Thank you so very much for your wisdom Wildgoose!!
I appreciate it greatly. & I’ll do my best to remember to enter the lbs lost next time. Seemingly, I get super excited about weighing in & lose all my cool before I get clarity about exactly what needs posting. I’m still learning; so thanks for being patient with me
I thank you!!
Rita<3 — I recorded you as a 1.5 pound loss. In future posts, could you please record your weight
change, in pounds gained or lost, instead of (or in addition to, if you prefer) your beginning and ending weight for the week? We appreciate it.
Nice detective work in tracking down that fruit puree in your salad dressing. Concentrated fruit like that acts just like sugar, and it can definitely cause trouble. On your popcorn question, no, popcorn is not approved for MWL. It’s dry, full of air, and higher in calorie density at 1800 calories per pound! See Jeff’s excellent explanation
here.
Lachoffman — I am very sorry to hear about the death of your father. I lost my father this year too, and I know it takes an emotional toll. Stay as steady as you can. Your commitment is admirable, and I hope you can finish the year strong.
chef16 — It’s easier said than done, but try not to dwell on a less-than-successful week. You know what to do, and I’m sure you have a good plan for doing it. Take it slow, and concentrate on one meal at a time, one choice at a time. If you eat something off-plan, make the
very next thing you put into your mouth something compliant and health-promoting. Clean up your environment as much as you can, and always have healthy alternatives easily available for when tempting food is around. You can do this, Doreen!
Zoey — Congrats on taking off one of your Thanksgiving pounds! I’m like you — easy to gain, hard to lose — and I know that slow and steady always wins. Happily plugging along is a great way to go. You figured out one of the reasons that flour products are included in point #7. Not only are they calorie dense, but they’re hard to stop eating once you start. And the smell of freshly baked bread would be hard to resist.
CUgorji — Happy Birthday in advance, Chesca! I’m glad you’re planning now for what you’ll have to eat for your celebration. Each of us is different, but if it were me, I think I’d stay away from all the usual vegan treats. If you eat what you have had in the past, you’ll undoubtedly overdo and feel miserable, in addition to gaining weight and struggling with the Pleasure Trap for a week or more. If you restrict yourself to only one or two items, you may feel sad and deprived, and those treats may not taste as good as what you remember. Instead, I’d probably try something totally new (knowing that taking a chance on a new recipe for a big occasion is something of a risk — you need to be prepared to laugh rather than cry if it doesn’t turn out as expected). Consider your experience with the kettle corn, though, as you evaluate any potential recipe. Your taste buds have indeed changed, and you might like something far less sweet now than you ordinarily would have wanted.
Growing a Pear — Yay for another steady loss! Keeping your behavior the same week to week (and the checklist doesn’t lie
) means that you’ll most likely get the same results. You’ve proven it’s true for positive behavior too. Keeping foods “wet” is a good plan. Dry foods (and that includes air-fried food as well as processed foods that are dry, like cereal) are always higher in calorie density than “wet” foods like potatoes, rice, and even whole-grain pasta. Maintaining that 50/50 ratio with lots of vegetables is also important. Interesting that a savory breakfast works better for you. I often eat dinner for breakfast (which is always savory) and have my oatmeal and fruit for dinner.
Gimmelean — Getting back into a deep groove after you’ve gone off track a bit is always a great feeling. It’s not out of the ordinary that you needed 2 weeks to get back. The good news is that the process is progressive — you gradually start to feel better the longer you’re back on-plan, until one day you realize that you’re fully back and stable. But the memories of how you felt when you weren’t following the checklist can be a powerful motivator to keep you on track in the future! Saying no to temptation and seeing the results of that is also a confidence booster.
lmggallagher — That’s a tough week, Michelle, but always a learning experience. Those fruit-filled cookies are a big gateway to the Pleasure Trap all right (the same way rice cakes and fruit spread were for me!
). What is your strategy for the next time something like that lands on your doorstep? (I’ve been known to immediately feed such things to the garbage disposal, after profusely thanking the giver. If you can’t be so drastic, how about passing them along to a hungry family member who will make short work of them, out of your sight?).
Thank you for the details on Egoscue. I’m definitely investigating that further.
Hope410 — Any loss is a good thing, especially this time of year. The popcorn and toast might have had more sodium than you were used to, which could have contributed to a smaller-than-expected loss. Excellent report of “no junk snack food”! That cracker/chip aisle is a minefield, which you did well to navigate unscathed.
Goose[/quote]
by Growing a Pear » Sat Dec 12, 2020 10:49 am 
From the very first session I had improvement - so I am hoping if you have any pains that you'd like to eliminate you'll seriously consider Egoscue. They also do remote sessions - which I haven't done, but am considering during Covid.. McDougall eating has helped me with my pain greatly, but Egoscue is the icing on the cake. Some how it realigns your body so areas of wear and tear are eliminated. 
