Happy Saturday to all!
*Weight Change: +0.6 lbs (gain)*
*Guidelines:
Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Compliant 4/7 days
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. Compliant 6/7 days
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. Compliant 6/7 days
Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). Compliant 7/7 days
Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). Compliant 6/7 days
Eliminate any added oil. Compliant 6/7 days
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. Compliant 5/7 days
Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). Compliant 5/7 days
Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself. Compliant 7/7 days
Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). Compliant 3/7 days
*Summary:
Overall, I feel good about my week but not great. Last weekend me & my hubby attended a Marriage Retreat; it was wonderful. I submitted my dietary restrictions early but was served vegan food. I didn't feel as in control of what I was eating as I wanted to. I did take my own breakfast items & snacks. It felt great to walk by the abundant snack table and not pick up one thing! The Retreat was the 1st time my husband & I have experienced social eating in a group setting (outside of our home) since the pandemic started last year. I noticed I wasn't as sharp to think about what I was eating because I was distracted with talking/socializing. For instance, I could have requested soup with dinner Saturday night but completely forgot because I was talking non-stop until my food was served. I bring this up because I predict I will find myself in more of these situations as my family gets out more. Lastly, I realized oat milk is high in fat
I was using it in my tea. I thought it was a good alternative to soy milk, which isn't compliant...but it seems oat milk can't be either. Or is it?!?
*Challenges:
1. I felt stuck at the Retreat because I wasn't in a position to make my own food.
2. I plan to make a batch of soup for the week. Having it ready & available will help a ton.
3. The meal I missed most, in terms of my soup/salad starter, was dinner. I think I'm in such a hurry, I stop thinking intentionally. This was a busy week with lots of evening activities. In some ways, I felt like I conquered a huge feat just to get the right foods on the table...and then I'd realize halfway thru my meal, I forgot my starter. UGH!
4. I struggled this week with high-density foods...specifically, popcorn one day & vegan pumpkin bread last night. I made the bread for friends we hosted. I told myself I would NOT eat any bread. My friends left, my family ate what was left except one piece
I justified eating that piece by telling myself I didn't want it to go to waste. So...at this point, my choices are (a) make MWL compliant desserts for friends, (b) stop making desserts altogether and stick with serving tea/beverages. This is the 1st week I have served a vegan dessert while in the Group. I am known for my vegan baking...but the temptation is too high.
5. I mindlessly ordered a caramel, apple cider with friends during the Retreat, while on one of our breaks. I was very cold and wanted something hot. It was wayyyyyy too sweet. Pretty much wasted my money...and calories
*Victories:
1. YAY! No animal products this week!!
2. Chose raw veggies as snacks this week.
3. Learning (again) to stop eating when I feel satisfied, even though more food remains on the table. I had a couple really tough days of grieving this week so this victory is HUGE for me.
4. I managed to complete one more day of exercise than last week...YAY! It's chilly here (Seattle) but I plan to try walking early mornings before my family wakes up. I had an early phone meeting yesterday & started it at the end of my walk. IT WORKED! Lol!
I saw another Group member report her meals (ex: 19/21) instead of days (ex: 6/7) for some of the guidelines. I wonder if I should try that because it's usually one meal in a day that blows my whole day of reporting.
Have a great weekend!
-Chesca