July 2021 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

[Zoey]

Weight change +/- in lbs: -.2 the same two tenths i gained last week, I guess

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

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: I hung on for two more days of home reconstruction last week without stress-eating and drinking. Whew! Then easily fell back into my routine of getting out for sunshine, fresh air, and exercise. So I'm feeling good today.
Looks like the group has seen some big losses this week. Good job, y'all! Welcome beginners, and thanks Mark and everyone for this much-needed support and accountability.

[chef16]

06/12/2021 229#
07/03/2021 225#
lose of -4#

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.90%
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.50%
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.85%
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).100%
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).85%
6. Eliminate any added oil.100%
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.85%
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).90%
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. 100%
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).40%

I am back! Had to get my head on straight and try to start moving forward again. I was stalled out anyway and adding all the stress and problems that are going on in my life right now gave me a reason to run off the tracks. I am really trying to get back to it. I am doing pretty good and some of the weight has came back off. I can't say that I am going to get back on the program, but I am going to try really hard.
.Thank you

[JaBee]

Hello! I am back, again !

I re-read and studied orientation materials again and re-commit and desire to re-join the group.

Resuming today, initial weight 178#, no loss yet.

Hope everyone has a compliant week,,

[Gimmelean]

Weight change +/- in lbs: -.25
6/25/2021. 128
7/02/2021. 127.6

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

Victories, comments, concerns, questions.
I really really focused on saying no to sweets which makes a big difference for me in ability to stay on track. Happy 4th everyone!

[Drew*#]

Friday Weight change +/- in lbs: -.4 lbs (185.4 lbs.)

MWL checklist

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Throughout the week I would have some soup at times before the meal. I never do this for breakfast. I have my fruit and a combination of whole grains and a some legumes with fruit. More often, I find myself adding the salad ingredients and veggies to the main dish. If I am especially hungry filling with soup or cold soup helps. It should be helpful in the days to come to do so on a more regular basis

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. I mostly did so. Breakfast includes a combination of cooked oat groats, rye groats, barley groats, and lentils.

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 added sugar except Friday night. I am not adding sodium to foods, but do use some Tabasco, umami, MSG at times.

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

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). Soy on two days.

6. Eliminate any added oil. Had a few snacks that had oil. Working on this and finding a substitute.

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. Had some rice crackers and another cracker. Am working on this by buying more carrots, apples, and turning to them when tempted.

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

9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. I did a good job in the later part of the week being mindful of my mood and eating. I mostly stopped watching TV which seems to be linked somehow to poor choices in food or in overconsumption. I am finding that multitasking in this regard is not possible if one wishes to be mindful when consuming food.

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). I was able to do so with almost an average of 30 minutes a day. Today I am a little sore after kickboxing boot camp. Yesterday the masks came off in the class.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

Got a pair of training gloves at Dick's Sporting Goods that work really well. They have thick padding. Got a great workout last night. I am a bit sore with the weight lifting and kickboxing, but enjoy it too much to stop.

As for this week, I broke things up in the later part of the week by not watching TV while eating. It really helps in being mindful when doing a diet. When I was younger it was a cinch to lose a large amount quickly. Taking on a habit of healthy MWL eating to lose the weight and keep it off for health is a good strategy proven by Mark, Jeff, and others. Makes sense since I know from experience that dense foods and drink will put on the pounds quite rapidly.

The other thing on breaking things up is that I found some substitutes that are MWL. It helped a bit and I expect in the weeks to come, if I keep this up I will see results like a lower BMI.

Drew*#

[Noella]

Hi Mark, Jeff and Wildgoose,
+/- 0 pounds
154 pounds
1. 7/7 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2. 7/7 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.
3. 7/7 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. 7/7 Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5. 7/7 Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6. 7/7Eliminate any added oil.
7. 6/7 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. 7/7 Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
9. 7/7 Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.
10. 7/7 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).

I hoped to lose weight on our holiday, kept to eating starch based. I’m hoping to make further progress in July. Happy note: I saw some vacation photos of myself and I look like a normal weight person! Hurrah! I don’t look fat anymore!

[Noella]

Deleted

[Mark Cooper]

The window for reporting this week's weigh-in and behavioral results has officially closed.

The remainder of my replies and the weekly summary will follow.

[Mark Cooper]

texaslil - Nice progress, Laila! Eliminating avocado definitely helps support weight loss. Because it has a high percentage of calories from fat, it makes unintended overconsumption increasingly likely, for the reasons Jeff discusses in Passive Overconsumption: The Unintended Intake of Excess Calories. Nutritional yeast is ~1700 calories / lb (just as calorie dense as sugar), so if one were to choose to use it, it should be used very sparingly, as with added sugar - I would limit consumption to less than 2 Tbsp in a given day. Jeff compiles a list of discussions concerning nutritional yeast here.

VegSeekingFit - Cheers for getting right back on track with all those YESes! Wishing you a happy holiday weekend, too, Stephanie!

Health 1st - Victories are victories, whether small or large! Taking into account that big drop in weight, I would imagine moving toward the MWL behavior pattern is a pretty dramatic change from your previous habits, no? If that is the case, it certainly makes sense that you were faced with some powerful cravings and mental challenges this week. The more consistently you can resist indulging those cravings, the more likely they are to lessen and ultimately subside completely. When you hit a stumbling block, don't beat yourself up for not being perfect (after all, changing these behaviors is hard), but do take a moment to observe the situation and consider how you might handle things differently in the future. As you observe, the key is to consistently sate your hunger with adherent foods. Make this as easy as possible to do, by being sure to have prepared, adherent foods available and easy to access.

cmcavazos - I'm so glad you were able to make your way back to the group, Christine! I would imagine your account was an unintended victim of the switchover to the new website (definitely not a block/removal). I'm sure that felt very frustrating. Hopefully, that frustration has passed, and you'll be well-positioned for an excellent week of adherence in the days to come.

Gabby7 - Down 2 lbs! And congratulations on the 35 lbs you lost previously, too! You are off to a great start adopting the recommended behaviors! To give some perspective on the difference higher calorie dense foods like popcorn and tortillas can make: corn tortillas are ~1000 calories/lb vs. cooked yellow corn at ~368; popcorn is extremely calorie dense at ~1760 calories/lb with vanishing perceived satiety. Eliminating them will definitely serve to support progress.

George Ohwell - My pleasure!

carwex - Very much "on target," Carol! Congratulations on surpassing last year's initial goal! That consistent, steady downward progression over time is what we like to see. Keep at it!

Zoey - Heading in the right direction! Kudos to you for hanging in during the disruption to your home; it is awesome that you were able to settle right back in to your solid routine! Keep those THUMBS-UP coming!

chef16 - Welcome back, Doreen! I'm glad you are feeling like things are going pretty well, and you can move forward again. Aim for ongoing, steady improvements in adherence from day to day, and week to week. Remember, the easier you can make it for yourself to reach for adherent foods when you feel hungry (by having them prepared and at hand), the less "hard" you will find it to stick with the program.

JaBee - Hello and welcome back! Today is a great day to resume MWL, and I look forward to your "homecoming" report next week.

Gimmelean - Excellent adherence! Kudos to you for saying no to the sweets. Have a happy holiday!

Drew*# - That looks like another week of steady progress shifting your pattern of behavior! Finding suitable adherent foods to stand-in for richer fare seems like a valuable strategy, the more consistently you can do that, the better. I'm glad not "multitasking" while eating feels helpful; I imagine the added benefit is better appreciating and enjoying those adherent meals, too. Keep it up!

Noella - Great work staying on track while on holiday, with a near-perfect pattern of adherence! I imagine seeing those photos served as an exciting reminder of all the progress you have made. Hurrah for planning to have a successful July!

[Mark Cooper]

Please note - I replied to each participant individually in the two lengthy posts linked below, provided that their reports followed the guidelines for weigh-ins.

Mark's Replies for July 2 - Part 1
Mark's Replies for July 2 - Part 2

By my count, 21 participants reported for our first July 2021 MWL weigh-in! If I neglected to include anyone, or you notice an error in the tally, please let me know (via PM so we can keep the thread as tidy as possible, or in a post here if you cannot PM).

Here are the results for the first Friday in July:

Week ending 7/2/2021: 21 participants reported a total change of -22.25 pounds
--------------------------------------------------
Artista +1.00
Rebecka22 +0.80
OOnaOwl +0.40
--------------------------------------------------
Total gains: +2.20
--------------------------------------------------
NO CHANGE / MAINTAIN/ STARTING OUT
Bunsofaluminum 0.00
Cmcavazos 0.00
George Ohwell 0.00
JaBee 0.00
Noella 0.00
--------------------------------------------------
Zoey -0.20
Gimmelean -0.25
Drew*# -0.40
VegSeekingFit -0.60
GreenFroG -1.00
PonysPlants -1.20
Carwex -1.30
Deweyswakms -1.80
Gabby7 -2.00
Texaslil -2.00
Squealcat -3.70
Chef16 -4.00
Health 1st -6.00
--------------------------------------------------
Total losses: -24.45
--------------------------------------------------
Cumulative group loss for July 2021 to date: -22.25 pounds
Average loss for week ending July 2: -1.06 pounds
Cumulative group loss for January 2021: 117.20 pounds
Cumulative group loss for February 2021: 39.40 pounds
Cumulative group loss for March 2021: 73.20 pounds
Cumulative group loss for April 2021: 48.30 pounds
Cumulative group loss for May 2021: 35.90 pounds
Cumulative group loss for June 2021: 34.10 pounds
--------------------------------------------------

Next Weigh-In is on Friday, July 9, 2021.

The July group is off and running, with strong efforts on display, and behaviors being changed!

Because we have some new participants joining us, and some old friends back after time away, I think it makes sense to share some posts discussing questions and concerns that frequently arise in the group. If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend reading Jeff's article on Passive Overconsumption: The Unintended Intake of Excess Calories; I think of it as an ideal complement to the MWL 10-Point Checklist that offers helpful insight and perspective into why we might unintentionally overconsume and serves to expand our working knowledge of how to practice this way of eating.

A Date w/Disaster: The Pleasure Trap of Whole Natural Foods covers a topic that is relevant to some of the discussion this week: why foods promoted as "healthy" may not be healthy at all, and how some items presented as WFPB SOS-free can still send us straight into the Pleasure Trap.

Nutritional Yeast is also a recurring topic, and Jeff has a Q&A article with links discussing a variety of concerns with "nooch."

Nutritional yeast is often used by vegans and vegetarians because it is thought to be a good source of B vitamins and protein and some think of it as a good source of B12. As you mentioned, it is also often used as a cheese substitute in some recipes. Some people even use it in a shaker as a Parmesan cheese substitute. However, I am not a fan of nutritional yeast, I don’t use it myself and don’t recommend it. The following links will take you to a discussion on each of the topics you mentioned.

Nutritional Yeast and B12

Nutritional Yeast, Protein and IGF

Negative impact from eating too much nutritional yeast?

Brewers Yeast vs Nutritional Yeast

Misc
https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/view ... =22&t=5842
https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/view ... =22&t=9660

Let us know if you have further questions.

Have a great week of continuing practice, learning and progress! Take care & be well.

[JeffN]

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. Samwich for two lunches. It's a compliant bread, but it IS a flour product

Just to be clear, this product is not MWL compliant. No bread is.

Not even sure it would be compliant for the regular program either. If you have a link to one you want me to see, I would be glad to look at it.

In Health
Jeff

[George Ohwell]

Thanks so much for the links about nutritional yeast! It's like you read my mind. I just purchased it recently and I find it to be very stimulating and triggering for me, and yes I overeat foods with that in it. I'm happy to just say no to nutritional yeast!

[pootsy]

Hi Mark and MWL group, Glad to see you are all still here working the program!
I would like to rejoin after reviewing all the orientation materials and reading the last couple of months postings.
I left the group last year, managed to gain 25 pounds I did not need for sure, but most importantly, do not have the energy or focus on healthier lifestyle I had while on MWL. I wanted to commit in writing to get the new month started so today will be my personal INDEPENDENCE DAY!!
It is going to be a difficult transition but I know there is support here. See you at the end of the month

[Mark Cooper]

pootsy - Hi! Great idea to use TODAY to take charge of your behaviors and pursue INDEPENDENCE from the Pleasure Trap! Getting back on track may not be easy, but it is absolutely worth it. Give yourself an advantage by planning to succeed and having adherent foods stocked, prepared and ready to go.

[PonysPlants]

Gain of 0.8lbs this week.

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. NO
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. NO
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too. NO
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). YES Easy. Vegan for life

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados,) 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. 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. NO
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more. YES

All of the above nos came from one particularly non compliant day. I had my dad and his wife visiting and we went up to spend the day at a big country estate place. I researched the options at the coffee shop ahead of time and saw they had salads and jacket potatoes so I thought I was all set. When we got there all they had was meat or cheese sandwiches because of the pandemic. I asked them to make me a salad but they refused. So I had to make my lunch out of the snacks. I had popcorn, a cereal bar and some Oreos for lunch. Ugh. And then by the time we left after walking around all day I made poor choices in the restaurant and had a vegan pizza and flat bread with hummus. Double ugh. I don’t think that it’s “real” weight gain but we’ll find out next week I suppose. Visitors have gone so I’m back on track. I did cook them some MWL meals and my step mother could not believe how big a portion of food you can have when you’re eating this way. I’m fairly sure she thought I was lying. Haha!

Thanks as always you wonderful moderators. And as always extra thanks to Mark for being an absolute star.

Onwards to next week!

Naomi