The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - June 2023 Group

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Team Time & Adherence,

Hope that everyone had a wonderful week! All was good here except that we had some of the “unhealthy for all” air quality for three days --- smelled like burning plastic. Pickleball moved indoors for those days, and I cut my walks down to 1 per day.

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

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. Another week with the same meals and no sign of boredom – so continuing with them!

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 stuffing and no starving.

10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Mostly - 6 /7. Took a rest day – got a bit bruised and scraped up – almost all healed. Lesson learned – don’t run backwards on the pickleball court – it should be pivot, shuffle, shuffle…

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

Mark Hope you are enjoying amazing travels! Thanks for your comments last week --- made me realize that I still have a way to go around this positive self-talk thing --- and I do wholeheartedly agree that learning, reflection, and taking appropriate action is a “win”.

Wildgoose! Thanks for helping us this week!

Bambi – How exciting to be so close to retirement! Glad to hear that your husband has joined you and wishing him well with his health.

Rebecka I completely relate to what you said about goals and how our minds can play tricks on us --- like if success metric is based on weeks then why not just have "all of the food" in a week when a point is already marked “no”… I actually still mostly write down the food that I eat (not quantity) in a notebook and I put a sad face for anything non-compliant… Every time that I stop recording, seems that it is easy for me to forget. Luckily, I mostly eat the same things so I can just put “Y” for see yesterday…

Eric That’s great how you have improved by focusing more on #9!!

Trinity Congrats on your week!

Waving a big HI to everyone who hasn’t checked in yet!!!

Following are my comments to Mark’s questions last week on Jeff’s long-term adherence thread. Below is focusing on the initial question itself as opposed to reacting to the podcast. Looking forward to other views and Jeff’s upcoming comments in that thread.

How would you respond to that listener's question?
Yes, food has its tentacles in everything in our culture --- it pervades our interactions with people (making it unusual to connect without food). Furthermore, seemingly random places and things can (and will) trigger cravings / challenges – sometimes from out of nowhere. I completely agree that it can seem overwhelming when trying to implement a healthy diet and contending with the overall environment that doesn’t support healthy behaviors.

Nevertheless, I do view this as a challenge that CAN be overcome with patience, prioritization, practice, positivity, and persistence.

I think that mindset is critical to success --- “can-do” vs. “this is too hard” --- due to the risk that a negative outlook may become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

What do you think is a sound approach?
I believe that using a framework focused on building health-promoting behaviors as opposed to outcome (as we do in this group) with a periodic assessment of results, analysis of changes needed in approach, and implementation of any such changes is an effective approach. Such a framework supports overall objective to build and embed sustainable healthy behaviors and habits.

In what ways have you addressed these challenges in the course of your own experience? What has worked and what hasn't?
Has worked:
* Eat recommended foods when hungry
*Keep program simple (as per McD / JeffN guidance)
* Maintain clean environment to support healthy behaviors (to the degree that I can)
* Execute on strategies to deal with noise in environment (i.e., do not walk around in the broader world hungry with no compliant snack, consider noncompliant tempting stuff “not food for me”, steer clear of food tables at parties, bring compliant dish to share to gatherings, do not linger in WFM baked goods section, do not open the cabinet with the peanuts, etc.)
* Plan / visualize how to deal proactively with upcoming challenges
* Love what I eat – eat what I love (compliant stuff!)
* Assess and review progress including options to better handle any lapses and test them out – if they don’t work, try… try again with another approach, ask for help if you run out of ideas
* Frame change as a learning experience – using mistakes to analyze approach for improvements / alternative action to test (to be evaluated and adjusted as needed)
* Leverage positive self-talk and various self-care strategies
* Engage with support networks (like this group)

Has not worked:
* Attending event hungry
* Relying on host(ess) to serve compliant food
* Leveraging food to deal with emotions
* Thinking I can stop at “a little bit” of non-compliant food
* Looking in pantry after dinner
* Striving for perfection
*Feeling discouraged or mad at myself for struggling
* Not trying a different approach when current one isn’t working
* Getting mad at the scale / outcome

With that… wishing everyone a great weekend and Happy 4th of July to those in the states.

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Gimmelean]

Post for week ending 6/30/23
Wishing everyone a happy 4th with clean air to breathe!

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,)
Yes

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

6) Eliminate any added oil.
Yes

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

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

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

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

Victories,Comments,Concerns, Questions:
It’s always easier for me to want to eat less and feel lighter this time of year. Good thing I just happened to begin MWL in July because I got a big boost of success almost right away which begets more success.

I am still trying to figure out the right approach to respond to the query you posted last week Mark. I love brainstorming.

While my first instinct is to rush to help or find a fix, no one is here because they were coerced and most people would rather die than change their food choices.

I’d probably respond with “Whether you say you can or you can’t, chances are you’re right.


What has worked for me:
1. Belief that I can be successful.
2. Following the MWL checklist and guidelines and discovering through trial and error behaviors and habits I can live with that lend themselves to maintaining this way of life
3. Having supportive, non-judgmental support HERE which always points to self - illumination and how I can find my own solutions to help myself move forward.
4. Embracing a growth mindset and willingness to change my lifestyle and choices within the framework of my life and family.
5. The results!!!
6. The joy of missing out.
7. Removing the word control from my MWL vocabulary and replacing it with manage. I can’t control others, predict my environment, live in isolation, or be free from societal pressures, but I can learn how to manage myself within this counterproductive chaos and push through difficult headwinds.


What hasn’t worked for me
1. demanding perfection with an all or nothing mindset
2. Negative self talk
3. Letting go
4. Feeling like a victim “why me”
5. Spinning out of control without a clear path back to adherence
6. The fear of missing out

I am most interested in seeing everyone’s responses.
Thank you in advance Wildgoose. Jeff, I hope you are enjoying every minute of your trip.

Have a good week!

[Hjklost55]

Post for week ending 6/30/23

Hope everyone had a good week, and have a safe 4th of July. Can’t believe 2023 is half over already. Time is flying by.

1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
YES, my soup hasn’t gotten boring yet.

2). Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.
YES keep it simple. Potatoes and veggies.

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

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

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

6) Eliminate any added oil.
YES (didn’t eat out this week, so was easier to control)

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.
NO, I have been overindulging on watermelon after my meals. They have been so good right now. But one positive, it could be cake and ice cream!! Trying to still learn this concept.

10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
YES, playing pickleball and LOTS OF STEPS!!!! Walk to the mailbox almost daily. And it is a 4 mile round trip.

Victories,Comments,Concerns, Questions: Had a good week. I’m feeling great and the scales are moving in the right direction. Still keeping it simple, and eat LOTS of potatoes. Been working on my “thoughts” and learning how they affect my eating. I realize I eat quite a bit while cooking my meals just by nibbling and snacking. I have caught myself several times as I am putting something in my mouth. So, that is an ongoing learning process.

Appreciate all of you, and grateful for my health and being able to hang out in this beautiful summer scenery. Saw Big horn sheep this week, and a huge horned buck running through the woods this morning. Have a great July everyone.

[wildgoose]

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

My replies and the weekly summary will follow.

[wildgoose]

BambiS — Glad to see that your husband is joining you on the program! The health-promoting aspects of this way of eating will support whatever treatments he is getting. Having a partner on the journey will be good for both of you.

Congratulations on your upcoming retirement. That last countdown is exciting. Although be prepared to have what you think will be "way more time" not quite materialize -- at least that's how it worked for me. I wonder now how I ever had time to go to work!

The use of stevia, along with other sweeteners, has been discussed by Jeff here and here. A small amount (less than 100 calories/day) of added sugar (including stevia) usually isn't a problem. But if you find yourself using more, or increasing the amount you use over time, or eating more in general, you might want to give some thought to the role of added sweeteners in your plan.

Rebecka22 — Congratulations on all the YESes! I think you're evaluating your behavioral issues pretty well. It's easy to get into the mentality of "what the heck, I've blown my perfect record, so I might as well eat what I want for the rest of the week." Goal-based days instead of weeks sounds like a great strategy to me. That will make it easier to get back on track, and it will stave off the disappointment of not meeting a weekly goal because of one problematic day.

I'm glad that you're getting better at being more in control of your behavior. Turning MWL into "more and more of a natural choice" is exactly what we're going for. Time and adherence makes that happen.

Yay for summer vacation!

Ejg — Getting more in tune with your behavior on #9 sounds like it's paying off. If you're really hungry for a big salad, you're probably really hungry. I'd caution you not to get to the point where you're so ravenous that you want to eat everything in sight -- which leads to stuffing yourself -- but it looks like you have a good handle on where the "sweet spot" of hunger and fullness is for you.

Good strategy for your next date! Hope it leads to many more successful dates and enjoyable meals.

trueunity — Very impressive checklist! You've made a lot of progress in the past few weeks, and your joyful report shows it.

I think you've found one of the keys to this way of life. Your body wants to feel the way it feels when you're following the prescribed behaviors.

On black coffee: Unless you need to avoid coffee for another reason (I can't take the caffeine, for example), black coffee is fine. But that oatmilk creamer may become an issue at some point. You're looking at 100 calories for 4 cups of coffee, which is 5% of your total calories if you're averaging 2000 calories/day (not that we count calories, but added elements like the creamer can make a difference, so I point it out this way). It may be just fine, but if you find yourself stalling, especially if you're close to your goal, it may be something to look at in the future.

VegSeekingFit — Great that you're enjoying repeating simple meals without getting bored. It's so much easier, especially in the summer, to have quick, go-to food that you can count on. Repeating the same thing means you get really good at preparing that meal just the way you like it!

Ouch, sorry to hear about your pickleball mishap. Considering I have a habit of tumbling beak-over-tailfeathers when I try to move backwards quickly, I can totally understand.

Very thoughtful analysis of the question of long-term adherence. One strategy that you pointed our as something that works for you is part of the reason this group works well in general: "Assess and review progress including options to better handle any lapses and test them out – if they don’t work, try… try again with another approach, ask for help if you run out of ideas."

And of course, "Love what I eat – eat what I love (compliant stuff!)"

Gimmelean — Look at all those YESes! Excellent job. I agree, it's easier to eat lighter in the summer. And yes, success definitely begets more success -- it's why the whole concept of "Time and Adherence" is such a good one.

You have a point -- "most people would rather die than change their food choices." People want a quick fix. A pill or a procedure rather than a process. A beginning and an end (an end, after which people can return to their original lifestyle but maintain their weight loss). The question about long-term adherence reflects the questioner's despair of ever staying on track permanently in the modern world.

Interesting that you include "the joy of missing out" as something that works, and "the fear of missing out" as something that doesn't work. Two ways of looking at the same issue. It emphasizes what you say earlier: "Whether you say you can or you can’t, chances are you’re right." A lot of this process is adapting the way you approach the checklist, based in part on your personality and your circumstances, but also based on a simple willingness to believe that you can do it.

Hjklost55 - Lots of potatoes are a good way to get lots of YESes. It looks like many of our group are going with simple meals and less variety. That works for me as well.

If you're going to stuff yourself, you can overeat on lots worse things than watermelon! It's hard to resist this time of year. Far better than cake and ice cream, indeed!

Nibbling and snacking can turn into a problem, so it's good that you're recognizing it. Tasting while cooking is one thing, but nibbling your way through part of the meal as you cook is something else. Do you have a strategy for how you might improve here?

A 4-mile walk to the mailbox is a great way to get your moderate exercise in. I'm a firm believer in exercise with a purpose -- get movement and activity in while doing something else or going somewhere.

**********

All the best wishes to everyone in the group for a successful upcoming week. Hope Mark is enjoying his well-deserved vacation.

July is upon us, with a long weekend for some and a holiday for those in the US. I'm looking forward to neighborhood fireworks and simple food. The July group thread will be up soon, and Mark will be back with us for next week's checkin.

Goose