The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - December 2022 Group

[Mark Cooper]

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

My replies and the weekly summary will follow.

[Mark Cooper]

BambiS - Kudos to you for doing your best to adhere to the recommendations, even when occasional lapses may sneak their way into your day! The holiday-adjacent food environment can be quite challenging to navigate, right? Making a habit of always eating adherent foods before venturing into those more uncertain terrains seems like a very wise practice. I am definitely looking forward to the new year, as well.

Rebecka22 - Any significant change to our immediate food environment and/or our regular routine is bound to have an effect upon the ease with which we're able to adhere to the recommended pattern of behavior, right? For many, the holiday season brings significant changes to both of those factors, and added social constraints can make it an especially challenging time. I totally get what you mean about it feeling easy to avoid animal foods, while "vegan" junk seems like a more difficult obstacle. When you think of those two categories, what differences come to mind for you? Conversely, in what ways are they similar? Don't forget to give yourself credit for all the recommended behaviors you've been able to stick with consistently, week in and week out.

I am trying not to be too hard on myself and just take it one choice at a time.

Good for you! We were notified that our flight was cancelled about an hour before we were set to head to the airport, so we are cozy at home and definitely grateful not to be stranded somewhere. Have a wonderful holiday!

VegSeekingFit - Your reference to "holiday learning opportunities" brought a big smile to my face, Stephanie! You are clearly putting that idea into practice as you make your way through these holiday events.

Feeling mostly fantastic and focusing on the thought pattern that this way of eating is forever (no need to get upset over a miss) … so assess situation / other options / ways of handling and MOVE FORWARD by being kind to yourself. I am seriously getting pretty good at the being kind to yourself thing!

This is so awesome! I really enjoy Caroline Jordan's workout videos for indoor exercise. Try to stay warm, have a lovely holiday, and let us know how that "Lemon Twist-alike" works out!

Hjklost55 - Awesome work, Holly! You are making an outstanding effort toward being well-prepared and guarding your success throughout the holiday season. I could not be more in agreement with you; it comes down to PLANNING and PREPARATION (and practice, too). Onward!

Gimmelean - Wouldn't it be nice if we lived in a reality where vendors marketed candy as "tasting like grapes" rather than the reverse? Our flight was cancelled BEFORE we left for the airport, so we definitely lucked out; we were disappointed to miss spending Christmas with my wife's father, but we're looking forward to seeing him for New Year's Day. I very much can relate to what you wrote about sitting down and mindfully enjoying a "real meal." It almost always makes for a more satisfying and fulfilling experience for me. You've taken the time to think through and examine these "seasonal stumbles" AND formulate specific actions to address them - excellent! Your points in preparation for the new year seem sensible to me. A note about the air-fried bananas: I can imagine them being prepared in such a way that they are suitable for MWL, but I can also see how they could be dried out to the point of becoming something of concern. Essentially, the distinction would be comparable to what Jeff discusses in this thread in reference to homemade potato chips vs. "chubby chips" or steak fries. As long as there is still moistness to the banana, I would think it is fine to include. Happy holidays!

Greens - Cheers to you for making planning and preparation work to support your efforts, Marilyn! Hearty Dal soup sounds pretty delightful to me in this cold weather, too. Progress > perfection, right? Keep the course and have a happy holiday!

Lizzy_F - That feeling of "being back on firm ground" feels pretty good, right? I think the advice from your Support Specialist is really excellent. I also want to take the time to acknowledge all the amazing results you have achieved over the course of this year - that is what this is all about. In regard to getting back on track in the wake of a lapse, an initial question I would ask myself is why the lapse occurred - was it an intentional, considered choice or an unplanned occurrence driven by environment, situation or other stimuli? Different tactics might apply for different root causes. For example, planning, preparation and practice are almost always the remedy for unplanned lapses. I'm pretty conscientious and have always tended to overprepare, so for me planned digressions actually tended to be a more significant challenge. I would have something along the lines of Rip's Big Bowl Cereal or some WFPB baked confection or some mixture of dates and nuts to "celebrate" something. For me, this tended to send me right into the Pleasure Trap, and I would feel very out of control and even engage in borderline binge-eating behavior (all on "healthy" but very calorie rich plant foods). I really hated how that made me feel, feeling not in control of my behavior was unpleasant and worrying to me. Ultimately, I decided I would rather just completely avoid the Pleasure Trap instead of periodically needing to fight my way out of it. Arriving at that conclusion took quite a bit of time, and many little "lessons". Moving away from the idea that lapses are "failures," and instead framing them as opportunities for learning and growth was a big revelation for me; I was able to see how each stumble, when assessed, adjusted for and ameliorated made my practice stronger and more resilient going forward. Think about what you really want, what your most important goals are, and how best to achieve that. Those answers aren't always the same for everybody.

I always need to keep in mind too, that this isn’t only about weight. Weight is just one of many health indicators. BMI is just one of many. Eating the wrong food even if my weight seems right is NOT the path to good health.

Very true! This is why my favorite health "test" is Jeff's Plate Test. Pat yourself on the back for all the successes of this year, treat yourself with kindness and compassion, focus on the future outcomes you most desire, and be well!

Noella - I'm so glad to know you are experiencing daily reductions in pain - may that pattern continue! I think anyone would agree that your present situation is extremely challenging, and there are numerous obstacles in the path of your adherence. Don't beat yourself up. What advice or comfort might you give to a dear friend in the same situation? Can you offer at least that much grace and love to yourself? I can totally identify with the desire or need to "cheer myself up" when experiencing pain and debility. What are some things that might feel comforting for you? I think some feeling of sadness is a completely normal response to a loss of mobility and physical discomfort. Maybe your loved ones would be willing and able to offer some comfort and assistance? I'm thinking of you, wishing you the best, and hoping that your recovery is as easy as possible with the very best outcomes. Take care!

[Mark Cooper]

Only one more check-in for this year! My congratulations to all for your inspiring efforts!

For all who are celebrating, I hope your holiday season is filled with joy and happiness.

Given what I'm sure is a busy weekend for many of you, I will keep this week's summary short.

If you do happen to be looking for some reading material, check out this recent post from Jeff for an amazing primer on calories, calorie density, and satiety.

Best wishes to all! Take care and be well!

[Gimmelean]

Post script or post post!

The air fryer banana can also be made in a conventional oven. The heat naturally caramelizes the fruit without drying it out. I take whole unpeeled bananas, slice lengthwise down the middle to open the peel a bit, and sprinkle on cinnamon. You can add chopped berries, pineapple and ignore the non MWL stuff you see online. Line the basket with some parchment paper. Air fry for about 10 minutes at 400F until browned. Will work with plantains and pineapple too. For the oven, use a parchment lined baking sheet and cook for 10-12 min at 350F. Good topper for oatmeal and grain bowls.

I rinse all of these grains before and after cooking. Instructions for InstantPot. Very little cleanup. Non- mushy grains.

Here’s what and how I batch cook intact grains. Most supermarkets carry barley in one pound packages. Look for barley on the label vs pearled barley ( processed). Most often found in the section labeled Goya foods. I find oat groats at Chinese grocery stores, and many kinds of wheat at Middle Eastern grocery stores.

2 cups hulled barley. 5 cups water, pressure cook on high 22 minutes. Natural release

2 cups oat groats. Pour 3 cups of boiling water over grain. Pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. Keep warm setting for 2 hours.

2 cups any kind of wheat (farro,spelt, hard winter, Kamut, durum) berries. 6 cups water. Pressure cook on high for 30 minutes. Natural release.

Enjoy!

[Mark Cooper]

Gimmelean - Those bananas sound delicious to me!

[Mark Cooper]

Barring some calamity, my family and I will be heading to the airport early tomorrow morning. I will post my replies for the last check-in of this year(!) when I return home on January 2nd, and the thread for the new year and new month will go up on January 3rd. Happy new year and my best to all, take care & be well!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Team Time & Adherence!!

Wishing you safe AND prompt travels, Mark... Thanks for all that you do and hope you have wonderful visit with family!!! Happy New Year!!!

Gimmelean --- OMG --- tried your banana thing in the oven with just banana + pumpkin pie spice (put on my oatmeal) --- Awesome!!! Thanks for sharing...

Thinking a bit about the "digressions" that Mark / Beth talked about --- and planned vs. unplanned non-compliance (and how to "right" your mindset). So, thanks to both of you for that. Interesting about approach, etc.... I do sometimes wear blinders, I think... So, for me (not right for all for sure... but maybe not wrong for me...) I do not plan off-MWL stuff (but I do try to plan --- and sometimes this isn't perfect). I guess that digressions that I would LOVE to plan for would be same ones to trigger Pleasure Trap (for me)... Others, well... I have happily lived life without for a clip of time... Yeah, I have done the experiment of getting to goal weight before with "dabbling" and just ??? (failed)... I am pretty not sure here... but thinking that I will err on the side of caution... (for me)... I am not sad about "missing stuff" --- again, not sure that resonates with anyone??? This is rationalized by "unplanned" misses ... (well, boo there, but I try to learn and move past...)

Cheers and HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!
Stephanie

[Mark Cooper]

D'oh! Our flight was canceled yet again! So, I will be here as usual for the final check-in of this year.

Stephanie, to affirm that what you are feeling and expressing does indeed resonate (at least with me), I also don't feel like I am "missing out" on anything by adhering to the recommended pattern of behavior for MWL. I'm honestly not sure how much I ever felt like I was "missing out" in the past, either. I think, at least in part, the rationale behind my past "planned digressions" was the sociocultural impetus for associating celebrations with indulgence. Nowadays, I "indulge" in any of my favorites from the recommended foods, and I more or less do that EVERY DAY! I guess I'm CELEBRATING all the time!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi All!!!

Hey Mark --- I am so sorry that your travel plans are still BOO!!! My son had similar experience this season with his friends --- pipes burst in the AirBNB that they had rented and found out like the day before (but not a 2X Boo!) ... I wish for you a wonderful alternative holiday plan and ability to go to see your peeps in Seattle soon!!!

Thanks a million for your response to my post... Really helps to not feel like the only person in the universe!!!

I cannot LOVE enough how you framed this... (quoting you w/o quote function)... "Nowadays, I "indulge" in any of my favorites from the recommended foods, and I more or less do that EVERY DAY! I guess that I'm celebrating all that time!"...

YES, YES... cannot agree more --- I love what I eat too!!! I totally appreciate favorite simple stuff ... like I wasn't kidding when I said (maybe many times) that I love soup, salad, fruit, potato... (missing lots of other stuff that I love, but I could eat this for a good clip and feel great about it!!!)...

I think I went into this knowing / planning to just follow MWL checklist going forward --- and I have challenged that thought a couple of times, but come to the same conclusion... I do not feel deprived at all and do look at going to "limited" foods --- but not seeing the pro's here for me (of shaking the apple cart)...

Mark, your answer to Beth is super important to everyone... (again no quote function, but quoting from above...) "Think about what you really want, what your most important goals are, and how best to achieve that. Those answers aren't always the same for everybody."

THANK YOU!!!!

Best to all,
Stephanie

[BambiS]

Happy healthy new year!



1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Some days, I’m enjoying the seasonal citrus fruit


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.
No, the holiday sweets got to me.

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.
No, had snack type foods

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). Some days

Victories, comments, concerns, questions good week, nothing eventful.

I’ve got some recipes ready to try.
I’m looking forward to the new year and put the holidays behind me and move forward.

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Team Time & Adherence,

Wishing you all well!!! Want to give a huge SHOUT-OUT and THANK YOU to Mark, JeffN, and Wildgoose for this group and all the great support, resources, community space, etc.! Also, to the McDougalls who provide this forum and tons of life-saving information free of charge. You all are my heroes!! I am also inspired by all fellow participants. Helps me a ton to feel part of a community. Thank you!

Mark, No need to answer this, but wondering if your 2X cancelled flights were SW Airlines??? My BIL / SIL / nephew ended up DRIVING back to LA (after cancelled flights by SW Airlines) … Not a short trip!!! UGH!!!! Anyway, hope that you can see your peeps soon and hope this did not ruin your holiday.

For me, feeling great about navigating past week’s holiday parties (and kind of glad that the season is winding down). Same strategies I mentioned in my last post (but no misses here to report; able to keep to MWL behaviors).

1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
No; maintaining.

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. I continue to LOVE what I eat. I did make many of same things and enjoyed them. Ate an amazing quantity of potatoes, soup, salad, fruit, beans, oatmeal… Bought a prepared fruit tray (nice – someone else cuts it!) which was awesome for a few days. Loving multi-colored carrots and tomatoes with Romaine and red onion.

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.

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.

10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
No. In search of my exercise mojo!!! Thanks, Mark for the link last week. I will check this out. I did not receive my “Pseudo-Lemon Twist” yet. I normally love to move but have been finding difficulty in adapting to doing something different with the weather change. Also, have been checking out gym options --- but not ever really loving to go to gym (especially in cold and dark). I do LOVE to walk outside, but not in super-cold weather. Still have done some pacing in house and a few body-weight exercises. Totally not enough, for sure can do better in this space.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

In regard to the concept of “positive self-talk” and how this can be super helpful in making changes …
1) Here is a 3-minute video of Dr. Lim talking about replacing your “inner critic” with your “inner nurturer” The voice inside our heads and how to learn to use it to our advantage - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgaMbFM5kVA
2) I just finished “Stop Overthinking” by Nick Trenton – which has some interesting content on techniques to help in this space as well. The book has mixed reviews (mostly love or hate) and is more tactical than philosophical but does have some tools / templates and is a quick read. His ABC (Antecedent, Behavior, Consequence) template is very similar to what I used with 5/7 and seems to follow what Mark mentioned on “post-mortem” log to gather the data to help identify solutions to change behavior.

Wishing everyone a wonderful wind-up of 2022 and a bright and beautiful upcoming 2023!

"Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties.” - Helen Keller

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Hjklost55]

Good Morning all…. And Happy New Year.

I want to second Stephanie’s shout out’s to Mark, JeffN and the whole McDougall team. When I started this journey, I never thought I’d still be hanging out with the same plan over a year later. But here I am, and more determined than ever to follow in others footsteps to a healthier lifestyle. And thank you to this group for all of the support.

I struggled some this week. I caught a cold over Christmas and I have just had ENOUGH of the temptations, parties, and schedule disruptions…. Lol So really looking forward to some more structured routine and calmness in my world.

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. YES, although I learned something new this week. A bigger pot of soup isn’t necessarily the best option for me. It got old on me, and then I didn’t want to eat it so ending up wasting part of it. So, back to the small soup pot.

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 Have been more aware of this and intentionally making my plate before sitting down, then trying NOT to get seconds until 15 minutes later. (Still setting a timer)

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, had some added maple syrup to an apple dish this week.

4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). YES…. This is the easy one. Haha

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). NO, ending up having a restaurant salad that had avocados and tofu on it.

6. Eliminate any added oil. YES this one is also easy.

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 raisins and nuts in my apple crisp dessert. The above mentioned one with the maple syrup in it. UGH!!!

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, have been doing a little better with this. See above mentioned in No. 2. Setting the timer for 15 minutes. That helps me a LOT!!

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). YES, Love playing my pickleball daily. And our weather warmed up a little so have been getting the dog out for a few more walks.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions good week, nothing eventful. Overall I am quite pleased with myself for being able to get through the holidays with minor scrapes and bruises. Normally my holidays are full fledged binge for 2-4 weeks, throwing in the towel, and saying, I will start over January 1. So…. BIG VICTORY!!!! Can I do better? Absolutely!! But have learned a huge lesson about myself. I CAN DO IT!!! I don’t have to QUIT and start over again. And I have you guys to thank. And a special shout out to Stephanie and Beth for encouraging me to check out the forums OVER AND OVER AGAIN. Haha…. THANK YOU

Looking forward to “fine tuning” my plan in 2023 and lose the last 10-15 lbs I have carried around for years. Thanks again for everyone’s support and encouragement.

Have a great week!!

Take Care,
Holly

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

Another week of holiday junk getting me off track, but my house is in a much better place and my husband is ready for a healthy reset, so it should be easier to get through the struggles I’ve created for myself this next week. Also as much as I don’t want break to end, getting back to a consistent routine will help next week as well. I hope everyone has a blessed New Year’s and I will see you all in January.

[Ejg]

Ahoy, I missed last week because I got busy with holiday stuff so will attempt to report on last two weeks:

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. mostly but not 100%
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. not really
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. definitely not. its amazing how little indulgence it takes for things to go off the rails
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). no. i went to a holiday party at somebody's house and they offered me ham. I'm not sure why I ate it, I guess I was trying to be polite. These people know I don't eat meat and I guess were also just being polite, they weren't being pushy about it. WORST IDEA EVER. I got extremely sick for several days. I made a poor decision, and boy howdy, did I pay for it.
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). yes
6. Eliminate any added oil. No, there was oil in the potatoes I ate at the holiday party
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, I ate several pieces of bread
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). No, I had a few cans of soda (apologies to those who call it "pop" but to me, it will always be soda)
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. Nope. I ate too much. Period
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). No, it was literally 20 below in western PA for several days and I didn't go outside, although I could have chosen to do something indoors

week over week change, +2. cumulative change, -6.

"My daddy always told me to just do the best you knew how and tell the truth. He said there was nothing to set a man's mind at ease like waking up in the morning and not having to decide who you were. And if you done something wrong just stand up and say you done it and say you're sorry and get on with it. Don't haul stuff around with you." Cormac McCarthy, "No Country for Old Men." Its done, now time to get back on the grind.

Happy new year!

[Gimmelean]

Greetings MWL Time and Adherence community.

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.
No. However, no desire at all for bread this week. A step in the right direction. But I still find myself reaching for cookies and starchy snacks. Much less this week but this is a habit I really need to work on eliminating. When I don’t eat those things I feel so much better, more energetic, and focused. The wrong starches really do and have always affected me this way.

8 ) Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
Yes. A pot of tea is always on the stove year round and especially good in winter. Ginger root and turmeric root with decaf black tea. I’ve added as many as 10 spices!! I also treat myself to no sodium,no artificially sweetened, flavored seltzer. I know—I should drink water.

9) Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full.   Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.
Yes! Amazing how soup or salad or both are so filling when done intentionally as part of the meal. I grew up with “courses” of soup, salad, main meal, dessert. Along with 50/50 if I’m full, I can stop eating, save the food for later, and have more later if I want. Why is there an innate fear that the food won’t be there later or that someone will take it away? Yes, I also grew up with hearing about the poor starving children in ( fill in the blank) __________, but while sad, those children would never have or see the food on my plate. Would the average person outside of this group be able to relate to this?

10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Yes. My mantra is that it’s ok to go until 20 below. I wear so many layers just to take a 30 minute walk, I am comfortable along with ear muffs, hat, and gloves. I’m always glad and happier afterwards that I didn’t talk myself out of going. If it’s raining sideways or the sidewalks are covered with black ice, I make an exception.


Victories,Comments,Questions,Challenges:

Mark- So disappointing to have your second trip cancelled too. I hope you and your family can look forward to more rewarding travel times this coming year.

I am also thankful all year round for the people who created this group, administer and maintain the forum, and all who continue to contribute. Truth be told, several years ago I printed the McDougall free program but my inner voice said that it was not for me, too hard, not realistic, but found no success with any other “highly reviewed” methods despite very close adherence. It took me a long time to be “ready”. At that time, I had lost 23 pounds which I maintained with difficulty. Couldn’t,no matter what, lose another ounce for years. When I joined this forum in July 2020, I learned to lose weight through practicing (through time and adherence) as well as gain weight the same way. Practice make permanent- so it’s better to practice what yields the best results. I learned that I lose weight with my brain. 99% of my focus here is losing and now maintaining weight intellectually by doing my best to follow the science which also helps in channeling emotions related to food. I’ve since lost another 20 pounds and finally donated a dozen pair of pants!

Happy, healthy, prosperous New Year!