Dr. McDougall's Online Discussion Board

Weight change: up 0.6 lbs


YES TO ALL MWL GUIDELINES EXCEPT:
1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.   COULD BE BETTER
10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily MUCH BETTER!

PHEW! Back in the saddle after being on a slippery slope for a while. My weight was up by 2.6 pounds until a couple of days ago when I got back on track. I've caught myself in pretty good time. This was after a long plateau and things were getting out of hand with entertaining and being entertained. Another big issue is high calorie snacking often when I'm out or buying something when I'm at grocery store and bringing it home (to eat alone!). That's got to stop. I just put a McDougall lunch bag with my purse to remind me to take food with me. I also put a repeating task in my calendar to make sure I have foods prepped for the week that I can take out with me: potatoes, carrot sticks, 50/50 quinoa or noodle salads, apples. I think that's a good tempting mix.

thanks to moderators here.

Good Morning!

Started my transition to WFPB in January 2020 with goals to reverse prediabetes, lower cholesterol/triglycerides, decrease waist circumference (for health) and possibly lose some weight as a side effect. In February, out of the blue, I had a medical scare and needed surgery. I credit my WFPB diet and exercise habits at that time for a quick recovery. I committed more fully to health, but still ate too many calorie dense foods (nuts, dried fruit, smoothies), and I was not making any progress. Discovered MWL a month ago and am loving it. So happy to be here!

46yo, 5’6”

Sept 5: 152 lbs
October 2: 142.9 lbs
Waist Circumference: 34”

-8.1 lbs!!!

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. YES. I’ve gotten used to eating roasted veggies alongside my oatmeal every morning. It sounded weird to me at first, but I’m loving it now. I have previously binged on fruit, so I enjoy saving my fruit serving until the afternoon, when I need a pick me up.
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. YES, and doing this for my family as well. I add small amounts of nuts/seeds/avocado on my kids’ plates.
3. Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts, too. YES. Although I have enjoyed small amounts of dipping sauces, like sweet chili sauce and ketchup. I will keep an eye on it and eliminate if it is impeding progress.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). YES
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados,) No, 1 tsp flaxseed meal on steel cut oats each morning. Will monitor carefully.
6. Eliminate any added oil. YES. I do cook in a cast iron pan occasionally that is rubbed with small amounts oil after use. My iron is low, so I am trying to add non-heme iron as much as possible.
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. YES
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). No, splash of unsweetened soy milk in my mashed potatoes yesterday. Other than that, drinking only water and herbal tea.
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. No, this is an area I will really work on over the next month and get back into good exercise habits.

Okay - Day 1 -
Weighed in at 159
Goal is 120
Up 6 pounds since working at home in mid-March
Started the day with salad and oat groats.



Thx - Ziara

Wow, this board fills up fast...7 pages already, lol!

I joined last month a little late, but I'm joining early this month! And as today is weigh-in day, here's mine:

Previous weight: 203
Current weight: 201.4
Loss: 1.6

Thanks Mark Cooper for your helpful response - great guidelines from JeffN.

In spite of the weight loss, last week was a bit tough for me in terms of my environment. I have family who are not following the McDougall plan (entirely...I'm the cook so they have to eat what I fix, lol) so we have snacks around (cookies, etc.). Yes, I buy the food, but one bite of the elephant at a time, lol.

Here's to a great week everyone!

Weigh in start weight: 203. It’s been two years I’ve been trying to lose this baby weight. I’ve been eating Whole Foods plant based for 14 months. I got down to 197, but have been stuck fluctuating around these five pounds. I’m great at the exercise in general. I did everything on the checklist yesterday, but am going to have to work on reducing added salt and sugar, although sugar for me is mostly maple syrup in baking. I also need to work on the 50/50 plate method.

Start end of Sept at 198.8
Today 202
Gain of 3.2 pounds

I KNOW what went wrong this week. Complete emotional turmoil followed by wallowing led to 0% adherence. Went so far off the rails it's completely obvious.
I thought if I slipped on the rules it might be minor and I could slide right back. This week was NOT minor. Not a slip, total catastrophe.
Going to refocus tomorrow. Realign the fridge and cabinets.
I almost didn't want to weigh in today, quite ashamed, but it's part of the process, right?

-.8 lb

I'll try to give myself letter grades...later I may adopt a better reporting method as I look at others posts...A+ means complete adherence and F means complete disregard (like exercise every day vs no exercise at all)

A 10-POINT CHECKLIST FOR MAXIMUM WEIGHT LOSS (MWL)

1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
—— B (#2 see below)

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 desert.
——- B ....lunches were usually big salads and dinners were usually a baked potato, so together they get to 50/50

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.
—— A

4) Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
——- B-...we have had meat, cheese 3-4 times last week (a vacation cheat), also the potato is morphing from adding mostly butter to more salsa)...does 3-4 times out of 21 possible meals sound like a “B-“?

5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
—— A

6) Eliminate any added oil.
—- B...salad dressing gradually getting less oily

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.
—- B-...some saltine crackers and croutons most days

8 ) Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
—- A...a little grapefruit juice

9) Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.
—— C...some cheat snacks, 2-3 times with potato chips. I have to say that I’d like to smooth out my weight cycle. For instance, now that today’s report is posted, I’m more inclined to entertain a cheat moment. And the past 2 days, as I approached this report, I’ve been much more careful..soup and oatmeal was all I had yesterday.

10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
—— A+...I ride a stationary bike every day for 45–60 minutes at vigorous intensity

Hello, I’ve read the orientation materials and would like to be signed up for the group. I have been WFPB for awhile but look forward to tightening up my program. My first weigh-in will be next week. Thank you for providing this opportunity to stay on track!

10/02/2020 - weight 149
Weight change +/- in lbs - (-1)
Total loss since 7/7/2020: (-11)
Points from the MWL Checklist where I succeeded this week- 2-10
Points from the MWL Checklist that need greater attention- 1- I had a tough time wanting to do my usual salad or soup to start meals. I was craving salt a lot this week too so I was piling on the Mrs. Dash!
General impressions & observations / resources to share / sources of excitement / requests for input & support- I am going to continue getting in my exercise- I was able to fit 2 workouts in this week plus some walking outside now that it is cool. It just seems like exercise boosts my loss. When I don't move enough I don't seem to lose anything that week, no matter how compliant I am. I am not sure why but I will keep it up.

Hello everyone

I have read the orientation and would like to be added to the group.

I read The Starch Solution and The McDougall Program for MWL in a weekend. I was shocked, how did I not know this?! So I started immediately excited to find this group.

Started: 9/20/20
Starting weight: 149.2
Current: 145
Weight change +/- in lbs: -4.2 lbs
MWL Checklist - I succeeded this week: Eliminated all meat & dairy
MWL Checklist - needs attention: Soup or salad before meals
General impressions & observations: I have tried keto, paleo, intermittent fasting, carb cycling and was stuck. Change everything and eat more carbs - what I lose weight!!

I recruited five people over the past few days who eagerly and enthusiastically decided to join the October Weigh-In Group. I sent each of them a link to sign up and also copied them on orientation resources. This morning I found out that they thought they signed up because they got a confirmation email. I told them that there is no confirmation email and asked to see the email. The email is just a confirmation that they signed up for the discussion board forum. They tried to sign up today, but the orientation is locked now. What options exist for them? I would hate to see them give up now. They need this and they are excited and motivated.

Thanks much,

Teri

chowbby wrote:I recruited five people over the past few days who eagerly and enthusiastically decided to join the October Weigh-In Group. I sent each of them a link to sign up and also copied them on orientation resources. This morning I found out that they thought they signed up because they got a confirmation email. I told them that there is no confirmation email and asked to see the email. The email is just a confirmation that they signed up for the discussion board forum. They tried to sign up today, but the orientation is locked now. What options exist for them? I would hate to see them give up now. They need this and they are excited and motivated.

Thanks much,

Teri

All they have to do is register at the site, read the orientation thread here in this forum and check out the links and resources so they are familiar with the program guidelines/recommendations. Then, come to this group and put a post up that they have reviewed the orientation and are joining the October group. That is it.

In Health
Jeff

Starting 10/2/20

Starting Weight 206 (most I've ever weighed)
I am 5'5"

Nothing to report yet about the checklist today

My major challenge: Staying motivated and organized to prepare my meals a night in advance for the next day, this is how I keep compliant, and when I get into a groove it's great, but if on a working day I don't have pre-prepared meals, it is easier for me to stress eat and enter the shame spiral.

My main success: Is that I love vegetables, and that I am optimistic that I can engage in loving behavior of eating healthfully.

I intend upon keeping a daily journal, and am happy to be a co-encourager for others who welcome that.

~Tina

To take a running start at my program, I completed a 5 day water fast this morning then tipped the scale at 219.6 lbs.. My first goal is to get below 200 lbs. I'll be checking in every Friday.

This week has been better for me.
09/28--163.2
10/02--157.8 almost 5 1/2 lbs lost this week after a small gain last week and no change the week before. This is the first time I have been under 160 in a very, very long time.
10 point checklist:
1) yes, except for breakfasts. My standard breakfast is rolled oats cooked with shredded zucchini, sliced banana with cinnamon. Plus coffee with a splash of unsweetened almond milk. I'm trying to wean off the caffeine by making half decaf. On the mornings that I run, usually 3 days a week, I have only the coffee and almond milk.
2-7) full compliance; no problem
8 ) only the unsweetened almond milk in my coffee but that is only about 1/4 cup so very few calories
9) doing better about not overeating at dinner. And finishing dinner with a cup of caffeine free herbal tea with nothing added.
10) I've increased my activity to include a long walk (45-60 minutes) each day. I'm running 3 days a week (3-4 miles each day) and on the other days doing a short walk in addition to the long walk. I'm sleeping better and feel less stressed.
In addition, I've simplified my meals. I make a large bowl of cut up Romaine in the fridge and a separate bowl of cut up salad veggies. Sometimes I start my meal with a bowl of Romaine with a chopped pear or grapes, sometime a veggie salad. This week I also made a large pot of non-starchy veggie soup. I also pre-cooked some potatoes. No complicated recipes this week. Most complicated thing I made this week was oven roasted ratatouille (Chef AJ's recipe)
Hoping for a great month for all.--Carol