February 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

Re: February 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby texaslil » Fri Feb 26, 2021 10:54 pm

+1
Current weight: 174

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, EXCEPT I HAD SOME PIZZA
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 AVOCADOS
6. Eliminate any added oil. HAD VEGAN, W/ NO VEGAN CHEESE PIZZA, DELIVERED, BUT IT DID HAVE 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. HAD THE PIZZA AND ALSO SOME OREO COOKIES WHICH WERE IN THE HOUSE FOR MY SON'S SLEEPOVER...
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). HAD SOME WINE
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. 50/50
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).3/7

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: SOME SLIPUPS THIS WEEK, WITH MY SON'S BELATED BIRTHDAY PARTY SLEEPOVER, THERE WAS MUCH MORE IN THE HOUSE THAN USUAL. I REALLY JUST CAN'T HAVE ANY OF IT AROUND OR I WIND UP INDULGING. I LISTENED TO A YOUTUBE VIDEO BY DR GOLDHAMMER WHERE HE TALKS ABOUT THE DOPAMINE EFFECT OF EATING HIGH CALORIC ITEMS, THAT REALLY HIT HOME. I DEFINITELY HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THIS, ONCE I START EATING THOSE THINGS IT'S VERY HARD FOR ME TO STOP. I NEED TO TRY AND CLEAN UP MY ENVIRONMENT A BIT MORE. I WILL KEEP AT IT, JUST HAVING A CHALLENGING TIME GETTING BACK IN A GROOVE.
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Re: February 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby moonlight » Sat Feb 27, 2021 6:23 am

Weight Change: - 2 lbs Current weight:180
Points from the MWL Checklist where I succeeded this week
1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. 19/21
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. 21/21
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. 7/7
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). 6/7
8. Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). 7/7
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). 6/7

Points from the MWL Checklist that need greater attention
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). 5/7
6. Eliminate any added oil. 5/7
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. 4/7
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself. 5/7

General impressions & observations / resources to share / sources of excitement / requests for input & support
I had a couple of off evenings where I ate bread and nibbled cheese but overall I am pleased with my week. I think it is getting more routine to eat on plan. I had 4 100% compliant days. My blood pressure was 118/78 this week. I haven't seen it within normal limits in a very long time - years. I don't eat after 9:00. Since I've stopped eating a few hours before bed I'm sleeping much better. This habit is huge for me. I had my doubts that I could accomplish it. I felt significantly better the first day after managing to stop eating early in the evening.

Mark, you cautioned me last week about setting sights on amount of weight loss rather than behaviors. Thank you for making that comment. You are so right. It's a good reminder to not get caught up with the number on the scale. I think I read somewhere that 2 to 2.5 pounds should be the weekly average loss on this plan and I set my sights on losing that much a week. With that in mind I did calculations to determine when I might expect to be within a BMI of 21. It helped me get going seriously again on the diet plan.

Thanks to the MWL Team for all the encouragement and advice. I'm very grateful to have the opportunity to take advantage of your support. :D

I am wishing for everyone a great week building these habits and avoiding the Pleasure Trap!
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Re: February 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby CindyD » Sat Feb 27, 2021 7:21 am

Feb 20, 2021, 148.9
Feb 27, 2021, 147.4
CHANGE: -1.5

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. 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. NO, I ate one TJ's frozen vegan dinner!
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). Better than last couple weeks, but could still be improved.

HOLY COW it's already the end of February. Glad to see last week's salty increase has been neutralized. I do seem to cycle a bit through the too-much-salt then cut-back-on-salt dance. Aside from the TJ's frozen vegan dinner, staying compliant is going good - including adding lots of steamed brocc to my TJ's frozen meal. Steamed cauliflower, of all things, is my recent favorite veg. I think it must depend on the crop but sometimes it has a particularly sweet delicious taste. I am pretty sure this was never the case before I switched to WFPB the McDougall way.

Hi Mark and everyone! Hope your 2021 is going good. :)
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Re: February 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby carwex » Sat Feb 27, 2021 7:50 am

Weight gain or loss: +2 1/2 pounds

1. Start each meal with a soup or salad. Mostly
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method, ½ starch and ½ vegetables. Yes
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and salts. Reduced yes, eliminated no
4. Eliminate all animal foods. yes
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods. Don’t remember
6. Eliminate any added oil. yes
7. Eliminate all higher calorie dense foods. no
8. Don’t drink your calories. Drink only water and tea with a little almond milk
9. Follow these principles whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. no
10. Avoid being sedentary. This week I did not exercise.

This week was a total loss not in terms of weight but in terms of adherence to the 10 principles of MWL. I thought of skipping reporting and realized that being accountable is also a principle.
This week I had a fall. Nothing broke but I had some bruising then depression. I took it out on the food. In looking at the principles I cannot remember what I ate although I know that bad binge foods were not included.
Having experienced disordered eating continually since the age of 4, a temporary return to craziness is part of my process. I have been attempting to recover for many years sometimes with great success, sometimes with partial, but never giving up hope that there is a way. I am now convinced that bad days even weeks will happen. The important thing is to understand this and to not inflict more punishment on my already depressed self. In addition the way forward is not to lay blame but to get back to the principles and calm eating as fast as possible.
From experience I know that getting back on the MWL is the fastest way to lose the 2 ½ pounds I gained this week.
Ever hopeful,
Carol
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Re: February 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby chef16 » Sat Feb 27, 2021 8:27 am

02/20/2021 230#
02/27/2021 228#
lose of - 2#

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.60%
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.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).85%
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).60%

I think I did better this week, at least enough to lose 2 more pounds. I don't really have anything to add because I know where my short falls are and what I need to do. I still have a little avocado and some sesame seeds, because I like to have a veggie roll for my lunch some days .(Excuse!) I know when summer comes I will have a easier time staying on track. Fresh! Fresh! Fresh!(Another excuse!) You ask about frozen veggies last week . I do not like a lot of them because of the texture. (carrots, green beans and broccoli :P )There are others this is my least favorite ones! :crybaby: What a baby!
Doreen
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Re: February 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby Gimmelean » Sat Feb 27, 2021 9:16 am

Weight change +/- in lbs: -2.4
2/19/2021 131.2
2/26/2022 128.8



1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. 1/7

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. 1/7

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.1/7

4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).1/7

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). 1/7

6. Eliminate any added oil. 1/7

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. 1/7

8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).1/7

9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.1/7

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:
Last week I gained 5.8 pounds after being mostly compliant for a good 7 months with weight loss to show for my efforts. I went completely off the rails. Even though I had the best of intentions this week to do everything “right” it really took me a full week to pull myself together. I’d still wake up every morning resolving to be on track and it went downhill by late afternoon, early evening. That’s why for every checklist item except for exercise, where I did well 5/7 days, I put down 1/7. Finally yesterday, I feel that I pulled it together and even with just one excellent day adhering to all 10 points of the checklist I lost 2.4 pounds. It’s hard to be objective about my own weight loss and eating habits. That’s why this group is so valuable because it’s mission critical to be aware and accountable to keep the positive momentum going. It doesn’t take much for the self esteem pendulum to swing from one direction to the other. Mark and Wildgoose-Thanks for your motivating encouragement and always well-chosen words to me and every member here.
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Re: February 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby wstokes » Sat Feb 27, 2021 11:41 am

+.4 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 desert. 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). No

5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). No

6) Eliminate any added oil. No

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

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. No

10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). Yes

Even though this was an increase, my lapses were less than the previous week. I look forward to a good March.
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Re: February 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby JaBee » Sat Feb 27, 2021 12:44 pm

Weight change +/- in lbs: -3#, new decade 179.9, haven’t been at this weight in ‘decades’!!

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
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: living testimony that simple meals work best for me. Will continue until I’m bored of them.
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Re: February 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby Hope410 » Sat Feb 27, 2021 1:32 pm

Weight change : +2.0

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. NO, OVERDID ON BRAGGS AMINOS
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). NO, PROBABLY HAD DAIRY AND EGGS IN CHOC CHIP COOKIES
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). YES
6. Eliminate any added oil. NO, SUB SANDWICH HAD MAYO
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, SUB SANDWICH, COOKIES, BREAD: OUCH!
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. NO, OVERATE ON SUB MEAL
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). NO, DID WALK 3X FOR 30 TO 60 MIN, SO THAT WAS A TARGET MET.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: Well now, reflecting on this week, I see some good , some not so much, which resulted in a few zigs and zags off the MWL path. It all started on Monday; needed to fast for my annual blood work and DR's appointment at 11:45. In between the labs and DR's appt I went grocery shopping (on an empty stomach!) and added a carton of cookies for Mom. YIKES! So, back for my appointment; DR. was pleased with my progress this year, down 42 LBS, CHOL down 51 pts, LDL down 35 pts, glucose normal, BP was higher than she wants, so will need to continue the diuretic until it lowers a little further. So, come back in a year and I'm feeling positive. All goes well, eating MWL WOE, and then late evening the cookies start calling my name and off the path I go, but stopped at three. This zig zag lasted for two more days, one meal of sub sandwich and salad, 2 pieces of veggy pizza the next night, and cookies again. Next day MWL, but cookies again. Finally got pack on the path 100% Thursday and Friday. Cookies were gone) Next year, I'm taking a pasta salad to eat after my labs, and NO grocery shopping. Hard lesson learned.

Goal: stay positive, don't quit the group or MWL, because I know me well, i will undo all the progress made this year without staying right here no matter the number of times I fall down, because everyone here understands how hard this is sometimes.

Thanks all for sharing and have a great week!!
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Re: February 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby Growing a Pear » Sat Feb 27, 2021 1:41 pm

Hi, all. No actual report today other than a note that I have my baseline weight for today and am recommitting to the program. Thank you so much for this ongoing resource, Mark and crew! See you in the March thread.
I just want to emphasize: It is the QUALITY of the food, not the QUANTITY. You are guaranteed success when following a starch-based and a simple diet. Monotony can be a key helper. ~Dr. John McDougall
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Re: February 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

Postby Noella » Sat Feb 27, 2021 1:58 pm

Dear Mark, Wildgoose, and Jeff, and all MWL participants,
Here I am coming in with my weekly report at the last second as usual. I tend to spend the morning really thinking about the ten guidelines and evaluating my progress.
Image

Down ever so slightly - 0.2

1. Yes, I started each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. i didn’t really eat vegetables before starting this.Now our fridge is full of colourful fruits and veggies and our shopping receipts list mostly fresh produce! It’s an amazing improvement to my diet!
2. Yes, I followed the 50/50 plate method for my meals, filling half my plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50% (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches. Choose fruit for dessert. My latest food jag is kale and rainbow chard! I’m loving these foods and they taste SO delicious to me now that my palate has re-set!
3. Yes, I have greatly reduced added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too. i don’t use any sugar. Instead fruit works for me in my breakfast oatmeal and in my salad dressings. ( e.g. grated Apple and balsamic plus a sprinkle of celery seed on Cole slaw) I like a herb salt mix called Herbamare in place of salt. But I still don’t use much. More often than not I don’t need to add any salt.
4. Yes, I eliminated all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). I do not miss these at all. They have gradually, steadily been replaced by fresh vegetables and fruit.
5. Yes, I eliminated all higher-fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. Yes, I mostly eliminated added oil. I don’t like oil on my food any more, so food prepared with even the tiniest amount of oil is unappealing to me now. tThis has been a slow but steady transition over the past Fourteen months.
7. Yes, I eliminated all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products, puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.
8. Yes, I do not drink calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
9. Yes, mostly. I followed these principles, eating whenever hungry until comfortably full. I didn’t starve or stuff. I eat what seems like huge amounts at meals but I don’t usually get to the point of feeling stuffed. Perhaps this is what I like best about eating wfpbno...I can eat freely and happily at every meal! It’s really quite a remarkable change from how I used to eat!
10. Yes, I am getting at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. I went cross country skiing only once this week. On the other days I was overworking on a project I’m editing at work so I was at my desk for long uncomfortable stretches ten to twelve hours per day. I need to be more disciplined and get up and stretch, but I tend to get so focussed on work I don’t.

The scale isn’t changing quickly but I’m not discouraged. I feel amazing. Everything is better. I’m so, so close to being at the top of a normal BMI and I am so grateful for what you have helped me to accomplish. Another pound or two and I will feel very proud to say, in my own mind, that I did it! I got back to normal healthy weight. This is such a private journey and I’m glad to have this group to share my successes and failures with. Thanks to all!
Best regards, Noella
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Reporting for February 26 Weigh-In is now CLOSED

Postby Mark Cooper » Sat Feb 27, 2021 2:03 pm

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.
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Mark's Replies for February 26 - Part 2

Postby Mark Cooper » Sat Feb 27, 2021 2:17 pm

GreenFroG - All those thumbs pointing up make me smile! Sometimes cravings can reemerge somewhat spontaneously, but typically they will fade again if they aren't indulged and reinforced. All that being said, a sprinkle of salt on the surface of food is acceptable within the guidelines.
JeffN wrote:In regard to added salt and added sugar, we recommend buying and preparing food without either and if any are to be used, to add them at the table on the surface of the food. If either one is troublesome and create uncontrollable cravings for you, then leave them out.
Your exemplary efforts will help you find that groove eventually.
GreenFroG wrote:My take-aways from the articles posted this past week -- keep it simple and stay away from the "vegan" food.
Valuable takeaways!

texaslil - Getting back into a good groove can definitely be a challenge, Laila, but keep at it and you'll find your way there before long! :nod: I can very much relate to finding it very hard to stop when indulging in rich or otherwise tempting foods. The more you can do to create an environment that supports (rather than challenges) your efforts, the easier adherence becomes.

Moonlight - Great progress, and fantastic work rising to the challenge of building those new habits! Generally speaking, ~1% of one's bodyweight per week is a fairly reasonable rate of weight loss, keeping in mind that is an average over time; some weeks will be more, some less. Have a great week! :D

CindyD - 8 YESes and a nice result! Way to close the month strong! I love cauliflower, both steamed and roasted. YUM!

carwex - Oh my goodness! I'm so relieved you didn't break any bones! I can imagine how that felt frightening and distressing.
carwex wrote:I am now convinced that bad days even weeks will happen. The important thing is to understand this and to not inflict more punishment on my already depressed self. In addition the way forward is not to lay blame but to get back to the principles and calm eating as fast as possible. From experience I know that getting back on the MWL is the fastest way to lose the 2 ½ pounds I gained this week.
I am SO impressed with everything you wrote here, and I agree 100%. :nod: Something else I have found helpful (in a somewhat different context) is writing out a clear, step by step relapse recovery plan for getting back on track. No guilt, no shame, just simple, basic protocols for calm reorientation.
Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all. — Emily Dickinson


chef16 - Down 2 pounds! Making each week an improvement over the last is progress. Keep that momentum going. :)

Gimmelean - You have things headed back in the right direction! Even if it took the full week, what is most important is that you made your way back to excellent adherence in the end. Build on that achievement. :D

wstokes - Fewer lapses is an improvement! Aim to make those lapses even fewer (or entirely absent) in the week to come; consider some specific things you can do to make that happen.

JaBee - Congratulations on your "new low!" Seems like a lovely reward for your outstanding adherence. Keeping things simple seems to really be working for you! :D

Hope410 - Congratulations on all those positive changes highlighted by your annual checkup! Take pride in that hard won progress; guard it and go even further. Nice work hitting the exercise target you set for yourself. I think resolving to manage a fasting situation differently in the future is exactly the right response to carry forward. :nod: Learning these lessons is how we grow, change and improve. The environment we inhabit (and create) has a powerful effect on our motivations and behavior. You have a lot to feel positive about, including all you have achieved over the past year. Have a great week!

Growing a Pear - I'm happy you've decided to renew your efforts! See you in March!

Noella - I suspect that careful consideration, review and evaluation of the fundamental principles is one reason your adherence has been so consistent and durable! :D Feeling amazing is the best reward! You are moving steadily toward that normal BMI. :thumbsup:
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Weigh-In Report Compilation - February 26, 2021

Postby Mark Cooper » Sat Feb 27, 2021 2:28 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 February 26 - Part 1
Mark's Replies for February 26 - Part 2

By my count, 19 participants reported for our final February 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 February:

Week ending 2/26/2021: 19 participants reported a total loss of -15.40 pounds
--------------------------------------------------
Carwex +2.50
Hope410 +2.00
Rebecka22 +1.20
Texaslil +1.00
Wstokes +0.40
--------------------------------------------------
Total gains: +7.10
--------------------------------------------------
NO CHANGE / MAINTAIN / STARTING OUT
Artista 0.00
--------------------------------------------------
Noella -0.20
birdy birdy -0.40
GreenFroG -0.40
PonysPlants -0.40
Cmcavazos -1.20
CindyD -1.50
Chef16 -2.00
HoustonJason -2.00
Moonlight -2.00
Squealcat -2.20
Gimmelean -2.40
JaBee -3.00
Josietheschnauzer -4.80
--------------------------------------------------
Total losses: -22.50
--------------------------------------------------
Cumulative group loss for February 2021 to date: 39.40 pounds
Average loss for week ending February 26: 0.81 pounds
Cumulative group loss for January 2021: 117.20 pounds
--------------------------------------------------

Next Weigh-In is on Friday, March 5, 2021, in the March MWL Group thread.


That's it for February folks! Let's take a moment to celebrate all the efforts offered up this month! You are here, working each week to make these changes in service of weight loss, health and wellbeing. Don't give up!

As we head into March, let me offer a challenge. The environment we create for ourselves has an undeniable and powerful effect on our pattern of behavior, and the choices we make.
JeffN wrote:As this study shows, for many of us, it is that occasional lapse on a "forbidden food" that is going to start the downward spiral.

Looking at the full study, it was forbidden foods, usually consumed at home, usually in the evening, usually on the weekend. So, to be successful, we have to keep our home and our environment a safe place and to avoid feeling deprived, which we can do by eating when we are hungry until we are comfortably full of the approved foods.

As the old saying goes, "out of sight, out of mind." For many of us it is also, "in the house, in the mouth."
Ecological Momentary Assessment of Dietary Lapses Across Behavioral Weight Loss Treatment: Characteristics, Predictors, and Relationships with Weight Change.
Forman EM, Schumacher LM, Crosby R, Manasse SM, Goldstein SP, Butryn ML, Wyckoff EP, Graham Thomas J. Ann Behav Med. 2017 Oct;51(5):741-753. doi: 10.1007/s12160-017-9897-x. PMID: 28281136; PMCID: PMC5591758.
. . .
RESULTS:
Lapse frequency showed a curvilinear relationship over time, such that frequency first decreased and then increased. Lapse frequency at baseline was negatively associated with early and overall weight loss. Lapses most often occurred at home, in the evenings, on the weekends, and entailed eating a forbidden food. Greater overall levels of assessed affective and environmental triggers predicted lapses, and greater momentary hunger and deprivation, and the presence of palatable food, also prospectively predicted lapses.
What can you do to make your environment better support your MWL efforts and goals? How can you improve your routine to better serve yourself? Think about the answers to these questions, and how you can make them a reality in the new month. What changes are you willing to make to achieve what you seek? Success is within your grasp - reach out and take it.

The March MWL thread will be posted on Monday, March 1. Have a great weekend, a fantastic week and an awesome month!
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Mark Cooper
 
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