Starflower’s Journey to Health

[Starflower]

10-POINT CHECKLIST FOR MAXIMUM WEIGHT LOSS (MWL)

Friday 7/21:

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 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

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). YES

10-POINT CHECKLIST FOR MAXIMUM WEIGHT LOSS (MWL)

Saturday 7/22:

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 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

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). NO - The caloric drink was Gatorade when I became dehydrated during a round of miniature golf. It was hotter and sunnier than expected today.

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

I forgot to post last night. Today was way over the 30 minutes exercise, about an hour total. I’m having trouble staying away from compliant condiments that don’t agree with me. This week I need to find alternatives.

Posted by Mark in the MWL thread:

https://www.drmcdougallforums.com/viewt ... 30#p634823

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Starflower!

Look at all of your "yes'es"!! YAY!!!

Good luck finding some alternative condiments! Not sure what you are looking for --- I like to make pico de gallo in the pull chopper and put that and hot sauce on lots of stuff. Also, I have doctored up NSA strained tomatoes or tomato sauce with chili powder and maybe hot sauce too. I know that there is a ketchup recipe and BBQ that folks like.

Hope you have an awesome week!

Best,
Stephanie

[Starflower]

Hi Starflower!

Look at all of your "yes'es"!! YAY!!!

Good luck finding some alternative condiments! Not sure what you are looking for --- I like to make pico de gallo in the pull chopper and put that and hot sauce on lots of stuff. Also, I have doctored up NSA strained tomatoes or tomato sauce with chili powder and maybe hot sauce too. I know that there is a ketchup recipe and BBQ that folks like.

Hope you have an awesome week!

Best,
Stephanie

Hey Stephanie!

Thanks for the place to start with condiments! It’s amazing how much salt so many of them have. It adds up way too fast!

Wishing you a fantastic week!

[Starflower]

It’s been a REALLY busy week! Better planning would have helped me stay on track better.

MWL thread post for July 28th:

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 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

5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). NO - I had some avocado and almonds. This is the biggest struggle for me.

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. NO - One meal was uncomfortably large due to feeling very stressed.

10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). NO - I missed a couple of days.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

It wasn’t a perfect week, but it was a reasonably good one. Better planning on a day-to-day basis is needed. I need to put as much as possible on automatic to avoid quick and careless decisions when ‘I don’t have time to think about this’ and also to avoid emotional eating. I’m a work in progress!

Wishing everyone a wonderful and successful week!

[Starflower]

MWL post for August 4th:

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 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

5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy). NO - I had some avocado.

6) Eliminate any added oil. NO - There was some oil in a couple of pre-made foods.

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. NO - I ate until uncomfortable at one meal.

10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking). NO - I missed most days.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

This week was a struggle. I was sick part of the week, and there was a very stressful and emotional situation going on. I probably would have turned to cookies and ice cream in the past, so maybe a couple of conveniences, like purchased hummus, wasn’t so bad in comparison. I even resisted the bag of chips I found in the bottom of the pantry . I’m determined to be able to report 10 yeses next week!

Wishing everyone a wonderful and successful week!

*Edited to add a link to Mark’s post on the MWL thread:

https://www.drmcdougallforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=62543#p634900

Also his response to my post:

Starflower - Hang in there! Facing a stressful and emotional situation rarely feels easy or pleasant, and I'm sure dealing with illness only makes things harder. That doesn't sound fun at all. Cheers to you for not reaching toward the most calorie rich and troublesome foods that have been tempting in the past. Considering this week's struggles, I imagine it feels like a victory to have avoided running completely off the rails, right? Have you experimented with any specific activities (not associated with food or eating) that feel comforting, soothing, or fortifying when dealing with stress? In my experience, having a few reliable, go-to coping mechanisms can really have a positive effect. for your determination, and have a wonderful week!

I really need to think about that before posting next week. There are things I do, but do they really work? Maybe. Food for thought. Thanks, Mark!

[Starflower]

MWL post for August 11th:

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 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. NO - Too much sugar this week.

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 - There was some oil in two foods.

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). NO - I missed one or two days.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

Despite not meeting my 10 YES goal, it was a good week. I thought about Mark’s questions and realized that my go-to methods for handling stress don’t work as well as they should. I chose a couple of alternatives for this week. I have a family birthday celebration and three social events to navigate this week. It will be a good test!

Wishing everyone a wonderful and successful week!

Edited to add Goose’s response:

Starflower — All in all, it looks like quite a good week for you. Sounds like maybe the stress might have led to too much sugar and possibly a couple of foods with oil (unless those were from eating out). I'm glad to see you have a strategy for all the socializing you'll be doing this upcoming week!

This journey is one of constant small adjustments. Nothing is ever static, no matter how long you've been eating this way. If something isn't working, you tweak it and make small changes until it works better. Even something that worked well in the past might not be as effective as it once was -- so you get to re-evaluate and see if you can come up with an alternative.

This really resonated with me. I keep trying to find what works so that I can ‘set and forget’, and then it will all be so easy. I need to remind myself to constantly evaluate and tweak as needed. Thank you, Goose!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Starflower!

You are doing great!!

Hope that you are feeling much better!!!

Also, wishing you the best in finding lots of ways to manage stress.

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Starflower]

Hi Starflower!

You are doing great!!

Hope that you are feeling much better!!!

Also, wishing you the best in finding lots of ways to manage stress.

Cheers,
Stephanie

Thanks, Stephanie!

The stomach flu, or whatever it was, is gone. I’ve found a couple of ways to ease stress. Sudoku for the win, lol! One goal this week is to stretch for a few minutes several times a day.

I’m sorry to hear you have plantar fasciitis! That really hurts. I hope rest and ice work quickly.

Wishing you a wonderful week!

[Starflower]

MWL post for August 19th

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 desert. NO - Some meals were more than 50% starch.

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). NO -I went off-plan with some high-fat food.

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). NO - I missed one day due to hurting my foot.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

It was a reasonably good week, considering all the events offering pleasure trap foods. There are a few more coming up this week. I hope to do better, especially on 50/50. I found good low-salt chili powder and curry powder that I like, and some delicious smoked black peppercorns.

Wishing everyone a wonderful and successful week!

[Starflower]

This week is off to a shaky start. I attended an event Saturday that was supposed to be three hours and lasted seven, followed by two very high-stress days. I ended up eating some things that were poor choices. I know that’s not an excuse, but I’m trying to give myself some grace and move on today. I’m hoping that posting more again will help. Onward!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Starflower!

Good for you giving yourself grace and moving on!! Personally, have never found it helpful to ruminate over poor food choice --- brainstorm options for handling = progress vs. scold self = not helpful...

I have definitely had similar experiences with problems when staying at certain events much longer than anticipated. I usually now bring much more food than I could ever consume and steer clear of the foods that may tempt me.

Hope you're having a great week!

Cheers,
Stephanie

PS --- I ❤️ the Wildgoose quote that you added to your signature. Nothing is ever static indeed!!

[Starflower]

Hi Starflower!

Good for you giving yourself grace and moving on!! Personally, have never found it helpful to ruminate over poor food choice --- brainstorm options for handling = progress vs. scold self = not helpful...

I have definitely had similar experiences with problems when staying at certain events much longer than anticipated. I usually now bring much more food than I could ever consume and steer clear of the foods that may tempt me.

Hope you're having a great week!

Cheers,
Stephanie

PS --- I ❤️ the Wildgoose quote that you added to your signature. Nothing is ever static indeed!!

Hey Stephanie!

Wildgoose is amazing, right?!

I’m going to follow your example on that from now on. I really was expecting there to be food that was compliant. No more assuming, lol!

Wishing you a wonderful week!

[Starflower]

MWL post for August 25th

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 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. NO - Too much salt this week.

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). NO - some coconut and avocado.

6) Eliminate any added oil. NO - There was some oil in teo foods.

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:

It was a challenging week. I didn’t navigate it perfectly, but it was better than in the past. An event I thought I was prepared for lasted seven hours instead of the scheduled three, and food choices were very limited. I managed to have mostly raw vegetables and fruit, but one food with oil was the only other vegan option. With a two hour drive home ahead, I did the best I could. I’m giving myself some grace and back on track. It’s amazing how much better I feel when on plan!

Wishing everyone a wonderful and successful week!

[Starflower]

This week isn’t starting as well as planned. I had two slushies when I got overheated at a county fair this weekend. I really needed the crushed ice, but didn’t think to ask if they could just give me unflavored. My only fair food was a plain baked potato (I got quite a look and had to repeat my request for that one! ) and some delicious plain corn on the cob.

[Starflower]

Yesterday and today were pretty good. Preloads were a little small for a couple of meals. I think choosing soup more often would help. I found some delicious frozen roasted corn with only one ingredient! It’s getting harder to avoid the SOS. Today in the store I checked the ingredients in some herb tea that looked good. It had salt in it!