The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - October 2022 Group

For those wanting to learn about and follow the McDougall Maximum Weight Loss Program. You can also join our monthly weigh-ins.

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Mark's Replies for October 21

Postby Mark Cooper » Sat Oct 22, 2022 1:21 pm

BambiS - Enjoy that soup weather! Staying on task, attending to the recommended behaviors, and keeping an eye out for any "exceptions" that might sneak their way in is exactly the way to proceed. You'll get there.

Ejg - Nice progress! Going "slightly off the rails," then holding yourself accountable and making a recovery to the recommended pattern of behavior is A LOT better than "flipping over the table" and settling in for a slalom down that slippery slope, right? Our brains seem to have a remarkable capacity for rationalization, don't they? :) To answer your question about added salt/sugar:
JeffN wrote:In regard to added salt and added sugar, we recommend buying and preparing food without either and if any are to be used, to add them at the table on the surface of the food. If either one is troublesome and create uncontrollable cravings for you, then leave them out.
So speaking generally, the canned product you describe would likely not satisfy the recommendation, unless it falls within Jeff's label guidelines for packaged products. I think Rotel does make a no salt added version of the diced tomatoes & green chiles.

Rebecka22 -
Rebecka22 wrote:overall I feel I did pretty good considering all the time in the car.
I agree; that seems like progress to me.
Rebecka22 wrote:Overall though I was able to make sure and ask for what I needed
This feels significant. Well done! Thanks for your kind words and have a great week! :-D

VegSeekingFit - Really excellent preparation for your trip, Stephanie! :thumbsup: Thank you so much for sharing how you handled that. Your pumpkin oatmeal sounds yummy! Enjoy the hiking!

Gimmelean - Way to get right back on track! :D
Gimmelean wrote:Mantra to self was manage what you can.
That seems like some really useful and usable self-talk. :thumbsup: We aim for PROGRESS, rather than perfection, right?
Gimmelean wrote:Sometimes perfectionism sneaks back and I have to remind myself that if I dropped a plate of fine china and chipped it, I’m not going to throw the whole set against the wall.
I think this is a fantastic analogy; it is SO vivid! Onward!

Lizzy_F - Having 9 of the 10 recommendations set to "cruise mode" seems like a great position to inhabit! Really great progress with your physical activity! That system really seems to be working for you, and I feel like you are approaching this ongoing challenge in exactly the right way. Keep it up! Speaking only for myself, there really wasn't any change in my pattern of behavior after I hit my current "point of equilibrium."

Noella - No worries! You reported within the allotted window of time, so no problem. Great work doing your very best to practice the recommended pattern of behavior! :thumbsup: Restaurants can be a real headache, can't they? I don't think any of us would contest that you did what you were able to manage as well as possible in that less than ideal eatery. Give yourself a hug, a pat on the back, and get right back to doing your best! :D

MakeHealthLast - Hang in there! These periods of struggle are great opportunities for us to learn and to strengthen our practice.
MakeHealthLast wrote:I know how I could have done better, including having a cleaner environment.
:nod: Setting up our environment so that it works in support of our goals is among the most powerful action we can take to deliver ongoing progress. Aside from getting "real hungry," was there anything else about those two days that stands out? Any change in your situation, preparation, routine or environment? In regard to getting out of the Pleasure Trap, acclimating one's palate to MWL, and how long the "extinction curve" for various conditioned behaviors might be, Dr. Lisle is a recognized expert, so you might want to check out his various video lectures. Wildgoose also posted what I think is a great discussion of her experience with this. Also, Jeff has a thread covering Pleasure Trap Triggers, including some very relevant recent studies on the subject.
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Summary for October 21 Reports

Postby Mark Cooper » Sat Oct 22, 2022 1:43 pm

Three weeks down, one more to go! It seems like October has flown right by me. :shock:

Congratulations to everyone participating for you continuing efforts; it often isn't easy to practice this way of being, but it's ALWAYS worth it.

Calorie counting came up a couple of times in our discussion this week. Both times, I think this was a case of just checking in to have a rough idea of where daily calories might be, for reassuring oneself as much as anything else, which seems OK to me, as long as it doesn't become an ongoing habit. I want to be clear that we do not recommend counting calories, and I want to share a few resources that cover our position on the topic, starting with this general statement from Jeff:
JeffN wrote:We do not recommend the counting of calories at all. Instead of checking the calories, we recommend checking your adherence to the behaviors. We recommend following the principles of the MWL program, which is a requirement to join this group and weighing in once a week. Weight loss is an outcome of following the recommended behaviors (the 10 points of MWL). The key is not the loss or the gain each week, but to see where you can improve on adherence to the behaviors. We don't chase calories or lbs., we modify our behavior to be more adherent. Time and adherence are the most important issues.
Jeff's article, How to Successfully Count Calories!, is an excellent primer on the subject. Likewise, this thread has an expansive discussion about why calorie counting generally doesn't work, why much of what we hear about "metabolic changes" isn't necessarily applicable, and how to proceed in way more likely to deliver success. My own thoughts on the topic are covered in this post.

I hope those articles & posts prove useful and edifying. :)

Best to all for an amazing week; take care & be well! :D
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - October 2022 Group

Postby Lizzy_F » Sat Oct 22, 2022 3:18 pm

Sephanie - I am SO MAKING those PUMPKIN OATS!!!!

Noella - I love what you quoted from the MWL book!

MakeHealthLast - When I read about your login experience and having to go through the food list again (and your mention that maybe it was a reminder) I imagined Jeff Novick's spirit animal sitting on top of your refrigerator watching you! Now when I go into my own kitchen, I see his spirit animal watching ME! LOL - I guess that's a good thing??? Sending you positive vibes for a good week ahead!
Beth

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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - October 2022 Group

Postby BambiS » Thu Oct 27, 2022 10:09 am

10-27

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


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
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

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: food wise it was a good week. We found out that after 2 1/2 years we are going back in the office. I’m going to have to figure out creative ways for my meals. I have to mask up as my husband is immunocompromised. Another issue is this way of eating causes me to be more gassy, no cruciferous vegetables during work time.
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - October 2022 Group

Postby carwex » Fri Oct 28, 2022 5:43 am

Dear participants,
Here is my report for the last week

1. Start each meal with a soup or salad. Sometimes
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method, ½ starch and ½ vegetables. YES.
3. Reduce or eliminate added sugars and salts. NO
4. Eliminate all animal foods. NO
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods. YES no nuts.
6. Eliminate any added oil. NO
7. Eliminate all higher calorie dense foods. NO
8. Don’t drink your calories. YES
9. Follow these principles whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. YES
10. Avoid being sedentary.YES I am getting exercise if nothing else.
I have not reported for 3 weeks which is a reflection of how I am doing. Not great. I seem to be distracted by everything, looking for an apt, babysitting grandchildren. Not giving myself enough time to organize myself for this challenge. I know what to do but seem to lack the willingness to do it. However I am not happy with this situation and need to go back to what Mark always says: What are my goals in taking on the MWL? What helps me (when I have time) is to read in detail what everyone on this forum is writing. You all inspire me. I’m hoping that by doing that this week it will recharge me to be fully adherent to the program.
Carol
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - October 2022 Group

Postby Ejg » Fri Oct 28, 2022 6:30 am

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, my fruit intake has been pretty darn close to 2 servings(ish) a day, but that's probably only because the stuff that really tempts me is out of season
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. I checked the salt content of my canned tomatoes against the recommendations sent last week, and they do fall within acceptable guidelines. However this week I'm going to experiment and avoid all salt completely, just to see what that feels like.
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). think I did this every day except one

Got into a pretty good groove this week. Having steamed vegetables and salad ingredients available at all times in my refrigerator has proven to be key. I scored a new pressure cooker at the thrift store (only 7 bucks!) and have been using it to cook dried beans I got in bulk off Amazon. For starch I've been eating potatoes exclusively: I normally don't care for baked potatoes because they're too dry but discovered that if I wrap them in foil before baking, it keeps them from drying out. The fall weather in western PA is amazing and so have been running a ton, in addition to my usual weightlifting, and the increased activity has me quite hungry. If I'm really starving, I eat a big bowl of oatmeal with some apples chopped up in it, and that is pretty satisfying. That's basically all I've eaten for a week and am pretty content with that. week over week change: -1, cumulative change: -6
Though it feels malevolent, resistance operates with the indifference of rain and transits the heavens by the same laws as the stars. When we marshal our forces to combat resistance, we must remember this.
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - October 2022 Group

Postby Rebecka22 » Fri Oct 28, 2022 9:02 am

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. NO
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). YES
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). NO
6. Eliminate any added oil. NO
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (i.e., bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit. NO
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). NO
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. NO
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). YES
Not a good week in terms of following the behaviors. I fell into a chocolate trap. Each day I would climb back out and then that night fall back. I realize things that were okay to be in my house are not working for me right now, so I need to clean up my environment. I also need to make time to have a compliant snack ready after work because I think not properly addressing that hunger is leading to the late night chocolate cravings that are so strong after dinner. I am going to work on that this week and see if it helps. I hope everyone has a great week.
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - October 2022 Group

Postby Lizzy_F » Fri Oct 28, 2022 11:15 am

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. YES – As I do it flexibly.  Whether I am eating a meal in totally separate courses (i.e. Soup, then veg, then starch, then fruit) or all in one bowl at one time, I feel like I’m really on track with #1!! Of course all of the points on this list with the possible exception of #10 exercise, pertain to calorie density in some way. I finally feel like I have a deep awareness of the importance of balance between starches for the satiation they provide, and low calorie density veg & fruits for the contribution they make to volume and satiety. As a volume eater, it really does take a lot of food for me to achieve that feeling of satiety – the “ahhhhhh” moment, and then the absence of food thoughts for a reasonable period of time until normal hunger kicks in again. So it is any wonder I spent years being obese or overweight? I can easily eat 5 – 6 pounds of food per day. I don’t weigh and measure my food other than spot checking an item out of curiosity, or just knowing, for example, that the frozen broccoli I buy comes in 1 pounds bags. But I know that the potatoes I typically eat (the russets and sweets anyway) usually weigh in a range from 12 ounces to just over a pound. I weighed a couple of my watermelon “servings” (using that term loosely LOL) which were well over a pound. So I can sort of eyeball it and (probably under-)estimate my overall food weight. So it’s easy to see that if my average calories per pound were 800 or something…well…it’s just simple math! It’s not that I didn’t understand the basic calorie density principles as presented a long time ago. (I’ve been watching Dr. McDougall, Jeff N, etc. for many years now) But there is something different for me now that the principles feel DEEPLY ingrained, and just part of my thought process every time I decide to put a meal together. My “go-to” when hungry is always starch. I’m guessing it’s normal for our brains to think of a more calorie dense food when we are hungry. (my brain’s “go-to” thought when hungry used to be CRAP) It has become automatic for me to stop myself and add some veg rather than just eating starch by itself. If I naturally ate like a bird this probably wouldn’t matter so much. But for this volume eater, I’m realizing this topic is CENTRAL to my ability to be slim and healthy in the long-term.

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. And no additional comment since I wore out the keyboard on #1! :D

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 eliminated.


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! I have found that if I am eating to satiation of veg/starch/fruit and getting that balance right, then I don’t even think about these more calorie dense foods. I’m sure part of the thought absence if just not eating them for a long time. But being satisfied rather than constantly hungry makes a difference too, I think.


8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). YES. Forever grateful to my Support Specialist for setting me straight on this one right out of the gate!


9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. So happy to be able to report progress on this one!! I still have to be mindful about “stuffing” but this has gotten light years better. Much easier now to take a smaller portion and see if I’m still hungry later. I still have to really watch myself for mindlessly cleaning my plate, even if I’m full long before the plate is clean. I might always have to be very intentionally mindful about that one. Smaller portions up front is a better strategy for me. I can always get seconds. It sounds so simple, so why have I struggled so much with this one???


10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). VICTORY!! So far, the accountability system put in place on October 6 is working as intended! I’m glad I decided to put red dots on my calendar on days when I did nothing. (I put a green dot for days I do intentional exercise for at least 5 minutes). I had two red dots, which I HATED SEEING! So no red dots since then. And the funny thing is, there has been only one day where I only exercised for 5 minutes. That was a crazy day where a bunch of unexpected stuff happened (including a leak in our roof!) and in the old days, would definitely NOT have exercised at all. All the other days range from 20 minutes to 60 minutes. So I’m gonna give myself a pat on the back for #10!

Victories: Calorie density principles ingrained and sustained! #10!!

Comments: Mark, I appreciate your feedback so much. It was nice seeing you yesterday on the 12-Day Graduate chat. Jeff – if you are reading this, you are such an amazing part of my journey and I appreciate you too!!!! I hope some new people come here who are looking for help and support with MWL!!!!!!

Carol – wow it sounds like you are juggling a LOT right now! The only way I can confidently stay on track is to keep my meals super simple, and concentrate on having starches and veg soup cooked in advance. I batch cook mostly potatoes, but sometimes rice or pasta and just re-heat for meals. I can’t eat salads right now due to braces, so I make a huge pot of really simple vegetable soup about once every 10 days. Simple as in boxes of broth, cans of tomatoes, and frozen veg. And a freezer full frozen veg and fruits. The majority of my meals are soup, re-heated potato + veg cooked from frozen, fruit. That seems to always work out even when life gets cra-cra. Hope you get your own formula figured out – it’s clear that you want it!

EJG – sounds like you really scored on your pressure cooker for $7!! Have you tried cooking potatoes in it yet? Since you mentioned you don’t care for the “dry” of baked potatoes, I’m thinking you will probably love them pressure cooked!

Shout out to all other fellow travelers!

Rebecka – just wanted to wish you well. It sounds like you have a good strategy to address the afternoon hunger. The pleasure trap is SO REAL!!!!!!

Questions: Do I have enough baked potatoes in my fridge???? (Answer: YES!!!!! :D )
Beth

"Long-term sustainable change is what we are really after." ~Jeff Novick
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - October 2022 Group

Postby VegSeekingFit » Fri Oct 28, 2022 5:45 pm

Hi Team Time & Adherence, :)

Hope everyone is doing great!!! Can’t believe next week we are into November. Doing better with checklist / behaviors this week in my own house / environment (with microwave)! :-D

1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Sometimes. Have found Gala apples and clementines amazing this week. Also, some grape tomatoes that are super sweet and delicious.

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! :D All oatmeal and fruit for breakfast (which I never miss)… Lunch has mainly been Jeff Longevity soup (recipe on main website) – which I have starched up to a stew. Else, making various soups in the crockpot and eating oven fries for dinner / snacks with various veggies and fruits (fresh and frozen).

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 eliminated. :)

4 Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
Yes :-D .

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

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. :-D

8 Don’t drink your calories especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
Yes. :D

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. :D

10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Yes. :) Walked briskly 7/7 days. My feet have a mind of their own and just want to walk --- even when it has been a bit chilly and dark. I am stocking up on fleece and warm socks (so much so that the Target guy asked me about this!!!)!!! I do prefer to walk outside – so, will see how this plays out this winter. Have alternatives in mind too… but, damn feet are moving forward!!!

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

Thanks, Mark Cooper for sharing the information on calorie counting last week (and why not recommended). I always read and enjoy whatever you post each week!!! I will be honest that: 1) I haven’t counted any calories so far (and don’t intend to ever), 2) I would be a super annoying person if I did (to self and others), and 3) I am convinced would be time / energy wasted (just watch Calorie Density presentation again instead). What is ironic a bit to me… So, I am an accountant that doesn’t love to count (why I do mainly project work that I do mostly love) and I can understand on a rudimentary level these flaws in estimation and the materiality – I mean 20% leeway would be off the charts (definitely MATERIAL)… (if we were talking dollars… which we aren’t).

Have to +1 Beth on 12 Day Alumni event comments. Very awesome!! (still in search of LOVE emoji!!!)

Beth, OMG --- IBSC (from last week)… LOVE this!!! I called this phenomenon my inner toddler when I was having issues with 5/7 things in my house, but if they ever recur, going with IBSC!!! Let me know if you try the pumpkin oats. I really love them and even bought more pumpkin (hilarious when I was trying to get rid of pumpkin)… Awesome what you have done to get in exercise!!! Woo-hoo!

Bambi, Wishing you the best with your return to work. I am back too, but really not much… This is a big change after 2.5 years --- especially if you have to go everyday. What I have found with my small time percent at work --- make sure to bring enough recommended food – like, don’t get hungry because there are land-mines of junk food at work. I like to keep McD Right Foods cups of soup and shelf-stable, zero oil brown rice in desk (for hungry emergencies). I bet Mark will post some thread on how to combat the other challenge… (but else… are there empty stair wells??? )…

Carol, So glad to see you post!!! Sounds like you have a ton going on… so do the Mark Cooper be kind to yourself thing… (and KEEP POSTING TOO!!!)… There is a super smart dude that said this.. “You never fail until you stop trying.” – Albert Einstein

Noella, I had similar with what you said about restaurant food last week --- Sent back once… got second try and was still BOO… but, then was hesitant to send back a second time. This is a tough one.

HUGE Hi and YAY to everyone else!!!

Doing a bold thing this weekend that others in this Group have already done / posted about here… donating / trashing (as appropriate) too big clothes. It is probably past time for this, but some things seem to take me more time than others (but that’s ok… seems that it is what it is) !

Happy end of October, everyone!!!

“Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble." – William Shakespeare (Macbeth)

Cheers,
Stephanie
"Just put one foot in front of the other and don't worry about the length of the path.
Once you get on that path, and the longer you stay on it, there eventually will come a time when you will not turn back." - Martina Navratilova
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - October 2022 Group

Postby Gimmelean » Sat Oct 29, 2022 7:15 am

Post for week ending 10/28/22

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.
No- candy at work was a problem. I’m better off not having any because I know that one piece escalates into many and I just let go. I’m stopping this now.

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,Questions,Challenges:
-Victories- I continue to batch cook plain whole grains in the Instant pot to have on hand for any type of meal; barley, oat groats, and this week tried wheat berries.
-Challenges- Resisting massive amounts of food and junk food at work.
-Question- I thought to do a Mary’s mini for a reset using wheat berries as the starch and plain steamed vegetables batch cooked for the green and yellow vegetable component. Truthfully it sounds like what we do every day but taking the variety, condiments, and additional choices out of the mix. Would this be ok?
Have a good week and month ahead everyone! See you in November.
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - October 2022 Group

Postby JeffN » Sat Oct 29, 2022 9:14 am

Lizzy_F wrote: Jeff – if you are reading this, you are such an amazing part of my journey and I appreciate you too!!!!


Thanks.

It was good seeing you in the chat!

In Health
Jeff
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - October 2022 Group

Postby Ellen Withrow » Sat Oct 29, 2022 12:08 pm

Hi, I'm Ellen Withrow and I graduated with the July 2021 class.

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. I put lettuce or cabbage on top of my starch instead of eating first. I love soup, but haven't made any lately.
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 do fairly well with wet starches and veggies. Not sure of the exact ratio.
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 have been drinking a lot of Coca Cola in the past few months. I have been working on replacing with juice and unsweetened black tea. I didn't have any soda yesterday or today so far. I drank apple cider instead.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). I have eliminated animal foods since August 2000. Success!
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). I did not have any nuts, tofu or soy this week. I did have avocado and sesame seeds.
6. Eliminate any added oil. I am usually good on eliminating oil. On Wednesday I traveled 90 miles and for lunch at a no-cheese, veggie pizza from Your Pie. I'm sure there was oil in the vegetarian marinara sauce.
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 ate rice cakes this week and the gluten free thin pizza crust from Your Pie.
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). This is the hardest for me. I like a bolus of sweet beverage in the morning and throughout the day.
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. I never starve myself and I don't eat past fullness.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). I am active throughout the day. When I wore a FitBit I was in the 18,000 steps per day range. My highest was 35,000 steps in a day.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
Ellen Withrow
 
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - October 2022 Group

Postby Noella » Sat Oct 29, 2022 12:50 pm

1. Start each meal with soup and/or salad and/or fruit. :-D Yes...ALWAYS! I'm keeping my fruit to a reasonable daily serving. (This is helping!) I eat unrestricted servings of salad, and raw veggies before my meals.
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals. :-D Yes...ALWAYS! I look at my plate and balance my starch with veggies! I eat unrestricted servings of delicious non-starchy vegetables balanced with starch.
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. :-D Sugar: Yes...NEVER add sugar or maple syrup while cooking or at the table; Salt: YES...NEVER add salt while cooking, and ALWAYS use a reduced amount of salt or condiments with salt at the table. I'm ever vigilant about salt because it can be troublesome for me.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). :-D Yes...NEVER eat dairy products, meat, or eggs.
5. Eliminate all higher-fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). :-D Yes...NEVER Even though these rich, high-calorie foods are available for others in my family to enjoy, I am usually not tempted. I keep these somewhat out of sight in a drawer of our fridge and consider these items as healthy but too rich in calories for me.
6. Eliminate any added oil. :-D Yes...NEVER
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. :D Yes...NEVER; even though these rich foods are available for others in my family, I am usually not tempted. These items are kept on one shelf of our fridge and one section of our pantry to make it easy for me to know and remember that these items are not for me.
8. Don’t drink calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). :-D Yes...NEVER
9. Follow these principles, eat whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself, and don't stuff yourself. :-D Yes...ALWAYS - vigilant on this.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). :crybaby: I'm embarrassed to admit that I need to do more exercise.

I'm so thankful to be part of this group. It helps strengthen my commitment and dedication to be within a normal weight range/BMI. I want to keep getting healthier!

Beth ---
Lizzy_F said "…I saw a woman whom I know well (she did recognize me!) who had bariatric surgery a couple of years ago. Because of the covid shutdowns, I'm not sure how much weight she lost following the surgery, but today I was sad for her because it appears that she must weigh about the same now as before the surgery. I can't imagine going through all of that, and then not being able to maintain any weight loss. :crybaby: I want so badly to just give her a Starch Solution book, but I don't see how I can do that without causing embarrassment. I wanted so badly for her to comment on my own weight loss only for the reason that I could then easily mention Dr. McDougall and his books/website/program. But she didn't..."

Thank you for posting this, Beth. My heart breaks for your friend and you, too, wanting so desperately to tell her she can eat heartily and healthily off starch and veggies. I think she must be so uncomfortable with every meal and be feeling such misery.

I have a friend whose father had weight loss surgery about eight years ago. In the year following the surgery, he lost a lot of excess weight, as is expected. The unfortunate thing was he didn't modify his diet over those months. According to his daughter, he continued to eat, almost exclusively, soda pop and candy bars. She lived in a suite at her parent's house, so she saw exactly what he was eating for his daily meals. I saw him, just after he had lost about 250 pounds. He looked ill, his complexion was dull and overall he looked unhealthy. He had no energy. Clearly, he wasn't getting the nutrition he needed. His appearance was actually better before the surgery even though he was very heavy. He regained all of the weight he lost within five years. It's heartbreaking witness.

Lizzy_F said ..."I don't ever, ever want to forget what it feels like to suffer from excess weight and all the other attendant problems. Please, Higher Power, never let me lose my deep gratitude for this wonderful food that nourishes me and helps me stay healthy!"


Yes, Beth, I agree. Like you, I hope to be humble on my journey to better health. I will not forget how far I have come. I have learned to listen to and accept help from others (especially, Mark, Wildgoose and Jeff!). We can't easily do this trip alone. The mid-sixteenth-century statement by John Bradford comes to mind: "There but for the grace of God, goes I,". It makes me wonder. Where might I be if I hadn't improved my daily dietary habits on December 29th, 2019? Where might I be, now, if I hadn't learned to eat balanced starch with veggies? My trajectory. When I do a rough calculation, I had gained an average of two pounds per year since I got married. If I hadn't changed course, three years ago, I would probably have gained at least an additional 6 pounds, likely even more during those three years.

I have such deep and heartfelt gratitude for learning how to enjoy delicious healthy satisfying starch-based foods while reducing my weight. I acknowledge that several outside factors have played a significant role in my success. Thankfully, I found this forum! Thanks to to my husband who has fully supported me with all of the changes I have made to our way of eating, entertaining and travelling. I feel more nourished, have more energy, my complexion glows, and my health problems are gone or much less troublesome.

:nod: Thank you Dr. McDougall, Mark, Jeff, Goose and everyone who gives support and shares their MWL knowledge and experiences on this forum. You are greatly appreciated.

Best regards,
Noella
Image

“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
Last edited by Noella on Sat Oct 29, 2022 4:01 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Noella
 
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Location: Canada

Reporting for October 28 Assessments is now CLOSED

Postby Mark Cooper » Sat Oct 29, 2022 1:01 pm

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

My replies and the weekly summary will follow.
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Mark Cooper
 
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - October 2022 Group

Postby Lizzy_F » Sat Oct 29, 2022 1:03 pm

Noella! I am sad to read about your friend's father. I just can't imagine the pain - physical, emotional, and spiritual. Filled with gratitude once again, and need to keep gratitude for the McDougall Program and for this community front and center.... Thank you for sharing!!!!! <3
Beth

"Long-term sustainable change is what we are really after." ~Jeff Novick
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Lizzy_F
 
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