August 2018 McDougall Weigh In Thread

[VegSeekingFit]

On summer bulky food: My go-to is "Mexican Bean Salad":

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 large tomatoes, diced
2 red or orange bell peppers, seeded and diced
a small or a half of a medium red onion, diced small
juice of 2 limes
handful of cilantro - chopped (optional)

Mix everything together. Let it sit in the fridge for an hour or two. Salt after serving. It's good for 3-4 days. When not doing MWL, you can add a bit of avocado (that's what I did before MWL).

Hi Becca,

Thanks for this! I ran out of my regular smashed black beans today and saw this - with most ingredients on hand, gave it a go. Added 1 c. corn and 2 jalapenos and used a can of pinto (instead of 2 black) beans. Delicious!!!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[VegSeekingFit]

Obstacle #3 - Failure to appreciate the body's efficiency
This obstacle gets to the heart of what the MWL program really is to the regular program. The regular program got many of us in the door, so to speak, but to truly feel at home in our own bodies we may need to kick it up a notch....or more accurately down a notch on the calorie density scale.

"Robert, a 50-year-old doctor from California, lost 70 pounds on the McDougall diet during the first year with the program. His debilitating back pains almost disappeared, as did his generalized arthritis. However, over the last 6 months he has lost nothing more, with 60 more pounds still to shed. “It is not fair,” he said, “I eat better than ever before, and I am stuck at this plateau.”
***
Robert, and others stuck at similar roadblocks, must make even more changes in order to set a new body weight and higher level of health. And that means a stricter diet and exercise program—because obviously the one that he is currently following has allowed him to remain at an undesired plateau. Paying closer attention to the details of the McDougall program will start people back on the losing track."
***
Eat simpler for better health and easier weight loss. At home, plan meals of cooked whole grains or oil-free hash browns for breakfast and pack your lunch with leftovers. For dinner, think “two choice combinations,” like sweet potatoes and broccoli; rice and green beans; or beans with a few plain condiments. Simple, monotonous meal plans facilitate success."

Hi Amy,
this one has been so important to me !! Thanks for posting !! I had read Dr. McDougall's newsletters - and never implemented these principles. It took watching Jeff Novick's Calorie Density presentation to get me to understand. Appreciate your informative and supportive posts (and hope you find a great recipe for your "bumper crop" of zucchini...)
Cheers,
Stephanie

[amandamechele]

Sue - Double yum! Your two cents worth look delicious and I will most definitely be trying the soup. Maybe I won't find the zukes so offensive if I blend them. I'm going to try Marilyn's chowder too... I think I probably even have enough zucchini to try the Essylstyn recipe recommended by Lyndzie and Rosey. I'll try to remember to take a photo of what I make. And yes please to McBailey's Courgette Casserole recipe! How are things going for you both?

Mark - Tropical breakfast groats sound tantalizing. Keep us posted about your test results; eating well can only leave you in better shape, no matter what happens. I'm glad you're keeping the anxiety at bay by eating well, all the waiting can be brutal. Sometimes it's nice to lean on something we have control over, when faced with a situation we cannot. Best wishes!

Becca - Enjoy your family visit. Is it for a special occasion? It sounds like you have a good plan to keep yourself sane and comfortably on track. I am now craving bean salad! What a great no-heat option...I haven't made a cold bean salad in awhile. Today I made a garlic cucumber salad because my zucchini friend also gave me a giant bag of what she called baby cucumbers (which were the size of a medium russet potato). We're going to be eating a lot of that this week.

Cherrydale - Great diligence. Edema can be very uncomfortable, I'm glad you're finding some relief. Best wishes with your busy week. See you next Friday!

Rosey - Thank you, I keep meaning to watch this. They are such a sweet and funny duo.

Moonlight - Enjoy the weekend, and thank you for checking in. Monday will be a good day. What do you plan to do at the gym? I've just signed a couple of my kids up for the local rec center gym orientation and am thinking of getting them a personal trainer session to set up a work out plan for them based on their interests. They're going to have some time between school ending this year and me being able to pick them up, so I thought maybe I can try and build in a workout habit for them. (We will see how that goes ...hopefully they find something they enjoy) Any recommendations on fun workouts?

Idgie -

Stephanie - Your bean salad recipe sounds delicious too. It's so nice to just find all the right stuff in the fridge to be able to throw together a great meal. The Calorie Density video lecture really was helpful to me too.

[Lyndzie]

Amy - great post and links. I’ve had some two choice combos since reading the newsletter. Yesterday’s lunch was Japanese sweet potato and broccoli, and today’s was pinto beans and collard greens. Another favorite of mine is congee of sweet brown rice and bok choy.

Also, since the scale didn’t budge I had some reflection and realized that using breastfeeding as an excuse to eat rich foods at every single meal hasn’t been doing me any favors. Seriously, a sprinkle of sliced almonds at breakfast, 1/4 an avocado at lunch and tofu in my dinner all add up unnecessarily. Those are gone now. If that doesn’t work, then I’m buying a new scale, because obviously the scale is the problem, right?!?!

[Chumly]

I've been establishing a pattern of going to the gym after a period of relative inactivity. I've been working out at least 3x per week for the past month and I've been including some strength training. I haven't been losing weight, but people have been commenting that I look thinner. I've been extra hungry and have been unable to stick to MWL strictly because it just isn't satisfying my hunger and I've been eating more calorie-dense foods. I hope that I will start losing weight again soon. It is disconcerting to not lose weight when I've been eating much better and exercising.

Michael

[Jobet]

Jobet - Nice loss this week. Thank you for posting that link, it is a great read. I find it can be easy to get sucked into all of the detailed research and social media hype and diet-wars around eating this way, or similarly. Jeff has a great way of reminding us that the point of eating this way is to get healthy in order to have more time for other things we enjoy in life.

Thanks, Amy. Yes, Jeff is so helpful and I'm so very thankful for him and this forum. I'm learning to keep it simple and get on with the rest of my life.

I was thrilled this morning to find a small Mom & Pop grocer near me that now has local produce. I bought several types of tomatoes grown locally, peaches from the next state over, all on sale. I also picked up cucumber and sweet potatoes while there. This will be a great help. I turned a bit of my purchases into some food art for my Flickr photo account. Hope it's okay to share it here. (The basil is from my own plants.)

Isn't our food beautiful??

[squealcat]

This week is going so much better than last week ! I am more consistent with my eating and I have made things ahead of time that I can throw together for quick meals. I continue to have a very large salad each day with 3-2-1 dressing (usually ) and steamed veges as well. I got hungry yesterday shortly after lunch and struggled a little with snacks but kept the snacking to compliant things. Today I had the same lunch but included pinto beans that I seasoned with creole spice and smoked salt. I now know what I can do to keep from feeling starved between meals. Beans work very nicely to keep the hungries away ! I made Brand New Vegan's sloppy joes this week and was so surprised that it looked and tasted so good !

Hope you are all having a good week as well. Keep cool ! If you have rain, send it my way ! Our garden needs it !

=Marilyn (squealcat)

[moonlight]

Today I settled in at home. I've been on the road quite a bit the last 3 weeks. I realized that probably is related to my stalled weight loss. I've been off the MWL plan many more times recently than since I started this way in November. Kind of tricky,,, I feel I need to be very diligent, go through the cravings again. It requires even more willpower once again. That said, I feel very good about all the good choices I've made with regard to food choices while on the road. I've taken a cooler with fresh veggies (cucumbers and cherry tomatoes) and rice/bean salads. So easy on the prep! I've eaten baked potatoes at Wendy's and McAllister's. I've only drank water while my whole family has practically drowned themselves in sweet iced tea! I knew if I even took one sip of it I would be gulping it the rest of my visit.

I joined a gym that's only 10 minutes from my house. My main objective is to start weight training again. I worked with a personal trainer several years ago for about a year. I learned so much about weight training. Amy, that's such a great gift you are giving your children! Lifting weight properly, learning the right body postures, is so important. They will also learn the value of weight training rather than the goal of trying to build muscle. Keeping toned and strengthening our bodies is such a benefit, much less prone to injury. Really the motivating factor for me is to reduce back pain. I seem to injure my back so very easily when I'm gardening or hiking with a backpack. I went to the gym today and worked on upper body. Tomorrow will be lower body. The goal is to work out 4 days a week, two days upper body, two days lower body.

Rosey, thanks for the Jane and Ann zuke video recommendation. I watched it and promptly made grilled zucchini. Very good. My favorite way to prepare it this summer has been to make it (and summer squash) into noodles for fast cooking. Then saute' with onions, garlic, and homemade pesto sauce. Yum!

Welcome Cherrydale! Great weight loss to kick this MWL plan off to a good start!

Mark, I hope you get good news at your doctor's visit. Eating healthy is a great way to have some control in your life.

Stephanie – 38 lbs gone for the year – yay you!! I'm hoping to catch up to that. I’m down 30 lbs since Novemeber. Stalled this last month. Time to get focused! I'm appreciating these last days of summer. The garden veggies are starting to slow down. Summer squash, zucchini, and fresh tomatoes are on the decline. Time to plan a fall garden!

[Idgie]

Super-busy day at work today, and then an evening helping partner install lighting at my mom's, so I'm too tired to be too chatty, but I wanted you all to know how great I think you're doing!!!

[squealcat]

Everyone is so positive and welcoming here ! Just wanted to comment. You all make me smile !

-Marilyn (squealcat)

[amandamechele]

Lyndsey - I'm glad you found the post helpful. I find going through the newsletters and forums so helpful too...there's so many ways to read the information and its application and you never know what little bit is going to resonate with you. May I ask , what is your congee recipe? My mother in law makes a delicious ginger-onion-chicken congee that I haven't had in many years (since going starchivore) and I would love to find a similar flavoured one. I cant wait to see how your dietary tweaks turn out this week. I'd also like to know if you notice any changes in your breast milk (if you care to share, of course...LOL...you may not want to...I'm just curious.

Michael - Awesome job getting into a new pattern with your exercise. I bet you are feeling great. Maybe get that pattern really solidified and then worry about transitioning your food closer to MWL. Alternatively, if you're actually interested in trying to get stricter with MWL adherence you could try eating much larger meals. My meals are quite big, sometime embarrassingly so, when out with others who eat tiny portions, but I figure we are each doing whatever it takes to keep our weight down and our spirits high.
Here is my lunch from today...that's not a regular soup bowl...that's the next size up (I always call them the noodle soup bowls because they are the same size of bowl that Pho restaurants serve their soup - for scale, that's a tablespoon in there). It's just a mix of frozen and canned veggies, some chickpeas, brown rice and peach-mango salsa and added garlic powder (and salt).


Jobet - Our food is beautiful...but you've made it even more so! Yes please do post these delicious photos, I mean, who wouldn't want to eat this way when it looks like something Cezanne painted.

Marilyn - Your post made me smile too! I'm so happy to hear that your past week went so well. How has this week been going? I love Brand New Vegan's recipes and use quite a few of them too. I hope it has rained for your garden's sake . I have none to send your way unfortunately; Vancouver Island just declared a level 4 drought (whatever that means). Our grass is all yellow, but our well has held up thus far, even with 5-6 people showering a day.

Moonlight - How has the week gone for you, now that your home? Have you been able to reinstate any of the patterns that have worked for you in the past? It's tricky, so don't feel bad if you haven't yet. You made so many great choices on the road, with just a couple more you will be back to losing weight again. I'm going through that process too right now. I'm making the changes I'm ready to make, working towards getting comfortable with them, and then will add more. For me I've had 3 goals: Eat 100% MWL food choices (vs regular program choices), Intentional exercise of brisk walking for a minimum of 150 minutes per week, limiting myself to 2 fruits a day. Future goals are not eating after dinner time, ensuring my meals are visually 1/3-1/2 green and yellow veggies (as opposed to mostly starch), eliminating salt added to my cooking (I still do this - I considered saying it's mostly for my family, but that's not really true...I'm just as habituated to this current sodium level)...I'm sure there are more ways to improve, but those are what are one my To-Do list for the next 2 months.

Idgie - You are a support super-star! I just took a look at your beautiful website; it is lovely and will be a great source of inspiration and information to so many people. XO



I have a confession...I have not made ANY zucchini recipes yet. Thankfully they seem to hold up well in the fridge. My friend keeps giving me more and more produce from her garden....veggies that I like much better, like tomatoes and potatoes and carrots...so I just keep eating those, while staring down the zucchini in the bottom drawer of my fridge.

[Lyndzie]

Lyndsey - I'm glad you found the post helpful. I find going through the newsletters and forums so helpful too...there's so many ways to read the information and its application and you never know what little bit is going to resonate with you. May I ask , what is your congee recipe? My mother in law makes a delicious ginger-onion-chicken congee that I haven't had in many years (since going starchivore) and I would love to find a similar flavoured one. I cant wait to see how your dietary tweaks turn out this week. I'd also like to know if you notice any changes in your breast milk (if you care to share, of course...LOL...you may not want to...I'm just curious.

I use a recipe that Buns posted a while back. It’s been simplified down quite a bit over time. I cook 1 cup of sweet brown rice in 4 cups water in my instant pot for 40 minutes. You could add some ginger if you like. It makes enough rice porridge for two or three servings, so there is leftovers to reheat quickly in the fridge. I like to mix a little miso in for flavor, but I don’t think that’s traditional. Then I water sauté whatever veg I like and put it on top when I serve, usually bok choy and mushrooms (you could even hide some of that zucchini in there).

Interestingly, what I’ve noticed having the biggest impact on milk production is whole grain consumption. Oatmeal is the traditional food to increase supply, but any intact whole grain has had the same effect for me. The baby is 7 weeks and in 6 month clothing already, so she’s definitely getting plenty to drink. Thanks for asking!

[squealcat]

Watch out Amy (!!) Some people I know call that bottom drawer in the fridge the "rotter drawer". Your zucchini is in trouble ! I bought more zucchini today and making my 5th batch of soup ! Too bad we don't live closer.....I could relieve you of some of yours.

Will check in with weight loss tomorrow. Have a good evening everyone !

-Marilyn (squealcat)

[Suey51]

Happy Friday!

This is still my favourite thread on the Forum! Such great information, support, humour and great weight loss results. I love coming here to read all the posts; you are an inspiring group

Amy - we are both doing well thank you. Our weight is up by a couple of pounds due to some non-adherence to our usual way of eating, but other than that, life is good The gain means I am at my goal weight, but I'd like to get back to being a little under that before a trip abroad next month. How is life with you? Based on the number I saw on the tally last Friday, your eating is back on track

We are both involved in interesting projects, and I am definitely 'Getting A Life' as Jeff would say! I'm tackling one of my non-food areas for change, getting more organised on the work and personal front, after reading a book called 'Getting Things Done' by David Allen. (I read about it in the Baumeister book on Willpower after you mentioned him! I love how one thing can lead to another ) And, surely not a coincidence, I'm trying out weekly meal planning for the first time!

We have lots of veggies in our garden and allotment and are enjoying eating those. First time ever growing celery which is very tasty. Used the leaves (instead of parsley), plus homegrown tomatoes and cucumber in a tabbouleh (made without the olive oil) which we both loved. I'll be making it again this weekend.

McBailey made his courgette bake again and I managed to persuade him to record the recipe. That's a first for him and I had to say 'Amy has asked for it' Here you go:

McBailey’s courgette bake
3 or 4 medium/large courgettes
500g passata
Dried chilli flakes (to your flavour)
1 large onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 large carrot
1 large stem of celery
Handful of mushrooms
½ cup red lentils
Half tin cannellini beans

Slice courgettes into long strips and cook on a griddle pan (not sure if that's the right name - its the flat frying pan with raised lines) till they are softened and have char lines. Then remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, prepare a tomato sauce as follows:
Chop a large onion, some garlic, carrot and celery into tiny pieces and sweat in a frying pan/medium sauce pan with a tiny bit of water. Add more water if they start to stick. Once the veg are soft and the onions translucent add finely chopped mushroom and simmer in some more water/veg stock. After 10 minutes add orange lentils, passata, chili flakes and any other seasoning. Cook until the lentils are cooked and you have a thickish tomato sauce like you'd use on pasta. Season as you go and maybe add some tomato puree to thicken.

In an ovenproof dish (10*7*2 inches) place a layer of the courgette followed by a layer of the tomato sauce and repeat. (He added some wholemeal breadcrumbs on top but those aren't part of MWL program. I wonder if some rolled oats would work here?) Add some sliced tomato on the top. Bake in a medium hot (160 - 180C) oven until its piping hot in the middle.

Edit: We had this for 3 meals, so 6 portions, but we had other veggies and sometimes rice with it.

Best wishes to everyone, Sue xx

[Jobet]

I'm down .5 this week.

It's been a very good week, as I so love the abundance of fresh tomatoes, corn, green beans and cucumbers available this time of year.

Here is my lunch from today...that's not a regular soup bowl...that's the next size up (I always call them the noodle soup bowls because they are the same size of bowl that Pho restaurants serve their soup - for scale, that's a tablespoon in there). It's just a mix of frozen and canned veggies, some chickpeas, brown rice and peach-mango salsa and added garlic powder (and salt).

Amy, that looks and sounds delicious. I do something similar with quinoa. I must look for larger soup bowls. Since discovering that soup helps my weight consistently go down, I'll be eating more and more soup, for sure.

This is still my favourite thread on the Forum! Such great information, support, humour and great weight loss results. I love coming here to read all the posts; you are an inspiring group

I totally agree, Sue. Thanks for sharing the book by David Allen. Just read about it on Amazon. If my library doesn't have it, will order a copy. It sounds like a really helpful read. Your Courgette Bake sounds wonderful!

I'd like to join the weekly weigh-in thread.

Welcome, abit. Congrats on your success. You'll find a lot of support and helpful tips in this thread and the forum in general.