Kathie - At least the scale has started shifting back in the preferred direction! Every week (and day) offers a fresh opportunity to refocus, and renew our efforts in aligning our behavior with the recommendations. When things are feeling especially difficult, I think it is really important to concentrate on eating of the recommended foods, whenever you're feeling hungry; it helps fortify one's "willpower." Were there particular situations or developments this week that posed a challenge? Were the difficulties mainly at a specific time of day, or position in your routine? It isn't easy to make these changes, so treat yourself with compassion, capture any lessons that present themselves, and get right back to the guidelines.
Abe - Fantastic! Maybe "bellyaching" burns calories!
I had a feeling the scale would denote your progress before too long.
That Mexican Beans and Rice recipe is one of my all time favorites.
Abe wrote:The moral of the story is that I just need to stick with it, and not worry about how long it takes.
I think you have it right here. Let me offer some big congratulations on achieving those outstanding changes in your cholesterol levels!
Onward and downward!
VivianS - Farewell to yet another pound! Great work fitting in time for swimming! Keep chipping away at those remaining 3 points that are still a bit challenging. I think enlisting your nephew to help with having that adherent, ready to go brown rice on hand is a great idea!
Wildgoose offered some really helpful information regarding how to easily freeze and store rice, as well as some oil-free microwave ready varieties. I use
Jeff's method for cooking brown rice; it's pretty easy and always turns out great. Thank you for your very kind words, and your kind manner overall. Everyone who keeps trying their best to make these changes feels like a "WINNER" to me!
laura_delao - Down a pound! Well done putting in the thought and effort to navigate those four meals out as well as possible! I think making a meal out of various side dishes can often be a workable strategy, and depending on the specifics can even present a completely adherent meal;
Jeff has a fun thread in this spirit about his "Wendy's Diet." Keep making those improvements where you see the opportunity!
chef16 - Those pounds just keep dropping! I'm sorry to hear your father has been in the hospital and wish him the best. Even though this week wasn't feeling graceful, you made it through. Learning to improvise effectively in a variety of situations seems like a very valuable skill. Your specific situation during the work day definitely doesn't make things easy, but keep doing the best you can. Would it be possible to talk to someone in food service about making some other options available? When looking back across the MWL 10-Point Checklist, you really have quite a number of the recommended behaviors down pat - keep at it!
PonysPlants - The "pound-a-week club" has quite a roster this week! Nice work avoiding any pleasure traps! I hope your cat is doing well. With continuing attention to the recommended pattern of behavior, you'll reach that BMI milestone before you know it. Dr. McDougall discusses the effect this WOE can have on hormone levels and hormone dependent diseases
here, which I think possibly offers some insight into changes in fluid retention during the menstrual cycle.
Reni - Hooray! I'm sorry you were feeling poorly, and glad you are on the mend now. Nice work getting right back to the recommended behaviors once you recovered. I want to applaud the way you appraised and analyzed this week's struggles - you thought through the situation, came up with a solution for the future, and put together a plan for being better prepared next time.
Dot - 2 more pounds gone this week! Give yourself a pat on the back for being prepared with those roasted potatoes, and choosing to have those rather than continuing with the more troublesome options. I have a small silicone dressing container that I fill with lemon juice and vinegar, really great for dining out. "Buoyant" seems like a delightful way to be feeling! Maybe that afternoon hurdle when cravings tend to make an appearance might be a good time to take a walk? Having a quick, easy 50/50 snack/meal ready to go always helps, too. I used to keep cold oatmeal and berries in the fridge if I needed an afternoon snack. Thank you for your kind words, you are most welcome.
Diane Marie - Dr. Lisle discusses his "starch targets" in his presentation on
The Slow Fast Way: The Steady Path To Your Goals for the New Year, I believe.
squealcat - Way to hang in there (by your toes)! Glad you enjoyed that soup! Do you think this week's powerful urges had any particular inciting incident? Anything different about your routine, preparation, planning or environment? Or just fighting to climb out of the Pleasure Trap? The best way to beat cravings is by eating the recommended foods, knowing that if you avoid indulging them, they will fade with time. Having those foods ready and easily accessible is key. Potatoes always work great for me. Cheers to swinging with your hands, rather than dangling by the toes, Marilyn!
oneesotericgirl - It sounds like this week felt tough, but you are still making progress; try not to beat yourself up. If salad seems unappealing to you right now,
soup might be a superior option. Wildgoose offered some
excellent advice about different approaches to the struggle against cravings. I think this presentation might also offer some insight -
Dr. Doug Lisle: The Story of Willpower – What it Is & How it Works. On the days when my CRPS makes some forms of exercise more difficult, I've had great success with chair cardio routines and various low-impact workouts - could be worth a try. It seems to me that Jeff's
Hedge Your Health article speaks directly to the "lesser of two evils" question, so that might be worth reviewing, too. Keep doing the things you are able to do!
Growing a Pear - Fun to see that rolling average continue to drop! Cereal aside, you did great with the checklist; I think you may be right that behaviors that start to feel normal and habituated can cease to feel like accomplishments. That's another way assessing with the checklist helps to give us an accurate picture, it brings attention to all the things we might not notice that we're doing RIGHT, too. That oatmeal "pudding" seems like a good plan for conquering the cereal challenge. Walking out of your pants may be the jolliest non-scale victory I've ever heard about!
Glad you didn't get hurt!
OrangeBird - WOWZA! That is a big result! Excellent effort adhering to the MWL principles.
Onward to the wedding!
Hope410 - Nice progress! I think you are absolutely correct to observe that adequate preparation can often be the key to staying on track. Enjoy those walks!
Lucas - Don't be too hard on yourself! All of the recommended behaviors and guidelines are of value for best supporting continuing progress, but some extra fruit definitely seems like a preferable choice in place of ice cream. Keep striving to adhere to the MWL 10-Point Checklist as closely as you are able, be kind to yourself if setbacks happen, and try not to attach too much significance to any given week's weigh-in result. You seem to be doing great with 8 of the 10 points, just keep attending to those final 2. The prevailing pattern of behavior is what will ultimately deliver the outcomes.
LittlestTree - A big drop on the scale again this week! Well done eliminating the soy milk, and great adherence overall! Not bringing any more jam into your environment seems like a sensible choice. Carry on!
Pattyj115 - Ugh! I'm so sorry you've been beset with increasing pain! I can definitely relate to how difficult that can make everything feel. Taking things one day at a time, and concentrating on doing the best you can each day (or even at each meal) seems like an appropriate approach. It might make sense to just really focus on getting the food right, take things easier on the exercise if and when you need to, and strive for continuing improvement rather than feeling like shortcomings in a particular area are dragging everything else down. Hang in there!
Drew* - Movement in the right direction! You correctly observe that all the recommended behaviors on the checklist have worth and serve a purpose in moving us toward our goals. At the same time, we are all a "work in progress," so try to treat yourself kindly, too. Making use of your journal seems like a valuable means of support, and planning and preparing to succeed is essential. Enjoy your millet and don't give up. You'll conquer those temptations with time, adherence, & prep.
by Pattyj115 » Sat Sep 12, 2020 12:08 pm 
