January 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

[Tian-De]

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Looking forward to another year of STARCH! Thanks again Mark and the MWL Team for everything you did in 2020.


Weight change +/- in lbs: +.8
Last Week: 165.8
This Week: 166.6

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Usually fruit before most meals. I need to do a massive veggie wash and prep on Sunday so that this is easier next week.
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. Usually 2/3 starch to veggies
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. I had a busyy week and needed to eat at work several times, resulting in more salt than usual
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). Tofu on one occassion
6. Eliminate any added oil. oil in a sauce during dinner at a friends house once.
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. This is where I failed almost everyday for the past week. I had to work late several days and the best options were Udon noodles or scallion bread. Not many oil free veggie options. The scallion bread is very cravable. Definitely a pleasure trap scenario.
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). soymilk once or twice
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. Getting better at eating to satiation. I think there is still some notion in my mind that I need to limit the amount I eat, at least on a subconscious level.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). exercised 3 times this past week. Maybe about an hour each time.

[josietheschnauzer]

Happy New Year!
Weight Gain: .4
1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Yes!
2) Follow the 50/50 plate method. Yes!
2) Choose fruit for desert. If desert, then it is fruit.
3) Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. No--this week, see comments.
4) Eliminate all animal foods. Yes!
5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). No! Leftover raw cashews, less than 1/2 cup on New Year Eve "feast"
6) Eliminate any added oil. Yes!
7) Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products, puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit. No! Chinese Vegetable Steamed Dumplings on New Year's Eve. And several leftover dates from Carrot Cake.
8 ) Don’t drink your calories. No--one almond milk latte on New Year's Day.
9) Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. Except for New Year's Eve, and I didn't really stuff.....just those leftover cashews and dates were calling my name from their little baggies in the refrigerator!!!
10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily. Yes!

Comments: On New Year's Eve, I made home-made miso soup. I think the sodium was too high--at least for what I have been eating. I also ate leftover (from week before carrot cake) raw cashews. They are now GONE! I also had Chinese steamed vegetable dumplings at my New Year's Eve celebration BUT the vegetable sushi did NOT include avocados My Chinese restaurant has figured out, I think, that I don't want that "treat". Lastly on New Year's Eve I had several leftover dates from the carrot cake. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Mark, Wild Goose, and Jeff, I appreciate EVERYTHING! Onward!

[carwex]

Hi Mark, Goose, Jeff and all the newcomers,

Weight change +1/2 pound

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.yes
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method. Choose fruit for dessert.yes
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. reduced yes, eliminated no
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).except some small portions on Xmas and NYE
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).3x this week took a handful of nuts. not allowed on my plan but a bit of tofu and miso allowed
6. Eliminate any added oil.yes
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products. yes
8. Don't drink your calories.drinking almond milk when I'm thirsty. Want to change it to water
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry.I should use this more often instead of reaching for something noncompliant
10. Avoid being sedentary.lots of swimming and walking this week

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: My grandson came for a few nights this week after being away on holiday for 3 weeks. My obsessive feeding attitude towards him was very clear to me. It has an effect on my eating also.
Otherwise, I felt that I was able to indulge in some holiday foods without continuing the party or being triggered by them. That accounts for the small gain in weight. It might have been much worse.
I need the support I find here.No one else around me eats like me so it can get lonely.
A happy new year to all and welcome to all the new members. May you all find here the answers you're looking for.
Carol

[oneesotericgirl]

I was thinking this morning as I was planning to step on my scale, "how bad is it for me to weigh myself every day?" I have always felt like weighing myself daily keeps me accountable. If I gain or don't lose one day, I am stricter on the guidelines the next day. But! That made me realize that is probably my habitual "diet mentality." I have been a yo-yo dieter for almost 20 years. I read some articles saying that this is the most unhealthy and potentially dangerous type of dieting.

I read Jeff's article https://www.drmcdougall.com/2018/04/12/ ... -to-weigh/ this morning called "To weigh or not to weigh."
It made me feel like my concerns are correct. I have to work on fighting the daily urge to step on the scale and hold myself accountable, or basically punish myself for the number that shows.
Does anyone else struggle with this? Has anyone overcome this mentality?

[chef16]

12/25/2020 233#
01/01/2021 233#
Stayed the same 0

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.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).75%
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. 95%
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). Not even trying

Well that's over! I thought it was never going to end! I am still sitting at 233# and very happy about it. I ate and drank things I should not have and still maintained where I was . I thought in the beginning that I would gain a little or a lot. I am ready to get back to it ! I've noticed all the brightly packaged crap is gone and has been replaced with things to start your New Years resolution. (I am avoiding the clearance isles ) I am not tempted by the resolution stuff unless it is a sale on veggies! Hoping this year is a better one for everyone!

[Ejg]

Hi, Eric here. I have reviewed the orientation materials, could you please add me to this?

I used this last year and found it to be helpful but got away from it for a while. Weighed myself this morning and I was 204 lbs, which I will use as my starting point for future weigh ins.

Thanks!

[DisneyPrincess]

Hello, I have completed orientation and would like to be added to the group please.

[texaslil]

Weight change +/- in lbs:
+ .8
Current weight: 172.2

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. NO, ABOUT 80% OF THE TIME
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). NO, ATE SOME AVOCADO
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, WE MADE FLOUR PANCAKES
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). NO, DRANK HOT CHOCOLATE AND APPLE CIDER A FEW TIMES 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. NO...
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). 5/7

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: First off, Happy New Year everyone! I hope for a better year for all and one in which we can all stick to this woe! This week was not as compliant as I would have liked.. still struggling to get back to the ease of this woe that I had prior to Thanksgiving.. It's been a real struggle. With all of the holidays behind us, I am hoping I can get back to that place. I did realize this week that when I eat 3 meals a day, I feel very stuffed, so I will try to stick with eating a late breakfast and early dinner, which I was doing pre-Thanksgiving. Do you think it's ok to have two meals a day? w/fruit in between as snacks? Seems like I have read that we need less food the older we get.. At any rate, I'm hoping for better results next week!

[DisneyPrincess]

Today is day 2 for me, so there are no changes to report.

Starting Weight: 254.0
Weight change +/- in lbs: n/a

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: I am familiar with Dr. McDougall’s program, I have followed it off and on for several years, but I am determined to follow the program faithfully to reach my goal weight and maintain it thereafter.

[Gimmelean]

Weight change +/- in lbs: -2.2

12/25/20 128.4
1/1/2021 126.2


1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Yes.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, filling half your plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50% (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches. Choose fruit for dessert. Yes
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too. If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them.yes.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).yes
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).yes
6. Eliminate any added oil.yes
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (i.e., bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit. Yes. With a few small exceptions
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:
This week my weight dropped by 2.2 pounds. Big difference for me in a positive way because I made gradual changes towards adhering to the MWL guidelines and checklist. I wasn’t really aware that I was truly improving my habits until I got there. I felt like I was not being very successful but I was. Having faith that this works is so important. We all want instant results and of course I’m no exception no matter how often I remind myself.
Thanks for your encouragement, advice, and education. A happy, healthy, fantastic new year!

[chandraalmond]

Hi. I'm Chandra. I have completed orientation and would like to be added to the group.

[JaBee]

I am back — again, commit to complete the adventure this time!

I lost 25# with encouragement of this group last year and have kept it off but became unfocused the last few months

Today is my first day of resuming the plan.

Beginning weight today 188.6

Let’s do this!!!

[CUgorji22]

Happy New Year, everyone

*Gain = +0.6lbs*

*Guidelines:
Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Compliant 6/7 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 2/7 days

*Summary:
- My not so good points = (1) I missed one day of starting my meal with a soup/salad. I had the soup ready, was fixing my plate, we heard a knock at the door, everyone FROZE because we are not used to unannounced visitors during a pandemic. It was a courier delivering business documents to my husband. I returned to the kitchen, completely distracted. Picked up my plate & forgot about my soup until I was halfway finished with my lunch. I did grab my soup though & ate it! (2) I ate popcorn with my hubby while watching a movie. (3) My exercise was at an all-time low this week...ugh! I didn't feel well most of the week because my monthly "friend" is visiting. I had headaches consecutive days, felt fatigued (I took a nap one day, which I never do) & was super moody the ENTIRE week. I am grateful for my 2 days of personal training this week...they were much needed & my only days of exercise. (4) I'm not too concerned about my weight gain this week. I feel confident my monthly "friend" may be the cause. (5) My one meal of oil was leftover Indian food, early this week. 

- My good points = (1) This week was exceptionally challenging emotionally! I had very strong food cravings, moments where I wanted to quit my MWL guidelines multiple times, days I questioned if my efforts were worth it. One day, it felt like I could taste pizza in my mouth...it was the weirdest thing! I truly believe this was an "outlier" week for me, as in, not usual AT ALL. My victory: I did not give up! I did not give in! I stuck to my convictions and made the right decisions overall, even when I didn't want to. (2) I refrained & didn't fill my glass for our annual Martinelli sparkling juice toast @ midnight on New Year's Day!! I kept my phone in my hand for pics rather than a glass filled with sugar. YAY! (3) My family ordered Pho noodle soup last night. My lovely husband went thru the entire menu trying to find a dish I could eat. As he named off things, I said, "Hmmm, that sounds good...I can't eat that." I was at a crossroads...the same one I stand at weekly. I decided to eat leftovers at home; I didn't order food with my family!!! WOW! I did it! I can't believe it!! I turned down the opp to order my favorite Vietnamese food, which I love, which is also not MWL-compliant!! Lol! I warmed up my food & enjoyed a great dinner with my family. I was concerned I might feel upset or bitter watching them eat BUT nope, I didn't. 

*After careful thought, consideration & a chat with my hubby, I plan to return to the Group in February. As I mentioned last week, we are moving this month...I have almost reached brain capacity with ALL the details of our move. My hope is to stick pretty closely to the guidelines as my cookware gets packed, while we're on the road and while I'm setting up my new home. My goal is to maintain my weight this month! I am interested to see how I do...on my own. I will still have my husband & my Personal Trainer (Karen) hold me accountable! I'm nervous, a little scared but also excited to see how I continue putting into practice what I have learned from MWL, striving toward a sustainable lifestyle...long term! 

Thank you, Mark, for your support! Your weekly feedback is priceless!! Have a great weekend!!

-Chesca

[deb102]

I would like to join the January 2021 McDougall MSL Weigh-In Group. I have read through the orientation materials. Starting weight is 156.
Thank you.

[Mark Cooper]

I would like to join the January 2021 McDougall MSL Weigh-In Group. I have read through the orientation materials. Starting weight is 156.
Thank you.

You are in! You'll be included in the second round of replies that I'll be posting after the weigh-in closes at 3pm eastern.