Hi,
Here are my thoughts on food / exercise / following the program for the week...
Changing format a bit... Sorry, sure I am still a bit long and rambly... (something else to work on...)
Food:
Exciting (to me only!!) grocery shop to report:
Nothing of note... shopped the produce aisle (have plenty of starch) and the frozen fruit and veggies... I had a ton from prior week and didn't have too much to buy - was mainly salad veggies and frozen potatoes / fruit...
With the holiday and with my son home ( through Sunday), my "regular" routine / cadence was not the same. I had a pretty full refrigerator / freezer ... with cut up produce and lots of leftover soup / chili.
Learning --- going with get folks to eat more good stuff -- finding their preferred recommended foods and cutting / prepping / buying more accordingly. Good thing... that I do feel good about!
Food prep:
* I had a full fridge on Friday (not usual). I had to work this week (boo!).... but did have time to prep. Not on my regular schedule here.
* Cut up veggies - Yes - done for carrots, bought some new onions and cut them a gazillion times. Also, new tomatoes and persian cukes. Buy and cut broccoli (small cut) - I eat some and is something share-able...
* Cut up fruit (melon!) - Yes - DONE!
* Soup - Made Creamy Beany recipe and finished all of the other left-overs.
* Make rice - Yes, I do this 2-3X per week in rice cooker. I eat some - my husband is bigger rice eater ...
* Make cabbage salad - Yes. A new love for me.
* Roast veggies - Many times. Mainly zucchini / bell pepper / mushroom / broccoli. Usually throw this (cold) on my salad.
* Make potatoes roasted - Yes. Did red / yukon with different herbs. Loved the smoked paprika / rosemary / garlic powder. Also did purple (with white flesh) sweet potatoes from TJ's (not sure what they were called) with pumpkin pie spice - super delicious - almost like a MWL dessert.
Any New Recipes Made:
* Wanting to make Chu Corn Soup recipe that Tiffany shared with me. Will add some colorful veggies. Sounds super simple - right up my alley!!
I did not --- but intend to try!!!
* So, no recipe here... Just an observation that I have ramped up salad portion. I am not measuring / weighing / counting calories. However, I am using a 5 cup bowl to start salads (not always getting to 5....). Lazy girl salad = start to fill up bowl with greens, add shredded carrots and red onions. Cut up Persian cuke+ kumato or smaller tomatoes. Add some cold (from fridge) roasted veggies. Dressing usually is Rice vinegar (no salt, no added sugar) + dried chives or parsley + other herbs / seasonings) . I eat this sometimes in 1 sitting - but else in 2 ( I just go with how hungry I am at breakfast and / or how much time to eat salad). Sometimes, I bring remainder to lunch or dinner - depends on hunger / time. I super like this. Not a eat X amount of veggies person (and will never be, nor does this program seem to require that). This salad thing though, I can take forward (like to eat it )...
Exercise:
* Walking - make sure to get in the 30 minutes minimum each day of exercise - am super loving the outside walks; helps me feel better mentally -- perhaps even more than physically .... have signed up for 15K which is friendly to walkers next November - have several months to find buddie(s) to join... keeps me focused on longer term item... have to perhaps push the pace to 4 mph (which I think I fall a bit short of right now at maybe 3.75 / back of envelope estimate, I am not measuring this either!) - finishers times for this year show some went up to about 19 min / mile, but would want to comply with expectations
* Progress the new treadmill to do's - yep... I have written before about some roadblocks here -- but it is ok even if it is without... I found a step (!) and have a jump rope (although this jump rope may be a bit scary... )
* Exercise inside when needed - Leslie Sansone walking stuff, Youtube workout, or jump rope -- have also favorited some indoor routines to do when it is not feasible to walk outside...
* Have found additional resources that I haven't used adequately - work gym / teleclasses -- will participate in at least 4 for December - stretch, strength, yoga... Maybe good .... do not know w/o trying. I do tend to like not doing this by myself!!!
* Balance - have implemented each day - focusing on symmetry ... have challenge with my 2X rebuilt patellar... but doing well!!
* I like racquet sports more than anything. Recreational - but exercise. Have found a drop in opportunity for Pickle Ball that is weekly for the new year (and inexpensive). Challenge is that I have never played this...
But, I have read the rules / not really sure that I am intimidated by that. I am fairly fierce at tennis, badminton, table tennis. Stink highly at racquetball (geometry challenged and have bruises...). So, results remain to be seen. I tried to find a learning program, but nope... So, I think I will just show up and see how it goes...
Expected Challenges:
* Had purchased peanut butter for my son (big must have for him and is the natural one that I have to watch or it will go in my mouth!!).... So, no issues - glad that he is active as he must have seen my (poor) role modeling on a serving size... so, mostly decimated the PB.... I was mindful and didn't touch this. Threw away a very teeny portion when he left.
* New - when son is home, need to make sure if we are all playing games and others are having snacks to put out something that is MWL compliant for self (this was last week's pretzel fiasco)... I have found that roasting potatoes - either chubby chips or oven fries -- with different seasonings is eaten by all... Or, could do veg / hummus or fruit. This may violate the eat when hungry rule for me... but would be better to have compliant, I think... (or I just need to be more mindful...)
* New - potential go back to office (hybrid) coming up... will have to evaluate what needs to be adjusted for the likely 2 days I may have to do this / week (thinking I won't be able to eat large salad for breakfast because it takes too much time, is low hanging fruit... portability will be key -- as well as maximum satiety so that I can stay easily on track...) Before, I used pasta with veggies, split pea soup, potatoes, for lunch. Can definitely do this again - just need to be mindful that there will be some changes on those days (whatever they may be --- we are not yet sure!!)....
Support:
* Have joined November Alumni calls that have been set up independently by participant. Have met some amazing people - and I am so glad to have had this experience - underrated! I can't articulate enough how helpful and wonderful this experience has been.
* Have joined McD Alumni calls. This is interesting group to learn from. They are reading Starch Solution and the Esther L. book. I think all folks that join are quite serious about keeping on -- and I am as well -- so great group to learn / listen / participate with.
* Have a super nice / helpful McD support specialist!!
She is a keeper... (Tiffany!!)
* There are 2X month McD calls (with Dr. J McD and Mary and Heather) - I have these on calendar and will join as many as I can; time slot is a bit more challenging with work.
* Can contact others on McD team if more support needed...
* Will continue to participate on MWL thread, as long as they will have me
(Mark, Jeff, Wildgoose!!)
* Have signed up for a "De-stress for the holidays" session with my work gym. We shall see how good it is - certainly can't hurt.
* Shoot, I guess I also signed up for an "Avoid Burn-out" session... Maybe between the two of these - I will be quite chill...
* Can attend another 12 day class if more support needed... (many do... ) -- I think that I know what I need to do --- sometimes it may be the keeping mindful and seeing other folks doing same that will be helpful.
Other:
* Have been starting a decluttering mission at home.
* Have been trying to spend larger time of work day doing things that I more value - working with others / helping them problem solve, training, was selected as Ambassador for Women's global leadership program. So far, so good!!
* My biometrics / numbers are good / or optimal. I am not chasing anything. I will re-test in 6 months to a year (or even up to 5 as was recommended 1-5... but I am probably more thinking about 1...).
* I am not chasing weight either. I want to find a weight that I can manage. If it is my current weight, that will be ok. I feel great and that is what I am chasing!!
Time will tell... I know when I was at weight that I would personally target for goal, I spent a good clip more time walking. Winter not the best time to expand duration of outside exercise in my cold area (and outside exercise would be my preference). I could run / jog, but probably not a great idea for me... Boo!!! I am pretty ok right now with my veg / starch ratio -- so not looking to make this less calorie dense (like what I eat and eat what I like). I still need to work on not bad evening snacking on salty / crunchy / fatty stuff... TBD...
I blissfully went through my first 3 decades or so without worrying about weight (and was able to eat peanut butter on toast every day)... I was active at a level that I don't think I will replicate (nor would it necessarily be healthy to replicate).
Below is WIP for next week's MWL Behavioral assessment / weigh in. I will adjust as week progresses.
Hi Everyone!
I so appreciate all of you for sharing your travels in following the MWL checklist. Always so many things to relate to!!!
Also, much appreciation to Mark, Jeff, and Wildgoose for consistent great advice!!! I always read all of Mark's comments -- there are usually questions / suggestions / thread links posted for a fellow member that are beneficial.
Weight change - .2 lbs. (gain...)
Current weight - 127.4 lbs.
Last Week weight - 127.2 lbs.
1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Yes. At least breakfast & lunch. Not always dinner. This is per my usual pattern and is a future opportunity for improvement. 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. Trying to keep this 100; one miss at dinner. Again, per my usual patter that is future opportunity.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, of course. 5 Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
Yes. 6 Eliminate any added oil.
Yes! I do not add oil and only have this if eating out (which I hardly ever do).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).
Yes9 Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.
Yes. I continue to focus on hunger and am not stuffing and not starving. 10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Yes. I walked outside 6/7 days - generally 45-70 minutes - doing this at lunch when the temperature is usually warmest. Had a couple of unseasonably warm days that were GREATLY appreciated!! Also, have added balancing activity on most days. Will be moving on to strength & stretch on consistent basis. Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
Victory - one more week of adherence to the checklist..
Comments -
For month of December, planning to focus on the following:
1) Keep on with the MWL Checklist (like other fellow members have stated -- including unwritten rule 11 - keep it simple)
2) Focus on mindfulness vs. reflexive behavior (so, in all honesty when I fail on #7, the pretzels didn't just jump into my mouth....)
3) Connect, engage - the season should be fun and not focus on food. Enjoy opportunities to spend time with family and friends.
Wishing all a wonderful MWL week!!!
Cheers,
Stephanie