July 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

[JeffN]

Congratulations and best wishes to everyone this week!

On hunger...

The fundamental basic principle of the MWL Program and the principles of calorie density is "whenever hungry, eat until comfortably full of the recommended foods." Because of this, there is no reason for anyone to feel hungry when following our guidelines. The recommended foods are minimally processed starches, fruits and vegetables. The most satiety, short term and long term comes from minimally processed starches and to keep the calorie density low, have them with some non-starchy vegetables. Remember, we do not have to figure out if it is true hunger, appetite, craving, etc. However, to be successful, you have to prepare for success and make sure you have availability of minimally processed starches throughout the day.

At the 10-Day program, the snack room is full of veggies (cherry tomatoes, baby carrots), fruits (apples, oranges) and starches (regular hummus, roasted red pepper hummus, potatoes, Split pea soup, Black bean soup, and Lentil Couscous soup). People choose from both the starches and fruits/vegetables. Choosing just vegetables or fruit will not be enough for most people to feel satiated. if you experience cravings for unhealthy foods, you can beat these cravings by choosing healthy foods to eat and knowing that these cravings will eventually pass and stop. However, you can not beat your biology (hunger) and your biology/hunger will eventually win.

Also.....

If you are hungry, eat. We do not recommend skipping meals, fasting, going hungry or eating only vegetables (or fruit) at a meal. We do not recommend intermittent fasting but eating when hungry. When you eat, make sure your choices always include a minimally processed starch. This is 100% true for MWL too. The starch should be about 50% of the volume of the food you eat. Do not wait an hour to eat the starch after the vegetables.

Just reaching for vegetables, salads or fruit is not going to do it in the long run and you will most likely end up overeating later in the day, or week. This is because the satiety from vegetables, salad and fruit is not the same or as long lasting as the satiety from starch and can set you up to overeat/binge later. This may happen within the day or it may happen after several days. Then you end up wondering why you are eating salads and vegetables and not losing weight and often think, I just need to eat “more” salad, veggies or fruit. To break the cycle, always eat starch with your veggies and/or fruits.

If you have not seen it, it would be of benefit to watch Dr Lisle’s video on, “Will Power: What it Is & How it Works”
https://www.drmcdougall.com/health/educ ... -08-28-18/

The most important part is his discussion on decision making (by the judges) and their blood glucose level. The best way to maintain steady blood glucose levels (and your willpower to make good decisions), is to eat when hungry and include starch when you do. Not eating when hungry, fasting, time restricted eating, eating by the clock, etc and you may run into low blood sugar and hunger and perhaps, some unhealthy choices.

Have a great July

In Health
Jeff

[texaslil]

Hi Everyone,
Quick question. How is almond milk viewed on the MWL plan? I like to have my oatmeal cold with almond milk in the warmer months, is that ok?
Thanks for any feedback!

[JeffN]

Here is your answer

viewtopic.php?f=52&t=61085&p=617953&#p617953

“Liquid calories are not recommended for either the regular program or the MWL program. It is especially important in the MWL program as liquid calories are one of the leading contributors to the passive overconsumption of calories. Calorie density does not apply as it is only applied to solid foods. Calorie density is also only one of the factors that The MWL program is based on.

Also, if you are using dry rolled oats (as cold oats), they are also not recommended for MWL as they are very calorie dense, even if non dairy Milk is added to them . We recommend cooked oatmeal, which has a very low calorie density.”

In health
Jeff

[texaslil]

Thanks Jeff! I'm obviously still learning!

[carwex]

Thanks to Goose and Jeff for the info on polenta. You guys always make sense to me.
Carol

[SharonF]

I'd like to join, please.

[Mark Cooper]

I'd like to join, please.

Welcome! Be sure to take some time to review the introduction, MWL guidelines, MWL 10-Point Checklist, and resources.

[Mark Cooper]

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's weigh-in and seeing everyone's reports! Friday is this group's weigh-in day, and participants have until noon pacific time (19:00 UTC) on Saturday to post a report of their result for the week. Reports posted outside that window of time won't be included in the summary that I compile for Saturday evening. This group is all about changing patterns of behavior, so it seems reasonable to me to expect those who choose to participate in the weekly weigh-in to honor that time frame for reporting. In addition to reporting your weight change in pounds, more importantly, please be sure to evaluate your behaviors within the context of the MWL 10-Point Checklist, if you please. I will respond to everyone's reports in a cumulative post on Friday evening and Saturday evening, and the summary for the week will be posted Saturday night.

For more information on why participants are recommended to weigh themselves once a week while in the weight loss phase, check out this excellent and thorough article from Jeff - To Weigh or Not to Weigh

My very best to all, and I'll see you tomorrow!

[LesleyMills]

186lbs now 180lbs a loss of 7lbs for my 2nd week's weigh in. I can't believe I lost that much this week. Not that I've cheated and my body isn't being honest as I've stuck to every one of the 10 points in the checklist this week. I have also now gone through 22lbs of potatoes since starting this regimen having bought a sack from a farm shop at the start of this program. I have had a week of extra amounts of exercise though as I try and understand how this happened, as I have been transforming my garden as I can't get out due to the lockdown so I've been shovelling dirt and tan bark in and out of a wheelbarrow a fair bit this week. I've come to this program with a new mindset in that I will be 60 yo next year and I can't meet this milestone overweight. I've never been a 'normal' weight and I need to do this now before it's too late. I also have to say the virus is an incentive. I am overweight and have high blood pressure and diabetes can't be far away (I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with my two children) and I need to give myself the best chance possible to be able to survive the virus if I get it. Strong pull this week to anything off the plan eg chocolate, bread, croissants, pizza, blue cheese and I think this is all due to my missing the mouth feel and taste of these foods as I guess no salt, sugar or fat is affecting me. In the past if I've broken a diet, even slightly I get terrible cravings and am not able to fight it, I then can't stick to a diet for another month. It may sound silly but I know my body and how it reacts. This all spurs me on and I'm finding that if I want something to nibble on I have a cold baked potato with hot sauce as the chilli's burning my mouth help with the craving. Anyway on to another week and guessing it won't be such a large loss and that this might be an anomaly. Good luck everyone and thanks for your stories they really do spur me on.

[Abe]

Weight Change: -0.2 lbs.

I am not sure if I should report this little of a loss because this is within my daily fluctuation margin, but I will for this week.

I am feeling good, and increasing my workout efforts. This is a huge change from when I started exercising in January and hated and suffered through every second of it.

I am sticking with the MWL plan, and was compliant with the guidelines this week with the exception of some meals that are more than 50% starch.

[PonysPlants]

I’m down 0.8lbs this week which is the same as last week. Pretty disappointed as I had a sneaky weigh yesterday and the scale said that I was down 1.8lbs. I mean I know I haven’t put on an lb of fat since yesterday morning but it’s still a bit irritating. So there’s a lesson, just weigh on weigh in day!

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. I still love this, such a simple and amazingly effective method of eating.
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. Partial success. I didn’t realise how much salt my bouillon was adding which I feel a bit silly about. Have bought some ultra low salt stuff.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). Easy. Vegan for life
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). Yes. Have finally stopped lusting after tofu and almond butter.
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. Had 2 slices of toast, again. Got really hungry at lunch time and hadn’t prepped anything. Must be a bit more organised.
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). A couple of teas with oat milk- absolutely finding this the hardest.
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 or a walk 5/7 days.

Still having 3 servings of fruit a day. I tend to have one in my oatmeal and then 2 as snacks.

Thanks as always to the moderators!

[josietheschnauzer]

Hi, I had a 1.2 pound weight gain.

Isn't it amazing how hard it is to report a weight gain?! No matter, I thank Mark and Wild Goose and Jeff for their posts on fluctuations and obtaining equilibrium. I am taking their comments to the bank. I don't know where I will end up weight wise, but my plan and hope is to have MWL as my way of eating, period.

Perhaps relevant deviations from my previous 10 point reports:

Last Sunday and Monday, as I previously reported, I had locally made in New Mexico flour tortillas filled with fresh New Mexico pinto beans. I had 3 on Sunday and 3 on Monday and gave the remaining package away. I did not know that flour would effect me so. I hope to not make that mistake again. (I live in Washington, DC so my cousins periodically send me care packages with chile and beans. This time I had a real surprise: the tortillas).

Also I have reduced my daily exercise. I completed the Great Virtual Race across Tennessee (635 miles) on July 7. I started this on May 1. I am now doing another virtual challenge but my daily exercise is reduced by between 1/3 and 1/2 number of miles.

One week from Sunday is my big 70 birthday. I am planning. NO CAKE! For my friends, I am going to prepare corona safe baggies with 1 cup of watermelon in each of them. I am attending a shared birthday celebration and I am determined to bring my own food in my purse to the restaurant along with the watermelon! How is that.

Thank you! The real Josie the Schnauzer sends his bark to you all. Have a wonderful week!

[Wfpb2020]

Start date 7/1/20

7/3/20: - 1.2 lbs
7/10/20: - 3 lbs
7/17/20: - 1 lb
Total Loss: - 5.2 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. 6/7
4) Eliminate all animal foods 5/7 days, very little but a cheat nonetheless.
5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods. 4/7 days had some nuts
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 4 days 30 minutes & 3 days 60 minutes.
I am really surprised that I am not craving sugar & am satisfied. Quite unusual for past diets.

[carwex]

Hi to MWL participants,

This week I lost the 1 and 1/2 pounds I gained last week! I have found that weight gain comes off fast and easily when I try my utmost to adhere to the program. I found this true for the regular McDougall program also.

Satiety is the one element of this plan that I embrace with love. Do you know of any other plan where you can lose weight (fast) and never go hungry. One night this week about an hour before bed I felt hungry. I had eaten a fine meal with fruit for dessert but I was still hungry. My usual routine would be to say no then promptly return to the kitchen looking for something to eat—usually the wrong thing like PB or bread or…
This time I grabbed a small cooked sweet potato and some leftover salad.—A small meal. It was very satisfying and most important I did not feel guilty because according to principle # 9 of the MWL I am encouraged to do this if I am hungry. My behavior was not a guilty behavior. I didn’t eat it standing up, gulping it down fast. I took it on a plate and enjoyed every bit, especially the contrast of tastes, sweet soft potato with a crunchy piquant acidic salad. What joy to feel full and free of the foods my body doesn’t need.

It took someone like John McDougall to spread the word that starches will fill us up and as long as we don’t add any fatty toppings to them, we will not gain weight. It is so sad that the world has not caught on to this simple principle of eating starch. It makes it so much easier to lose weight-and to keep it off. And to be healthy in the bargain.

Then there is the cost of this food plan! On this MWL I basically tell people notthat i am vegan or plant based but that I eat 4 food groups: whole grains, beans, fruits, and veggies. My breakfasts of rolled oats ($1.00 for a 750 gr bag of oatmeal)—lasts a month of breakfasts at least and fruit in season is very inexpensive. If I buy plain whole grains they last a long time and they also are quite inexpensive. Beans- so many different kinds of beans, both dry which I prefer and canned. Packed with protein, who needs meat? And of course you can't eat out much on this plan-so you save even more money. I wish someone would make a financial study of this

I am now 78 years old. i am surrounded by friends and family who suffer from food related illnesses. In contrast I have no chronic conditions related to food, no BP, high sugar, no cholesterol, not heart issues. My orthopedist says I have arthritis but I never feel it. I don’t think I will live longer than many other people who are not eating like me but one thing is for sure-I will not suffer from the same pain as we all age.

The best thing that you you can do for your weight, your health, and your wealth is to keep to this MWL. Wishing you all the best for a great adherent week.

Carol

[Cathy Ann]

-6

current weight: 232lbs
start weight: 245lbs
total loss: -13lbs

MWL Points
1.most meals.
2.most meals.
3.Yes
4.Yes
5.Yes
6.yes
7.Most Days
8.Yes
9.Yes
10.most days, still a work in progress, but trying hard.

The best thing to happen this week is that I have been sleeping well. I am proud that it has been two weeks with no meat and no binge eating. When I have not been successful is when family and friends have been over for meals, and the food has been in front of me. My goal next week, is to continue with pool exercising, and try my hardest with the MWL plan. Not to binge eat! Have a good week everyone!