Ok, so I fell off the wagon (as mentioned in a previous post) during our vacation and have struggled to stabilize. In just two weeks I gained 7 pounds! I didn't even know I could gain that much in such a short time. So this last week I managed to stick to a vegan diet and have already lost 2 of the 7 pounds I gained. I haven't changed the ticker because I stubbornly want to get back to the "mark" on it and then move it down as I go along. My blood pressure has also risen along with the poor food choices I've made and I'm realizing yet again that I simply can't eat SAD and get away with it.
There are a couple of great posts on the Testimonials thread if you haven't already seen them - Fran's and Josh's.
We're having strange windy, cool, thunder and lightning storm weather here in mid-July. I've enjoyed it and have been gardening every day. Early this morning I planted a Shasta daisy and a new dahlia tuber that a friend gave me which is called Wicked Willie. Funny.
Exercise today: Strength train. Go for a walk.
Food today: slice of bread, coffee.
Lunch: Cold Asian noodle salad with cashews; two apricots
Snack: small coffee; homemade banana bread
Dinner: Thai vegetable/tofu soup served with brown rice.
The index card thing isn't working for me because I keep changing it up. Spontaneity seems to be a better fit for me, but it presents something of a puzzle because menu planning seems to be very important to success with McDougalling. As I've written about previously, the one guideline that truly has worked for me is being vegan. Since I don't tend to be a junk food vegan, I do gradually lose weight eating vegan and my bp comes down. The trick, of course, is sticking with it. I do plan to work on eating oatmeal with fruit for breakfast as a habit. If I can establish that pattern, it may help "anchor" meals for each day. Certainly it would be starting each day off right.
I'm reading an entertaining book titled WILD by Cheryl Strayed. It's not for the prim and proper. That said, it's a great vicarious read about one woman's solo hike of part of the Pacific Crest Trail. I think it's still in hardcover so I put it on hold in our local library and waited a couple months to get it.
That's all for now!
"The program is essentially cost and risk free." ~ Dr. John McDougall