pootsy - I love Sweet Potato Beginnings! I'm glad you are all stocked up, and you found a couple of new MWL recipes to enjoy. Did anything in particular contribute to this week's challenges to adhere to the MWL 10-Point Checklist? Way to go leaving those struggles behind, and immediately getting started refocusing on continued adherence.
josietheschnauzer - Excellent! That soup sounds great! I totally agree with you that "toasting" the spices can really make a noticeable difference for Indian inspired recipes. My personal favorite is Cauliflower Dal. Postprandial walks are a great way to get in some exercise, too. See you soon!
Abe - It feels so wonderful when adhering to MWL becomes routine and gets easy! I would expect that as you continue to adhere to the guidelines and keep demonstrating to yourself that you can navigate those big family dinners successfully, eventually those occasions will feel easy, too (but it definitely takes some time for those immediate temptations to exert less of a pull, I think).
jan_npr - That seems like a pretty excellent week of progress to me! When I'm feeling anxious or nervous about a particular occasion (or upcoming decision), I usually take that as a sign to stop and really "play through" how things might go. Is there a decision or adjustment you could make that wasn't a "cheat" or that would serve to ameliorate your nervousness, while still allowing you to celebrate that momentous birthday with your husband?
Ejg - Great attention to focusing on the 50/50 plate and way to go nixing the olive oil! One really handy aspect of using the checklist - it helps to pinpoint exactly the changes in behavior we can make to see continued improvement. There's no need to use a tracking app, eat when hungry in the manner outlined by the checklist, and the results follow. Regarding nutritional yeast:
Mark Cooper wrote:Another ingredient to use with care - nutritional yeast. Jeff covers the topic here - nutritional yeast is ~1700 calories / lb (just as calorie dense as sugar), so if one were to choose to use it, it should be used very sparingly - I would limit consumption to less than 2 Tbsp in a given day.
abible - Hang in there, Tony! It seems like that helping of rich food may have put you in a Pleasure Trap situation. In Dr. Lisle's article on Cravings - How They Work and How to Manage Them, he discusses this exact scenario -
Your plan to concentrate on satisfying any hunger with adherent meals is an excellent approach, and it is probably wise to be mindful that it may take some time before the "pull" of those salty, calorie-rich items feels less influential.When you are struggling, you can begin to notice that your cheats tend to come in little streaks. If you have a cheat on Monday, then for the next several days the image of that cheat is forceful since it is very clear in your memory. But if you don’t indulge that cheat again for a couple of weeks, the images start to decay in your memory and lose a lot of their power. It can be hard to start a good streak, but well worth it. The people who have the best “willpower” hardly use it at all, since they have rid themselves of their cheats quickly. Keep this in mind the next time you are thinking about skipping a little indulgence and living clean for the day – because you don’t just win at that moment. You also make tomorrow easier to live healthy and well.
squealcat - It is interesting how quickly "mostly" doing things right can flip to "mostly not," right? I imagine doing really well with exercise felt rewarding, though. Good for you - you picked yourself up and got back to working on the appropriate behavior changes. Whenever you start feeling hungry, just turn right to the checklist.
wstokes - Kudos! How did you enjoy that workout?
rlechols - What a fantastic week, Rachel! It sounds like you are doing really well! That chickpea salad you describe does sound delicious. Carry on!
Judy_Bell - Congratulations on that nice loss and approaching your initial goal! Would getting out for a 30 minute walk (perhaps after a meal as josietheschnauzer mentioned this week) be something that could fit into your day? Jeff's Fast Food Burgers are really delicious and might work as an option to try for your next holiday cookout. Enjoy those soups!
AmandaSue - That is great that you are happy with how the week progressed! Feeling satisfied and enjoying the food is so important. You are so right that having food pre-prepared and available is extremely helpful. With continued progress on those areas where there is opportunity for further improvement, I would imagine you will continue to see encouraging results. Just to confirm - that change in weight is -3 lbs, correct?