July 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

[Precursoragirl]

Glad to join this group. I’ve been vegan for awhile but my weight has been stubborn. I’m the heaviest I’ve ever been in life. It’s frustrating to say the least. This last year I was diagnosed with prediabetes on the verge of diabetes 2, fatty liver, acid reflux and asthma. My dad had several of these conditions and died 8 years ago from cancer. My brother died last year also from cancer. I want to take control of my weight (obese) and health. I’m committed to making this work for me.

[HealthyMe!]

This invitation couldn't have come at a better time. I am not going to get healthy if I don't get back to eating properly with plant based foods. I would like to get back to vegan lifestyle as I have been a vegetarian, as of late. The quarantine has me out of control. Wearing a mask in this heat, I am so out of breath. Well, I am out of breath with out a mask too. I had a physical today and my bloodwork showed I have a slightly fatty liver. I read up on it but the dr. said just losing 5 to 10 pounds could change the numbers. I need to lose 75 lbs. I take Thyroid medicine and read that people with Hypothyroid are often hit with fatty liver. Would like to thank you for starting this and all the people who are posting, to keep us motivated in getting back or to stay eating healthier.
Mayo Clinic website recommended a plant based diet for fatty liver. I stopped getting their emails as they always had meat recipes. The word is out that plant based solves so many health concerns.

[vegyluvver]

Everybody ready for tomorrow? I'm excited!

[hollyhock]

Hi, I want to be in the group. I tried yesterday but I think I blew it somehow. Many thanks for the invite.

[alidampush]

Hello everyone
I am a new member and I'm a 35-year-old male looking to lose 8-10 pounds.
Thanks.

[Cathy Ann]

Yes I'm happy to start. very long over due. I'm working my weight out in pounds, as I'm from North Queensland, Australia. we are ahead in our timezone too. it can get a bit confusing. Good luck for the month of July.

[carwex]

Hello MWLers,

This week I lost 1/2 a pound

A warm welcome to ALL the many new participants to this discussion board.

I hope that your experience here will be the beginning of a new and healthy kickstart to your life.

I became plant based when I retired 10 years ago hoping it would cure a terrible case of heartburn. By following Dr.Mcdougall's regular plant based program I was able to get a healthier gut and therefore a better life. I am now 78 years old and have no physical limitations, no underlying conditions and no medications. However, there has been some fluctuation and some gain in weight which started to bother me so I decided to try the Maximum weight loss program. I implicitly trust anything that Dr McDougall has to offer on his site. I have recently given up bread, avocado, nuts and nut butters, dried fruit, most soy products. It really makes a difference in the weight and since I am devoted to staying healthy, it isnt difficult for me.

I started here for MAXIMUM WEGHT LOSS at the beginning of April. I have reached my goal weight by losing 10 pounds but am continuing with the plan for 2 reasons: 1. to strengthen the internalizing of the 10 principles so that they become second nature and 2 to see if this plan is what I need for weight maintenance going forward.

I wish everyone great success. Keep coming back. Perseverance helps. There is much support here. Don't worry about the slips. To be expected if you like to eat like I do. It's not the slips that matter it's how fast you pick yourself up and get back on the path.

[MandyF]

Today is my first weigh-in and I weighed in at 222.4 lbs
Its Friday here in Northern Queensland

Okay this is actually end of week 1 for me on the MWL lifestyle and I haven't really been hungry at all. Anytime I feel like I want something sweet I have some fruit - only 2 servings a day.

I feel I succeeded this week by batch cooking oats, potatoes, rice, veges and Chef AJ's Cauliflower Bisque that I mostly used as a sauce. I think I actually lost a fair amount of weight this week. I'm certainly feeling better.

I'll do some more batch cooking this weekend but will try to find a couple of other recipes as I know I'll get bored with the same thing every day.

Also I'm not hungry in the morning so have been having the pot liquor from cooked veg as a drink in the morning. Having lots of small meals doesn't really work for me due to my work and so I only really have 2 meals a day with fruit snacks if I need it.

[Cathy Ann]

Start Weight:- 245
Goal Weight:- 165
Height:- 5'3

going to follow the advice of the experts. It's all black and white and very easy to understand. My hardest challenge is to change my lazy mindset behavior to the exercise. please pray for me. good luck everyone.

[PonysPlants]

Down 1.2 lbs since Monday! Amazing.

A 10-Point Checklist for Maximum Weight Loss

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. Still having a little more salt than I’d like but none in the food, just on top.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). Easy
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). Yes. Though the tofu in my fridge is calling to me - Pleasure Trap awareness
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). Forgot to exclude oat milk in my morning tea a couple of times. Missing green smoothies.
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). Pilates and walking.

[Abe]

Weight Change: -4.3 lbs.

Holy smoke, that's a lot of new people joining the group. Welcome!

MWL Points:

1. Start meals with soup or salad.
2. Follow 50/50 plate volume.
   I had two or three meals this week that were predominantly starch, rather than 50/50. This is an area that I will focus on this week, it seems to be getting more difficult to avoid. Part of that is my work schedule which leaves me gobbling potatoes in my truck between jobs, and part is that I love the starch so much now it's a little difficult. My local CSA farm has finally really kicked in (it is a slow start here in Vermont), so I have some fresh vegetables to enjoy.
3. Eliminate sugar and salt.
4. Eliminate animal based foods.
5. Eliminate higher fat plant foods.
6. Eliminate oil.
7. Eliminate higher calorie dense foods.
8. Do not drink your calories.
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.

Thank you Mark for your encouragement. It does reassure me to know that you eat a similar quantity of food.

After a month of the scale not budging within a few tenths of a pound of difference, I lost 4.3 pounds this week. I am not sure if I believe it. In fact, I just ordered a new scale which should arrive before next Friday. I suppose that I may have been losing weight this whole time and the scale only reflected it yesterday. It is difficult to believe that I could lose that much in a single week at my current stage of weight loss.

In any case, I am proceeding as I normally do and sticking to the MWL guidelines with the occasional heavy starch indulgence.

[Mark Cooper]

I guess, rather than good morning, I should say "Good Evening" to all our wonderful participants from the opposite hemisphere! Maybe I'll just say "Good Day!"

[LesleyMills]

Hi again all,

I guess being as I’m 17hrs ahead of Pacific Time and it’s already Friday night here I’m going to do my first ever weigh in post albeit a bit early for some of you.

I’m currently 189 lbs and for a 5ft 3in woman that puts me in to the obese category. I’m looking to lose quite a few pounds but don’t want to focus on that and prefer to just take this journey one week at a time so I don’t get overwhelmed by the size of the task ahead.

The first issue I anticipate I will have with the MWL Checklist is going to be what I have for breakfast each day as I love my daily bowl of cooked oats with a handful of berries. I’m also little concerned about giving up coffee.

Well I’ll see you all in a week’s time and all the best. As my daughter says to me ‘you got this’!!

[Wfpb2020]

Start date 7/1/20

7/3/20: 1.2 lbs
Total Loss: 1.2 lbs

1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Yes
2) Follow the 50/50 plate method; Choose fruit for desert. Yes
3) Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. Yes
4) Eliminate all animal foods Yes
5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods. Yes
6) Eliminate any added oil. Yes
7) Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products, puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit. Yes
8 ) Don’t drink your calories 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. Yes

[Cottage024]

Hi .... I’m Kelly. Looking forward to the July challenge. My biggest concern is hypoglycemia which I have encountered on MWL. Jeff’s easy meal prep looks like a good solution and would give me all of the nutrients I need. I shall see.