Hi Stephanie! What joy is there in life if we can't LAUGH!
I'm linking a couple articles here that were passed to me - newsletter articles re: MWL and weight set point. I want them here for easy reference!
https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2005nl ... ingold.htmhttps://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2004nl ... pulose.htmI need to revisit these over and over and over.
On another note...
I used to garden quite a bit, but haven't done so in a number of years as it is time consuming, and too hard on my back. But I might consider some raised beds in the future - we shall see. Mean time, we have some fruit trees. We don't tend them vigorously for Big Production. "It is what it is" is more our motto. I'm SAD because the mulberries are about done. I will probably grab the last of the ones on the low branches today and that will be it. (Since we can talk about poop in the McDougall Program, I will just say that mulberries make for some interesting poop LOL - for critters and people alike!) This wonderful old tree feeds a lot of wild life, and you can always tell when the critters have been visiting the mulberry tree!
We also have a peach tree. It's just a small tree. My understanding from my Dad (RIP Dad) who was NUTS for gardening and fruit trees, is that the early spring weather pretty much decides what kind of crop you will get. He also raised apricots which are even more finicky weather wise in our climate zone. Anyway, there were very few peaches this year. I managed to snag two small ones yesterday and they were delicious on my oats. Next up are the grapes! They are almost ready. We also have some plum trees and apple trees. The worms get the apples, and my husband usually gets all the plums!
The main purpose for all these fruit trees is for the ecosystem going on with our rooftop bees. They really are so threatened by our toxic farming environment - it's really hard to keep hives going across multiple years. My husband has gotten connected over the years with a few different local people and organizations where he will get calls when there is a swarm of honey bees setting up in an unfortunate location. He always keeps a hive at the ready The hives started from swarms that came from Lincoln National Cemetary, which is right down the road from us, have done the best. We do not do this for the purpose of harvesting honey. We do it for the purpose of putting bees back out into the environment. We never know where they end up when a hive throws off a swarm, but we wish them the best! We do process and store the honey if we lose a hive - we have to clean out the old hive for the next swarm. People sometimes freak out when we tell them we have bees on our roof!!! The bees from hives we have purchased from "farms" are usually MEAN. Interestingly, the hives we start from wild swarms are usually very easy to be around - they don't bother me if I don't bother them. I sit on the roof to get sun and they are right around the corner.
Well, that was random!
I watched Eat You Alive (or something close to that) last night. I got so teary eyed during the part where they are showing animal abuse as part of the factory farming process. OMG. I'm glad I no longer eat animals. It's always nice to see Dr. McDougall as part of these films.
"The fat you eat is the fat you wear!" PREACH IT DR. M!!!!!!
I love that line! I'm glad I'm not wearing as much olive oil and whatever other dietary fat I don't want to think about any more.
Made oats this morning. My routine involves a batch that I divide into six servings. I am not always hungry for breakfast, so that will last me at least a week. It freezes pretty well too - if I skip breakfast more than one day I just put a couple servings in the freezer. I love batch cooking and storing stuff in individual serving containers. Makes life so simple!
I have one more serving of potato salad which I will have for lunch today. Then I am back to super simple meals. Oats for breakfast, baked or mashed potatoes for lunch and dinner along with veg soup and cooked veg. I'm thawing out some 15 bean soup that I made a while ago so I will have an alternative to ketchup if I want one!
Whenever I get around to make mashed potatoes - maybe tomorrow afternoon - I will make some of Mark's lentils to go on top.
I got a covid booster yesterday. While I was there, I asked the woman about a shingles vaccine, which Dr. Lim recommended for me. She convinced me to get both vaccines at once. I do not recoommend this! Now I have TWO sore arms, and I'm achy all over today. Maybe I would have felt the same darn way after only one, so might as well get both. But I'm not convinced of that. I'm using this as my excuse to be LAZY today!
I LOVE MY FOOD! I have never loved any "diet" food so much in my life. I've been low carb, calorie counting, weight watchers, you name it in the past. Now I realize I was just "enduring" whatever the meal plan was and secretly waiting to EAT SOMETHING ELSE! Not any more. I REALLY look forward to my meals! I am beginning to recognize that if I don't absolutely love something I try, there is NO REASON to ever make it again. I guess I never really understood that it IS truly possible to LOVE my food AND lose weight! But here we are!
Well this is quite a long and winding ramble. Anyone still reading, you deserve a prize! Hope you packed a PIMP (potato in my purse) and a big glass of water!