The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - January 2024 Group

[Mark Cooper]

JANUARY 2024 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
Is long time adherence really possible?
Amy's Giant List of Links to Dr. Lisle's Lectures

[Mark Cooper]

2024 is here!

What are your hopes and wishes for this new year? If, on December 31, 2024, you look back over the year, what will you have accomplished? What did you do to get there?

[JaBee]

Hello Mark and group…I have read guidelines, again, and ready to adhere behavorial/habit changes required to achieve healthy weight range. I am returning to the forum after a 3 year absence. In the meantime, I followed the regular Mc Dougall Program and I am now within 15 pounds of desired healthy weight range. I have fluctuated within this range for last 3 months and now need more accountability for better compliance for continued success. Appreciate the feedback and support as well as opportunity to rejoin.

Best Regards,
Jabee

[Mark Cooper]

Hello Mark and group…I have read guidelines, again, and ready to adhere behavorial/habit changes required to achieve healthy weight range. I am returning to the forum after a 3 year absence. In the meantime, I followed the regular Mc Dougall Program and I am now within 15 pounds of desired healthy weight range. I have fluctuated within this range for last 3 months and now need more accountability for better compliance for continued success. Appreciate the feedback and support as well as opportunity to rejoin.

Best Regards,
Jabee

Fantastic to see your post! Congratulations on what you have achieved in practicing the regular McDougall Program. Adhering to the pattern of behavior recommended for MWL should be excellent for continuing your progress. Welcome back!

[BambiS]

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

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 got rid of all temptations out of the house. I’m starting fresh. I got on the scale, ugh, I hadn’t weighed in a while. I’m going to weigh weekly and record it.
On a good note, I went to a winterfest amusement park and walked a lot. I rode a roller coaster in the dark and 30 degrees!

[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

It was a good week for getting back on track. I feel better and like I have a solid plan going into this new year. Reflecting back on last year’s goals, last week I said I met them for MWL. I also met my fitness goals. For MWL my goal was 40/52 weeks with 10/10 reports and I got 41 weeks. For 2024 my goal is in days rather than weeks to try and end my mentality of I’m already getting a no so I’ll restart next week. I am aiming for no more than 36 days for the year with any no’s. My workout goals were very specific last year, I wanted to do at least one Peloton workout every day for at least 365 workouts, I wanted to do 7 cross rope workouts a week, but only Monday through Friday to give my ankles a break from jump roping on the weekend for 365 jump rope workouts and I wanted to run at least 365 miles. In addition I continued to lift weights four days a week. I met all these goals, I did 446 Peloton workouts, 366 cross rope workouts, and ran 383.5 miles. However, by the end of the year I found these goals kind of restricting, so this year I am keeping the Peloton goal and cutting back to at least one jump rope workout every Monday through Friday and I have no specific mile goal. I will of course continue to close my rings every day though. I also felt it was important that I prioritize not just modeling healthy habits for my youngest, but making time to do them together, so a new goal is to run/walk a mile with my five year old three days a week. This time of year that means running after work in the dark, cold, wet Seattle weather, but we’re doing it and having fun. Tonight will be day three. My hope for reflecting back on 2024 is that I will “Make it so” as Mark said last week. I hope everyone’s year is off to a great start!

[JaBee]

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 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

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
Very compliant week. Eating for health with weight loss side effect which is change from prior goal_. No concerns or question so far. So glad to be back in this supportive community!!

[Starflower]

Hi 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 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

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

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 was a good week. Except for some sunflower seed butter and some guacamole, everything was on plan. The guacamole was a decision in order to not worry a quite elderly family member. I would like to get my salt intake lower. I’m working on making some condiments that are salt-free, since commercial condiments are the source of most of it. Onward!


Wishing everyone a wonderful and healthy week!

[rlechols]

Hello Time and Adherence Team!
Glad to be reporting in here today with all of you!

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Yes, 7/7

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, 7/7

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, 7/7.

4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). Yes, 7/7

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
Yes, 7/7
6. Eliminate any added oil. Yes, 7/7

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. 6/7. One day I ate 4 small baked cauliflower wings which have whole wheat bread crumbs. I also ate 2 dates.

8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). 6/7...for New Year's Eve we celebrated with sparkling apple juice. I drank 1 cup.

9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. Yes, 7/7

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). Yes, I got cardio in 5/7 days and strength training 4/7. I purposely take an exercise break on Saturday and Sunday because I work out pretty hard during the week. This week I did 4.5 hours of cardio and about 3 hours of strength training. Most Saturdays I am still active and get my 10k step goal.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

I'm tracking my weight and I'm down 2.5 lbs since last Friday. Journaling is really helping me because if I'm tempted to eat something calorie dense, I honestly don't want to wrote it down, so I skip it. If I'm sincerely hungry I'll find something else to eat. Journaling is also great because I can reflect on my day and decide what I can do better the next day. I can look back and see what I ate. I like checking off boxes for water, nutrients, exercise, etc. It motivates me. I'm pretty happy with my week and would like to mostly do a repeat next week.

I enjoy reading everyone's posts!

[CUgorji22]

Happy New Year to everyone! Cheers to amazing health for all of us in 2024!!

*Guidelines:
1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Not Compliant 

- Non-compliance/reason: I was still getting my bearings after our lengthy holiday vacation. I jumped right in to eating without thinking first. 
- Decision to Adhere: For the rest of the week, I was able to be compliant. I was intentional to think ahead of my starters for each meal. 

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. Compliant 

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. Compliant 

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

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

6. Eliminate any added oil. Compliant 

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. Compliant 

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

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

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). Not Compliant 

- Non-compliance/reason: There was 1 day this week I didn't workout.

- Decision to Adhere: I needed to get back into the routine of scheduling my workouts. I did and was able to workout each day for the remainder of the week. 

*Weight Change: 2.0lb loss*

*SUMMARY/THOUGHTS*
My holiday, family vacation was great in many ways but also challenging. I was sick for the 1st week and about 80% the second week. I was pleasantly surprised that I had a full kitchen, as requested. The first week I barely ate (which I reported) because I was so sick; I ended up wasting food I planned to cook. Ugh! The second week, as more family members joined the trip, the pace picked up...which I didn't account for. I was not able to cook as much as I planned. There was more eating out than I planned for. I was able to stick to many Guidelines but not all of them. It was GREAT to come home to my kitchen and my routine. YAY! This week started off a little rough; I had to get back into the Forum mindset and discipline my mind/habits/behavior. It took about 1 full day of fumbling through but I'm fully back to compliance...and it feels really good! My mind and body actually feel different now that I'm back...in the best way!

Thank you, Mark, and all of you for your support!

-Chesca

[Gimmelean]

MWL Post for week ending 1/5/24

Happy, HEALTHY, New year 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.
Yes.

3) Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.  This includes gourmet sugars and salts too.  If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them.
No. A one day candy dish meltdown day at work.

4) Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish,)
No- some cheese. Will end this now.

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- literally one slice of bread.

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:
Hello MWL Team.
5 yes/5 no last week
7 yes/ 3 no this week
Much better score and inching back to 10 yes answers.

“Mark Cooper’s reply 12/30/23
Gimmelean - I salute your recommitment to the recommended pattern of behavior! I'm sure the ups and downs of the past two weeks feel disruptive, perhaps even discouraging, in contrast to lengthy periods of adherence; those seem like natural reactions to me. However, I know this has traditionally been an extremely challenging time of year for you, and looking back broadly over the past season of the year, it seems fairly solid to me (especially as compared to "letting go" for an extended stretch of time). How would you assess this season and this year vs. years past? Does it feel like progress to you? Progress supersedes perfection, right? Best wishes for an extraordinary New Year!”

Mark, in summary. I hope practice really does make permanent. I didn’t lapse as far as years prior to MWL this season and on my way back to what feels normal and comfortable now. That is amazing progress now that you made me think about it!!!!! Thank you.

[Artista]

1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.  Yes for most meals but sometimes I forget.

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.

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

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:
Really struggling this week but hanging on. If you have time, Mark, I would really like to ask you some questions. Do you still follow all the 10 points of MWL? Do you ever go off of it? Does it still work of you in terms of being easy to follow and an enjoyable way to eat? Do you see positive outcomes in terms of health and wellbeing? Sorry for all the questions. I feel like I need some encouragement from someone who’s been at this a long time. One of the problems I face is falling into the thinking that I need “healthy fats” in my diet. I'm going to keep trying though. To help stay focused I'm going to print out the MWL 10 points and post it on the refrigerator, do some food prep if I have time, start posting what I’m eating to my journal again, and do some reading around the forum from people who have been on this journey a long time. Thank you so much, Mark, and everyone who contributes to this group. I appreciate how hard you all work to accomplish your goals.

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Team Time & Adherence,

Hope everyone is starting off the New Year in an amazing way!!! Here is my week.

1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Mostly – 18/21. I am writing out my PL’s on my day planner. That helps me to REMEMBER to just do it.

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.
I try to do this but maybe I am eating past satiation. I am working with Tiffany (support specialist from McD 12 Day).

10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Yes for 6/7 – took a rest day. Walking, strength training, and pickleball. Went to a NYE party at a brand new PB place and it was amazing!!! My league starts up again this upcoming week. My partner and I are signed up for both intermediate and advanced – we’ll see how that goes!

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

Mark – From last week, bringing a compliant starchy dish to the party worked out well! I am glad that I did set expectations before the event and it was no big deal. Had a wonderful time!

JaBee – A big hi and welcome to the group!

Rebecka- I am inspired by your exercise routine! If I pick up a jump rope this month, it is because I read your comments!!!

Further to Mark’s opening questions on 2024:

For 2024, my intention is to focus on being happy, healthy, and strong. I plan to continue to:
1) Follow McD / MWL checklist
2) Exercise (walk each day, strength train 2-3x / week, play pickleball as much as I can)
3) Connect with family and friends frequently and meaningfully
4) Plan for retirement (various scenarios)
Other than that, I may set short-term goals during the year that align with my overall intention. Right now is my busiest time of the year at work and it makes most sense for me to just keep going (and not add stress or to do’s)!

I did sign up for some events throughout the year that are a mix of exercise and social connection. My goal is to participate and have fun at these activities!
1) My PB partner and I are attending a camp in September with a pro (got almost last slots!)
2) Walk / jog a half marathon with my high school buddy in May (and maybe another in October)
3) Various PB tournaments with partners (also signed up for one where you are solo)

Thanks, Mark for all of your support!! Thanks, everyone for participating! ❤️ that we have this community!

Wishing everyone their best year yet!

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 - My congratulations for the progress you are making! From my perspective, arranging one's environment so it works to support one's goals is an incredibly productive action to take; well done. Wow! Riding a roller coaster in the dark at 30 degrees certainly sounds like an adventure to me!

Rebecka22 - Very nice! I'm happy to know that you are feeling better and have confidence in your plan for starting this year. Fantastic achievement in meeting and surpassing your exercise goals for the past year. I think it is laudable that you are striving to integrate your physical activity into family outings with your young one; please let us know how that progresses. Huzzah!

JaBee - Seems like an excellent start! I think framing your efforts from the perspective of health, rather than an exclusive focus on weight loss is a really helpful and supportive framework. Carry on!

Starflower - Glad this felt like a good week for you! If you are looking for recipes for specific condiments, feel free to let the group know and I imagine we can come up with some variations with no added salt. These posts from wildgoose on sauces/gravies/toppings and ketchup might be a starting point to build upon. Onward, indeed!

rlechols - It appears that you are moving in the right direction, Rachel! I appreciate your observation about how journaling is supporting and reinforcing adherence to the recommended behaviors; much as you describe, I found the process of writing things down produced a strong desire to avoid "exceptions," and being able to reflect on my choices definitely helped me recognize useful patterns. Keep at it!

CUgorji22 - I'm so glad you are feeling better, Chesca, and that your holiday was great in spite of those challenges! You seem to have done a great job getting back on track and settling into a solid routine. I can very much identify with you about how GREAT it feels to come home to our familiar, supportive, and curated environment. Feeling different in the best way - that sounds excellent!

Gimmelean - Happy, healthy New Year to you, too! You've made definite progress in regard to your adherence; keep going and you'll be back to 100% before you know it. I'm pleased to know you are able to appreciate the substantial progress you have made. A self-assessment of adherence to the recommended pattern of behavior serves to direct our efforts, but looking backward to see how far we have traveled has real value, too. Keep heading in the direction of your goals!

Artista - Hang in there, Nancy! Do you feel any particular situation or event served as an "inciting incident" for this experience of struggling? I will do my best to respond to your questions, and feel free to follow up with other questions if they arise.

Do you still follow all the 10 points of MWL?

Yes. At this point, I would say that those behaviors are habitual for me.

Do you ever go off of it?

No, not really. An exception is when I travel by plane, I usually fast during my travel time, just because it makes everything simpler for me (and because I like to stay masked). I wouldn't necessarily recommend that for everyone, as it could lead to binge eating in the wake of the fast, but I feel like I'm experienced enough and it hasn't been a problem for me (so far anyway). Also, when I'm traveling, I might occasionally skip including a preload course for my meals, if my accommodations or situation make that particularly difficult. I REALLY miss my salads on those occasions, though.

Does it still work for you in terms of being easy to follow and an enjoyable way to eat?

Yes. It feels completely routine for me now, and I love my meals (because I eat all the foods I love the most).

Do you see positive outcomes in terms of health and wellbeing?

I do. All my biomarkers are excellent and my BMI stays in a healthy range. That said, it isn't a panacea for me. CRPS/RSD has no known cure at present, and very few proven, effective treatments. Managing my condition requires ongoing, regular, and continuous physical therapy, and some medication. By the same right, I am 100% sure that my diet and lifestyle put me in the best position to live with my disease, and minimize inflammation (which can be a MAJOR issue with CRPS). Please always feel free to ask questions like this, that is what we are here for, right?

One of the problems I face is falling into the thinking that I need “healthy fats” in my diet.

This was something I really used to worry about, too. I spent a year inputting every single thing I ate into CRONometer (yes, that was crazy-making, and NO, I would not recommend it), and I was never lacking in essential fats as measured against Jeff's recommendations. Most of my Omega3 fats come from lettuce, greens, and even strawberries, but they seem to be present, at least in part, in almost everything I eat. I feel confident that in adhering to the recommended behaviors, I am meeting all my nutritional needs.

- Nutrients and the RDA/DRI
The RDA/DRI’s do not always apply to those following a healthy starch based diet. However by following the guidelines, especially starting meals with a soup or salad and the 50/50 guideline, ones diet with be very nutrient dense. In regard to weight, we do not recommend tracking your nutrients. Follow the plan, and the nutrients will be there.

Kudos to you for your perseverance! I think you have outlined an excellent plan to maintain your focus where it will best serve you. This post from wildgoose might offer useful insight and inspiration for your questions, too. Keep doing your best, lean on the group when you need support, and don't forget to treat yourself with kindness and compassion!

VegSeekingFit - Great way to start the year, Stephanie! I'm happy you had a wonderful time at that party! I'm impressed and inspired by the intentions you have set for 2024. Fabulous idea to combine physical activity with social connection. I expect you will be a pro pickleball player before long! Wishing you all the best!