Hi Journal,
Wow!!! Hi
Sirdle, Jennifer, Anna, and Starflower! You guys made my day with kind comments here! Thanks a bunch for that --- so glad that we have this community to learn, share, and commiserate!
Sirdle, yeah --- I guess there is quite a glare on that middle book! Your suggested title is better than the actual --- The Catventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Clawnan Doyle…
Jennifer, my little crockpot holds 2 quarts. It is great to switch up soups / have variety when it is just me eating them!!! I also have 5- and 8-quart ones – a full set (like the Three Bears – HA!). These all get a ton of use --- it is virtually impossible to ruin anything in the crockpot (I am a challenged cook!).
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I listened to Doug Lisle’s lecture
“The Perfect Personality” this week that Sirdle posted on Starflower’s journal. All I can say is that this was mind-blowing to me! Had been under the (wrong) impression that this talk would be about maybe not stressing yourself to be perfect --- NO, it is really about what would be the “perfect personality” to successfully follow this lifestyle. Had some great real-life examples of plotting folks (real and hypothetical) out on prevalence of 5 traits (and what degree of each would promote ability to conform to this way of eating / WOE). He also talked through context of each of the traits and how they fall on a continuum.
Wasn’t surprised by: extroversion (less is better for this WOE), openness (less is better for this WOE), conscientiousness (more is better for this WOE)… However… here is what blew my mind (perhaps more about how I would rate myself….)…
1) Agreeableness (less is better for this WOE), had an epiphany that I am fairly left of center here (i.e., disagreeable)!! What a hoot --- wouldn’t peg myself as disagreeable per se --- and don’t like to argue with anyone, BUT --- I am renowned (since as a small child) as consistently only doing what I choose --- not succumbing to peer pressure, not following the crowd, not blindly obeying orders, etc. So, this is good news for sustaining McD program --- bad news for someone trying to boss me around…
2) Stability (more is better for this WOE) – would have considered myself to be pretty darn stable based on: married 3 decades, same employer 2 decades, don’t owe anyone money, etc. However, this is more in the context of EMOTION!!! HA!!! So, SURPRISE --- I definitely EMOTE!!! I believe that I even wrote somewhere in this (or prior?) journal that the concept of “emotional poise” would continue to elude me!!! Blame it on genetics!!!
Anyway, I will take away from this that my disagreeableness will trump all of the other traits and keep me on-track!!!
Totally NOT what I would have expected… (live and learn, yeah?)
Will post later this week on exercise status / progress. Still exploring and highly encouraged and motivated in this space. Feeling energetic, productive, strong --- there is a wonderful aura of positivity around the gym!
Here are a few pictures for the post!
It is a winter wonderland in Chicagoland this week!!!
These are three lunches from this week where I just used JeffN Healthy Placemat concept and threw MWL compliant food on the plate (around 50/50). Love that these are always different and consistently tasty. I like to try to make the plate colorful and fun. Totally take whatever is made / readily available and only takes a few minutes to put together.
Roasted a pan of broccoli and cauliflower. Tasty with above lunch plates or by itself with a dab of hot sauce!!!
Yellow split pea soup using the “soupier” (vs. stew-like) concept with a bit of extra water. Delicious! Honestly, eating some type of split pea soup every day this week. Love it!!
“Don’t stop believing… hold on to that feeling!” – Journey (listened to in AM walk!)
“Every step matters…” – artwork written on the gym wall
Happy weekend!!!
Below is Behavioral assessment that I will post to Time & Adherence group for 1/27.
Hi Team Time & Adherence,
Can’t believe that it is that time of the week again to assess our behaviors!!! Time flies when you’re having fun… Personally, still feeling
positive and encouraged by practicing the checklist. Notable for me this week as my outcome is not necessarily consistent with my adherence --- so, making subtle adjustment starting today.
1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Sometimes. I have been pre-loading with raw veggies for breakfast this week – 7/7. Pivoting to all three meals starting today. My weight that had been at top of maintenance range for a few weeks is now 2 lbs. north. This is the first time that I’ve needed to manage it down since somewhere around July. So, I will take this in the spirit of an experiment --- and start here with implementing consistent pre-load and see how that goes. If I had to hypothesize reason for gain, would guess that my appetite has gone up due to implementing more intensity in exercise (and I have outeaten my exercise!) or there is some fluid anomaly going on… I am grateful for the structure around this group --- including weekly weighing and behavioral assessment, to have “caught” this early (FIRST TIME EVER IN MY LIFE!!!)… and honestly, not looking at the scale number with any emotion at all. Progress! 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.
YES. I have consistently eaten oatmeal with frozen blueberries and a banana every day for breakfast. I love lunch the most where I just throw compliant food on a plate (like JeffN Healthy Placemat) based on what is available --- potato, rice, beans, corn, always lettuce, tomato, onion, roasted veggies, sometimes salsa. Each one is unique! Dinner is 50/50 but not consistent in what it is--- can range from soup plus fruit plus veg to potato plus apple plus carrots to whatever! Pretty happy with this pattern (at least for now). 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. Reduced, not eliminated. 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 - eating recommended foods when hungry. No starving or stuffing. Perhaps my volume has increased though – not 100% sure or concerned. 10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
YES – still loving the gym (and keeping the habit)! 7/7 days. I have added on some days intervals (mainly on treadmill – speed or incline) and daily stretching after. Intervals are totally not high intensity (and will not be for the foreseeable future)!!! Just making friends with the concept. Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
From last week’s comments on food volume (
Mark and Holly), wanted to share that I have heard the gamut on the size of my lunch (in particular) from my son who has been home for a while (interning downtown). He is in awe of the volume and has said anything from “that’s a bountiful lunch” to “no way in H*ll that you can eat that”… (yes, I did…).
I always enjoy reading
Mark’s shared material and comments to fellow participants. There is lots to learn!!! Also, love to hear what
each of you have to say for the week. Appreciate all of the sharing in this group. We are stronger together --- and I bet we have more fun too!!!
Wishing everyone a wonderful week ahead!!!
Best,
Stephanie