The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - August 2022 Group

[Lizzy_F]

Hello team Time & Adherence!

Report for 8-12-22:

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Breakfast (when eaten) no, lunch and dinner, yes. Breakfast is oats + fruit (when eaten).
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.

I usually eat the veg first, and then the starch after (so two separate plates) but yes – non-starchy veg = starch by visual volume.

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.

I feel like I am doing really well with #3! Other than small amounts of condiments, the only other added salt is from the shaker at the table, and there was no added sugar this week other than in the ketchup.

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

Success!

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

Success!

6. Eliminate any added oil.

Success!

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.

Success!

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

Success!

9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.

I still experience uncertainty here, but I’m beginning to think it’s just something that might take me a long time to get comfortable with. “Time and adherence” is allowing me to worry about it less frequently.

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).

I went for walks on Saturday and Sunday last weekend, then hurt my back on Monday (I’ve had back surgery, so am prone to having these problems). So no exercise this week and still a sore back. ☹

Victories: Still on plan!!!! YAY!!! Dr. Lim took me off all thyroid medication prior to the start of the May 12-day program that I had been taking since 2008. I just had my Free T4 and TSH re-tested and YAY – NORMAL! Both numbers came up in the middle of the reference ranges. I will of course await confirmation from Dr. Lim, but I am assuming this is great news and that I truly was over-medicated and taking an unnecessary prescription! I’m very excited about this development.

Comments: Weight loss has slowed considerably so I am now working on the mental aspects of dealing with fears – fears such as:
• Oh no! This is going to stop working!
• It works for other people but may not work for me..
• I can’t reach my goals…
• Etc.
I believe all this fear is a result of a lifetime of failed dieting attempts. I am hoping that the great coaching I am getting here and from the McDougall team, and more time and adherence will help me overcome these fears, and have confidence that I CAN do this for the long haul, and it WILL work for me as it works for others.

In the mean time, I feel like I have a handful of very simple meals that I love, and a solid food prep routine each week. That is so vital for me! I have a couple recipes I want to try - Pico in my new chopper, Yonana nice cream in that contraption, Stephanie's split pea stew and sloppy lentils. I haven't gotten around to that yet, but I'm not worried about it. Simple is working really well for me right now. I'm still eating a lot of fruit, especially watermelon, but I'm not so worried about that right now either thanks to all of your support and sharing last week - so many, many thanks!!

Questions: I welcome comments and suggestions from others as always!!!!

[Gimmelean]

Post for week ending 8/12/22

Hello everyone!

1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Yes. I had been starting with fruit and ending with fruit until now. Waaaay too much fruit. I borrowed Stephanie’s idea for finger food salad with mini cucumbers, carrots, raw green beans, snap peas, and grape tomatoes. No dips or dressings needed!

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.
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.
Daily Journal-The kitchen is closed after dinner.
Sat- yes
Sun-yes
Mon-yes
Tues-yes
Wed-yes
Thu-yes
Fri-no
Doing much better here and this simple accountability journal helped. Consequently improved on checkpoint 7 too because most of my non adherence took place when eating at night after dinner.

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: 3 items here.
-1)Mark, I read Jeff’s commentary that you linked for Beth on fruit consumption last week. What an eye opener. Too much of a good thing is not always a good thing just because we “can” and there is never an absolute yes or no answer. Replacing unhealthy foods with healthy foods might be a first step on this journey. I am at a point where I’m ready to start focusing on NOT eating ANY food beyond satiety. It is too easy to grab a few more cherries or grapes or berries after I’ve had enough and then justifying it because it’s healthy. It takes me more time to eat an apple than a banana for sure. Maybe concentrating on eating less fruit and different ones will help me too. 2)When I repeat a term in my head like “passive over consumption” rather than saying, “You can’t have that”, instead of the two year old brat asking , “Wanna bet?!”, it’s easier for me to accept from a more intellectual standpoint and follow it. THIS is working for me.
3)This week I re- discovered oat groats in the interest of eating the most intact grains possible. They are great savory or sweet with fruit. Fantastic easy Instantpot recipe from Nutmeg Notebook where the oats come out al dente and not mushy at all. Oat Groats What Are They & How Do You Cook Them?
Have a great week!

[Drew*#]

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.****Yes, mostly....I usually have a soupy mix that has my meal in it too. There were a few times I deviated but mostly stayed on track....
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, mostly...I had a few snacks at my mom's house that I had not bought...will work on saying "no" and not having them as first choice
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, indubitably!
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).*** No, had some stuff in the freezer from before starting that I had for a breakfast...no more purchases of this stuff that is best describes as extremely processed to a point that led to the "no" above.
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, had some snacks while at my mom's house that would not give me a pass here. Working on it as I do not buy this stuff. With my wife, I do not have the stuff for the most part.
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, except for one meal that I recall. During that meal I just stuffed myself. All with ingredients that were good and soupy.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). ****No, however, last Saturday I walked 3 and 1/2 hours, Sunday I did 1 hour yoga, and on Friday I did lawn work with walking involved for 1 1/2 hours so maybe a "yes" is in order. I could do more with the physical therapy and daily 1/2 hour walks.

Since last week's weigh-in I have lost about 1.5 lbs. I still have more to go. I have had a slight paradigm shift in my thinking about my recurrent hernia diagnosis and recommended operation. I've learned from a surgeon that if one has too much internal fat it can push through the inguinal wall or mesh. Earlier this week I did a CT scan to see if it would show the hernia detected in a US scan. It didn't. So, when talking with my physical therapist about exercises for my Achilles tendon, the conversation turned to stretching exercises. He recommended some stretching exercises. This makes a lot of sense and I will be incorporating these exercises into my physical therapy. It will be important to lose the weight so that the fat does not press against the groin or mesh. I will take a wait and see attitude regarding the operation! Talking with my proposed surgeon this coming week about this option. He may oppose it or who knows....

Thank you all for the kind greetings. As some of you mentioned eating the fruits, veggies, whole grains, and beans without added stuff about covers it!

Drew

[Noella]

Hi Mark, Wildgoose, Jeff and all MWL Participants,

1. Start each meal with soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Fruit!!! One of our daughters has many acres of fruit orchards, and the cherries, plums, apricots and peaches are perfect. I've been knowingly overeating on fruit this week and not eating much starch and veggies. I'm trying to control my volume of fruit eating, but it's tough for me not to eat perfectly ripe fruit. If I could get a better handle on my fruit consumption, I might be able to get off this lengthy weight loss plateau I have been on and lose a bit more weight. -- I would love to be 135 pounds again! That is such a healthy weight for me and my ultimate goal.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals. Too much Fruit and its crowding out the veggies,
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 stop them. Too much sugar via the FRUIT...I can feel the effects.
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. I had a spoonful of nut butter on Thursday. Usually, I don't have any trouble with nuts or nut butter. It wasn't as tasty as I remembered, so I don't think I've stepped back into the pleasure trap. If I did, I successfully stepped back out and haven't wanted any more nut butter. Phew! ( The fruit problem might be the pleasure trap, though?!)
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 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). --I'm trying, but I am naturally inclined to be inclined, so getting exercise needs improvement as I can't seem to find joy enough to sustain it.


Best regards,
Noella

“What I am about to tell you is so utterly simple and true that it may deceive you: Health feels better than sickness. You will be happier at your ideal weight than you are overweight. You will be proud of yourself. You’ll have confidence. You’ll feel so many good things that right now you cannot imagine, and I cannot describe. But the net effect is that you’ll like yourself a lot more. You’ll look in the mirror and actually like what you see; you may even love what you see. You will have honored the person within yourself who longs to be healthy, beautiful, and free of all those burdens that being overweight brings. Life will not be perfect, but it will be better.”
― excerpt from The McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss

[Mark Cooper]

The window for reporting this week's behavioral results has officially closed.

The remainder of my replies and the weekly summary will follow.

[Mark Cooper]

BambiS - Woo-hoo! Big congratulations for achieving that significant milestone! If you find it to be motivating (rather than discouraging), it is fine to include weight changes in your comments. Just keep in mind that it is the prevailing pattern of behavior maintained that is driving where the scale goes over the long-term.

Rebecka22 - Hang in there! You'll be able to work your way out of this dip into the Pleasure Trap with attention to adherence over the days ahead. It can be pretty easy for a few "celebratory exceptions" to get out of hand, right? Even when we know intellectually that those troublesome foods don't make us feel well, it can take a shocking number of "reminders" for that knowledge to stick, and realign our chosen behaviors. Keep at it!

carwex - Having access to a proper kitchen, stocked with the recommended foods should DEFINITELY make adherence feel more attainable, right? How wonderful, Carol, to have a spouse willing to offer a gentle reminder in support of your aspirations. Fantastic, too, to have already discovered a suitable restaurant with adherent options! I'm sure that must feel exciting.

So rather than dwelling on the mess of the last few weeks I am looking forward to getting back on track and relaxing into my new life.

Good for you! Make today the start of a great week ahead!

Wfpb2020 - You are back and have gotten started, Gina! That is often the most difficult step to take, right? Aim for ongoing progress, from day to day and meal to meal, in eliminating those remaining calorie rich foods. Putting time into preparation of the recommended foods is always a great way to support our efforts.

JaBee - Prepping simple, adherent meals for the week ahead and making troublesome foods more difficult to access are among the very best ways to make adherence more easy to attain. Nice work making a great start for the week to come! When we don't feel prepared, and our environment isn't arranged to support our goals, it can really knock our behavior off track - sometimes even more so than we might expect. Flaxseed is not recommended for MWL, since the recommendation is to eliminate higher fat plant foods, including nuts and seeds. If you are adhering closely to the MWL 10-Point Checklist, essential fatty acids should be present in adequate quantities from the recommended foods consumed.

While flax and walnuts may be a rich source of omega 3's, and some will recommended a certain amount, they are not really required at all as all plants have omega 3's and you are getting in plenty even if you don't consume any flax of walnuts.

Nutrients and the RDA/DRI
The RDA/DRI’s do not always apply to those following a healthy starch based diet. However by following the guidelines, especially starting meals with a soup or salad and the 50/50 guideline, ones diet with be very nutrient dense. In regard to weight, we do not recommend tracking your nutrients. Follow the plan, and the nutrients will be there.

Here is the recipe I use for my lentil "topping":

To be honest, the main "topping" I use for mashed potatoes is a simple lentil recipe: 1 Cup lentils, 2 Cups water, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, and 1 bay leaf, cooked in the Instant Pot on high pressure for 10 minutes with natural release.

VegSeekingFit - Awesome week, Stephanie! I'm feeling MUCH better, thanks for asking. Exercise definitely seems like something worth giving a try when it is necessary to stave off sleep - good idea! What an amazing quote! Thank you for sharing that.

Lizzy_F - Congratulations on those great biomarker results from your thyroid test, Beth! I think the fears that you describe will likely sound pretty familiar to many of us here. It can take a surprising amount of time for us to "prove" to our stubborn brains that what we know from the science is, in fact, true for us in practice. The mental part of these efforts is an important aspect to which we must attend, to keep from hindering our best efforts with either self-recrimination or fatalistic narratives.

I still experience uncertainty here, but I’m beginning to think it’s just something that might take me a long time to get comfortable with.

As a volume eater, that was certainly my experience, and it really was a matter of maintaining adherence across a significant duration of time and in varying circumstances and environments that eventually built up my confidence in this regard. Just carry on with your excellent efforts, and you will get there in the end.

Gimmelean - That seems like really solid progress! That simple accountability check you are using seems like an excellent tool. I'm happy it is proving helpful. Given your accumulated experience and sustained efforts, I think you are probably the best judge of whether you're overconsuming fruit; if your intuition tells you that you are eating past the point of being "comfortably full," I think it is probably wise to trust that observation. Bringing more non starchy vegetables into that gap seems like a good step to try. Oat groats - YUM!

When I repeat a term in my head like “passive over consumption” rather than saying, “You can’t have that”, instead of the two year old brat asking , “Wanna bet?!”, it’s easier for me to accept from a more intellectual standpoint and follow it. THIS is working for me.

Very interesting; thank you for sharing that!

Drew*# - Nice progress! That new information regarding your hernia diagnosis must feel quite encouraging! Wishing you good progress in your PT, and the best possible outcomes; let us know how you are doing as things move forward. In terms of continuing to improve adherence, since it seems the most significant challenges are at your mother's house, developing a plan for how to manage that environment successfully, testing it out, and assessing the results would be a logical step to take in addressing that potential obstacle. Onward!

Noella - I think I'm a bit envious of your daughter's acres of fruit! I can imagine how such abundant quantities of stone fruits could lead to some overeating, or crowding out of other varieties of recommended foods. If that is the case, it is certainly worth some attention and adjustment.

I had a spoonful of nut butter on Thursday. Usually, I don't have any trouble with nuts or nut butter. It wasn't as tasty as I remembered, so I don't think I'm back into the pleasure trap. If I did, I successfully stepped back out and haven't wanted anymore. Phew!

That is good news; it isn't often that we can so easily make our escape from knocking down those dominoes, right?

I am naturally inclined to be inclined

This made me laugh out loud! Keep trying and putting in the effort, and it should get easier eventually.

[Mark Cooper]

Another week conquered! Great work, everyone; I salute you!

To share this week:

Since Passive Overconsumption came up a few times in our conversation -

Passive Overconsumption: The Unintended Intake of Excess Calories
Jeff Novick, MS, RDN

Have you ever ended up eating more calories than you intended? There are certain properties of food that, when we eat until we are comfortably full, result in the unintended consumption of excess calories. This is called the passive overconsumption of calories. We did not intend to overeat, but we did. Many foods contain several of the following properties that lead to the passive overconsumption of calories. Being aware of these can help us minimize the potential to over consume calories. As you will see, all of these go right along with the principles of calorie density and there is some overlap to them.

Here are 10 factors that lead to the passive overconsumption of calories:

1. Higher Calorie Dense Foods
As the calorie density of the food goes up, we are more likely to overconsume calories, especially as the calorie density goes over 700-1000 calories per pound. On a whole-food, plant-based diet (WFPB), the foods that are over 1000 calories per pound are bread products (breads, bagels, crackers, dry cereals, tortillas), dried/dry fruits, nuts, seeds and oils.

2. Higher Fat Foods
As the percentage of calories from fat goes up, we are more likely to over-consume calories, especially from added fats/oils. Adding fats/oils to food increases the overall percentage of calories from fat and the overall calorie density and decreases the overall satiety (per calorie). On a WFPB diet, the foods that are higher in fat are peanuts, soybeans, avocados, nuts, seeds and oils.

3. Liquid Calories
Liquid calories provide little if any satiety for their calorie load, so they do not fill you up as much as solid foods of equal calories. For example, it is much easier to over consume calories when consuming fruit juice, than the whole fruit. On a WFPB diet, the most common liquid calories are fruit and vegetable juices and non-dairy milks.

4. Added Free Sugars
Added free sugars are high in calorie density and low in satiety. As the percentage of calories from added free sugars in a food goes up, we are more likely to over consume calories. Adding free sugars to food increases the overall calorie density and decreases the overall satiety (per calorie). This includes all added free sugars, even those considered unrefined and/or natural such as maple syrup, molasses, etc.

5. Flour (Bread) Products
Most all flour (bread) products are higher in calorie density and lower in satiety, even if they are made from unrefined whole grains. On a WFPB diet, these foods include bread products (bread, bagels, dry cereal, crackers, tortillas) and baked chips.

6. Dry/Dried Foods
Food that is dried (and/or drier) and low in water have an increased calorie density and tend to be lower in satiety per calorie. On a WFPB diet, the foods that are dried/dry are dried fruits (raisins, prunes), naturally dry fruits (dates), bread products (bread, bagels, dry cereal, crackers, tortillas), baked chips, puffed cereals and popcorn.

7. Emulsifying, Pureeing, & Blending
Blending foods disrupts the fiber and reduces the satiety of the food per calorie, making it easier to overconsume the food. On the other hand, chewing food increases satiety. Examples of blended foods on a WFPB diet include smoothies and dried fruit/nut confections.

8. Hyper-Palatable Foods
These are foods that have been salted, sweetened and/or sauced. They stimulate the appetite and lead to over consumption. Examples include cookies, cakes, pastries, etc.

9. Vanishing Perceived Satiety
Foods that fall into this category appear to be high in satiety due to their large volume but are actually high in calorie density and low in satiety. This is because they are dry foods with their volume coming from air as opposed to water (which decreases calorie density and increases satiety). For example, cooked brown rice (high water content) is 560 calories/lb and brown rice cakes (high air content) are 1760 calories/lb, an over three-fold difference. On a WFPB diet, foods that have vanishing perceived satiety include air-popped popcorn, rice cakes and puffed cereals.

10. Ultra-Processed Foods
Ultra-processed foods tend to be high in fat, calorie density, salt, sugar, refined flours, fat and oil. They also tend to be low in fiber, water and satiety and so we are more likely to over consume calories from them.

If you are having a concern with the overconsumption of calories and managing your weight, greatly limiting and/or eliminating the above foods will help.

Here is a link to a great health tip from Jeff that seems related.

And some encouraging information regarding the efficacy of movement -

Systematic Review
Open Access

The Acute Effects of Interrupting Prolonged Sitting Time in Adults with Standing and Light-Intensity Walking on Biomarkers of Cardiometabolic Health in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Sports Medicine volume 52, pages 1765–1787 (2022)Cite this article
Published: 11 February 2022

Abstract

Background
Increasing evidence highlights that accumulating sitting time in prolonged bouts is detrimental to cardiometabolic health.

Objectives
This systematic review aimed to compare the effects of fractionating prolonged sitting with frequent short bouts of standing and light-intensity walking on cardiometabolic health markers and conduct a meta-analysis for differences in systolic blood pressure (SBP), postprandial glucose and insulin.

Methods
Experimental randomised crossover trials with at least three intervention arms that assessed interrupting sitting with frequent short bouts of standing and light-intensity walking over a single day compared to a prolonged sitting condition were retrieved. These studies measured at minimum one marker of cardiometabolic health in adults > 18 years. An electronic search was completed on the 2nd of August 2021, searching PubMed and Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane Library and APA PsycINFO. Risk of bias was assessed using a modified Downs and Black checklist. A meta-analysis was conducted using calculated Cohen’s d quantifying the magnitude of difference between experimental conditions.

Results
Seven studies met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review. All seven studies were included within the meta-analysis for postprandial glucose, four studies were pooled for postprandial insulin and three for SBP. Biomarkers of cardiometabolic health were discussed qualitatively if fewer than three studies measured and reported the variable. A meta-analysis of seven acute, 1-day randomised crossover trials that sampled mixed-sex adults (aged > 18 years) who were predominately overweight or participants with obesity found that standing as an interruption to prolonged sitting significantly reduced postprandial glucose (∆ = − 0.31, 95% CI − 0.60, − 0.03; z = − 2.15, p < 0.04) but had no significant effect on insulin or SBP. Light-intensity walking was shown to significantly attenuate postprandial glucose (∆ = − 0.72, 95% CI − 1.03, − 0.41; z = − 4.57, p < 0.001) and insulin (∆ = − 0.83, 95% CI − 1.18, − 0.48; z = − 4.66, p < 0.001) compared to continued sitting. When comparing light-intensity walking breaks compared to standing breaks a significant reduction in glucose (∆ = − 0.30, 95% CI − 0.52, − 0.08; z = -2.64, p < 0.009) and insulin (∆ = − 0.54, 95% CI − 0.75, − 0.33; z = -4.98, p < 0.001) was observed. Both standing and light-intensity walking showed no effect on SBP.[/i][/b]

Conclusions
Frequent short interruptions of standing significantly attenuated postprandial glucose compared to prolonged sitting; however, light-intensity walking was found to represent a superior physical activity break. The feasibility and longitudinal implications of breaking sedentary behaviour with light-intensity walking should be investigated in a free-living setting.



Just 2 Minutes of Walking After a Meal Is Surprisingly Good for You
A new paper suggests that it takes far less exercise than was previously thought to lower blood sugar after eating.

Do what you are able to make for a successful, satisfying week ahead! Take care and be well!

[louie3084]

Hello Mark and other forum members. I hope you're all well. I'd like to rejoin the group after lurking for some time. I have finally gotten around to rereading the orientation information. I found Jeff's The Road to Success: Creating Healthy Habits quite interesting and it is literally me! I sign up for things and then don't find all this new information helpful, it's confusing.

I'll keep reading here, I know it works and I love the support network and that it's all backed by science and decades of experience.

Thanks for having me!

[Mark Cooper]

louie3084 - Welcome back!

[ckader]

Hi, I'm Cilia and I would like to join the group. I have gone over the orientation and have been following MWL for the last 3 months or so. Just wanted to get some support and ideas. Thanks

[Mark Cooper]

Hi, I'm Cilia and I would like to join the group. I have gone over the orientation and have been following MWL for the last 3 months or so. Just wanted to get some support and ideas. Thanks

Hello and welcome!

[BambiS]

8-19

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, 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.Yes, no bites of biscuits, or toast!

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). Most days


Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
It was a good week. I’ll need to make a new goal for the year anniversary of joining the group in November 2021.
Slight gain +.5 group loss -42.3. Total -51.8

[carwex]

Hello to my time and adherence group of MWL:
1. Start each meal with a soup or salad. YES
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method, ½ starch and ½ vegetables. YES
3. Reduce or eliminate added sugars and salts. Yes, eliminated from cooking.
4. Eliminate all animal foods. YES
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods. YES BUT had one episode of fat and sugar
6. Eliminate any added oil. YES
7. Eliminate all higher calorie dense foods. YES
8. Don’t drink your calories. YES
9. Follow these principles whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. YES still doing half meals when feeling hungry between meals.
10. Avoid being sedentary. YES Staying out of the pool but walking. Also arranging for exercise classes
for seniors close to home.

The above looks good But I had a slip this week on 2 foods that are hugely noncompliant. Afterwards I did a post mortem: These foods were bought for others to consume BUT I Bought them! And they were not being consumed except by me.
The next day I was hungry close to breakfast and the old me wanted to pop a piece of bread in the toaster, which I did, then I thought what to put on top? Nothing seemed adherent. I said to myself: Carol if you are hungry YOU CAN EAT. And I threw the toast in the bin and prepared a ½ meal for myself. Piece of sweet potato, some bean mix and some veggies. 50-50.
Part of the post-mortem was being kind to myself, which I have learned here. Leaving my home has been pretty difficult. I thought getting readjusted to Sydney would be a breeze but it has taken a good 2 weeks to start feeling comfortable both inside my dwelling and outside. I'm getting over jetlag, touching base with the important people in my life, getting all the adherent foods in stock. One of the problems is that we live in rather unstable times and that for example covid has wrought all sorts of changes in a short amount of time. Things change and my job is to adapt. Sometimes difficult at age 80.
The important thing is that I now I have acquired receptacles which I can store my prepped food in fridge and freezer. Something as simple as those plastic containers makes adherence possible.
Carol

[Lizzy_F]

Hello team Time & Adherence!

For the week ending 8/19/22:

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

Lunch & dinner is where I focus on this right now. I think there was only one meal this week where I did not eat soup/salad/fruit/veg before my starch.

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.

I often eat my veg separate from my starch (veg eaten first) so it’s not always a visual 50/50 plate. But by visual volume, I definitely eat at least as much veg as starch, and probably more. And I’m satiated and happy with my food!

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.

This has really become routine. Minimal sweetener/salt in condiments (mainly ketchup), and small amounts of salt used at the table – never added during cooking. This seemed like much more of a struggle even a month ago. Progress here just proves to me the power of using this 10-point checklist to develop new and better habits.

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. This is another one that has become effortless. I can see myself at some point in the future at least considering using something like nuts in a sauce or something like that. I doubt I will ever consider eating nuts as a stand-alone food as I have always over eaten them. But those are decisions for somewhere down the road. For now, it feels easy to just leave the nuts, seeds, avocados, etc. alone.

6. Eliminate any added oil.

Done. This too feels effortless for right now. It helps a TON that my husband and I have zero interest in eating out in restaurants!

7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (i.e., bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.

This is another one where someday, I will probably have these types of foods on occasion (i.e. a piece of toast with my soup!) But after some time and adherence to this point on the list, I am OK leaving it alone and don’t even think about it anymore. Victory!

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

Done. I don’t want to see Tiffany’s head explode! (JK)

9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.

I’m still pretty sure I am over doing the watermelon. Progress not perfection.

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).

Intentional exercise EVERY DAY still eludes me. I did make a 2 mile walk this morning, and my body feels good so I actually WANT to go for at least one more walk today. Mark – I found the information you posted from Jeff very interesting. It appears that an “atomic habits” approach to walking after meals would potentially have tremendous benefit – even just a few minutes of walking. Surely I can work on this habit! Two minutes is nothing!

Victories: I’m really amazed to read through the 10 points, and realize that #5 and #7 feel so effortless right now! Behavioral change indeed! And these behaviors are firmly rooted in my thoughts. But enough time of not dabbling in these types of foods seems to have quieted the thoughts, which definitely makes the behavior easier! I’m no longer “fighting” with myself over a piece of toast or not. I am also relaxing over what it means to successfully complete #1 and #2. I feel like I am no longer struggling to understand a legalistic definitely, but am able to better flow in the spirit of #1 and #2. As an example, I have heightened awareness of the importance of eating a good amount of non-starchy vegetables to go with my starch at meals. I usually don’t plate my veg and my starch together. But I’m not criticizing myself for not achieving a ”50/50 plate by visual volume,” since I usually eat my veg first and then my starch last. I hope that makes sense – I don’t think I’m wording my sentiment quite right.


Comments: Team T&A, and especially Mark & Goose, I just want to say how much I appreciate your support and your detailed feedback every week. You all are helping me so much and I appreciate all of you!!!
Carol - I think you are doing an amazing job adjusting to so many things after a huge move! I tend to be really hard on myself too, and like you, am so very grateful this group teaches us a different path. It sounds like you are getting your environment set up for success! Best wishes to you as you continue to adjust to your new home!

Concerns: I’ve been contemplating the idea of “Faith over Fear” this week. I need to write more about that in my journal. I still have some nagging (and unfounded) fears that this is going to somehow stop working for me. Or that I will stop working the program. I really want to live free of those types of fears. So I’m trying to focus on the flip side of fear, which I have often been told is faith. Do I have faith in this program? In my support specialist? In the people I trust to help and guide me? In the stories of the Star McDougallers? In Dr. McDougall and Dr. Lim? Do I have the faith, and the WILLINGNESS to follow suggestions, especially when they goes against my deeply ingrained habits? (the same habits that have derailed me from meeting my goals!) I think if I work on the faith side of the equation, and examine my willingness in areas where I am stubborn, maybe the fear side with get weaker as a result. That’s a theory anyway!

Questions: Is there something you have done on your journey that you wish you could go back and do over? (i.e. something that you now see was a mistake or a regret?) As an example, one of the mistakes I have made in the past (again and again) was falling for the mental trick of “let’s just have one of _______, and we will start McDougalling again tomorrow…” That NEVER EVER worked out well, and I want to continue to avoid that particular pot hole as I continue this journey.

Wishing everyone a terrific starch filled week ahead!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Team Time and Adherence!

1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Yes. Still mostly salad / raw veggies - sometimes fruit. I am looking to maintain weight ... so have been targeting 2 of 3 meals preload (experimenting here...)... Guess 2 out of 3 Ain't Bad... (the irony here is that I have really started to love 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 dessert.
Yes.
Eating a ton of potatoes, sloppy lentils, rice, whole wheat pasta, split pea soup. Lots of different veggies / fruits included.


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. Reduced (not in cooking or product; at table only). I am really happy to be confident that I don't have any issue with sugar (like I can limit it and am enjoying it without going cuckoo!!). I am including 1-1.5T maybe 50% of days in one dish only. I am not sure of calories to calculate 5% maximum; however, thinking that I am ok (BBQ sauce and California Balsamic Vinegar are the sugars that I include sometimes).

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).
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. No starving or stuffing.
I did have one meal this week where I ate a mind-blowing amount / volume of food (for me)... Hmmm... I don't think that I was stuffing (I really don't like to and I am not volume eater normally)... but it was a food that I was looking forward to... I have to THANK Mark Cooper again for posting his journal with pictures... helped me keep it in perspective and also talked to some folks that even eat more... No worries, was just bizarre...


10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Yes.
* 7/7 days walked briskly
I am giving myself extra credit this week - today walked over 3.5 hours... So, was off work and did 1.5 hour walk in early AM... Then, my son (going back to school) gets up at 11 and asks if I want to do favorite trail (about 7 miles)... So, yeah... why would I not want to??? Worked out fine... We saw deer, weasel ... and a ton of grasshoppers!!! I do this walking thing for mental health too...and I embrace opportunities to engage with people close to me... (so may rest day 1 this upcoming week...)


Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

This is what I packed for myself for outdoor outing. Knowing 100% that only compliant food is $5 water bottle... Worked out well !!! Ate outside area restaurant with my son -- and no pressure on which to restaurant to pick for him.... This is same place that I got my only #6 fail a couple of months ago...

Super excited to be celebrating 30 year anniversary with my husband this weekend!!! We are going to go to PF Chang's... best choice --- and he wanted me to pick the restaurant (so, brown rice and steamed veggies will be what I eat)...

I hope that everyone has the best week ever!!!

Cheers,
Stephanie