Hi Everyone! Welcome to the Behavioural Path to MWL Success. This forum is such a great place to be, and I am so glad to be here with you all.
Mark asked us to consider our goals for March...
Mark Cooper wrote:What would you like to accomplish in the weeks ahead? What are your primary goals for this month? What are you looking forward to in March?
As for my “primary goals for this month,” I want to continue following all of the MWL behaviours with a particular emphasis on being vigilant about added salt. I also want to eat less fruit and, in its place, eat more vegetables, as I tend to overdo it with fruit. I also want to do (DO is an ACTION word!) more daily exercise.
I went cross country skiing three days ago, and about an hour out and seven kilometres away from our car, I felt weak and a bit shaky. My sense of balance was off. I've skied hundreds of kilometres, and this has never happened to me ever before. I wondered if the snow made the glide much harder than usual or if I had eaten enough food. Yes, I had a big meal: salad, fruit, cooked veggies and oatmeal just before, and my husband was finding the snow conditions were good for him, he had a great ski, so I didn't think that either of those was the cause of my lack of power. I had, however, forgotten to drink water right before I started skiing (I usually do!), and I hadn’t bothered to bring any water or healthy food along with me for this outing. I'm not sure why I had neglected these important things because the last time we went out skiing, I got pretty hungry after an hour, and I enjoyed eating the three roasted potatoes I had brought along. The only way I could think to recharge my energy was to eat a bit of fresh snow for some hydration and take a fifteen-minute rest in the sunshine as we sat in a tiny southwest-facing warming hut. After taking a rest, I still wasn't feeling any better, and I was not recharged. Still feeling weak and with my sense of balance unsure, I clicked on my nordic skis and got back into the tracks. I decided I just had to do it, and I planned to simply take it slow and steady back to the parking lot. The first half kilometre was uphill, and I pushed myself. Then on the first downhill section, my balance was off, and without my usual power to control my balance and speed, down I went into a forward tumble, landing on my wrists, poles and knees. As I lay there, all tangled up in poles and skis, I felt defeated. I hardly had the energy to get up. I hadn't mentioned feeling weak to my husband back at the warming hut, as I hadn't wanted to be a worry for him, so he was now far ahead, out of sight, and unaware that I had fallen. I was alone. After feeling sorry for myself for a while, my next step was to release my skis from my boots and the wrist straps from my poles so that I was free enough to get up. I decided to walk for a bit, and as I trudged along, I thought about what I could have done differently. I could have had some water right before I started skiing, and I could have brought some water and a snack with me. Happily, my husband eventually noticed that I wasn't still with him. He had stopped at the next trail junction to wait for me. When he saw me walking toward him, rather than skiing, he knew something was wrong. He also sensed I wasn't just losing my physical strength. He knew that some psychology had weakened, too. I was giving up. He pointed that out to me. Then he ordered me to put my skis back on, saying that I couldn't let myself get "psyched-out" no matter how weak I felt. He believed that if I didn't put my skis on and ski back, I might never want to ski again. Well, his comment encouraged me not to give up.! I love nordic skiing more than anything else (it's as close as you can get to flying!), so much so that I would regret doing anything that could come between me and this wonderful sport. I immediately put my skis back on, and I carried on, laboriously, but slow and steady - then I fell again. I accepted the fall this time. I knew that all of my energy was spent with this fall, but I only had another .5 km, maybe less, to go. I lay there on the ground a little longer, weighing my options (not many). I knew I could finish skiing the last bit at a snail's pace. Soon I would be home. Next time out, I am going to be more prepared!
Following MWL is sometimes a bit like my skiing experience. Sometimes I have power and self-efficacy, and MWL feels straightforward and refreshing. I can see and feel myself gaining improved health. I acknowledge and celebrate how far I have come through time and adherence to these principles. However, other rare moments happen when I feel like some of my MWL behaviours have become weak. Maybe it's because of the social pressure of simply fitting in and not being a bother to others, or perhaps it's a day that I have forgotten to prepare some yummy starchy foods to have on hand for snacks or to use as the base for upcoming meals. I love this way of eating, and I don't want anything to come between me and succeeding with MWL. I want to heal my knees by losing weight, eating healthy, and exercising daily. I don't want anything to come between me and my goal to succeed by following the nutritional MWL guidelines and recommendations. Not lack of food planning and preparation, not ego, not social pressure, not lack of convenience or handy availability of MWL foods. Being prepared is key!
When I started this journey about two years ago, I had read about some Star McDougallers who overcame knee pain and avoided knee surgery with MWL. Their stories continue to give me so much hope. My knees are much better than two years ago. They are not perfect, but they are much better than they were and are now pain-free.
The best thing I do to stay with power and energy with MWL is to come here to be with all of you each week for camaraderie, support, and reminders. Thanks to all of you for being here.
I look forward to starting this new month by reading your weekly assessments and doing my weekly assessment/analysis of the guidelines tomorrow.
Best regards,
Noella
!! Also, looking forward to re-starting more weekend social walks with friends (who don't walk in the snow). Will be continuing some garden planning, but won't start any planting until April / May. 
