Discussion Board

Well, at least I am not going to change the stats. I am up .6 from last week. But this week has been realy stressful.

Thanks for posting the stats, Letha. So many of you are doing so well! Great job!

Grrr...I'm not going to be a zero this week!

Welcome Slugmom & Good morning all. I’m on plan and planning to stay that way.

I thought I’d periodically post a reminder of the basics from the McDougall Maximum Weight Loss Book. All of these points are discussed in more detail in the book.

Program outlined in the MWL book, page 60.
1. Eliminate All Animal Foods
2. Eliminate All Oils
3. Eliminate All High Fat Plant Foods: Nuts, Nut Butters, Seeds, Seed Butters, Avocados, Coconut, & Olives.
4. Eliminate All Flour Products
5. Eat Whole Grains and Potatoes
6. Eat Legumes
7. Make Green & Yellow Vegetables One-Half to One-Third of your meal
8. Eat Uncooked Foods
9. Restrict Fresh Fruit to No More Than Two Servings a Day, and Avoid Dried Fruit, Fruit Puree, and Fruit Juice
10. Use Simple Sugar Sparingly

Guidelines for Healthy Eating in MWL book, page 67.
1. Eat until you’re satisfied
2. Graze
3. Allow time for digestion
4. Chew foods thoroughly
5. Restrict variety

Weight-Losing Reasons To Exercise. MWL book, page 100.
1. Exercise burns calories
2. Calories continue to burn after exercise
3. Exercise counteracts plateaus
4. Exercise suppresses appetite
5. Exercise reduces insulin
6. Exercise protects and increases muscle mass

Exercise you can live with. MWL book, page 106-107

Aerobics: The best kind of exercise. Walking, running, cycling, & swimming are not only enjoyable but highly efficient ways to lose weight.

Benefits of weight training:
Build a stronger body
Build a shapelier body
Strengthen ligaments
Improve bone density
Help prevent musculoskeletal injury
Elevate metabolism
Increase stamina
Elevate blood levels of HDL cholesterol

Your New Daily Exercise Plan: MWL Book Page 109
1. Get up half an hour earlier each day, or skip a TV program to do a specific exercise.
2. Make exercise a part of each day.
3. Choose an activity that you have always enjoyed and do it at least four times per week
4. Sometimes purchasing equipment helps to motivate…
5. Invest in a membership in a YMCA, YWCA, or health and fitness club
6. Ask a friend to become your exercise partner
7. Go dancing, a great aerobic (and romantic) exercise
8. Join a walking or hiking club.
9. Check with your local adult-education program for exercise programs.
10. Keep an exercise journal.

Establishing a healthy way of life from page 127 of the MWL book.
Step 1. Be Goal-Oriented
Step 2. Acknowledge Your Willingness to Pay the Price
Step 3. Educate Yourself, Become an Expert
Step 4. Visualize Yourself as Healthy
Step 5. Make a Commitment: It’s Magic
Step 6. Ensure That Your Environment Supports Your Goals
Step 7. Alter Your Coping Mechanisms
Step 8. Join A Support Group
Step 9. Reward Yourself
Step 10. Keep It Simple

txveggie, glad I could make you smile. I have to find the lighter side of things, cuz I don't like the alternative!

Hi everyone - I have a question regarding dried foods.

From what I understand, dried fruit and such is more calorie dense because the water is removed.

I like to eat at least 1 potato a day that I've nuked in the microwave to make 'chips'. No added oil or anything, just potato. Am I adding more calories to my daily intake by doing this? I like to track all my calories and I've been leaving the entry at a regular cooked potato but I'm curious if that is incorrect.

Hi MaryW!

Thank you for the kind words. I have to admit that I was once a member of a different forum and if I gained, I would lie! Then I tried to justify it to myself that I would make it up that week so it would finally be the truth.

I would never lie about anything else, well, maybe to my MIL, but that's allowed.

I realized then that I was really only lying to myself and how dumb is that?

So I am honest about me weight gains now and when I pig out on something that I shouldn't be eating ( I totally understand potato chips! like crack!)

Sometimes life gets in the way of my best laid food plans and I have to learn to deal with it the best that I can at that moment and get back on track at the first available moment. It works for me, so I guess that's what I am supposed to do.

MaryW, you are going to do just fine at this. You have the tools (new cookbook woo hoo!) you have the support here and you have the strength to admit the PIE and get right back on track.

WE can do this!

IThanks for the welcome! And, as for me, I'm on plan and planning to stay that way! This is day two!



No, you're not *adding* calories. The idea that chips are "worse" than a whole potato is that, with the water dried out of them, you could easily *eat* a lot more of them. For example, If I were snacky-hungry and said, "I'll eat potatoes until I'm satisfied" I probably wouldn't eat more than one or two. But if I had McDougall-legal nuked potato-only chips available to me, I could probably eat 5-6 potato's worth of chips, because they're light and crunchy and snacky-good. You know? Because you don't have the *wateR* in them helping to fill you up ...

a pound of baked potatoes would be fewer potatoes than a pound of dried thin-sliced chips. So you'd get more *calories per pound*

That being said, if you say to yourself "My snack is one potato" you get the same calories either way, if you eat it baked or eat it sliced and dried into chips.

Does that make sense?



One thing I've been doing is - rather than *skipping* at TV show or other activity to exercise, I *combine* them ... so when the family watches videos, I walk in place. Rather than giving up my knitting time, I work on knitting small, easy projects while I walk in place. Both watching videos and knitting are fun for me, but I don't feel like I have to choose between exercise and my favorite activities. Time is precious, so doing two things at once fits the bill for me, gives me time for both.

I also track my steps and enter little competitions at walkertracker.com which keeps me motivated to keep walking.

A lot of my walking isn't *high intensity* exercise, but I'm far more *active* than I used to be!

Thank you, Slugmom! It does make sense!

I didn't get a chance to make the Carribean Stew the other day, so I made it today. It is simmering right now and it looks and smells soooo good!

I did mess up part of it though...I peeled 3 sweet potatos assuming I'd need all three of them to make the three cups of diced sweet potato. Well, I ended up with almost 5 cups of diced sweet potato, but I love sweet potatoes, so its no problem....oh and I didnt really read everything when I should have, so I dumped everything in after I sauteed the onion and peppers ( I used 2 peppers... one red & one green) ..but it seems OK...I also added a jalapeno just cuz I love em.

I can't wait to have dinner now!


ETA: I gave hubby a small bowl of it just to taste. He LOVES it...and this is Mr. Meat-Eater himself.

He says he is having this for dinner tonight. This recipe is a keeper!

Hi, I'm thinking of what I'm taking to Australia on Monday, and I had a question. I've ordered vegan meals for the long plane rides, but I don't know how low fat they will be. I'm thinking of taking some sloppy lentils over brown rice and some veggie soup (without liquid) onto the plane in little plastic containers. I figure if the food doesn't suit me, I can eat the stuff I've brought. If I can eat the plane food, then I can eat that. How long do you think veggie soup and sloppy joe would last once they get to room temp? These are very long flights that I'm going on. Thanks, LauraA

Why not call ahead and ask what you can bring and if something could be heated for you? I have no experience with long plane trips so I don't know what is allowed so if it were me I would ask.

I hope you have a wonderful time!

Thanks, txveggie, I'm not so worried about what is allowed, just how long the food would last unrefrigerated. I've often taken thick veggie soup or lentils- just poured off most of the liquid so that it is just cooked veggies, not a liquid. The longest flight is Chicago to Sydney, and is 19 hours long! I think that it makes on stop, probably in San Fran. but I'm not sure if we get off at all! Thanks, LauraA

Good morning!

Today is my Day 3 back on plan and planning to stay there!

I had the encouragement of being down 1 lb this morning, despite feeling that familiar "I am eating such huge portions!" and having to remind myself it still works. And it does!

LauraA—I think your food would be well safe under the 24 hours, with no refrigeration. Especially if it's in an air-tight container. No eggs/dairy/meat to go off quickly. If you're very concerned, another possibility is to bring a neoprene bag with your container of soup/lentils frozen in it—this way it will stay colder longer, and still be microwavable when you're ready to eat.

How about some Right Foods soup packages? [even though some have pasta, I allow myself to have them when I need the convenience as it's not like I'm going to sit down to a few of them at one meal].

If you change your mind about going, I can go for you—yes, it would be a sacrifice, but I'd do it for you Laura!

Checking in. I’m not feeling well today but I’m on plan and planning to stay that way. I’ll check back tomorrow.
Letha