The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - July 2022 Group

[Lizzy_F]

Hello fellow travelers!!

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. I might create a simple check list to put on my McDougall Inspiration bulletin board so I can keep better track of how often I am really doing this across the total meals for the week. I haven’t been doing this for breakfast, but I have been pretty consistent with lunch and dinner. I think my only miss was last Tuesday when my husband’s vehicle had problems. I had to drop was I was doing RIGHT THEN and help him deal with the situation so he could keep his client schedule. Result – I was caught out of the house without food, and HUNGRY! I guess you might say I had my “pre-load” for lunch! I stopped at the grocery store and grabbed some bananas. I ate two, which staved off the hunger until I could get home to my beloved potatoes!

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. This would be another good item for my checklist so I could say “18/21 meals” or whatever. I think I hit this one for every meal except the crazy lunch day.

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. Progress! I am not looking to eliminate added salt, just move it more and more to the shaker on top of the food and less and less in the food itself. I tried Goose’s easy homemade ketchup recipe this week and so a LOT less salt came out of the ketchup bottle for me. I’m on the hunt for lower sodium or no added salt bottled salsa – I feel I need that convenience. Any suggestions?? No sugary foods this week, or any sugar added to anything.


4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). DONE!


5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). DONE!


6. Eliminate any added oil. DONE!!


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 would be another good item for my check list. [color=#FF00FF] I had 2 meals which included corn tortillas. I think those were the only two meals that included higher calorie density products.[/color]


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


9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. A couple of times I feel like I went past the “comfortable full” point. It’s pretty easy for me to pass that up before I realize it. I will say that unlike the SAD days, that “too full” feeling dissipates quickly – I would imagine as a result of the lower calorie density? Whatever the mechanisms, it was nice to not feel discomfort for any long length of time. So, I’m not going to worry over this one right now.


10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). Sigh. I fell far short of my exercise goal. I am giving myself credit for learning 2 of the 6 J. Dixon Functional Six. Maybe a better goal for where I seem to be right now is 1 per week instead of 1 per day. I did log over 79,000 steps on my Fitbit last week, so there is that.

Victories: No animal products. No free oils/fats. Progress on salt. No sugar. Minimal flour-based items which I’m calling victory over! Shout out of thanks to Stephanie for the encouragement in this area, and for all the great alternative ideas. I’m going to quickly run out of excuses! I have been lost on average 2 pounds per week since May 13 (start date of my 12-day program). So I don’t want to beat myself up about the areas where I have room for improvement.

Comments: I’m mentally struggling with the flour thing. I spoke with Tiffany about it today (McDougall Support Specialist from 12-day program) and she suggested that for now, I could just think in terms of the weight loss portion of my journey, and not the “rest of my life” portion of my journey. Buckle down for now and ditch the flour, and then when I am at goal weight (yet to be determined, which I am fine with), it will be easier to manage if I want to experiment with the foods/meals that are inside the SS, but outside the MWL guidelines. That make sense to me, so I will work on that mindset. Also, huge shout out of thanks to Stephanie for the encouragement in this area, and for all the great alternative ideas. I’m going to quickly run out of excuses!


Concerns: Next Wednesday is the last of my weekly meetings with Tiffany (12-day program support specialist). The meetings are due to drop back to monthly for 10 months from there. I’m concerned about scaling back so much, because I find Tiffany very motivating and a great person to hold me accountable. So, I decided to go with the option of paying extra for some support, so I can see her twice per month for a while. I am still concerned about a wandering mind as I learn to travel the McDougall highway on my own.

Questions: Does anyone have commercially available reduced sodium, or no salt added salsas to recommend? I found a couple on a “heart health” site (lots of reduced sodium products there) that are much lower than what I typically see in store bought salsa, but still not low enough to meet Jeff’s guidelines. I kept my credit card in my wallet for now! I would love to have the convenience of a ready-made salsa that meets the guidelines.

I am VERY grateful for all the support so freely given in this MWL group and also around the forum. What a phenomenal resource! I appreciate you all!

[kirstykay]

I can't believe it's the middle of July already!! Where is this month going?

Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. YES! My new plan is working! I Preload breakfast with fruit, Lunch is a big salad with a starch and beans mixed in,, and I eat raw cut veggies before for dinner. This feels really doable now.

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! There were a couple meals where I didn't eat my veggies first and got full before I finished them. I need to work on eating my veg before the starch so this doesn't happen.

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. I think I still use too much salt and haven't eliminated my oat creamer yet.

Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). YES!

Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). No. Had some tofu and some soymilk. I need to use only water in my oatmeal instead of soymilk. I will start cutting it in half this week.

Eliminate any added oil. Mostly. One restaurant meal this week. There was some oil.


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. Mostly I had one whole wheat English muffin as a bun for my veggie burger this week. And air popped popcorn once for a treat while watching a movie with my husband.

Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). YES- with the exception of the oat creamer. It's gone now and I'm not buying more.

Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. Mostly. I had one overeating episode.

Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). YES! I am most proud of this. I walk 3 miles a day and do strength training 3x/week. I added 2 Yoga sessions this week.

Thoughts: It has been helpful to pay more attention this week and see where I need to improve. I lost one pound, so I'm making progress. I know I can improve several of these for next week. I'm still fightthe urge to something more drastic to lose weight faster. This is a hard pattern to break, but I know it always backfires in the long run. So I'm resisting.

[Gimmelean]

Post for week ending 7/15/22

Hello everyone!

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


2). Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.
Yes.

3) Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.  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.

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,Questions,Challenges:
It seems easier to eat well and lightly when it’s summer and hot.
Mark you don’t need room to grow lettuce! Get a 10 or 18 plastic gallon tub at Target, fill it with soil, plant some seeds and you will have a bumper crop for the rest of the summer. Many of my neighbors grow vegetables in pots and tubs. Move them into the sun and no weeds. Pottery pots are nicest, but no need to go to any expense to get started. I even saw a garden growing on a garage door in my neighborhood. (Google vertical wall hanging planters.) I appreciate all of the hard work everyone else does. .
This week I made basmati brown rice, mango salsa, mashed canary beans and used the bean broth for my broth based soup. The beans needed no soaking, were an interesting variety to try, and I didn’t have to heat up the kitchen with an Instantpot. I also made Jeff’s sweet potato curry burgers including some mini ones for our little guy who calls them cookies. Who am I to tell him the truth.?

Have a good week!

[Artista]

Hello fellow MWL'ers!

1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Almost, there was one meal I didn’t preload.

2) Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, filling half your plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50% (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches. Choose fruit for desert. Mostly, there was one or two meals that weren’t 50/50.

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). Mostly, I did have flaxseeds one or two times.

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). Almost, There was one day this week when I didn’t exercise.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: Mark, thank you for your helpful comments last week. This week was also a struggle to stay committed. I did some of that question-asking that you recommended. It does really help to remember why I am doing this and what is my purpose. It goes beyond weight loss. I keep remembering what Jeff said in calling this the Maximum Health Program because that’s ultimately what I seek, that and freedom from yo-yo dieting and weight gain. I know that there’s no better way out there to reach those goals. I knew I would have these moments when I started out, moments of wanting to throw off the restraints, I just need to stay the course. Next week, I’ll have to miss the check-in because I’ll be traveling and away from Internet service. I’ll be sure and take lots of fruit, vegetables, and starches with me that are easy to prepare. I’ll see you all the following week!

[Mark Cooper]

BambiS - Very nice progress from last week! And kudos to you for choosing to make an adherent potato salad, rather than compromising on your behavioral goals.

Noella - Congratulations on your GREAT week! The locale for your vacation sounds very peaceful and picturesque. You definitely have my sympathy in dealing with tendonitis. My CRPS/RSD has been flaring up this week, and for the last several days I haven't been able to manage even a 15 minute walk, so don't feel bad about doing what feels manageable and give yourself time to heal.

Rebecka22 - Better choices is progress over poorer ones, right? Lapses happen, and ultimately, getting back on track is what matters in the end. Best wishes for a happy return home and a good week to come!

VegSeekingFit - Woo-hoo! 10/10, Stephanie! I love to see that. I think keeping those "emergency reserve" foods like potato slices, soup, fruit and veggies ready and available is a really valuable practice for staying on track, too. Congratulations for hitting that 46-lb milestone, and even bigger congrats for that fantastic, "un-bothered" feeling. That is what this is all about. Keep on, keeping on!

Lizzy_F - Another great list of victories! I think you are making really good progress over time, Beth.

I might create a simple check list to put on my McDougall Inspiration bulletin board so I can keep better track of how often I am really doing this across the total meals for the week.

I think this is a great idea; tracking our habtis is a great tool for bringing patterns to light and surfacing sometimes hidden factors in our progress. Having a clear picture of what we are doing really helps direct further efforts. I think I agree with Tiffany's advice about just focusing on what you are doing now, and letting future possibilities wait for another day. If it helps, just think about how much you, your behaviors, and your palate have already changed, and how incredible that might have looked from the vantage point you were at back in April. Who knows what you will have achieved, or be capable of attaining 8, 10, 12, or 24 weeks in the future, right? My personal solution to the "salsa problem," although not ready-made, is almost as easy: 1 can NSA tomatoes, 1-2 tsp of Penzey's Salsa & Pico seasoning, and a little lime juice - just stir and it is ready to go (although if you can leave it sit for 15-20 minutes, I think it is even better). Carry on!

kirstykay - Nice progress, Kirsty! July does seem to be zipping by, right? I think you are wise to resist that impulse toward "something drastic." Just use the checklist as your guide, and focus on making achievable, sensible and, if necessary, incremental changes moving closer toward the recommended pattern of behavior. You'll get there with time; think about all the significant changes in behavior you've made already - that is no small achievement!

Gimmelean - Great work! Thank you for all the useful information for growing lettuce; I'll have to give it a try. I agree with the little guy - those sweet potato curry burgers are a real treat! Have a fabulous week!

Artista - I'm glad taking time to remember and connect with your purpose in making these changes felt fruitful for you! Health and freedom seem like pretty powerful sources of motivation, right? You are totally right that there are always ups and downs on this journey, and often we just need to stay the course and trust the process. Have a safe and successful trip. We'll look forward to seeing you again in two weeks!

[Mark Cooper]

WOW! July is half over already! Summer seems to be just rushing forward! My congratulations to everyone for your ongoing efforts. Continuing to put in the work, learn, and grow, both when it is easy AND when times are hard seems like a key factor for ultimate success. Your future selves will thank you for your dedication and determination, right?

Here are a couple links to peruse in the week ahead:

One of my favorite videos - Dr. Lisle's Three Top Tips for Dietary Success
I've shared this in the past, but it is short and sweet, really excellent advice, and worth reviewing.

I came across a link to the post below, and thought you all might appreciate it.

Health 1st - You missed the window for reporting this week, but I wanted to respond to your specific question, as it feels like a pretty important one. With luck, wildgoose will also reply, as I'm sure she has an insightful perspective on this topic.

Mark, wildgoose, others, how do you mentally deal with possible having non-MWL things + yet getting right back on track + not letting the accidental or purposely done slip bother you that you put something so unhealthy in your body

In the past, this was something I really struggled with, as do many participants I would imagine. It seems to me that this feeling of self-recrimination goes hand in hand with the common societal view that weight loss is about "self-control," "moderation" and "limitation" (perhaps even "deprivation"). What changed things for me was a true realization that my success or failure within the context of a given circumstance was not a product of my self-worth, but rather a result of a meeting between my practice/routine, my environment, and the situation. Our goal is to attain and sustain adherence to the recommended pattern of behavior over time. Our prevailing pattern of behavior is the key determinant of our results. If we have a "failure point" and our pattern of behavior deviates from what is recommended, it says nothing about our worth (and doesn't, in and of itself, necessarily say anything about our health, either). What it does tell us, is we need to make some changes or adjustments to our practice - our routine needs to be modified, or our environment needs to be altered, or both. With those changes made, we move forward in a fortified position, and with each "failure point" and adjustment our practice becomes more effective and more resilient. We also build confidence. What is important, then, about a "slip" is LEARNING from it, so that we adjust our environment and routine to support our future success. This is an iterative process over the long haul, and, when applied consistently, it leads to lasting success. I can honestly say that I don't actually have any "slips" anymore, because I've been practicing this way of eating for a long time, optimizing my routine, and it is durable and well-tested. But, that didn't happen overnight, and it took a substantial period of focus and effort.

Have an awesome week! Take care and be well!

[kirstykay]

Wow, Mark! This is really powerful. I've spent too many years wearing a cloak of shame and regret because of my weight and my poor relationship with food. I need to internalize these concepts moving forward. Also, thanks for your encouraging words regarding my week! I really appreciate your wisdom and help.

[Lizzy_F]

Mark - thank you so much for your feedback, encouragement and simple salsa recipe! I'm definitely going to have to check out Penzey's spices. Thank you also for your words of wisdom to us all, and your link to Dr. Lisle's top 3 tips. I love that message - keep it clean and simple! Interesting to think bigger picture about the meal numbers. Approx. 1,000 meals per year. It just makes perfect sense that those 1,000 meals will go smoother and be consistent with my goals if I am well prepared, and have a simple, solid (and repetitive) game plan.

Right after Dr. Lisle's video played from the link provided above, his TedX talk on the Pleasure Trap came up. I love the full length version of the PT, but I also love the TedX version which is condensed to under 20 minutes. I think that talk speaks to the other topic you raised about going off plan - whether planned or not, and why it can be so hard to get back on plan. I am reminded to remain very aware of how sensitive I seem to be to the Pleasure Trap. I have proven to myself time and again that if I fall in, it is really tough to get back out, and this TedX video explains why. Even if I watch it 100 times, I know I will be well served to watch it 100 more times! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX2btaD ... 0Q&index=2

Very relevant and helpful information Mark - thank you!!!!

I also enjoy reading everyone's comments on the 10 point checklist! I'm learning so much and really appreciate this community!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Mark, Sorry that your CRPS has been flaring this week. Sending healing vibes your way and hope that you feel better each day. Thank you so much for your support this week (and for MANY MANY weeks)... It is amazing to think of how many people's lives that you have positively impacted. You have helped me tremendously and have consistently been kind, patient, knowledgeable to all. THANK YOU!

[wildgoose]

@Lizzy_F You’ve seen the Pleasure Trap videos, so you know what you’re up against. I watch the videos every few months, as inspiration. My thoughts are something along these lines. Not necessarily as advice to you, but random thoughts from a combination of Pleasure Trap-related videos…

• The Pleasure Trap is the result of human design coming in conflict with modern life. We were never designed to live in a world surrounded by hyperpalatable, hyperprocessed, easily available junk masquerading as food. Eating the junk is not a character flaw or a sign of weakness or a reason for mental anguish. It’s a normal reaction to an abnormal environment.
• You’ll never win when you try to fight the trap with willpower alone. The key is to re-structure the environment as much as possible. Keep the junk out of your house. Or if you can’t (say you live with others who insist on having their favorites around), keep the junk out of sight and away from the food that supports your life goals. Bargain, to keep the most problematic stuff out (say you don’t care about eggs but can’t stay away from cheese — see if you can trade a promise to ban cheese from the dairy drawer for a willingness on your part to ignore a carton of eggs). Move the candy dish away from your desk at work. Stay out of the break room (go for a walk instead). Find a route home that doesn’t go past your formerly favorite junk-laden takeout place. Keep tasty, compliant food available for those times of great temptation and minimal willpower.
• Make dealing with the Pleasure Trap as functional as possible. Don’t talk about what you’re trying to do. Even if somebody asks. If someone persists in questioning you, shrug and use the standard Doug Lisle "seems" strategy ("I don’t know, seems to be working for me. I want to try it for a while and see what happens."), then change the subject. Give the impression that this is No Big Deal, that you find the whole talking about diet thing kinda boring.
• Keep that functional attitude if/when some junk leaps into your mouth. OK, no big deal, I stepped off the path into a shallow ditch. Oops, step right back up. The very next thing that goes into your mouth needs to be something health-promoting. No angst, no recriminations, no beating yourself up. After you’ve eaten some good MWL-compliant food, then you might want to strategize (again, functionally) about what you might do next time you’re faced with the same situation.

And one more point:

• I'll take Tiffany's strategy one step further. Don’t think about the rest of your life. Maybe don’t even think about the rest of your weight loss journey. At the most, think about a month or two. Or if that’s too overwhelming or stressful, the next week or the next day. Whatever keeps you moving forward. Myopic tortoise, remember? I know if somebody had told me 5 years ago that I would have to give up bread forever, I would have gone crazy. Now, when I’m maintaining my weight and health, I choose not to eat bread. I could eat it if I wanted to, but I feel better if I don’t. Bread has lost its charge for me. Not its appeal — walking by a bakery is still very tempting — but its emotional charge. I can deal with it functionally.

Salsa. It’s summer here, and I have access to great homegrown tomatoes. I also have a pull chopper, which I love. I chop up onion and tomatoes to whatever consistency I like, add a few spices (far less spicy than what you might like, but that’s fine ), and voilà, instant salsa. Easy, and much cheaper than the jarred stuff. I use canned or boxed tomatoes when I can’t get good fresh ones, but this time of year, I go with the fresh.

Mark, if you decide to grow lettuce or tomatoes in containers, you might want to invest in some wire mesh to surround them. I don’t know about your area, but we're inundated here with rascally rodents (squirrels and chipmunks) who think my container garden is their private smorgasbord. Nothing worse than a ripe red tomato with a hole eaten out of the bottom of it by a chipmunk. Small gauge wire screening, buried deep enough so they can’t dig under it or held down by bricks on the patio, minimizes the damage. It’s an ongoing battle, and the numbers are on their side!

Goose

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Everyone!!

OK, I have bought the pull chopper that Wildgoose linked to... Absolutely best salsa is pico de gallo ... (and I look forward to easy making this!!!) And, pretty impossible to find that commercially (without oil), Also, have taken Mark recommendation for "in a pinch" salsa. That is also awesome!!!

I am so sorry .... have a commercial NSA salsa product that there is no appropriate link for (a couple 3rd party folks selling on Amazon for $$$)... Boo!!! I need to try this taking pictures thing so that I can prove... So, Trader Joe's by me (IL) sells an NSA salsa product... (they do NOT have this product on their website, but I promise that I have an actual jar to give info from...)
Here is the info: TJ's Fire-Roasted Tomato Salsa (says on jar NO SALT ADDED)... It is 15 calories / per 2 T. with 10 mg. sodium... I will try to master the picture thing --- have a few jars... Be careful --- there are many other TJ salsas... that are not NSA... only this one that says on the face of the jar.

Check this out if you are feeling bad about eating junk masquerading as food (that could have hopped into your mouth)... Used to be a clip on Sesame Street. Helps me to laugh --- don't know it this helps anyone else??? So, I LOVE to LAUGH!!!
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=oo ... &FORM=VIRE

I am watching this growing lettuce discussion!!! Seriously, sounds fun and tasty.... I am kind of skeptical like WIldgoose on what to do about the critters.... Here, having about 20 bunnies and many, many squirrels and chipmunks... I used to garden a clip and gave up a bit because I am not a great "infrastructure" type of person.

Hope everyone is having an awesome week!!!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[wildgoose]

@VegSeekingFit Ahh, Stephanie, I’m jealous of your Trader Joe's. All Illinois isn’t created equal. In my part of the state, the nearest TJ or Whole Foods is St. Louis, over 100 miles away. So I’ll be making my own salsa for a while.

Hope you like the pull chopper. I use it for lots of things. Very good for chunky marinara ingredients. And I do a warm pasta salad…

Roma Tomatoes
Onion
Mushrooms
Spinach
Steamed cauliflower
Steamed broccoli
Spices (Italian seasoning, garlic powder, chopped basil, whatever you like)
Whole grain pasta (my favorite is Tinkyada brown rice pasta)

Chop tomatoes and onion. I usually use 3-4 Romas, maybe half an onion. Add spices and stir. Pack baby spinach leaves in the chopper, chop fine. Same with the mushrooms. Drain steamed cauliflower and broccoli, chop as fine as you want. I usually use a chopper full of each. You can add any other veggies that you like. Stir it all together, add cooked pasta, stir again, and enjoy, I usually start chopping right after I put the pasta into boiling water, and it all comes out about the same time. This is a throw-together sort of recipe, and the exact amounts don’t really matter. I usually have about 50% veggies, 50% pasta, which is how I like to do any pasta dish. The pasta, broccoli and cauliflower are the warm ingredients, everything else is cold, but the overall temperature of the dish is medium-warm, which makes it nice in all kinds of weather.

Of course, you can do it without the pull chopper, but that little gadget makes quick work of it.

Goose

[VegSeekingFit]

Thank you, Wildgoose!!! My chopper should get here today!

This is sounding like an awesome recipe / template that I will definitely use --- and you gave me ideas to take forward too (like veggie soup, veggies w/rice.... OMG!!!

I think that I have figured out the picture thing --- so want to add the image for the NSA salsa that I mentioned in post above. You will see that there is a bit of sugar as ingredient #5... doesn't seem like much to me, but just an FYI... Again, apologies that I can't find an appropriate link --- but here is the product. I will say that I am looking forward to FRESH pico de gallo more than this!!!

[BambiS]

7-22

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Yes, enjoying fresh vegetables and salads.


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, or larger salads


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, not an issue here

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

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.
I’m still tempted by bread and biscuits for my husband. I’d be happy with Ezekiel bread, but know I need to wait to have it.

8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). Yes, no problem

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:
it was a good week, I had a nice loss. I was still trying to figure why my losses have slowed since February. I reviewed the maximum weight loss book principals. I was drinking dandelion tea at first and now sometimes have decaf coffee. I read the section in maximum weight loss about decaf and stopped having it earlier in the week, could decaf coffee slow down loss?

[Rebecka22]

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

It wasn’t easy, but I did it! I got through the week without giving in. Having the ability to clean up my environment some definitely helped. Last night for my sister and niece’s birthday I chose watermelon instead of cake and ice cream and brought my own food. I will be traveling again next week with two eight hour drives and a car full of kids, but I am planning to pack lots of potatoes, fruit and vegetables. I hope everyone had a great week and thanks so much for all the support.