January Mary's Mini Challenge: SIMPLY Losing Weight

[bigdoglover]

Hey Spud,
Just did the same exact thing when I brook my leg. Weighed 239 when I got better (took 6+ months of therapy) so now that I weigh 199 I don't want to take a chance on messing with that. It was WAYYYYY too hard to do. This is as easy as it can be. Eat when you want too or feel hungry and loose weight. Hurrah!!! Thank you Dr. McDougall.

[Vanilla Orchid]

Go to a movie, take a walk, call a friend, write here, do anything to keep from messing with this.

You are so right. I guess I heard that a planned cheat was easier to come back from. Your story is almost identical to mine. I started at 265 and was down to 203 when I broke my leg. I was already at a stand still with my weight due to fats and bread and sweets. Once I was dependent on others to provide my food, they got me vegetarian taco bell, soy ice cream and someone even made me a cheeseless lasagna. I started eating tons of pasta, soy, sweets and I was cheating on bags of m&m's when my spirits were down. I didn't dare get on that scale...Until I found I was 240. So, I think you are right! I will not cheat, even on my birthday. I will give myself another treat that is not food. Thanks for talking me through that.

What day is your birthday? I want to be sure to send you my very best good wishes, and I'm pretty sure the others will do that too.

I really messed up over the holidays with a little taste of this and that that made getting back on track so very much harder than starting the first time. I put back a few pounds that I had lost, and I'm trying not to beat myself up about it, but I also know that if I'd stuck to the program instead of falling head first into the box of See's candy, I'd be at my goal weight today.

Give yourself a real present this time.

[spud]

It's Feb 4

[proverbs31woman]

I'm glad that you changed your mind, Spud. I agree with what everyone else was saying. Once that door is open to cheating, it is difficult to close it. People around you even start to offer SAD foods more often than before because they saw you eating cake at the Christmas party.

[proverbs31woman]

Seriously though...I have lost in my first week..drum roll please....6 pounds!! whoo hoo! Even tho it's not my dream come true, I am way happy with it!

Now I just need to keep up the commitment and momentum. I know the first week I usually drop the greatest amount of weight, so I have to keep that in mind and not get discouraged if I lose a lesser amount this week.

Good job, Stormie! I remember losing 5 lbs. in 6 days during my first encounter with MM. It feels so good to drop that kind of weight, right? You are being realistic to expect not to lose that much weight the next week, but you can continue to lose at a good pace if you continue to follow the principles. I remember losing 3 lbs. in one week after that, and I was estatic, but overall, I lost at an average of 1 pound a week.

My weigh-in didn't go as expected. I gained a half of a pound this week. I figure that the honey that I've been using as a condiment on top of my baked fries could be the culprit as well as the turkey patty that I cheated with the night before the weigh-in. I hate even admitting that.

Anyway, I'm getting right back up because I know that it will take consistency to make it to my goals.

[stormie]

Thank you, proverbs31woman! You're right..it's all about consistency. I lost 30lbs on MWL a few years ago and I had weeks where I gained, and weeks where I lost over 3lbs, but all in all it took about 6 months to lose the weight..but it did eventually come off!

And don't too feel bad about the turkey patty...it's not like you ate a double cheeseburger or anything too crazy! I slipped up a little last night, too. I've been avoiding going out with friends, but I finally broke down and went to dinner and a movie. I did get a salad at dinner but it came with this huge piece of super buttery garlic bread! I tried soooo hard not to eat it but right after I finished my salad I scarfed that baby down! I don't even think I chewed! So, yeah, we're only human and we are here for each other so we can make these types of confessions (oh and I had a couple of pieces of licorice in the movies, too)

[Jackie J]

ok - lost 4/12 pounds my first week on MM
I know it won't be this much next week - but process will bring results - I have two social eating events between now and next Tuesday -- so if I can just do MWL at those events, I'll be happy with a 1 1/2 to 2 pound loss next Tuesday -
Thanks for all the support --

[stormie]

Good job, Jackie J!!

The social events are so hard! I kept myself on lock down all last week from my usual socializing and it was no fun. Losing 6lbs almost made it worth it but I know I can't live my life like that forever.

[proverbs31woman]

Thanks for your comments, Stormie, and congratulations on your amazing weight loss Jackie J. Yesterday was a 100% compliant day for me. It really takes some effort and renewing of the mind to overcome temptations, but I know that it will get easier every time. I have to get in the habit of saying no to the donuts that I'm offered at work, the candy that my son brings home from school, and the meat that I cook for the rest of my family.

[Vanilla Orchid]

Were we supposed to post out progress on a particular day? Was it today? If so, I'm down a little over a pound this week.

[spud]

Im here and still on MM. Having fun with my potatoes and smoothies.

[proverbs31woman]

Were we supposed to post out progress on a particular day? Was it today? If so, I'm down a little over a pound this week.

I think everyone is posting progress whenever they feel the need to. I don't have anything to report. I'm not weighing myself again until my period is off.

I hope everyone else is hanging in there. Congratulations on your continued success Vanilla!

[safords]

Hi,
I am new here. I need to shed some pounds and have been totally frustrated with my inability to do so. I have been a life-long vegetarian. I think we eat pretty simply and everybody else in the family is doing great weight wise. I don't like the way I look and I don't like the way I feel. I was looking around the McDougall site and I saw an article called the fat vegan. That's me! I hate it. I don't use any animal products at home, but we will eat dairy when eating out. Last June I recorded my weight (141 lbs) and I worked out like crazy; walked an hour a day, mowed the orchard and lawns and worked in the yard and really tried to stay active. I lost 5 pounds. In October we went to Africa for 2 months with 20 people. While building an orphanage out in the wilds of Africa we ate beans, rice, potatoes, cabbage, greens all cooked in oil African style... everybody lost weight except my family because we already eat pretty simply, so those who lost really needed to - except for some of the kids. I was SOOOO disappointed not to lose, but then, when you feel like you are at the ends of the earth eating the same thing all the time it's easy to feel deprived. Whenever someone brought out their secret stash of chocolate I partook.... Suffice to say that's why I didn't lose and in fact I gained all my 5 pounds back soon after we got home because we were so excited to eat home food again. It's so discouraging for me. I see those gained 5 lbs as 5 steps backwards. Last night I stayed up late reading the McDougal site and decided to cut free oils out of our diet... and pasta, etc... Today I learned about the mini diet and I am ready for a kick start. It sort of reminds me of our Africa fare, except that I will be able to make my potatoes taste like I want them....not African style with salt that has tiny white rocks in it.

I weighed 103 pounds when I married. I even weighed that after my 2nd child. I weighed 110 after the 3rd child which was okay. Since then i have battled the ounces that have packed on slowly over the years. I sure hope this will help.

[hope101]

Hi, Angela, and glad you could join the forum. If you haven't found them already, I'd suggest you go to the sticky of hot topics on Jeff's forum. Scroll down near the bottom and be sure to read the threads on caloric density and weight loss.

Until I'd understood the caloric density principle, I was a frustrated person too.

[Vanilla Orchid]

Welcome Angela! Your African experience sounds absolutely fascinating. I have some friends who retired, and recently returned from an experience with the Peace Corp in South Africa where they worked with AIDS orphans and kids who were at risk for becoming AIDS orphans. They returned for a short stay in CA, and left again, this time they are living in an ophanage in Nepal, and looking for another AIDS project to work on.