JANUARY 2021 Maintenance Thread

Share your McDougall successes here in order to inspire others.

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JANUARY 2021 Maintenance Thread

Postby Lyndzie » Fri Jan 01, 2021 9:23 pm

Welcome to the McDougall Maintenance support group! Let’s join together for support and camaraderie while we strive to maintain our successes.

Many of us have lost weight and/or reached other health goals. We’re ready for that next chapter, maintaining the gains we’ve accomplished.

This group will have Friday check ins, where everyone can touch base. Weigh-ins are optional, and will not be tracked. Please feel free to share your non-scale victories (NSV) as well.

In order to foster group participation, we do ask that only participants post, so please do join! You can join at any time simply by hitting the “post reply” button and saying something along the lines of “I’d like to join.” As they say, the more, the merrier.


Hello everyone!

We’ve made it! 2020 is in the rearview mirror, and the future is looking bright. We’ve survived a year of pandemic. Multiple vaccines are available to help us get back to a world where we can hug our parents and eat in restaurants. We are so close!

This year, instead of traditional resolutions to change something about myself, I am setting goals in four different areas: mental health, financial wellbeing, physical health and intellectual stimulation. For physical health, making exercise a regular part of my week and keeping a healthy food environment are goals for this year, in addition to the usual eating right and maintaining a healthy weight.

What are your health goals for this year?

The first check-in of the year is today, Friday, January 1st, 2021.

Stay safe, wear a mask, wash hands and eat starch,
Lindsey
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Re: JANUARY 2021 Maintenance Thread

Postby Ejeff » Sat Jan 02, 2021 11:30 am

Lindsey, your goals of exercise and a healthy environment are excellent. I always find it’s so much easier to eat healthy if there is nothing in the house to reach for that has oil etc. I agree that chickpea tart could likely be made into a loaf very easily. I believe when I started eating this way, I would have been happy with a weight around 115. The reality is even at 105 I have flab that needs to go in certain areas if you know what I mean. The exercises I do should help tone things up. I also do arm weights twice a week because I want to stay strong enough to lift heavy pots and grocery bags. Maybe twice a week is not enough, but whenever I set goals I like them to be reasonable otherwise I might quit. I would rather do arm exercises twice a week forever than 4 times a week and give up. I have a shoulder issue so I can’t lift too heavy, I make up for that with extra repetitions.

So my health goals are maintain my weight and keep toning with exercise. I have also decided no dairy and no alcohol this year.

Wishing everyone a great 2021!

Erin
"The more disciplined your environment is, the less disciplined you need to be. Don't swim upstream."
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Re: JANUARY 2021 Maintenance Thread

Postby Suey51 » Mon Jan 04, 2021 7:36 am

Happy New Year everyone!

Lindsey - we plan to stay in Spain until the end of March. We had planned to go back to the UK for a week or two in Jan or Feb but that's not really possible at the moment. I like the idea of having goals in those 4 areas. :)

LIndsey/Erin - I'm with you both on hidden dairy and also find hidden oil is tricky when eating away from home. Your health and exercise goals sound good!

My health goals are sticking with the McDougall WOE (and getting closer to 100% compliance) and sticking to no alcohol. Haven't really set an exercise goal but going to continue experimenting under a general intention of 'self care'. On a positive note, my ankle is a lot better so I'm going to start back with a little running :-)

Best wishes, Sue x
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Re: JANUARY 2021 Maintenance Thread

Postby Suey51 » Tue Jan 05, 2021 2:27 am

Lindsey - thank you for continuing to facilitate this thread, particularly in such a difficult year. As you say, with that BMI, the weight gain isn't disastrous and I'm sure you'll get back on track as things settle down a little. You can do this! I'll be cheering you on while attempting to lose a couple of pounds that have crept on over November and December.

Here's to another year of accountability, mutual support and eating starches!
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Re: JANUARY 2021 Maintenance Thread

Postby victw » Fri Jan 08, 2021 8:47 am

Hi all.

I'm at 137.8 - my high weight for the first time in a while.
Travelling was a mixed bag.
Oh - interesting. I guess I had some peaks last summer with cronometer. Anyhoo. My hiking pants are tight.

Travelling. We did the packaged salad bags for lunch when on the road. Supplementing with more veggies.
We splurged at a few restaurants along the way. We also cooked in a few hotel rooms. Hyatt House has full kitchens.
Lots of great hikes. Cascade Caverns and Guadalupe National Park were probably my favorites. We high tailed it out of Big Bend before the storms hit.

I think I should have brought a pressure cooker (ours is small) or a rice cooker. I'm going to learn to make more one-pot meals for traveling. This is my inspiration - from Roger Ebert. It's also been put in book form.
https://www.rogerebert.com/roger-ebert/ ... -to-use-it

My husband is not a fan of one-pot meals. So I'm not getting encouragement. But I think I need to have fewer excuses. And we can't always get a room with a kitchen.

I'm having trouble with the reset. I listed to Doug Lisle with Chef AJ from New Years Day. So far, I haven't been able to think of one thing to change. I have a pretty good set up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9up5SRDI5Bk

I received some lovely saffron for Christmas. I need more ideas for using it. I tried this dish. Which was better than I thought it would be. https://cuesa.org/print/recipe/farro-ri ... nner-beans

I defrosted beans - and will take a stab at this tamale pie. https://www.brandnewvegan.com/recipes/vegan-tamale-pie
Trying to figure out how to add more vegetables but will probably just have them on the side.

Happy New Year.
Vicki
11/1/19 Sloppy - 137.6/21.55
1/1/19 Still maintaining - 134.8/21.11
10/12/18 Maintenance wt - 136.4 BMI 21.36
5/6/18 151.8 lbs 23.8 - Normal. 4/8/18 154.6 lbs BMI 24.2 - Normal. 3/11/18 161 BMI 25.2 Overweight.
3 years staying on plan is the goal.
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Re: JANUARY 2021 Maintenance Thread

Postby Suey51 » Sat Jan 09, 2021 3:18 am

Vicki - thanks for sharing the link to the Dr Lisle/Chef AJ video - haven't seen that yet! Those places look amazing! So tricky staying complaint while travelling. Sounds like you did a good job in the circumstances and have some great ideas for future trips :)

Weight is the same as last week. I'm a couple of pounds over my goal weight (although on different scales) so going to try to lose that. This tends to happen over the winter and when we're in Spain, so I'm not too worried but don't want the trend to continue.... Evening snacking was better this week, but mostly because all meals seemed to shift to later in the day :lol: and food intake was more calorie dense overall so there are some changes I can make this week.

Best wishes to all, Sue x
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Re: JANUARY 2021 Maintenance Thread

Postby Ejeff » Sat Jan 09, 2021 8:27 am

Vicki, your trip sounds very nice. Good for you with sticking as best you can to healthy eating.

Sue, I also have to work on evening snacking. I seem to say that over and over, but I don’t do it lol. One strategy I have tried in the past is just plan an after dinner snack and eat only that. I am going to try that this week. I will even write it down! I’m pretty terrible at taking the plans from my brain and making them concrete. :-D

I had a good week. Ate very simply. I have been focusing more on the 50/50 plates which does increase my veggie intake. The one downfall this week was too much bread. We have been eating only homemade whole wheat bread, but as I’ve had some almost daily it’s too much. I did lose some weight this week so am just above goal weight.

I made some flatbread or pizza crusts with just equal parts sweet potato and oat flour. They are very tasty and I made little pizzas that I cooked in the air fryer. It was nice to not have to heat up the big oven. Also made a batch of Kiki’s cheese sauce and I drizzle that over the top.

We are getting very mild and sunny winter weather so it’s been great walking outside.

Have a good week everyone!

Erin
"The more disciplined your environment is, the less disciplined you need to be. Don't swim upstream."
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Re: JANUARY 2021 Maintenance Thread

Postby victw » Sat Jan 09, 2021 11:48 am

Erin,

I picked up the habit of planning my food the night before after reading about BLE. It has helped me. I'm not religious about it. Although I was a bit horrified this morning to realize that I had forgotten to make a plan today.

I find it helpful to take some of the thinking out of the process. Also, it helps me stay in touch with what's in the fridge/freezer.
Even on our recent road trip - I could see which meals it was going to be easier for me to load up with veggies and which were likely to go haywire.

I recommend giving it a go for 14 days and see if it works for you.

Vicki
11/1/19 Sloppy - 137.6/21.55
1/1/19 Still maintaining - 134.8/21.11
10/12/18 Maintenance wt - 136.4 BMI 21.36
5/6/18 151.8 lbs 23.8 - Normal. 4/8/18 154.6 lbs BMI 24.2 - Normal. 3/11/18 161 BMI 25.2 Overweight.
3 years staying on plan is the goal.
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Re: JANUARY 2021 Maintenance Thread

Postby Lyndzie » Sun Jan 10, 2021 8:09 pm

Erin - Your plan to exercise sounds like just what is needed to make those small changes in appearance. You have a very reasonable outlook on goal setting. Always make sure you set yourself up for success! Homemade bread is so tasty. Glad to hear you have mild weather in your area. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Sue - Enjoy that time in Spain. From the sounds of it, Britain is getting hit pretty hard right now with covid. You have been abstaining from alcohol for quite a while now, how long has it been? Thank you for your kind words! I do appreciate it. I get a lot out of the forums, and wish I had more time to spend here.

Vicki - Eating while traveling has it’s challenges. It sounds like you learned along the way for the next trip! Does paella use saffron? Thanks for posting the tamale pie recipe, it looks delicious. I will check out that video, AJ has had some great people on lately.

My weight is holding steady, which is better than increasing! It’s been a busy start to the year.

Chef AJ has been doing a ton of interviews lately. Much to my delight, the lovely Heather McDougall was recently on. Her perspective as both a parent and person raised in a plant-based family was so encouraging. When parents improve their eating, it’s common for them to wonder what to do with their children. She had a very sensible attitude that can ease a parent’s worries about doing the right thing, and her calm demeanor was so soothing.

Dr. McDougall has some new uploaded videos on his youtube channel. Today the Climate Change Mastermind Event was posted. He has a couple other videos called The Potato is Still a Staple Part One and Part Two.

Enjoy your week everyone!
Lindsey
My food journal: Adventures in Eating
My pregnancy journal: Maybe a Baby 2017
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Re: JANUARY 2021 Maintenance Thread

Postby Suey51 » Mon Jan 11, 2021 7:27 am

Erin - re: evening snacking. That sounds an interesting strategy - pls let us know how it goes! Haha, yes if I looked back at previous posts I'm sure I would also be saying the same thing over and over.... Congrats on a good week. Those flabreads/pizza crusts are a good idea.

Vicki - planning your food the night before sounds good. We were doing a weekly meal plan at various times last year, but its become a bit hit and miss. Perhaps doing it a day at a time is the way to go!

Lindsey - yes, its a horrible situation in Britain at the moment. I've been alcohol free for about 17 months. :-D Thanks for the links to those videos, I'll take a look!
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Re: JANUARY 2021 Maintenance Thread

Postby Daynz1975 » Tue Jan 12, 2021 9:38 pm

Hello everyone,

I'm wondering if I might be able to join this group? I've been following it for a while and thought I would finally take the plunge and comment.

I'm 45 years old and live in New Zealand. My highest weight 5 years ago was 124kg (272 pounds) seen at the Dr's office when I had to have a check up to be eligible for life insurance. I decided then I had to do something so I started calorie counting and lost a lot of weight. I was only eating 1200 calories and was miserable so I did some research and thought if I turned vegan I would get more calories to eat! So I dabbled with veganism for a few months and then happened across Dr McDougall and the Starch Solution. That was just over 3 years ago and as cliche as it is, he changed my life! I progressed from the Starch Solution to the Maximum Weight Loss Plan to speed up my weight loss and managed to get down to 55kg (121 pounds). Unfortunately that was short lived (I only saw that number on the scale once!) and after moving from the country to the city I found the world of vegan junk food. On came the weight!! I was stuck in the Pleasure Trap for 14 months and ended up putting back on roughly 25kg (55 pounds) during that time. I managed to recommit to MWL in October 2019 and have been pretty strict ever since.

At the moment I'm currently sitting around 54kg (118 pounds) but I don't have a goal weight now. I'm trying to let go of the need to lose weight and am just letting my body do it's thing and settle where it wants to.

I'd like to join this group to help keep me accountable and to interact with others who follow this way of eating. I'm also trying not to be a scale monkey (Dr Lisle's term) and so have decided to weigh at the start of every month, 3 days in a row and then take the average. I hope that's okay? I will report in and let you know how my eating is going each week and other things that are going on with my life.

I'm glad to be here (finally)!

Dayna
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Re: JANUARY 2021 Maintenance Thread

Postby JaniceYvonne » Tue Jan 12, 2021 10:00 pm

Dayna, That is an amazing story. Thank You
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Re: JANUARY 2021 Maintenance Thread

Postby Lyndzie » Wed Jan 13, 2021 2:50 pm

Welcome, Dayna! This group is for you to use however you see fit. Weigh as much or as little as you like. Congratulations on the weight loss and keeping it off!

Visiting New Zealand is on my bucket list. It sounds like a wonderful place!
Lindsey
My food journal: Adventures in Eating
My pregnancy journal: Maybe a Baby 2017
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Re: JANUARY 2021 Maintenance Thread

Postby victw » Fri Jan 15, 2021 4:16 pm

My weight was at the lower end of my latest two-pound range. Not the result of better choices. Most likely some dehydration due to the Santa Anna winds that are sucking the moisture out of the air.

I have a drive-through habit that I have not been able to kick. I'm not sure I've tried hard. I can't figure out a behavioral way to change the habit. If I ate clean all the time I'm pretty sure I would be ridiculously small. Hmm - what kind of interesting self-talk is that?

I made oat burgers today. I haven't made them in forever. I used to make them for work. But since Covid I haven't needed them. But I made some beans that weren't my favorites and I was able to remake them into something I like better.

I'm still getting veggies in, and I found some cara cara oranges this week that were lovely. So I'm off to Whole Foods to get more fruit. But lately finding good fruit in any grocery store has been challenging.

Hope all is well with everyone.
Vicki
11/1/19 Sloppy - 137.6/21.55
1/1/19 Still maintaining - 134.8/21.11
10/12/18 Maintenance wt - 136.4 BMI 21.36
5/6/18 151.8 lbs 23.8 - Normal. 4/8/18 154.6 lbs BMI 24.2 - Normal. 3/11/18 161 BMI 25.2 Overweight.
3 years staying on plan is the goal.
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Re: JANUARY 2021 Maintenance Thread

Postby Ejeff » Sat Jan 16, 2021 10:44 am

Welcome Dayna. I love New Zealand, we visited about 36 years ago and plan on another visit when travel opens up again.

Vicki, just curious what type of food/drink tempts you at the drive through? Perhaps if you can plan something to eat once you are home or even in the car as a replacement it will reduce that temptation. On my birthday this week I had gone for a walk with a friend and to treat myself I almost went to Starbucks for a latte. It would have been compliant with non dairy milk, but I decided not to bother and just had my usual herbal tea at home.

My eating was very good this week, made a simple puréed soup from bean water, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, spinach and bay leaves. It was very flavour full and I drank it from a mug as a meal preload several days. That was the good. The bad was hubby made cookies that were far too sweet and tasty and I ate way more than I should have. Showed up on the scale also. Thank goodness they are almost gone. Most things I bake are not very sweet and I don’t use sugar I use dates or raisins. I made orange cranberry muffins with oats and bananas. They are quite good. Recipe is from the Jaroudi family if you want to look it up on YouTube.

I never did write down my plan for snacking, but I did decide if I must snack after dinner it will be only fruit or oats and fruit. That has been working the past few days. Oranges are so delicious.

This week I will cook a rhubarb lentil dish and I’m having a craving for steel cut oats also.

It’s hard to believe how warm it’s been and very sunny also. We are very lucky to be half way through January without a long stretch of very cold. Enjoy your week.

Erin
"The more disciplined your environment is, the less disciplined you need to be. Don't swim upstream."
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