January 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

[chrisg]

Hello - I have completed orientation and would like to be added to the weigh-in group. I have been following MWL, but struggle with being 100% all of the time and have fallen off these past couple of months for various reasons. I have started back on track a few days ago and am looking forward to being involved with and learning more from this group. Thank you!

[Mark Cooper]

Welcome to the group [email protected], utcynutcyn, brookelikesrunning, NonnyC, dbrhw, & chrisg!

oneesotericgirl -

Thanks for including all the that awesome info! Read thru the orientation post again. I'm ready! Let's go!
Good luck to all!

Lisaishere - I imagine your questions will be answered by the Orientation Materials, but if further questions arise feel free to post them here. The fact that you've had success with this way of eating in the past indicates you should be able to achieve progress moving forward.

[Mark Cooper]

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's weigh-in and seeing everyone's reports! Friday is this group's weigh-in day, and participants have until noon pacific time (19:00 UTC) on Saturday to post a report of their result for the week. Reports posted outside that window of time won't be included in the summary that I compile for Saturday evening. This group is all about changing patterns of behavior, so it seems reasonable to me to expect those who choose to participate in the weekly weigh-in to honor that time frame for reporting. In addition to reporting your weight change in pounds, more importantly, please be sure to evaluate your behaviors within the context of the MWL 10-Point Checklist, as discussed at the beginning of this thread. I will respond to everyone's reports in a cumulative post on Friday evening and Saturday evening, and the summary for the week will be posted Saturday night.

For more information on why participants are recommended to weigh themselves once a week while in the weight loss phase, check out this excellent and thorough article from Jeff - To Weigh or Not to Weigh

My very best to all, and I'll see you tomorrow!

[MichelleM]

I have completed the orientation and would like to be added to the group - again. I joined in March but that was as far as I went. I am going to try again.

Michelle.

[Beeshell]

Hello Mark, Goose and all. I’d like to re-up. I think my last post was mid November when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I had surgery 12/18 and am still recovering but am hoping this group and way of eating will only improve things. I will check with my doctors to let them know. I have a post op appointment Monday and will let you know if I am NOT able to continue.

My eating took a bit of a turn with the diagnosis. Mainly, eating too many sweets. Thanks for all you do for us. Beeshell

[Mark Cooper]

MichelleM - Welcome back! The start of this new year seems like an appropriate occasion for a new start.

Beeshell - I can only imagine how daunting that diagnosis and the subsequent surgery must have been; I'm so happy to see you posting again and to know that you are recovering! I wish you all the best, and look forward to your participation (pending the go ahead from your doctors).

[Rita<3]

Happiest of New Years everyone!
I’m wishing you well & hopeful you meet all of you goals this year. Peace & Blessings.

Weight change +/- in lbs:

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Y
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.Y 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. 90%
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. Y 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

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
So, I got too busy last week & waited too late to weigh in. I apologize for that Mark!
Ah, well this week went well thankfully. I’ve exercised 3/4 (& will be today also) days, but due to chronic pain, it’s often difficult. I’m doing my best though.

Last week’s weight-> 168.5
This week-> 165.0
Change of 3.5 lbs!

I had a slice of cake for my bday & that took me off course a bit, despite exercising immediately afterward. Grateful to be back on track! Thanks for the motivation & positivity friends! Hang in there. We’ve got this!!

[jan_npr]

Weight gain 5 lbs

Here we go again. Fresh start. 10-POINT CHECKLIST FOR MAXIMUM WEIGHT LOSS (MWL)

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

All I can say is last year I gained 10 lbs over the holidays and this year I gained 5. Aiming for less again next Christmas season. ) love a fresh start new year.

Happy new year to all. Many thanks and appreciation to moderators.

[Veganjo]

Happy New Year!

[CindyD]

Dec 25, 2020 153.6
Jan 1, 2021 154.2
Change +0.6

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. 85%, bit of extra starches
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). 95%, ate 2 walnut halves
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. YES
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).YES

A small gain but I think it's fine. Bad time of the month for weighing (sorry to be indelicate)! This week could have been SO MUCH worse because someone stole the catalytic converter out of my car parked on the street and when I finally got my car back from the shop I managed to scrape the side of the car against the garage door (which is why I preferred to park on the street *&%^$*&)

However, I did not eat lots of chocolates even though I thought about it and I knew where I could find some. I did eat an extra baked potato with black bean soup which should have had more veggies.

Welcome back returning people and welcome new people! We can have an excellent January, let's do it!

[oneesotericgirl]

Weight change +/- in lbs: No gain or loss, starting today.

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. I have been adding more veggies to meals, but not close to how I should be. 15%
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.10% usually. In the past two months it has been a challenge to get even veggies on a plate, but I am increasing every day.
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.Added salt is a big issue for me. Added sugar, not as much, although I do get more cravings when I eat MWL. But when I am following the guidelines closely, I am always impressed at how amazing fruit tastes. Last time I tried to reduce my salt intake as low as possible, and I think that lead to me eating things I shouldn't. I am going to slowly do it this time. Focus on the basics first. 10%
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). 0% but that ends TODAY!
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). 50% Avocados are my weakness when I can't have a creamy salad dressing.
6. Eliminate any added oil. 35%, I don't have any oil at home for cooking, so cutting out eating out will greatly reduce that.
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.0% This is probably another one of my biggest challenges. I snack all day long. I really do not enjoy sitting down and eating a meal. I would rather munch all day, mostly due to my busy retail job. Snacks that are on plan aren't as easy to get on the go for me. This is something I will have to focus on prepping for.
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). 50% I would say I usually drink diet soda and zero calorie energy drinks. But I do love my fancy iced coffees. I need a pick me up in the morning. Do I just stick with the diet soda until I can cut it? Or do I make a cup of tea or coffee at home with a lil almond creamer and sugar?
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. 0% Emotional, stress, and boredom eating are big challenges for me. It is very easy for me to eat to excess, especially things that appeal to my cravings. When I eat according to plan, I am way less interested in over eating, but the problem is that I don't enjoy the food so I don't want to eat it, which leads me to cravings and blood sugar crashes.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). 10% This has been super hard for me. I work in retail, on my feet for 9-14 hours a day. I have a pretty bad foot injury that is taking forever to heal because of my job, so walking is out of the question. I did find some upper body workouts that can be done on the couch, so that is my daily goal right now.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
I have to go to the grocery store this morning to prep for this and I am incredibly nervous because the cravings are already here. It's crazy to see how fast the cravings surface when you tell yourself you can't have the things you are craving. I am going to focus though.

I am ready to give this an honest and committed effort, but I know I have a lot of old habits to overcome.

[2021jumpStart!?]

Ready for January 2021 MWL!

[Cliv]

I've read the orientation material and would like to join the group. Happy New Year!

[Mark Cooper]

Ready for January 2021 MWL!

Hello! Please review the Orientation Materials, and follow the directions therein to register for the group. Thanks!

Cliv - Welcome! I look forward to seeing your report in a week! (or feel free to report for today, if you've already gotten started). Let me know if you have any questions.

[Artista]

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Weight change +/- in lbs:  -0.4

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. Almost always, I had 2 meals this week that weren’t 50/50
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. 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 except for 1 meal that included a little soy milk and a couple tsp of flaxseed
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 except for 1 day I forgot to exercise

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
Mark, thank you for your encouraging words last week. It helped to know that breakfast can be 50/50 with fruit. This week went better, not necessarily easier, but better. I think I’m still getting used to it.