Stephanie's Journal - One Bite at a Time...

Share your daily McDougall menus and/or keep a journal describing your personal progress.

Moderators: JeffN, f1jim, carolve, Heather McDougall

Butterflies...

Postby VegSeekingFit » Thu Aug 18, 2022 8:49 pm

Hi,

Here are a few pictures of the butterflies... :)

Image These are awesome --- lots of different ones on the butterfly bush... There is a great Nathaniel Hawthorne quote sign here... "Happiness is a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may align upon you."

Image ... I made a butterfly friend!!! :D :-D OMG!!!! So, still looking for LOVE LOVE LOVE emoji....

Finally, what matters... love, fun, excellent times... OMG... Image ... Me and my son on the Carousel...

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: Stephanie's Journal - One Bite at a Time...

Postby bunsofaluminum » Fri Aug 19, 2022 9:57 am

Oh how wonderful! The butterfly garden. And time with your boy? Nice!
JUST DON'T EAT IT

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The rest is an industry looking to make a buck off my poor health
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Re: Stephanie's Journal - One Bite at a Time...

Postby squealcat » Fri Aug 19, 2022 5:40 pm

Love those butterflies !! Love those pictures Stephanie !

-Marilyn
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Re: Stephanie's Journal - One Bite at a Time...

Postby Trinity » Fri Aug 19, 2022 7:13 pm

Hahaha! That is awesome. If you have that much energy I might have to try MWL again! Do you drink any caffeine? Since I’ve switched from black coffee to tea with soy milk that would be my 1 cheat…
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Re: Stephanie's Journal - One Bite at a Time...

Postby VegSeekingFit » Fri Aug 19, 2022 9:20 pm

Hey, Thanks Heidi and Marilyn!!! :D :-D :)
Hey Trinity!! :) So, YES ... I am drinking 2 cups of black coffee in the morning... It is on "the list" to reconsider, but .... not going hellbent on getting rid of it yet... Still think plants are making me ridiculously energetic and crazy... :-D :)

Hey Journal,

Hoping to be able to complete this. My computer is about to explode (per my husband who knows more about these things than I do...)... He has ordered me a new one... So, anyway... if I am not posting this week --- don't worry, I haven't fallen into a vat of peanuts... :lol:

Here is today's breakfast...
Image
So, this is a bit of Cedar's oil free hummus with the veggies. It is bland to me --- so the red stuff is just smoked paprika. On the potatoes is a dried onion / parsley / other greenish herb thing...

Below is Behavioral assessment that I will post to the Time & Adherence Group.

Hi Team Time and Adherence! :)

1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
:) Yes. Still mostly salad / raw veggies - sometimes fruit. I am looking to maintain weight ... so have been targeting 2 of 3 meals preload (experimenting here...)... Guess 2 out of 3 Ain't Bad... (the irony here is that I have really started to love preload...) :)

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.
Eating a ton of potatoes, sloppy lentils, rice, whole wheat pasta, split pea soup. Lots of different veggies / fruits included.


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 in cooking or product; at table only). I am really happy to be confident that I don't have any issue with sugar (like I can limit it and am enjoying it without going cuckoo!!). I am including 1-1.5T maybe 50% of days in one dish only. I am not sure of calories to calculate 5% maximum; however, thinking that I am ok (BBQ sauce and California Balsamic Vinegar are the sugars that I include sometimes).

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

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

6 Eliminate any added oil.
:nod: 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.
:-D 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. No starving or stuffing.
I did have one meal this week where I ate a mind-blowing amount / volume of food (for me)... Hmmm... I don't think that I was stuffing (I really don't like to and I am not volume eater normally)... but it was a food that I was looking forward to... I have to THANK Mark Cooper again for posting his journal with pictures... helped me keep it in perspective and also talked to some folks that even eat more... No worries, was just bizarre...


10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Yes. :)
* 7/7 days walked briskly
I am giving myself extra credit this week - today walked over 3.5 hours... :eek: So, was off work and did 1.5 hour walk in early AM... Then, my son (going back to school) gets up at 11 and asks if I want to do favorite trail (about 7 miles)... So, yeah... why would I not want to??? Worked out fine... We saw deer, weasel ... and a ton of grasshoppers!!! I do this walking thing for mental health too...and I embrace opportunities to engage with people close to me... (so may rest day 1 this upcoming week...)


Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

Image This is what I packed for myself for outdoor outing. Knowing 100% that only compliant food is $5 water bottle... Worked out well !!! Ate outside area restaurant with my son -- and no pressure on which to restaurant to pick for him.... This is same place that I got my only #6 fail a couple of months ago...

Super excited to be celebrating 30 year anniversary with my husband this weekend!!! :-D We are going to go to PF Chang's... best choice --- and he wanted me to pick the restaurant (so, brown rice and steamed veggies will be what I eat)...

I hope that everyone has the best week ever!!!




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: Stephanie's Journal - One Bite at a Time...

Postby Lizzy_F » Sun Aug 21, 2022 4:10 pm

Hi Stephanie! OMG your pictures are fantastic! What a beautiful butterfly garden and that pic of you and your son is PRICELESS! You both look so happy and carefree. What a wonderful memory!

Always love your food pics!
Beth

"Long-term sustainable change is what we are really after." ~Jeff Novick
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Re: Stephanie's Journal - One Bite at a Time...

Postby Lizzy_F » Sun Aug 21, 2022 4:13 pm

And I forgot to add - thanks for your personal take on managing the fridge!
Beth

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Testing...1...2...3...

Postby VegSeekingFit » Wed Aug 24, 2022 7:47 pm

Hi to All, :D :-D :)

I now am having a new computer that my husband spent so much time to set up for me (and I still am not sure what to watch for on others ... except "bulging batteries:...") .... grateful that he can spot this and sets up my computer because I would be lost here)... Totally was happy with my prior computer...

Beth,
Thank you so much for your always kind comments!!! :) :-) I will be honest on this question on "bad" vs. "good" food in refrigerator... "My rules" were more based on NOT doing what both of my grandmas did with regard to mold... Just leaving it at that, but I was fairly horrified...

Image

So, have a ton of food pictures that I will post some of later, but not finding how to save them appropriately... Pretty sure that I can figure this out!! So wait for a ton of meal pictures!!! :lol:

Being really MWL compliant... looking/trying to slightly increase starch to maintain weight... Have been going to town on the potato fries!!! :lol: But, knowing that I super love the veggies now too... So, that is now working against that goal... as well as that I want to walk outside / hike as long as I can... But, feeling FANTASTIC!!!

Hoping that everyone has an awesome day!!! :D :-D :)

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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Picture Test

Postby VegSeekingFit » Wed Aug 24, 2022 7:52 pm

Hey,

Image

So, testing new pics... Here is a product that I can't tell if cute or silly or a utility!!! It is really cute / small banana...

I bought it because store I went to over weekend had really crappy regular bananas.... and I have been having a couple of these sliced in oatmeal....

Anyway, wouldn't recommend paying more... but they are decent...

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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Freaked Out...

Postby VegSeekingFit » Thu Aug 25, 2022 8:09 pm

Hi,

So, still not readily able to post phone pics... Boo... New operating system (less efficient!) - that I am trying to acclimate myself to.... Will get there... :)

Had thoughts and happiness that my anxiety was almost 100 % managed by following McD (via JeffN MWL Checklist)... I only can speak to this qualitatively... but was 1000% convinced... and, this was working fine for me... 100%... But I guess some things are different... Boo!!! (doesn't mean that I change what I do...)

Yikes, I am now Summoned to Jury Duty (at least not in super scary place)... So, this does make me anxious on several levels... Starting at ... I have been picked 3/3 times that I have gone through what I believe is called "Voir DIre"... and was ok 2/3 times, but had a really hard time (certainly not harder than the victim) seeing and hearing too much that was horrifying... I do believe that we should all do our civic duty... Just was on a HORRIBLE case that lasted for several days and had to pinch myself in the courtroom not to cry .... (and cried all the way home...)

Not really asking how not to get picked... perhaps I would be a great juror on a fraud trial... (but nobody would pick me for that)...

Anyway, I guess we just all try to do the best that we can do each and every day.... So, peace out... and eat veggies.... (please cross your fingers for me that I am NOT picked... :) )

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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Definition

Postby VegSeekingFit » Fri Aug 26, 2022 8:16 am

Hi,

So, saving this from Trinity's journal... Perhaps I should not have used the word verbiage (and now I look again at the definition and see that it is "the what" of the 10 Pt. MWL checklist, just not "the how" and it is my own "bad" that I need a list "DO THIS" and "DON'T DO THAT" to follow effectively)... (like just hit me over the head with it!!! :lol: )

Anyway, in looking at the thread that Jeff linked... I do understand ... Communication... I totally connect with this from below --- "I follow a healthy diet and lifestyle." Period.

YES!!! 100%... Like, this Get Along without Going Along approach is one thing that I have no troubles with!!! :)

Linked thread:

JeffN wrote:
Now, on occasion you may see me use one of the above terms here in this forums (though almost never vegan), as it is a simple way of using one word instead of 20 while communicating to someone I know who understands this. However, more often than not, I will respond to someone trying to learn this by saying, follow the recommended principles and guidelines.

This actually came up in the 10-Day program we just finished and we had a participant who kept asking what would be the best label.

After a few days I said, here it is, (which is really a compilation of my 5 principles)....

"I eat a diet that is based predominately on a variety of unprocessed and/or minimally processed fruits, vegetables, starchy vegetables, roots/tuber, intact whole grains and legumes that is lower in calorie density, fat and saturated fat and contains little to no added salt, sugar or oils and adapted to my unique personal situation."

Of course, that only describes the food and not the rest of the "lifestyle" factors that go along with it like not smoking, not drinking, getting adequate activity/exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, getting adequate rest/relaxation, adequate sleep and maintaining emotional poise and a positive outlook.

See the problem?

May years back, a client told me the way they answered the question which I thought was great. When asked the question he said, "there is no simple answer, but if you would really like to know, let's make some time in the next few days where we could sit down and spend an hour or so together, and I would be glad to discuss it with you."

He said, no one ever took him up on the offer. :)

When the first McDougall book came out, he called it a "health supporting" diet which I thought was great. Of course, it left out the rest of the lifestyle. And, today, everyone thinks their diet is health supporting.

If you were to ask me today, I would say, "I follow a healthy diet and lifestyle." Period.

It is just not a conversation I have, nor is it one I recommend others have.


Jeff



JeffN wrote:
VegSeekingFit wrote:
Hi,

Have to say Thank you, Jeff --- pretty phenomenal post!!! :D :cool: :-D

I am thinking that Trinity (sorry)! is doing exactly what is within the verbiage of following McD.... But clarification is so helpful for all of us following!!! :D :-D :)

I don't want to hijack Trinity journal page, but will just say the following:
1) I am happy that we are all different ... makes the world more enriched... (like let's not be all ticky tacky boxes that are all the same)
2) I am in ABSOLUTE awe of folks that can follow the verbiage where Jeff says what we should eat ... (seriously!!!) --- ok -- jealous even!!!
3) I am not person in 2)
4) Probably shocking to nobody, I am super happy to follow MWL 10 PT. Checklist... If you follow MWL Checklist for a few weeks, it becomes ingrained in your brain and if nothing else -- you become cognizant of changes to make....
5) In actuality, I would bet anyone that I could readily gain back 50 lbs. if I went with the verbiage... but, I would be super hard-pressed to do (or even a lesser amount with a bigger amount of food) that if following MWL checklist (so I keep following this)...

Hope that everyone has an excellent day (and sorry, Trinity that I posted this on your page...)...

Cheers,
Stephanie


Hi Stephanie.

There have been lots of discussions over the years in these forums on how to accurately describe this diet since WFPB doesn't do it, especially for when trying to communicate it to others. Some have said low fat, starch based, some have said, low fat whole food starch based, etc, etc. All of them fall short.

(Here is the discussion... https://www.drmcdougallforums.com/viewt ... 22&t=54877 )

Saying the McDougall Diet or the McDougall MWL or the McDougall MWL 10 point checklist doesn’t do it either as no one knows what that means but us.

My verbiage is just a way to describe the McDougall MWL diet and 10 point checklist that covers most all of it. :). Not that anyone ever has to use it or post it etc. Thats why we have the 10 point checklist

However, if someone is following the McDougall MWL 10 Point Checklist, then they are following my verbiage. :)

In Health
Jeff
"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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8/26 MWL Checklist

Postby VegSeekingFit » Fri Aug 26, 2022 8:55 am

Hi,

So, super happily off work today and Monday. Going to take as many long weekends as I can before the weather turns.

Doing ok with maintaining weight. :D

Hope everyone has an excellent weekend!


Below is Behavioral assessment that I will post to the Time & Adherence Group.

Hi Team Time and Adherence! :)

1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
:) Yes. Still going for 2/3 meals per day and eating veggies 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 dessert.
:) Yes.
Eating same things. Made quinoa in my rice cooker this week (first time) and it was delicious!!! :) Have eaten a clip of oatmeal with banana / berries for breakfast. Tons of potatoes... Sloppy lentils... rice...


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. Not finding a problem here with limiting usage...

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

5 Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
:-( Well, not my usual BOO here. I had tofu from PF Chang's with the steamed veggies and brown rice. Not worried about it because it is more of a "one-off" than anything that would repeat. Not in my house and I rarely eat out. I had it steamed / plain and it was certainly not triggering anything (or making me want to eat it again)...

6 Eliminate any added oil.
:nod: 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.
:-D 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. No starving or stuffing.
I have noticed that sometimes I am hungrier than usual and can eat a larger than normal volume. Thinking that this is just normal.


10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Yes. :)
* 7/7 days walked briskly
The weather has been great!!! I did get caught in a storm one time and my clothes are still drying out... :lol:


Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

Can't believe that this is our last August check-in! :eek: Where has summer gone???

Thinking of Mark Cooper's thoughts last week on setting goals / thinking of how to navigate the holidays. For me, mulling over the following (still to be prioritized and timing solidified): 1) Strength training, 2) Quit my black coffee habit, 3) Develop a low sodium / low sugar BBQ sauce (like in the sense of WildGoose's ketchup recipe). For the holidays, I will really just plan to follow MWL checklist - I didn't have issues last year with this approach. Will be interested to hear what other folks are planning.

Hope that everyone has a wonderful weekend!!!! :-D :) :-)

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: Stephanie's Journal - One Bite at a Time...

Postby VegSeekingFit » Sat Aug 27, 2022 5:31 pm

Hi,

So just want to post one thing... :D :-D :)

Yeah, no food pics... still trying to figure this out (more new Operating System than new computer that is working against me)...

I am super grateful to have met 100% amazing people in doing this McD thing (OMG, thank you, people!).... I won't expound on this... BUT... JeffN helped me a ton (and was super kind and helpful)... and Mark Cooper must be the most patient person in the universe... WildGoose.. I can relate to (and I love colorful posts!!!) ... All of the folks that post to the MWL / Time & Adherence Thread... Pulling for each and every one... and folks that I have met from 12 Day inspire me all of the time!!!:D :-D :)

OMG, people in real life... AMAZING!!! Have not met a person that I can't get along with (from McD... yes, there are a small few IRL that it is hard for me to do so...)!!! And I am inspired!!! McD diet attracts awesome folks!! Seriously!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

I posted "Freaked Out" topic... and yes, best believe that I do have a bit of this... BOO!!! However, I have to say... I never would have considered myself "depressed" and had no such clinical diagnosis... BUT !!!! OMG ... Finding that it is what JeffN MWL checklist enables presence vs. absence of things... I have a presence of HAPPINESS!!! Had the best time today at nephew's / to be niece's bridal shower. Genuinely!!! I have almost an electric smile (a lot of the time)... and I have no vanity here... (self-esteem, yes)... but I am AVERAGE person with no need / desire for vanity...

I do find 2 things... 1) Will totally follow JeffN 10 Point MWL Checklist because you can't buy happiness (but it is worth a lot)!!! But it is a GREAT thing to feel and 2) I do "fall short" sometimes on this "emotional poise" thing that is in lifestyle factors to do... I think I am mostly ok --- but I do have some reactionary tendencies... I am not sure what to do here... thinking maybe like this "take a breath"... which I have to think about ... I am not sure what we can do about our own histories... (like with jury duty.... I am victim of a few documented crimes, so a bit PTSD... and I can't be happy about that, but I CAN STOP conjuring up worst case scenarios in my mind...)

Anyway, wishing everyone well!!! Will be trying to post my 100K meals... :)

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: Stephanie's Journal - One Bite at a Time...

Postby Lizzy_F » Mon Aug 29, 2022 9:55 am

Hi Stephanie!!!

I'm not sure how I missed it previously (not good at speed reading!!!) but Happy Anniversary!! So these wishes are so late!

I'm glad that your jury duty is at least not in a scary place. However it all works out, I hope it ends up not being a stressful situation for you. It sounds like you were on one trial that was really emotionally draining - I can't imagine how hard that must have been.

You are just rocking this program and I love trying to follow in your footsteps! One of the important things I am learning from you is that we can ALWAYS find a way to eat on plan (with NO excuse for "giving up" if somehow we aren't "perfect"). I am looking forward to your future BBQ sauce recipe, no matter whether sooner or later!!

Sounds like you took the day off today. If I got that right, then YAY FOR YOU and I hope you are enjoying the day!!
Beth

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Re: Stephanie's Journal - One Bite at a Time...

Postby Ruff » Mon Aug 29, 2022 12:44 pm

Hi Stephanie, I am having a catch up with the journals morning after being away so long, and finding I can't do it. So following the start where you are and go forward from there philosophy ....I am going to say Happy Anniversary, and beautiful butter flies. And then move forward. Let me know if I have missed anything important.
Katie

My testimonial. viewtopic.php?f=13&t=38433
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