February 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

[Mark Cooper]

texaslil - Better than last week is movement in the right direction, Laila! It seems you managed quite well during what I imagine was a very stressful week. Hooray for thawing out!

wstokes - Isn't it interesting how the introduction of something like a big box of candy into one's environment can throw a wrench in the works? Considering that nuts are ~2500 calories/lb vs potatoes at ~400, that substitution should definitely help.

Noella - Excellent! I'm delighted to hear your knees are feeling happier! I absolutely agree with you that MWL is more a lifestyle than a diet; it is so fantastic to have found a way of living that genuinely supports our well-being.

GreenFroG - Definitely a pretty good week! Give yourself a pat on the back for skipping the (I imagine) very rich dressing during that restaurant meal. All thumbs-up is always a laudable goal!

carwex - Down 1.5 pounds! I think setting the intention to be as close to fully adherent as possible is an excellent way to proceed, Carol. Staying active, feeling good, and being free of joint pain and underlying conditions seems like a wonderful state of being; congratulations! Do you have any intuition about why you found yourself taking those bites of animal food?

Moonlight - Goodbye to another pound! I think you made impressive headway this week! Keeping that evening snack adherent is a great change. I would very much encourage you to focus your goals on behavior, rather than a specific weekly weight loss number. While the results on the scale can be influenced by many factors outside our control, we have a great deal of agency over our pattern of behavior and the choices we make. From my perspective, concentrating on the process of change is the very best way to produce the outcomes we seek. Keep applying all the tools and knowledge you have accrued on your journey.

chef16 - Losing a pound is absolutely worth celebrating, Doreen! Not only that, but you appear to be making real progress in practicing the recommended behaviors. Keep chipping away at those little slips on your way to "full force." Do your enjoy frozen greens? Personally, I rely on frozen vegetables pretty heavily, especially for the off-season.

Gimmelean - I applaud your decision to make an honest, accurate report of these challenges. I would guess that this feedback from the scale was accompanied by some pretty big feelings; that is completely understandable. Keep in mind that, whatever the scale reads, just as you said, this is transitory, and changes can be reversed. By taking action and setting your sights on appropriate adjustments to your pattern of behavior, you are responding in a sensible and effective way. Behavior produces results, and you have the knowledge you need to support your efforts.

CindyD - Looks like another solid week! I agree with your assessment that this scale reading isn't concerning, especially since you've already taken action to adjust your added salt. I am SO looking forward to Spring! Carry on!

JaBee - Good progress! Preparation is nearly always rewarded with encouraging results. Keep doing the things that work for you.

Ejg -

I know that if I continue to find ways to dilute my calories, weight loss will happen (eventually).

Absolutely! Aim to consistently hit that 50/50 mark and the other recommendations, and the scale will cooperate in due time, Eric. Something that really helped me when I felt stuck was keeping a journal/food diary; it kept me from overlooking small things, made trends more visible, and allowed me to get ideas from other discussion board members when obstacles reared up.

I'm not stopping.

[Mark Cooper]

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 19 - Part 1
Mark's Replies for February 19 - Part 2

By my count, 20 participants reported for our third 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 third Friday in February:

Week ending 2/19/2021: 20 participants reported a total loss of -9.00 pounds
--------------------------------------------------
Gimmelean +5.80
Belcimo +1.80
Wstokes +1.00
CindyD +0.70
Ejg +0.20
--------------------------------------------------
Total gains: +9.50
--------------------------------------------------
NO CHANGE / MAINTAIN / STARTING OUT
Artista 0.00
GreenFroG 0.00
--------------------------------------------------
Noella -0.10
Rebecka22 -0.20
Texaslil -0.30
birdy birdy -0.60
PonysPlants -0.80
Chef16 -1.00
JaBee -1.00
Moonlight -1.00
Carwex -1.50
Hope410 -1.80
Squealcat -2.60
Josietheschnauzer -3.60
HoustonJason -4.00
--------------------------------------------------
Total losses: -18.50
--------------------------------------------------
Cumulative group loss for February 2021 to date: 24 pounds
Average loss for week ending February 19: 0.45 pounds
Cumulative group loss for January 2021: 117.20 pounds
--------------------------------------------------

Next Weigh-In is on Friday, February 26, 2021.


Congratulations to all participants! I always find your efforts enlightening and inspiring! Given the obesogenic and health-sabotaging qualities of our society and environment, it seems to me that committing to pursue a different pattern of behavior, that supports health and wellbeing, is an act of strength and character. Hold your heads up high!

If you have some time this week, and you're looking for reading material, I highly recommend this thread discussing Compliance on a Healthy Diet. The discussion is packed with interesting and enlightening information, multiple perspectives, and references relevant scientific studies. Near the end of the thread, Jeff offers

the 3 most important things I recommended for their best chance at success.

Here they are...

For the first 6 months to a year....

1) Simplicity

Keep this as simple as possible and resist every influence to make this complicated. You don't need 5 versions of oatmeal, and 15 dinners, and fancy pots, pans, utensils, etc. Just use what you already have and keep it simple. Oats, fruit, rice, beans, veggies. They don't have to be organic, Non GMO, fair traded, imported, etc. Eat sweet potatoes, not imported Japanese Satsumas. They can be fresh, frozen, canned, etc, whichever makes it easiest. You just need oatmeal, brown rice (Starch), beans and a few veggies and fruits you like.

2) Focus

First, on this program

You invested a huge amount of money, time, effort and energy in Dr McDougall, his program and his staff. Trust your decision and the process. For the next 6 months to a year, if you have a question, ask Dr McDougall, Mary, Doug, Alec or me. We are all accessible. If you need a recipe, Mary has about 4000, if you have a question, most of them are answered in the forum or our hot topics. If you need reading material for support, we have a dozen books, 100's of newsletter and articles and videos going back about 30 years. Read the Hot Topics and this website and my forum and the Education material at the website and the FAQ here in my forum. When done, re-read them. If you need, email us, we are all responsive.

It is not that others WFPB Health Professionals are wrong, it is just that there are some slight differences between them all and you are just going to get confused. I would tell you the same thing if you picked one of the others but you are all here and made this choice. And, there are many WFPB "experts" that have little to no clinical and patient experience but you may not be able to know that about them. You are spending this week with a bona fide, licensed, credentialed professional team that each has over 25 years of direct clinical experience helping people. Get the most out of your investment.

Second, on yourself.

Until you have put the time in over the next few months and understood the program and been able to achieve and maintain your own success, keep the focus and attention on yourself. Do not worry about telling your spouse, your parents, your daughter in law, your cousins, your neighbor, your hairdresser, the local school, your church group, the food industry, the USDA, the FDA, the FTC, your doctor, the neighbors kid, etc etc or anyone else about the program or trying to get them to do it. Keep the focus on yourself, understanding and implementing the program and getting yourself well. We are not asking you to become a evangelist or preacher of this way of life or to try and convert anyone. We are only trying to help you take care of yourself.

This is not selfish, this is self nurturing and right now, you need all your focus and attention on you.


3) Avoid the vegan trap

Fully explained in this thread...

When Vegan is not Enough

As predicted, vegan is now a trend, and while this is a good thing for the animals and possibly the environment, for most of us, this is bad news as most of the vegan food in grocery stores and restaurants is not healthy. The Pleasure Trap appeal of this food is very very strong and hard to resist.

However, no one has ever come to the 10-Day program to save the animals or save the environment. They made the huge investment of time, money, energy and effort for one (and only one) main reason, their health is suffering. And, almost always, this is a major health issue and not a minor one. They come to my classes with the primary goal of learning how to address, treat and reverse their health issue through diet and lifestyle, not to be a vegan.

Don't mix them up.

Excellent advice!

If you are feeling in need of a little extra inspiration in the wintery week ahead, why not peruse the many McDougall program Success Stories? I think you will find that those McDougallers faced familiar challenges, and found success through time and perseverance. I can't think of any reason why all the participants in our group cannot, eventually, find that same success. Every step you take in the right direction brings you closer to those important goals. Keep taking those steps!

Best wishes to all for an awesome week!

[wildgoose]

...will eliminate added salt, aminos, or soy sauce. This weight gain is temporary as long as I stop right now

@Gimmelean I think you may find that a good chunk of that weight "gain" is excess water. If you’ve been using a lot of salt and sodium-filled condiments, your body holds on to water, and the scale reflects that (more than you might think). When you eliminate all the extra sodium, you’ll shed some of that water as well. With your renewed commitment to the MWL checklist, you should see better results next week. Well done for reporting and getting right back on track.

Goose

[josietheschnauzer]

Thank you, Mark, for suggesting we read the posts relating to compliance and adhering to MWL. I am copying a portion posted by Jeff Novick that is especially relevant to me. For example, GIMMELEAN and I both chose to post our "embarrassing" weight gains instead of just skipping a week. Why? Well for me, this MWL forum has helped me develop my self- efficacy. Copied below is the information posted by Jeff almost years ago.
Jeff Novick on Self Efficacy
Re: Compliance on a Healthy Diet
Postby JeffN » Sun Aug 24, 2014 10:15 pm
"I realize I left off one more that Dr Esseslstyn did not mention but Dr Ornish did and I think may be the most important of all of them. As I posted above from one of Dr. Ornish's studies...
http://www.pmri.org/publications/1953.pdf
"They say, women completing the follow-up were younger and more likely to be employed. Men completing the follow-up were more likely to have a history of PTCA (Stent) and a family history of CAD, were more often previous smokers, consumed less alcohol, were living with someone, and co-habitating men tended to have their partner participate. Men who completed the program also expressed greater self-efficacy toward adherence to the program components. There were no other statistically significant differences in demo- graphic, medical, or psycho-social characteristics between those who completed the follow-up and those who did not."

.. as we can see, he mentioned most of the exact same ones as Dr Esselstyn, highly motivated and family/social support, but also one other, and that is "self-efficacy."

"Self-efficacy is the extent or strength of one's belief, perception and convictions in one's own ability to complete tasks and reach goals.

"I think that may be *the* individual characteristic/trait that makes all the others possible, at least in the current environment because while the program itself is easy, doing it in this world, is very difficult. Without a "greater degree of self-efficacy," it becomes even more difficult if not impossible due to the lack of social and environmental support for this way of life.

"The research on lifestyle behavior change also supports the importance of self-efficacy. There is a full section on it called, "Self-Efficacy Enhancement," in this review paper..

http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/122 ... ull#ref-83

"Self-Efficacy Enhancement
Self-efficacy, a component of social cognitive theory, describes an individual's perception regarding his/her abilities to carry out actions necessary to perform certain behaviors (eg, making changes in diet or lifestyle). Perceived self-efficacy is a major determinant of performance independent of an individual's actual underlying skill. The strength of perceived self-efficacy is particularly important, as individuals are more likely to both initiate a behavior and continue their efforts until success is achieved if their perceived self-efficacy is higher. Thus enhancement of an individual's perceived self-efficacy can be incorporated into interventions to improve the likelihood of successful behavior change. The theory suggests 4 sources of self-efficacy that can be drawn on and incorporated into intervention strategies to enhance self-efficacy.

1. The source with the greatest potential for increasing self-efficacy, mastery experiences, entails having a person successfully achieve a goal that is reasonable and proximal; for example, substituting fruit for a high-calorie dessert or being able to walk 1 mile.

2. A second source, vicarious experience, consists of the individual witnessing someone who is similar in capability successfully perform the desired task; for example, observing patients exercise and improve their physical function in cardiac rehabilitation or watching a nonprofessional prepare a healthy meal.

3. A third source, verbal persuasion, entails the provider persuading the person that he/she believes in the person's capability to perform the task. This is the weakest source for improving self-efficacy, but can be implemented via telephone or other electronic modes.

4. The fourth source, physiological feedback, entails interpreting to the individual the meaning of different symptoms associated with behavior change. Examples include explaining that experiencing fewer symptoms with exertion is related to regular participation in a physical activity program or that feeling less fatigued or more comfortable is related to weight loss.

" An extensive body of evidence indicates that self-efficacy influences behavior change across all the behavior domains related to CVD risk reduction. Self-efficacy enhancements were incorporated into the interventions of several of the studies that yielded favorable outcomes." There are many great references from that section to check out.

"As described in this above paper, I think teaching self-efficacy should be a core part of these programs. We not only have to educate people on the program and teach them the necessary skills, but also how to actually succeed at them and how to empower them to believe they can and will succeed."

Thank you, Happy Believe It Or Not, Last week of February! Spring is coming!!! Elsa aka Josietheschnauzer.

[Mark Cooper]

josietheschnauzer - I think you are right, that section of the discussion is very relevant to the group effort here. The ongoing practice implementing the recommended behaviors seems like a great example of building mastery experiences.

[PonysPlants]

Down 0.4 lbs week, not brilliant but a loss. I fell into the pleasure trap a bit this week with some chips. They were a limited edition type that they used to make when I was a kid so I got some just to have a taste and well, that went wrong. I mean honestly, the stupidest reason for eating rubbish ever. But we’ll done to the marketing genius who came up with the idea. You got me.

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 Easy. Vegan for life
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados,) YES
6. Eliminate any added oil. NO chips
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 chips
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. YES. My 8pm workout is habit now.

So, lesson learned (again?) that I basically have no power over anything savoury and salty. Not having them in the house is the only way that I’m not going to eat them and I have to stop forgetting that!

Thanks so much to Wildgoose for sending me such a comprehensive reply to my last post. You’re 100% right, I did answer my own question! And that’s such a great quote from chef AJ. The least restrictive diet that gets you the results you want. Perfect. And of course, thanks as alway to Mark. You’re a star.

Naomi

[josietheschnauzer]

Weight change in lbs: -4.8
1. Start each meal with soup/salad/fruit: Yes
2. Follow 50/50 plate method for meals: Yes
3. Reduce or eliminate added sugars and salts: Yes? No? Excess sodium only in green chili condiment.
4. No animal foods: Yes
5. No higher fat plant foods (nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy): Yes
6. No added oil: Yes
7. No higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit: Yes
8. Don't drink calories: Yes
9. Follow principles, eat when hungry & until comfortably full. Don't starve and don't stuff: Yes? No?
10. Avoid being sedentary. Exercise at least 30 minutes daily: Yes
Victories, comments, concerns, questions: I don't think this weight loss is sustainable. I am totally amazed by it. To be blunt, Lent has started, and, that is the reason, I am quite sure, for the loss. Perhaps as with my weight gains this is the reverse with me having water loss instead of retention. Nevertheless, it is amazing to me that MWL brings such amazing results. I am hungry between eating, but I eat until full. I eat healthy MWL. I have escaped the grocery store trap this week. My trap is the temptation in the produce isle to get dried fruit (dates) or nuts..... anyway, quite a surprising week. Thank you Jeff, Mark, and Wild Goose for another month of support and encouragement. On to March!

[HoustonJason]

From Houston Jason
Original Weight = 252 on January 1, 2021 Jan. 8 = 244 Jan. 15 = 237 Jan. 22 = 234 Jan. 29 = 231 February 5 = 226 Feb. 12 = 225 Feb. 19 = 221 Feb. 26 = 219

Total = - 33 pounds

Weight change +/- in lbs: - 2 pounds

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit No, - most 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). 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.
No, I ran out of oatmeal and ate Grape Nuts a couple of days this week. Tomorrow I make a big batch of oatmeal with cauliflower, apples, and carrots in it.

8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
I cut down on the unsweetened almond milk but still have a little in my coffee, oatmeal, and grape nuts.
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, I jumped on the rebounder every day.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: It was a busy and stressful work week, but I stayed focused and saw good results. I mentioned last week I had a doctor’s appointment (blood pressure checkup). Well, I found out my doctor retired so I didn’t get to show him what I’ve done. I had to say to the nurse “What was my weight last year?” and then she realized I had lost over 30 pounds. I have had good BP numbers lately, which is somewhat due to the pill I’m taking and certainly due to what I’ve been eating the last 2 months. Thanks again for the forum and to everyone who’s out there, I’m rooting for you!

[squealcat]

Weight change +/- in lbs: -2.2 pounds

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:Another good week (and the entire week too !) I hope to be back to walking outdoors this week as the weather is warming up and our street is clear of snow and ice. I am excited about this ! This year I would like to increase my mileage to 4 miles most days. I tried it out this week one day by walking 3 miles at the gym and then one more outside later in the day. It felt good !

I am trying to keep my meals simple and my mind quiet without too many distractions and needless worries. The lenten season is a time for this and for quiet prayer. I love this season. It is hard sometimes not to worry about weight loss (when will this weight come off ? How many more weeks until this is over? etc...etc..) I try not to think this way anymore. I just eat pretty simple food, weigh myself once a week, take my walks and follow these 10 MWL guidelines. This is all part of my walk.

-squealcat (Marilyn)

[Rebecka22]

171.6 Weight change +/- in lbs: +1.2

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). NO, ate pumfu sausage on homemade pizza
6. Eliminate any added oil. NO Pretty sure vegan tamales weren’t oil free.
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 tamales and oil free pizza crust
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, but maybe no. Not sure if I was overeating or just stayed full longer. So maybe.
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: While certain areas of the checklist are becoming habit, other areas are a lot harder for me. The pizza was my own fault, I had oil free pizza crusts in the freezer that I was tired of working around so I made pizza for dinner one night. I won’t buy more though. They’ve been in there since September before I started this group. The tamales were also my fault, I bought them because my 14-year-old daughter who has tried to be mostly vegan since I switched really likes them, but turns out so do I. I’m definitely better at having none than having a little. Which is where I was unsure if I overate because I definitely stayed full a lot longer. I wouldn’t say I was stuffed at the time though. One thing I know is I still need this group and now it is a new week and I can make new choices. Thanks for everything and have a great week everyone!

[cmcavazos]

Weight gain/loss -- -1.2# -- Loss

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. NO
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too. NO
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). YES
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados,) 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. YES
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily. NO

Victories: Weight loss over a two week period, but not on plan
Comments: I missed two weekly postings, due to having no power. Yes, I am in Texas. We ate canned supplies -- soups, fruit, beans -- and saltines with peanut butter. We were warming food on a camp stove. We rationed our jugs of water. We lost all of our frozen fruit and veggies from the freezer. We now have our water, electricity, cell phones, and Internet back on. The last 3 days I was back on plan.

[Artista]

Weight change +/- in lbs:  0 change


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 Missed a few days.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: The week went pretty well except for exercise. I wasn't feeling well for a few days so missed exercising on those days.

[birdy birdy]

Weight change +/- in lbs: -0.4 loss

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

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
The week wasn't too bad until I got my second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. It has hit me pretty hard. No exercise since I got the shot. Onward

[Mark Cooper]

PonysPlants - Great job making that evening workout habit stick, Naomi! The lesson you describe (about the value of structuring our environment in support of our goals) was something I had to "relearn" many times before it fully penetrated my thick skull. Looking back, I can now see that each encounter with that lesson added a little weight to the benefit side of my value assessment, until it finally tipped in favor of lasting changes.

josietheschnauzer - Wow! I agree that losing nearly 5 pounds per week would likely not be sustainable on an ongoing basis; just as when the scale tips dramatically in the other direction, we shouldn't get overly concerned with any single scale reading. You are clearly doing everything right in regard to your pattern of behavior, Elsa; that is always the most productive place to focus your efforts. Keep attending to those "temptation traps," wherever you find them.

HoustonJason - Congratulations on all those encouraging results! I'm sure that big batch of oatmeal will make it easy to start your day on target.

squealcat - Another big drop this week, Marilyn; your checklist is on point!

I just eat pretty simple food, weigh myself once a week, take my walks and follow these 10 MWL guidelines. This is all part of my walk.

Sharp perspective. Enjoy the warmer weather and getting back outside!

Rebecka22 - A new week absolutely brings the opportunity to make new (or renewed) choices! Think of those difficulties with the pizza and tamales as a valuable lesson about the influence of environment over behavior. I definitely find it easier to have none than it is to have "a little bit."

cmcavazos - Nice loss, particularly considering all the challenges you were dealt over the previous weeks! Fantastic work getting right back on plan when the situation stabilized. What a bummer to lose all your frozen food. I'm so glad you and your family made it through the blackout OK.

Artista - Sorry you were feeling poorly, Nancy; it looks like you did an excellent job adhering to the recommendations in spite of that!

birdy birdy- I imagine the hit from your second dose Covid vaccine wasn't very fun, but I'm sure it's a relief to be fully vaccinated. Onward!

[GreenFroG]

Hi,

Weight change +/- in lbs: -0.4 lbs

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: Almost made my 10 thumbs up. Wasn't able to exercise one day, and only exercised a little bit on two other days. Still trying to get in more exercise on a consistent basis - lost my groove and am working on getting it back. Also, I seem to be having a salt craving. I had eliminated it completely and it was working pretty good, but this week I found myself craving salt. I used it sparingly, so I still gave myself a thumbs-up, but found myself wanting to sprinkle it on my food. Is it common to still have salt cravings after you have eliminated salt from your diet for several months on-end successfully? I assume that it did not help my weight loss, and so that will be my goal next week -- still working on trying to find my groove...Hoping March will bring a fresh start.

My take-aways from the articles posted this past week -- keep it simple and stay away from the "vegan" food.