which wouldn't make things easy. Asian restaurants tend to be a good bet for assembling a relatively adherent meal. :nod: Keep heading back on track in the days ahead. :)

Drew* - I'm so sorry to hear you were hospitalized! I know from recent experience how scary that can be. So glad to hear your conditions have resolved/are resolving. Your doctor's recommendations seem very consistent with MWL; I would imagine it is both comforting and motivating to have that reinforcement that you are on the right track. Cheers for doing what needs to be done, taking positive action where we have the opportunity to do so. Wishing you a full recovery. Take care!

wstokes - I really appreciate your thoughtfulness in considering the experience of the group as a whole. Please don't let an unfocused week discourage you from participating here, and continuing to pursue your personal goals. Making these changes can be extremely challenging, particularly in the contemporary food environment. The question to ask yourself is what can be done to make tomorrow, and the day after and the days that follow more focused toward the outcomes you seek, and are you willing and able to try and do those things. Supporting adherence is nearly always a matter of creating a supportive environment, preparing adequately and planning to succeed and overcome challenges. As you are thinking, consider what you want for yourself, what things you are willing to do to achieve what you desire, and what will best serve you. We don't ever expect perfection, just diligent effort. :)
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Re: January 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby jkcook » Sat Jan 30, 2021 2:18 pm

Weight change +/- in lbs: -1
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 — 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) — 90%
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 — 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 week. Found a couple of remakes of favorites from Peru and Korea and made those. Made a couple of nice meals. I will definitely keep the recipes around!
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Weigh-In Report Compilation - January 29, 2021

Postby Mark Cooper » Sat Jan 30, 2021 2:43 pm

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 January 29 - Part 1
Mark's Replies for January 29 - Part 2

By my count, 24 participants reported for our final January 2021 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 January:

Week ending 1/29/2021: 24 participants reported a total loss of -18.70 pounds
--------------------------------------------------
Wstokes +3.30
PonysPlants +2.40
Texaslil +0.80
Josietheschnauzer +0.60
Cmcavazos +0.20
GreenFroG +0.20
Growing a Pear +0.10
--------------------------------------------------
Total gains: +7.60
--------------------------------------------------
NO CHANGE / MAINTAIN / STARTING OUT
Chrisg 0.00
Noella 0.00
--------------------------------------------------
Rita<3 -0.50
CindyD -0.60
Cliv -1.00
DisneyPrincess -1.30
Jnc -1.40
Carwex -1.50
JaBee -1.50
Gimmelean -1.60
Deb102 -1.80
Squealcat -1.90
Drew* -2.20
birdy birdy -2.40
Rebecka22 -2.40
HoustonJason -3.00
Hope410 -3.20
--------------------------------------------------
Total losses: -26.30
--------------------------------------------------
Cumulative group loss for January 2021 to date: 118.20 pounds
Average loss for week ending January 29: 0.74 pounds
--------------------------------------------------

Next Weigh-In is on Friday, February 5, 2021, in the February MWL group thread.


Congratulations to everyone who participated this week and this month! Collectively, you lost 118.2 lbs; about as much weight as a North Pacific Giant Octopus!

I'm going to close January with a recommendation to review Jeff's list of 9 reasons why we struggle to succeed in achieving the results we seek. Whether you are having a tough time or in a good groove, this list presents factors that are worth considering as you move forward with your efforts to change your pattern of behavior. Do you recognize anything that you were facing this week, in weeks past, or something that may lurk on the horizon?
JeffN wrote:If you are looking to fine tune your program or wondering why you may be struggling or not seeing the results you would like to as quickly as you would like, you may want to review these points.

I have updated them and added in a few new ones.

1) Poor Adherence/compliance. Sometimes from lack of application and sometimes from lack of understanding of the principles.

2) Misdirection of focus/priorities. Focusing on matters that don't really effect your health while not focusing on the ones that do.

3) Minimizing/Rationalizing the effect of certain behaviors and/or personal preferences, **especially in regard to certain foods**.

4) Too many processed/refined and/or calorie dense foods, especially those that are marketing as being "healthy."

5) Not understanding the difference between something that is "allowed" on occasion in small quantities, and something that is "recommended."

6) Inadequate exercise/activity

7) Not planning ahead. If you do not plan ahead for success, you will most likely not find it.

8 ) Time. Healing and results take time and for some of us, it may take a little longer than we hope.

9) Mcdougall "Plus" - This is where you mix the principles taught here with other principles you have read or learned somewhere else that are in conflict with the principles recommended here. While there are some program that are very much inline with these principles (ie, Esselstyn, etc) most are not.


I wish you all a successful month to come! I look forward to seeing everyone in the February 2021 MWL group thread, which I'll post on Monday. Have a great weekend, and take care! :D
Last edited by Mark Cooper on Sun Jan 31, 2021 4:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: January 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby oneesotericgirl » Sat Jan 30, 2021 2:46 pm

Oops, I missed the weigh-in!

Well I will be back for February! Ended this month will total loss of 13.6 lbs. :thumbsup:
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Re: January 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby Rita<3 » Sat Jan 30, 2021 8:55 pm

Hi Mark!
I actually lost .5. Not gained. Thank you! ;-)
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Re: January 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby Mark Cooper » Sun Jan 31, 2021 4:23 am

Rita<3 wrote:Hi Mark!
I actually lost .5. Not gained. Thank you! ;-)

Thanks for letting me know! I've updated the summary to reflect that change. 8)
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Re: January 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby josietheschnauzer » Sun Jan 31, 2021 7:58 am

To Mark, Wild Goose, Jeff and everyone, Thank you for an encouraging month! See you in February!

To Drew: I am so sorry about your hospitalization. Your doctor sounds amazing. Sending good thoughts to you.

To wstokes: I hope you will stay with MWL check in. As for me, I didn't get to this place in a year. I am still peeling back the onion. And, I believe I am correct in saying that these types of "accountability" groups work. :!: And this one, my first, is so wonderful! Positive, practical, and persistent!

For February, I am going to "think about being a sweetheart" to people and look, not touch, those red boxes that have appeared everywhere ... when I see the red box, I am going to say to myself. "YOU fill it with kindness and NO complaints....do not buy one for anyone....plus of course "compliance" with MWL.

I may buy a box of red apples and hand them out with a card..just thinking.
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Re: January 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby josietheschnauzer » Sun Jan 31, 2021 8:12 am

Mark, thank you especially for this:

"josietheschnauzer - I applaud you for exercising every single day, even in the cold, and for your overall excellent adherence, Elsa! I imagine the ongoing "weight dance" is largely due to being pretty close to a point of equilibrium; remember, too, because so many things outside our control can influence any single weigh-in, it's quite possible to be making progress that has yet to register in a way that can be easily measured. Hooray for no stress-eating! On to February!"

Mark, you are so encouraging and why I MUST stay the course with MWL. In the other part of my life, I have been attempting SMART goals and am removing clutter. I have found old pictures. Oh my! I have lost so much weight. I look so much better. I AM so much better. I just can't believe it.

It is snowing, and I am going to bundle up and take the real little furry josie the schnauzer for a walk!
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Re: January 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby Drew* » Sun Jan 31, 2021 2:44 pm

josietheschnauzer wrote:To Mark, Wild Goose, Jeff and everyone, Thank you for an encouraging month! See you in February!

To Drew: I am so sorry about your hospitalization. Your doctor sounds amazing. Sending good thoughts to you.


Hi Josie, thank you for the "good thoughts" and your excitement about MWL is great. I am more committed after this scare in the hospital to prioritize MWL. Look forward to seeing you in February as well!

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Re: Mark's Replies for January 29 - Part 2

Postby Drew* » Sun Jan 31, 2021 3:02 pm

Mark Cooper wrote:Drew* - I'm so sorry to hear you were hospitalized! I know from recent experience how scary that can be. So glad to hear your conditions have resolved/are resolving. Your doctor's recommendations seem very consistent with MWL; I would imagine it is both comforting and motivating to have that reinforcement that you are on the right track. Cheers for doing what needs to be done, taking positive action where we have the opportunity to do so. Wishing you a full recovery. Take care!


Hi Mark, thank you for the kind words. I read about your encounter with a hospital and hope you are feeling better now. Urgent care, ER, and hospitalization are definitely scary. The doctor that met with me was quite helpful and his encouragement to do an approach that is right on with an MWL approach makes me more determined, not just for weight loss, but for health. The "reinforcement" from the doctor as well as from this group will be vital on this day-by-day journey.

Drew*
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Re: January 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby jan_npr » Fri Feb 05, 2021 5:19 am

Weight change up 1.3 lbs

Feel like a broken record here. Excuses excuses. Mark you must get tired of hearing them. Thanks for link to article on plateaus. Will definitely check it out. I need to learn to eat differently from what my long term house guests are eating. A big challenge for me. My husband not happy either. He’s gained back 10 pounds.

I’ve been buying binge foods at grocery store again, eating them on way home and later. Even when I shop after a meal. amazing that I haven’t gained more but this is only about once a week.

So my biggest challenges are binging, added oils, and higher calorie foods including flour. Every morning I plan out my food for the day and then proceed to ignore that by lunchtime. Today is a new day. Breakfast is never a problem because it remains the same. Perhaps I should do the same with lunch which is often leftovers from a calorie dense supper from the night before. (Again with houseguests so I’m trying to please them. )

Doing great with exercise!!!

Big thank you to moderators.


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

1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.   Good
2) Follow the 50/50 plate method good
2) Choose fruit for desert. Good
3) Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.  Good
4) Eliminate all animal foods always
5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). Poor
6) Eliminate any added oil. Poor
7) Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products, puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit. Poor
8 ) Don’t drink your calories great
9) Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full.   Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. Poor
10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily great
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