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Toad's Food Journal

PostPosted: Wed Jun 30, 2021 12:02 pm
by toad
Background about me:
I like how the Mc Dougall diet can be done cheaply. I Live on small Fixed income, basically need to live cheaply off staples. Love to follow a "fancier" diet like "how not to diet" or "eat to live" but really can't afford organic fresh produce all the time. I have avoided doing this lifestyle, because it seems bland, but I can't afford fancy vegan products, or much, so giving it a try.

Another reason, I'm trying Mc Dougall diet, is I am obese, things are popping up at my middle age, been obese 25 years, now I have health issues showing up, like a bone spur, sciatic nerve pain, I know my heavy weight makes these things worse, so need to lose weight for health reasons, vanity aside.

I'm posting here in this forum because I am hoping it will hold me accountable and could use some support, comments or any advice.

I shop in the produce section at the 99 cent store and sometimes go to Wal-Mart, other grocery stores in my area are like twice as much for some reason.

CW:265?
GW:120-130
5,6
Female/middle aged

Re: Toad's Food Journal

PostPosted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 8:49 am
by deweyswakms
Welcome to the McDougall way of eating! it is sane, safe and healthy. Just STARTING is excellent.

You might want to join the MWL group for July; it's an excellent way to commit to the guidelines on how to work this program. And do expect some ups and downs as you learn how to settle into this way of eating. Do you have a good cookbook? I really like the McDougall Quick & Easy cookbook because Q&E is key to my success; you might find it at your library. I batch cook 2 or 3 things, and freeze individual portions too.

I hear you on the cost of quality food. Prices going up. Potatoes, rice, beans, lentils, oatmeal are still cheap though; I shop at my chain's bulk food section for them. I do buy bags of salad mixes because I'm too lazy to prep/fix big salads.
And my GI tract needs fruit (prior surgery), so I do splurge on those. In the winter I get bags of frozen fruits too.

Good luck for choosing YOUR health. You can do it.

Marsha

Re: Toad's Food Journal

PostPosted: Sun Dec 12, 2021 7:38 pm
by toad
Day 1

Trying to beat my 3 day streak, and make it at least a week without going off to store and getting junk foods.

When I get stressed, I drive to get junk foods. My temporary roommate doesn't have much food around, she is leaving end of month, then the house is all mine. Makes it easier to control the foods I see around me.

I had 3 bananas throughout day, big bowl of potatoes, broccoli and unsweetened soymilk, soy sauce, I used a little to make potatoes creamy. The only thing off diet, was morning coffee with coffee matte creamer, which I poured down sink, so i can't have it again.

Now is my rough time, 6-10pm, when I have a habit of driving down the street to the gas station to get snacks. I tend to do that when I get stressed, and care less about what I eat.

Re: Toad's Food Journal

PostPosted: Mon Dec 13, 2021 7:26 am
by bunsofaluminum
Hey Toad,

You can do this! When I started, I found several cookbooks at the library of vegan/vegetarian cuisines. Most notably, Indian food. That stuff is NOT bland. There's plenty of Mexican recipes as well that are compatible, and it's pretty easy to McDougallize any recipe. Just omit the oils and animal products.

There are some absolutely wonderful recipes here on this site, but I also recommend the Engine 2 cookbook. Rip Esselstyne is a firefighter who noticed that the vast majority of their calls weren't for fires, they were for strokes, heart attacks, and other calamities brought on by lifestyle choices. He created a cookbook that is kind of transitional. There are ZERO added fats, but he does have some nut based sauces, etc that might possibly make it easier to move from the SAD that you're trapped in, to the healthy foods we enjoy in the whole foods, plant based world. That cookbook is in the library, too.

In the Starch Solution, I found Thai Curried Rice to be my favorite recipe. Also love Mushroom Barley Soup. Easy to make big batches, VERY flavorful and luscious, satisfying. If you make a big batch of a recipe that you love to eat, then when that urge strikes to drive down to the C-store for junk, you can just heat up a serving of it. Or, if you don't have anything made, a bowl of oatmeal is a yummy evening snack. With frozen berries? Oh yah!

Stick around. You're right about lifelong obesity taking its toll on the old joints as you age. I am testimony to that fact, because that is my story too and I'm coming BACK after straying :\ Make this forum your go-to and keep writing here. Follow the plan. Seriously, it doesn't get better if you stay fat AFTER middle age ;)

Re: Toad's Food Journal

PostPosted: Fri May 20, 2022 1:55 pm
by toad
Ugh...back again. Need a place to keep accountable..My work load was intense and I went off eating junk. But now have less stress and can focus.
Day 1 (again)

Today having 2 apples
boiled potatoes, broccoli and onions with a veggie broth and spices.

I'm still stuck around 255 lb.

But it's not so much about looking thin as I need to focus more on health at this point in life.

Going to sign up at gym today and see if I can do my first workout.

Re: Toad's Food Journal

PostPosted: Sat May 21, 2022 8:36 am
by Ejeff
One of the recommendations when you get the urge to eat junk food in the evening either due to stress or boredom is to have a short list of allowable snacks you enjoy. Oatmeal with fruit or baked fries as an example. Perhaps if you had a rule that you cannot leave the house to grab junk food it would be easier.

You can do this, just ALWAYS have some oats or potatoes or your favourite starches ready in the fridge. :)

Erin

Re: Toad's Food Journal

PostPosted: Thu Jul 14, 2022 7:13 pm
by toad
Starting over, after I was away on a trip and had little control of eating what I wanted. Trying to stick to this lifestyle and make it past 3 or 4 day mark when I usually divert and eat junk. I don't have any junk in my house, but when I break I go get gas station junk food. Going to sign up for the gym since it's free with my insurance and try that daily.

Today I am having a lot of potatoes, with a little unsweetened soy milk to make it mashed and creamy.

Going to have a strawberry smoothie later tonight with some unsweetened soy milk watered down.

Need to get some groceries that is why I don't have veggies in my day today.

Re: Toad's Food Journal

PostPosted: Fri Jul 15, 2022 1:12 am
by Ruff
Hello Toad, welcome home. :D We are so glad to see you back again. Hang on in there, and try and post every day at first, even the less than perfect days. Particularly the less than perfect days.

Re: Toad's Food Journal

PostPosted: Fri Jul 15, 2022 3:15 pm
by toad
Ruff wrote:Hello Toad, welcome home. :D We are so glad to see you back again. Hang on in there, and try and post every day at first, even the less than perfect days. Particularly the less than perfect days.

Thanks for the welcome. Today I had some toasted frozen hashbrowvs zero fat, might have a smoothie again later.

Re: Toad's Food Journal

PostPosted: Fri Jul 15, 2022 7:29 pm
by toad
had a very large strawberry smoothie and signed up at the gym.

Re: Toad's Food Journal

PostPosted: Sat Jul 23, 2022 8:53 am
by deweyswakms
Hi Toad,

Welcome back to the healthy way of eating. It takes time to find your food routine. I highly recommend you look at the MWL 10 point checklist and structure your eating around them. I buy lots of frozen veggies at my local store (Winco in my NW area), bulk, cheaper. Same for frozen fruits.

And I highly recommend Jeff Novick's 'fast food' recipes; you can find them somewhere on this site, but if not here are the basics; add all to a skillet and cook on medium heat:
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of mild seasoned tomatoes (skip if you want, I just like a little heat)
frozen veggies of some kind: I like frozen corn but could be whatever you like
I always add some dark leafy green to mine (spinach at the end to steam, or a leaf or two of chopped collard greens)
dash or two of pepper, maybe red pepper flakes, maybe smoked paprika
Let simmer so the flavors develop.
Serve over a starch - potatoes, I like basmati rice, whole wheat pasta too.
Good luck! Mrha

Re: Toad's Food Journal

PostPosted: Sun Sep 25, 2022 9:52 pm
by toad
Had sweet potatoes and watermelon, giving this another go, I keep returning, hoping to save money too eating this way.

Re: Toad's Food Journal

PostPosted: Sun Oct 02, 2022 9:03 pm
by Starchyme
I haven't read the full thread yet so this may have been mentioned. Have you checked out Jeff Novick's SNAP recipes. I think that's what he calls it. Just a few ingredients and easy to fix.

Re: Toad's Food Journal

PostPosted: Mon Oct 03, 2022 4:35 pm
by bunsofaluminum
Toad? Is it the original Toad LTNS if so!

or a new one? WELCOME!

Re: Toad's Food Journal

PostPosted: Sun Oct 09, 2022 8:36 am
by Anna Green
Hi. I'm the queen of the trying over again so I feel you. :-D My cheap food comes from Sav A lot, Salvage grocery places, what's on sale, frozen and bulk. I've actually gotten a ton of organic greens before at a salvage grocery place that were fairly fresh. It's a hit or miss kind of thing. Someone suggested too that at the end of the day at a farmer's market sometimes they'll sell stuff cheap. I was given some free seeds and am growing arugula and herbs in containers. I sprout too in jars. I make my own plant milks sometimes for pennies. I get bulk seeds, beans and grains at Azure Standard because they have a truck that drops in New Orleans. The delivery cost is cheap compared to shipping. I can get the stuff for drastically lower than my grocery and it's often organic though not all the time. They don't seem to have a mandatory spending so if I want to just get one or two things I can. I don't do all organic because of cost but also I don't think for many foods it's worth it...the pesticides are much lower.

Don't know if that's helpful. Just wanted you to know I'm trying to eat low cost as well. I fail sometimes but then I get back to it.