Oona's Ogham

[OOnaOwl]

I am still here! Back on track the past few days. Last week I went on a seashore holiday with my Mom, and ate off plan for most meals. Getting serious about it once again now that I can focus in my home environment. Yesterday's meals were:
Breakfast: Oats with strawberries & bananas splash of coconut milk
Lunch/Dinner: Brown rice sautéed with dinosaur kale, tofu, chickpeas, mushrooms and avocado.
Considering doing a Mary's Mini for a few days or longer.
Think I would do my usual oats and fruit for breakfast, with my lunch/dinner grain as brown rice & mixed greens & small amount of beans. I need to go check if this qualifies as I am not sure. Still have the same weight to lose, but already less puffy now that I am back from holiday and eating on plan again. Choosing anew!

[OOnaOwl]

Going to try a Mary's Mini starting today. Using brown rice as my base food. Going to the store to get more rice, veggies and fruit. Hoping to stay on it until Friday the 5th at least.

[OOnaOwl]

Wow my willpower is seriously lacking! I am fully owning up to my "too many exceptions" for high fat plant foods-even though it was small amounts it added up to no weight lost. So last night I resisted my favorite pizza down the street when my boyfriend had to get a slice. I sat there with him while he ate and it and thought about how much I would like a slice but I did not indulge. But today was supposed to do a Mary's Mini that has now morphed into mostly MWLP. Found myself at lunch water sautéing too many veggies and adding a couple spoonfuls of black beans into it with the brown rice. I didn't have everything I needed for lunch because a meeting this morning ran until 2pm and I was too hungry to go forage. Yeah, cheating already on Day One....sigh......This leads me to consider my personality since childhood of never really being the best rule-follower. Always been a bit of a rebel, abeit a quiet one . So, when I look at the goal I wish to accomplish: 20 pounds of weight loss & improved health/energy, I think perhaps this hybrid-bastard version of the two might get me there just the same. It is still better than I was doing by quite a lot. Far too early to tell if it is yet successful, so the results will speak for themselves-as my lack of results did to lead me to these truths and changes. This morning I weighed 18.8 pounds over my goal weight. I will take measurements this week too. In this way through numbers and this blog I aim to stay accountable to my choices, actions & goals.

[OOnaOwl]

I had more interesting, varied dreams the past two nights. This lets me know I am on a good path! I practice Robert Moss' dream teachings both personally and professionally, so dreams are very important to me. Here is what I ate yesterday:
B: Oats with strawberries and banana, cinnamon. Tea.
L: Big bowl of water sautéed mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, parsley, mixed greens, brown rice & a couple spoonfuls of black beans.
D: Mixed greens with sliced strawberry on top, 2 raw carrots, bowl of brown rice with bragg's aminos drizzled on top.

I found that I was pretty happy eating this MWLP-compliant food. I was just happy to eat to satiety and be eating healthy. I did think about all the other things I would have added to it such as avocado or almond cheese etc. But I reminded myself that I will still be able to eat those things at a later date. I reminded myself of my goals.

Going to keep the menu simple like this. Not in a place to be making elaborate time consuming dishes. I feel calm & confident that I can follow the MWLP this time at last Scale read down one pound this morning too.

[OOnaOwl]

Day 3 of my Version 2 MWL journey .
Staying true to the menu so far with only exceptions being a cup of tea with breakfast and one adult beverage in the evening.
Already looking & feeling a bit slimmer. Sleep is a bit more restful too! Got loads of cooked brown rice, raw veggies and beans waiting in the fridge. Some organic berries and apples too. In this to win it this time! No more self delusion or excuses.

[OOnaOwl]

Hi Oona. I just read your journal. Congratulations on the weight loss and getting willing. Your food sounds good. Enjoy.

Thanks LynnCS
Only down a pound or two at most so far. Still on track, determined to do this right! Thanks for stopping in. I am shocked at how hard this has been for me considering my health food past. No oil and no fats has been the hardest part by far. Now that I am finally owning up to that and cut them out I hope I begin to succeed. Bless!

[OOnaOwl]

Day 6 of V. 2 MWL.
Still on course! Turned down fried cheese curds waved in my face last night at a restaurant. As long as I am home I am not tempted by off plan foods, but I cannot stay home all the time! I may be down a pound or two, the scales confuse me so. Today ends my first week. I have a terrible migraine, 2nd one this week. Energy very low and in no condition to exercise, but I did get in 2 runs earlier in the week. Hoping I am better tomorrow. Tomorrow I am going on an evening bike ride if my head is better.

[OOnaOwl]

Day 9 on MWL.
Trying just potatoes as my main starch today & it is not working for me at all. Keep eating more and more of them (completely plain, baked whole) and it is not even touching my hunger. So, back to rice for me tomorrow (or possibly even tonight!). Well, now I know. I got organic gold potatoes and they are very delicious baked and plain but just not filling me up even halfway. I have remained on the plan & will continue to do so until I have gotten to the weight I desire. Guessing it will take about half the summer or so, but I really have no idea at all. Once I get there I will go on the regular McDougall plan. Sleeping more soundly and have more energy late at night. Also dreams are more varied & vivid, all welcome changes!

[OOnaOwl]

Day 13.
Had a minor slip up last night with a plate of French fries at a pub. I do fine when I am at home with minimal temptations and a kitchen full of my healthy choices (boyfriend eats SAD). I did fine at various pubs and restaurants the past few weeks. I think what happened last night was I was a bit hungry & caved in. I did look at the menu for healthy options but there were none. I didn't order the fries but a friend offered me some of hers. So I ate some. I was surprised I didn't feel sick either last night or today, thought I would after weeks with no oil. Anyway, back to eating MWL today. Still no weight lost. I may have even gained a 1/2 inch in my waist?! Next week I go remote camping and I have very little confidence that I will be able to eat MWL. I am trying now to come up with solutions but there are many unknown factors such as if we will even be able to cook food at all, very little cold storage etc. Luckily it is only for 3 days so if I cannot pull it off I will be back on plan the day after. I can do oatmeal packets and bananas for breakfast, will bring rice cakes. Cans of beans I guess? At least I still have a week to sort it out as best I can.

[OOnaOwl]

I am back again, over a year later & a bit heavier. I have been trying out different ways of eating, and now I am back to this after realizing it is what works best for me to feel & look well. It seems so strange, because I ate this way for over a decade before the past few years. Many things contributed to my trying other ways of eating, both internal & external influences were involved. Anyway, I am back now. Eating this way again as of this week. Feeling more grounded already, hoping to feel & look better by my December birthday-or at least the new calendar year. Todays meals have consisted of a blended salad drink (like homemade V8), oat bran, brown rice with tofu & black beans, & delicata squash so far. I think if I still have an appetite in an hour or so I will have a salad. Tomorrow I will snack on raw veggies and hummus in addition to the leftover brown rice, squash & beans. Breakfast will be oat bran with fruit. I am humbled, I am heavier- but not for long I hope!

[OOnaOwl]

Today I am doing well so far. Breakfast was overnight oat bran with plant milk, blueberries and banana. Lunch was brown rice with a bit of tofu and corn & peas. Dinner will probably be mashed potatoes with gravy and salad. My appetite is less today, and no weight has been lost yet. I went for a run today, second one this week. Wednesday is my weekly hillwalking session with a friend. Looking back over my posts here I don't see any success with losing weight with this woe, so that is discouraging. I know I am menopausal but I was thin all my life. I want to stay under 110 which would still be extra weight than my usual weight, but not too much extra which is the present case. I am "only" 15 pounds overweight, but it feels very uncomfortable. Anyway, I don't want to dwell on that but it is a major concern.

[OOnaOwl]

Well, I already had 2 days that I fell back into recent patterns of indulgence. However, I am back again to this path as of today. Oats & fruit for breakfast, brown rice, beans and vegetables for lunch. Dinner will be mashed potatoes & leftover bean & vegetable stew that I made last night for dinner. I have a fully stocked fridge & pantry full of nothing but plant foods, and have the weekend's meals planned out in my head. Since I am only cooking for one, I find it easiest to make a dish large enough for two days of lunches and dinners one night. It minimizes my time and energy spent in kitchen & also meal planning. So, last nights dinner which was also todays lunch was red lentil, shitake mushroom & mixed vegetable stew over brown rice. Tomorrow I will make split pea, Portobello mushroom and vegetables stew to also put over brown rice, quinoa or potatoes. I enjoy eating peasant type food. The simplicity of it is a major part of it's appeal to me. Also, it greatly reduces my anxiety about "what will I eat & when?" which can consume my mental space too much otherwise. No weight lost yet, not even a half pound. But I feel more calm and clear inside.

[OOnaOwl]

Yeah! I am down a whole pound at least! Also, last night's dinner was mashed potatoes (4 small to medium sized organic yellow potatoes) boiled in water with frozen peas on top. I made a cheese sauce of nutritional yeast with almond milk and bragg's aminos to pour over it. I also added some salt free oil free herb seasoning spice mix. (by simply organics I think?). It was delicious and super filling, kept me full all night long. I just ate a big bowl of oatmeal with banana, blueberries and almond milk, seasoned with pumpkin spice mix. I am super thrilled to be losing weight! I am only about 1/15th of the way there but it is still very encouraging. Will be going for a run this afternoon.

[OOnaOwl]

Staying the course. I had another slip up for one meal out with a friend. We had planned to go to a low fat whole food vegan place but they were closed, so we went for indian food instead. It was vegan but very oily & I ate it anyway. Oh well! Every meal I have had before and since my last post has been on plan with that exception. Today's meals so far:
B: Oats with raspberries, banana, cinnamon & unsweetened almond milk
L: Shredded breakfast potatoes with salt and hot sauce
D: Bowl of leftover lentil vegetable stew
Dessert will be chickpea crepes with banana & maybe a small spoonful of tahini. If I am even hungry!
I may have lost another 1/2 pound, not sure yet. I am eating as much as I want for every meal, not trying to minimize portions at all. So I imagine loss will happen more slowly over months.

[OOnaOwl]

Today's meals as follows:
B: Oats with raspberries, banana, almond milk, cinnamon & a teaspoon of tahini.
L: Leftover lentil vegetable stew
D: Oven fries (yam & golden potato) & veggie patties.
I also took a 3 mile hill walk in the rain with a friend.
I haven't weighed myself for a couple of days. I usually weigh every day, it helps me stay on track. I finished off the veggie patties tonight that were in the freezer. I will look for ones that are more McDougall friendly, those had oil and were processed a fair bit. I need to buy some ketchup that is healthy for oven fries. I am feeling better still, and my energy is increasing. I also look less puffy. Tomorrow I will be making split pea Portobello mushroom veggie stew. I watched a recipe tonight on YT for baked cauliflower that looked really good. I think I might try that someday soon. I also want to make a special bread for Samhain.