The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - May 2023 Group

[Mark Cooper]

MAY 2023 RESOURCES
This section will be updated throughout the month with links to useful resources, as they are added to the thread.

Orientation Information for Time & Adherence:
The Behavioral Path to MWL Success
MWL 10-Point Checklist
MWL Program Guidelines
Calorie Density: How To Eat More, Weigh Less and Live Longer
MWL Recipes
Some of Jeff Novick's Quick and Easy Recipes
Jeff's Simple Recipes on Facebook
SNAP Meal Template

1- 28 oz Can No Salt Added Tomatoes (or broth for those who don't like tomatoes)
1- 14 oz Can No Salt Added Beans (which is about 1.5 - 2 cups)
1- 16 oz Bag Frozen Mixed Veggies (any type)
**optional - 1/2 cup Frozen Greens
1.5 to 2 cups of a *Cooked* Starch
~1 tbsp. Salt Free, Dried Seasoning/Spice

The Road to Success: Creating Healthy Habits
The Pleasure Trap: Dr. Doug Lisle at TedxFremont
How to Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind with Dr. Doug Lisle
Dr. Doug Lisle on The Ego Trap
Dr. Doug Lisle: The Story of Willpower – What it Is & How it Works
Dr. Lisle's Three Top Tips for Dietary Success
Jeff Novick, RD - Nutrition & Health FAQ: Answers To The Most Asked Questions
A Review of the Rules & Guidelines for Reading Labels
Passive Overconsumption: The Unintended Intake of Excess Calories
Can You Really Eat As Much As You Want?
Why We Hit Plateaus and What We Can Do About Them
Top 10 Reasons for Lack of Success
Dining Out and Travel Food
Exercise, Health & You: How Much Is Enough?
Optimum BMI? / Optimal BMI - redux
Building Self-Efficacy
You Are Not Broken
wildgoose - How I determined my "goal weight"
Finding The Sweet Spot: Balancing Calorie Density, Nutrient Density & Satiety
Calorie Density & Satiety In Action
Amy's Giant List of Links to Dr. Lisle's Lectures

[trueunity]

For May 1, 2023


10-Point Checklist for Maximum Weight Loss

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

Yes... usually also veggies either raw or cooked

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).

Absolutely

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

Yes

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.

Yes

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

Yes mostly.....I have been drinking some 10 calorie fruit drinks which I no have artificial sweetener in them. I also drink coffee with a little bit of oatmilk creamer

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

Mostly....some days I have a tendency to eat past full or eat when I'm not hungry in fear of not being able to eat when actual hunger comes on...like when I'm at work and it's not break or lunch time.

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

Yes, I workout every day. 30 to 90 minutes a day depending on how my body feels and time allotment.

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated. I'm still struggling with an extra 20 pounds that will not budge.

Thank you

[Mark Cooper]

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.

Hello! Very nice to see you posting again! Primary advice would be to aim for strict, consistent adherence to all the recommended behaviors, with an eye toward any "exceptions" that might be sneaking in, and focus on maintaining this pattern of behavior over a substantial length of time - ADHERENCE across TIME is our basic formula. Below are links to some posts and articles that could be helpful for the situation you describe:

Fine Tuning The MWL Program and Calorie Density

Why We Hit Plateaus and What We Can Do About Them

Top 10 Reasons for Lack of Success

Optimal BMI - redux

Finding The Sweet Spot: Balancing Calorie Density, Nutrient Density & Satiety

Calorie Density & Satiety In Action

As a reminder, our self-assessment reporting window is on Fridays, as explained in the Orientation.

[BambiS]

5-5


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


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.
I had some

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.

Thank you for the willpower link last week. I watched several Dr Lisle’s videos this week. It made me realize that most of my weight loss was during the pandemic, I didn’t get out much, I had a clean environment. When I started having to go in the office and also hit a plateau, I cut back on my eating and was not satisfied.

This week they told me I can work from home until I retire due to my husbands health issues.

I believe when I first started, I was having beans with some meals. I haven’t had any in a long time and made some this week. I feel more satisfied.

[Rebecka22]

1.Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. YES
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, filling half your plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50% (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches. Choose fruit for dessert. YES
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too. If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them. YES
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). YES
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). YES
6. Eliminate any added oil. YES
7. Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (i.e., bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit. YES
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). YES
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. YES
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). YES

Another good week. Today begins two weekends of traveling so I have been working on planning. Space is always an issue though. I’m planning on bringing fruit and oatmeal, and veggies and potatoes. This weekend is a yearly festival I’ve been going to all my life that centers around food, but I was successful last year, so I feel confident this year in my ability to just enjoy family. I hope everyone has a great week.

[Hjklost55]

May 5, 2023

Hello MWL Team,

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, no problem in this area.

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
NO, see #7 below.

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, went to a luncheon this week that we had to pre-order food. Told them I was Vegan. So, I ended up with a cucumber sandwich with avocado on it. And a salad. No dressing. UGH lesson learned… be MORE SPECIFIC!!!

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, did a little better this week with this. I have been eating more greens first. It seems to help with satiety.

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
NO Have a back problem this week that has prevented me from playing pickleball. So need to refocus on some walking until it gets better. Have a PT appt next week.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: Feel a little better this week, although I have still been struggling with 100% compliance. The PLEASURE TRAP IS REAL!!!!! I will continue one meal at a time, until I am back 100%.

Thanks everyone for all your sharing and input. I think it is SOOO IMPORTANT : “ THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS, FIND YOUR TRIBE”. And you all are part of my TRIBE!!! Thank you.

Holly

[Gimmelean]

Post for week ending 5/5/23

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).
No- see comments

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- see comments

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,Concerns,Questions: Mark, thanks for your consideration and response last week despite my late post.
I had some pretty terrific days and evenings staving off cravings and thinking that I was really pushing beyond recent lapses. That is, until I grabbed two slices of pizza at work on Wednesday -because they were there -and my week went downhill from there. I just let go.
I’ve been increasingly more inconsistent and need to get back to MWL basics.
I too am very glad to have your support!!!

[Lizzy_F]

Hello fellow travelers! I apologize for missing the last couple of checkins. I really need to get this done on Fridays so that unexpected things coming up on Saturday don't derail me from this accountability. For the past week....

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Yes for lunches (usually salad) and dinner (usually veg soup). Breakfast is oats + 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 dessert. Yes for lunch & dinner.

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!! OMG I am so happy to no longer eat meat! There are some foods I need to stay away from because while I love them, they don't love me. Meat is NOT in that category. I don't love it. At all. Don't miss it even a little.

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). I used some soy milk in mashed potatoes this week. 1 cup across 6 servings. I view this as a “yellow light” situation, and recognize that I need to really be attentive to limiting this sort of thing. (and eliminate if necessary)

6. Eliminate any added oil. Yes. I’m SO glad I don’t eat out in restaurants hardly ever. I think I’ve eaten in a restaurant 2 or 3 times in the last year. Staying out of restaurants sure makes this point much easier to comply with.

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. THIS stuff is a no go for me. Baked goods and dried foods like cereal, crackers, etc. just DO NOT satisfy my hunger AT ALL. I can (and usually do) eat the whole loaf/box/carton or whatever and still feel hungry. I’ve realized that using a small amount of soy milk in a recipe is not something that seems to trigger overeating. That is NOT true for the products in #7!!!!! These I must completely eliminate unless I want to gain weight and worse, end up with the "out of control" feelings.

8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). Yes (I’m treating the soy milk as a “food” since it was part of a food recipe rather than a beverage)

9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. I still struggle to know if I’m eating until full, or past full. Maybe I will always struggle with this concept. All the more reason to be extremely attentive to calorie density. I really think part of my struggle is the idea that, as a (high!) volume eater, a smaller amount of food "SHOULD" fill me up. But it just doesn't. It really does take a lot of food to get me to the point of feeling satisfied, and then I can direct my attention to other things and not think about food until I am physically hungry again. So maybe I am actually doing fine with this point, but have a perception that I'm not doing fine just becuase I seem to require a high volume of food. I don't know...I'm interested in what you think Mark and also any other high volume eaters.

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). Yes, when my knee permits. I’m really enjoying the Silver Sneakers classes, which incorporate some resistance work. I’m also loving the new rebounder!

Victories, concerns, comments, questions: My food feels really simple and stable again. Mostly potatoes for starches and simple meals I love on repeat. I used the last of my Russets today, so I’m thinking about changing it up a little next week and going with rice as my starch for lunch with stir fry veg. I still have a stash of Japanese sweet potatoes, so those will be my dinner starch for the next week at least. I had an aha moment this week when I realized that I LOVE this simple food, and unlike the Pleasure Trap CRAP, IT LOVES ME BACK! So LOL, I have changed my relationship with food by only spending time with the ones I love, who love me back. Unlike the “bad boys” who might be “fun” for a day or a weekend, but leave me broken hearted but longing for more once the container is empty.

Another important victory – I had my first complete doctor checkup since starting the 12-Day program almost 1 year ago. My blood work was ALL BEAUTIFUL!!! I was particularly happy to see cholesterol down (167 total), fasting blood glucose down (81), and my INFLAMMATION MARKERS IN THE NORMAL RANGE!!! Those were off the charts a couple years ago. It was validating to see that the inside has changed just like the outside has changed.

Wishing everyone a terrific MWL week!

[Taters]

Hello!

I've read the Orientation document and would like to be added to the group. I was part of this group under a different name last year but I couldn't get logged in so I've created a new account. I have been missing the camaraderie I experienced knowing that there are others following this way of eating. I've also been noticing I've been having weekly slips and I don't like it.

1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Yes for breakfast and dinner. I consistently make a veggie soup every Sunday that way I can start off each breakfast with a bowl of soup. My lunches consist of a huge salad so I'm not sure if I should count that as a yes. For dinner, I start with a bowl of raw veggies every night.

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, I do not add any sugar or salt.

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. Last week I had a bag of peanuts in the house that I couldn't stop going to every afternoon. I gave them away to my parents.

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. There were 2 occasions this week where I had Original Cheerios. I had them in the house for my kids and husband for breakfast but I was the one mostly eating them. I definitely overate on them. They have been finished off and I'm going to try to not buy them again.

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, I felt comfortable and satisfied

10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).Yes, I take 1 or 2 walks a day.

Victories, concerns, comments, questions:My husband and children don't eat this way so there are items in the house that I stay away from. I have a pretty good sense of what I can keep in the house for them that won't bother me (fruit snacks, frozen pancakes, bagels, etc) however I've been getting into the dry cereal. I don't buy the types that call to me but deep down I think I need to completely eliminate cereal from the house. Even the original Cheerios that typically don't appeal to me at all, was a challenge for me this week and I ended up having hefty portions 2x this week of them. For some reason I'm having a hard time letting cereal go and not having it in the house. It's an easy breakfast option for the kids and if I'm being completely honest, if it's on sale that week, I have a hard time not buying the deal. I grew up with a mother who taught me and modeled that it's smart to only shop based on what was on sale, and it's something I do as an adult with my own family to shop for. I've had many struggles with my brain in the aisles of a grocery store debating whether I should buy something for the kids that's such a good deal or just putting the darn box back on the shelf and letting it go because I know it's a food that is going to tempt me consistently throughout the week. My success rate is probably 50/50 so I'm all ears for any words of wisdom!

Thank you to all who are here and sharing honestly to help support each other in this way of eating!
Rachael

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Team Time & Adherence,

Hope everyone is doing well!! Thanks to all for this great group --- with support and sharing. Appreciate the weekly accountability and inspiration!


1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Sometimes. Still 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. Have been eating mainly oats and fruit for breakfast, brown rice / beans / corn and fruit / veg for lunch, potatoes and fruit / veg for dinner.

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).
Not 100% - a little boo here. The culprit was a bit of avocado in a salad eaten out. See more in “comments”.

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).
6 /7 --- was active with pickleball and walking (but had one day where it was chilly / cloudy / grim enough to keep me lazily inside). Had a blast in this week’s pickleball tournament with 24 of us playing 23 games (they were shortened so we are still not on the court…). Excited to have outdoor mentoring starting this weekend!!!

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

I normally don’t eat out much – prefer to eat my own food (in my own environment!) but do love to socialize. Had 2 days eating lunch out this week for social celebrations. See #5 for non-compliant portion of salad at lunch #1. The other lunch was at Big Bowl (chain) --- where menu looks discouraging (for all of us eating healthy). I was able to order MWL compliant --- Chef’s Choice Stir Fry --- vegetables, brown rice --- just asked them not to stir fry it but serve me up the raw veggies with the rice. So, a win for that lunch…

Noella, Appreciated your comments last week on the multiple facets of being healthy --- great topic!

Bambi, Excellent that you can WFH until you retire. I relate to what you said about it being easier to control environment / lose weight during pandemic --- more challenging as we assimilate back…

Rebecka, Hope you have a wonderful time at the festival!!!

Holly, One meal at a time is terrific!!!! I am with you about the strength in numbers thing! Glad we are in a tribe!

Gimmelean, YAY that you had some terrific days!!! I wish that there was NO food laying around at work. I am amazed sometimes at the amount of junk seemingly everywhere…

Beth, OMG --- You had me laughing so hard about simple food loving you back ... unlike the crap... Congrats on your awesome bloodwork!!! Not sure if this is helpful to you with regard to #9.... but I kind of look at huge compliant meals with awe and amazement... Like, I can eat this enormous lunch and maintain weight --- pretty bad a$$, yeah??

Taters, Welcome!!!

A big HI to everyone else!! Hope everyone enjoys the weekend and upcoming week!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[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 - Congratulations on securing remote work! I'm sure your husband will be happy to have you there, and hopefully you will find things more manageable. Great observation about how varying environments can present obstacles or support our efforts, and also how restricting volume can sometimes cause feelings of deprivation. Enjoy those beans!

Rebecka22 - Awesome efforts! I'm so happy to know that you are feeling confident in your ability to navigate this weekend's festival. Certainly planning and preparation should be a great support. Best wishes for a fun, successful outing, and enjoy the time with your family!

Hjklost55 - Yay! I'm glad you are feeling better this week, Holly; meal-by-meal, one step at a time, you will work your way out of the Pleasure Trap. Best wishes for your PT appointment and a happy resolution to your back trouble!

Gimmelean - Celebrate your success with those "pretty terrific days," and all the recommendations to which you can answer "YES!" Getting back to basics and refocusing on the fundamental principles is almost always the best approach when things feel inconsistent. Do you feel like anything specific happened or changed on Wednesday to contribute to that decision at work? Was there anything else, aside from the mere presence of pizza, that felt like it was driving things in that direction? Learn what you can, offer yourself compassion, and focus on what you want to achieve with your next opportunity. Ever onward!

Lizzy_F - Congratulations on those BEAUTIFUL results from your checkup! Very validating, I'm sure. Much as you describe, I'm quite happy with simple meals made from the recommended foods that I most enjoy; I think your observation about foods that "love you back" is quite astute. It seems to me that you are probably doing fine in regard to "comfortably full." Personal satisfaction with one's meals and eating to satiety really are fundamental principles of the program, and artificial restriction can often put us on the path to future lapses. The simple question to ask yourself when you finish a meal is "am I physically uncomfortable?" From my perspective, if the answer is NO, then you're doing fine. Some of us are just naturally inclined to need a greater volume of food to feel satisfied, and that doesn't tell us anything about our health (the quality of that food is paramount), nor does it impugn our character. I can pretty much guarantee that, whatever volume of food you enjoy, it is still a smaller amount than what I typically eat in a day, and I feel like I'm doing great! I include that aside, not to tell anyone how large or small a volume of food they should eat, but rather, to make the point that we're all on a spectrum with respect to this. We all can be at different points in the overall distribution, and that is ABSOLUTELY FINE. Give yourself permission to be yourself, trust your physical sensations, and just keep doing your best; with such awesome blood work you must be doing something right, no?

Taters - Hello, welcome, and welcome back, Rachael! Seems like you are off to a pretty solid start!

My lunches consist of a huge salad so I'm not sure if I should count that as a yes.

I'd say, if you judge that big salad (which I assume includes the starch component of the meal, too) visually, and it seems like it is more or less equivalent to a preload + a 50/50 plate in volume, then it satisfies the guideline (Jeff discusses the recommendations as guidelines, rather than black and white rules in this post). You can just assess "by eyeball," as Dr. McDougall says. I think the situation you describe, around various foods one can have in the house without "bother" versus specific foods that are more troubling, will feel familiar to many of us who cohabitate with loved ones who don't practice this way of eating. Something to keep in mind is that you can take a particular action or make a particular choice now, in the present, and that doesn't have to mean that you will do the same thing always and forever. Since dry cereals feel troublesome for you right now, it might make sense to keep them out of your immediate environment, as a way to support your current efforts. In the future, when you feel like you are in a good groove, and feeling more confident and settled, you might find that you'll be able to bring those foods back into your home for your family, and not feel disrupted. Dry cereal was actually one of the foods that gave me the most trouble in the past, and now it's on the shelf for my wife and daughter and doesn't bother me at all. I just think of it as "not my food." Our situation and context changes with adherence across time, and things don't always look the same as they did in the past. I totally relate to what you mentioned about wanting to take advantage of "such a good deal," I was raised that way myself, and I tend to be quite frugal. Perhaps the way to think about it is "how much money would it be worth to me this week to take an action I believe will support my efforts toward my personal goals?" Peace of mind and contentment have material value,too, right? Carry on!

VegSeekingFit - Great work, Stephanie! It seems to me you did a pretty excellent job navigating those "lunches out." I will take progress, learning, thoughtful assessment, and adjustment over perfection every time. 23 games of pickleball! That sounds like loads of fun! Enjoy the outdoor mentoring!

[Mark Cooper]

May is here, the sun is shining, and we are off and running! Kudos to all participants for your continuing efforts! It is certainly easier and more fun to follow this path with a group of like-minded comrades, right?

Here are a couple of links where Jeff really lays out a concise masterclass in calorie density; if you haven't read these already, they are definitely worth reviewing.

First post is here. Second post is here. Both are part of this discussion thread.

Have an amazing, fruitful, and joyous week! Take care and be well!

[BambiS]

5-11


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


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.
No, had some cereal. I told my husband that I’m not getting anymore. He can have oatmeal.

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 had a pretty good week, I feel like I dropped weight, but haven’t been on the scale. I’ve been going by the way clothes fit.

I had beans this week and felt more satisfied. It’s been easier being home to prepare foods.

Friday, my husband has to see a cardiologist, they wanted to see him soon.If he would have stayed on the plan a while ago, he may not have to go. When I first started the plan, he lost weight with me and felt better. He believes he can eat in moderation all foods, not so. So sad to see him going down hill.

[ShallWeDance]

Please admit me to the group.

1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
No, I don’t have the appetite right now for numerous courses. It has been soup, or salad, or potato.

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.
Same as 1
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.
Working on 50%

8 ) Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
Working on coffee

9) Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.
I am fairly certain I overeat.
10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
At 20 min and working on it.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions

It’s been a long winter and with the warmer weather comes less painful joints and more oppts. for exercise. I have many checklist items that need serious work. The huge garden is promising and a very happy reminder of what food is and at least this means I will have access to it.