The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - May 2024 Group

[Mark Cooper]

MAY 2024 RESOURCES
This section will be updated throughout the month with links to useful resources, as they are added to the thread.

Orientation Information for Time & Adherence:
The Behavioral Path to MWL Success
MWL 10-Point Checklist
MWL Program Guidelines
Calorie Density: How To Eat More, Weigh Less and Live Longer
MWL Recipes
Some of Jeff Novick's Quick and Easy Recipes
Jeff's Simple Recipes on Facebook
SNAP Meal Template

1- 28 oz Can No Salt Added Tomatoes (or broth for those who don't like tomatoes)
1- 14 oz Can No Salt Added Beans (which is about 1.5 - 2 cups)
1- 16 oz Bag Frozen Mixed Veggies (any type)
**optional - 1/2 cup Frozen Greens
1.5 to 2 cups of a *Cooked* Starch
~1 tbsp. Salt Free, Dried Seasoning/Spice

The Road to Success: Creating Healthy Habits
The Pleasure Trap: Dr. Doug Lisle at TedxFremont
How to Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind with Dr. Doug Lisle
Dr. Doug Lisle on The Ego Trap
Dr. Doug Lisle: The Story of Willpower – What it Is & How it Works
Dr. Lisle's Three Top Tips for Dietary Success
Jeff Novick, RD - Nutrition & Health FAQ: Answers To The Most Asked Questions
A Review of the Rules & Guidelines for Reading Labels
Passive Overconsumption: The Unintended Intake of Excess Calories
Can You Really Eat As Much As You Want?
Why We Hit Plateaus and What We Can Do About Them
Top 10 Reasons for Lack of Success
Dining Out and Travel Food
Exercise, Health & You: How Much Is Enough?
Optimum BMI? / Optimal BMI - redux
Building Self-Efficacy
You Are Not Broken
wildgoose - How I determined my "goal weight"
Finding The Sweet Spot: Balancing Calorie Density, Nutrient Density & Satiety
Calorie Density & Satiety In Action
Is long time adherence really possible?
Amy's Giant List of Links to Dr. Lisle's Lectures

[Mark Cooper]

Hi to all,
I'm checking in to the April 2024 feed since I want to be accountable and will not have time later in the weekend.
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. Choose fruit for desert.Yes. My plate has more veggies in it now

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.Yes, I have reduced salt and sugar

4) Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). NO, today I had a small piece of fish

5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). YES but also include a TBS of flax seed

6) Eliminate any added oil. YES except when at the mercy of restaurant food.

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 today had 2 pieces of toast for breakfast

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.NO sometimes I stuff

10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).YES even though we had many rainy days, tried to get out to walk sometime during the non-rainy periods.

Even though I have anumber of NO's I felt the week went very well. I didn't lose more weight but I felt not driven by the food and had no/few incidents of picking between meals. This has been my most recurring problem but in rejoining MWL forum I am able to surrender the picking as well as the reaching for non-compliant foods and it feels so good!
I am also very aware of getting as much exercise as possible or at least a little more than the usual. Like today even though it was rainy we found a break during the day and went for a walk. It's so much easier to stay indoors and stay warm but together my husband and I encourage each other to get out.
Also I am managing to get more vegetables on the plate. Using a lot of wonderful spices and adding more veggies to my bean dishes.
Then there are days when things don't go according to plan. Because of family crisis today we found ourselves going out to eat breakfast. I could have ordered my daily oatmeal but I was so turned on that the cafe had a vegetable shashouka and I requested to use as little oil as possible. It came without any oil in evidence and alongside a bit of hummus. So far, so good. HOWEVER, the dish came with toast and ate it plain, felt bad about it, so ate some of my husband's non-compliant dish. It was not the non-compliant foods that was the problem. I was definitely turned on, not only by the foods I was eating but by the foods that others were eating in the restaurant. This carried on in my mind for 1/2 a day and I hope now I have returned to my inner calm. It is insidious how the pleasure trap can sometimes grab you by the neck in certain environments and shake you about til you come to your senses. Restaurants for me are not great and I don't go to many of them.Only those where i know I can get my food and i am prepared to order only that.
I read all the material you included to answer my questions of last week. It was a good read and i am clearer now but as far as fatty fish, here was no reference to studies about their impact on macular degeneration which was my specific question. So today I had a small piece of fish which I do about once a month.The doctor suggested 2X a week. I will search online for some sources which relate to this.
Thank you for all you and your team do for us.
Carol

I don’t see a May page so posting here as well.

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. Choose fruit for dessert. YES
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. YES
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). YES
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). 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 (i.e., brisk walking). YES

I had a good week. Going out of town this weekend where there will be lots of food. I have a plan though with food packed for both breakfasts and first dinner and lunch, then plan to just go to the store as needed and keep it simple.

[BambiS]

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. Choose fruit for desert
Yes

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.
Yes

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

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

Victories, comments, concerns, questions good week, nothing eventful

Another good week, I’ve been planting tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers in my new raised garden bed. Hopefully it will be successful!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Team Time & Adherence!!

Hope that everyone is doing wonderful. We have one local Farmers Market opening this week which is exciting --- and makes it truly feel like spring!!!

1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Not really – maybe 2 times for the week.

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.
Yes.

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.
Yes – reduced not eliminated.

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

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

10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Mostly yes. I did take one rest day that was needed and completely re-energized me.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

Thanks so much, Mark for leading us through these healthy changes. I felt terrible for you that your post got eaten last week. Fingers crossed that we have smooth sailing from here on out – stay away computer gremlins!

Bambi – your upcoming veggie garden sounds amazing! Be ready for something to grow like gangbusters!!! It sounds like you’ll have a great set-up for homemade salsa!!! I haven’t gardened in a few years but when I did, we always had a surprise bumper crop --- like one year we had tons of yellow squash and banana peppers.

Rebecka – Great planning for your time away! Hope it goes well!

Carol--- Like how you described the Pleasure Trap. It definitely is insidious and I like to steer completely clear.

Waving HI to everyone still to come!

Thursday was my official 3-year anniversary of closely following the MWL Checklist. I celebrated with soup, salad, fruit, and potato!!! I am beyond happy to be embedded in this lifestyle and am thrilled with its continuing positive impact on my physical and mental health – priceless!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Artista]

Greetings Time & Adherence Team!

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. Choose fruit for desert. Yes.

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. Yes.

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

5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). Yes, except for a little plain soy milk every day.

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’ve gotten into a comfortable rhythm of hunger and fullness without starving or stuffing.

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

Everything is still going very well. I’m enjoying the food and the feeling of wellbeing I’ve been experiencing since coming back to MWL. I haven’t really been focusing on losing weight but I have lost some weight which is a nice bonus. I really feel like I could eat this way for the rest of my life. I know that that can change but I'm glad so far it hasn't. I feel like I've been rescued from an unhappy cycle of overeating and trying not to overeat.

Congratulations to everyone on a successful week!

[Gimmelean]

MWL Post for week ending 5/3/24
Greetings everyone. Fingers crossed that I can post this week. I tried for a few hours prior to the close last week but the forum page of the website would not even load. Only this section of the site was problematic. Accountability is so important for me to stay on track and connected.

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

2). Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.
Yes.

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.
Yes

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

5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu,soy).
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.
No succumbed to chips and puffs.

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 (i.e.,
Victories, Questions, Comments: Happy Spring Everyone!
Mark, Thanks for the refreshers on the science behind the 10 point checklist last month Always helpful and reinforcing to not lose sight of why this works so well.

See you next week.

[CUgorji22]

Hey, everyone! Hope all of you are having a great weekend.

*Guidelines:
1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Compliant

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. Compliant

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. Compliant

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

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

6. Eliminate any added oil. Compliant

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. Compliant

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

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

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). Not Compliant

- Non-compliance/reason: Only 1 day of no exercise; my schedule was too packed.

- Decision to Adhere: I really pushed myself this week. Even though I'm not compliant with this Guideline, I made more effort this week than I have before. I made an exercise schedule for myself this week and stuck to it. Very happy with the outcome of my schedule! I'm going to keep at it until I am 100% compliant with this Guideline. It's the one that keeps tripping me up.

*Weight Change: 2.4lb loss*

*SUMMARY/THOUGHTS*
I am very pleased with my week! It was so nice to be back to my "normal" routine; I had way more control of my environment, which helped so much with my meals. Even when I had the choice to eat out, I didn't. I waited until I got home and ate leftovers. It felt so good to make that choice.

I\m determined to be compliant with Guideline #10. We will be traveling again this upcoming week. It may be tricky but I will plan ahead, Onward and upward!

Thank you, Mark, and everyone else for your support!

[Mark Cooper]

carolw - I'm delighted to know that it felt like this week went well and that you are feeling good! The mutual support you and your husband are offering each other seems so beneficial; you're so successful at staying active. I think that experience you describe, of feeling overstimulated by the restaurant environment, is a familiar sensation for many of us. Jeff has an excellent article discussing the same phenomenon. Regarding your original question relating to macular degeneration, I thought I included some relevant references, but they must have slipped through the cracks with all the glitches. My apologies. Here is the Cochrane review on the subject: Omega 3 fatty acids for preventing and slowing the progression of age-related macular degeneration.

Authors' conclusions
This review found that omega 3 LCPUFA supplementation in people with AMD for periods up to five years does not reduce the risk of progression to advanced AMD or the development of moderate to severe visual loss. No published randomised trials were identified on dietary omega 3 fatty acids for primary prevention of AMD. Currently available evidence does not support increasing dietary intake of omega 3 LCPUFA for the explicit purpose of preventing or slowing the progression of AMD.

I hope the review provides helpful context for your practice. May that feeling of inner calm you've renewed comfort you and sustain your efforts!

Rebecka22 - GREAT! Having a workable plan and keeping things simple for time out of town - hard to do better than that! Wishing you safe travels and happy days!

BambiS - Woo-hoo! That looks like a great week! Tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers - YUM, YUM, YUM! Happy gardening and may you have a bountiful harvest!

VegSeekingFit - Awesome efforts, Stephanie! A Farmers Market does help it feel like spring is here, right? Thanks for your commiseration about technical challenges; it seems like everything is resolved and working smoothly now (but I did type my post in notepad this week, just in case). CONGRATULATIONS on your 3-year-anniversary! That is a huge achievement and an inspiration! It makes me so happy to hear about your success and the positive outcomes you have achieved; priceless, indeed. Keep it up!

Artista - It seems like you are really in a good groove, Nancy! That feeling of wellbeing is the very best reward, right? I think you are proceeding with exactly the right focus, perspective, and attitude. Congrats and carry on!

Gimmelean - Happy Spring to you! I hope you didn't have any trouble posting this week; last week was a real mess, and I can empathize with your frustration. I am hoping it will be smooth functioning here for the foreseeable future. I completely agree with you about accountability being an important component for maintaining a successful practice. Onward!

CUgorji22 - That's a nice string of "compliant" responses in a row, Chesca! I think you've made excellent progress with your efforts to include exercise in your routine; you have a lot to feel happy about. It does usually feel SO NICE to get back to that "normal" routine, doesn't it? Kudos to you for making choices that aligned with your intentions and goals. Planning ahead makes a big difference with that, right? Best wishes for happy, safe travels and an amazing week!

[Mark Cooper]

Hooray! Your fabulous efforts and good company, AND a fully-functioning discussion thread seem like an excellent way to start off the month of MAY!

Continuing our review of the recommended behaviors:

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

The reasoning behind this recommendation seems pretty simple and fundamental in the context of calorie density. From Passive Overconsumption: The Unintended Intake of Excess Calories, we know . . .

3. Liquid Calories
Liquid calories provide little if any satiety for their calorie load, so they do not fill you up as much as solid foods of equal calories. For example, it is much easier to over consume calories when consuming fruit juice, than the whole fruit. On a WFPB diet, the most common liquid calories are fruit and vegetable juices and non-dairy milks.

,and . . .

7. Emulsifying, Pureeing, & Blending
Blending foods disrupts the fiber and reduces the satiety of the food per calorie, making it easier to overconsume the food. On the other hand, chewing food increases satiety. Examples of blended foods on a WFPB diet include smoothies and dried fruit/nut confections.

This post and this post examine the relationship between Calories, Calorie Density, Fiber, Blending, and Juicing in greater detail.


May your week be beautiful and glorious! Take care & be well!

[BambiS]

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. Choose fruit for desert
Yes

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.
Yes

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

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

Victories, comments, concerns, questions good week, nothing eventful

Another good week! I really enjoyed the Dr McDougall Cinco De Mayo spicy black bean salsa recipe that was on Facebook and sent out in email. I topped my salad with it.

[Rebecka22]

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. Choose fruit for dessert. YES
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. YES
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). YES
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). 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 (i.e., brisk walking). YES

It was a good week. So grateful for some warmer days. Trying to just keep eating the good healthy food. Had a successful weekend away focusing on easy foods like precooked brown rice and veggies. Hope everyone has a great week!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Team Time & Adherence!!

Happy weekend!!! Hope you are all doing terrific!!

1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Very infrequently – 3 times for the week.

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.
Yes.

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.
Yes – reduced not eliminated.

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

5 Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
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 still try to be mindful here.

10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Mostly yes. Took a rest day again this week.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

Hope that everyone has an excellent week!

Best,
Stephanie

[Artista]

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. Choose fruit for desert. Yes.

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. Yes.

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

5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). No.

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 (i.e., brisk walking). No.

This was a challenging week as far as following the checklist goes. I missed multiple days of exercise due to trying to finish some projects and not wanting to take time out to exercise. Also there was one day when I ate some of the higher fat plant foods. Wishing everyone a great week.

[Gimmelean]

MWL Post for week ending 5/10/24
Greetings!
1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Yes.

2). Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.
Yes.

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.
No

4) Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs,)
Ye

5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu,soy).
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.
No
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 (i.e.,
Victories, Questions, Comments: this was a tough week. Birthday dinner at a buffet. Haven’t been to one in years and had to “try” stuff. One bite of lots of wrong foods equaled MWL disaster. Just for one meal. At work, more temptation but gradually back on track. I’m biting the bullet to get back to normalcy. I made lots of sweet potatoes; purple, orange, white! Jeff’s curry burgers. I’m going to freeze one cup peeled sweet potato pulp so they don’t go to waste and I’ll have them for recipes.
See you next week.

[CUgorji22]

Happy Saturday! Hope all of you are having a great weekend.

*Guidelines:
1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Compliant 

- Decision to Adhere: We had back-to-events leading up to our friends' wedding. I decided to take fruit with me to a few events, as my starter, in case I didn't have another option. The best decision ever! Blackberries saved the day!! 

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. Compliant 

- Decision to Adhere: At the wedding reception, the caterers (also friends) made a Latin cactus entree....a veggie I have never tried before. It was the perfect compliment to the potatoes they provided. My dish was separate from the meal being served. I was impressed AND very encouraged they considered 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. Compliant 

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

- Decision to Adhere: I was so encouraged by friends who warned me before eating certain items at events. My radar was already up but the were so kind to make sure I didn't eat something made from animal products. 

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

6. Eliminate any added oil. Compliant 

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. Compliant 

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

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

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). Not Compliant 

- Non-compliance/reason: I didn't workout 3 days this week: 1 day of recovery after the wedding (so exhausted-my entire family was in the wedding), 2 days of RV travel. 

- Decision to Adhere: On our 2nd day of travel, I walked 30mins around the Truck Stop/Travel Center where we stopped overnight. My son & daughter joined me for part of my walk! 

*Weight Change: 0.2 gain*

*SUMMARY/THOUGHTS*
I developed a topical infection right before the wedding. I was in pain before we left for home so I didn't get the chance to meal prep or buy groceries for the road, like I intended. 

We only stop at Travel Centers when in our RV. I was able to buy fruit a couple times. I bought a salad at Subway once; I used my own salsa (kept in my RV fridge) for my dressing. 

We will prob have 2 more RV road trips this year. It's essential I learn how to make the best decisions for my health, while on the road. It's not impossible...it just takes intention. 

I am also becoming more confident in ordering compliant meals at restaurants! My food definitely looked different from everyone else's food BUT I enjoy my compliant food! Ex: At the Rehearsal Dinner (with a Southern menu) I ordered a salad, plain baked potato-nothing added, plain broccoli-nothing added. 

I also want to add: there were moments of pressure, stress and anxiety during my trip...esp surrounding the wedding. I wanted to eat my way out of the stress & stop by a Starbucks to get relief. I didn't. It was so hard. I am an emotional eater. Not turning to food was a HUGE victory but also somewhat painful. I had to deal with what was going on! I am happy with my choices and so pleased to share my growth. It is this Group that helped me thoughtfully consider my choices when I was tempted most!!

Thank you, Mark, and everyone else for your support!