Artista’s Journal

[AlicefromBelgium]

Thanks a lot Artista.

I hope I can eliminate binging from my life. But it is sure hard work.

[Artista]

Thanks a lot Artista.

I hope I can eliminate binging from my life. But it is sure hard work.

It is hard work, I believe you. I have a history of a binging too. It's gotten much better since I've given up certain foods, especially sugar, refined flour, and processed foods, but sometimes I still struggle with it. Wishing you all the best.

[Artista]

What I ate today:

Breakfast
cantaloupe, arugula, hot cereal (buckwheat, steel-cut oats, millet), blueberries, green tea

Mid-morning
slice of cantaloupe, 1/2 potato

Lunch
raw veg, steamed vegetables, sweet potato

Afternoon
apple

Dinner
raw vegetables, salad, potatoes, chickpea hummus (no oil or salt)
strawberries

Exercise: 30 minutes jogging on mini-trampoline

MWL 10-point checklist
10 out of 10.

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Artista!!

I LOVE your journal and also the JeffN quote that you shared...

You are dong great!! Keep going!!!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Artista]

Thank you so much, Stephanie! That’s so nice of you to stop by and leave an encouraging message. I love the goal in your signature, “To sustain this program as a way of life for the long-term”. That’s my goal too. So glad to have you and others on this journey with me.

[Artista]

What I ate today:

Breakfast
cantaloupe, arugula, rolled oats & buckwheat groats, blueberries, green tea

Lunch
apple, salad, steamed vegetables, potatoes, chickpeas

banana

Dinner
raw vegetables, steamed vegetables, sweet potato

Exercise: 30 minutes yoga

MWL 10-point checklist
10 out of 10.

Comments: All in all it was a good day today. Yesterday was hard for some reason. I really wanted to overeat and eat Pleasure Trap food. I didn’t, though, mostly because it isn’t around and not because of any great show of willpower on my part. Today has been better. I did some grocery shopping this morning and stocked up on potatoes, Japanese sweet potatoes, oat groats, and some fruit and vegetables but most of my vegetables I get at the Farmers Market which is tomorrow morning. In the afternoon I painted. I have a critique class tomorrow and I'm hoping to have something to post for the critique.

[Artista]

Hello all my starchy fellows out there!

Here's what I ate today:

Breakfast
cantaloupe, arugula, oat groats, blueberries, strawberries, green tea

Lunch
arugula, tomato, green onions, chickpeas, potatoes

Snack
grapes, apple

Dinner
raw vegetables, steamed vegetables, potatoes, chickpeas

No exercise

MWL 10-point checklist:
8 out of 10 — I didn’t preload at lunch and didn’t exercise.

I went to the Farmers Market this morning and came home with a bunch of fresh produce. My little refrigerator is stuffed. Then I had a critique class that meets mid-morning to early afternoon. I ducked out of there early to go to a portrait painting group. It’s a very enjoyable but intense 3 hours of painting portraits from a live model. I usually feel pretty wiped out when I’m done. So between being unusually busy today and being drained when I got home, I didn’t do any exercise. Also, I didn’t have much time to eat lunch when transitioning from one thing to another and being in a hurry I forgot to preload. It was a very fun day, all things I love to do, but my 10 point compliance suffered a bit. I did make lunch ahead of time so it was all ready to go which was a good move. Tomorrow will be more of a normal day. Wishing everyone sane and happy eating!

[Artista]

What I ate today:

Breakfast
cantaloupe, arugula, orange, oat groats, blueberries

Lunch
apple, salad, steamed vegetables, potato

Snack
grapes, banana

Dinner
raw vegetables, sautéed mushrooms, onion, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, pinto beans,
sweet potato

30 minutes brisk walking & jogging on mini-trampoline

MWL 10-point checklist
10 out of 10

Comments: I've been feeling fat lately. I haven’t had the courage to weigh myself since I weighed on May 28th, not quite two weeks ago. I’m not sure how often I should weigh. If I’m gaining weight, though, it might be better to know about it sooner rather than later.

[Artista]

What I ate today:

Breakfast: cantaloupe, oat groats, blueberries, arugula

Snack: green beans

Lunch: raw vegetables, steamed vegetables, sweet potato, sautéed mushrooms, onion, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, pinto beans

Snack: apple

Dinner (not very hungry): raw vegetables, chickpeas

Exercise: 43 minutes brisk walking, 17 minutes strengthening exercises

MWL 10-point checklist
10 out of 10

I weighed myself this morning and my weight was up .4 lbs from the last time I weighed. That was worrying at first but I decided to just stick with the program and keep my eye on the big picture, not the little ups and downs along the way. I’m still more than 2 lbs below my weight when I started MWL in mid-May. I entered what I ate today in Cronometer just to make sure I wasn't eating too much and I’m not. I need to keep the weight from being the central issue and make time and adherence my focus. I know that if I do that, I’ll eventually arrive at my ideal weight.

[deweyswakms]

I love the Wabi Sabi concept; we are so hard on ourselves sometimes for not being 'perfect".

Your journal is good. I return to mine from time to time for accountability. Food is a massive (& legal!) comfort drug, so it takes time to choose healthy foods that nurture our body. I have certainly taken my time! Plus we are in essence swimming upstream from main stream thinking about 'food'. Gotta train for it.

And actually, I find this WOE so very tasty that I wonder why I would choose anything else. I love fast, easy, simple foods and Jeff N's 'fast food' meals are perfect for me.

You can do it; you are doing it now!

Marsha

[Artista]

I love the Wabi Sabi concept; we are so hard on ourselves sometimes for not being 'perfect".

Your journal is good. I return to mine from time to time for accountability. Food is a massive (& legal!) comfort drug, so it takes time to choose healthy foods that nurture our body. I have certainly taken my time! Plus we are in essence swimming upstream from main stream thinking about 'food'. Gotta train for it.

And actually, I find this WOE so very tasty that I wonder why I would choose anything else. I love fast, easy, simple foods and Jeff N's 'fast food' meals are perfect for me.

You can do it; you are doing it now!

Marsha

Hi Marsha,
Thanks so much for your encouraging words. I looked at your journal and you have been doing this for awhile now, and lost so much weight too. That is so impressive. I really appreciate seeing people who can stay with this way of eating for the long term. I have done it for maybe a month or two in the past but wasn’t able to stay with it longer than that. I’m hoping participating in the MWL group and keeping a journal will help me stay the course. It’s so true about food being a comfort drug and that it’s all around us. It has definitely had me many a time. Part of my problem has been being swayed by other WFPB folks online who recommend or share recipes for more calorie dense food and I think I can do that too. But I eventually overeat that food if I have it around for very long. I have several of Jeff’s fast food DVD’s. It was eye-opening to see how easily and quickly a meal can be thrown together.

[Artista]

What I ate today:

Breakfast: cantaloupe, oat groats, blueberries, arugula
Snack: apple
Lunch: raw & steamed vegetables, 1/2 sweet potato, beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, onion, garlic, peppers
Dinner: grapes, apricot, steamed vegetables, bean-mushroom thing leftover from lunch, potato

Exercise: 40 minutes of mixed exercises

MWL 10-point checklist: 10 out of 10

It was a quiet day today, I did some chores and painted a bit. It's getting so hot here that most of the laundry dried on the line in about an hour. Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler and might even rain a little. It's been so dry, a little rain would be welcome. Food went well today. I have fewer days when I'm feeling like I'm fighting to stay in the game. And that feeling like I'm gaining weight has gone. I felt well today and had a lot of energy. I like the food I'm eating and those times of wishing I could eat other food are becoming more of a memory than an everyday reality.

[squealcat]

Thank you for your comment on my journal page. I have come to the conclusion that I am drawn (and maybe addicted ) to checking up on other pages that support plant-based /weight loss goals. The latest was Brightline Eating and in the past was Dr Fuhrman's plan. I always return to Dr McDougall's way and I need to stick to it and make it a habit /routine. Your support is SO welcome! I really do think I need to stay away from sugar and flour. I don't think salt is really an issue as I am able to use just a small amount and I am satisfied and don't need more. Sugar and bread, on the other hand.....once I start, I cannot stop.

We don't have a lot of snacks in our house as my husband is (what my mom and I used to call ) a "civilian" who can eat just a bite of cake or a cookie and throw away the rest . He doesn't really care about those things . We don't have either in our house. The few things we do have I try to hide so I don't see them very easily unless I search. I will binge on them though and lately that has been my difficulty.

So, for this month I will work on not bingeing, staying away from sugar and flour and stick to the 10 MWL points. Please get back to me time to time with your encouraging words and I will do the same for you.

-squealcat

[Artista]

What I ate today:

Breakfast
cantaloupe, oat groats, strawberries

Snack
banana, grapes

Lunch
raw vegetables, steamed vegetables, 1/2 sweet potato, pinto beans

Dinner
grapes, apricot, salad, pinto beans, 1/2 sweet potato, roasted bell peppers

30 minutes brisk walking, 15-20 minutes slow walking

MWL 10-point checklist: 10/10

I walk with a friend on Sunday mornings and I have to remember to walk slowly with her because she has arthritis in her knees and a problem with one of her heels. When I see people around me who are my age and suffering from arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and obesity I'm so grateful to be in good health and to be able to move without pain. When I gave up animal products, I noticed a difference in how I felt. The joint pain I had been experiencing went away. That was a little over 5 years ago. Most of the time since then has been in WFPB eating. I knew about Dr. McDougall from the very beginning but I would get swayed this way and that by other WFPB voices out there. Most of the variation has been around how much higher fat plant foods to eat, but there were occasional journeys in to the world of gluten-free vegan baking including oil and sugar, which always led to overeating, gaining weight, and feeling less well. Those were the low points in the last 5 years. I'm hoping those days are forever behind me.

[Artista]

What I ate today:

breakfast
cantaloupe, oat groats, strawberries, blueberries

mid-morning
plum, pinto beans, 1/2 sweet potato, cauliflower

Lunch
raw snow peas, steamed green beans & Brussels sprouts, black-eyed peas

afternoon
rolled oats, 2 apricots, blueberries

dinner: I haven’t eaten dinner yet but if I do, it will probably be a potato, vegetables, and salad.

exercise: 30 minutes brisk walking, 10 minutes strength exercise

MWL 10-point checklist: 10 out of 10

Eating was really wonky today. I was really hungry today for some reason and ended up eating more often than usual, but I don't feel like I overate. I love that about this way of eating, if I'm hungry I can fill up on starches, vegetables, and fruit. It's perfect.