Stephanie's Journal - Moving Right Along

[sirdle]

How fun!

I can't read the cat/book in the middle, but surely that's Purrlock Holmes?

Cheers,
sirdle

[frowsyowl]

Love the cats and your positive energy is contagious!

What size is your "little" crock pot? It's hard to tell...that sounded like a good idea to make small pots, but a lot of variety.

Jennifer

[Anna Green]

Hi! Love your journal! You inspire me because of how you work at this.

[Starflower]

Hey Stephanie!

Does it get any better than books and cats and a punny puzzle? I hope you don’t tire of posting pictures of your delicious meals any time soon!

[VegSeekingFit]

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!).

-------------------
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

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi,

OK, just super short and quick post... I am reveling in this information from Doug Lisle's lecture "The Perfect Personality"...

Seriously, cannot stop smiling about being on the side of "disagreeable" and "unstable"... LOVE to not be the most boring person in the world... Yes, would prefer to be "colorful" over BORING!!!!

Reminds me of this song a bit --- where I always struggled to find the right balance / understand...

"When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful
A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical
And all the birds in the trees, well they'd be singing so happily
Oh joyfully, oh playfully watching me

But then they send me away to teach me how to be sensible
Logical, oh responsible, practical
And then they showed me a world where I could be so dependable
Oh clinical, oh intellectual, cynical

There are times when all the world's asleep
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd
Please tell me who I am

I said, watch what you say or they'll be calling you a radical
A liberal, oh fanatical, criminal
Won't you sign up your name, we'd like to feel you're acceptable
Respectable, oh presentable, a vegetable!
Oh take it, take it, take it, yeah" ---- Supertramp - "The Logical Song"

So, YES!!! Super excited in a way to have some traits that I am just going to call BAD A$$!!! I honestly EMBRACE them and feel great!!! OMG!!!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Starflower]

Hey Stephanie!

Good for you that you embrace who you are! You’re definitely not boring!

I tried the tomatoey starchy soup for dinner tonight. It’s on the stove now, but I tasted a little already and it’s delicious! I threw in some mushrooms, chives, cilantro and cumin. Thanks for the idea!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hey Starflower!!!

Thanks for the emotional boost --- appreciate!!! I think as I have gotten older… more boring!!! Have to chuckle a bit because I am an accountant --- and even Doug Lisle called out the boring in that profession in this lecture (now, us accountants love to pick on the actuaries in a similar fashion… )… Love what you’re doing with that tomatoey starchy soup --- hope you enjoy!!! I definitely add sometimes mushrooms --- always works out great!!!

Hi Journal,

Going to try to keep this brief… Will post a few meals / pics and then a bit on exercise.

I do want to say right off the bat regarding exercise… I have been building a base of WALKING briskly for over a year and a half --- consistently --- LOVE this (and if I lived in San Diego or somewhere similarly warm, exercise probably stops here!!)… SUSTAINABLE and enjoyable / easy --- get a good pair of shoes and WALK!!! Like Dr. McD says --- “It’s the food!!!” I have NOT been good about consistently doing resistance training (think we do what we like / are good at --- and this is not a strength for me by any means)… I have been able to feel great and achieve / sustain good weight with WALKING briskly!!!

So, just trying to take the elements of training / exercise that are recommended and be more well-rounded here. I have taken to going to a new gym like a fish takes to water because it is an awesome place and I have a history of being active --- LOVE it for many reasons. I spent my life being active until maybe about 15 years ago when I became part of “sandwich” generation (taking care of both my child and mother) and going back to workforce full-time. So, didn’t prioritize my own health. Just trying to catch up / reassess priorities and move forward (slowly but surely!).

My primary intention is to holistically follow MWL Checklist. I have to say that I feel really good about the food part here, but maybe I shouldn’t say so … because then I seem to want to focus on every remote possibility where I could go astray… Going to stick with feeling good about it!!! I let go of the “bowls” concept (for personal emergency) … if I need urgent food with no microwave, will go to grocery store and get a couple of pieces of fruit, a bag of Romaine, baby carrots, a flip-top can of beans (hope they are NSA, but if not --- emergency -- so what). Period. What I do now all the time is pretty fine for me to sustain / simple and I really LOVE the food. Can’t predict the future, but I still feel mainly confident about staying in this space at this point in time.

Progressing the exercise thing… hmm… I think of this as an adventure with no due dates (so not stressing it at all). Just getting my self-esteem back and doing the best that I can to become more physically fit!!! So, no SMART goals… just trying to stick with sustainable, empowering, fun activities…

Here are a few food pics!


Sloppy lentils over Romaine. OMG --- delicious!


Today’s breakfast!!


Today’s lunch. Don’t eat a ton of whole wheat pasta but every once in awhile I have a FIERCE craving for this. Made it with stuff in the refrigerator --- roasted broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms and some garbanzo beans. OMG – yum!


Super not flattering picture that I dug up because… I have ONLY seen one person at the gym that I know. That is my friend (that I haven’t seen in over 10 years), Tom (green shirt) who helped me and my running buddy Paul finish (standing!) 2006 Chicago… Tom led a 10:30 pace group (in a venue I didn’t attend)… and I met him years ago at weekly Tuesday fun runs at our local running store … Paul and I ran together every Saturday for years (he was a ton better than me)… He and I were both HURTING (with capital H) in this event (working on our Personal Worst / PW) and somehow in the last 4/5 miles we all met up and were “one for all and all for one”… I actually bought us all this picture way back in time because it means to me HOPE and the POWER of us ALL and positive thinking! Seeing Tom at the gym gives me incredible vibes … and I feel like it is remarkable karma!!! (Neither or us runs anymore!!)

So, what I am now doing for exercise:

Cardio : I walk 30 minutes each AM around indoor track. It is great --- gym is below track --- today there was basketball, soccer, BodyPump class going on… I listen to an audio book while walking and sometimes do strides to pass folks if it looks like a Frogger situation. I also do bike, treadmill… I have a totally sedentary job --- like stare at your computer for hours at a time. Moderate intensity always.

Intervals: Well… I take out the “HI” here because I am a bit too lazy for that -- as well as vigorous exercise. However, have happily done some 4-3 intervals on the treadmill and tried something that is apparently hip now (12-3-30) … but I made it 5-3.5-30. I do not care to wear a heart rate monitor, but do check out hear rate intermittently --- and confirm that I am a bit lazy… I try to relate this Heart rate info to Perceived Rate of Exertion.

Balance: I do each day some stand on one foot stuff. I have started to do stepmill 10 minutes 2-3 times per week. I get better at this, but am not in a place of not ever touching the sides!!! I also do some heel to toe walking and when it is nicer outside do this on balance beam in Exer-Trail. Also, stand on one leg and touch floor drill.

Flexibility: STRETCH now after other gym stuff. Going to implement 10-20 minute workout (at home) of yoga and foam rolling (separate days). Definitely can use improvement.

Strength: Well, BOO!!! Found my favorite machine at the gym --- assisted pull-up’s where I could stack on a chunk of weight and catapult myself over with no effort!! HA!!! Seriously, will be doing in rotation with flexibility 10-20 minutes of 5-6 body weight exercises (at home for now). Started this. Focus is on FORM!!! Make me love it… well, I guess my bones will love it…

Fun: I added this – think it’s important!!! Going to just shoot some hoops, run around the gym… Skipping with my Purple twist at home. Then have other ideas: roller skating, tennis, badminton, probably more… I am open!! Used to love sports --- even played Powder Puff Football, but no venue now!!!

Just want to say one more time here… BRISK WALKING --- 30 minutes a day consistently --- that is AWESOME and got me to where I am at (if you care weight-wise) --- low healthy BMI and feeling good. I just LOVE to move and I am really happy to be able to do different things --- just exploring and will see where this goes!!!

I would love if everyone had an awesome week! Go for it!!! I try too!!!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Journal!!!

YAY, it is FRIDAY!!! This will either be the shortest or the longest post I’ve ever made (TBD!) … have spent the better part of the day drafting a technical document for work (and still have a good clip to go). This has been fun --- working with motivated stakeholders that want to get this right and completed on time – LOVE (all too often not the case)!!

Anyway, from administrative perspective, have broadened my maintenance weight range (to 6 lbs. from 4 lbs.) – 1 lb. up and 1 lb. down with yellow flags there… I seek the middle 3 lbs. --- this doesn’t change anything that I am doing, just framing it in my own mind. I attribute any intelligent things I do to Tiffany (McD support specialist)… LOVE and appreciate her help!! (Any dumb things are all me!!!)…

Will post a few food pics below. Standing with I feel GREAT about following the Checklist and staying within MWL food bounds happily… I have not had any errant thoughts about diverging (or what risk mitigation plan I should put in place to stop that) --- think I am getting more confident here? Hoping…

Adventures in Exercise:

The Good: Keeping gym habit first thing in AM. So happy to have found a couple of other old friends from fun run group at the gym!!! My peep, Tom --- yes --- good karma for sure --- knows everyone and I have met more than a handful of new buddies!! One of my goals is just camaraderie in exercise. So, have done several track laps with others / great conversations, etc. Also, planning to join Deep Water Running class in March with these folks. Have never done this, so will see!!! Hoping to love it (and hoping my hair doesn’t freeze on the way back to the car)!!!

Learnings: So, always listen to your body… My plan to incorporate all of the aspects of fitness is pretty non-urgent and loose. My fitness goals are still: sustainability, keep bone / muscle, age independently, feel great physically and mentally, be able to engage in recreational sports. I feel like I am fairly risk averse and have been slowly implementing changes… However, I am now sleeping like a ROCK (instead of log) … all good… BUT, I fell asleep like that ROCK in a couple of situations at times where… yeah, I shouldn’t be tired (like one was maybe at 7:30PM on a Zoom call / was just library function and camera not on!!). Anyway, adding “REST” category to the elements --- think I may have been a bit aggressive (for my age / fitness level) on intervals. Will see how it goes --- not trying to sandbag here --- actually feeling a bit lame here (but I would guess I am just old and unfit)!! Else, I am feeling great and super energetic and positive!!!

Food – Groceries: Have said before that I LOVE how time in stores / shopping is minimal!! Shopping produce + frozen produce + whatever starch or spice is needed (or sometimes NSA canned). Have implemented regular shopping list that I add to each week – pretty much buy the same things … tracking what is needed throughout week saves time too. So, like a grocery template --- saves more time.

Here are some pics:

Favorite meal!!! Soup, salad, fruit, potato!!! YAY!!!


Roasted veggies!! Love them!!! They go great in salads or on 50/50 plates.


Resurrected the potato waffle / hashbrowns. Great snack with fruit!!! So, also totally LOVING pepper right now!!! (Don’t even tell me if there is something bad about it!!!)


Throwing MWL compliant foods on plate --- Sloppy lentils, corn, sweet potato with veggies – this is awesome!!!


We each have the power to change!!! Believe in yourself!!!

Lastly, love to try to understand what is hip with the kids. My son tells me that folks say “TGIF”… (which I remember more from the 70’s)? Anyway, I have picked a “TGIF” song for him and I play it every Friday after my last meeting (and it makes me TGIF as well!):
“Never gonna not dance again (Never gonna not dance again)
Dance again (Let the music play 'til the end)
Dance again (Never gonna not dance again)
Dance again
Let the music play 'til the end (Hey)
I'm never gonna not dance again
Dance again (Let the music play 'til the end)
Let it play, yeah” --- Pink

Below is Behavioral assessment that I will post to Time & Adherence group for 2/3.

Hi Fellow Team Time & Adherence Travelers,

Yay – we made it to February!!! Boo to the groundhog this year… OMG… he says 6 more weeks of winter. Hope everyone is having an awesome start to the month regardless!

1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Mostly. Only a few meals / snacks that I didn’t preload. Maintaining weight back in range, but not wanting to ride the top or the bottom. Anyway, I have found that I really like to preload breakfast with finger food salad --- so at least this will live on!!!

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. In addition to my standard meals, made an awesome whole wheat spaghetti with roasted veggies, garbanzo beans, and Pomi with Basil. Delicious!!! Also, created a new “recipe” for brown rice and lentils in the oven (which goes great with 50/50 plates)--- made it up:
“Smells Like Stuffing” – Rice & Lentils:
½ cup brown rice
¾ cup lentils
3 cups water
1 chopped small / medium onion
Herbs --- basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary (about 1/8 t. of each)
Garlic powder (used ½ t. but I LOVE garlic)
Black pepper
Poultry seasoning – NSA
Pre-heat oven to 350.
Put all ingredients in 2 qt. casserole dish with cover.
Stir it up!
Bake for 45 min. and then stir it up again.
Bake another 45 min. and EAT!
My husband actually thought I had made stuffing --- and the herbs do make it smell that way – ridiculously aromatic!!!

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. I do totally eat more now and faster, but this is ok.

10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
YES. 6/7 days. Took a rest day that was prudent – so maybe should say no? Anyway, I think I am in the spirit of this.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:
So, celebrated following MWL checklist with increasing adherence for 21 months on Groundhog Day… In all honesty, I feel 21 years younger now and I also would note the following: more energetic, more productive, more positive, more calm, more happy … For me, any challenge in following the Checklist pales in comparison to these benefits. My intention is just to keep on!!!
Thank you a ton to Mark and Jeff for this group!!! Also, much gratitude to fellow participants who never fail to inspire me. Keep going!!!

Hope that everyone has a phenomenal week!!!

Cheers,
Stephanie

[Starflower]

Hey Stephanie!

Very nice week! Your lentil recipe sounds delicious. I’m out of poultry seasoning, but will try it soon. Stuffing is one of my favorite things! Keep up the good work!

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Starflower,

Thanks!! Hope you are having a wonderful week. Enjoy the stuffing (rice & lentils) if you give it a go!!!

Hi Journal!

Not much different with my food this week. Continuing to stick like glue to MWL checklist.

Here are a few pictures:


Picked up these white strawberries --- or Pineberries at Trader Joe’s. They were sitting with a dessert display for Valentine's. Fun choice --- they taste just like regular strawberries.


I cannot get enough of the tomatoes! On the vine, Roma, Kumato, and these “luscious and loveable” grape ones…


Here is a lunch plate with the Smells Like Stuffing brown rice and lentils with some roasted veggies and salad stuff.


My son made the roasted red potatoes again with bell pepper and onion. He spices them with smoked paprika, thyme, and black pepper. Very delicious!


Here is what my typical breakfast still looks like.



Still loving these plates with potatoes and beans (sometimes corn) and veggies. Love to add some salsa.


Here’s salad, fruit, and potato. Had the soup after. Can’t forget the soup!!

Adventures in Exercise:
Have been progressing with the exercise (including the gym habit). Backed off a bit on speed I walk around the track and am deliberately doing a couple of days with intensity a notch down. Have discovered the joy of walking a portion of laps with others and exercising my mouth!!! HA!! Also, the weather took a bit of a nice turn, and I skipped the gym a couple of days to walk from home instead --- which I will also do sometimes when the weather gets nicer. I do love walking OUTSIDE.

For fun:
I picked up a colorful basketball at Target. Spent about 15 minutes after doing track / stepmill shooting (or trying to shoot) free throws and doing some dribbling drills. Funny thing --- there aren’t many females EVER in the basketball area. So, one guy actually thought that I was an exercise instructor coming to set up for class --- hilarious!!

Have signed up for 4 Deep water running classes --- 2 are next week so more to come. Hoping this will be fun --- TBD (if not, I will bail!).

Finally, joined our community Pickleball club --- which is not a place to play, but a community of folks with different activities, etc. Anyway, will have my first mentoring session in the next few weeks --- looking forward to this. I will have to see how to incorporate this into my life as in general the indoor play is available in the middle of the afternoon only around here (and I am working).


Here my new colorful basketball…


Not sure how accurate this is but found this chart of faces on Perceived Rate of Exertion. Love the faces!!!

Have also made progress on a couple of other intentions for 2023.

Took a mindfulness class this week which was well-done by the most mellow guy ever. Took away a couple of things --- 1) your mind is like an untrained puppy, so learn to leverage it in your favor and 2) sometimes you can use mindfulness / meditation to cope --- doesn’t mean all is ok or ever will be.

Also, haven’t found yet (or looked that hard to be honest) a community volunteer opportunity. However, I have arranged to mentor a group at work and help to put together a few sessions to promote career development and project management skills.

Below is Behavioral assessment that I will post to Time & Adherence group for 2/10.

Hi Team Time & Adherence,

Hope everyone is enjoying the week! All great here, just a bit busy (but pretty calm and focused --- thanks to following this checklist) … Looking forward to a fun and relaxing weekend!! Planning to watch Rihanna in the Half-time show on Sunday. Hoping she performs “Lift Me Up” --- song gives me the chills.

1 Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
Yes for breakfast and dinner. No for lunch.

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. Loving oatmeal (sometimes buckwheat) with frozen fruit and banana for breakfast. Also, I am really happy to eat “a plate” usually with potato, sweet potato, beans, corn --- combined with lettuce, tomato, onion --- sometimes cucumber or pepper or roasted veggies --- sometimes with some salsa. Again, had split pea soup at least once a day (yes, every day). Still keeping refrigerator stocked with starches and fruit / veggies – very easy to grab a snack or a meal.

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.

10 Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
YES. 7/7 days. Have re-discovered my exercise mojo.

Victories, comments, concerns, questions:

Thanks, Mark for your awesome feedback and support!

Waving a big “HI” to everyone --- appreciate all of you.

Some food for thought :

'"The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard but must be felt with the heart.” --- Helen Keller

Hope everyone has a fabulous Valentine’s Day!!! (Still searching for that LOVE emoji!!!)

Best,
Stephanie

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi Journal!!!

I have to admit that I am feeling a bit lonely here in the McD Journal forum (like I was the last person who posted and it was a few days ago)… If you are thinking about doing a journal and not sure… just do it!!! Is fun and helpful!!! Seriously… why not???
Here are a few pictures from my week...


If you are feeling bad about yourself because of trouble with adherence, check out this exercise on self-acceptance. This skill was critical to me for moving forward. Simple exercise you can do that may help you to think through things and adjust (food for thought) --- hope it does help.


Today’s grocery haul!!! OMG --- even got some different tomatoes!!! Also, had run out of pinto beans --- so, re-stocking!!! Went to the International Grocery --- they have lots of cool things. I am trying “daikon” which I have never had before.


Friday night I roasted some veggies (mushrooms not pictured) --- this is so easy and tastes great!!!


OK, well roasted potatoes rule. Microwaved 12 of them and then roasted.


Today was like 50 degrees --- like Spring!!! I love to go outside and watch the birds!! Kind of a crummy picture, but listened to this cardinal sing… Love to use Merlin app and play song back to the bird!!! He was a bit dumbfounded …


Salad, fruit, potato!!! I had split pea soup after… Seriously, favorite meal and so easy.


I do not really love going to restaurants, but I do love to socialize!!! Anyway, walked with my son to local bar and grill and had only “compliant” food --- 2 side salads. Had a couple of roasted potatoes when we came back home.


This is standard oatmeal breakfast, but with dragon fruit and mango (CRAZY, yeah?)… Anyway, I still can’t decide how much I like the taste of dragon fruit, but it is a wonderful color --- so I keep small frozen bag of it!!!

Adventures in Exercise: For this week, I am signed up for Deep water running on Tues and Thurs and for Indoor cycling on Wed. Both are new classes to me and I am excited to check them out!!! Incredibly, I have put on some calf muscle!!! OMG --- seriously!!! So, this is confirmed by 3 different pairs of “skinny” (cut) jeans that are now snug in the calf (and I couldn’t have shrunk them all in the wash)!!! (Not where I normally store fat, so assuming it is muscle!!!)… Anyway, did not test body fat or take measurements or anything of the sort --- not sure what good would come of that and not changing what I am doing… But pretty amazing anyway!!! Also, I have progressed fairly well on the stepmill / balance thing with primarily not touching rails at all … Progress!!! I will be honest here though --- kind of don't love the stepmill and have spotted folks going across the street outside to walk real stairs --- I will join that when weather gets a bit nicer!!

So, anyone out there… just keep going!!! My most amazing outcome from McDougalling / following MWL / JeffN checklist is feeling FANTASTIC!!! Can’t bottle that up!!!

Cheers,
Stephanie  

[wildgoose]

Stephanie, I’m a big fan of the "Perfect Personality" lecture too. The thing is, all the personality traits that may seem negative have a very strong positive component.

For example, openness and extroversion, along with lower stability, may make you what Doug Lisle would call a "flake." BUT those very characteristics give you a creative, fun-loving spirit that makes you shine wherever you are. Look at your joy in sharing fabulous, inspiring food pictures, your enthusiastic responses on the boards, your way of laughing at yourself and with others. All wonderful traits.

You’re also conscientious. That means you keep showing up, you stick with the program, and you don’t let that creativity and extroversion lead you astray. Especially when you’re a social person (so often a big problem for those trying to live this life).

Then there’s the disagreeable part. Embrace it! It will save you from all the bubbly friends who say "oh, you gotta try this…it's fabulous!" (right, fabulous as in big ticket right into the Pleasure Trap). It will let you not care when you’re the only one in a group who is "different." It will help to stabilize your instability.

The positive side of disagreeable, especially when combined with conscientious, is determined, persistent, and yes, stubborn (in my mind, that’s a plus, especially for an extrovert who’s open to experience). All good things.

You’ve proven that your personality can be just as perfect, as long as you adjust your environment to work with it, not against it. That’s another Doug Lisle maxim, work harder on your environment than you do on yourself. You can’t change your personality, but you can certainly change your environment.

Well done!

Goose

[VegSeekingFit]

Thank you a gazillion, Wildgoose for your thoughtful and fantastic post here. It means a lot to me because I look up to you as a "real person" who is walking the walk and doing this way of life. I am so inspired by you, all that you have accomplished, and what you share with us all... Much appreciated!!!

Also, I have stated (maybe last week?) that you are wise!!! I totally resonate with stubborn ... because I have been called that forever... Maybe you as well??

Anyway, THANK YOU ... Hope that you have an amazing week!!!

Best,
Stephanie

[Starflower]

Hey Stephanie!

Thanks for sharing the screen about self-compassion. I really needed that. The forum has been quiet. I hope it will pick up more soon. Anyway, I wanted to let you know your post helped me. Have a wonderful day!