Weight Change: 0
I stayed the same this week, which I'm very happy with since I had a big loss last week and it was a holiday. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, although different than we would have liked. It was just my husband and me, but we were able to have a Zoomsgiving with both sides of our families, and our kids joined both so it felt festive. As far as food, we made all the fixins and didn't have to cook a turkey, obviously, since it was just the two of us. I made a vegan pumpkin pie straight up foods), vegan green bean casserole (fat free vegan), and stuffing, which were not MWL, but enjoyed them as holiday treats and will let my husband enjoy the leftovers. The rest of it, the garlic mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, roasted brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes were 100% MWL, and I will eat those leftovers happily. I really liked Jeff's article about the holiday being one meal and not a month and a half indulgence. I feel like it was a successful holiday.
I did a great job on the 10-point checklist every day except Thanksgiving, which I planned as a holiday so didn't worry about it. Below is for the rest of the week:
1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Into a rhythm of fruit for breakfast, soup for lunch, and salad for dinner. It is nice to not have to think about this because it's becoming a habit now.
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.
This is also becoming a habit. I steam a frozen vegetable or vegetable blend depending on what will compliment our meal best.
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.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
Very proud to have eliminated the tofu and avocado that I was adding into my menu. I don't miss it.
6. Eliminate any 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.
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Still enjoying my morning walks. I will be adding some light strength training a few days a week starting this week.
I'm happy to be going into December strong and not waiting until the New Year to "start over." Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and found much to be thankful for! I'm thankful for this group and all of the effort you put into making this group so powerful and helpful, Mark, Jeff, and Wildgoose. I don't think I'd still be here still making progress toward health and healing if it weren't for you all. Thanks!