wischbone - Down a pound, 9 thumbs-up, and continuing progress on the liquid calories! Seems like a good week, for sure! We've been really enjoying roasted squash (it's been featured in our CSA box the past few weeks), my current favorites are butternut and delicata. Like you, after seeing how simple, easy and delicious this way of eating can be, and taking into account that it also supports my health and well-being, I cannot imagine eating any other way. People don't realize what they are missing out on, right? Keep being the change!
tinathescreamer - Great results! Congratulations on your improved BP and reduced medications! That must have been a very gratifying visit to the doctor. Is there a particular aspect in which you are struggling to reduce added salt? Packaged food, cooking or condiments?
tinathescreamer wrote:I went to a barbecue where I knew food would be problematic so I took my knitting with me and when people asked if I was eating I said I'll have some when I've finished knitting. It made for an interesting conversation starter so I'll be bringing it with me everywhere.
I love it! Excellent idea and thank you for sharing it.
jkcook - I'm so sorry you're beset with dental problems! That sounds unpleasant. Blended soups can serve well as a preload (or meal), and perhaps mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes would serve to take things easy on your mouth. Keep trying!
cmcavazos - .4 lbs down! Cheers for doing well with 8 of the 10 recommended behaviors! Do you have some intuition as to why you don't feel willing to omit those particular foods? When you are choosing to include dry cereal, for example, are you choosing that while adherent options are ready and easy to access? Is it a matter of convenience, or more about a desire for those specific foods? Would it be helpful not to consider "letting go" of those foods, but rather do an experiment where you omit them for a week (or two) and see how things go?
Dot - 10/10 and goodbye to another pound! Excellent! Carry on!
JaBee - Woo-hoo! 9/10, a substantial loss and under 190! I think your idea to plan some different menus for the week ahead makes sense, especially if it felt like you were becoming bored with this week's menu; you should be able to mix things up for some variety, while still keeping the meals simple and easy to prepare if that has proven helpful.
Onward!
NancyNancyR - Cheers to being back home and back on track! I think travel can really put pressure on our resolve, and that makes sense; it is, almost by definition, a disruption in our established routine, presenting a significantly more challenging environment over which we have less control, and the social dynamics and pressures are often different and more significant, as well. It can be a really difficult challenge to fully overcome, but as long as you are planning and preparing, learning from each experience (whether successful or not) and adjusting for the future, you can ultimately figure things out. There will be a November MWL group; the new thread should be posted by the end of the day on November 1. You (and any other current participants) are welcome to continue - you automatically have a spot.
chef16 - One more pound gone! I'm glad you were able to continue making progress toward adhering more closely to the full list of recommended behaviors. Great idea to see the upcoming break as an ideal opportunity to establish solutions for the various difficulties and obstacles that contribute to "slip ups!"
Zoey - Huzzah! Best month ever! Sounds like you are doing great with points 1-10; that "11th point" can be a tricky one, right? I've had some hair-raising close calls where I very nearly lost a whole days worth of replies, myself!
"No candy in sight" seems like a great way to move into the holiday season. Happy Halloween!
Growing a Pear - I'm delighted to see your post! We missed you, too! Considering that MWL's behavioral approach is largely about habits and routine, it's easy to see how encroaching chaos might throw a wrench in the works. I don't like it when things feel disordered, either. Considering Dr. Lisle's insights into seemingly instinctual drives toward calorie rich foods, changes in our environment, routine, schedule and circumstances can definitely serve to knock us out of the groove and back toward "instinct" or previous patterns. Given that the entirety of the week was free from alcohol, Clif bars and dry cereal, and you adhered closely to 7/10 points, you did pretty well dealing with the disorder, right? Forging ahead, one idea might be to establish (or to whatever extent possible, reestablish) an adjusted routine to account for this degree of chaos and disorder. That way, whether this is a short or long-term situation, you'll be even more resilient to whatever unexpected hurdles come your way.
Growing a Pear wrote:It's too easy to slip into willful unconsciousness, especially at this time of year.
Very true!
CUgorji22 - Happy Saturday! 1 month down! Progress is progress, subtle or otherwise, right? Especially with all those 7/7s proliferating across your checklist. That is SUPER support from your husband! Having that level of cooperation and understanding can really make things easier. Dr. McDougall's
Hot Topics page on Pregnancy & Children is a great overview, and very much supports your realizations about how this way of eating can fit the needs of the whole family. I think it's wonderful how you were able to find a way to mark your family tradition in a way that is congruent with your personal goals.
Things like headaches, other pains, or illnesses seem like an understandable reason to adjust and moderate one's level of activity; the important thing is, when feeling recovered, to get back to being more active so that the habit doesn't slip away. Doing "MUCH better" with take-out is a big step in the right direction, just keep working at it. There will be a November MWL group, the new thread should go up by the end of the day tomorrow. Glad to have you continue!
Gimmelean - Cheers for mostly good! Keep aiming to do at least a little better each day / week!
Drew* - The scale is heading in the right direction! It sounds like your preparation and efforts for this week went pretty well. Your idea for having soup, SNAP meals, potatoes and other adherent foods prepared is very sound; taking advantage of the first available opportunity to get those foods prepped is a great way to put that thought into action and support your adherence.
Hope410 - Kudos! 100% on 7 points! Being locked out of your home couldn't have been a very enjoyable experience!
Hope410 wrote:So, my focus next week will be EXERCISE!!, follow the 10-point checklist, and do not weigh until Friday.
Awesome! That focus should serve you well. Have a great weekend!
galoop - Thank you, Chris! Quite a few thumbs-up! I have really come to enjoy YouTube workouts, too. Keep doing your best!
Moonlight - Congratulations on the areas where you succeeded this week! I definitely believe you are capable of making your way out of the Pleasure Trap! Is there a variety of cookie that your husband likes, but you don't? Could he switch that up to possibly make things a little less tempting? Continuing to eat the recommended foods when faced with cravings, and knowing that (sooner or later) they will go away seems like the surest way to proceed, given that the troublesome foods are a presence in the environment. Thank you for the kind words, and keep focusing on what works.
Noella - You are getting so close to that next milestone! Great work adhering to the recommended pattern of behavior! I'm thrilled that your knees are improving, with reduced inflammation and the opportunity for more activities. A well-stocked cupboard/pantry/refrigerator packed with adherent foods can be such a pleasing sight. And you are so right that there are abundant opportunities to have fun that aren't centered around food. Jeff has a great post on the sorts of balsamic vinegars you are describing -
Infused Balsamic or Balsamic Crack?JeffN wrote:If you are using a basic plain rice, red wine or apple cider vinegars, which have 0-5 calories, I have no problem with it.
If you are using the flavor infused ones (or the reductions or glazes), and they are 30-35 calories per tbsp (or more), understand it is almost the same as using maple syrup and it now counts as an added sugar and you must be very aware of its calorie density, sugar density and its potential impact on blood sugar, caloric intake, etc and its potential to trigger the pleasure trap.
Remember, as I explained in this previous article, concentration is the issue and these infused vinegars are very concentrated. You can think of these as Balsamic Crack
A Date With Disaster: The Pleasure Trap of Whole Natural FoodsAnd so yes, my guidelines for added sugar would apply to them, which is no more then 5% of calories from added sugars.
For someone consuming 1500 calories, it would allow up to 75 calories, which would be slightly more then 2 tbsp of these flavor infused vinegars.
For 2000 calories, it would allow up to 100 calories, which would be just under 3 tbsp of these vinegars per day.
So, if someone is using more than 2-3 tbsp of these a day, that alone is causing them to exceed my sugar guidelines.
And, if you struggle with the pleasure trap, any amount may be too much.
Speaking personally, I'm very sensitive to added sugar and I've found I'm better off avoiding the balsamics described above. I love Apple Cider Vinegar, so that is mainly what I use. Occasionally, I do use regular balsamic vinegar (the kind that is 5-10 calories per serving); even with that, I can tell a difference. I think
The Little Engine That Could is a great way to frame our continuing efforts!
lmggallagher - Fantastic efforts getting "back on the straight and narrow!" I'm keeping you in my thoughts, and hoping you'll see cleaner air and a less harrowing situation soon!
Beeshell - Progress in the right direction! Congratulations on your cumulative 8 pounds lost! Sorry you are struggling with strong emotions and looming health concerns. I'm hoping you see the best possible outcome with the potential health issue.
Stay as mindful as you are able about your choices, and keep things simple if that helps. Potatoes and veggies seems like a winner in a pinch!