mandybee's journal

[AlicefromBelgium]

Hello Mandybee

Congrats on your day, nice to read.

If you feel like taking a nap, maybe listen to your body and try to take one ? Even if it is only 20 minutes ?

[mandybee]

Thursday 10/22/2020

b: 1 medium potato; 1 pear
l: soup with some brown rice and salad
Snack: soup with a few small potatoes
d: skipped. I think my snack was a little too much

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.
Yes.

3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too.
Yes. I use a little asian hot sauce in my soup since it has 0 salt and about a tsp seriously takes it over the top. I thought I'd have a harder time removing sugar but it turns out I'm a bigger fan of salt than I realized.

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

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados,)
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. I'm eating so much less but feel better. Every day seems a little easier. One big thing I'm doing is doing a small portion of something and just know I can eat my next little meal when I feel hungry again, even if it's 2-3 hours. Also, before I started getting serious on 9, I was feeling a little obsessive about my next meal or snack. Now, I'm sort of eating when I feel like it and just come up with something simple. I keep my fridge stocked with the good stuff so I'm ready to eat shortly.

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily.
Jogged 1 mile, did week 5 KI HIIT arms, 2 rounds, 15 mins. of yoga to stretch it all out. Hope to get in 2-4 miles of walking tonight after work.

I had an epiphany that I've been really systematically overeating. I really overate on Saturday where I felt miserable. I was out and about at a Fall festival with my family which was a really nice event but I didn't feel great and I didn't enjoy it as much as I would have. I felt so sluggish. Absolutely miserable. I had eaten a bunch of steamed vegetables and rice for breakfast hoping to feel full so I wouldn't be tempted by fair food. I ate more than I would have if we had not had plans to be out the whole day.

On Sunday I was thinking about that situation and started doing research about how bad overeating is for you (even if it's done with healthy food). I challenged myself to really take a hard look at #9 this week. I feel like when I first did the starch solution and was insanely successful, I was really serious about portion control and only eating when I was actually hungry.

Somewhere along the way, I started stuffing in the food. I followed 3 YouTubers (who look like how I'd like to look) specifically who did this and had great success. Every body is different, but I was not getting the same result as these YouTubers when I started doing that.

I also think somewhere in the back of my mind I was so concerned about starving myself so I felt like I was eating a bunch extra to ensure I got in enough calories. I'd eat salad for dinner even if I wasn't hungry. Honestly, I'm not sure about that (for me). I feel like if you are not hungry, you must be getting in enough calories. I feel like a huge tip off you are not eating enough calories for your body is literally feeling hungry.

I also think when I was stuffing it in, I almost got in some sort of weird zone where I got lenient with foods not permitted like processed foods (breads/cereals) and fats (nuts). I got to a certain point where I knew I was not following the starch solution to get the best results and while I still ate healthy considering the standard American diet, I was gaining weight and not feeling my best.

Something I noticed while eating this week, I'm not fixated or obsessed about food like I had been. In fact, I almost forget about it until my body starts showing signs of hunger and then I eat when convenient. I have been eating very simply but yesterday, I couldn't believe how beyond satisfied I was. I hit a perfect balance so I made a note of that.

Anyway, I'm really excited about this epiphany. I feel like this realization has shifted something in me and wanted to share in case it help somebody else.

[mandybee]

Friday 10/23/2020
b: soup; 1 potato
snack: 1 pear
l: brown rice and vegetables and black beans (sat in a meeting and brought my own lunch, but didn't feel like I had time to heat up my lunch I brought and soup)
snack: 1 pear
dinner: salad

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.
Yes.

3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too.
Yes. I'm having an issue kicking salt. I probably won't remove this completely unless it starts to cause an issue, so far so good.

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

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados,)
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. No almond milk this week. It's a Fall miracle

9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.
Yes. Huge focus this week that seriously paid off.

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily.
Did rebounding to warm up, did week 5 KI HIIT abs and cardio, 5 mins. of yoga to stretch it all out. Hope to get in 2-4 miles of walking tonight after work.

Today is my 3rd weigh in and I'm down 7 lbs. I'm really excited about this. This feels like a huge accomplishment after feeling pretty defeated last week. Week 3 is where I got some serious footing under me because I realized the biggest issue I have been having is #9 from the MWL checklist. I think really focusing on that that is a game changer for me. I don't think I was being honest with myself how much I was eating. I don't think I was being honest with myself when I asked if I was compliant with 9.

I ate soup pretty much with every meal. I oddly love it for breakfast. Then I'd put whatever else I was eating in a small bowl telling myself if I needed more food, no problem, I could go back and get more. I'm a clean your plate kind of person. What I noticed is I'd eat the small portion (knowing I could have more) and realized I was fine with the small portion. If I was hungry in 2 hours I'd eat more. But I noticed that wasn't the case at all and that surprises me. Again the preventative eating I've been doing, just racking up the calories.

Because I've been really overeating, this week I've been focused on recognizing my body's true signs of hunger. I realize now I had lost touch with that and now I'm trying to pay attention to how I feel. The past 2 nights I didn't eat dinner because I was not hungry at all. The habit of eating dinner with my husband and then not eating dinner made me feel really uncomfortable. Not because I was hungry but because I feel like it's not polite. I'm a creature of habit. I'm a creature of schedule. I thought back to how many times I'd eat dinner and have that realization I'm not even hungry. I'd say "I'll just have a small bowl of salad" (to simplify our life, we eat salad for dinner every night, with a little brown rice, chickpeas and potatoes mixed in so it feels like a legit meal) and many times I'd just finish the bowl of salad so I wouldn't have to put away leftovers. So I'd add in a bunch of extra calories my body absolutely did not need, my thinking was--it's salad, it's healthy, how much extra food / calories is that anyway? But I'd literally feel so bloated and uncomfortable afterward. I thought I was bloated because it was kale/beans -- NO! That bloat was absolutely from overeating!

I don't know if I was eating to be social with my husband? I can certainly be social without eating (I have sparkling conversation skills ). But I had this realization and part of me is embarrassed I had been doing that and the other part of me is shocked that I was ignoring the whole eat when you are hungry idea.

[moonlight]

I really struggled last week too- I was up a pound and thought about throwing in the towel because I felt embarrassed and like I'd be letting people down. It isn't easy every day, is it? If it were, forums like this wouldn't exist. Don't give up! What's great about this forum is seeing other people struggling too-but it doesn't mean we should give up. If anything, seeing you struggled made me feel like I wasn't alone. I had a similar conversation with my (very naturally thin husband). Corn chips are a struggle for me. At night, we eat salad with starch and then go for a walk, trying to set a different habit instead of my old habit of night time eating...was a big fan of that Changing our routine helped me a lot. Anyway, I just wanted to stop in and tell you I was thinking of you and hope you are having a better week!

Hi Mandybee,

Thank you for checking in with me last week. I apologize for only now responding. It looks like you are doing real well. Congrats on the weight loss! This lifestyle change in eating really takes time to figure out what needs to be changed. Habits can be slow sometimes to break.

I feel the same way about not eating with my husband. Our social times that previously centered around meal prep and eating have really changed. Sometimes if I am feeling weak and struggling with staying on plan, I can't sit with him in the kitchen while he cooks and eats. It's too tempting to have a little of what he's eating. When I'm really in my groove and the sight of SAD food doesn't trigger me, I'm fine. He's not defensive if I share those feelings with him.

I wish you a great week of being in the MWL groove.

[mandybee]

Monday 10/26/2020
b: non-starch soup with a little brown rice mixed in; 1 potato
l: non-starch soup with a little brown rice and fruit (pineapple, blue berries, raspberries, and black berries)
snack: sweet potato
dinner: skipped, ate plenty during the day

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.
Yes.

3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too.
Yes. I'm having an issue kicking salt. I probably won't remove this completely unless it starts to cause an issue, so far so good.

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

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados,)
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. No almond milk this week. It's a Fall miracle

9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.
Yes. Huge focus last week that seriously paid off.

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily.
Did rebounding to warm up, did week 6 KI HIIT legs and cardio, 5 mins. of yoga to stretch it all out. Walked 2 miles after work.

Had a great weekend and a little busy. Ate pretty well Saturday, Sunday was a little harder because I hosted a brunch for pumpkin carving with my family. I was very active and it was a great time. Back on track today, no looking back. Hope my friends out there had a great weekend too!

[squealcat]

I have noticed your potato each morning and am thinking about MY morning. Usually before my walk I have a banana because I am starting to get hungry and fear I will starve if I don't eat something. Tomorrow I will have a little yellow potato instead. Never thought of doing that before ! I was eating 3 fruits each day instead of 2 and if I have that potato instead of the banana then I should be able to stick to 2 fruits on the MWL plan. Genius !

-squealcat

[mandybee]

Tuesday 10/27/2020
b: 1 sweet potato; non-starch soup with a little brown rice mixed in
l: non-starch soup with a little brown rice and salad
snacks: 2 small pluots and 1 pear
dinner: I noticed my breakfast, lunch and snacks are filling me up plenty that by the time dinner comes around I'm done eating for the day. If the day comes where I am hungry, I will certainly eat. I just am really listening to my body and recognizing the food that I am eating is really satisfying (I can't wait to eat it even thought it's basically the exact same thing every. single. day. I'm completely unphased by the same thing. Eating simply is the way to go. If you can do it, I say do it! The variety of life -- overrated

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Yes. My soup is an absolute game changer. I add brown rice and it's a legit meal. Really sticks to you.

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.
Yes.

3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too.
Sorta (very official answer); I'm having an issue kicking salt. I probably won't remove this completely unless it starts to cause an issue, so far so good.

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

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados,)
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. Huge focus started last week that seriously paid off.

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily.
Jogged 3 miles (not very fast), about 5 mins. of yoga to stretch it all out. Walked 3 miles after work.

I stayed on track yesterday even when my husband sat next to me on the couch chowing down on corn chips. He was so close I could smell them. But I really thought about it, I was completely full. Made no sense to eat anything else. And I didn't. Everyday I try to focus on my victories hoping I'll attract more victories and I think that's actually coming true.

[mandybee]

squealcat, hope you are having a great week!

The first time I did the starch solution I really kept fruit at a minimum and the weight fell off. I really like the idea of putting starch in the tank first, especially because I work out typically in the morning and I feel like I should eat a little something for some stamina / energy but not too much where I feel full -- the potato is perfect.

I slice mine and heat in the microwave for like a minute (I keep a container of steamed potatoes (yellow/red and sweet) in the fridge so I have them when I need them quickly) and put a little salt and cracked pepper. I love it.

I find when I do that I overall feel more satisfied and fruit on an empty stomach makes me want more of...just about everything. So if I eat fruit, I do keep it for dessert and that works much better for me. I hope it works the same for you!

For me, I find typical breakfast food makes me feel more hungry (could be psychological purely) -- so instead of say oatmeal and some fruit - I do the potato before I work out and then after I workout I have the soup and any left over potato--it's perfect.

I have noticed your potato each morning and am thinking about MY morning. Usually before my walk I have a banana because I am starting to get hungry and fear I will starve if I don't eat something. Tomorrow I will have a little yellow potato instead. Never thought of doing that before ! I was eating 3 fruits each day instead of 2 and if I have that potato instead of the banana then I should be able to stick to 2 fruits on the MWL plan. Genius !

-squealcat

[mandybee]

Wednesday 10/28/2020
b: 1 yellow potato; non-starch soup with a little brown rice mixed in
l: non-starch soup with a little brown rice and salad
snacks: fruit probably (TBD)
dinner: salad (TBD)

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.
Yes.

3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too.
Only hot sauce. Baby steps people

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

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados,)
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. Huge focus started last week that seriously paid off. I feel completely different around food, toward food, etc.

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily.
Jogged 2 miles, did Week 6 KI HIIT arms and abs and 15 mins. of yoga to stretch it all out. Walked 4 miles after work.

Feel pretty good today. Had a good workout. Slept well. I feel really good about the state of things. I feel good about my progress. I noticed I am trying to avoid being social/eating out. I find it really difficult to eat out plant based/starch solution so I really try hard to avoid it all together, especially during the week. I've always sort of thought that Monday-Friday, I give my life over to my job which means I don't typically make social plans that will keep me out late or get me off schedule. My job can be hectic so I like to set myself up for success by sticking to a schedule and not fighting it. On the weekend I'm more open to making plans to visit with friends, even eating out if necessary, etc. I don't think this is really a bad thing, I just noticed when a friend asked me to lunch I felt all sorts of anxiety. I feel better just eating my own food from home. I don't have to think about it. Every day I pack my lunch and just stick to the meals/snacks I bring. I feel like if I allow myself to get off course during the week I'll never make any progress with reaching my goals because on the weekend it's harder for me to comply with all MWL 10 if I'm out and about. I noticed the past 2 weekends where I went off course a little on the weekends, if I really focused Monday-Friday, I still lost weight but never really felt deprived, etc.

Often I have a compulsion to be perfect. I noticed others suffer from the same thing. I think feeling like if I'm not perfect and I go off course a bit makes me feel like why am I even bothering and then I really go nuts. It's a vicious cycle. And that's crazy. No one can be perfect 100% of the time, it's silly to set yourself up like that. I feel a lot less anxiety now that I've relaxed a bit and I notice I don't feel like I have to eat certain foods, I find I actually want to. Putting less pressure on myself to be perfect is helping me a lot.

[squealcat]

" I just noticed when a friend asked me to lunch I felt all sorts of anxiety. I feel better just eating my own food from home. I don't have to think about it. Every day I pack my lunch and just stick to the meals/snacks I bring. I feel like if I allow myself to get off course during the week I'll never make any progress with reaching my goals because on the weekend it's harder for me to comply with all MWL 10 if I'm out and about. I noticed the past 2 weekends where I went off course a little on the weekends, if I really focused Monday-Friday, I still lost weight but never really felt deprived, etc."
[/quote]

Mandybee : I feel the same kind of tension when vacations, holidays and going out with friends is on the horizon. Most if the time it really turns out fine and I get through it well but then there is that perfection thing......I want to do it PERFECT ! That has never really happened with me but I know I can do this thing pretty well and I think that can be OK. I just need to keep this in mind when those events come up. Too much tension brings with it a big mess up ! Being calm and accepting makes me feel like I can make pretty good decisions. I want to do this the rest of my life and I need to find a way to do it.

[mandybee]

Thursday 10/29/2020

b: 1 medium potato; soup with some brown rice
l: soup with some brown rice and salad
Snack: 2 pears
d: skipped. I think my snack was a little too much

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.
Yes.

3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too.
a little asian hot sauce in my soup since it has 0 salt and about a tsp seriously takes it over the top.

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

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados,)
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.
Jogged 3 miles, did 15 mins. of yoga to stretch it all out. Hope to get in 2-4 miles of walking tonight after work.

We have a big deadline at work tomorrow at 5. I'm really hoping I can remain calm and not try to emotional eat. I have brought healthy snacks and my lunch to stay on track. Big weigh in tomorrow--I'm hoping to finish October 10 lbs lighter. I had a thought if I could lose 5 lbs in November and 5 lbs in December I'd be down 20 lbs by 2020. Pretty ambitious given the holidays but I really feel like I'm finally in the zone!

[mandybee]

Friday 10/30/2020

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. Yes
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too. No, I am using a little hot sauce daily and that does have salt - but in general I have greatly reduced my salt intake.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). YES
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados,) 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 but I'm finding this difficult. I had been overeating, and yesterday specifically I think I under ate (which is crazy), but I'm really trying to understand my hunger signs.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily. NO. Didn’t manage every day this week. YES. Today jogged 1 mile and did KI abs and cardio. Foam rolled but ran out of time to do yoga before work. Which I really missed

Weigh in today and down 1.5 lbs. Last weekend I had gotten down to 128 lbs; today I'm at 129.5 lbs. Still respectable weight loss, just frustrated sometimes with the scale. I don't think it's real real weight so I'm trying not to get overly focused on that. I wanted to record a truthful number though and I'm glad I did for tracking purposes. I really didn't eat enough yesterday, I had a real strange feeling I didn't recognize and I swear it was just hunger. I'm really glad I decided to get serious with number 9. Who at 40 learns the signs their body is hungry. Really strange but it's true.

[squealcat]

You did great mandybee! I am still working on paying attention to the hungry/full signals and I am 68!

-squealcat