Marla's CRON-o-meter Chronicle

[WeeSpeck]

Hi Marla,

Your last post is a keeper. It just got saved on my computer in my health directory along with all the many other jewels I've read in these forums over the years. I don't know how you do it, but I feel like you are inside my head and reading my thoughts and understanding my challenges.

I plan to convert your top 10 reasons for why you gain weight into weekly challenges that build on the next. I am finding incremental goals are working quite well for me right now.

I hope you continue to journal and share your insights. You are helping at least one McDougaller stay aligned and find their inner resolve.

Thank you!

[Marla]

I am finding incremental goals are working quite well for me right now.

Hi Nancy, I like hearing about what is working! Thank you for the reminder that small, incremental goals can move us forward. I am guilty at times of only looking at the BIG goal, but not being able to connect the dots that would allow me to achieve it. Breaking the end goal down into smaller, achievable steps is something that I need to work on.

When you mentioned saving my Top 10 Reasons to your "health directory" on your computer, it reminded me that I have some similar posts saved also. I didn't base my list on these, but there is some overlap. Maybe they would be helpful to someone, so I'll post them here:

Not Losing Weight on a Plant-Based (Vegan) Diet? Here's Why by Lindsay Nixon (Happy Herbivore)
Stuck in a Rut? by Engine 2 Team

It's been a challenge for me to get real with myself about how I sometimes sabotage my own efforts. Hopefully being more aware of the pitfalls will trigger me to recognize what I'm doing (and more importantly, stop myself before I do it).

[Marla]

Update: April 1-April 6

I've decided to continue updating this thread every week, until I reach my weight goal.

Weight change this week: down 1 pound to 127.4, BMI 21.7 .

It's been a week since I stopped logging my food in the CRON-o-meter. I decided to continue keeping a food journal, so that I will hopefully be able to spot any worrying changes in my habits. I think I have been eating more calories since I stopped weighing my food. Below is my weekly intake; my overall pattern has remained the same, but I've highlighted items that I may need to keep a closer eye on. Some of the highlighted items were on plan, but were "recreational" (unnecessary) eating. Other items were not on plan (coffee and wine), or were technically on plan but not good choices for weight loss (baked tortilla chips, dates).

Food Log

April 1, Tuesday (my CRON-o-meter project ran through March 31)
6:30a
Coffee, 3/4 c. soymilk, 2 sugar cubes
12:45p
Giant green salad w/one ounce of walnut Caesar dressing (normal)
Japanese sweet potato
Decaf black tea, 1/4 c. soymilk, stevia
6:45p
Lentil-millet loaf
Mashed potatoes
Chickpea gravy
Cabbage, asparagus
8:00p
Mango, kiwi

April 2, Wednesday
6:30a
Roastaroma tea, 1/4 c. soymilk, stevia
12:45p
Giant green salad w/one ounce of walnut Caesar dressing (normal)
Japanese sweet potato
Decaf black tea, 1/4 c. soymilk, stevia
7:00p
Enchilada casserole
Broccoli
Cauliflower
8:00p
Herbal tea

April 3, Thursday
6:30a
Roastaroma tea, 1/4 c. soymilk, stevia
12:45p
Giant green salad w/one ounce of walnut Caesar dressing (normal)
Japanese sweet potato
Decaf black tea, 1/4 c. soymilk, stevia
3:30p
Pear
3 tangerines
Topchips oil-free microwave potato chips (one potato's worth)
This was "nervous eating" while dealing with stressful news.
5:30p
Enchilada casserole (from freezer)
Zucchini
Broccoli
7:00p
Grapes (at board meeting)
10:00pm
Dates (about 5 small)
Herbal tea

April 4, Friday
6:30a
Coffee, 3/4 c. soymilk, 2 sugar cubes
12:30p
Giant green salad w/one ounce of walnut Caesar dressing (normal)
Oil-free roast potatoes w/ketchup
Decaf black tea, 1/4 c. soymilk, stevia
4:00p
Roasted chestnuts (about 5)
Chestnuts are considered a low-fat starch, not a nut, but I was not hungry and didn't need to eat them.
5:30p
2 glasses wine
My adult son bought us a bottle of red wine to say "thanks" for something we did for him. He wanted to take us out to dinner, but I declined....so I got wine. I know I didn't have to drink it.
Thai tacos
Broccoli, mushrooms, red bell pepper
7:30p
Apple, 2 tangerines

April 5, Saturday
6:30a
Roastaroma tea, 1/4 c. soymilk, stevia
12:30p
Giant green salad w/one ounce of walnut Caesar dressing (normal)
Japanese sweet potato
Decaf black tea, 1/4 c. soymilk, stevia
5:30p
Lentil tacos
Green beans
Spinach
7:30p
Apple, 2 tangerines

April 6, Sunday
7:45a
Coffee, 3/4 c. soymilk, 2 sugar cubes
12:30p
Giant green salad w/one ounce of walnut Caesar dressing (normal)
Japanese sweet potato
Decaf black tea, 1/4 c. soymilk, stevia
5p
Homemade baked corn tortilla chips & mango salsa (~4 tortillas)
7p
Baked Yukon gold potato
Chef AJ's lentil chili
Collards
Cauliflower
Carrots
8:30p
Herbal tea

Activity

I did my 5 mile walk every day during this period, but didn't get my evening walk on some of the days. My average energy expenditure was 2,070 calories. I still can't get over how much exercise it takes just to burn 2,000 calories a day!

[Marla]

I found an interesting clip from a documentary on YouTube and wanted to share.

It seems that I'm not the only one who wants to blame my metabolism for why I have trouble losing weight. In this clip from the BBC documentary How to Be Slim, they look at the phenomenon of people who can seemingly eat whatever they want and stay skinny, vs. people who are "naturally" heavier.

[6:49-14:19] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iHq54kjN1qg#t=6m49s

They investigate two friends, Becky and Jo; both friends believe that the skinny one (who is 10 kiolos underweight) eats much more, including lots of junk food throughout the day, and can't put on weight, while the overweight one (10 kilos overweight) doesn't eat as much. Guess what -- their perceptions are incorrect. Both women undergo metabolic testing, and both are given "doubly labeled water," which contains isotopes that help track how many calories they consume. To their surprise, the overweight woman is actually consuming 50% more than her thin friend. And there is nothing wrong with her metabolism -- in fact, she is burning more calories than her friend. They thought the thin woman must have a faster metabolism, but hers was actually slower, burning fewer calories per day than the overweight woman (primarily because she weighed less).

The conclusion?

The hard truth is, if you're overweight, you've taken in more energy in your food than your body has used. It's not your metabolism. If you're fat, you just eat too much.

Doug Lisle has an explanation for why some people overeat. In his lecture How to Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind, he discusses how the nutrient sensors in our gut, which detect fat, sugar, and protein, perform a calorie density analysis on the food we eat. In some people, there are more nutrient receptors, and thus their body is able to correctly "count calories" when they eat high-fat, high-sugar, or processed foods. They might feel full from one candy bar or a small hamburger, and stop eating. But they are freaks of nature; for the vast majority, when we eat calorie-dense foods instead of our natural diet of whole plant foods, we can't judge how much energy we've consumed and we don't know when to stop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAdqLB6bTuQ#t=48m16s

[48:16]
If you have a weight problem, all I know is your diet is too concentrated. I don't need to know anything else about you.

He goes on to tell a story of a client who was following a standard McDougall diet, and was still 15-20 pounds overweight. He asked her to do an experiment in lowering the calorie density of her food.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAdqLB6bTuQ#t=55m14s]

[55:14]
We're not doing this for life. I just want you to run an experiment. I want you to know what it feels like to get there, and then you're there, and then you can can decide from there what it is that you want to do. But I want you to know that this is possible -- that you don't have something wrong with you, that you can eat as much as you want and that's where you'll go.

4 months later, she decided she was too thin and had to add a little concentrated food back into her diet.

I would like to think that I am running a similar experiment, to find out what is possible for me and what kind of diet I need to eat to get to a lower BMI. After 3+ months, I think that focusing on reducing the overall calorie density of my diet, and eating my veggies first, has been the most effective change I've ever made.



(screenshot from Doug's lecture)

[Marla]

Update: April 7-April 13

Weight change this week: up .6 of a pound to 128, BMI 21.8.

I'm finding this very interesting! I haven't knowingly changed anything about my eating or my activity levels since the end of my CRON-o-meter project, but my weight hasn't gone down (to speak of) since April 1. My monthly cycle started a couple of days ago, which may be confounding the results this week, but I think it's fair to say that my progress has at the very least slowed down. I lost weight at a consistent pace in January, February, and March while weighing all my food and logging it into the CRON-o-meter, but it seems that just keeping a food diary isn't having the same beneficial effect on my habits.

Looking at my Fitbit report, my daily energy expenditure has gone down a little bit, but not that much. In March I was expending 2,200-2,300 calories per day, and in the first two weeks of April I've been burning about 2,000-2,100. So reduced activity (and reduced calorie burn due to lower body mass) may account for up to a 200 calorie per day difference in my total energy balance. The rest must be coming from food.

I am still eating the same very large portions of raw and cooked vegetables before I eat my starches. I am still eating two meals per day. My lunches haven't changed at all. So the areas that seem to have changed -- not much, but it doesn't take much! -- are:

--slightly larger portions of the starchy "main dish" at dinnertime
--occasional eating between or after meals, usually fruit or leftovers
--slightly increased consumption of flour products (still small amounts, but more than before)
--slight increase in number of coffees per week
--slight increase in number of glasses of wine per week

All of this would be imperceptible without my food diary. I would be sitting here scratching my head and wondering why I've stopped losing weight.

Below, I've highlighted items that may need more attention, and made some notes. The highlighted items are not necessarily "bad," but they are different from how I was eating in March, and I think they hold the key. My plan for this week is to put a stop to the between-meal noshing, to put a complete ban on coffee and alcohol, and to stop and think before I consume any calorie-dense foods like bread or baked tortilla chips.

I still can't get over how minor and easily forgettable these things were, and yet they seem to be having a big effect on my progress. This is a such a learning experience for me.

Food Log

April 7, Monday
5:15a
Roastaroma tea, 1/4 c. soymilk, stevia
12:30p
Roasted broccoli, Brussels sprouts and mushrooms w/ nutritional yeast and garlic powder
Japanese sweet potato
Bengal spice herbal tea, 1/4 c. soymilk
5:30p
Homemade baked corn tortilla chips & mango salsa (~4 tortillas)
6:30p
Cauliflower
Spinach
Large baked Yukon gold potato
Chef AJ's lentil chili
Felt overstuffed after half of the potato/chili but kept eating until plate was clean. Should have stopped but was enjoying the taste.
8:00p
Mango, 2 tangerines
ate fruit despite being quite full already.

April 8, Tuesday
6:30a
Coffee, 3/4 c. soymilk, 2 sugar cubes
12:30p
Massaged kale salad (fat free) w/added beets
Crudites (celery, cherry tomatoes, carrots)
Japanese sweet potato
Bengal spice tea, 1/4 c. soymilk
6:30p
Homemade whole wheat chapatis (3)
These are healthy, but not good for weight loss. I need to stick with whole, intact foods.
Spicy-sweet tomato chutney
This is a condiment used in small amounts, but the recipe contains sugar, and I scooped up a bit too much of it on my chapatis.
Broccoli
Asparagus
Aloo Palak (potato and spinach curry)
Brown rice
My portions of curry and rice were a little larger than they needed to be. It was so good though!
8:00p
Banana-oat-walnut breakfast cookies (3)
I make these for my son out of oats, bananas, applesauce, etc. These had some walnuts also. No added sugar. They were freshly baked and they called to me....I know better than to eat them though. Grrr.
Leftover brown rice with splash of soymilk and drizzle of maple syrup
Why did I eat this??

April 9, Wednesday
6:30a
Roastaroma tea, 1/4 c. soymilk, stevia
12:30p
Giant green salad w/ walnut Caesar dressing (normal)
Japanese sweet potato
Decaf black tea, 1/4 c. soymilk, stevia
6:45p
Homemade whole wheat chapatis (2)
Spicy-sweet tomato chutney
See comments about chapatis and chutney above.
Cauliflower
Red cabbage
Aloo Palak (spinach and potato curry)
Brown rice
6:30p
Half a banana-oat-walnut breakfast cookie
8:00p
Small apple
2 tangerines
A few spoonfuls of leftover rice with a splash of soymilk and drizzle of maple syrup
Handful of raisins
Eating this the night before made me crave it again. I love rice with soymilk and sweetener....but I didn't need it.

April 10, Thursday
6:30a
Roastaroma tea, 1/4 c. soymilk, stevia
12:30p
Giant green salad w/ walnut Caesar dressing (normal)
Japanese sweet potato
Decaf black tea, 1/4 c. soymilk, stevia
2:00p
Small apple (at movies with friend)
Nothing wrong with this as a movie snack, but I am highlighting it because it is an instance of between-meal eating.
4:30p
Herbal tea w/stevia (at Starbucks with friend)
7:00p
Asparagus
Broccoli
1 Starchburger, curry flavor
1 Tablespoon tomato chutney
Eaten this way I feel the chutney was okay; it was used very sparingly.
Baked potato wedges w/ ketchup and mustard
8:00p
Bowl of mixed fruit (pear, mango, strawberries)

April 11, Friday
6:30a
Coffee, 3/4 c. soymilk, 2 sugar cubes
12:30p
Giant green salad w/ walnut Caesar dressing (normal)
Oil-free roast potatoes w/ bbq sauce
Bengal spice herbal tea, 1/4 c. soymilk, stevia
8:00p
Steamed beet greens
Cauliflower
Vegetable chowder
1 slice toasted ww bread ("Dave's Killer Bread")
This bread is on-plan (no oil) but I could have done without it.
1 glass white wine
10:00p
Herbal tea

April 12, Saturday
6:30a
Roastaroma tea, 1/4 c. soymilk, stevia
12:30p
Giant green salad w/ walnut Caesar dressing (normal)
Japanese sweet potato
Bengal spice herbal tea, 1/4 c. soymilk, stevia
7:00p (at potluck)
Small bowl of green salad w/ small drizzle of walnut Caesar dressing
Steamed broccoli (lots)
Half a baked yukon gold w/ lentil chili
1 small slice whole wheat sourdough
I can't be too hard on myself about this; there was so much tempting CRAP at this potluck, but I ate all my own food that I brought, except for this one little piece of whole wheat sourdough about the size of my palm. Still, it all adds up.
2 cups mixed fruit (pineapple, mango, tangerine, strawberries)
1 glass wine
11:00p (back home)
Herbal tea

April 13, Sunday
8:00a
Coffee, 3/4 c. soymilk, 2 sugar cubes
12:30p
Giant green salad w/ walnut Caesar dressing (normal)
Japanese sweet potato
Decaf black tea, 1/4 c. soymilk, stevia
Strawberries
Our local strawberry stands opened this weekend, and we bought a flat of 6 heaped-up baskets. So I ate loads of strawberries on Sunday. If we didn't eat them all, they'd go bad....
4:00p
More strawberries
Small leftover sweet potato
This was just opportunistic eating.
7:30p
Steamed red cabbage
Spinach
Vegetable chowder
1 glass wine
8:30p
Strawberries
Herbal tea

Activity

[smudgemom]

Love your detail....I've shared your journal with so many people. It is a head-scratcher since you walk so much. Can I ask.....does your job allow you the walking....do you walk a little bit all day or 6 miles all at once? That's a lot of hoofin'!!

[lifeisgreat]

As I said before I enjoyed your journal so much. To me it proved what beautiful meals can be prepared and still get all the nutrients we need. I still think that were not all created equal as far as losing and gaining. Dr. Campbell mentioned that there are some people who have to exercise more and eat less than other people. I am one of them. I have 15 extra pounds that I've never lost. I' am 75 years old. I do not want to be restricted to the point of discomfort in order to make everybody happy with me looking thin. I have regained my health after being totally disabled. I have gone back to college got a degree at 6o years old, and that is enough for me. Yet I have been insulted at McDougall events because they can't believe I've been doing it this for so long and still look like a little short round woman. The dog world has greyhounds, Bulldogs. labs , and Chihuahuas. Why on earth do we think that I a bulldog should look like a Chihuahua. I know you said you lost the first 70 pounds doing regular program. I think it's really important for newcomers to know that that's a possibility. I don't fault you for wanting to be perfect, but I think I think you're beautiful just the way you are. Your spirit shine through your posting. I hope you don't feel criticized in anyway I just wanted to add more food for thought.

[Veganrocks]

What a nice post Lifeisgreat!! Congrats to you, on all your success!!

[Marla]

Smudgemom, thanks for reading. I am glad you don't find the detail off-putting. I need it, because otherwise I easily forget exactly what I did to get whatever results I'm getting. The only downside to a food diary (as opposed to a full CRON report) is that it doesn't convey the portion sizes, but at least it shows what I'm eating and when.

I *would* have been scratching my head over the sudden slowing of weight loss if I didn't have this record. As it is, I can see what I did. I (unintentionally) reduced my exercise by a couple hundred calories a day, and (unintentionally) increased my caloric intake by about 300 calories a day with some between-meal eating, slightly larger portions, and a few extra coffees and glasses of wine during the week. A net change of 500 calories per day translates to about a pound of body weight a week. So, no mystery here....just surprise at how easy it was to let my energy intake creep back up while not consciously changing anything.

To answer your exercise question, right now I am able to make time for a 5 mile walk/run first thing every morning, as well as a 20-minute walk before dinner most evenings. That's where my exercise comes from. The rest of the time I am pretty sedentary. It does take some effort and schedule-crunching to get the walking in, but I figure people make time for watching tv, recreational shopping, going on Facebook, etc. so why can't I make time for walking?

Lifeisgreat, I appreciate your comment so much. Regaining your health and going back to college....wow, those are amazing accomplishments. It hurts me to hear that people have been critical of you at WFPB events. I know what it is like because it has happened to me too, and to others I know. Last year an acquaintance of mine gave me a button that says "never trust a fat vegan." It was supposed to be "motivational" for me. I thought it was in very poor taste, and it highlighted for me how strangers (even in our own plant-based community) perceive those of us with weight issues. Chef AJ faced this kind of criticism in the past, and I think that Susan V of fatfreevegan.com has been bashed for her weight also. It is unkind and completely uncalled for.

I agree, too, that some of us do have to exercise more and eat less in order to keep our weight under control. Anyone who is a small-framed female, approaching menopause or past it, has her work cut out for her. If she only burns (let's say) 1300 calories a day, it is challenging to design an eating plan that is satisfying at that level. In my own case, I did this experiment and proved to myself that my metabolism is normal compared to other women of my weight and age. But that still means that I don't burn many calories compared to someone who is male, younger, taller, heavier, or more muscular. Even compared to my own self over a decade ago when I lost my initial 70 pounds, I am older now and have less muscle mass, so I can't eat as much as I did then. Also, my 70 pound loss never got me all the way to a low-normal BMI, and my weight has not been stable over the years (it always creeps up, until it reaches a point where I have to do something about it; then I lose some weight; then it creeps up again....over and over). I am just tired of that cycle and am searching for a way to tweak my McDougall diet so that I can remain stable at a lower weight. It is clear to me that I am going to have to give up certain things I enjoy, maybe forever, to achieve that. But I am hoping that, in the same way I've adapted to other changes and now find those habits "normal," I will get used to this too. I am not looking for perfection, but I am looking for the best health possible, and I am also looking to get off the gain-lose-gain-lose rollercoaster, because I have better things to do with my life than worry about managing my weight all the time. Like you, I am not willing to restrict to the point of discomfort (no way am I starving myself), so I need to find an eating pattern that satisfies me while allowing me to realize my weight and health goals too. It's a tall order, huh? Thanks again for your words of wisdom and for sharing your inspirational example.

[lifeisgreat]

You are such a classy lady .. Thanks for responding in such a positive thoughtful way.

[Marla]

I had the opportunity to snap a picture of tonight's dinner. It was a warm evening, and we ate outside on the patio.

Potato salad, corn, steamed organic beet greens, steamed broccoli, steamed zucchini, and some crunchy raw mini bell peppers. The "mayo" for the potato salad was made from lite (low-fat) silken tofu, and I didn't drown the salad in it. Rice vinegar, Dijon mustard, and sweet pickle relish made up most of the dressing. I sprinkled some salt-free seasoning on the corn after taking the picture. Yum! I looooove McDougall food.



In other news, I made a brief visit to a thrift shop -- Goodwill -- to see about getting some new-to-me jeans or capris. I found a pair of olive green "utility style" capris that tie at the leg opening, brand new, for $3.99.....in size 4. They fit just right, not even snug. I know all about vanity sizing, but it is still kind of cool to be wearing a 4 and have them be so comfy. Everything I tried on that fit was a 4 or 6. The other thing I noticed was that the hem length of size 4 jeans and the sleeve length of size "small" longsleeve tops or jackets is shorter than the larger sizes, so more of them actually fit me without needing to be altered. I guess I am more height/weight proportionate now. If I lose another 10 pounds will I be a size 2?? That just sounds like crazy talk to me.

[Crider]

Isn't it great to be able to fit into smaller clothes? That potato salad dressing looks great. That whole meal had 'summer' written all over it!

[Marla]

Hi Crider,

Yes! When the weather warms up, my thoughts turn to corn.....and things like rice salad, potato salad, bean salad, and tabouli. Eating outdoors makes everything taste different

Tonight we had another patio meal. I had some potato salad left, and I made baked beans to go with it. They were sweetened with crushed pineapple, a little bit sweet, a little bit sour, a little bit smoky, a little bit spicy, and very delicious. So, dinner was potato salad, baked beans, cauliflower, asparagus, and some raw mini peppers.

For dessert later I have a small bowl of mangoes and cut up apple. Those don't really go together, but that's what was in the fruit bowl. Tomorrow I will go get some fresh strawberries from one of the local strawberry stands. We have at least 6 of these stands within a 2 mile radius. The farmers are mainly Mien and Hmong refugees from Laos, who have a small plot that they plant each year and sell the berries directly to passing drivers. The owner of the stand I buy from says they don't use pesticides or fungicides, so I believe these are essentially non-certified organic berries. They are delicious.

Oh, here's dinner. This seems like a lot of food to me....I certainly ate all I wanted.

[lifeisgreat]

Since I live in sacramento I would love to know where you get your berries.

[JT of PA]

Marla,

It took a couple days to read and process your journal and have come to the conclusion it is more a healthy living blog. All the pictures, links, information ... Whoa Nelley!!! So much information packed into such a small space.

Thank You for sharing so freely with us and for all the diligent time and effort you put into it.

Also, thank you for the honesty and realness you share.

(My wife is at this moment is working her way through your Journal and I keep hearing her write stuff down ... )

I noticed something you shared on some else's journal regarding Doug Lisle's, "Willpower Paradox".

Can you share your thoughts on the "Willpower Paradox" ... different from "Pleasure Trap"?

All the best and know you are encouraging / helping others on the far side of the USA,
John

.