10 years of McDougalling

[Ejeff]

Katie, I hope your shoulder heals quickly. I also injured my shoulder on the dominant right hand side so I can relate to what you are going through. I made the mistake of completely resting it and then it pretty much seized up for a while. I’m quite sure this caused me much more healing time than might have been required.

Sounds like you are getting good advice to keep up with whatever gentle movements the pain will allow.

Erin

[Ruff]

Just popping in to say Hi. My arm is improving, it still aches but I have more movement. Now I have to be careful not to do too much whilst still moving it enough not to get a 'frozen shoulder'.

I am reading all your journals so I am keeping up on the gossip! But I won't be posting on individual journals for another couple of days.

Food wise is good here. I made a huge pasta bake yesterday which will keep us going for a few days. I used a number of arm saving cheats, frozen veg so no chopping, pasta sauce out of a jar instead of making my own. Breakfast is always porridge and frozen fruit so thats easy.

I have tried savoury oatmeal...I know a few of you are discussing that, but I am not a fan. If I want a savoury breakfast I will have my veg with quinoa, or buckwheat, or something like that. I do enjoy my fruity breakfast though, so I am sticking to that. I also love beans on toast, and will have that as a breakfast treat sometimes, although I dont eat much bread.

I am eating more at the moment...boredom I think! So I need to think about making some low calorie density snacks that are more exciting than carrot sticks!

Hopefully my arm will continue to improve, and I will be able to knit, if not crochet. Thankfully I tuck the right knitting needle under my arm, like they do in the Scottish islands, so I dont move that arm much. Crochet is another matter though, that might be a while....

[Ejeff]

Glad your arm is starting to feel better. I don’t really do Savory oatmeal either, I eat it with fruit and cinnamon, but I often add riced cauliflower as I don’t even know it’s in there.

Erin

[SilverMtns]

Add me to the list of people not overfond of savory oatmeal. I'd rather have brown rice or something. Glad your arm is improving!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Katie,

Hope that your arm is feeling MUCH better.

Loved your "pasta bake" --- that is a great "non-recipe" that is in my wheelhouse!

I am with you on the "no" to savory oatmeal. Before MWL, would definitely love the beans on toast - now I sometimes will have some smashed beans on top of a potato waffle and it is also really good.

Have a great weekend,
Stephanie

[Ruff]

I'm back, my arm is so much better already. I did a short jog on the flat yesterday and it didnt jar it too much (only 2.5km but good to be out) This morning I walked along the beach to watch the sunrise with my husband and our standard poodle, Bonnie.

Exciting news in the family. Emily, my daughter, has got into the Kepler Challenge, one of the most prestigious ultra runs in NZ. It follows the route of the Kepler Great Walk, normally a 3 day tramp. I will be going down as well as her support crew. Its the first weekend in December. Very exciting. I managed to book a bach (kiwi for small holiday home) for us to stay in. We camped when my husband did it, but the biggest problem is queuing for the loos when most of the campers are also runners....as well as prepping food, and comping with wet gear in the rain. This way we get a little house to ourselves. Its obviously more expensive this way but Emily is now a working adult and can pay her share of the costs, as well as sharing the driving...on the way down at least, not sure what condition she will be in on the return trip!

Its a lovely day today, cold and frosty and now cold and sunny, and I am feeling a lot more cheerful. I have physio tomorrow (Monday) for my arm in town, and I might go and visit my son who is isolating. Visit means standing under the balcony and shouting up at him.....but I can also drop off their shopping and some more books. "I want the book where there is something wrong with her hands and there is a picture of her sister on the cover..." I did manage to identify it!

Food. Potato and mushroom hotpot for supper. soup for lunch. breakfast, as always, was porridge.

[VegSeekingFit]

I'm back, my arm is so much better already.

...

Exciting news in the family. Emily, my daughter, has got into the Kepler Challenge, one of the most prestigious ultra runs in NZ. It follows the route of the Kepler Great Walk, normally a 3 day tramp. I will be going down as well as her support crew. Its the first weekend in December. Very exciting. I managed to book a bach (kiwi for small holiday home) for us to stay in. We camped when my husband did it, but the biggest problem is queuing for the loos when most of the campers are also runners....as well as prepping food, and comping with wet gear in the rain. This way we get a little house to ourselves.

Hi Katie!

YAY!!! Glad that your arm is feeling a lot better!!!

This is so awesome about your daughter... I am hoping that you keep us up to date as it goes... Fantastic that you will be part of support crew!!! Curious if that means you do some portions of run / how it works?? I am not familiar with this NZ ultra... (but interested in hearing!)

I have never done an ultra (only read other folks stories on this...) ... but used to do Saturday long-runs in a pacing group with a wonderful person who was an experienced ultra-runner --- different events from Death Valley (hard to get into in US) to some stuff like where you see how many miles you can run in 24 hours (or some folks do this for a week... )...

Hope you are enjoying the weekend...
Stephanie

[Ruff]

I'm back, my arm is so much better already.

...

Exciting news in the family. Emily, my daughter, has got into the Kepler Challenge, one of the most prestigious ultra runs in NZ. It follows the route of the Kepler Great Walk, normally a 3 day tramp. I will be going down as well as her support crew. Its the first weekend in December. Very exciting. I managed to book a bach (kiwi for small holiday home) for us to stay in. We camped when my husband did it, but the biggest problem is queuing for the loos when most of the campers are also runners....as well as prepping food, and comping with wet gear in the rain. This way we get a little house to ourselves.

Hi Katie!

YAY!!! Glad that your arm is feeling a lot better!!!

This is so awesome about your daughter... I am hoping that you keep us up to date as it goes... Fantastic that you will be part of support crew!!! Curious if that means you do some portions of run / how it works?? I am not familiar with this NZ ultra... (but interested in hearing!)

I have never done an ultra (only read other folks stories on this...) ... but used to do Saturday long-runs in a pacing group with a wonderful person who was an experienced ultra-runner --- different events from Death Valley (hard to get into in US) to some stuff like where you see how many miles you can run in 24 hours (or some folks do this for a week... )...

Hope you are enjoying the weekend...
Stephanie

The number of people on the course is limited by DOC so no pacers allowed, unlike say Western States in America where you get a pacer towards the end. Mostly Emily will be on her own. We can see them at Rainbow Reach, 10km from the finish and hand over Black Magic.....flat Coca Cola! This is, I think, the only legitimate use of coke, towards the end of an ultra race when the sugar and caffeine can get you to the end and drinking your calories is the only way you can get them in. Fueling during an ultra is very difficult, it must be light, full of easily available calories, not make you sick AND it must be digestible. Nuts for example won't digest quickly enough. A bad example as Emily is anaphylactic to nuts, but you know what I mean. My job is mainly pre and post race. Getting her to the start with all her gear, and carting her off and looking after her afterwards.

I have had a busy few days. I normally pop in her first thing in the morning, but I have been running, and also on the phone to family in the Uk first thing. I might have to pick a different check in time.

Food. All good as usual. Generally after McDougalling all this time, I keep it pretty simple, its winter so stews, soups, curry and chilli, with potatoes or rice as our starch, and veg on the side. Porridge for breakfast. I have to say, maintenance is simpler than weight loss, as I dont worry about reducing the calorie density any more. Today is leek and potato soup again, tomorrow will be mashed potatoes and gravy. this is one of my husbands favourite meals. The gravy is one of Mary McD's gravy recipes, and we just have mash and frozen peas and whatever other veg we have. It will probably be carrots tomorrow.

[Ruff]

I have just finished The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer. YOU. MUST. READ. THIS. BOOK. I am in tears of despair that I have finished it. I have it from the library, but I will buy it. I cannot live without it.

Maybe I am being a little over dramatic here, I will settle down again when I have eaten my porridge, and be more British in my response!

[Trinity]

It’s on my list, I can’t wait! What a crazy title!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Katie,

YAY!!! You fell in love with it... I love this one too!!! And, totally relate to those books which we must have (even in multiple formats)... to re-visit again... Very cool... Totally not dramatic...

Thanks for sharing about your daughter's race. So fantastic that you will be able to support her. I am sure that this will help her so much too from a morale perspective. Very exciting!!!

Was kind of just thinking that running of a distance may in theory be similar to McD'ing... Just keep going....

Cheers,
Stephanie

[squealcat]

Another YAY from me now ! I loved that Guernsey Potato Peel Society book !! I read it a long time ago. I was drawn to it because the title was so crazy-sounding. I should read it again.

So glad your shoulder is feeling better. Continue healing up ! Glad you can be active again Ruff !

-squealcat

[Lizzy_F]

Hi Ruff! It has been really nice to read your journal and begin to get to know you a little bit! I also look forward to reading your success story which I haven't gotten to yet. I LOVE this forum because there is so much valuable information, inspiration, success, wisdom, etc. etc. to absorb! Congratulations on 100 pounds of weight loss and all the exciting changes that have happened in your life as a result. Best wishes to you on your running events - and I hope your shoulder is better and you can just move on from that. Injuries and setbacks are so frustrating, aren't they??

I LOVE soups and even though we are in the hottest part of the summer here, I still eat them all the time! So on my list to make is your potato & leek soup along with Stephanie's version of split pea soup. Can't wait! I need to hold off and get my freezer cleared out a little bit!

Your part of the world sounds so beautiful - running on the beach every morning? Heaven is what that sounds like! Well, I would be walking LOL, but beautiful all the same!

I also LOVE to read so I put the Guernsey e-book on hold through the library. I'm looking forward to it!

Thank you for taking time to post and share about your journey in maintenance and in life. It helps me so much to see what types of things can be part of my future if I stick to this plan like super glue! And thank you for visiting my journal!

[Ruff]

Thank you for taking time to post and share about your journey in maintenance and in life. It helps me so much to see what types of things can be part of my future if I stick to this plan like super glue! And thank you for visiting my journal!

Thank you. Beth. This is why I started the journal. I read about people struggling and having to push through problems and I hoped seeing how life is 'on the other side' so as to speak, would help. I still have my own personal demons, but I have come to know what they are and be ready for them. All our demons are different, but we all have them. A real struggle for one person is easy for another and vice versa.

Here I am struggling with the weather. I have decided to cut my run today. It is cold and wet and dark outside. I have a busy day ahead so running later is unlikely. Nothing dramatic, shopping, visiting a friend who can't drive at the moment due to a vertigo attack, and the fun bit, going to a local yarn shop that only opens a few hours a week, but has very local yarn from nearby farms, so the yarn miles are less than 200 total including processing.

Food. We had mash and gravy last night and I will be using the leftover mash for shepherds pie, with green puy lentils as the 'meat'. I cook the lentils by bringing them to the boil, and then leaving them on the edge of the wood stove to keep warm until they are soft. during the day I eat porridge for breakfast (or cold oats with soy milk and fruit if im running) fruit if I fancy a snack and last nights dinner for lunch. occasionally I will have some compliant baking, and a real treat is almond butter on toast! Only on high days and holidays though as I always end up having a 2nd or even 3rd piece...

[Trinity]

Katie, I love this book (The GL & PPPS)!!!