February 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

[Rebecka22]

170.6 Weight change +/- in lbs:  -2.6

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. 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
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
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

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: A lot of no’s this week, mostly all from one afternoon. My husband got takeout Sunday for the Super Bowl and although I had a plan I ended up giving in to the smells. While I didn’t eat the cinnamon roll, I did eat chocolate instead in addition to the takeout. I also found myself eating past full the night before, but did better the rest of the week. I didn’t stray from the plan again, but it wasn’t easy. I mostly just focused on distracting myself to try and avoid the temptation, but I sure hope next week is easier. Knowing I was weighing and reporting today kept me from all the chocolate I wanted yesterday and the loss reminds me to keep working through the cravings.

[GreenFroG]

Hi all,

Weight change +/- in lbs: -0.2

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:Pretty good week except I missed one day of exercise. Felt good about the loss, even if it is small. I will take it!. Thank you Mark and Wildgoose for the suggestions to thicken my soup. Mashed potatoes, beans and cauliflower will be my new go-to items. And for that soup, I will use sweet potatoes from now on. I just needed help thinking outside of the box! Thank you!

[Artista]

Weight change +/- in lbs:  -1.6 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 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). Moderate exercise Almost. I missed 1 day.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: This week went pretty well. I'm happy to have lost weight. It's encouraging that it does work if I follow all the guidelines. During the week I was getting weary of all the things I had to keep track of but now that I see the results, I know I just need to stay the course. I'm sure it will all become more second nature as time goes by. Other ways of losing weight like fasting or weighing/measuring food portions don't work for me. I can't follow them longterm. I like this program because I can eat according to my hunger.

[Hope410]

Hello MWL Group,

Weight change:  +1.8

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. NO
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. 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). NO

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: Looking back on this week, I see two issues that I struggled with. First, I tried eliminating my diuretic which lasted 4 days before I started taking it again because I gained three pounds. During that time period I kind of panicked as the weight increased each day and I think I fell into a combination of the ego trap and the what the heck attitude. The second issue was ordering delivery fast food one day, eating bread two other days, and each time overeating and stuffing myself. Also I only exercised 3 days.

So next week I will try to better follow the ten point checklist because there certainly is a lot of room for improvement in my behavior and finish the month minus a few more pounds.

See you all next week.

[jkcook]

Weight change +/- in lbs: 0
1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit — 95%
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) —90%
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) — 90%
Victories, comments, concerns, questions: stuck. Need to exercise more, but finding excuses in feeling tired and weather. Now more some for several days

[cmcavazos]

Weight change - 0 change -- No loss, no gain

1) Start each meal with soup/salad/fruit. Yes
2) Follow the 50/50 plate. No -- Heavier on carb on several meals
3) Reduce or eliminate sugars/salts. No -- Several meals eating out
4) Eliminate animal foods - Yes
5) Eliminate higher fat plant foods. Yes
6) Eliminate oil. No - Restaurant meals
7) Eliminate higher calorie-dense foods. No
8 ) Don’t drink your calories. Yes
9) Eating when hungry and stop when full. Yes
10) 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily. No -- Traveling & bad weather
Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
Victories: No gain while travelling and being out of town for several days for medical appointments
Concerns: Low physical activity week with car travel, sitting & waiting, day-long Zoom meetings

It felt very abnormal to not be home cooking and I really didn't enjoy my eating out meals. I actually prefer the taste of my cooking more. Next week will be more routine which is a comfort and should help with my eating plan.

See you next week! Thank you.

[texaslil]

Weight change +/- in lbs:

+1.8
Current weight: 173.2

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. had some chocolate covered almonds..
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). Ate peanut butter for the first time in 8 months
6. Eliminate any added oil. had vegan 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. This is where I surprisingly went off the rails... I ate tortillas and french bread. I haven't really been tempted by white bread during my whole journey, but for some reason this week I was.
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. I really struggled with this, I went to be so full on a couple of days that it was uncomfortable
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). it's cold and icy here, so I have just been doing yoga indoors, 3/7

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: I really went off the rails this week.. I think I sort of gave up after not seeing the scale budge too much. But I'm here, trying to be accountable and continue on this journey for ALL of the health benefits, not just to lose weight. As you can see though, I am still tempted by some of these foods, and it was strange to see myself reaching for things that I haven't indulged in for 8 months.. I'm hoping for a better week. Stay warm everyone.

[wstokes]

-.6 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 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

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

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

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
Glad to show a loss! I think this coming week will be even more focused with some improvements. I am glad to have this forum's accountability.

[Mark Cooper]

PonysPlants - Congratulations to you AND your husband for the wonderful progress you are both making, Naomi! Hope your shoulder is on the mend. I think the points you make about weight loss being more like an inevitable side effect of this way of eating and our bodies and state of being manifesting as a culmination of our prevailing pattern of behavior are very well-observed. Eyes on the process as well as the prize, right?

belcimo - Down 3.2 pounds! Are there any particular "mostly" points that seem most ready to be transformed into ? What might you do in the way of planning and preparation to make those changes in behavior more easily attainable? Depending on one's inclination and preference, snacks could consist entirely of soup, salad, fruit or non-starchy vegetables, or be a 50/50 portion of food, or a preload and a 50/50 portion. I would say it depends on how hungry you are and the outcomes you are seeking to attain; Jeff discusses this nuanced approach to the recommendations here. Are you noticing any particular obstacle that has been interfering with daily exercise?

HoustonJason - Another pound gone this week! My sincere condolences for the loss of your friend. May you find peace and comfort in your warm memories. I applaud your recognition that making these beneficial changes is a "long haul" rather than a short jaunt. Well done continuing to cut down on those liquid calories. With diligent adherence over a sufficient period of time, you may very well find that the foods you view as comforting actually change.

Rebecka22 - Nice result! Kudos for keeping those exceptions confined to a single afternoon, especially since that felt difficult (aromas are powerful stimuli, right?). Distraction and accountability for the win! Your vigilance against further exceptions was rewarded with a substantial loss!

GreenFroG - Pretty good week, indeed; very nearly 10/10! You deserve to feel proud of your efforts and this drop on the scale! Enjoy the soup!

Artista - Congratulations on your diligent adherence and 1.6 pound loss, Nancy! I'm glad you found this week's results encouraging; the more you practice the recommended behaviors, the more second nature they will become, and less "active" attention will be required - it is just a matter of time. I think the principle of eating in response to hunger is the key factor that sets MWL apart from restrictive programs. To quote Jeff, "you can not beat your biology (hunger) and your biology/hunger will eventually win." MWL places our hunger drive in alignment with our goals, rather than in opposition to them.

Hope410 - Hang in there! Since information from the scale is such a variable, imprecise and "noisy" form of feedback, it is pretty easy for daily weighing to be demotivating; Jeff discusses this in To Weigh or Not To Weigh. I would very much encourage you to experiment with weighing once weekly while you are in the weight loss phase. On the days when you chose to order fast food or eat bread, was anything different in terms of your routine, preparation or situation? Getting the food right is the best way to support your progress, and that usually means keeping a steady, available "stream" of adherent meals "flowing" onto our plates, so prep is often key.

jkcook - You can do this! The best prescription for getting "unstuck" is the one Jeff describes in Why We Hit Plateaus and What We Can Do About Them.

cmcavazos - No gain during a trying week of travel is better than many possible scenarios,, right? I think those restaurant meals being unenjoyable and feeling abnormal is a heartening sign of how much progress you've made, Christine! Enjoy your return to a more comfortable routine this week.

texaslil - Kudos for holding yourself accountable and continuing on this path, Laila! When progress feels stalled, it naturally can take a toll on our motivation, enthusiasm and attention. As you note, the outcomes you are seeking are as much about health as weight loss, so it can be really helpful to focus on the process more than the scale reading. Would it help to set some reasonable and measurable behavioral goals for yourself, so that you have a concrete measure of your progress to "prove" to yourself that you are achieving important things even when the scale doesn't move?

wstokes - Solid progress and a nice loss! Are you targeting any particular areas for that greater focus and improvement? Any specific strategies to direct your efforts to the best effect?

[birdy birdy]

Weight change +/- in lbs: 0 stayed the same

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.95%
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.65%
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).70%
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).95%

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: A couple of days where I was unprepared with starch and I grabbed non-compliant food that was easy. Zoomed with friends a couple of times for "happy hour" which resulted in drinking some calories. Onward!

[carwex]

Hello MWL leaders and followers,

-1 pound lost

1. Start each meal with a soup or salad. I have soup ready 90% of the time/if not- a salad
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. I use miso as seasoning in some dishes
6. Eliminate any added oil. yes
7. Eliminate all higher calorie dense foods. Yes
8. Don’t drink your calories. [/i]I drink only water and tea with a little almond milk
9. Follow these principles whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Yes.
10. Avoid being sedentary. This week I exercised, swam and walked[i]

I had a good MWL week. The latest development is that the compulsive grazing behaviour has abated. It has left me with a lot more breathing space inside and a lot less clutter in my head. Life seems much lighter and I am also lighter -in weight and in my reactions.

I was very impressed by Jeff’s discussion comparing food addiction to that of the alcoholic. As a member of a !2 step program, I will share at a meeting Jeff’s reasoning for not eating off plan when celebrating.
I so enjoy the food I prepare on the MWL. There is a lot of variety and I am trying to expand my repertoire of dishes. I am getting clever about cooking for me then adding some non MWL ingredients for richer dishes for my son and grandson. Which cuts down on the amount of cooking.

Very grateful for everyone’s efforts and Mark’s leadership.

Carol

[squealcat]

Weight change +/- in lbs: + 0.9

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.no
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.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. a couple of slices of cheese
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).no. Made and drank one smoothie
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

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:Even when I went astray with my eating, my walking stayed consistent. I walked 15 miles this week. Mark, last week you called attention to the fact that I don't have a problem with my exercise routine but I have struggled with what I eat. I am thinking about it right now and feel that my walking is a routine that I have had since I retired almost 4 years ago. I don't want to give it up for anything. I guess it is part of my identity. It is what I do almost every morning. It takes up space in my day and I don't feel that I have lost anything by spending that time walking. Now for the food and eating, I guess I don't yet have the MWL way of eating as part of my identity. I have to work on that as it doesn't take much to get me off track. I can go a few weeks following it just fine and then the rich food calls to me. Right now I must "white knuckle it" to get back on track. I have to realize that , like my walking, I won't lose anything by spending my time eating the MWL way. I won't lose, I will gain.

On to the next week !
-squealcat (Marilyn)

[chef16]

02/05/2021 233#
02/13/2021 231#
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). 95%
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). 50%

I feel that I am back on plan again. Not 100% but I don't think I ever have been 100%. I just got off the path and just kept wandering further into trouble. I was drinking a lot of calories and eating things with sugar in them. The more I ate the more I had. we have a beverage room at work that has so many soda, juice and tea options . I had a lemonade and I was off and running. I am back to water and my daily cup of coffee. I guess the best thing is not have that one drink of juice or bite of cookie(vegan) and it won't become a problem. I was getting scared that I was not going to be able to get back on and I do not want to gain all that weight back.

[CindyD]

Feb 6, 2021 149.0
Feb 13, 2021, 148.2
RESULT -0.8

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. NOPE, ate some vegan pizza for my birthday. Yes, I did read all the recent reminder postings about special occasions. Thing is, the pizza did not taste all that great! So, now I know that.
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). NO, so cold out!

Notes
As mentioned, at some vegan pizza for my 52nd birthday. It did not lead down any dangerous paths, like vegan ice cream might have!
Too cold for much walking and haven't started any indoor exercise. Hope everyone is managing the cold (depending on where you live) ok! Happy weekend!

[UncleMike]

Lost 1.9 lbs. this week

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 Watched Cowspiracy and have sworn off animal products permanently as a matter of conscience and spiritual practice
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. 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 am improving on this one. Did 3 30 minute walks around the neighborhood. Also, being more active generally. It’s a lot easier once you start losing excess weight to get up and move around. Being 90 lbs overweight is like having two 45 lb barbell plates strapped to your body weighing you down, preventing you from doing things you want to do.

Biggest news this week was that after just over two months on the program I had blood work done. Last time I did it was in 2018 - I’m sure that when I started the program on Dec. 7, my numbers were even worse than in 2018. I mainly started because of an acute attack of pain brought on by gallstones and, I found out after an MRI, fatty liver changes consistent with chronic liver disease. So, here are cholesterol and A1C results





Cholesterol is in normal range. I’m no longer prediabetic.