Nov 09 MWL Anniversary! ON PLAN, PLANNING TO STAY THAT WAY!

[nomikins]

You are all to be congratulated. 1500 pounds - ain't nothing to sneeze at, for sure. Learning what works, staying on plan, sometimes not, fall off the wagon, get right back on. Don't give up. We're getting it.

I've been familiar with Dr. McDougall's work for over 15 years. I hit my lifetime high of 230 over ten years ago. A scare with IBS helped lead me to seeking dietary healing over drugs (and did cure my IBS). Lost forty pounds following McDougall's guidelines and got a bit cocky. Vegetarian style SAD and too much alcohol helped to add back about 20 of those pounds. Got those off again and a few more. At 187, I'm at my lowest weight in about three years.

Luckily, I'm overall pretty healthy. I am fairly active, I run/walk (16 half marathons and a full marathon, doing another full marathon in three weeks - yikes). I have been doing CrossFit workouts since January. Resting pulse is under 60 BPM. No problems with BP or other lifestyle diseases. I'm just FAT.

I have posted in this thread in the past, but I had to stop because I got too caught up with "diet" mentality and then didn't eat enough. I did a modified version of MM last week and felt great, so that's what I plan to do. Really, it's a combo of MM/MWL. Local sweet potatoes are now in full swing, and they are delicious. So, I'll be enjoying oatmeal for breakfast, sweet potatoes and broccoli for lunch, and soup or more sweet spuds and veggie for dinner (or perhaps one of the latest newsletter recipes). Some fruit here and there. This has really freed up a lot of time in the kitchen. I really love to cook, but it's nice not thinking about what I'm going to cook all day.

My goal is to drop 3-5 more pounds by November 19. I'd like to be under 185 when we travel to New Jersey to spend Thanksgiving with my family. November 22 is the Philadelphia Marathon. A person can shave 20 seconds off each mile for every five pounds lost. That would be swell!

I wish you all the best. Your stories are all exceptionally inspirational, from those who have lost over 100 pounds to those who have significantly less to lose. Keep up the good work, and let's all do our part to end this year with a BANG!

nomikins - on plan and planning to stay that way!

[LauraA]

LET'S FINISH STRONG-
THERE ARE 59 DAYS LEFT IN 2009!

The countdown goes on! How is everyone doing? I'm with lots of family, having a great time. Eating is really going fine - I find that I'm not really thinking about it at all. I just have lots of quick foods here that I can grab. When I'm out, if there's not much that I can eat, I'll just get a salad. Anyway, I'm thinking of all of you. Take care, LauraA

[LauraA]

I am so excited about all the post that I've read and know that I want to be a part of the MWL Support Group. I need all the support I can get. I came back to McDougall's MWL plan to lose weight on October 19, 2009, after a about a year of being off the program.

Letha has been an inspiration to me in just a few days, since returing and Letha can I really look forward to being rid of acid reflux??? I want to be rid of it forever!

Amyla51, the charm bracelet is a wonderful idea and one that I had never considered. I remember (without) dating myself having a charm bracelet many years ago and loved it. Also, thank you for speaking about having the tendency to back off when things are not going well, because I have the same tendency, but I do not want that to stop me from getting healthy and off of medication this time around. You see when I was last on the program I was not on any meds, but since not being on the program I've been on meds since June of 08 and I don't like it.

LauraA thank you for the thread and reading your post to the 1st anniversary of the MWL group. We all need support and I am reading that support is what you all do and I, too will support each of you as we travel this journey together.

I started my exercise program this morning! I started exercising on the first Monday in June 09 and walked four days a week at the local track and walked up until three weeks ago and I did not walk at all, but I started this am and I'm excited and want to continue four days a week however, I'm not at the track but walking with Leslie Sansone at home

Thank you all and I will join this Thursday. I need to belong to this group

FaithLady09

Hi, and welcome to our group! We all need your support, and are glad that you need ours as well. We can all do this together! Take care, LauraA

[LauraA]

Good morning, I'm in for November!
Thank you to everyone who helps keep this forum up and running! I love our count down from Laura and our weigh ins from Letha and recently mairead!
I'm fairly quite in here but have been weighing in/posting since January 09'. Great job everyone! See you on weigh in day!!

That's great - you've almost got a year here yourself! Keep up the great work. Take care, LauraA

[LauraA]

Well, today I started my new job, so it seems fitting that I am also going to start posting on this November thread. Don't have much time today to post more, but I certainly need everyone's support.

Hi, and good luck with the new job! I'll send you a message in a few days - I'm in NY, but have a million relatives here this week. Take care, LauraA

[LauraA]

Wow! 1500 pounds gone! Great job!

I'm in for November as well! I just re-started McDougalling 4 weeks ago. Right now I'm doing Mary's mini - two more days, Tues. And Wed. Then I'm going to do the MWL as close to 100% as possible.



Connie

Welcome - so many are having great success with Mary's Mini! we're glad that you are here. Take care, LauraA

[kirstykay]

I'm on plan and planning on staying that way. I have to get some bloodwork this morning, so I'm fasting until then. It feels weird to get up and not have my hashbrowns! I'm planning on having them when I get home from the Dr.
Lunch will be soup I made yesterday.
Dinner, oven fries and a large mixed green and veggie salad.
Apples for snacks...they are soooo good right now!

Hope everyone has a great day!!

Kirsty

[Letha..]

Welcome Connie, Kirstykay, & FaithLady09. It’s also good to see Nomikins, Felini & Debable posting here. The more people the better! You gals got me thinking about charm bracelets and I don’t own a single piece of jewelry. I just love this group.

I’m doing well today. On plan and planning to stay that way. Hope everyone is having a great week.
Letha

[Della Street]

Yesterday was a good day for me. I'm doing Mary's Mini and the only thing I found was that I needed to add was an extra meal because I got hungry quicker. I ended up microwaving a couple of small potatoes around 7:00 pm last night and I was fine.

I felt lighter when I woke up this morning. Couldn't resist the temptation to step on my scale (trying to hold out until weighing day on Thursday) and it looks like I'm down a pound.

Thank God for potates and for my crock pots.

[Faith in DC]

Della - now that it's getting near Thanksgiving, pick up some of those small potatoes. You usually can get them in white, red, or gold (even others) and keep them on hand. I usually steam mine and put them in a container for a snack. they are great - even cold.

[Letha..]

Checking in. I’m on plan and planning to stay that way.
Letha

[raven]

I started MWL on June 12th, 2009. I lost a size in both my pants, from Large to Medium, and tops, from XL to L.

I totally followed MWL for the first month, then i added back tea, as i was sleeping a lot more, and i really needed to work. I have slowly cut my tea intake down and so far am only sleeping a little more. After two months, i tried adding back a feast day once a week, and i went through a grieving period where i thought a lot about the food i couldn't eat anymore. But after about another two months, just when i thought i wouldn't be able to pull out of it, i started keeping a journal in the journal forum, and that quickly and solidly got me back on track.

I have tried and failed too many times to say for sure that i am totally going to be on plan from now on, but i feel really solidly on plan.

I don't seem to have the addiction that so many of us have to the occasional McDougall richer food, where if i eat any at all, i eat all there is, so i am cooking that once a week. I am lucky enough to have good friends who like my cooking that i can give any leftovers to, so i quickly get them out of the house, just in case. But my problem has been liking a little fat, a little sugar in everything i eat. In all the time i have been trying to follow The McDougall Program, i never much liked the food. But i now do, after 5 weeks of eating MWL.

My ticker shows the weight i have lost on MWL, but over all, i have lost 43 pounds from my top weight of 213.5, and most of it i lost by eating low fat vegan food as McDougall recommends.

This group has been such a great support. I spent the first about 20 years of following McDougall totally alone, and it was often very rough going. It is much easier to do something when you are not alone! Thank you to everyone for being there, and best to luck to all of us... may we lose another 1000 pounds or more in the coming year!

[kirstykay]

On plan and planning on staying that way. Day 10 of my MM and going strong. I won't weigh in until Friday, but I'll post then what the scale says.

Hope everyone has a great day!

[Mommylut]

Something of a success! Although I haven't been all that great of late - I found myself putting jelly on my bagel to take with me to work this morning. After I got all finished, I threw it in the garbage and took some oatmeal instead.

[toadfood]

Hi gang! I've been having a good week. I hope you all are, too. I'm on plan and planning to stay that way.