McDougall "Checking-in" Maintenance Support Group

Share your McDougall successes here in order to inspire others.

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Re: McDougall "Checking-in" Maintenance Support Group

Postby Ejeff » Sun Apr 24, 2022 7:09 am

The warmer spring weather sure is nice. I was able to try Pickleball yesterday and the arm/shoulder held up okay. I will need to keep up with the exercises and not over do it. I made pumpkin oat pancakes yesterday they are quick and tasty. Today I’m planning to make Jeff’s curry sweet potato burgers using pumpkin instead of sweet potato.

I have done well this week starting many meals with a simple soup. A couple onions, garlic, ginger, insides of the celery, carrots, brussel sprouts and bay leaves. Lots of oregano. At the end I stirred in frozen peas. This is a very healthy soup. I should make this soup every week. :-D

Another “trick” I’ve been doing to get in more veggies is adding riced cauliflower to oatmeal. I really love steel cut outs and once stirred in I cannot even tell the cauliflower is in the dish. It’s a good way to make that a 50/50 veggie/starch meal.

Not sure about the others on maintenance, but each day I read the posts from all threads. It just part of how I start my day. I find the maximum weight loss thread excellent in that following others stories and tips and tricks keeps me motivated to stay the course. Mark always does such a fantastic job of highlighting success and stepping through ways to improve. Because the stories are current and depict what people are actually living and feeling day to day, it’s easy to relate to what I experience myself. I’m always cheering people on as I read their stories.

And thanks to everyone on this thread who shares their week to week stories. It’s good to have plant based friends to share with. Hope everyone has a great week!

Erin
"The more disciplined your environment is, the less disciplined you need to be. Don't swim upstream."
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Re: McDougall "Checking-in" Maintenance Support Group

Postby Daydream » Thu May 12, 2022 2:05 pm

Erin, your soup sounds good. Did you buy some barley yet? I recently purchased and cooked some hulled barley. I like hulled barley more than hulless barley but brown rice is still my favorite whole grain.

When I make soups, I've been adding a tiny bit of Better Than Bouillon ORGANIC Vegetable Base (Reduced Sodium). I buy the "organic" version so that it's oil-free because the version that is not organic has oil in it.

I also enjoy reading the Maximum Weight Loss thread and I agree that Mark does a fantastic job there. I still eat MWL food nearly all the time except for Christmas when I make vegan lasagna.

I have tried adding riced cauliflower to oatmeal too. The first time I did it, I used 50% oats and 50% riced cauliflower. I could taste the cauliflower a bit, but it wasn't bad. When/if I make it again, I will use slightly less cauliflower than oats so that I don't taste the cauliflower (about 60% oats and 40% riced cauliflower.

During the week when I babysit my 3 year old grandson we go on neighborhood walks together and he loves that. I've been teaching him the names of various flowers and trees that we see on our walk.
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Re: McDougall "Checking-in" Maintenance Support Group

Postby Ejeff » Fri May 13, 2022 6:48 am

Hi Daydream. No I didn’t get barely yet, I used up the pot barley I had on hand and I do enjoy the texture of that grain. I will always love brown rice too. That’s so nice you are teaching your grandson on the walks. They are like little sponges wanting to learn and what a nice way to make memories together. My little grandson is 5 months now and just learned it’s fun to roll over. Soon he will be crawling everywhere.

This week my daughter ordered one of those meal kits. It was a rice and falafel meal and so tasty. The spices were Moroccan so I’m going to try and duplicate the flavour. How easy to add some nice spices to rice and make the meal super tasty. I need to rotate spices more to keep things interesting.

I agree a 60/40 oats/cauliflower is a good ratio. I forgot to add it the last couple times I’ve made oats so need to get back to that.

I picked up the virus that’s been circulating everywhere, it was both a cold and stomach upset at the same time. All better now and back to normal eating.

Erin
"The more disciplined your environment is, the less disciplined you need to be. Don't swim upstream."
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Re: McDougall "Checking-in" Maintenance Support Group

Postby Ejeff » Fri May 20, 2022 9:54 am

I baked a little this week some banana muffins from Chef AJ that are supposed to taste like cinnamon buns. They are pretty good. And a Vegan8 brownie recipe very tasty, but definitely a treat and not every week. I made the red lentil soup again it’s such a nice recipe. When I made the cinnamon buns you are supposed to frost them with an icing made from Hanna yam. I thought I had bought a Hanna yam, but it wasn’t it was orange inside. So instead I’m adding this icing to oats. Very tasty that way. :) I never waste food just repurpose it lol.

Had a meal out this week. It was so salty it was almost not edible, so I brought the leftovers home and added more to the dish. After 7 years eating this way I still struggle with eating out. I guess struggle isn’t quite the right word, I could easily stay 100% compliant, but I try to keep ordering simple. I justify it in my mind because I eat out so rarely.

Hope everyone has had a good week!

Erin
"The more disciplined your environment is, the less disciplined you need to be. Don't swim upstream."
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Re: McDougall "Checking-in" Maintenance Support Group

Postby Daydream » Fri May 20, 2022 2:41 pm

Erin, ah I'm sorry you had the virus but glad to hear you are well again. Enjoy your 5 month old grandson! It's so much fun seeing our grandsons go through all their stages of development.

What company did your daughter order the meal kit from? I really like falafels but they are a lot of work to make.

I used to love going to a restaurant to eat (before I started eating the McDougall diet) but now I hate going out to eat because there is hardly anything appealing that is compliant at restaurants. The last time my husband and I went to a restaurant to have lunch with our youngest son and his fiancé, the only thing compliant on the entire menu that I could eat was a salad and the salad was only iceberg lettuce with one small slice of tomato--gah!!
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Re: McDougall "Checking-in" Maintenance Support Group

Postby Ejeff » Sat May 21, 2022 8:29 am

Thanks Daydream, babies sure are fun!

The food company was called Hello Fresh. If you can find a first time order coupon there would be some savings also.

You have reminded me I have a pretty good recipe for falafels, I agree they take some work. Although if I recall I use the food processor so it’s quite fast. Perhaps I will do a big batch of falafels and freeze them, they would be handy to have on hand. Falafels haven’t been part of my regular rotation, but maybe they should be!

Erin
"The more disciplined your environment is, the less disciplined you need to be. Don't swim upstream."
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Re: McDougall "Checking-in" Maintenance Support Group

Postby Ejeff » Wed Jun 01, 2022 5:51 am

Happy June everyone!

We have been enjoying some wonderful weather, sunny skies and temperatures around 20c, perfect for all outdoor activities. My daughter and I hosted a bridal shower for my youngest this past weekend. It was lots of fun and the bride to be had a good time. The menu was a trip around the world so we had Japanese, Mexican and Italian. Of course the store bought items were all plant based, but definitely had oil. I made cashew based sour cream and refried beans. Originally I was going to just buy a can of refried beans, but I couldn’t bring myself to pay $3 for one small can. So I cooked a batch of pinto beans in the pressure cooker and I’m sure the bag that I got for $3 made the equivalent of 6 to 8 cans. The sushi was a big hit.

I made another large batch of red lentil soup, this time a different recipe which called for cumin and lemon juice. I puréed half the soup. The lemon made it taste so nice and fresh. I also made a quick Chickpea curry (recipe from Plantiful KiKi). It was very good also. I’ve been eating air fried zucchini which I sprinkle with a bit of Mrs. Dash once cooked. Gosh it’s good!

Other than eating haha, I’ve been walking and playing Pickleball. Having some visits with grandbaby too. :-D

Hope the month of June is awesome, I plan to enjoy the sun and the birds as much as possible.

Erin
"The more disciplined your environment is, the less disciplined you need to be. Don't swim upstream."
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Re: McDougall "Checking-in" Maintenance Support Group

Postby Daydream » Thu Jun 09, 2022 1:28 pm

How is everyone doing?

I still continue to eat MWL to maintain my weight and because I love the food. Lately I've been making different soup mixes from AndersonHouseFoods.com because they are so easy but I'm still in search of a "Holy Grail" soup recipe.

I workout regularly. I do a mix of weight lifting (usually with my Margaret Richard DVDs) or I'll do pilates, Barre work or Classical Stretch/Essentrics. My 3 year old grandson begs me to take him for a walk every day so we usually end up walking 1.5 to 2 miles. He has been learning the names of various flowers, trees and shrubs that we see on our walk. I can take a picture of a flower and my iPhone will identify it's name so we are both learning.

Erin, good idea about making a bunch of falafels (or Jeff's burgers) and freezing them. Like you, I don't drink alcohol. I never liked the taste and it gives me a headache and interferes with my sleep so it was something I always avoided. My husband doesn't drink alcohol either--we have saved tons of money over the years from not buying alcohol!
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Re: McDougall "Checking-in" Maintenance Support Group

Postby Ejeff » Fri Jun 10, 2022 7:00 am

Daydream that’s so excellent you are working out regularly with weights. I’m not consistent enough with that, so will try to do better. It sounds like you have such fun with your grandson. How great to have a little walking buddy! When my little guy gets older, I hope he enjoys walking with me. :-D

All is well with me. We had another family birthday dinner so I spent more time in the kitchen than usual. Made mushroom beef dips, everyone quite enjoyed them. Used Brand New Vegans recipe. Also made a cashew horseradish mayo that went so fast, will need to double the amount next time. Dessert was fruit pizza, not oil free.

I’ve been working on the MWL rule of eating only when hungry and stopping when full. I came to the realization that I often overeat as I’m trying to finish off food in the fridge. So I’ve been better at freezing more stuff and also just not serving so much to start with.

It’s rhubarb time so I’m planning to make a red lentil rhubarb stew this week. I also made a big pan of oats and rhubarb with some blended dates to sweeten. It’s a nice heavy baked oatmeal and I’ve frozen most into serving size portions. I got a large basil plant and it’s really awesome in pasta or just on top of tomato slices.

I’ve been getting my walking in and Pickleball. I finally got a cortisone shot in right shoulder so hopefully I can do more physio soon and regain full mobility. Then I can get back to some light weights. I would definitely like to get stronger.

Have a great week!

Erin
"The more disciplined your environment is, the less disciplined you need to be. Don't swim upstream."
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Re: McDougall "Checking-in" Maintenance Support Group

Postby Suey51 » Fri Jul 22, 2022 12:38 am

Hi everyone!

Sorry for the lengthy absence from this thread. I’ve got out of the habit of checking the forum recently. I’ve enjoyed reading the posts and hearing all your news. Since my last post in April my weight is down by a pound so I’m 4 pounds above goal weight. My weight loss buddy and I failed in our 5 week challenge but are keeping in touch and encouraging each other. It does provide some extra accountability, but clearly not enough :eek: ! We follow different diets so that can be a distraction.

Erin – your recipes sound good! Haven’t heard of mushroom beef dip or red lentil rhubarb stew so will investigate those. Sorry to hear you had a virus and glad you’re feeling better now. How’s your shoulder after the cortisone shot? Enjoy your time with your young grandson. You mention hosting a bridal shower for your youngest – has she now got married?
Daydream – I love that you are teaching your grandson the names of flowers and trees on your walks. Your mix of workouts sound good.

I haven’t felt like cooking much this past month so I’ve kept things simple – salads, rice and vegetables or pasta with veggies and shop bought tomato sauce. I recently purchased an air fryer as they were reduced on Amazon Prime Day. Its been very interesting to see how much quicker it is for baked potato wedges or roast cauliflower compared with our main oven. Also, it doesn’t seem to leak heat into the kitchen which has been a blessing in the recent hot weather. Hoping this translates into lower electricity usage :-D The weather has cooled down again so I plan to make some batches of tomato sauce and soup for the freezer so I have more options for quick meals.

Next month it’ll be 3 years without alcohol and that has been a massive life change for me. I’m not tempted to drink but am still learning how to deal with strong emotions without reaching for the richest food in the house or seeking escape in a TV binge.

My husband recently had a health assessment and the results were good, except his cholesterol and his fat to muscle ratio were a little higher than previously. I’d been trying to gently nudge him to eating closer to McDougall Program, but I think the health assessment numbers are more persuasive! He also read the recent Dr McDougall email about coffee and has cut down to one cup a day.

When in Spain I was swimming every day which I really enjoyed and was able to practice my technique. We’ve been back in the UK for a few weeks and I miss that. Also have paused running for now due to a niggly ankle, possible tendonitis. Have an appointment with a physio in a few weeks and in the meantime am continuing to walk, doing some gentle yoga and using some pain relief gel. Am enjoying leading health walks, a couple of sewing projects and spending time with friends and family :-D

Best wishes, Sue
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Re: McDougall "Checking-in" Maintenance Support Group

Postby Ejeff » Tue Jul 26, 2022 8:12 am

Hi Sue. Sounds like you are doing great. Yes, my youngest daughter got married 10 days ago. It was a lovely wedding and we had perfect weather. The cortisone shot did help a lot. I still have weakness and not quite full mobility in the right shoulder/arm, but I think that’s improving with time. Glad you are enjoying your air fryer, it is super quick for potatoes. I like to do mushrooms in it also. That’s good your hubby is willing to make some adjustments based in his latest numbers. Excellent on the no alcohol. It’s been just over 1.5 years for me and I feel the same way. I don’t need it so why have it. I do enjoy the occasional zero alcohol beer. What type of drink do you order when out? Do you stick with water? Hope your ankle heals quickly!

Erin
"The more disciplined your environment is, the less disciplined you need to be. Don't swim upstream."
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Re: McDougall "Checking-in" Maintenance Support Group

Postby Suey51 » Thu Jul 28, 2022 12:25 am

Thanks Erin! Glad the wedding went well and that the cortisone shot has helped your shoulder :-D

Haven't tried mushrooms in the air fryer - do you leave them whole? Do you use any seasonings?

Well done on the no alcohol. Yes I agree. Like you, I enjoy the occasional alcohol free beer. If we're out for a meal, I'll sometimes have an AF beer, or just stick to water. I love an ice cold soda water with a big squeeze of fresh lime and have found some AF prosecco which is nice for a special occasion. I've tried one or two of the AF spirits but wouldn't bother buying them. At home, I'm trying to drink more water as I tend to default to 'normal' tea (in my case decaff black tea with almond milk). First thing in the morning, I've started having a glass of water while I boil the kettle (trying to build this as a habit!) and making green tea. I'm saving my cups of 'normal' tea for later in the day or when I'm out and about and switching to herbal tea late afternoon.

How about you? What are your usual drinks at home or when you're out?

I saw a physical therapist this week about my ankle and he's taken me through some massage, stretching and strength exercises. I've also done a couple of fairly gentle yoga classes. He's suggested cutting back on running distance so I'm going to try that. He also suggested reducing my speed but I run so slowly that that would mean I was walking haha! :lol: My hope/plan is to be able to run for the next 40 years or so, so there's no rush! I re-read Ruth Heidrich's book 'Lifelong Running' this year and she's a real inspiration! :D

Best wishes, Sue
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Re: McDougall "Checking-in" Maintenance Support Group

Postby Suey51 » Thu Jul 28, 2022 1:17 am

Erin - after writing that post I've found your journal! (Sorry, I really am behind on the forums :shock: ) It was great to find out more about your story :D I also like Earl Grey tea and recently discovered an organic Earl Grey flavoured Rooibos tea, so it's naturally caffeine free!
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Re: McDougall "Checking-in" Maintenance Support Group

Postby Daydream » Thu Jul 28, 2022 6:59 am

Erin, I'm so happy that your daughter's wedding went perfectly. Our younger son will be getting married later this year and I hope the wedding will be as beautiful as your daughter's was.

I think Pickleball is excellent exercise. Good for you for your devotion to that sport.

Sue and Erin, I have an air fryer but I don't use it that much. My husband and I love baked button mushrooms. I'll bake 2 big trays of whole button mushrooms at 400 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes and they come out perfectly. Since I bake so many mushrooms at one time, it's better for me to use the oven since they wouldn't all fit in my air fryer.
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Re: McDougall "Checking-in" Maintenance Support Group

Postby Ejeff » Thu Jul 28, 2022 7:20 am

Sue, that’s exactly what I do, as I’m waiting for kettle I always drink down a glass of water. I normally have herbal tea a couple cups in the morning and then one in the afternoon sometimes. When out I will have water, herbal tea or AF beer. Decaf coffee sometimes. When I airfry mushrooms I cut them in half or quarter them depending how large they are. It doesn’t take very long so keep a close eye on them as better undercooked than all shrivelled up. I don’t put any seasonings as I usually toss them into my salad after. Warms salads with my starch mixed in are still my favourite almost everyday lunch. Glad you were able to get some good advice from the therapist. I have just recently started to jog also. I will try and get that book from the library as who can’t use more inspiration. :-D

Daydream, great idea to bake the mushrooms. I will have to try that, although I usually just cook for myself. I’m sure I could eat a lot of mushrooms lol!

Erin
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