The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - February 2023 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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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - February 2023 Group

Postby BambiS » Thu Feb 16, 2023 6:22 am

2-17


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

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 good week, nothing eventful.

I am learning that when I’m tired, I am wanting to eat rather than go to bed. I also don’t think I’m eating enough starch so I did increase it some.

I stepped on the scale, it’s been several months . I have had a slight gain, but nothing I can’t tackle and get off.

I keep moving up my retirement, end of July! I’ll be glad to have more me time to finally have me time. I’ve been a caregiver for 5 years and trying to work also.
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - February 2023 Group

Postby Rebecka22 » Fri Feb 17, 2023 9:19 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. YES
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). YES
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). YES
6. Eliminate any added oil. YES
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (i.e., bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit. YES
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). YES
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. YES
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). YES

It was a good week. Lots of temptation, but thankfully I was in a good place to make other choices. Keeping my momentum has helped me through. I tried to just quietly not take what was given and offered. I was also pleasantly gifted with flowers by a friend on Valentine’s Day because she understands that I don’t really eat things from other people. My go to gift for her is a fruit bowl which she always appreciates. I hope everyone had a great week navigating food culture that doesn’t support our choices.
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - February 2023 Group

Postby Hjklost55 » Fri Feb 17, 2023 2:17 pm

Good Morning Group…. Going to get my info in before I miss the deadline again like last week. :shock: Hope everyone had a good week, and survived Valentine’s Day and all the candy that seems to go with it anymore……

1.Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
YES. I have been eating a plateful of fresh veggies every meal. I love them. Usually have romaine lettuce leaves, cucumbers, carrots, celery, jicama, small tomatoes and/or orange peppers. Can’t believe how sweet tasting these things are when you haven’t been eating all the SAD crap! I keep them all cut up and prepared in the refrigerator so makes it super simple. I have been avoiding fruit right now. It seems to be a trigger for me while I am still trying to lose weight. Tastes too good, and I eat too much!! :? :-(

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. After my veggie plate, I make a 50/50/plate of my potatoes and usually broccoli. Again, keeping it simple.

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 ONE meal in a restaurant. Went to a Thai place. Ordered steamed rice and veggies. NO OIL…. But forgot to tell them NO SALT….. they put a sauce on the veggies, that after eating it…. I Could tell it was LOADED with salt. I was up half the night dying of thirst. Another lesson reinforced. Don’t eat out. Take your own. OR…. Be more careful ordering.

4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
YES. No problem with this one.

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
YES. No problem with this one either.

6. Eliminate any added oil.
YES…. Remembered to tell restaurant NO OIL…..

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, Better this week. I just have to stay very AWARE of myself and when I’m eating. I am such a MINDLESS eater. But getting better each week because of this daily/weekly reminder called the 10-point checklist!!! :-D

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
YES…. Still playing pickleball 5 days a week. Also started incorporating some strength training 2-3 times a week. Have enjoyed having my extra bedroom set up as an exercise room. Have found myself in there later in the evening working out instead of watching mindless TV. That’s a PLUS!!

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
Had an okay week, but struggled the day after eating out in the restaurant. I contribute the “unsettling” feeling I had due to the salty sauce that was on my veggies. Can’t think of any other reason because I was feeling “FANTASTIC” prior to that meal. I am still following the MM (Mary’s Mini) food plan as well as my MWL 10 pt checklist. It seems to be a good combination for me. The scales continue to go down, (PLUS), I have more energy (PLUS) and I am feeling really positive and great. (PLUS PLUS) I love having the accountability of this group as well as my MWL friends who I feel like I have know personally forever. (Beth and Stephanie) LOL

I am thankful EVERY day for finding the WFPB Lifestyle. Considering where I was in 2015 with my overall health and weight, I don’t even feel like the same person any more. It has truly saved my life. It takes patience and perseverance, but is is possible….. and so worth it. (Hey the 3 P’s) Patience + Perseverance = Possible…. Haha

Well I have rambled long enough. Hope everyone is having a healthy happy week. Keep up the good work everyone!!

Take Care,
Holly

“The simpler the diet, the greater the compliance and the greater the results”. LOVE THAT QUOTE but can’t remember if that is from Jeff Novick or Dr McD or…. ???
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - February 2023 Group

Postby VegSeekingFit » Fri Feb 17, 2023 7:51 pm

Hi Team Time & Adherence,

Here is my week!!! :cool:

1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Yes, for breakfast 7/7. Mostly, for dinner 6/7. A couple of times for lunch.

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. Still oatmeal plus fruit for breakfast every morning. Loving (as always) roasted potatoes with beans, corn, and salad veggies and / or roasted veggies for lunch. The sweet potato has really grown on me --- I’ve probably eaten more in the last 4 months or so than in the rest of my life combined. Stokes (purple!) are my favorite. Also had Mississippi yams and Japanese sweet potatoes this week with veggies. I continue to try to get sick of split pea soup --- but keep eating it and making a new pot when the old runs out.

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, not starving or stuffing.

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. Took a couple of new (to me) classes at the gym that were fun - deep water running and indoor cycling. Also, did a bunch of brisk walking (a couple of days outside with unseasonably nice weather). Keeping on with body weight exercises for resistance and some stretching exercises.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
Mark – So glad that you and your family liked the “Smells Like Stuffing”! :cool: In case you make it again, have found that you can double the 4 herbs and it is even more fragrant!!!

Bambi --- :) Meant to mention to you last week that I also tried the Pineberries. Thought they were delicious!!! Congrats on your upcoming retirement!!!

Rebecka --- :-D Flowers are an awesome gift!!! Cool that your friend cares about what would be meaningful to you.

Holly --- :D you are rocking the potato Mary’s mini!!!! Also, amazing NSV’s!!!! Keeping it simple for the win!!! Awesome!

Eric --- :) Hope your Super Bowl event went ok --- appreciate what you said last week --- “Congrats to everyone who keeps pushing the rock up the hill.” Onward for sure!!!

Beth -- :D -I always learn from your posts and am inspired by what you have achieved. So sorry that you hurt your knee --- wishing you quick healing.

Gimmelean --- :) Thanks for sharing the 5 things that may make us eat more in winter. I am with you that “the danger zone” falls after the holidays and into the deep winter. Appreciate what you posted here. By the way, how did you post that heart??? OMG --- please share !!!

Greens:-D Your #5 thing from last week… this is one that would be super tough for me to resist too… (sounds delicious!) both the spirit of the friend and what it was!!! Great job in getting right back!!! When I read some posts, I understand that I am “lucky” to not have many (or any?) in my circle who serve / offer food that would be vegan, but not MWL… Hope your husband is healing well!

Noella :) --- Your burrito bowls sound INCREDIBLE!!! I eat something like this, but yours sounds more delicious!!! Glad that you are feeling better!!! Hope your wrist continues to heal.

A huge HI and Keep going to everyone!!! Us MWL’ers need to stick together!!! Every week I am so inspired by this group --- moderators, material shared, fellow participants… Very grateful!!

I really enjoyed the material Mark shared last week.

The James Clear quote resonated with me quite a bit / made me think (scary!). So, to me… thinking that following the MWL checklist is a journey --- not a destination. It makes me happy to follow --- not sure that I could do it if it didn’t… meaning, not liking the process? Anyway, it has helped me to find the joy in eating oatmeal, potatoes, rice, beans, corn with some fruit and veggies --- and totally will never aspire to be perfect here… but I do embrace the thought of just continuing to follow this.

Definitely love JeffN’s “Get a Life” article. For me, find it timely, relevant, impactful. Have a couple of reactions that may not fully align with message / just my thoughts.
1) Last week purchased something like a “Vegan bundle” for like $50… I bought it mainly because Dr. McD has a new talk in it… Anyway, lots of stuff for the $... BUT, even if I took all year, never could get through even half of it --- based on my own prioritization of time. Overwhelming amount of information. I picked maybe 5 items in total to review and downloaded them --- and will keep it to that.
2) The concept of doing things that you love with your time… have been thinking about future retirement and what would a day in the life look like… not bucket list stuff like walking the Appalachian trail or visiting Galapagos Islands, but just a typical day… This is really helpful train of thought to also go a step further and think… well, why are you waiting --- just do it now??

Wishing everyone an exciting and successful upcoming week!! Enjoy!!!

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 - February 2023 Group

Postby Lizzy_F » Fri Feb 17, 2023 8:20 pm

Hi Bambi, Rebecka, Holly, and all to come for this weeks checkin!

Here is my mixed news for the week ending 2-17:

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. 6 of 7 days, within parameters previously established.

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. 6 of 7 days

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. Reduced, not eliminated.

4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). [b][b]Yes[/b][/b]

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

6. Eliminate any added oil. 6 of 7 days.

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. 6 of 7 days.

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. 6 of 7 days I believe I did pretty well here. I was listening to Dr. Goldhammer being interviewed by Chef AJ, along with another doctor and a therapist in the food addiction treatment world. They had an interesting conversation about satiety mechanisms. Dr. Goldhammer talked about “volume eaters” as having biological differences where the satiety sensations (i.e. the brain’s recognition and response to the stretch receptors) are blunted. I’m not explaining this very well, and realize I need to go back and listen to him again. But anyway, it made a lot of sense to me in terms of just generally understanding why some people are “volume eaters” and other people are not. I am definitely a volume eater, and I don’t think I will ever turn into a non-volume eater, LOL! So, this stuff is just interesting, but I don’t see it as changing anything that I’m doing. Perhaps this information helps me understand myself better, and move even farther away from the feeling that “something is wrong with me” and move closer to the understanding that I accept myself as I am (“know thyself”) and work with “what is.” Rather that fight against “what is,” which is what it always felt like when I would try to do portion control dieting.

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). I got very little exercise this week. My right knee has been acting up again. I got my Medicare card this week, so that piece is in place for 3/1. Now I’m working on getting the Medicare Supplement in place. My first appointment will be with the orthopedic doctor. I really think the torn meniscus is still causing problems – I don’t think it was fully cleaned up when they scoped it a few years go.

Victories: I’m still here.


Comments: I’ve really been in a funk off and on for the last several weeks. I can’t wait for spring, but I also am frustrated with myself for wishing my time away – at this stage of life especially, I want to treasure each moment. But for some reason, I’m struggling with that right now. For the most part, my food has been on point. But again this week I had an off plan day. While I don’t want my inner perfectionist to rage out of control, I also don’t want to start feeling “ok” about off-plan days.


Concerns: I like myself a lot better when I feel like I’m bringing positive energy to what I’m doing, whether it’s posting here or going about my regular life. I’m just not feeling it, and I’m really sorry to be bringing a negative spirit with me wherever I go right now!


Questions: What do you do when you realize you are in a “funk” of some sort? How do you help yourself get to a better place?
Beth

"Long-term sustainable change is what we are really after." ~Jeff Novick
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - February 2023 Group

Postby Gimmelean » Sat Feb 18, 2023 8:01 am

Post for week ending 2/17/23

Greetings everyone.

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

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

3) Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.  This includes gourmet sugars and salts too.  If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them.
Yes.

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

5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
No. Nuts

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- cookies, bread, crackers

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.
No-in the evenings after work I tended to eat well beyond comfort level.

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


Victories,Comments,Concerns,Questions:
Still challenging to maintain what feels like basic adherence and trying to figure out why I’m holding myself back. I can’t wait to say I’ve had a great week again.
May all of us have many great weeks!

-Stephanie, I typically write my posts first into Notes because they are far easier to edit. Then I copy and paste into the forum and submit right along with the ❤️. Hearts work. Smilies create an error message.(‘cause I felt compelled to try it). Love your energy inspiration, food ideas and recipes.

-Noella, so glad to see that you are on the mend.

-Beth, a ❤️ for you and for finding ways to push through when you’re feeling less than stellar.

-Greens, some day I would love to get back to horseback riding.

-Eric, sometimes my rock up that hill feels like a pebble. Right now it seems like a boulder. Great analogy!

-Holly, I love the idea of simplicity and hope to follow your lead in pacing myself back to it. Having a virtual buffet in my fridge however MWL compliant isn’t working so well at the moment. How did you get there? Gradually? Sudden stop?

-Rebecka, your comment about navigating food culture really hits close to home. In the summit I’m listening to, the speaker said that our dominant drive is to belong. When we eat differently we get kicked out of our “tribe”. Not much different than Jeff’s statement about how simple yet difficult it is socially speaking. I think my work tribe is challenging me to eat what I wouldn’t have dreamed about when working from home was a choice. Glad we have a sub-culture here!!!

-Bambi, I’ve discovered pine berries too. They are like white strawberries that are sweet and very low acid. I hope you are looking forward to every minute of retirement.
Last edited by Gimmelean on Sat Feb 18, 2023 11:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - February 2023 Group

Postby Artista » Sat Feb 18, 2023 11:01 am

Hi Mark and the Time and Adherence group, I would really like to join you. I was following MWL last summer but then went looking for other ways to achieve health and weight loss. I didn’t find them! I can’t seem to be successful at programs that include higher calorie-density food and portion control. I ended up overeating and gaining weight. :( I’ve been back to following MWL for about two weeks. I’m doing pretty well at eating only the compliant foods but I need to focus more on the behavior-related guidelines like 1 & 2 and 9 & 10. I’ve been looking back to when I drifted away from following MWL last summer and trying to see what it was that caused me to go off-course. I’m still not sure. I listened to Dr. Lisle’s lecture on the perfect personality. One trait that I have in abundance that isn’t part of the perfect personality is “openness”. That’s something I’ll have to watch in the future and try not to be drawn away by anything that looks new and different and seems promising but isn’t. The other thing I think that was challenging for me was probably something like adherence fatigue. I’d be curious to know what others do to avoid that.
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - February 2023 Group

Postby Noella » Sat Feb 18, 2023 11:52 am

Greetings everyone.

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

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

3) Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.  This includes gourmet sugars and salts too.  If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them.
Yes.

4) Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
No, although mostly, None except for some dairy (ice cream) which disagreed with my digestion- - whenever I venture back into eating ‘just a little’ of foods I used to eat regularly - like dairy products - I immediately discover (relearn) that they make me feel terrible, not just for a half hour, but for 25-48 hours. Lesson learned again this week; Ice cream is NOt my friend for several important reasons.

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 A little walking or daily movement each day and lots of wrist exercises 5 times each day. I want to do more.


Victories,Comments,Concerns,Questions:
I find it so interesting to read about everyone’s experiences Thanks to all and wishing everyone the very best at upholding these healthy guidelines.
Last edited by Noella on Sat Feb 18, 2023 2:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - February 2023 Group

Postby Ejg » Sat Feb 18, 2023 1:52 pm

Getting this in under the wire


Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. yes lunch and dinner, oats/fruit or potatoes/peppers for breakfast

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


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

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

Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). No, bought a bag of pistachios in the checkout yesterday

Eliminate any added oil. Yes

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 a handful of my daughters goldfish crackers last night, threw the bag away to prevent further wobbles

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

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

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

had a great week but wobbled a little yesterday, committed to moving past it quickly. Have a good week
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 - February 2023 Group

Postby Greens » Sat Feb 18, 2023 1:54 pm

1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. :-D 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 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, reduced. I don’t cook with salt but love a sprinkle on top.
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 This past week our weather has been cold but clear. Beach walks a couple times a day with the dogs has really been great for clearing the mind. The bald eagles are on the beach in the early morning and really showing off their wingspan.

Thank you,Time and Adherence team for your thoughtful posts! New perspectives are so helpful.
Bambi, i think you will love retirement. Kind of a scary leap but well worth taking with a bit of planning. I also have trouble with the eating when tired. When i worked night shift 5p-5a I gained so much weight.
Rebecka, congrats on handling temptation! Glad you kept the momentum going.
Holly, I love the idea of prepped raw veggies preload. My husband loves when i do that with radishes but never think to do it for me.
Stephanie, James Clear is one of my favorites as well. I love the concept of focusing on the process and making small changes to ease the way. Love setting ourselves up to succeed.
Beth, I saw that interview Chef AJ did with Dr Goldhammer, Molly, and Dr Tarman. I loved what Dr G said about biological drives vs psychological. How we can blame our psychology when we are not meeting our own biological needs. That our hunger drive and volume eating is what made it possible for our ancestors to survive when they had a food shortage challenge. Dr. McDougall made a similar point in his last Sunday night talk. I personally need this kind thought to quiet the harsh critic in my head.
Gimmelean, thank you for the cut and paste idea for making posting easier. I struggle some with the format.
Welcome Artista!
Noella, glad your wrist is healing and you able to move more!
Mark, thank you for your thoughtful insights.

Challenges/victories. I have been assembling salad ingredients in snap ware and then chopping before dinner again. I think handling the produce immediately when I bring it home has really helped me not to waste things in the back of drawer. Chopping the contents while microwaving veggies makes dinner prep pretty seamless. I’ve had a NSV, my saddle is getting a little more roomy. I bought a neoprene pad to help with the slack. Works pretty well giving me that extra second to center myself when my horse is startled.

Marilyn
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Reporting for February 17 Assessments is now CLOSED

Postby Mark Cooper » Sat Feb 18, 2023 2:22 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's Replies for February 17

Postby Mark Cooper » Sat Feb 18, 2023 2:46 pm

BambiS - Really consistent efforts! Uneventful weeks often seem to be good weeks as it pertains to adherence, yes? I can imagine that 5 years spent giving care to others while also trying to manage regular employed work probably felt overwhelming at times; it certainly doesn't sound easy. I hope your upcoming retirement brings with it abundant time for self-care and personal fulfillment. :)
BambiS wrote:I stepped on the scale, it’s been several months . I have had a slight gain, but nothing I can’t tackle and get off.
Right on! What a laudable attitude to apply! :thumbsup:

Rebecka22 - Absolutely fabulous work! You have definitely built up solid momentum this month. :nod: What a lovely and thoughtful gesture by your friend in recognizing and honoring your personal preferences.
Rebecka22 wrote:I hope everyone had a great week navigating food culture that doesn’t support our choices.
I think you bring up an important point here. As much as we can imagine a society that was supportive toward and congruent with healthful eating, and wish it were extant, our daily experience in the society we inhabit is quite different from our ideal. Knowing that we're facing a culture and environment that not only doesn't support our efforts, but often actually works counter to them, it behooves us to be well-prepared to navigate that difficult terrain and take its many challenges seriously, right?

Hjklost55 - Seems like a fantastic week! You've really accumulated an impressive list of PLUSes through your dedicated efforts (and your patience and perseverance - you are SO right that both of those are key factors). I think that "unsettling" feeling you describe in the wake of an atypically (for our way of eating) salty dish will seem familiar for many of us in the group. Cheers to you for working through that struggle, Holly! The quote you mentioned is from this post, I believe.
JeffN wrote:While neither the authors of the study nor I am recommending anyone to live on a diet of just one food, the study does make a very interesting and key point. And that is, that the simpler the diet, the greater the compliance and the greater the results. The two simplest diets produced the greatest compliance and the greatest results. The typical complex diet had the lowest compliance and produced the least amount of weight loss.

The more we try to complicate our diets and/or lifestyle, the harder they become to follow. The key to any diet or lifestyle program is simplicity. Very few of us have the time and/or energy to spend extra hours in the kitchen or in the food stores. Nor do we have the time to learn 100's of new recipes and food products.

So, don't try to complicate your program of healthful living.

Find out what works for you and stick to it. Create simple meals based around vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes.


VegSeekingFit - Another week in the groove, Stephanie! :thumbsup: I concur with your thoughts that the ongoing practice of MWL is analogous to a journey, rather than a destination.
VegSeekingFit wrote:The concept of doing things that you love with your time… have been thinking about future retirement and what would a day in the life look like… not bucket list stuff like walking the Appalachian trail or visiting Galapagos Islands, but just a typical day… This is really helpful train of thought to also go a step further and think… well, why are you waiting --- just do it now??
I LOVE this idea! Thank you so much for sharing it!

Lizzy_F -
Lizzy_F wrote:Victories: I’m still here.
That is the most important victory of all, Beth! Don't forget to give yourself credit for that, and for all the other things you are doing each day to support your practice of this way of eating / living.
What do you do when you realize you are in a “funk” of some sort? How do you help yourself get to a better place?
Speaking for myself, I would generally turn toward connecting with the things I feel provide the most value and meaning in my life. For me, that means social and emotional connection with the people I love and contribution to community (whatever that community might be or look like). Another important piece for me, is physical activity. I wonder if the difficulties with your knee might be contributing to that feeling of being in a "funk"? Managing pain can weigh down even the most buoyant among us. Some questions I might ask: What are the specific contours or components of this "funk"? In what ways does it manifest over the course of a day or week? How does it feel in your body? I totally identify with the sentiment you express about preferring to be positive, but I would also encourage you to make space for yourself to feel your genuine and legitimate feelings, whatever they might be, and offer yourself compassion. Imagine a scenario where you love yourself as a starting point, irrespective of the energy you may be feeling or the behaviors you are expressing. I know that isn't easy, but you DESERVE that love and compassion. :)

Gimmelean - I tried copying and pasting the ❤️ from your message and I think it worked! Thanks for sharing that. :D
Gimmelean wrote:I think my work tribe is challenging me to eat what I wouldn’t have dreamed about when working from home was a choice.
This feels like an important observation; the various cultural environments we inhabit or move through can exercise just as much influence as physical environments. Of course, often both are pulling or pushing in the same direction (so often a direction counter to our personal goals). Are there any steps you can imagine taking to shape or intervene in the environment so as to support what you are wanting to achieve? Sometimes, finding a little leverage may go a long way. I know you always continue trying, so I also know you will get there given time. Onward!

Artista - Great to see you posting again, Nancy! We would welcome your participation, and I look forward to seeing your self-assessment next week. :)

Noella - Pretty solid! I hope your wrist continues to heal and improve. It is amazing how powerfully those so-called "just a little" foods can impact our bodies, right? Often that results in a very powerful lesson, and a valuable one, too, if we grasp hold of it. As you observe, there are important reasons to pursue this way of eating and avoid troublesome ventures into "just a little." Keep doing your best!

Ejg - A week that feels great is worth celebrating, even if yesterday felt "wobbly," Eric! Your commitment to move past it and get right back on track is the way to go. :nod:

Greens - Awesome adherence, Marilyn! Those bald eagles sound spectacular; what an exciting and inspiring sight! Congratulations on that NSV, and finding an effective workaround to take up the slack.
Greens wrote:I have been assembling salad ingredients in snap ware and then chopping before dinner again. I think handling the produce immediately when I bring it home has really helped me not to waste things in the back of drawer. Chopping the contents while microwaving veggies makes dinner prep pretty seamless.
This seems like a really useful and effective practice. Thanks for sharing it!
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Summary for February 17 Reports

Postby Mark Cooper » Sat Feb 18, 2023 2:57 pm

Alright, folks! We're in the home stretch now, with one more check-in for February. Next, on to March!

Since the topic of adherence fatigue came up in our conversation this week, I'm sharing this discussion thread covering that topic. The whole thread is worth reading, with many interesting observations and some viable strategies for addressing the issue.

JeffN wrote:Adherence fatigue is similar to pandemic fatigue, treatment fatigue and as I mentioned, it is a feeling of fatigue over time for doing what is necessary to maintain adherence to the program (ie, special ordering, meal prep, preparing ahead for social situations) in a world that doesn’t support us.

For years, I have listened to clients talk about it not only in regard to adhering to the program but recovery from substance abuse, . They have done all the right things to maintain the program and have reaped the success of their actions but they get to a point where they just tire of having to do the “different” thing one more time. In treatment fatigue, is is tiring of having to organize their pills, remembering to take them, dealing with the side effects etc.

In regard to adherence fatigue and this way of life, it can come from any one of the things we do to maintain the lifestyle including (but not limited to)…

- feeling like an outsider
- having to special order when out
- having to always prepare ahead
- bringing your own food when out
- being different at social gatherings
- being asked over and over about their lifestyle choices
- having to set aside the time necessary to be active
- not being able to “indulge” in all “food” around them
- having to give up things they used to enjoy

Sometimes, people just tire of doing the right thing especially when it is outside the norm. Sometimes it comes even years after success and the initial thrill of getting well and overcoming their health challenges has waned.

Managing it will be dependent on the person, their situation, what is causing the fatigue.


What tools or techniques help you overcome this fatigue, or support ongoing adherence?

Wishing you all an amazing week, with victories galore! Take care and be well. :D
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - February 2023 Group

Postby VegSeekingFit » Sun Feb 19, 2023 6:48 pm

Hi All,

OMG --- thanks a bunch, Gimmelean for this --- and Mark for letting us know copy/paste is ok!!!!❤️Have been searching for the love emoji FOREVER ... will try not to go over the top with it (but no guarantees)!!!

Glad to see you, Artista!!! :)

Beth --- I 100% relate to what you said about not liking yourself as much when not positive. Now looking for HUG emoji... I totally feel the same --- and can't add much to what Mark said --- which was awesome... Totally, think it is better to try to get to the root of the funk and address than cover it up with stuff. With that being said, it may be fun to put together a list / thoughts of things that you love to do / self-care. For instance, for me --- watch sitcom, read some Garfield, hug husband or son or pet or friend, talk to great friend, go for a walk outside, listen to fun / uplifting music, aromatherapy, draw a silly picture, etc. etc.... Wishing you the best in getting through the funk. ❤️ By the way, I was in one last February... Think it was the yucky weather for me + getting sick of myself with failing on #5...

Hope everyone has a great week!

Best,
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 - February 2023 Group

Postby Rebecka22 » Fri Feb 24, 2023 8:40 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. YES
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). YES
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). YES
6. Eliminate any added oil. YES
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (i.e., bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit. YES
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). YES
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. YES
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). YES

I made it through February with success. I am on track with all my goals and had a good yearly physical. Haven’t seen the bloodwork yet, but I expect everything to be good. It was nice to be maintaining my weight loss and I am so grateful this doesn’t feel like a yo-yo. While I will have weeks where I don’t report all yeses I don’t feel like I can’t get right back to the behaviors and that is success.
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