Stephanie's Journal - Moving Right Along

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Journal,

Here are a few pics…


Farmers Market and grocery produce haul this morning.


My favorite oatmeal --- with banana, wild blueberries, and dark sweet cherries!! YUM!


Lunch --- quinoa instead of brown rice is also awesome! Have some cabbage in there and an orange. I am not sure that I ever get sick of this!!! Hmm... I guess that I consistently don’t take dinner pictures often!!! Mainly potatoes with fruit and veggies, sometimes with Jeff burgers or split pea soup as well.


To Do’s!

Below is behavioral assessment that I will post for week of 5/19.

Hi Team Time & Adherence,

Happy weekend!!! I am excited that our local Farmers Market has opened for the season --- picked up some screaming ripe strawberries, heirloom tomatoes, and various lettuce this morning.

1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Sometimes – usually this is various raw veggies on a plate.

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. This week again eating (and enjoying) the same things (oatmeal, brown rice / beans / corn, potatoes with fruit and veggies)! ❤️

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 – no stuffing and no starving.

10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Yes. 7 /7 --- daily walking and pickleball. Still loving both!

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

Thanks, Mark / Jeff / Wildgoose for the fantastic education and support here. Thanks, fellow T&A’ers for sharing your journey! I am grateful for this group!

Mark, appreciate you sharing Jeff’s thread and your input on the Adherence Fatigue topic. I tried to answer the questions that you posed last week.

1) What are your thoughts on adherence fatigue?
Thinking it is like a black storm cloud to steer clear of… Seriously, I consider it a risk to be aware of / mitigated as its impact may result in severity from a single lapse to complete relapse to off-program.

2) What do you think might cause it?
Weariness over time from swimming upstream perhaps. Somehow then thinking that it is more challenging to stick to healthy behaviors (that are different than society) than to regress back to prior behaviors.

3) Has it been an obstacle for you?
Primarily not so far. I did have a point in time where I was pretty discouraged from seemingly not being able to avoid eating the peanuts in my home (husband’s). I was tired of myself but was ultimately able to move past this (with lots of help from Mark to think this through / remediate). Additionally, I do get annoyed at times that it can be so (stupidly) difficult to obtain ANY on plan food at places when out. Lastly, I am not comfortable in a "pile on" of questioning which rarely happens (but can expect it with one particular group).

4) What have you done to deal with it or how have you avoided being derailed?
Follow advice from JeffN / McD Program to keep program simple and sustainable!!! Love what I eat --- eat what I love… To manage lapses, engage in self-care and positive self-talk (while evaluating options to better handle). Keep environment as clean as possible (considering above-mentioned peanuts “not food for me”). Continue practicing behaviors… Also, I am independent / not a conformist and not bothered at all by not doing the same thing / thinking the same thing as everyone else. Have heard “Stephanie marches to a different drummer” all my life (among other things)!!! HA! So, that helps. Additionally, it really doesn’t bother me to plan / prepare ahead with own food, etc. Furthermore, I always remember my “why”!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week and avoids fatigue in practicing of the MWL behaviors!

Best,
Stephanie

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Journal,

Here’s a few pics and weekly behavioral assessment.


My weekend began loading Wednesday noon and is firmly in progress!!




Had an amazingly peaceful hike yesterday. Went to my favorite yellow trail at the forest preserve. Listened to the birds, smelled the flowers, watched a few deer (rare in this forest preserve). Was the first time I’ve done this hike solo --- and I will certainly be doing it more often.


Same breakfast! I really don’t get sick of it. I am loving the yellow summer squash lately – they are slightly sweet and delicious!




Not much more I can say about the spectacular starchy salads… I do like taking their picture, yeah?

Below is behavioral assessment that I will post for week of 5/26.

Hi Team Time & Adherence,

Hope everyone is doing great! Here is my week in review…

1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Sometimes.

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. Still loving the same meals / eating pattern. Pretty much on autopilot for B/L/D (except for switching up the fruit / veg/ beans). ❤️

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!

10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Yes. 7 /7 --- lots of walking and pickleball. Super excited that my PB lessons start next week!!! Also, got an email on a league called “The Pickle Spears – Up / Down Split” which I had to join just to understand!!!

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

Wildgoose – Appreciated your post on adherence fatigue very much ❤️--- read it a few times! I love the richness of your example --- and it makes so much sense to include decision fatigue in this context (light bulb moment for me…)!

On the “mind chatter” topic… Periodically the peanuts that still live in our pantry taunt me… I just tell them ---“NOT TODAY, peanuts… I Ain’t Missing you at all”!!! For good, bad, or indifferent --- I KNOW the impact of opening the door to that for me --- hello 20 lbs.

Had what could have been an awkward social food moment this week. My wonderful co-worker baked cookies for me (birthday this week) and told me that she didn’t let her kids have any so there would be more to share at work. I just said --- wow, these look awesome --- I’m not hungry right now, but can I just take a couple for later --- wrapped them up and brought them to my husband who appreciates cookies. Considering this win / win.

Wishing everyone a wonderful long weekend!!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Starflower]

Happy belated birthday, Stephanie!

Great job avoiding the cookies! Way to go!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Starflower,
Thank you for the encouragement! I saw your last journal post and am hoping that you will be back sometime. Wishing you the best --- sounds like you have a great plan for success!

Hi Journal,

It has been a wonderful week! Lots of time outside hiking, walking, pickleballing – enjoying wonderful weather!

Did my favorite yellow trail hike again this week with my son. He is also going to walk with me on Sunday --- I signed up in February for Highland Park Strong 1/2M to do virtually. Looking forward to it --- and glad that the heat is expected to notch down a bit!

Was excited to be invited by one of my pickleball mentors to play with his group a couple of times over Memorial Day weekend. Had a great time, but didn’t feel good about being the worst player there… I did get invited back this weekend but wanting to improve my skills a bit before doing again. Working on that!!

Signed up for a “fun” tournament --- “Petite Picklers”. Criteria is female under 150 lbs. Interesting definition of petite, yeah?


Great day to be happy… I NEED this message today (and maybe others do too!) --- had some unexpected news this morning that wasn’t on my dance card… going to park this.


I ❤️ to see the ducks!! They allow me to photo them --- unlike the bunnies, squirrels, birds --- who get away too quickly!


Surprise!!! Same oatmeal breakfast… I did do a crazy thing one morning and have a bowl of brown rice with fruit, but didn’t think to snap a picture…



Still my favorite lunch!


Love reading her!!! She is a bit colorful (you have been warned)!!!

Below is behavioral assessment that I will post for week of 6/2.

Hi Time & Adherence peeps,

Hope everyone is having a good weekend! It is almost 90 in Chicagoland – seems we missed the mid-seventies again, but they may be here next week. I have a couple of flats of petunias and marigolds to plant later!

1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Sometimes.

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. Have still been making same easy meals and ❤️ them!

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 – not starving or stuffing.

10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Mostly. 6 /7 --- still walking and playing pickleball. Started weekly pb lessons – this coming week will start a league as well. Really loving the social aspect of the sport in addition to getting back to a racquet (paddle) sport!

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

Some strategies that I use for stress management are listening to music (can also sign and/or dance!), journaling, walking outside, 4-4-4 breathing.

I recently participated in a workshop on journaling and have been doing this almost daily (and finding it effective). Discovered that there are many ways to journal – have included gratitude, daily recap, daily planning, answering different writing prompts (specific situations, creative, or general / just for fun) throughout the week. If you are interested, you can google “prompts for journaling” and find a multitude of ideas. Here are a few prompts that may help with McD’ing (among other things):

* How can I reframe my mindset to view failure as a part of the learning process / opportunity for growth?
* Do I have any limiting beliefs or self-talk that may be holding me back?
* If so, how can I challenge / overcome them?
* What are ways I can seek feedback / constructive criticism to continue growing and improving?
* How can I strive for progress rather than perfection?
* What are some ways I can be proactive rather than reactive to challenges?

Self-care is a fun area to work on!!! I keep a list of things to do that make me feel terrific. I make sure to do several of these things throughout the week. One thing that I recently added is swinging at the park – I have been doing this each time I pass a park (walking and if nobody else on the swings). There is no downside to this!! For me, laughing is required!

Mark – Thanks so much for your support each week!!!

Gimmelean – Happy belated birthday! Cool that we are Gemini “twins”!

Rebecka – Awesome that you got through plumbing issues / no access to kitchen… Reading that made me cringe.

Holly – You go girl!!! Awesome 7 months of time & adherence!!

Appreciate all of the sharing and camaraderie in this group! Wishing everyone a fabulous weekend.

Cheers,
Stephanie

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Journal,

Today was the big walk a Half M with my son virtually day. The weather was incredibly beautiful for a long walk!!!

I want to be really clear about this --- I would NOT have been able to complete this with a smile if not for following the McDougall program. Not a chance!! I feel GREAT!!!

Just going to post a few photos just for fun!!


Here's our steps.


Happy at the finish!!!




We were walking with like a goose convention!!! Haven't seen so many geese around here in my life! Lots of other wildlife too --- mainly different varieties of birds and butterflies!!

Gotta go finish my rice, beans and corn salad!! Worked up quite an appetite --- Hungry Like the Wolf...

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Ejeff]

Stephanie,

Great pictures of you and your son and all those geese and their babies too!

Congratulations on completing the walk, isn’t it so wonderful you are able to do these events now that you have gotten so healthy. It’s the food!!

Thanks for sharing with us, you are an inspiration and a motivator

Erin

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Erin,

Thank you for awesome comments! YES, it’s the food and I’m LOVING it!!!

Hi Journal,

Here are a few pics of the week.




Pretty much same eating pattern all week. I did add salad / veggies with the potatoes and melon. OMG the melon is delicious!! Also tried an ORANGE honeydew this week for the first time – it was amazing – high recommend!!


Another exercise for changing self-talk to positive. Have made a lot of progress here, but something that I continue to consider.



Below is behavioral assessment that I will post for week of 6/9.

Hi Team Time & Adherence,

It is looking to be a beautiful weekend here in Chicagoland… Hope everyone is enjoying some “summery” weather!

1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Sometimes.

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. Love my meals and they continue to be the same (except switching fruits, veggies, beans). So, no decision fatigue here.

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 – not starving or stuffing. A good clip of eating!!!

10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Yes - 7 /7 --- lots of walking and pickleball. My PB league 1 started yesterday and was amazing. I have the funny PB league starting this week. PB playing makes me happy!!

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

Question --- I am wondering if anyone in the group has close family that McD’s with them? If so, how did that occur? Has anyone inspired (or convinced) family members to join them? At best, I am able to influence increased intake of produce. At worst, I walk the line of being annoying (so, I am back to standard "say nothing" approach)…

Mark, I ❤️ how you gathered the group’s collective self-care / coping strategies in one post last week!!! This is definitely an area that I continue to focus on as a growth opportunity and I appreciate ALL of the sharing!!! Lots of inspiring ideas!

Noella, I am impressed with how you articulated your cleaning --- and your pride in that. Hoping to take your lead here.

Trinity, Wonderful that you have started to journal!!!! Mark has a great journal from years back – link is in his signature. This practice has helped me enormously as well. Not sure if you have seen this clip from Dr. Lim? I found it helpful in reframing my mindset – which was critical to me moving forward. Maybe will be helpful to you? It’s only a couple of minutes.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgaMbFM5kVA&t=7s

Bambi, Cool that you found inspiration in Beth’s story!! I am also inspired and one of the reasons that I love this group as to not feel alone.

Eric, Great quote – thanks for sharing about the demons still being out in the parking lot doing pushups. Agree it is critical to remain vigilant!

Rebecka, Have fun preparing for summer!

Holly, I am going to join you in the cold soup this week! Will be trying gazpacho – need to experiment with “recipe”!! Great how you are acclimating to your summer home routines.

Beth, Wishing you well in pursuing new focus! Awesome how you were able to get in activity at home when you weren’t feeling up to par this week.

Wishing everyone an amazing week – with radiant sun, delicious recommended food, and a good clip of activity!! Going for this as well!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Journal,

Here are some pictures from the week. Keeping this short --- there is pickleball a plenty today --- and then chores and hanging with hubby.


SWAG that I just received from Highland Park virtual event.



Enjoyed walking the yellow trail by myself last weekend in the drizzle. Got damp, not drenched. Finished almost 10 minutes faster than normal (where I usually do stop to watch the birds, etc.).


Love these cute and fluffy cygnets that I met on my work walk!


Potatoes for the win!!! Also loving white fleshed nectarines – delicious!!


Still eating the starchy salads! Loving to add mango and pineapple bits --- incredible!



Below is behavioral assessment that I will post for week of 6/16.

Hi Team Time & Adherence,

Hope everyone is doing wonderful!!! Has been a busy week – looking for some lazy summer afternoons --- SOON!

1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Sometimes.

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. Still enjoying the same meals. I may mix it up a bit more next week – have a craving for whole wheat pasta!!

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 – no stuffing and no starving.

10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Yes - 7 /7. Walking a good clip each day and playing pickleball as much as I can.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

I have a large work picnic coming up this week. Am planning to EAT before and bring some potatoes in my purse (and will bring my bigger purse! ). Otherwise, I will eat only any plain salad or fruit and drink water. I believe that there will be multiple activities / lawn games so will be all over that (bocce ball, bags, sand volleyball). Wish me luck!!

I am loving absorbing some of the messages of James Clear (Atomic Habits). Found this thought which resonates:

“Mastery requires both impatience and patience.
The impatience to have a bias toward action, to not waste time, and to work with a sense of urgency each day.
The patience is to delay gratification, to wait for your actions to accumulate, and to trust the process.”

Happy Father’s Day to all our group dads!!

Hope everyone enjoys the week. Stay sunny!!

Best,
Stephanie

[Ejeff]

Stephanie, you post such beautiful photos! That one with the cygnets captures the water ripples so nicely also. Yay for the swag, you can wear that shirt proudly to Pickleball. The company picnic sounds like such fun. I would play all the games too. Very smart strategy to decide ahead of time exactly what you will eat. Enjoy the week!

Erin

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Erin,

Thanks for amazing comments! Hope that you have an incredible week!

Hi Journal,

On my way to pickleball – have packed lots of ice water as it is going to be 88 degrees – HOT on the court! Am moving along with building my skills here and really having a blast! In advanced beginner league, my partner and I are so far undefeated with 5 games to go. Really loving another league - the Pickle Spears – which is weekly 2 hours of pandemonium – super fun!




I am so LOVING melon right now! Eating all of the melons!


Favorite lunch! This one has: brown rice, black beans, corn, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, purple grapes, mango, and pineapple. Super delicious!


Now that it is warmer out, Farmers Market is crowded at 8am / opening. I usually only purchase a few things that taste much better from here than the store because $$$$$... Had some of the strawberries with my morning oatmeal and they were definitely worth it!!



Below is behavioral assessment that I will post for week of 6/16.

Hi Team Time & Adherence,

Hope everyone is enjoying the summer. Made it to the Farmers market already this morning and the fruit is looking incredible! The weather is amazing and planning to spend at least a couple of hours outside under a tree in the zero-gravity chair finishing Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421 (uncanny parallels to the recent submarine catastrophe)!

1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Sometimes.

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. Still enjoying the same meals – oatmeal, brown rice / beans / corn, and potatoes with various fruits and veggies.

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.
Well BOO to me here. I had planned approach for my work picnic last week --- which was tons of fun! Anyway, I ended up getting called in early that day to help resolve an issue. I had my potatoes all packed to eat at the picnic (with salad and fruit provided). I did not bank on missing breakfast --- so ate the potato instead of regular oatmeal breakfast way before the event. Was then HUNGRY and ate a vegan black bean chipotle burger which had to have oil. I have been pretty much “just in time” making meals – so will make sure to do some batch cooking this weekend to have a couple of things in the freezer to grab to go. I normally take more food than needed… I could have waited to eat until I got home, but there were several hours to go and I was afraid that I would make an even worse decision if I was hangry.

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 – mostly. No starving. Came pretty close one afternoon to stuffing on honeydew melon. It was really hot outside and the melon was cool and delicious. I really don’t like feeling a bit stuffed so will keep this in mind… Not usually a point that I have issue with.

10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Yes - 7 /7. Still walking and playing tons of pickleball! Be careful if you try pickleball… it is definitely addictive!!!

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

Thanks, Mark for all of your invaluable and considerate feedback each week!

Hope everyone enjoys the last week of June!! Summer, summer, summer!!!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Ejeff]

Love that name Pickle Spears! It’s fun to play in different groups as you get to meet more people and also I find playing with a good mix of people helps skill set also.

I play in our organized league round robins which is 28 people and I also have a group of ladies that I play with regularly. We also have a smaller group organized to meet and just work on skills and drills once a week. That’s been very beneficial in getting me to focus on things I should work on to improve my game.

Glad your picnic was tons of fun. Have an awesome week!

Erin

[Starflower]

Hey Stephanie!

You’re doing awesome as usual! I hear that a pickleball court is going in nearby. so maybe I can find out what all the fuss is about, lol!

Wishing you a wonderful week!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Erin!

Pickle Spears is league I actually joined because of the name and its crazy rules (up, down and switch --- 12 minute games by the clock)!! Actually, it is kind of run like King / Queen of the court with skill level from knows how to keep score through a couple players that are ranked over 4.0 -- but because of how it works mainly puts folks with others of similar ability. Have made a buddy from this who I am drilling with once a week now --- she is really intense which works just fine for me!

Your league sounds fun!! ❤️ that there are organized round robins! A skills and drills group sounds great!!! I bet you are having a wonderful time while getting great exercise!

Hi Starflower,

Thanks for the encouragement!! You should definitely check out pickleball sometime --- it is amazingly fun! Seriously, everyone I know who has tried it keeps playing. Great exercise (can be adapted to various ages / fitness levels) AND awesome social outlet!

Hi Journal!

Here are a few pictures...


My favorite tiger lilies are blooming!!! LOVE them!


Went to the fruit market yesterday. Got a good haul!!! Various hot breakfast cereals... Fruit!!! Mangoes, pineapple, black grapes and check out these melons which are gigantic (Hami and Crenshaw)!!! I am in search of all of the melons!!! Have not found a sugar kiss yet.


Here is half of the Hami --- it is in a cereal bowl... Delicious!! Was my lunch pre-load.


Surprise!!! Same as usual lunch!! Still cannot get sick of it...



Looking forward to a really LONG weekend coming up soon!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Journal!!!

Feeling fantastic today! Both from McDougalling and happiness - enjoying a 5-day weekend. Woo-hoo! For fun today, had my nails painted bright blue… seriously! Have a busy weekend with a few get togethers (4th and Housewarming and visiting my bff), a couple of hikes, and three scheduled Pickleball things (matches, mentoring, drilling). Today I signed up for a PB league that will start at the end of July (when the other one ends) with the buddy that I am drilling with as partner – moving up to 3.0-4.0 level.


So excited that I got this super cute bunny to pose!!


Here is today’s produce haul! Going for all the melons --- here are a Canary and Honeydew (can’t wait to eat them)! Also, got champagne mangoes for 25 cents each!!! Score! Anyway, lots of fruit, veggies, and potatoes to eat.


LOVED this Crenshaw melon – delicious! It was also giant!




Still sticking to same meal pattern – that would be oatmeal, starchy salad, potatoes (added fruit and veg not pictured and a bit of BBQ to dip). I am in no way tired of eating any of these things and they are super-fast to put together – so continuing this pattern!


This quote came to mind when considering Mark questions from last week MWL thread… ❤️ it!

Below is behavioral assessment that I will post for week of 6/30.

Hi Team Time & Adherence,

Hope that everyone had a wonderful week! All was good here except that we had some of the “unhealthy for all” air quality for three days --- smelled like burning plastic. Pickleball moved indoors for those days, and I cut my walks down to 1 per day.

1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Sometimes.

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. Another week with the same meals and no sign of boredom – so continuing with them!

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. No stuffing and no starving.

10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Mostly - 6 /7. Took a rest day – got a bit bruised and scraped up – almost all healed. Lesson learned – don’t run backwards on the pickleball court – it should be pivot, shuffle, shuffle…

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

Mark Hope you are enjoying amazing travels! Thanks for your comments last week --- made me realize that I still have a way to go around this positive self-talk thing --- and I do wholeheartedly agree that learning, reflection, and taking appropriate action is a “win”.

Wildgoose! Thanks for helping us this week!

Bambi – How exciting to be so close to retirement! Glad to hear that your husband has joined you and wishing him well with his health.

Rebecka I completely relate to what you said about goals and how our minds can play tricks on us --- like if success metric is based on weeks then why not just have "all of the food" in a week when a point is already marked “no”… I actually still mostly write down the food that I eat (not quantity) in a notebook and I put a sad face for anything non-compliant… Every time that I stop recording, seems that it is easy for me to forget. Luckily, I mostly eat the same things so I can just put “Y” for see yesterday…

Eric That’s great how you have improved by focusing more on #9!!

Trinity Congrats on your week!

Waving a big HI to everyone who hasn’t checked in yet!!!

Following are my comments to Mark’s questions last week on Jeff’s long-term adherence thread. Below is focusing on the initial question itself as opposed to reacting to the podcast. Looking forward to other views and Jeff’s upcoming comments in that thread.

How would you respond to that listener's question?
Yes, food has its tentacles in everything in our culture --- it pervades our interactions with people (making it unusual to connect without food). Furthermore, seemingly random places and things can (and will) trigger cravings / challenges – sometimes from out of nowhere. I completely agree that it can seem overwhelming when trying to implement a healthy diet and contending with the overall environment that doesn’t support healthy behaviors.

Nevertheless, I do view this as a challenge that CAN be overcome with patience, prioritization, practice, positivity, and persistence.

I think that mindset is critical to success --- “can-do” vs. “this is too hard” --- due to the risk that a negative outlook may become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

What do you think is a sound approach?
I believe that using a framework focused on building health-promoting behaviors as opposed to outcome (as we do in this group) with a periodic assessment of results, analysis of changes needed in approach, and implementation of any such changes is an effective approach. Such a framework supports overall objective to build and embed sustainable healthy behaviors and habits.

In what ways have you addressed these challenges in the course of your own experience? What has worked and what hasn't?
Has worked:
* Eat recommended foods when hungry
*Keep program simple (as per McD / JeffN guidance)
* Maintain clean environment to support healthy behaviors (to the degree that I can)
* Execute on strategies to deal with noise in environment (i.e., do not walk around in the broader world hungry with no compliant snack, consider noncompliant tempting stuff “not food for me”, steer clear of food tables at parties, bring compliant dish to share to gatherings, do not linger in WFM baked goods section, do not open the cabinet with the peanuts, etc.)
* Plan / visualize how to deal proactively with upcoming challenges
* Love what I eat – eat what I love (compliant stuff!)
* Assess and review progress including options to better handle any lapses and test them out – if they don’t work, try… try again with another approach, ask for help if you run out of ideas
* Frame change as a learning experience – using mistakes to analyze approach for improvements / alternative action to test (to be evaluated and adjusted as needed)
* Leverage positive self-talk and various self-care strategies
* Engage with support networks (like this group)

Has not worked:
* Attending event hungry
* Relying on host(ess) to serve compliant food
* Leveraging food to deal with emotions
* Thinking I can stop at “a little bit” of non-compliant food
* Looking in pantry after dinner
* Striving for perfection
*Feeling discouraged or mad at myself for struggling
* Not trying a different approach when current one isn’t working
* Getting mad at the scale / outcome

With that… wishing everyone a great weekend and Happy 4th of July to those in the states.

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Ejeff]

Stephanie, I’m glad you are almost healed from your Pickleball tumble. It’s always so tempting to step backwards trying to get that ball. Also it’s good you have the option to play inside when the air quality is poor.

Have a great extra long weekend, sounds like you have so much fun planned, enjoy it all!

Erin