October 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Group

[galooop]

Friday Weigh in - Lost 0.8 LBS
finally broke 3 week plateau - yay!
Chris

[GreenFroG]

Hi all,

Change: -0.6
Weight: 143.6

Checklist:
1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
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.
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.
4) Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6) Eliminate any added oil.
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.
8 ) Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
9) Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.
10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).

Observations: Stayed in the groove this week with all the checkpoints and felt pretty good about it. I like the way I feel on this program and the food is very satisfying the longer I stay on it. I used to miss the salty/sugary foods, but not as much now. My challenge is to stay with the checkpoints when the family orders take out, but so far so good. They are getting better at not asking me what I want. I am a little concerned as the holidays are around the corner, but I know that it just means my work will continue.
My goal for this next week is to guard my groove.

Have a great week everyone!

[wstokes]

-.4 lb
Starting to turn this back around...could have been better but for some stress eating (eating past comfortably full) and 3-4 meals that were calorie dense. I’m thinking about planning through Nov 30 to nail down 2 of the 10 points each week, so that the last week (Thanksgiving week?!!!) will look like complete compliance with all 10 points.

[Dot]

Initial Weight: 150 lbs. Goal: 130-135 lbs.
July - 145 -5
Aug - 142 -3
Sept - 138 -4 lbs.
Oct 2/20 -135 Loss 3 lbs.
Oct 9/20 -135 Loss 0 lbs.
Oct 16/20 -134 Loss 1 lb
Oct 23/20 -134

This week’s loss 0 lb.

1-10 Yes
Continuing to follow the guidelines.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the McDougall organization, the participants, moderators and especially you, Mark, for helping me on this journey. Your support and guidance have been priceless.
Dot.

[wischbone]

Friday weigh-in: -0.4 pounds this week

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Yes.. normally fruit or soup
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
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
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). Yes
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). Yes
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. Yes
8. Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). I am making some progress on this
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). Walk 30-45 mins a day but its none are brisk as we walk our dogs twice a day.

A big change this week was making A LOT of Jeff N's longevity soup (Italian version) but minus the beans. We had this with most of our meals. We do love the beans version also but wanted to try it without beans. We also did a lot of roasting veggies for our meals... LOVED IT!!!

[tinathescreamer]

Weight gain this week 0.7 lbs
I gave up coffee this week and it is difficult coping - I am eating all the time. still doing my best to stick to the plan but I really crave white flour and sugar products. I listened to a Chef AJ podcast in which she talks about being addicted to those products - I have the same problem! Been very good on the exercising and avoiding animal products. Earlier this week I met up with some people I haven't seen since March and they all said how well I look. One woman kept exclaiming my skin is glowing and I look years younger so this WOE is working despite my slip ups.

[Mark Cooper]

Expat in NZ - Awesome work adhering to the guidelines 100%, Lindsey! I think wanting to see our efforts reflected on the scale is a completely normal and understandable desire. Alas, the scale is a blunt instrument at best, and many positive developments go "unobserved" in the short-term, but become more and more apparent over time. Carry on with your excellent adherence, and the scale will "catch up" to all the "invisible" progress being made by and by. Remember, you are down 3.9 lbs so far this month, so right about a pound a week on average. Isn't it wonderful to be able to move through the world with no cravings! I can totally relate to the experience of looking around at calorie-rich processed items and realizing those no longer "look like food to me;" I feel exactly the same way. On to the next week!

PonysPlants - 2 pounds is great! You ought to feel super pleased with that very nice reward for your diligent adherence! The upcoming "stumbling block" does seem like a somewhat uniquely challenging situation; if I were facing a similar circumstance, I would probably just make a point to eat in advance.

I’m going to have a nice time to celebrate my husband’s achievements and not let it stress me out or derail me for the rest of the week.

That seems like the most important thing! Do the best you can, and know that a single hurdle (however you ultimately move through it) doesn't render a verdict on the rest of the week, nor all the days and weeks to come.

Abe - Nice progress with the 50/50 guideline! Have fun enjoying those long-awaited dumbbells! It's so interesting to see the diverse array of supply/demand issues brought about by the current pandemic. I can certainly understand how the amount of planning and preparation that goes into making this way of eating work can feel much less convenient than hitting a drive thru on the way home. Of course, the myriad benefits resulting from the recommended behaviors offer a sort of convenience of their own. Some of the Birds Eye Steamfresh offerings might serve for an easy "grab and go" meal option.

Birdseye has 3 products that are like a McDougall Meal in a bag. They come frozen and you just heat and eat. There is nothing in them but whole grain brown rice, wild rice or potato and some veggies. No added salt, sugar, oil, fat or refined flour with a calorie density under 400 cal/lb

Here are the three options I found...

Birds Eye Steamfresh Mixtures Roasted Red Potato Blend

Birds Eye Steamfresh Selects Brown & Wild Rice with Broccoli & Carrots

Birds Eye Steamfresh Selects Brown & Wild Rice with Corn, Carrots & Peas

It looks like the current rice offerings are Whole Grain Rice with Corn, Carrots & Peas and Whole Grain Rice with Broccoli & Carrots. I usually also have pretty good luck finding adherent options at Japanese and Chinese restaurants, and, somewhat ironically, steakhouses.

mandybee - Down 3 lbs this week and 7 lbs so far this month! Fantastic result! Great work putting the recommended behaviors into action; you seem to be really figuring out how to make everything work within your own routine and context. It also sounds like you are getting a real sense of what is "comfortably full" for you, and applying the 9th principle from the checklist appropriately. I believe many of us may relate to the experience you describe. I think often, particularly in the early days of "getting the hang" of MWL, we are very concerned about getting too hungry, and potentially going off plan and bingeing on troublesome foods. We might feel very protective about making sure we are quite full, and knowing exactly when and where our next meal is coming; that all makes a lot of sense, in a certain respect we are "crowding out" urges and anxieties around problematic foods. As we get our plans and routines figured out, and successfully practice the recommended pattern of behavior under a variety of different circumstances for a sufficient duration of time, we start to realize that we can handle most challenges that arise and we worry less about unintentionally getting off track.

Something I noticed while eating this week, I'm not fixated or obsessed about food like I had been. In fact, I almost forget about it until my body starts showing signs of hunger and then I eat when convenient. I have been eating very simply but the past 2 days, I couldn't believe how beyond satisfied I was. I hit a perfect balance so I made a note of exactly what I ate so I can replicate it because that combination really worked for me. I've heard people say repeatedly eating simply is the key. I feel like I'm noticing the least amount of frills I put into my meals the better. Makes it real easy to know when you are done eating.

This epiphany is what I'm referring to when I talk about things suddenly feeling "easy," and the sense of confidence and contentment that accompanies that. Enjoy the feeling! And, protect it by maintaining the habits that delivered for you.

Wfpb2020 - Nice loss! Glad you are feeling and doing better! Big congratulations on being able to discontinue your BP medication! Definitely a big win worth taking a moment to recognize and salute!

oneesotericgirl - Congratulations on being down 4 lbs! Setbacks almost inevitably happen, and struggling through them, learning what we can, focusing on the things we can control, and getting back "on the wagon" are all important steps in the process of making this way of eating work. For many, Mary's Mini can be a useful way to recalibrate your palate, develop an appreciation for simplicity, and generally "reset." Some find it especially useful after they have "fallen off the wagon;" so it makes sense for the situation you describe. That being said, I think it is important to keep the monthly weigh-in group focused specifically on MWL, so that all the participants are working toward the same set of behaviors and operating under the same guidelines. Kirsty took a break from the group to do a Mary's Mini in August, so you might get some insights from her journal, or some of the other board members journals.

Kappagator_96 - Kudos on your loss! Solid, consistent adherence is definitely worthy of pride. Longevity Soup is my favorite; you'll find many different soups in the recipe section that should satisfy the MWL guidelines, as is or with minor adjustments.

Veganjo - Kudos for your loss! Since this group takes a behavioral approach to weight loss, taking a moment (at least weekly) to assess our pattern of behavior with the MWL 10-Point Checklist is an important part of the reporting process. Please do, at least briefly, review how things are going with the recommended behaviors, so that we can all stay on the same page.

jan_npr - Congrats on being down 2 lbs! Jeff covered the issues accompanying calorie counting in his response. If you, or other participants want to do some further reading on the topic, How to Successfully Count Calories is the best article I've ever read on the subject.

NancyNancyR - That looks like a pretty solid week to me! Some cravings can endure for a surprising length of time (definitely annoying! ). Keep doing your best to practice the recommended behaviors, don't succumb to the cravings, and, eventually, they will expire. Keep in mind, too, that if it doesn't cause uncontrollable cravings for you, a sprinkle of salt or sugar at the table is acceptable.

In regard to added salt and added sugar, we recommend buying and preparing food without either and if any are to be used, to add them at the table on the surface of the food. If either one is troublesome and create uncontrollable cravings for you, then leave them out.

If you feel better eliminating them completely, that is fine, as well.

CindyD - Goodbye to another 2.8 pounds! Cheers for "all systems go on the 10 points!" I don't think the idea of drinking "steaming water" sounds crazy at all; on especially chilly days I sometimes do the same thing! I steam vegetables in my Instant Pot nearly every day; more often than sipping a mug of the "stock," I pour it into a big container that I keep in the refrigerator, and that is what I use when a recipe calls for vegetable stock/broth - cheap, easy, and work's like a charm for me. Have a great week, and enjoy the "soup weather!"

Rebecka22 - Down 2 lbs! Great work "skipping" past those calorie rich "treats!" Having an adherent snack readily available can really be a big help; for the most lasting satiety, choose a snack that satisfies the 50/50 guideline.

So ... if optimizing weight loss is my goal ... and I'm legitimately hungry, or really munchy and want a snack ... which would be better? Popcorn? Fruit?

IMH(P&P)O, and based on calorie density, of the two, I would say fruit. However, vegetables would be a better choice and/or a meal of 50% starch and 50% vegetables (and/or fruit) by volume. A meal of 50% starch and 50% vegetables by volume would have a very low calorie density. So, a bowl of 50% oatmeal and 50% berries by volume or a bowl of 50% rice and 50% veggies by volume may be the better choice. You get the starch to help satisfy you and the fruit and/or veggies to help lower the calorie density.

Carry on with your diligent efforts!

curcubit - It sounds like now that you've exited those "food deserts" and settled back in at home, you are making a prompt return to the recommended pattern of behavior, and preparing appropriately. That direct, subjective experience with just how hard it can be to stay on track on the road is quite instructive, right? I think it can conjure a vivid picture of just how much effort has to be invested to remain adherent under those circumstances; if nothing else, seeing the direct effect of those "indiscretions" is useful, too. Nice work getting directly back into a routine that supports your goals.

chowbby - Wow! Big drop this week! Clearly you are making progress! Your observation about the importance of consistency is right on target; following the guidelines consistently over time, and trusting the process is what it is all about. That "celebration worthy platter" sounds fabulous!

connielovesdogs - Congratulations on a week absolutely free from the "latte monster!" I quite agree that it can be useful to take note of the effect that ~15% non adherent food can have, offering a real sense of how strict one might need to be to support ongoing progress. Increased stress rarely makes things easier; for me, it helps to focus my energy on the thing within my control: staying active, getting the food right, and (as you so rightfully mentioned) recognizing the many things for which I am grateful. Hang in there! The only forecast we can make with certainty is that things will, inevitably, change, right?

squealcat - Kudos for doing really well on 7/10 points! Something I've noticed is that challenges with #9 are often a direct result of points 5 & 7; higher fat and calorie dense foods lead to overconsumption. As you describe, I found it necessary to put certain foods on the "never forever" list. For me, never taking the first bite was MUCH easier than trying to "treat myself" in moderation. I really enjoy some of the low-impact aerobics routines on YouTube. I also just ordered a MagneTrainer, inspired by Jeff's post on Staying in Shape when Sheltering at Home. Let me echo your closing sentiment - keep on showing up and doing your best - you'll get where you want to be in time.

Hope410 - Huzzah! Goodbye to 2.6 more lbs! for adhering 100% to 8/10 points. As you aim for 10/10 next week, take a little time to brainstorm some ideas for how you might best incorporate exercise and ways you can support yourself in eliminating those remaining calorie dense foods (preparation is often key). I love doing some of the low-impact cardio routines to be found on YouTube.

rlechols - I honestly cannot remember the last time your week didn't go well, Rachel! Each week seeming the same can be really nice when they are good weeks, right? Congratulations on your outstanding achievements and your well-deserved results. It has been my absolute pleasure having a front-row seat for this stretch of your journey. I wish you many more great weeks to come! I'm confident you "won't be back!"

laura_delao - Congrats on being down a pound in aggregate over the last 2 weeks! I'll record the loss and (tiny) gain in their respective weeks, for the sake of consistency. It appears you are doing an outstanding job adhering to the recommended pattern of behavior! It really is eye-opening to take a moment and reflect on previous patterns of behavior that we thought were "OK," as compared to the behaviors that best support lasting durable weight loss, right? Onward!

galoop - YAY for breaking your 3 week plateau! Because this group takes a behavioral approach to weight loss, taking a moment (at least weekly) to assess our pattern of behavior with the MWL 10-Point Checklist is an important part of the reporting process. Please do, at least briefly, review how things are going with the recommended behaviors, so that we can all stay on the same page.

GreenFroG - Down more than half a pound! I always love seeing 10 THUMBS-UP! I think you are doing great. Now might be the time to calmly think through how to best navigate the holiday season; with a little thought, planning and preparation it is definitely doable. Guard the groove!

wstokes - Cheers! Getting headed in the right direction is the first step toward forward progress, right? I think taking some time to plan and "nail down" how to support adherence to a particular behavior really is very helpful; the great thing is, generally, once you "solve" a particular point, it largely stays solved, provided the circumstances don't change dramatically. Go for it!

Dot - Hooray for another 10/10 week and congratulations on your impressive progress - 16 lbs since your start! Thank you for your very kind words! It is one of my great pleasures to be able to play "spectator" to the successes here!

wischbone - Kudos! Great work making progress, keep it up! Like you, I absolutely love Jeff's Longevity Soup, with beans and without; roasted vegetables are a perennial favorite in my house - YUM!

tinathescreamer - Hang in there! Fend off those cravings for sugary baked treats by eating the recommended foods, in the recommended fashion. How thrilling to have that group of acquaintances exclaiming over how well you look! I'm sure that was encouraging!

[VivianS]

VivianS October 23, 2020 Friday
Weight change -1.6 pounds loss I weigh 150.4 pounds, 37" waistline.
Points where I succeeded this week were:
1, 2. 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10.
Points that need greater attention:
6, 7
I need to work on my boundaries. My niece cooked the ears of corn I brought for our meal. She added margerine (6, oil?) to the cooking water. I was outside playing with the children. The meal was ready, I was hungry. I said nothing to her because she has been told before. I will need to keep my food locked in the car to be prepared when I am ready. I will contribute to the meal for her and the children, but I will not entrust myself to her care. I'm just glad she only spilled the liquid from my 6x4 soup in getting to the corn. I ate the salad, okra and tomato in peace. My usual beans, greens, rice and 2 veggie soup (topping) were undisturbed.
I need to work on my boundaries. I tried a Triscuit (7) to see if the small children could chew them. I rejected Triscuits as a choking hazard. I think they are too hard for little teeth to chew. I will encourage my nieces (mom and grandma of the children) to make choices like fruit by bringing them to the children myself. I am constantly having to battle the little one pointing to the top of the refrigerator where the goodies are. Like normal, curious toddlers, they also climb shelves and on chairs to rexplore the pantry in search of sweets, especially chocolate. More than one time an entire bag or container od sugar has been spilled. If those items are spilled or eaten, the mess is not mine to clean up. It is too tempting! I try to prevent the problem by keeping them engaged elsewhere. Hunger compels them. I have fruit and books ready after the bath before bed. Fruit is always in sight on the table for them unless their momma locks it in the refrigerator. Boundaries!
Boundaries keep us safe. I hope you have good boundaries and know how to deal with boundary violators and can keep yourself from being one to someone else.
VivianS

[grape]

Good afternoon,

Weight loss -1.00 lb

I am happy about this because I started the week off with two birthdays to celebrate and had non-compliant food/drink. As a result points 4--8 were not met100%. As for the other points, I had either a cucumber salad or fruit before most meals, did 50/50 for most meals, did not over eat, and moved more in spite of the ongoing toe situation! Trying here...

Thank you Mark for your observations, I appreciate your them very much. Happy weekend!

[cmcavazos]

Weight: +.4

Did well: 1,2,4,5,8,9,10
Needs improvement: 3,6,7 (ate several restaurant meals while out of town)

[lmggallagher]

SW: 241.9
GW: 150.0

Last Weigh in: 212.5
This Week: 212.5


Lost:0.0 pounds



1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.


2) Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.

2) Choose fruit for dessert.

Stress eating cookies and chips both!
3) Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts.

Stress eating cookies and chips.
4) Eliminate all animal foods.

5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods.

6) Eliminate any added oil.

Salad dressing 2x this week.
7) Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products.

Stress eating cookies and chips.
8 ) Don’t drink your calories.

9) Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full.

Been stuffing myself stress eating.
10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).

No exercise at all - walking would be my thing I have set up a rower on my deck but that's not feasible now either?

Stress is no excuse it's a problem that I am usually not the least prone to and I do have solutions for combating it if it should crop up. Yet, I just kind of hit a tipping point this week and the bottom fell out on the usual toolbox.

I've been doing OK with Covid and the election - which is stressing those I am in contact with fairly substantially. The fires here and having to leave my house for extended periods to flee the air quality and heat - were very taxing, but still I had a place to go where I was welcome - so that I coped with pretty well.

However .... this week I realized among all the other health problems I have the air quality problems triggered more health problems. An ear/sinus infection and breathing issues. I have reactions to antibiotics so when I get sinus issues I have to do every 4 hour nasal irrigation. It eventually works for me but it really messes with sleep - I just don't get much for a couple of weeks and I feel crappy for having the infection to begin with. The breathing issues are weird and I really don't know what that is. Luckily, it's intermittent even though the out door air should be fine now for most folks? What I do know is it's reported that folks my age (over 60) are becoming first time asthma patients due to the months of bad air here. So - I am inclined to worry about that until I breakdown and see a doctor - not something I want to do with our Covid levels here just now.

HOWEVER - today I kind of got back to coping mode after earlier in the week going berserk and ordering cookies, chips and salad dressing in my last delivered food order. All of that is eaten now ( mostly a a huge binge during the debate, while texting a bunch of friends doing similar binges).

I also I slept well last night and woke up at a regular time to do my weigh-in. Boy was I surprised to find that I gained nothing. Still - the weight doesn't pile on me overnight - sometimes bad eating takes a bit to show up on my scale - so I still expect some shock!

So that was bad eating and the exercise is kind of on hold. I did get the rower set up but being on the deck where it is - is not great for my breathing issues. I have hopes though - I love rowing which is weird but it works for me USUALLY! Fingers crossed it's in my near future.

Stay well all - Michelle

[cmjens]

Last week 220.8
This week 221
GAIN .2

This was a really rough week...both my fridge and my range died It took all week to get the new ones delivered. I ran out of fresh fruits and veggies and had nowhere to store any. So, frozen and canned were my main options. Plus, cooking with only the microwave was a challenge but, ever so grateful for it! I struggled with most points.

1. Start each meal with soup or salad - no
2. 50/50 plate method - most of the time
3. greatly reduce or eliminate sugars and salts - no
4. eliminate all animal foods - yes
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant food - no - had a little avocado on a burrito that my husband brought home for a surprise "made just the way I like it." Whole beans, rice, quac, and pico - of course in a flour tortilla too
6. Eliminate any added oil - no - I'm sure there were oils in that burro
7. Eliminate all higher calorie dense food - no - flour tortilla and I had some tortilla chips too
8. Don't drink your calories - yes
9. Eat whenever hungry till comfortably full - Yes
10. Avoid being sedentary - Yes

[texaslil]

Hello Everyone!

Definitely feeling better this week:

Last week: 178.4
lbs lost: -3
Current Weight: 175.4

I'm definitely happy about this number! Now, the only caveat is that my scale is not at it's most reliable (I'm working on getting a new one) but I got on it several times and it said the same number, so I will choose to believe.

Today I would really like to ask about MWL points #1 and #2

1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit: I have struggled with this one.. do I need to do this if I am adhering to the 50/50 plate method?

2) Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals: On this one, I have watched a lot of videos on YouTube about the Starch Solution and they are very helpful. Many go into detail about the 50/50 plate method and encourage you to eat the veggies first. Can anyone explain to me why this is? is there something scientific about it? does eating the veggies first 'prep' your intestines to digest the carbs better? What is the difference between eating the veggies first and eating both the veggies and carbs together?

I would love to get a bit more clarity on these two points so that I can understand what the science is behind them, in hopes that it will help me be more adherent.

Thank you for any information you can offer!

Happy weekend to all!

[jkcook]

No change

Major life change. Started a part-time job which is forcing me to do less and unfortunately it’s right near a lot of really good places to eat. I have discovered poke bowls and they are irresistible. However, tonight I was good and made fresh spaghetti sauce and put it over spaghetti squash and diced potatoes. Totally yummy

[chef16]

10/16/2020 240#
10/23/2020 237#
-3#
3 more gone!
Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. 50% (my soups and salads all way have added starches and plenty of veggies and beans.)
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. 95%
Greatly reduce or eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts too. 100%
Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). 100%
Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).95% ( tofu, avocados and peanut butter keep me sane sometimes. I know this is a excuse ,but I am slowly whittling them down.)
Eliminate any added oil. 100%
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. 95% (still eating breads and dried fruit now and then. This coming down in frequency.)
Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). 100%
Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don’t starve yourself and don’t stuff yourself.100%
Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily . 95%

Just didn't feel like I lost anything and I got on the scale and three more pounds gone! I keep waiting for a screeching halt , but I am still going. I have been on so many diets and weight lose programs that seem okay at first but always become a disappointment because they are so difficult to stay on and I get tired of counting and weighing and giving up and trading off more and more. This is the first time I have been satisfied with what I can eat and how much. I do cheat and I know there is going to be times that I will struggle(like a plateau ),but for right now I am really happy. I can do this as this is just how I eat. The holidays are coming and my family is all ready getting scared that there is not going to be their favorite foods and they are going to have potatoes and salad.