The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - December 2022 Group

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The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - December 2022 Group

Postby Mark Cooper » Wed Nov 30, 2022 4:30 am

DECEMBER 2022 RESOURCES
This section will be updated throughout the month with links to useful resources, as they are added to the thread.

Orientation Information for Time & Adherence:
The Behavioral Path to MWL Success

MWL 10-Point Checklist
MWL Program Guidelines
Calorie Density: How To Eat More, Weigh Less and Live Longer
MWL Recipes
SNAP Meal Template
1- 28 oz Can No Salt Added Tomatoes (or broth for those who don't like tomatoes)
1- 14 oz Can No Salt Added Beans (which is about 1.5 - 2 cups)
1- 16 oz Bag Frozen Mixed Veggies (any type)
**optional - 1/2 cup Frozen Greens
1.5 to 2 cups of a *Cooked* Starch
~1 tbsp. Salt Free, Dried Seasoning/Spice

The Road to Success: Creating Healthy Habits
The Pleasure Trap: Dr. Doug Lisle at TedxFremont
How to Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind with Dr. Doug Lisle
Dr. Doug Lisle on The Ego Trap
Dr. Doug Lisle: The Story of Willpower – What it Is & How it Works
Dr. Lisle's Three Top Tips for Dietary Success
Jeff Novick, RD - Nutrition & Health FAQ: Answers To The Most Asked Questions
A Review of the Rules & Guidelines for Reading Labels
Passive Overconsumption: The Unintended Intake of Excess Calories
Can You Really Eat As Much As You Want?
Why We Hit Plateaus and What We Can Do About Them
Top 10 Reasons for Lack of Success
Dining Out and Travel Food
Exercise, Health & You: How Much Is Enough?
Optimum BMI? / Optimal BMI - redux
Building Self-Efficacy
You Are Not Broken
wildgoose - How I determined my "goal weight"
Finding The Sweet Spot: Balancing Calorie Density, Nutrient Density & Satiety
Amy's Giant List of Links to Dr. Lisle's Lectures
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - December 2022 Group

Postby Mark Cooper » Wed Nov 30, 2022 4:35 am

The last month of 2022!

Hi, everyone! Let's start off December with a pair of questions:

What feels like the biggest challenge or obstacle that you are facing or foresee for this month?

What is something you are feeling confident about or an area where you are especially efficacious (from a behavioral standpoint)?

Let's end this year in a way that leaves us feeling proud and delighted, shall we? :D
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - December 2022 Group

Postby VegSeekingFit » Wed Nov 30, 2022 6:31 pm

Hi All!! Hope everyone is having a wonderful week!!!! :)

Welcome back, Drew!!! Glad your surgery went well!!! Glad that you are joining us!!! :D

Hey Mark Cooper :D – always love when you ask bonus questions (also, LOVED your TG meal – thanks for sharing!)!!! There is always so much great conversation around extra questions!!! YES --- totally would love to end December PROUD and DELIGHTED!!! OMG!!! YES!!! FOR ALL OF US HERE --- Let’s do it!!! … :)

I am going to answer (sorry if it was supposed to be Friday / Saturday!!!)… CAVEAT is that I would love to have a more standard answer for 1) … but thinking that wouldn’t be honest. Trying to articulate this as best as I can --- even though it may not resonate with others…

1) My biggest challenge right now is with my inner critic / task master that always seems to want to add scope to this exercise. I try to wrangle this in with my logical side… like, NO goals except holistically following the checklist (as written!). Very illogical which does bother me a bit … like I worry about mitigating future risk where I am feeling ok. I do tell myself to let it go!!! Don’t borrow trouble… I also try to think about Doug Lisle’s myopic turtle (that is pretty calming)… So, I continue to work on just darn CHILLING OUT!!!

2) Feeling pretty great about the checklist holistically --- like I am easily able to make simple meals quickly and enjoy them. I am also feeling prepared on how to handle the many holiday parties --- I am readily able to eat differently than the general population and feel good about my choices (and I don’t feel disconnected from others). I may do some random dumb non-compliant things… but I learn from each one and these don’t bother me too much --- as they aren’t generally repeating or impactful. I do go into the holidays with the plan to just follow MWL Checklist… Easier for me to do this than extricate from Pleasure Trap, etc.

I LOVED the fruit turkey that WG shared and am planning to make veggie / fruit holiday trays (THANK you to Holly for sharing some cool links!!). Pretty super easy and amusing to me --- also gets folks to eat more fruit and veg!!!

Thanks so much to Mark, JeffN, Wildgoose --- and ALL fellow participants. You help me so much with all that you share!!!

Wishing everyone a festive fun Holiday season!!! OMG --- we are there already!!! :shock:

Best,
Stephanie
"Just put one foot in front of the other and don't worry about the length of the path.
Once you get on that path, and the longer you stay on it, there eventually will come a time when you will not turn back." - Martina Navratilova
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - December 2022 Group

Postby Rebecka22 » Fri Dec 02, 2022 8:36 am

1.Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. YES
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. NO
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. NO
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
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). YES

This week I had takeout that definitely had extra salt and oil, but skipped the tofu and kept it 50/50. I also had a mocha and chocolate. I felt the sweets cravings really strong which I know is to be expected. I’m just trying to recommit decision by decision and day by day like you said.

What feels like the biggest challenge or obstacle that you are facing or foresee for this month?
Holiday sweets are my biggest challenge. While this season is full of joy, it’s also full of exhaustion and long-standing tradition rooted in food. I know I can do this with good planning and I know I have done it before as I am into my third year in this group. Time flies and I have got so much advice, encouragement and inspiration to get through this. I have successfully changed our holiday meals as a family, but I know I will be surrounded with desserts.

What is something you are feeling confident about or an area where you are especially efficacious (from a behavioral standpoint)?
I feel confident in my intentional exercise. Before starting this group I always took rest days, but now I vary what I do, but I am active every day and I love it. I never thought I could be a morning person, but I get up at 5 am every work day and work out for an hour. On the weekends I do it later, but this makes me feel good in many ways. Another area I feel great about is being able to easily make simple, compliant meals that I like.
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - December 2022 Group

Postby BambiS » Fri Dec 02, 2022 10:35 am

12-2

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


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
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, not an issue here

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
Yes, no problems

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). Yes

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). Yes

Victories, comments, concerns, questions: I had a better week. I got more exercise and am getting better meal plans for the office this week. Also avoided cutting back in starch.
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - December 2022 Group

Postby Ejg » Fri Dec 02, 2022 1:17 pm

I missed last week due to being out of town for Thanksgiving but here now. Responses below will be an attempt to capture behavior over prior two weeks.

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. mostly, not 100% though
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 usually steam broccoli or cauliflower and just add it directly to my salad so I'll give this another 'mostly'
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 succumbed to some holiday confectionaries while visiting my mom but it was not what I'd call completely out of control. But there were some cookies. no pie, ice cream, or whipped cream
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). none -- no turkey
5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). none
6. Eliminate any added oil. the vegetables my sister in law made for thanksgiving for sure had some butter or oil added
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. don't think I had any of this over thanksgiving and certainly not since I've been back
8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). none, no alcohol or soda (or pop depending on where you're from -- to me, its soda)
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. mostly yes
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). no, didn't exercise while visitng my mom and developed full blown plantar fasciitis so no running either

week over week change, +3 (ugh), cumulative change -6. The +3 isn't a complete surprise because last time I weighed myself was when I got sick in Alabama on work related travel, and I had hardly eaten anything for a day or so prior. I had a suspicion that was an artificially low number. Still, seeing a gain when stepping on the scale isn't pleasant. I usually run several times a week (in addition to lifting weights) but stepped out of bed one morning and immediately felt sharp pain in my foot that has prevented all running, or walking.

If weight gain or loss is a combination of genetics, calorie intake and activity level (calorie intake being the dominant factor here) then what this tells me is that given my reduced activity level over the last week and a half, my caloric intake has been too high, and there has been no loss. No need to belabor the point, I'll make the necessary adjustments moving forward.
I hope my foot feels better soon because I'm going stir crazy not being able to run like I usually do. Happy December to all.
Though it feels malevolent, resistance operates with the indifference of rain and transits the heavens by the same laws as the stars. When we marshal our forces to combat resistance, we must remember this.
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - December 2022 Group

Postby VegSeekingFit » Fri Dec 02, 2022 9:32 pm

Hi Team Time & Adherence, :)

Hope everyone is doing awesome!!!! Happy December!!! :-D

I survived my work holiday party!!! Had a great time chatting with co-workers and playing games!!! Can’t believe it has been 3 years in between these events!!! COVID messes with time-space orientation!!! Ate salad – which was fine (had Jeff burger and some potato in the car before!!!)…. One of my co-workers is vegan --- and she wanted to have a vegan menu option (and … YES… we should all have option based on our preferences). She knows that I am as well (and asked for my support to get this on menu). I have read JeffN “When Vegan is Not Enough” and totally get the difference (yeah, I could be example # ???? )… So, yeah, buffet option included vegan “daiya” cheese pizza AND salad (salad alone was healthy). I kept to the salad, but she was trying to help me find the pizza (which was not going to happen – but was able to dodge this!!!)… To be honest, this was more a social dodge than a food thing --- never liked cheese to begin with, so never in my life have eaten vegan cheese…

1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Mostly no. No is because I am maintaining – else, I am pretty happy to do this!

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. :D I continue to eat the same foods and enjoy them. So, got more Envy apples!! Sloppy lentils are my favorite thing ever. POTATOES!!! Soup… (LOTS of it!) Tons of oatmeal with frozen fruit.

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. Reduced, not eliminated. :)

4 Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
Yes. :D

5 Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
Yes. :-D

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. :D

8 Don’t drink your calories especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
Yes.

9 Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.
Yes –no starving or stuffing. :D

10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Yes. Walked briskly 6/7 days outside. One day I walked around the house only … was about 12 degrees outside in AM and I couldn’t walk at lunch / meeting… Anyway, I am pretty committed here to not being sedentary, but it will likely not be as many steps as during nicer weather. My Health app continues to yell at me … I do have other options that I could do better at implementing for sure.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
Thank you a ton to Mark, JeffN, WildGoose, and ALL fellow participants. Wishing us to all be PROUD and DELIGHTED this month!!! :D OMG, can’t love that thought enough… just get through the crazy holiday season as best we all can!!! We can totally do this!!!

We have a family holiday party coming up that is themed every year. I have been requested by a few folks to dress in costume (as Cindy Lou Who)… hmm… if I can make this easy, perhaps --- yes!!! However, I have pointed out that I am a mid-50’s chick that may not want to dress as a toddler… The jury is out on this; however, I do believe that I will be more pestered if I don’t do this than if I show up and eat fruit, veg, potatoes… Wish me luck!!!

Cheers,
Stephanie
"Just put one foot in front of the other and don't worry about the length of the path.
Once you get on that path, and the longer you stay on it, there eventually will come a time when you will not turn back." - Martina Navratilova
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - December 2022 Group

Postby Hjklost55 » Fri Dec 02, 2022 10:58 pm

Hello everyone, and happy December. This post will be a short version because I am adding this from my iPhone. I have been out of town for 5 days. And it has been a challenge…. But NOT impossible!

Have eaten out several times while out of town but have stayed as compliant as possible not knowing exactly what was in a couple of the meals I had at the restaurants. Below is my summary:

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

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… no problem with this area.

5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
Mostly…. I know one salad I had, had part of an avocado cut up in it.

6. Eliminate any added oil.
YES, as far as I know. Again, I was gone and requested no oil at the restaurant but you never know what you are getting!

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).
YES

9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.
YES I feel like I may have made a little headway with this item. I have been stopping after my initial plate full and then set a timer for 15 minutes before going back. This method seems to be helping me to cut back on my volume eating.

10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
YES …. Have been playing pickleball almost daily…. And have gotten over 10,000 steps 5 days in a row.

Victories, Comments, Concerns, Questions: I am staying with a non vegan friend. She has non compliant food everywhere! I have been here 5 days!! And have NOT gotten into any of her foods!!! That is HUGE for me. I made a pot of soup and cooked a bag of potatoes when I got here! That has saved me! PLAN, PREPARE, PROFIT!!!

What feels like the biggest challenge or obstacle that you are facing or foresee for this month? I need to stay the course. Stay Focused!! I still have several events to go to that will be a challenge over the holidays!!!

What is something you are feeling confident about or an area where you are especially efficacious (from a behavioral standpoint)? I am confident that I CAN DO IT!!! I want to complete this year with two months clean under my belt and start the New Year with a BANG!!!


HA HA so much for short….
Have a GREAT month everyone!
Holly
Last edited by Hjklost55 on Sat Dec 03, 2022 2:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - December 2022 Group

Postby Gimmelean » Sat Dec 03, 2022 11:37 am

Post for week ending 12/02/2022

Greetings MWL Time and Adherence community.

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

2). Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals.
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.
No. Although I ALWAYS feel better when I avoid bread and the scale stays down too, I had bagels and flatbread this week. Naan can be made with oil, so it may have been a double whammy.

8 ) Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
Yes.

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).
Yes.
Because I always do a minimum of 30 minutes of something, I am glad to have “permission” to do 30 minutes a day. It makes me feel that I haven’t missed a day because I didn’t do a full workout everyday.

Victories,Comments,Questions,Challenges:

Hopefully I’ve directly or indirectly addressed Mark’s December questions through answers to everyone below:

“What feels like the biggest challenge or obstacle that you are facing or foresee for this month?”

“What is something you are feeling confident about or an area where you are especially efficacious (from a behavioral standpoint)?”



Mark, welcome back to the East Coast. Glad to hear that your trip with your family went well and how you kept it simple by eating simply.

Drew- wishing you a speedy recovery after your recent surgery.

Stephanie, I can so relate to fear of giving up control by having faith in the integrity of the MWL system, but it’s worked where nothing in the past has worked for me. The app Insight Timer has been my chilling out tool/ crutch since the onset of the pandemic and I recommend it highly. It’s also free. Btw, I love your meal ideas and have been making the lentils and soups you’ve suggested all along.

Rebecca- I was also a 5am exerciser pre- pandemic but now leave it more to chance. Having an early morning routine was far better because there is little room for exerscuses. How many times do I tell myself after work -if the light turns red when I get to the corner, I don’t have to go to the gym.

Bambi - this week I added the grapes and baby carrots I brought in for myself to the box of donuts a colleague brought in for us and gave my donut to the tech guy who loved it. People don’t know how to react to me anyway and these actions made me feel much better than eating that donut, empowered that I actually didn’t, and made others feel better too. Getting used to a new office routine here too.

Eric- plantar fasciitis is no joke. When I had it about 4 years ago, I worked through it with otc insoles, frozen bottles of water like the professional basketball players do, and double thick socks. I hope you are pain free soon although it seems like it takes forever to heal.

Greens- as you can see by my checklist with the “no”, breads have been my downfall this week too. I know I feel so much better when I don’t eat them. It’s miraculous how generous servings of starch are filling and don’t cause the number on the scale to increase by 3 pounds in a day like bread does.

Ellen, there is a Whole Foods right down the street from my office. I have not shopped there since returning to the office because the prepared foods section calls out my name. None of it seems to be MWL adherent because of the amounts of salt and the oils used to prepare the beautiful healthy looking food. I have found a mom and pop produce store that’s now my go to retail therapy place when time allows.

I hope that Carol and Marilyn and those who haven’t been here for a while are doing well.

Noella- I am inspired by the weight you have lost and the challenges you have conquered. I especially appreciate learning what you have done to get past those challenges through your posts. I have also wondered many times how family members who are so close can be such saboteurs.

Beth- thank you for acknowledging my comments last week. We seem to share many of the emotional dynamics related to eating, exercising, and weight loss/management. Most of us do here in this forum!

Holly, I am inspired by your soup and potatoes prep to ward off non adherent temptations. Having “our” foods ready before hunger strikes makes all of the positive difference in making it through another successful day, week, month, year.

Come to think of it, it HAS now been almost a year since our forum and focus were renamed MWL time and adherence. Where has this past year gone?

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday ahead and the best New Year.
Last edited by Gimmelean on Sat Dec 03, 2022 2:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - December 2022 Group

Postby Drew*# » Sat Dec 03, 2022 11:42 am

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.****Yes, mostly.
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. **** 6/7
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). ****Yes
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). ****2/7 (going on a long walk on a treadmill or around the neighborhood today, yoga tomorrow)

I am avoiding all flour and mixing all meals with about 50% vegetables or fruit. Sometimes the mixture is more fruit and veggies. I read earlier this week towards the beginning of Dr. McDougall's MWL book that the amount of fat needed is very small. And that the amount of starch needed for an adult is like 35X more than protein. And 800X more starch than fats. So to be satisfied instead of getting something with lots of protein and/or fat, I need to keep eating the MWL approved starches and this would not include breads, etc. This week I started doing that to satisfy any urge to eat. It really helped.

I had my operation that sewed up a small hernia underneath mesh (which was removed) in early November and am eager to start again since I am at the same amount of weight. The plan is to lose more to get to a BMI that is considered normal for my height.

Looking forward to reading the postings here!

My current weigh-in is 181 lb.

Drew
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - December 2022 Group

Postby Lizzy_F » Sat Dec 03, 2022 11:45 am

Hello fellow Time & Adherence Travelers!!

Grab a snack and a beverage if you plan on reading all this because it's LOOOOONG! :lol: Responses to the reflection questions are at the end of the checklist report. :-D

1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit. Yes for lunch and dinner (soup or cooked veg – not salad)

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 – although I tend to eat my veg first, then plate up my starch second unless I’m eating an “all-in-one” type meal (i.e. pasta primavera) I’m curious if anyone sees that as problematic in any way? For some people who are not quite as much of a “volume eater” as I am, I guess the risk would be filling up on the lowest calorie density food, not having enough room for enough starch, then going hungry later. I definitely do not have this problem! I tend to think that eating all my veg first might actually save me from overeating starch. But I am learning on this journey that historically, my “best thinking” and my “assumptions” got me in a lot of trouble with food. So I would rather ask for opinions and consider the feedback than just roll along with potentially problematic thinking going on! :)

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 – reduced not eliminated. :D


4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). Yes :D


5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). Yes – no almond butter or similar this week! :D


6. Eliminate any added oil. Yes :D


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. No. I had some sourdough bread in the freezer that is from a company that Mary McDougall recommended. I’ve had it in there since the 12-day program or possibly before that even started for me in May. It really hasn’t called my name at all, so I baked a loaf. Very convenient and very good. BUT. I am the only bread eater in my house. So once I baked it, the thoughts began… “this will go bad quickly! I better eat more now!” Etc. I of course ended up eating too much of it along with a bunch of sugar free (artificially sweetened) jam which is not something I personally want to be eating either. So… I pitched the rest of the frozen loaves in the trash. If I really really really want some bread, I would be better served to buy a loaf of Ezekiel bread and freeze it in serving size baggies. And I have already discovered with Ezekiel bread that I don’t really care for the “low sodium” variety. So is it really the bread I’m after, or the salty taste? IIRC, the regular Ezekiel bread meets Jeff’s guidelines for salt (I would have to re-look to make sure – my memory isn’t always the best) but even so. Another reason to question whether bread belongs in my plan. If I want to see if a BMI lower than 22 is attainable, I think bread is a bad idea for me. When I venture outside of the MWL guidelines, I am trying to really evaluate what is going on, and whether those deviations out onto the broader Starch Solution highway are worth it. In this case, I don’t really think bread is worth it.
:o

8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). Yes
:D

9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself. Work in progress. Baby steps. I LOVE the feeling of being really full – too full I think. I’m still working to find my balance with this one. :D


10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). No. I had some vanity surgery around my eyes 10 days ago, and was restricted around activity until my follow up doc appointment yesterday. But for next week I have no excuses LOL! And excuses are plentiful in my head when it comes to exercise! I enjoyed reading what Jeff has written around the research on exercise. My take away (and please correct me if I am off base!) is that the most important thing is getting a lot of basic movement – i.e. 7,000 steps. That intensity of the movement isn’t as beneficial as just getting that much movement. I almost always exceed 7,000 steps (and usually more than 10,000) per day just in my “life” before any intentional exercise. So once again – balance is what I think I should be seeking here. I want to be more active with exercise I enjoy. I don’t think in my situation, it is productive to beat myself up about it and/or force myself into doing things that I either don’t enjoy, or things I do enjoy but in unenjoyable conditions. (i.e. I love walking outside, but not when it’s raining or when it’s below 25 degrees or so depending on wind). I’m realizing that so much of this journey is mental, and after years of “dieting” it has become normal to subconsciously take a PUNISHING approach to everything. RESTRICTING food. FORCING activity. Food choices and activity levels are both important to my good health. But learning to shift my mindset to a positive and self-supportive approach rather than a punishing approach is still a work in progress. :o And this group has been an AMAZING resources helping me see this!!!!

Victories: For the last month or so my weight fluctuates as it normally and always does, but is staying right around 149 give or take. At 5’9” this puts my BMI at 22 – so right in the middle of what is considered that healthy BMI range for my height. If my BMI were to drift a little lower, I would be OK with that (i.e. 19 or 20). But in talking with Tiffany (my 12-day program support specialist) we have agreed that for now, we will focus on adapting my eating and activity to hopefully stay in a 144 – 149 weight range. While this is not carved in stone, I do think it’s worth noting a “victory” here that I might just be in my “goal” weight range! And I have stayed in this range for a month or so already, so maintenance is underway.
:D
Comments: Will read and comment separately on other’s reports, which I love reading! I learn so much from this group! Added thought – I just had a lightbulb moment! What I am struggling with in #9 is probably impacted by what I am doing in #2. I’m going to experiment this week with plating up my typical meals differently. I will continue to start with soup/veg, but then rather than eating ALL my veg first, I will plate up my veg and starch at the same time and work on both of them. And see how my sensations of hunger/fullness are affected, if at all. Maybe I really am getting too full on super low calorie density stuff, leading to feeling stuffed after I eat my starch. I suspect in the end, I need a bit less of everything to be at a comfortable point in satiety? :idea: :!:

Concerns: Fear of Failure still lurks in my subconscious, and sometimes my conscious thinking. I recognize this is normal after a lifetime of roller coaster dieting and weight re-gain. Right now I am finding it helpful to read success stories and listen to people who have been successfully doing this and maintaining results for long periods of time. I am always open to hearing how others in this group are dealing with / have dealt with this particular mental hurdle. “Fear of Failure” is just not a state of mind I want to perpetually deal with. I also plan to re-watch Doug Lisle’s presentation on the Ego Trap, which I think is applicable here? Other suggestions welcome! :!: :idea:


Questions: I think I wove a bunch of questions into my report already!

Reflection questions:

What feels like the biggest challenge or obstacle that you are facing or foresee for this month?

Our normally toxic food environment is, of course, toxic on steroids right now. I am trying to double down on my strategies such as having appropriate food with me, not going about my day hungry, and remembering how far I have come, and how EASY it is to fall right back into the Pleasure Trap. It’s everywhere. While there are some temptations I have to resist in my home environment (mixed food household), I am grateful that my husband does NOT eat the worst of Pleasure Trap foods for me – sweets, baked goods, etc. Thinking about THAT reality makes me feel grateful that I “only” have to resist the temptation for nuts / nut butters at home. And I am also grateful that animal products – especially cheese – no longer tempt me AT ALL!

What is something you are feeling confident about or an area where you are especially efficacious (from a behavioral standpoint)?

Efficacious: having the power to produce a desired effect. I confess, I had to look it up! :lol:

This is an awesome reflection question for me. My “innter critic” is always looking for where I need to do better. While that is not necessarily a bad thing, it gets out of balance if I don’t ALSO consider where I have grown and what I do well. So thank you! I feel like I have become really good at planning and prepping food. I always have cooked starches on hand and can put together simple meals that I absolutely love in minutes. I have developed effective routines for not only my own food prep, but for my husband’s food prep as well. I keep it simple on both fronts. I have developed good routines for at least a few of my favorite support systems. I have made a point of doing the weekly MWL T&A reports. I make it a priority to attend the weekly Starchivore group zoom for 12-day graduates (I only miss over something that can’t be avoided i.e. dental appointment or something like that). I meet with my 12-day Support Specialist 2 times per month. On the weeks where I do not meet face to face (over zoom) with Tiffany, I do a written check-in through the Klara portal and Tiffany is always kind enough to give me feedback. There are other aspects to my support system where I would like to do better – such as keeping in better touch with individual new friends that I have made along this journey. But this question is for what I do well, and as I write this, I can see that despite my desire to improve in an area, I really am taking regular advantage of important systems for accountability and continued growth and progress.

Members of The Committee in my head: Inner Critic, Inner Child, Inner Rebel, Inner Cheerleader, Inner Realist. They are all present at this little board meeting right here. I’m glad the nature of the MWL checklist and the reflection questions is giving my Inner Realist and my Inner Cheerleader a little bit louder than normal voice, LOL! It's a CIRCUS in there~ :D :D
Last edited by Lizzy_F on Sat Dec 03, 2022 12:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - December 2022 Group

Postby Lizzy_F » Sat Dec 03, 2022 12:49 pm

Hello again fellow travelers! I value all of your shared experiences so much, yet don't always make the time to comment. That is something I want to get better at doing! So here goes!

Stephanie! I can SO RELATE to your responses to the reflection questions! You are definitely ahead of me on this path, but I am beginning to realize how I struggle with similar issues (i.e. Innter Critic). So I am really looking to follow your lead as you have already developed, and continue to develop awesome ways of addressing your challenges, that are also my challenges! And your fruit turkey was so amazing – I’m not sure yet what my husband’s family is doing for Christmas (his Dad passed recently) so if anything, I know I will be bringing a fruit creation! From your T&A report is sounds like you are doing a great job navigating the seasonal social stuff. Your themed family party sounds fun – I’m sure you will look great AND SHARE A PICTURE no matter how you end up dressing for it!

Hi Rebecka22! I see that I share some things in common with you as well i.e. needing to be vigilant about the Pleasure Trap of sweets at this time of year, and also the strength of being prepared and enjoying simple meals. You are inspiring me to continue working on my intentional exercise!

Bambi – congrats on your progress!! I can’t imagine how hard it must feel to manage food while going back to the office, after so long working from home. I’m cheering you on from the sidelines!!!

Ejg – I didn’t have to navigate Thanksgiving at someone else’s house. so reading about your and other’s experiences just highlights for me how MUCH our social structures revolve around (often unhealthy) food. There is a part of me that is always relieved once the holidays are over. I’m sorry to read about your foot issue and hope it resolves for you quickly!
Holly! YOU GO GIRL! You are ROCKING!! Your story about how you are handling your travels and being out of your normal environment is SO INSPIRING!! OMG you are just living proof that we CAN do this NO MATTER WHAT! And reap the enjoyment and rewards rather than get stuck in the quagmire of guilt and remorse. Thank you for sharing your report even though I’m sure it was hard to type it out on a phone. I am inspired by your share!!! I NEED to start the 15 minute timer strategy!

Gimmelean – I’m grateful for your comments about bread and how it makes you feel. I interacted (LOL) with some bread this past week, and did NOT like how it made me feel mentally or physically, and also did NOT like what it did on the scale. I’m so glad to know I am not alone thinking this is just not a food group that works for me – rather than thinking things like “what is wrong with me?” I can’t even imagine having a Whole Foods nearby with the prepared foods I read about. I rarely go inside of the standard American grocery stores due to all the temptation! I am grateful for on-line ordering and parking lot pickup!

Drew – it sounds like you are doing well healing from your surgery! I appreciate your comments and thoughts about bread and its impact for you – I “interacted” (LOL) with some bread this past week and confirmed it doesn’t really work for me. Good to know I am not alone! Congrats on your progress and thank you for your insights!

*Waving* to all fellow T&A travelers who may check in later, or who are not able to check in this week. I value you this group so much! Wishing a happy and joyful holiday season to one and all! Here’s to a December we can all feel PROUD and DELIGHTED about! (thank you Mark – what an awesome goal!)
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Re: The Behavioral Path to MWL Success - December 2022 Group

Postby Noella » Sat Dec 03, 2022 1:58 pm

Happy December Mark, Jeff, Wildgoose and all participants on this Behavioural path to MWL Success forum,


1. Start each meal with soup and/or salad and/or fruit. :-D Yes...I can do this!
2. Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals. :-D Yes... I can balance starchy with non-starchy!
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 stop them. :-D Sugar: Yes...I can eliminate added processed sugar and syrups and honey; Yes, I can cook salt-free then use a reduced amount of salt at the table.
4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood). :-D Yes...I can say , "No thank you."
5. Eliminate all higher-fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). :-D Yes...I can do this.
6. Eliminate any added oil. :-D Yes...I can cook delicious meals without 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. :D Yes...I can say, "No thank you. "
8. Don’t drink calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages). :-D Yes...I can do this!
9. Follow these principles, eat whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself, and don't stuff yourself. :-D Yes...I can always eat enough to feel satisfied.
10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). :-D Yes...I'm doing gentle exercises that help my knees.
Mark Cooper wrote:The last month of 2022! Hi, everyone! Let's start off December with a pair of questions:
1. What feels like the biggest challenge or obstacle that you are facing or foresee for this month?

2. What is something you are feeling confident about or an area where you are especially efficacious (from a behavioral standpoint)?

Let's end this year in a way that leaves us feeling proud and delighted, shall we? :D

My answers:
#1 My biggest challenge continues to be the osteoarthritis in my knees. I want to be able to do more, physically, than my knees can currently do. I want to be able to jump, pivot and run but I can't do these things because of my knees. Last Saturday I injured both knees by running, squatting and jumping for some active games at my grandson's birthday party. It wasn't much, but it was too much for my fragile knees. After a few days of home treatment didn't help I decided to follow Mark's recommendation from a few months back that I could benefit from seeing a physiotherapist -- Thanks, Mark. I had my first appointment with a physiotherapist yesterday and he was optimistic, helpful and reassuring. so, I've started doing a set of daily exercises the physiotherapist prescribed to improve my knees. I also have an appointment with my family doctor on Monday and another appointment with the physiotherapist on Tuesday. I'm travelling on Wednesday, so I'm hoping my knees are somewhat happy by then.


#2 I'm feeling confident about following the MWL guidelines; I can do all of them quite well except #10

Quote I really like: “There are two things. First, keep it simple. This includes your food, recipes, meals and even exercise. It’s not about extremism with your health. It’s about a simple and common sense approach to good health.  Start where you are and begin to move forward.

 Second, be willing to put your health needs first and foremost. This is not selfish; it’s self-nurturing. You have to take care of yourself and that’s a very good thing.” Jeff Novick Nov. 4, 2016
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Reporting for December 2 Assessments is now CLOSED

Postby Mark Cooper » Sat Dec 03, 2022 2:03 pm

The window for reporting this week's behavioral results has officially closed.

My replies and the weekly summary will follow.
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Mark's Replies for December 2

Postby Mark Cooper » Sat Dec 03, 2022 2:41 pm

Rebecka22 - Feeling confident in your level of activity and intentional exercise, and knowing you can easily assemble simple, adherent, enjoyable meals are great strengths on which you can rely! Battling the craving for non adherent sweets is never easy, particularly at this time of year when the environment is brimming with temptation almost everywhere you look. Tackling things one decision at a time, and concentrating on making intentional choices congruent with your goals is a solid practice. With so much of the broader environment seemingly working counter to your aims, the more you can set things up for yourself to avoid relying on willpower alone, the easier success will be to attain and maintain. As you observed: you know you can do it, you know how to do it, and you have done it in the past. That doesn't mean it will be easy, but it does demonstrate achievability, right?

BambiS - Great! It seems like you are getting back into the groove of things, focusing on the recommended behaviors and fine-tuning plans and routines to support you efforts. Well done!

Ejg - Great to see you back this week, Eric! Despite some holiday-induced deviations, it sounds like you were able to navigate Thanksgiving without straying to far from the path. I'm sorry to hear you are beset with foot pain, that can't be fun. May you have an easy recovery. Focus on practicing the eating-related recommendations, with an eye toward fine-tuning your adherence, and I'm sure encouraging results will follow in due course. :)

VegSeekingFit - Awesome adherence, Stephanie! Sounds like you navigated that work holiday party like a pro! :thumbsup: If you have to be pestered about some aspect of that upcoming family gathering, at least it is about something where the stakes appear to be relatively low, right? ;-) Best of luck finding your way to Whoville!

Hjklost55 - WOW! Fantastic efforts, Holly!
Hjklost55 wrote: I am staying with a non vegan friend. She has non compliant food everywhere! I have been here 5 days!! And have NOT gotten into any of her foods!!! That is HUGE for me. I made a pot of soup and cooked a bag of potatoes when I got here! That has saved me! PLAN, PREPARE, PROFIT!!!
You are proving that it is possible, right? This time of year will almost inevitably present challenges and obstacles, and navigating those holiday events isn't likely to be easy, but success does seem attainable, no? PLAN, PREPARE, PROFIT - an excellent tool to apply! :nod:

Gimmelean - Even though a week might not be "perfect," I think it is important to acknowledge the many (nearly all) behaviors that stayed locked-in and on track; that is no small achievement in itself!
Gimmelean wrote:this week I added the grapes and baby carrots I brought in for myself to the box of donuts a colleague brought in for us and gave my donut to the tech guy who loved it. People don’t know how to react to me anyway and these actions made me feel much better than eating that donut, empowered that I actually didn’t, and made others feel better too.
Reading this brought a big smile to my face! :thumbsup:
Gimmelean wrote:Having “our” foods ready before hunger strikes makes all of the positive difference in making it through another successful day, week, month, year.
This is exactly right, and really can't be overstated. So important!

Drew*# - Making a very strong return to the recommended pattern of behavior! :D
Drew*# wrote:So to be satisfied instead of getting something with lots of protein and/or fat, I need to keep eating the MWL approved starches and this would not include breads, etc. This week I started doing that to satisfy any urge to eat. It really helped.
Exactly right. Carry on!

Lizzy_F - Congratulations on achieving and maintaining a healthy, stable weight! That is no small thing, right? I was all set to dive in on your question about "eating all the vegetables first," and then realized you answered it yourself! :lol:
Lizzy_F wrote: I’m going to experiment this week with plating up my typical meals differently. I will continue to start with soup/veg, but then rather than eating ALL my veg first, I will plate up my veg and starch at the same time and work on both of them. And see how my sensations of hunger/fullness are affected, if at all. Maybe I really am getting too full on super low calorie density stuff, leading to feeling stuffed after I eat my starch. I suspect in the end, I need a bit less of everything to be at a comfortable point in satiety? :idea: :!:
I think that experiment makes sense, particularly in relation to the discussion in this thread. :nod: Let us know how it goes.
Lizzy_F wrote:When I venture outside of the MWL guidelines, I am trying to really evaluate what is going on, and whether those deviations out onto the broader Starch Solution highway are worth it.
This seems sensible to me. Earlier this week, I was involved in a discussion somewhat related to this topic, and commented: "The folks who get to where they want to be through Adherence across a substantial period of time will almost inevitably have some pretty good insight into what can work for them. Through the process they come to "know themselves" and what will or won't work for them. Completely different from someone who gets short term results through some "hack" or modifications and suddenly believes they have it all figured out."From my perspective, you seem to be doing great, and I would expect that "Fear of Failure" will gradually fade with enough adherence across time. Confidence and a sense of self-efficacy are built over time by "showing" yourself that you can face, analyze, and eventually overcome obstacles and "proving" that challenging goals are attainable for you. May the members of your inner committee interact in a way that is peaceful and productive. Now - drill sergeant voice - NO EXCUSES! LOL :lol:

Noella - Kudos to you! Your confidence in being able to practice the recommended behaviors seems well-deserved and well-earned! :D Ongoing, persistent musculoskeletal pain can be a really daunting challenge to face, right? I very much identify and sympathize with the desire to "do more" than one's body can reasonably manage in a given moment. That can bring up strong feelings of loss or even mourning that aren't always easy to acknowledge. I'm SO happy to know that you are able to work with a physiotherapist and that he is optimistic about the process. Sorry you've been facing pain magnified by the recent injury - my thoughts are with you. Wishing for you to have "happier" knees in the days ahead, and for the best possible outcomes. :)
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