October 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

[kirstykay]

Weight change: -1.2
I've tried submitting twice now and I keep getting an error message. I'm having a goodnfirst week.

[kirstykay]

Ok. So that worked! The only part of the 10-point checklist that I haven't been able to follow this week is the soup before each meal. Everything else has been great. I'm visiting family this week and have been able to stay on plan and not go into "vacation mode." Feeling very positive and excited.

[Gimmelean]

Weight change +/- in lbs: -.02

10/01/2021 126.6
10/08/2021 126.4

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

2.Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, filling half your plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50% (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches. Choose fruit for dessert. 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:


1)-Mark quoted The 11th point on the MWL checklist could be, “Don’t over complicate this.”
2)-Mark quoted Jeff-To be successful, we have to keep our home and our environment a safe place, and avoid feeling deprived, which we can do by eating when we are hungry until we are comfortably full of the approved foods. 3)Know Thyself.

Doing my best to consistently put all 3 of these reflections into practice, and making no excuses to anyone, especially myself, has been my focus this week. This journey is an ongoing process and there will always, always, always be twists and turns. While I’m feeling great this week, I plan on keeping these 3 reflections in my arsenal for the challenging weeks and months of “seasons eatings” ahead and will keep on participating weekly as long as I’m permitted. I’ve come to rely upon you all for sharing your successes, tips, and challenges. Thank you and have a happy, healthy week.

[Noella]

Down .8 lbs. Yay!
This week 150 lbs.
My Healthy Weight Goal: 140 lbs.
I am 5’8.5”
I started learning and changing my lifestyle on Dec. 29, 2019—I was 240 lbs now I’m 150

Hi Mark,
This week I took a thorough and long look at my weight loss progress over the past twenty months and I even made a simple graph to ‘see’ my journey on paper, with it’s milestones, more clearly. I came to the conclusion that MWL is an incredible way for me to achieve better health. I am grateful for everything I have learned so far and that I am continuing to learn each week. I know the final ten pounds will take even more effort and fine tuning. With the major amount of weight loss achieved, I feel so much better, and it has positively affected my health in so many ways: physically, emotionally, and socially.

The following information from Jeff Novick is so true for me and it’s what makes eating this way enjoyable and sustainable as my new lifestyle.

JeffN wrote:
The fundamental basic principle of the MWL Program and the principles of calorie density is "whenever hungry, eat until comfortably full of the recommended foods." Because of this, there is no reason for anyone to feel hungry when following our guidelines. The recommended foods are minimally processed starches, fruits and vegetables. The most satiety, short term and long term comes from minimally processed starches and to keep the calorie density low, have them with some non-starchy vegetables. Remember, we do not have to figure out if it is true hunger, appetite, craving, etc. However, to be successful, you have to prepare for success and make sure you have availability of minimally processed starches throughout the day.

At the 10-Day program, the snack room is full of veggies (cherry tomatoes, baby carrots), fruits (apples, oranges) and starches (regular hummus, roasted red pepper hummus, potatoes, Split pea soup, Black bean soup, and Lentil Couscous soup). People choose from both the starches and fruits/vegetables. Choosing just vegetables or fruit will not be enough for most people to feel satiated. If you experience cravings for unhealthy foods, you can beat these cravings by choosing healthy foods to eat and knowing that these cravings will eventually pass and stop. However, you can not beat your biology (hunger) and your biology/hunger will eventually win.

A 10-Point Checklist for Maximum Weight 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. 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). No. I haven’t been active every day this week.

Question about Iodine: I have eliminated most salt for 20 months. I am wondering if I need to eat more foods that contains iodine ( which one do?) or if I need to take an iodine supplement.

I came across this short animated video about not overfeeding our pets at Hills pet food website. It’s called A Love Story. https://youtu.be/y7mB8VqLFRQ While this is written for pet owners, it also applies to how we can show love to ourselves, our family and our friends love in so many ways that do not include food:

Feed the love. Lose the weight

[texaslil]

+.4 lbs
165.6

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, had a meal out
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 ate bread
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:
My apologies, it's been a rough two weeks at work and I did not have the bandwidth to report out last week, my apologies for that. The interruption in my schedule has definitely caused some damage and I definitely need to tighten up in a few areas. With the stress and my cycle I'm actually surprised I didn't go more off the rails.. I have been spending a lot of time with my Mom as well, since my Dad is out of town and we enjoy going out to eat so that has also had an impact.

This week should calm down and get back to normal, at least that is what I'm hoping for.

Thanks for your support!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi to the wonderful group moderators and participants!

Weight change - 1.0 lbs. GAIN
Current weight - 132.4 lbs.
Last Week weight - 131.4 lbs.


1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Inconsistently. Sometimes ate what was to be my preload and then changed it to the 50/50 because I wasn't hungry for everything I had plated. Usually at breakfast and then moved it over to lunch.

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, of course.

5 Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). No, had pistachios - after dinner snack.

6 Eliminate any added oil. Yes! I do not add oil and only have this if eating out.

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, had pretzels - after dinner snack.

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 - 7 of 7 days walked. # steps is getting progressively better.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

Wrestling with the snack monster. For coming week, I am going to 100% focus on changing my post-dinner snacking behavior (eat compliant food only!!). I have listed my favorite "on plan" items to have if I feel the need to nosh after dinner. For instance, last night I microwaved a frozen Jeff burger and plated it with some honeydew melon. I have also had fat-free homemade bean dip with crudites. Need to nip this in the bud. Unfortunately, I am snacking on my husband's stuff - so it is not as easy to get out of the house as the peanut butter was... "in the house, in the mouth..."

I don't struggle with eating compliant meals. Right now for lunch, I am having soup, salad, fruit and a potato... Somehow after dinner is the witching hour lately.

The material Mark posted last week was quite helpful. I would like to be able to answer yes for #5 and 7 next week. Trying!!!

Hope that everyone has a wonderful week!!! Happy MWL'ing!

Best,
Stephanie

[Mark Cooper]

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.

[Mark Cooper]

wstokes - Welcome back! That is some significant movement on the scale to inaugurate your return. Making the transition back to the recommended pattern of behavior can feel like a big challenge, but you can do it. Just focus on adhering to the recommendations, as fully and consistently as you are able, each day and each time you prepare and eat a meal. Where you see room for improvement, aim to make manageable, measurable progress from day to day and week to week. To the extent possible, arrange your environment and make adjustments to your prep and routine to support yourself in achieving consistent adherence (by having adherent foods available and easy to eat). Cheers!

cmcavazos2 - A multitude of YESes! Changes in salt intake can certainly contribute to fluid retention, which naturally can lead to transitory upticks on the scale (i.e., a return to less added sodium is likely to reverse the situation). Most commercially prepared sauces have quite a bit of added salt (often sugar, too), which is one reason for the recommendation to buy and prepare food without added salt (or sugar). Of course, commercial products that fit that bill are few and far between, but Jeff's Rules & Guidelines for Reading Labels are helpful for determining where to draw the line on whether a packaged item is acceptable. Cans or aseptic boxes of no salt added diced, strained, or crushed tomatoes make an excellent base for salsas and sauces, if you are able to find them locally, or online.

Health 1st - Sometimes life throws a lot at us, right? I wish you all the best in managing those responsibilities and your own energy and well-being. Being able to maintain a high level of adherence, however imperfect, is a great way to serve your personal goals, and position yourself to fulfill external obligations, too. Take care, and hopefully you will have calmer days ahead.

kirstykay - Woo-hoo, Kirsty! Down 1.2 lbs! Being able to stay on plan and adhere to 9/10 points from the checklist while away from home is a pretty awesome achievement. Carry on!

Gimmelean - I can see why you are feeling great this week, you seem to be right on track! You make an excellent and important point about the seasonal challenges that likely lie ahead; it is never too early to start working on plans and strategies for successfully navigating our holiday celebrations, right? Those 3 reflections make a pretty solid foundation to build atop.

Noella - YAY! Taking a thorough look back at the path of your journey so far seems like it was a valuable and motivating practice for you. 240 to 150 is NOT a small achievement over any period of time. I'm confident that your diligent attention to the recommended pattern of behavior will serve as a great guide as you continue down the road ahead. Jeff discusses iodine in this thread (note: he has 2 posts in the thread) with links to further information. I find Jeff's overall supplement recommendations particularly useful in relation to any supplementation question.

texaslil - Hang in there, Laila! We can only do those things that we are able to do, right? Sometimes stress smacks us right in the face. In a certain context, not going "more off the rails" is an accomplishment itself. As things calm down, managing your daily life and pattern of behavior will inevitably get easier, but it is also quite helpful to make plans for weathering more difficult times in good stead, so that we are prepared for the next "smack in the face" from the universe.

VegSeekingFit - That "snack monster" wrestles in a class all its own, right? I think your plan for changing that evening snacking behavior is well-considered. I, personally, have also found it helpful to have a trigger response in relation to the new, preferred behavior (even just a simple statement like "when I feel hungry after dinner today I will get up, go to the kitchen, microwave a "burger" and pair it with some fruit"). When possible, it also helps me to take advantage of proximity; i.e., have the adherent food closer and easier to consume than the pretzels, or make sure the pretzels are further away and harder to get to than the adherent food. If we have to pass by the pistachios on our way to the adherent food, we're almost certain to exhaust our willpower over time.

Trying!!!

This is really what matters! As long as you keep making attempts, assessing and adjusting, you will get there.

[Mark Cooper]

Please note - I replied to each participant individually in the two posts linked below, provided that their reports followed the guidelines for weigh-ins.

Mark's Replies for October 8 - Part 1
Mark's Replies for October 8 - Part 2

By my count, 9 participants reported for our second October 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 second Friday in October:

Week ending 10/8/2021: 9 participants reported a total change of -1.80 pounds
--------------------------------------------------
VegSeekingFit +1.00
Cmcavazos2 +0.60
Rebecka22 +0.40
Texaslil +0.40
--------------------------------------------------
Total gains: +2.40
--------------------------------------------------
NO CHANGE / MAINTAIN/ STARTING OUT
N/A
--------------------------------------------------
Gimmelean -0.20
GreenFroG -0.20
Noella -0.80
Kirstykay -1.20
Wstokes -1.80
--------------------------------------------------
Total losses: -4.20
--------------------------------------------------
Cumulative group loss for October 2021 to date: 2.60 pounds
Average loss for week ending October 8: 0.20 pounds
Cumulative group loss for January 2021: 117.20 pounds
Cumulative group loss for February 2021: 39.40 pounds
Cumulative group loss for March 2021: 73.20 pounds
Cumulative group loss for April 2021: 48.30 pounds
Cumulative group loss for May 2021: 35.90 pounds
Cumulative group loss for June 2021: 34.10 pounds
Cumulative group loss for July 2021: 64.95 pounds
Cumulative group loss for August 2021: 49.30 pounds
Cumulative group loss for September 2021: 18.84 pounds
--------------------------------------------------

Next Weigh-In is on Friday, October 15, 2021.

Congratulations on completing another week practicing MWL everyone! Are you enjoying autumn where you are? It has been lovely here in NJ.

I think there can be great value in periodically taking a step back and reviewing fundamental principles, so this week I'm sharing a trio of Jeff's foundational articles from the McDougall website:

Three Essential Keys To a Healthy Diet

The Calorie Density Approach to Nutrition and Lifelong Weight Management

The 10 Most Healthful Packaged Foods (please note: 8 & 9 are not recommended for MWL)

These articles offer a solid foundation, not just for weight loss, but health and well-being, as well. Enjoy!

Have an amazing week, take care, and be well!

[Gabby7]

Hello! Rejoining this month missed the first couple weigh ins but I’d still like to join now if that’s okay. Took some time off to go back to standard starch solution while beginning a weight lifting program and reset. Still losing but down to my last 10 lbs or so and looking to make the push.

[Mark Cooper]

Hello! Rejoining this month missed the first couple weigh ins but I’d still like to join now if that’s okay. Took some time off to go back to standard starch solution while beginning a weight lifting program and reset. Still losing but down to my last 10 lbs or so and looking to make the push.

Hello and welcome back! Today seems like a great day to join the group and get back to MWL.

[VegSeekingFit]

VegSeekingFit - That "snack monster" wrestles in a class all its own, right? I think your plan for changing that evening snacking behavior is well-considered. I, personally, have also found it helpful to have a trigger response in relation to the new, preferred behavior (even just a simple statement like "when I feel hungry after dinner today I will get up, go to the kitchen, microwave a "burger" and pair it with some fruit"). When possible, it also helps me to take advantage of proximity; i.e., have the adherent food closer and easier to consume than the pretzels, or make sure the pretzels are further away and harder to get to than the adherent food. If we have to pass by the pistachios on our way to the adherent food, we're almost certain to exhaust our willpower over time.

Trying!!!

This is really what matters! As long as you keep making attempts, assessing and adjusting, you will get there.

Hi Mark,

Thank you for your "as usual feedback" ... but highly important advice (spot on)!!!

I have morphed it into a "new rule" for myself. I will only go into the refrigerator or freezer between the hours ("witching") of 8PM and midnight. So weird that I can see those non-compliant foods during day and they mean nothing... no trigger...

Best,
Stephanie

[missnutmeg]

Hi Mark, I'm new and I'd like to join the October group. I have followed Starch Solution since Sept 2019 and had great success, only pausing in April 2020 when I became pregnant and of course gained healthy baby weight! Proud to report that sticking with these concepts, I gained a very healthy amount during pregnancy and then it immediately came off naturally without a lot of effort once baby arrived. Now that I've been maintaining my pre-pregnancy weight, I'd like to resume my weight loss journey. I reviewed all the orientation materials. Thanks!

[Mark Cooper]

Hi Mark, I'm new and I'd like to join the October group. I have followed Starch Solution since Sept 2019 and had great success, only pausing in April 2020 when I became pregnant and of course gained healthy baby weight! Proud to report that sticking with these concepts, I gained a very healthy amount during pregnancy and then it immediately came off naturally without a lot of effort once baby arrived. Now that I've been maintaining my pre-pregnancy weight, I'd like to resume my weight loss journey. I reviewed all the orientation materials. Thanks!

Welcome! We're glad to have you joining us, and congratulations on your baby!

[louie3084]

-1 lbs
58kgs

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 - most of the time but did find myself going for a spoonful of honey here and there instead of proper carbs when I was rushed off my feet.
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 - was really hungry one day and just didn't eat enough during the day so ended up eating peanut butter after dinner... I just couldn't fill up!
6. Eliminate any added oil. NO, had one meal out
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. Most of the time
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:
I need to get comfortable eating more carbs earlier in the day! It's a slow un-learning process... Mark any other tips on how to get more comfortable eating more carbs and less refined sugar?