Beyond the 12-Day Program: Beth's Time & Adherence

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Beyond the 12-Day Program: Beth's Time & Adherence

Postby Lizzy_F » Fri Jul 01, 2022 10:33 am

Hello McDougall world!! I hope this is the last journal I start here. I have had many false starts over the years. I could have resurrected an old journal, but I decided to start fresh, just like the 12-Day Program was a fresh start for me.

I am SO HAPPY I invested in my health by signing up for the 12-Day Program! Worth every penny and then some. It is so helpful to meet with my Support Specialist (Tiffany - she is amazing!) every week (for now). I want to also develop a great support infrastructure so that I feel confident about carrying on this program for a lifetime of better health. So...

1) I joined the July MWL accountability group. I realized I am already eating very close to the 10-point check list. Why not do some fine tuning and build more awareness? I'm thinking of the Starch Solution as my broad highway. The boundaries on either side of that wide road are hard boundaries - not to be crossed if at all possible. (no animal products, no added oils/fats, basicallly). Uncomplicated. There is a narrower path in the middle of the wider road. That is the MWL path. Like the median in the middle of the road. I think my health and weight goals will be best served by trying to stay on that narrower MWL path most of the time. What I also need to work on is not beating myself up about occassional departures - especially if I a staying on the broader Starch Solution Highway. Perfectionism and "all-or-nothing" thinking have derailed me in the past. So I am going to keep high awareness about those traps on my journey.

2) I am connecting both here and "in real life" with others who have completed the 12-Day program and want to support one another. I am connected with several women who attended the same course I did, and now Stephanie is connecting me with additional people who are prior 12-Day graduates. I am a card carrying (well, coin carrying! :lol: ) member of AA so I appreciate the value of group support and how it has helped me maintain sobriety for over 14 years now. If I can do that, I can surely do this too!

3) Here I am with the new journal! I look forward to connecting with others by reading other journals and commenting, and responding to any comments here in my journal AND to tracking my progress truthfully.

That's the plan!! Thank you in advance for your encouragement and support. It means a lot to me. I feel like this is a safe space, and I don't feel ashamed of previous failures. Those were all learning experiences and I hope I now have all the tools and hard fought education to get this done for the long term!
Beth

"Long-term sustainable change is what we are really after." ~Jeff Novick
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Re: Beyond the 12-Day Program: Beth's Time & Adherence

Postby VegSeekingFit » Fri Jul 01, 2022 10:58 am

Hi Beth! :-D

Great to see you here and love your "Beyond the 12 Day" journal!

What a fantastic first post to kick it off!!

You can do this! You are doing this... Potato strong!!

Best,
Stephanie
"Just put one foot in front of the other and don't worry about the length of the path.
Once you get on that path, and the longer you stay on it, there eventually will come a time when you will not turn back." - Martina Navratilova
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Re: Beyond the 12-Day Program: Beth's Time & Adherence

Postby Lizzy_F » Fri Jul 01, 2022 11:33 am

MWL checkup: I am officially starting MWL today, even though I realize I have been eating MWL for the most part since the 12-Day program. I am reviewing the 10-point checklist so I am clear on my starting point, and I can begin to work on some tweaks to my program.

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. I have braces on my teeth right now (yes, at 64 years old LOL!) so salads are just not my favorite thing to try to eat. I have a much easier time with cooked veg. So I've been making a huge pot of vegetable soup, then dividing it up and freezing some, so I always have a low calorie density soup on hand. That has been working to be my meal starter most of the time. Other times I will start meals with cooked vegetables. What do people do who eat oats for breakast? About 2 weeks ago I made a batch of oats with rices cauliflower mixed in. Jeff and Tiffany both indicated that oats are low enough in calorie density on their own that adding in riced cauliflower was not necessary to reduce the calorie density. I do add fruit to my oats. So I guess that satisfies the spirit of this point on the check list? Would love to know how others view and process this check point for "one pot meal" type things.

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. Choose fruit for dessert. No problem with this one - so far so good! My favorite veg right now is steamed cabbage. I usually end up eating a big pile of that (often 1/2 of a head!) first, then move on to potatoes either baked (with ketchup, of course!!!) or mashed with Mary's golden gravy. Fruit has been my dessert with ONE exception - ONE cookie at a baby shower. Do I need to eat cookies? No. Do I risk "one bite" kicking off a horror eating experiene? Yes. I'm glad that situation didn't turn into a horror experience, but I need to be very aware that my history suggests NO COOKIES FOR ME! At least not any SAD cookies. Maybe someday I will try a McDougall compliant dessert, but for now I'd rather focus on continued weight loss and the time and adherence factors.

3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too. If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them. With the exception of that cookie and my beloved ketchup, I don't believe I've consumed other added sugars unless part of a condiment. I'm actually amazed that this has felt effortless! My salt is also dramatically reduced. Aside from condiments like ketchup, occassional salsa, etc., I am mostly eating whole real foods. I use a lot of Mrs. Dash. I sometimes add a bit of salt to the top of my food if it tastes a little too plain. I'm also working on eliminating canned goods containing salt from my pantry. I'm not throwing away things like beans or tomatoes that have salt. I am working to reduce the impact of said salt by doing things like using 1 can of salted tomatoes to 1 or 2 cans of no-salt-added tomatoes when making my vegetable soup. Eventually the salty tomatoes and beans will be gone from the pantry - I only buy no salt added and low sodium items these days. The one exception is that I have not found any no salt added fat free refried beans. I haven't been eating a lot of those, but do have them on occassion in a (salty!) corn tortilla. The salt from that causes water retention, so it's only been worth it as an occassional indulgence. So I think I'm on a good track here, but absolutely welcome any and all feedback and suggestions.

4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). Done!! And I don't miss a single bit of it either. Well, perhaps there are moments when I am a tad bit envious of my low-carbing husband's cheese, but I just summon Dr. McDougall's voice in my head talking about cow mucus and all that - and gratefully grab a baked potato LOL! :lol: :lol:

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). This has not been a struggle, at least not thus far. I do have a batch of potato salad where there is less than 1TBS of Tahini in the dressing for 3 pounds of potatoes. (the "dressing" is white bean based, and tastes pretty good!) Next time I will leave the tahini out and see how that goes. It's such a small amount per serving that I'm not going to toss out the potato salad. But I also don't need to use the tahini next time.

6. Eliminate any added oil. This has also not been a problem. My husband and I rarely eat out, so I do not have the challenge that many people do with this issue in restaurants, etc.

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. And here we come to an item that mentally I am already feeling resistant about. I occassionally (I would say 3-4 times per week) will toast a piece of Ezekiel bread until it's real crunchy, and then break that up like croutons when I eat my vegetable soup. Can I enjoy my soup without it? Yes, absolutely. Tastes great and I eat my soup WITHOUT the toasted bread at least 1/2 or more of the time. I think this is a mental King Baby moment where I am just whining in my head about reducing / eliminating yet another thing. I will just have to work on this.

8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). This is another one that I REALLY resisted at the start of the 12-day program I convinced myself that smoothies were THE way to get in plenty of veg without having a huge mess in my braces. While that is definitely true, (less mess in braces), Tiffany put a stop to THAT line of justification right from the start. I haven't had a smoothie since, and I've been eating plenty of veg. And just dealing with the brace cleanup LIKE AN ADULT! :lol: I need to remind myself about this example while contemplating the Ezekiel toast from point 7! :D

9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. I definitely don't feel like I've been starving or stuffing. Well, maybe occassional stuffing. I do sometimes end up with super busy days where I eat dinner WAY late at night. I hope to continue fine tuning my schedule and activity management so I don't end up in the position of eating dinner at 8 or 9 at night. But I will NOT allow myself to go hungry. So for now, it is what it is. I think I will wait to worry about the late dinners if my weight loss stalls out, which it has shown no sign of doing so far. I can over complicate absolutelly anything, and I am going to take a lead from Stephanie and remind myself that I don't need to make a bunch of goals that aren't essential - at least not right now. KISS! However, as is true with all of these points, I welcome feedback and experiences from others! Another thing that Tiffany has talked about as I get closer to whatever my optimal weight will end up being, is that I will want to eventually start out with smaller serving sizes, wait a little to see what happens with hunger, and then go back for more if still hungry. So that is something I see in the not to distant future to start experimenting with. I don't know if I'm explaining myself clearly - Dr. McDougall touched on this in his 2005 MWL newsletter update where he encouraged more smaller meals. (assuming I understood his point correctly). But no starving. I can't deal with that! I'm processing this concept as I'm writing this, and realize that I probably have work to do fine tuning this area, especially as I continue to lose weight and my smaller body doesn't need as much food.

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). I feel like I can be way more consistent in the exercise department. I typically get in a lot of "steps" just living daily life. As an example, I did no intentional exercise yesterday, but had over 12,000 steps on the Fitbit just from a super busy day. But every day isn't like that! I did get a good daily walking program going recently, and then let a flare up of a knee problem (torn miniscus which was scoped, but still has issues). Now my knee feels better but I haven't gotten back to the daily walks. That is my disturbing historical pattern! So I definitely need to develop better habits around exercise. I also have a treadmill, an elliptical machine, and a Body Groove subscription, so there are really no excuses. I will add here that since being consistent on the Starch Solution for about 1.5 months, that my knees are already feeling better. And when I had the flare up, it didn't seem as bad and the recovery seemed faster than before. So I'm hoping that my body is changing - I hope inflammation is coming down which will just make movement easier and better going forward.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: VICTORY: This level of compliance since May 13! May not seem like much to the long termers, but for me this is huge. I hope the key baseline pieces have clicked into place in my brain! I want to keep this up. COMMENTS: I am so grateful for all the support offered through the McDougall Program and though this forum! CONCERNS: None at the moment. QUESTIONS: I really think perfecdtionism and "all-or-nothing" thinking have been some of my big challenges in the past. I would love to hear from others who also feel that way - how was it for you? How did you overcome these challenges in your journey?
Beth

"Long-term sustainable change is what we are really after." ~Jeff Novick
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Re: Beyond the 12-Day Program: Beth's Time & Adherence

Postby Lizzy_F » Fri Jul 01, 2022 11:46 am

Health related goals:

Why am I here???

I spent most of my adult life either overweight or obese, with a few short lived excursions into "healthy BMI" territory. From age 40 to 84, time spent in the obese category got considerably greater. So obtaining AND maintaining healthy weight is a huge goal.

Height: 5'9"
High weight (Nov/Dec 221): 218
Current weight: 179

Tiffany had a conversation at our last check-in about "goal weight" and BMI. She sent me some articles to read, so I am going to reserve comment about any weight goals or BMI goals until I read said articles.

I have lost 17 pounds since May 13, 2022 (start of 12-day program AND strong compliance) The rest of the pounds were lost more slowly between January and May with partial compliance to the Starch Solution (but a LOT of SAD departures!)

I have been very fortunate thus far that my blood sugar has been considered "normal" regardless of my weight. My father died a very ugly death from complications of T2 diabetes. I don't want to ever end up on that road!

My cholesterol was getting high (just over 200 in June of 2021) along with inflammation markers (i.e. CRP) I'm happy to report that my pre-12-day program blood work already showed a cholesterol improvement (150 something) even with only partial compliance for the first part of 2022. So I am encouraged to see what my next blood tests will show after a longer time of strong aderence.

My blood pressure has historically stayed at 120/80 or below (always better when at a lower weight). But HOLY COW my BP has been BEAUTIFUL since being compliant on this program. The daily checks during the 12 day were 90's over 60's. So I'm super happy about that.

My biggest issues have been "structual" which I'm guessing is a strong reflection of inflammation problems. I have had both hips replaced. I mentioned the knee issues previously. I had a discectomy in my lower back while in my 40's. Arthritis is a problem, although I have to say that I fell SO MUCH BETTER since becoming compliant with this program! So I am enouraged to see how things continue to change as I get closer to my ideal weight, whatever that ends up being.
Beth

"Long-term sustainable change is what we are really after." ~Jeff Novick
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Re: Beyond the 12-Day Program: Beth's Time & Adherence

Postby Ejeff » Sat Jul 02, 2022 7:25 am

I really like your highway analogy, gives a simple visual for me. :-D

You are doing great, I enjoy reading about your successes.

Erin
"The more disciplined your environment is, the less disciplined you need to be. Don't swim upstream."
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Re: Beyond the 12-Day Program: Beth's Time & Adherence

Postby Ruff » Sat Jul 02, 2022 3:23 pm

I also love your highway analogy. It also gives us the 'hard shoulder' which is off the highway but not yet in the ditch! eating out Vegan would come in here. One does want to spend too much time on the shoulder as one isn't going anywhere, but at least one isn't in the ditch!! :mrgreen:

And there is space between the median while line and the edge of the road....so MWL plus eat with soy milk would fit in here.

This is a great system Beth, and it works well for me. Thank you.
Katie

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Re: Beyond the 12-Day Program: Beth's Time & Adherence

Postby Ruff » Sat Jul 02, 2022 3:25 pm

BTW Beth....84 or 64?
Katie

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Re: Beyond the 12-Day Program: Beth's Time & Adherence

Postby Lizzy_F » Mon Jul 04, 2022 7:41 pm

Good catch Ruff! 64 not 84! :lol: Thank you for stopping by - I love your enhancements to the road analogy!

I really wanted more computer (aka McDougall Forum!) time over the weekend than I got. So I'm behind on accountability posts and doing other reading that I want to do! Oh well. Take a deep breath and eat a potato! :D

Food has been good. Lots of CABBAGE and POTATOES and KETCHUP! :D I'm looking forward to trying out Goose's easy ketchup recipe so I can get the salt down a little. I do have an issue when my salt goes too low. When that happens (or at least it seems that is the cause!) I get horrible leg cramps at night. It has happened enough times now where I seem to be able to trace it back to days where I had very very little salt. Nothing else that Dr. Lim suggested seems to correlate to anything. It just feels like an electrolyte issue or something. Just a curiosity - something I will keep an eye on as I continue to work on reducing salt intake.

I have become an avid Mrs. Dash user. I love the spicy Southwest Chipotle flavor - I think that's what it is called. That is my "go to" on my potatoes with KETCHUP! :D I can't wait to try Mary's smashed beans (thanks again to Goose). I love refried beans but rarely eat them of late due to the SALT. I haven't found any no salt added fat free versions in any local stores. I've never had success cooking beans, but I realized when I read Mary's crock pot recipe that I've always tried to cook them on LOW, whereas she recommends minimum 8-10 hours on HIGH. :!: moment! I also need to get better at using my Instant pot. I do have a very easy mashed potato recipe that I make in the instant pot.! Don't even have to drain the potatoes!

I love keeping it simple right now.

I had some split pea soup in the freezer and I've got that thawing out for meals this week. I can't wait to use the recipe Stephanie gave - I think that recipe will up my seasoning game. I LOVE split pea soup! I also have some lentil chili and some 15 bean soup in the freezer. Oh - and some home made fat free marinara. I make that in the crock pot - super easy recipe. The best thing I ever got out of Weight Watchers LOL!

Weight today was 177.6 on my scale at the river cabin, which might be a little different than my scale at the regular house. Assuming it's close, then my weight is continuing to drift down! It was 179 last Wenesday when I had my last check-in with Tiffany. No hunger AND losing weight is still unbelievable to me, even though it's happening! :eek: :eek: :eek:

I got in two nice long walks over the weekend. My "worse" knee is holding up so far! I think right now a 2 mile walk works, but a 3 mile walk is too much. That might shift as I lose more weight.

Tomorrow I am reading the BMI articles from Tiffany before I do anything else with my day!!!!

Oats + cherries, cabbage + potatoes + ketchup, veg soup, more cabbage, more potatoes, banana + strawberries. Rinse and repeat.
Beth

"Long-term sustainable change is what we are really after." ~Jeff Novick
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Re: Beyond the 12-Day Program: Beth's Time & Adherence

Postby Ruff » Tue Jul 05, 2022 12:34 pm

I think keeping it simple is the key. Its fun to try a new recipe now and again but mostly we eat the same things over and over again. Soups, stews, chilli and curry. Potato and rice as our starch + veg. Porridge for breakfast. I do make vegan baking for my husband, but rarely eat it. Much of this is compliant too, banana bread, muffins, oatmeal cookies.

Once you get into the swing of things, then MCD is just the way you eat. Normal food. It doesn't even need thinking about. Baked potatoes and chilli/curry/leftover soup. Rice and whatever. Pasta bake. I have about 10 basic meals, and we just rotate them, and eat the leftovers for lunch (I plan enough to make leftovers).

I think this is the big crossover moment...when your normal everyday food is MCD. It was for me. I didnt need to think about it any more, its just how we eat. I think it took maybe a year or so before I stopped looking for new exciting things to eat and realised we liked our food and I didnt need to keep looking for new food.

Leg cramps....I get them too, particularly in my bad leg. I do eat some salt because of this, and occasionally...after a long of over 5 hours...take magnesium too. Just keep an eye on it and find what works for you.
Katie

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Re: Beyond the 12-Day Program: Beth's Time & Adherence

Postby Lizzy_F » Tue Jul 05, 2022 3:08 pm

Hi Katie! Thanks for confirming that simplicity is one of the keys to your success. I am realizing that trying to have a bunch of variety in my meal planning just creates stress. I definitely don't need to be adding extra stress to my life! I'm sorry to hear that you have this occassional leg cramping problem too. But I'm glad to hear you say that some salt seems to help. I'm glad to know I'm not imagining that! It sounds like your husband (?) must eat the same way you do. I'm hoping someday my husband will decide to follow the path I'm on. But for now, I have to deal with managing grocery shopping, meal planning and prep, etc. for two completely different eating plans. Another great reason to keep things really simple for him and for me!

I did spend several hours today reading the wise words of Jeff Novick on BMI and other topics. Of course starting with a handful of suggested threads led to a lot of other reading via the links included in said threads. I love being able to spend time just putting my head deeper into the game. All roads seem to lead back to some key concepts - don't over complicate stuff. Focus on what really matters - the food at a really basic level. Don't get too hung up on something that is just one assessment item. Keep health as the goal rather than numbers/assessments/markers as the goal. The long game is what is important. "Long-term sustainable change is what we are after." I need to put that in my signature line!!!!!!

Food today has been great! Oats + cherries is just simply my second favorite thing right now - directly behind baked potatoes + ketchup LOL! I made a big batch of vegetable soup so I'm set in that department for over a week - I'm going to freeze some. I also made a batch of Goose's NSA ketchup! I can't wait to try it tonight.

My lunch starch today was Brand New Vegan's potato salad. The bean based "mayo" really is good! I just need to cook the potatoes longer in the instant pot next time. I clearly didn't cut the pieces small enough to be all done in 4 minutes! But I will definitely make that again - it's nice to have a cold starch dish on a hot summer day. I also don't think I would mind a cold baked potato with....of course....KETCHUP! :lol: OK - I promise I will stop talking about ketchup one day soon. :mrgreen:

Tomorrow is check-in with Tiffany and I can't wait. I not only get good advice but also a lot of GOOD ENERGY from her! I AM GOING TO SUCCEED AT THIS. I am not going to entertain quitting or failing or any of that as an option. No need to ever be hungry, and every reason to just keep filling up on food I absolutely LOVE. So there are really no excuses, are there?
Beth

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Re: Beyond the 12-Day Program: Beth's Time & Adherence

Postby Lizzy_F » Wed Jul 06, 2022 6:03 pm

Hello journal! I need to keep this post brief (I know, I know, don't hold your breath for anything brief!) because I need to EAT POTATOES! Well, first I'm going to have some steamed cabbage. (rinse, repeat!) Actually, I'm going to have some veg soup before that! Then cabbage, then potatoes. Then banana + berries. I LOVE THIS FOOD!

I had an awesome time checking in with Tiffany this morning. I love getting needed reminders to just keep it simple, and don't worry too much about the smaller points (i.e. salt in ketchup) - just get the bigger stuff right (i.e. eat potatoes). I am learning to enjoy this less perfectionist way of things. Lord knows perfectionism / all-or-nothing never got me anywhere.

I am still losing weight at about 2 pounds per week. I weighed in at 177.2 today! Less than 10 pounds to go until I reach the top end of "healthy weight" BMI. We had a really good conversation about goal weights about BMI based on all the Jeff N. reading from yesterday. Based on my history, my medical situation (no significant problematic medical conditions that I know about) etc., we are thinking we would like to see a BMI in the 22 range. That would put me around 150 pounds roughly, which is a weight I have been previously (only very briefly in that last 20 years!) but a weight I felt really good at. That is a number I would have had in mind with no consideration about BMI. So it's sort of interesting how the numbers all worked out. I am not looking at a weight goal as the "end all be all." It's just a number on a scale. So more like a guide post (as is BMI) on the McDougall highway that I'm traveling. I confess it feels exciting to feel like I'm probably passing the halfway point of my overall desired weight loss about now! About 40 pounds down from my highest weight!

I loved watching Chef AJ interview Mary McDougall last night. I fell asleep before it was over, so I need to figure out where I left off and watch the rest. What an amazing woman! I can't believe she is a pilot, and learned how to fly on top of raising a family, supporting Dr. McDougall in all his endeavors, and writing a zillion billion recipes where there were ZERO when she started! She needs a SuperWoman costume!

I think next up for videos is going to be Jeff's label reading video. I really want to know that stuff COLD. During the 12-day program I created an inspiration board on the small bulletin board in my home office. On the board are
* Healthy Eating Placemat - (Jeff)
* Multifactorial Nature of Optimal Health - (Dr. Lim)
* POTATOES ARE THE MIRACLE FOOD sign - (12-day cohort)
* Behavioral Skills (the "How") - Dr. Lim
* Guidelines for Choosing Healthy Packaged Food Grid - (Jeff)
* Functional Six Exercises - (Jack Dixon)
* 10 Point Checklist for Maximum Weight Loss - (???)

I really do need to get off my lazy @ss and get a consistent exercise program going. The Functional Six would be so beneficial and I just haven't even started on that. I love to walk, and there is nothing wrong with walking. But I think my walking experience AND my general experience in life would be enhanced by getting these functional exercises going on. Somebody please start harrassing me about this!

OK. Time for FOOD!
Beth

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Re: Beyond the 12-Day Program: Beth's Time & Adherence

Postby Ruff » Thu Jul 07, 2022 2:58 pm

Hi Beth, it sounds like you are going great at the moment. Well done you!

yes, husband, Peter. 37th Wedding anniversary on the 20th July.

And yes, he eats what is put in front of him. he is a long term vegetarian, but eats McDougall at home because I cook! Sometimes he will request eggs or cheese on the shopping list, like a bit of feta to put on his salad, or he might have a boiled egg for breakfast, but main meals, I cook, he eats (and washes up and cleans down the kitchen for the night, and then makes me a cup of tea....I think I got the best deal here!)
Katie

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Re: Beyond the 12-Day Program: Beth's Time & Adherence

Postby Lizzy_F » Fri Jul 08, 2022 12:46 pm

A repeat of my MWL checkin for today:

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.

There were 2 meals I can think of this week where I was hungry but very limited on time, so I just ate some potatoes. The cooking time was not the issue since I have so much food already prepped – it just has to be nuked. I just didn’t have time to sit down with a big bowl of soup/veg/fruit and work my way through that (takes even longer with braces) and then also work my way through a starch. So I just ate the starch (for satiation). I can see how front loading helps fill us up at an overall lower calorie density! It was only 2 times across a whole week, so not getting worked up about it. I am curious what others do in a tight crunch meal situation.

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. Choose fruit for dessert.

Overall I feel I am doing well, and getting better at this! With the 2 exceptions noted above, of course. I definitely have increased awareness as I am planning and assembling meals. And I had awareness even on the 2 meals where I did not meet this guideline. I think Tiffany would definitely tell me to do the best I can as often as I can.  (Not trying to justify bad behavior here, but to specifically remind myself not to get into “perfectionism” mode, which ALWAYS leads to negative outcomes for me!)

3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too. If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them.

This is another area where my awareness has increased (esp. re salt) during the last week. I enjoy listening to what Jeff, Dr. McDougall, and Doug Lisle all have to say about it. Just goes to show that opinions can differ slightly, and yet everyone can be more broadly on the same page. So I am building confidence that I will find what works for me within the boundaries of the differences of our leaders. (I hope that made sense to someone other than me LOL!) I made a crockpot full of Mary’s Smashed Beans overnight on Wednesday. I was pleasantly surprised how GOOD they tasted with NO SALT – not even added at the table. For those who use this recipe, I’m curious if you like your beans a bit spicier, what do you add to the recipe? (The basic recipe is pinto beans, water, onion and garlic)
I don’t think I consumed any added sugar this week. There is Stevia in my store bought ketchup. I also made Goose’s easy no salt, no added sugar ketchup recipe which is really good! That was another pleasant surprise and step forward in reducing added salt. (because I do tend to use a LOT of ketchup!) I doubt I will abandon store bought ketchup entirely, but for now it is great to have an easy home option which addresses this point. Goose – what would you add to the ketchup if you wanted it a bit spicier?


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

NO PROBLEM HERE!

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).

I don’t believe I had any meals containing any of these types of foods in the past week.

6. Eliminate any added oil.

No added oil!!

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.

No Ezekiel toast in my soup for a whole week!!! (I do still give myself permission to have a slice of Ezekiel toast if I really want one!) I did have Mary’s Golden Gravy on mashed potatoes which is thickened with brown rice flour. I forsee myself continuing to make that recipe to go with mashed potatoes unless something stops working. How do others view this particular use of a flour in the context of this guideline?

8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).

Success!!

9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.

I am an original member of the clean plate club. This is an issue I KNOW I need to work on. If it’s on my plate, I’m eating it. A strategy that Tiffany and I have discussed is to take a smaller portion of starch, eat it (in my cast, that will be eat is all!), then wait a while to see if I’m still hungry. If so, eat more! If not, carry on with life. I really have not yet started to do this. I will eventually need less fuel in a smaller body, so I think working on this point will be a good goal for next week! One of the things I LOVE about eating this way is never feeling like I have to go hungry. I need to remind myself at meal time that I can take less to start, and go back for more later. I don’t have to take it all NOW. (I grew up in a family where if you didn’t get “firsts” there would be nothing left for “seconds.” That old programming dies HARD, LOL!) I will continue eating large (same as current) portions of the low calorie density items – especially the pre-loads of soup/veg/fruit. The 50/50 plate will remain the 50/50 plate – a bit less of everything, and seconds of everything if still hungry. That is the game plan – I welcome feedback and personal experience comments!

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).

This is another area where I can set goals and improve. Since I love to walk so much, I need to do a better job of planning walks into my daily routine (i.e. considering weather, personal schedule, etc.). I also want to get busy and learn the Jack Dixon (I think I got that name right) Functional Six. If I start with one, and then add (learn) a new one each day, then at the end of the week I would at least be at the baseline starting point.

I DO give myself credit for going for several walks this week!


Victories:
NO Animal Products and NO added free/processed oils! What I get from the Dr. McD / Dr. Lisle lectures is that these are the two most important things. I feel good about getting this part right!
• Raised awareness of added sodium and more attentive label reading. I’m not looking to eliminate salt (or sugar – thank you Jeff!) but to be AWARE of what I am consuming so that if future adjustments are needed, I know where to look.
• I am giving myself credit for food prep this past week. I ALWAYS had prepared fruit, veg, fruit and starches in the fridge! It doesn’t feel “effortless” just yet to be in this position, but I think that will come with time as I continue to get in a solid groove with this program.


Comments:
Goal for next week: Work on awareness of hunger/satiety signals. Slightly reduce 50/50 plate portion size. Wait 20 minutes, assess hunger level, and get more food (50/50) if still hungry. The purpose of doing this is to increase awareness of portion sizes to be appropriate for my shrinking body, while not going hungry.
• Goal for next week: Incorporate Functional Six exercises – one new one per day.
• Random observations: I had a moment a few days ago where a random thought skittered across my brain. Something like “I need to go walk to burn off some of this energy!” WHAAAAT??? Where did THAT come from?  My body LOOKING for ACTIVITY??? Well I NEVER! The healing must be REAL!
• I am regularly walking up and down the stairs like normal(one foot on one step, then the other foot on the next step) instead of like a person in pain (one step for both feet, then the next step for both feet, hanging onto the railing). I caught myself doing this without even thinking about it. More signs of healing!


Concerns:
While consulting this 10-point checklist with the goal of ultimately maximizing good health, remember that perfectionism and all-or-nothing thinking is a trap (for me anyway)! No animal products and no oils are the RULES (Dr. McDougall). The rest are GUIDELINES meaning I make best effort, consider my personal circumstances (health issues, etc.), and don’t make this more complicated for myself than it needs to be. LOVE my food! Let my results be my guide.

Questions:
What do others do when you are super pressed for time to get a proper meal in quickly?
• How do you suggest spicing up smashed pinto beans in the crock pot – what would you add besides onion and garlic for more kick? Or would you just add hot sauce at the table?
• What spices to experiment with in Goose’s easy homemade ketchup to add more kick?
• Does anyone have feedback or personal experience to share about beginning to reduce portion sizes (and go back for seconds if still hungry) to keep pace with reduced fuel requirements during weight loss? My goal is not necessarily to eat less food right now, but to do a better job tuning into hunger / satiety signals and raise my own awareness about potentially shifting fuel requirements for my ever smaller body. So maybe that is the better question: What did you do to improve your awareness of hunger / satiety, and respond accordingly?
• What were your personal early or later signs of healing? How long did you continue to notice changes? (months? Years?)


All in all it was a great week and I'm very pleased with how things are going! This is such a far cry from where I was for SO LOOONG just not able to stick with the most basic elements of the Starch Solution for even a few days. I want to hang on tight to this current MOJO!
Beth

"Long-term sustainable change is what we are really after." ~Jeff Novick
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Re: Beyond the 12-Day Program: Beth's Time & Adherence

Postby Lizzy_F » Fri Jul 08, 2022 1:01 pm

Hi Katie! Wow - 37 years! Happy Upcoming Anniversary! Sounds like the two of you have a great system worked out for meal and kitchen management! My husband is so very good to me and for me in so many ways, that I accept his opposite food plan (even though I still hold out hope he will change his mind one day!), and what it takes to manage 2 very different meal plans. He is an excellent provider so I happily accept kitchen management responsibilities! :lol: Sometimes it's great to contemplate this stuff, which leads me back to gratitude for how wonderful my life truly is. :nod: :nod: :nod:

I may have actually over-prepped, because I'm feeling some pressure to "eat the food before it goes bad." I don't like that stressful feeling. What I can do about it:

1. Freeze some strawberries and bananas, and focus on eating the watermelon and grapes.
2. Freeze more of the smashed beans and 1/2 of the corn tortillas.
3. Don't bake quite as many potatoes next time I do a batch - and remember potatoes are the least expensive food I eat! So if a couuple go to waste, that is not the end of the universe as I know it.

I feel better already! :D

Bob's Red Mill products are 15% off right now at Vitacost. So I ordered more oats, and I'm going to try some Scottish Oats - I've never had them before and they sounded interesting. I also ordered another mixed grain hot cereal to try. And some grains I haven't tried before such as Farro and Millet. So I'm excited to try some new things - still keeping it simple. Things that will be easy to prepare in the crock pot or instant pot, and just add veggies or fruit! Oh - and more split peas!

Breakfast today was oats with apple & blueberries. I'm about to eat lunch which will be watermelon (I've never pre-loaded with fruit before, but since I have too much fruit right now, why not, right?), steamed cabbage (took the easy way out and got 2 big bags of coleslaw mix from Sams Club so no chopping - just throw the cabbage/carrot mix in a microwave bowl with a little water and go!), then potato with split pea soup on top! Dinner will be smashed beans - maybe just over potato with a veg (TBD) on the side. Will pre-load dinner with vegetable soup.

It's pouring rain today so I plan to do some exercise indoors - A little Body Groove and then a review of Jack Dixon info from the 12-day program, and focus on whatever is functional exercise #1 (which I don't even remember right now!)

There you have it!
Beth

"Long-term sustainable change is what we are really after." ~Jeff Novick
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Re: Beyond the 12-Day Program: Beth's Time & Adherence

Postby VegSeekingFit » Fri Jul 08, 2022 3:35 pm

Hi Beth,

Looks like you had a great week!!! Well-done!! :)

My husband also eats "opposite food" for the most part. We get along fine like this. He prepares anything that he wants to go with rice, potatoes, pasta - or he does his own thing entirely. Even though I am only "adhering" for a bit over a year to MWL, I have been no meat or dairy or oil for maybe 19 years... So, our eating patterns have been divergent for some time. Just kind of live and let live... If you get your husband to change his mind, let me know how that works!!! :-D

I have done this "over-prepping" thing before too. Takes some time to get a sense of how much you will eat for the week. I like your idea of freezing some of the fruit. I bet it will be delicious in the summer heat.

I wish I overbaked potatoes. I always run out too soon. When my son is home, forget it! I have just resolved that this may need to be an every other day activity.

Hope that you have a wonderful weekend! Potato strong... :lol:
Stephanie
"Just put one foot in front of the other and don't worry about the length of the path.
Once you get on that path, and the longer you stay on it, there eventually will come a time when you will not turn back." - Martina Navratilova
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