February 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

[Stormy]

My situation is complicated by food allergies. A typical vegan lunch option that works well for others almost always includes an ingredient to which I'm allergic.

Stormy, you do have complications, but you also have a built-in diffusion mechanism that will solve many a problem with social/business eating!

You can pre-eat, or eat later, or you can be proactive and bring a cold sweet potato to slip on your plate along with the salad and vegetable part of the provided meal (yep, I’ve done it, even at a catered conference lunch where I’m in the middle of 200 people). A cooler that doubles as purse or man-bag works wonders.

With a wry smile, you just say (IF AND ONLY IF anyone comments), "These darn food allergies are such a pain. I’m doing an experiment to see if I can stay away from always eating something that triggers them. Might not work, but it can’t hurt to try." Shrug and change the subject.

Thank you, Goose. What a great suggestion. I was just laughing with someone about carrying around potatoes and sweet potatoes in my purse all the time but had never considered serving myself one at a business lunch or dinner. I will try that next time (and definitely will not announce it or explain unless asked).

[deweyswakms]

201.2 – February 7, 2020
I received an extra Dakon purple radish, and have no clue what I’m going to do with the first one, let alone the freebie! Any ideas, greatly appreciated.

I haven't tried this with a purple radish, but consider treating it like any other radish: add it to a salad. Dice it very thin into matchstick sizes or julienne it; also consider roasting it with carrots and peppers. Will give a nice peppery kick.

Marsha

[MonicaHolly]

Mark, sorry for the delayed checkin. I was at the hospital with my daughter since Wed night. Got home late yesterday, so I weighed in this morning. (She is doing much better).

Weight loss -4.2!
Weight last week 155.8
This week. 151.6
Jan 1 was 166.6 so I also hit the 15 pounds down this year mark!

Worked the program. While at the hospital I was a little food anxious, as the cafeteria had little for me to eat. My husband brought me meals, but where I would usually scoff the whole thing down, I filled a small bowl in the ‘family lounge’ and saved the rest for later. This resulted in me eating much less than my usual portions. I did start each of those meals with a little of the salad he had brought me. I am very satisfied with the results!

[wstokes]

+2
Too many (even small) exceptions. lets see if this week can go without any lapses.

[JaBee]

Down 2.4#, reached initial goal below 200#!!
Current weight 198.4. Next goal less than 190.

[LeahMT]

Starting weight on 1/1/20 was 167 lbs. I am 5'4".
Last week 156.9
This week 156.2
Only down 0.7 this week, but still slowly losing.
Total loss 10.8
Goal is 135 lbs.

[ltolar]

Hi! I'm back in February 2020. Thank you for you guidance.

Weight on February 7th: 190.8
Weight change last week: -1.0 lbs.

I am still trying to eliminate added oil and sugar, but not alway successful. I have my good days and then I slip up. I am trying to analyze what my triggers are.

I am still use salt. I am not ready to give that up.

[etoirocks]

So-I have a 1.1lb weight gain to record for this week. Whomp whomp. I’m pretty sure it’s water weight and hope I see a good loss next week. On the plus side, I feel AMAZING. Told my hubs that I feel like sunshine is coming out of my pores. Lol. And my clothes are fitting looser, so pretty sure inches are leaving. I’m still counting the week as a win. I only got my veggies in first about half the time, so still need to work on that. And, even though I primarily had taters as my starch, I also had rice and oatmeal a few times. Also had some corn tortillas yesterday when I ended up at a work lunch at a Mexican restaurant.

My 14yo son is having his gallbladder removed on Tuesday. It’s been wonky for 3yrs and it’s time for it to go so he can get some relief. I’m sure it will be stressful so I will try hard to be prepared and not stress eat.

I will continue to focus on getting my veggies in first and concentrate on taters as my primary starch. I travel next week for work so I would like this week to show good results! We plan to grocery shop today and do some prep tomorrow.

Happy starchy Saturday everyone!

Jan 6: start date
Jan 17: -4.3lbs
Jan 31: -5.1lbs
Feb 7: +1.1lbs
Total loss: 8.3lbs
end of Feb goal: -20lbs
*GOAL*: -68.6lbs


* 1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.-did this about 50% of the time-this is my goal to improve the most
* 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 do this for about 80% of meals
* 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.-I only add a sprinkle of salt at the table if needed, did have one recipe this week that called for maple syrup as part of a sauce, other than that, no sweeteners
* 4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).-done and done
* 5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).-I had a tiny bit of guacamole yesterday at Mexican restaurant and about a tablespoon of PB earlier in the week, so room to improve
* 6. Eliminate any added oil.-the veggie fajitas yesterday were likely cooked with oil on the griddle at the Mexican restaurant but they weren’t noticeably oily-all other oil sources gone
* 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.-I did have some cereal in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep (bad habit), I had one piece of wheat bread, and a couple of wasa crackers-a recipe I used called for flour and I used sprouted white wheat flour-I was trying to make a tasty plant based meal for the fam
* 8. Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).-I had a little bit of apple juice
* 9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.-done and done
* 10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).-no exercise last week

After going through the list point by point, I see lots of room for improvement!!!

[Miss Meta]

Hi Mark -

First, I'm glad to be continuing with the February group weigh-in.

Second, I have been down and out with a terrible cold this week that has kept me home and in bed and feeling like my head will explode at times, so I don't think I followed the MWL principals very well. My "go to" for many years when I would get sick (cold/flu) was Mexican Chicken soup. It's my comfort food and what I know to eat that will make me feel better. I load it up with onion and jalapenos and love that there is lots of broth with vegetables.

Current Weight 188.2 lbs
loss of 2 lbs

Points from the MWL Checklist where I succeeded this week - 3 (reduction of sugar/salt); 5 (eliminate higher fat plant foods); 7 (eliminate higher calorie dense flour products); 8 (don't drink the calories); 9 (eat til full not stuffed)

Points from the MWL Checklist that need greater attention - 1 (start each meal with soup or salad); 2 (50/50 plate method); 4 (eliminate animal foods); 6 (eliminate added oil); 10 (avoid being sedentary)

General impressions & observations / resources to share / sources of excitement / requests for input & support - because I was sick last week I didn't have any real structure to my meals. I did eat a lot of soup but there wasn't intention behind my choices. I was in no condition to exercise during the week which put me off of the routine I had started of using the gym and walking my 3 miles a day; yesterday a managed a little over a half mile walk outside at a balmy 50 degrees. I don't generally eat animal foods anymore but have this decades in the making programming of what I eat when I'm sick. I guess my biggest ask would be what better choice can I make than Mexican Chicken Soup (loaded with fat and oil) which is quick and easy to get at a restaurant when I'm feeling too lousy to cook?

Thanks
Miss Meta (cough cough, sneeze sneeze)

[Johnatmh]

I am continuing with the group for February. I started in January and it was a bit of a roller coaster. This last week I actually gained .8 pounds after having lost more than 5 the previous week, but I ended the month with a loss of 16.6 pounds so I should be happy with that. Since I am a very big guy, currently at 364.4 pounds and have previously list well over 150 pounds with over 70 of that after beginning a WFPB diet, my intermediate to long term goal is to get to 250 pounds. And them hopefully more...

What I have learned from the first month is the key is strict compliance with the MWL guidelines. When I do it...I loose, when I don't do it strictly I stall or gain. Go figure!

My starting weight for February is 364.4

My previous from January (keeping track for my own record)

Weight Change this week : + .8
Total loss since January 4, 2020: 16.6
Weight:
02/08/2020: 364.4
02/01/2020: 363.6
01/25/2020: 369.0
01/18/2020: 366.8
01/11/2020: 368.2
01/04/2020: 381

[Jiffy]

I am in for February and am very appreciative of the encouragement and perspective shared by the group and Mark! I think It’s a good idea to restart, regroup and refocus on the successes and areas where improvements are needed on this road to better health and weight loss. I have been successful at adding additional beans and veggies to my recipes over the last month and that has really helped with the feeling of satiety. This month I will focus on starting my meals with soup, salad or fruit.
Since starting in January I have lost 6.2 lbs
February starting weight 243.4 lbs
(Gain this week of 1.4 lbs) gonna turn that around

[moonlight]

Weight change: Down 1 lb.

Points from the MWL Checklist where I succeeded this week
I had 3 days where I achieved adherence to all 10 pts. and 5 days of exercise.

Points from the MWL Checklist that need greater attention
All points! I had a pretty inconsistent week overall. I just need to focus.

Thank you, Mark and Wildgoose for your very helpful advice and support! Good luck to everyone. Let's have another good week!!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi to the Group!

This week scale says weight is up +0.6 lbs.

Start weight - 146.4
Last week - 141.2
This week - 141.8

I feel like I kept on track with the 10 point checklist - didn't eat any non-MWL food choices over the week, avoided restaurants, cooked the same stuff. Going to continue this week with my focus the same. It is funny how the scale can be friend or foe. This week I am not loving it!

I can improve on points 2 and 10. I make an effort to make meals 50 / 50 volume veg / starch, but sometimes they may be heavier on the starch. I have been working to incorporate exercise. Had 3 great walks this week. We had some nicer weather in Chicagoland last weekend and was able to walk outside. YAY!!

Hope that everyone has a spectacular starchy week!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Drew*]

Weight change on Friday: 175 lb …-1.4 lb
Down 10.2 lb since starting in this forum.

This will be a short posting because I am currently in a public forum and wish to do Yoga class in about 15 minutes.

Overall I have followed the principles. I made a big batch of my version of Jeff’s longevity soup and it was pretty good.

This Friday I strayed a bit on some of the points, which included some baked chips and beverages that added calories.

One of my challenges is that it is my birthday next week and so my wife and I are celebrating it this weekend. We are going to a Sushi restaurant called Trapper's so that should make things easier for compliance on the whole and they serve tasty sushi.

Another challenge is that I am not exercising as much as I could. But part of it is being busy with work and then I get tired and rest.
Hopefully this week I will emphasize this more including the straight lifts that I do for ½ hour and I’ve got an exercise bike Monday to Thursday.

A final challenge is that I am helping out with my father who is 88 and on hospice. I am doing this by being present and assisting a little so that my mom feels more relaxed and at ease at their home Monday through Thursday evening. The silver-lining of it is that my wife and I are spending more time together on weekends.

Hope to keep up the success, but more importantly do the MWL principles more consistently. Being vegan on weekends and MWL the rest of the time won’t work in the long term.

[Mark Cooper]

Lisa - I'm sorry your computer is causing you troubles today! No problem, I checked your reported weight this week against last week, and I'll include you in the tally.

Butterfly043 - I'm glad this week brought you good news! I look forward to seeing what next Friday brings.

Vicki - Kudos! I wish you good health, as well!

MaryP - I'm so glad to hear you were able to achieve one of your fitness goals for your trip! Way to go! Those walks sound fabulous. Congratulations on making dining out work for you. Sounds like a great week!

Kirsty - I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter's medical issues - I wish the very best for her and you and my thoughts will be with you. I applaud your determination to stay on plan in what must be a challenging situation. Thank you for checking-in, I'll include your report in the week's summary (noting that you don't have access to a scale) and we can include your ultimate weigh-in result once the situation changes. Take care.

NomeOslo - Some weeks, not falling all the way off the wagon is a victory in and of itself! Those are some powerful reasons to focus on making healthy choices. Take it one day at a time, if that feels more manageable.

Monica - I'm so glad that your daughter is recovering! Congrats on a substantial loss for the week & the year thus far. It is awesome that you were able to work within the guidelines, in a challenging environment. Well done! And to your husband. You deserve to feel satisfied!

wstokes - Those little exceptions have a way of accumulating, don't they? Perhaps take a moment to think through anything that may be hindering you, return to the basic principles, and head forward into the new week.

JaBee - A big congratulations for surpassing your initial goal! Woot!

LeahMT - Slow and steady! You'll arrive at your destination in the end.

ltolar - I'm glad you are back for another month! It may be worth just trying to have more "good days" than "bad." Keep in mind that the guideline reads -

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.

So you don't necessarily have to completely eliminate either salt or sugar, but definitely be mindful of limiting how much is added to otherwise adherent foods. If either feels like a bothersome "trigger" for you, then perhaps eliminate (even temporarily as an experiment to see what the effect may be).

etoirocks - It is fantastic that you are feeling so great! What a wonderful result! Definitely a win. I wish your son the very best, and it sounds like you are committed to being well-prepared. A happy STARCHY day to you, too!

Miss Meta - I'm very glad you are continuing with the group! Sorry you are feeling so poorly, being ill can really knock us out of our routines. Perhaps one of the following soups might serve as a substitute when you're feeling the need for a comforting meal? They both seem like they would come together quickly and easily - Mexi Soup and Mexican Bean and Rice Soup. Feel better!

Johnatmh - That seems like a reasonable goal to work toward. Adherence to the MWL 10-Point Checklist will definitely work over the duration. I'm pleased to have you continuing with us.

Jiffy - Glad to hear you are IN for February! I'm glad you have been successful in finding meals that are satiating for you. Taking a breath to refocus on the core principles and assess is always instructive.

moonlight Three 10/10 days is a useful "proof of concept" that you can definitely make the plan work for you. I'm glad you felt the group was supportive when you needed it.

Stephanie - Focusing on maintaining that pattern of adherence seems very wise, the positive behaviors will be reflected in the scale, eventually. I hope your week is also spectacular!

Drew* - Enjoy your yoga class! Sushi seems like a very suitable choice for a celebratory meal that still conforms to the MWL guidelines. I hope you have a VERY happy birthday. I imagine your father's illness is a trying situation and feel for you and your family. I agree with you that consistency over time is the major component of success. Take care and be kind to yourself.