Re-posting my T&A report here for posterity:
Report for 8-12-22:
1. Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Breakfast (when eaten) no, lunch and dinner, yes. Breakfast is oats + fruit (when eaten).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.
I usually eat the veg first, and then the starch after (so two separate plates) but yes – non-starchy veg = starch by visual volume.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.
I feel like I am doing really well with #3! Other than small amounts of condiments, the only other added salt is from the shaker at the table, and there was no added sugar this week other than in the ketchup.4. Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
Success!5. Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
Success!6. Eliminate any added oil.
Success!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.
Success!8. Don't drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
Success!
9. Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.
I still experience uncertainty here, but I’m beginning to think it’s just something that might take me a long time to get comfortable with. “Time and adherence” is allowing me to worry about it less frequently.10. Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
I went for walks on Saturday and Sunday last weekend, then hurt my back on Monday (I’ve had back surgery, so am prone to having these problems). So no exercise this week and still a sore back. ☹Victories:Still on plan!!!! YAY!!! Dr. Lim took me off all thyroid medication prior to the start of the May 12-day program that I had been taking since 2008. I just had my Free T4 and TSH re-tested and YAY – NORMAL! Both numbers came up in the middle of the reference ranges. I will of course await confirmation from Dr. Lim, but I am assuming this is great news and that I truly was over-medicated and taking an unnecessary prescription! I’m very excited about this development.
Comments: Weight loss has slowed considerably so I am now working on the mental aspects of dealing with fears – fears such as:
• Oh no! This is going to stop working!
• It works for other people but may not work for me..
• I can’t reach my goals…
• Etc.
I believe all this fear is a result of a lifetime of failed dieting attempts. I am hoping that the great coaching I am getting here and from the McDougall team, and more time and adherence will help me overcome these fears, and have confidence that I CAN do this for the long haul, and it WILL work for me as it works for others.
In the mean time, I feel like I have a handful of very simple meals that I love, and a solid food prep routine each week. That is so vital for me! I have a couple recipes I want to try - Pico in my new chopper, Yonana nice cream in that contraption, Stephanie's split pea stew and sloppy lentils. I haven't gotten around to that yet, but I'm not worried about it. Simple is working really well for me right now. I'm still eating a lot of fruit, especially watermelon, but I'm not so worried about that right now either thanks to all of your support and sharing last week - so many, many thanks!!
Questions: I welcome comments and suggestions from others as always!!!!