Merry Merry Month of May

Mihani

Hey it's only the 2nd and I remembered to start the May thread!

I have been pretty much 100% 6 week plan strict for a couple weeks now. A couple days slightly over on the grains or nuts. Down 10 pounds so far, although I've been stuck this week. That always happens when I've lost a lot quickly so I'm not worried about it.

Great job on all the exercise and healthy menu, Donna.

Glad to hear you liked that casserole Austin.

S - brown rice cake
L - Steamed cauliflower mixed with bulgur and pintos topped with nooch and a sprinkle of bragg's
D - chopped spring mix with steamed asparagus and sesame seeds, watermelon, a few walnuts

y'all

magic71755

Yay...I was waiting...thanks so much, Mihani! Great job on stringing all those days together and losing ten pounds. That is some serious effort!

My goal for this month is to write everything I eat (plan and then revise if necessary) in long hand and keep my menu with me. I even got a great little pocket notebook.

May 1st looked like this:
Massaged Kale Salad
GF raw rolled oats, flaxmeal, frozen blueberries, banana
Burrito Bowl from Straight Up Food
Two ears of fresh corn
Fresh Blueberries
One Lundberg Brown Rice Cake...I bought those yesterday...Mihani, I think you are eating those, too. Yum. Lulu loves to share as well.

May 2 turned out like this:
Massaged Kale Salad
Oatmeal (the usual)
Tu-No from Cathy Fisher Straight Up Food
Two ears of Fresh Corn
Fresh Blueberries

Once again, thanks for getting us started, Mihani. I am excited about this month an my goal. I think it will keep me much more honest, since I MUST WRITE IT ALL DOWN.

Wishing everyone a great Merry Month of May!

magic71755

Friday’s Plan
Oatmeal
Kale salad
Tu No
Beans rice corn pico
Blueberries

Mihani

Great idea to write it all down Magic. I sometimes do that just to try to keep track of the groceries and make sure I use up the fresh produce.

The last couple days were good, but I was missing mushrooms and berries. I need to go get some more mushrooms. I am looking forward to making a soup or two this weekend. Thinking probably Eat Your Greens Soup because if I add a can of beans it's covering all the GBOMBS except the berries and nuts.

My house is a serious mess... I've been so busy with work lately that I haven't done anything around here. I think I'll take one day away from the office this weekend and work on my house and do some cooking.

AustinRuadhain

Happy May, everyone!

Hey @magic71755 - Hurray for food tracking! Keeping track of EVERYTHING I eat has been critical for me in the quest to lose weight. I weigh everything (except for liquids like cashew milk, where I use volume, and spices, where I go with volume as well), and log it all.

And @Mihani - yes, I have list of produce and leftovers in the fridge that I started keeping because I hated realizing I had lost track and let things go bad. Mushrooms can go south especially quickly!

Yesterday was a good ETL day except that I missed my mushrooms. Oops!
B - green smoothie (blueberry, spinach, flax, cold brew)
L - steamed spinach, garbanzo beans, pickled raw white onions, nooch & spices, apple slices
S - apple and walnuts
D - gigantic salad (massaged kale, romaine, roma tomato, red bell pepper, pickled raw red onion), dressing (tomatillo, cilantro, cashew milk, nooch, spices), warm minced apple and blueberries for dessert

Today I am getting ready for a 1 day school trip, so packing meals for me and the kiddo. He wants Penne Pasta Florentine, so I'll need to cook some more, I think. I am determined to eat ETL on this trip! Also on the agenda today -- progress on the messy house! Other critical item on the list -- getting in exercise. It's so easy to miss that on road trip days.

magic71755

No one's house is as messy as mine. It is so bad. Each weekend I think I will tackle it and then I get so overwhelmed...I just go into the kitchen, do the dishes so I can cook again. Somehow I have just got to MAKE MYSELF DO IT. I cannot have anyone over bad...that is how bad it is. Shameful.

My food and W.O.E.ing is great. Really starting to see how great I can feel by this amazing lifestyle. It should roll over into wanting a clean house, eh?

I have to say, that the Tu-No by Cathy Fisher turned out AAAAmazing. I just think it needed a pickle...I did buy some low low sodium pickles for another recipe...will add those. But even still, so so good. I highly recommend. And it needs to be put into a container that is tight for the contents so the flavors really get in there.

I love eating this way. But already, I am thinking about social events that will come up during the holidays. I just want to be totally prepared. I guess bringing one's own dishes and enough for everyone is the best way to handle it. All, I know is I am NOT GOING TO GO ALONG TO GET ALONG ANY LONGER.

I choose not to eat MEAT, DAIRY, EGGS, CHEESE, FISH...I no longer need to explain.

Well, glad I got that off my chest. LOL

Have a super day all. I am just thrilled that Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead lead me to this way of eating. Life just looks so promising each and every day. Later, mates.

magic71755

Actually I had this today:


Oatmeal w/flaxmeal, banana, frozen blueberries, almond milk
Kale salad
Tu No Cathy Fisher
Beans brown rice corn pico de gallo
two brown rice cakes & 32 grams natural PB w/o salt (this was like a really big TREAT)!



Man, I powered through everything cept the beans, rice, corn and pico...saving it for another 2 1/2 hours. Then I will have 1 1/2 hours to go. Everything tastes so darn good. My tastes buds are really happy right now...WFPB + SOS free.

Have a great night everyone

Home with Lulu, fresh blueberries and cuties for dessert.

Mihani

Okay, Magic & Austin... you two want to say your houses are a mess, but I assert that when it comes to disastrous housekeeping failure I would win, hands down. No contest. LOL

I don't actually log my food or measure/weigh anything. It makes me crazy and gets my OCD all raging. I had actually lost a lot of weight and was in the 140's when I discovered MFP, and I started tracking and got totally OFF track and gained weight. I know it works great for some though. For me, just concentrating on eating the right foods, trying to stay tuned in to actual hunger, and not worrying much about anything else works best. Everyone is different though, in what works and what motivates. As long as I eat totally ETL compliant my weight takes care of itself, but I still have 20 pounds to go to get back to what I consider an acceptable weight (135), and probably another 8 or 10 after that to get to Dr. F acceptability.

I went out after work with a friend and had two glasses of wine, but didn't have anything to eat. I had a rice cake before I left the office and will eat a salad now I'm home. I basically take the position that I will compromise my ETL principles for a glass of wine now and again, but I won't compromise by eating things with oil. I was vegan before I discovered ETL and that has always been totally non-negotiable since the day I decided to transition from vegetarian so I'm never even tempted by anything that isn't vegan. Over the years that has literally become "non-food" to me, and I am hoping eventually things with oil or processed foods will also be like that in my brain.

Austin, the mushrooms going bad is the main reason they are the most difficult of the GBOMBS for me. It's so annoying! Whole foods has some great frozen mushrooms, it's a mix of several different kinds which I can't remember at the moment, but I love them for soups or stews.

Magic... "I choose not to eat MEAT, DAIRY, EGGS, CHEESE, FISH...I no longer need to explain." I love this! Perfect. I know when I first went from vegetarian to vegan everyone kind of assumed this would be a short-lived little thing, as I was a known cheese fiend, but the longer I've gone the more people just accept it as who I am and I never have to explain anything.

Off to have a big ol' salad with leftover asparagus and beans on top.

magic71755

LOVED your post, Mihani...I am not tracking...but logging...and only measure a few things...like PB...since I could very easily go overboard.

But not tracking calories. Logging in a notebook so I can see what seems to work better than things that don't.

I know my disposition has improved ten fold since I really made the switch. I love that you all are here and are a great support team.

Enjoy your salad Mihani!

PS...my next weekend I am going to plan out my cleaning schedule and report here as things get done. I guess I must be accountable to someone other than myself. And actually, it just is easier when you know peeps are rooting you on!

No charting in MFP DIARY. Too tedious for me!

bisky

Oh win win situation today. My next door neighbor gave me a pan of lemon bars yesterday for taking care of her dog. So I was thinking about what to do with them...esp. with Brooks not here to take them to work for me. I had to take my bike in to get checked today. I have a 20 mile ride on Sunday. I have been riding on wet roads and some mud...the back brake was not working. The girl mechanic at my local bike shop checked it for me and turns out the brake had mud and stuff on it...she took about 20 minutes cleaning it up. She refused to charge me. So I took my road bike home. Got the lemon bars and took them to her with my poor mountain bike that needs a major tune up!!! She really could have told me I needed new brakes and I would have believed her. I am actually very uncomfortable in bike stores because they are usually staffed with young guys and I feel like an old lady that does not belong there. She taught me so much about my bike while cleaning it. She road races with an italian bike and has a race this weekend so she will be burning up the calories more than me.

magic71755

Great story Bisky...got yourself a great mechanic there...good luck on your ride tomorrow!

magic71755

May The Fourth Be With You, Y'all!

12 hour day at work...brought good stuff...just know that I eat my biggest, non starchy salads Sun - Thu...really difficult to eat at my desk Fri/Sat 13/12 hours, at work (receptionist). I try keeping thing in cups that I can eat discreetly. With that said, today looks like this:

GF fresh oats with flaxmeal, raisins, cinnamon and homemade almond milk
steamed little red potatoes with fresh pico
Tu-No (Cathy Fisher)
Cuties
Kale Salad massaged kale mushes down into a 16 ounce wide mason jar
Two rice cakes and PB
Fruit salad when I get home: pineapple, blueberries, banana, strawberries

HAGDE!

Mihani

Worked out perfectly, Donna. I'm sure your bike mechanic will enjoy the lemon bars. Hope you have a good ride tomorrow.

Sounds like a great day, Magic. I like those Lundberg rice cakes. I get the lightly salted plain. When I want something crunchy/snacky they sure hit the spot.

I ended up staying home from the office today. I was so tired and went back to bed for a while. Now I'm doing laundry and going to make cabbage and kale casserole and a pot of the Holiday Soup for the Soul. I bought some saffron for this batch.

B - sprouted grain English muffin w/ natural PB and a clementine
No lunch
D - plan is salad and casserole, blueberries and maybe watermelon if I can find a good one at the store

I have been re-reading ETL (the original) and going to start on Super Immunity now. It has felt so easy sticking to the 6 week plan lately that I was surprised to realize tomorrow I'm starting the 4th week. I really think contracting out the salad prep has made the difference.

Off to the store for a few items then home to cook and continue laundry. I really wasted a rare day home by sleeping so long.

magic71755

You needed the sleep...it was not wasted at all, Mihani !

I just have to say you know you are on the right track when a plain brown rice cake tastes amazing. And then when you have it with peanut butter and it takes you to another world...you know your taste buds are totally aligned with WFPB 🆘 SOS FREE!

AustinRuadhain

Hello, compadres!

I got back from the big trip late last night. We left Friday night, and I had packed an ETL stash for myself for Friday dinner and all day Saturday: 2 large salads, 3 baggies of apple slices and walnuts, 1 container of beans and greens -- all pretty and tasty and packed and ready to pull out of the cooler. I stuck to my ETL food, and got several comments from people who wishes THEY had big, pretty salads.

I hung out with people afterwards, and was channeling you, @magic71755! I bought greasy Tex-Mex for my son, and skipped it for myself. I drank ice water since this place had no Topo Chico (sparkling water and a staple at many TexMex places). Nobody minded or said anything. We just enjoyed the conversation. I have such great friends.

I did have one mom at the event come talk to me at length about WFPB. She's battling obesity and her husband is pre-diabetic and getting worse. I pointed her at Dr F's work and talked about how all this has been a science and education project. Our shared interest is science, so I hoped that part would speak to her. I hope it helps. They are such great people.

@magic71755 - We'll be happy to cheer you on in your cleaning project!

One of the books I was reading yesterday (there was a lot of hurry up and wait) was The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, as I am wanting to do more work on my house.

@Mihani -
Logging works for me, but I can totally see where it does not for everyone. Great you are doing what's effective for you!
Super great about contracting out salad prep.
I am going to try cooking my mushrooms in advance when I buy them this week, so I have them ready and don;t feel like I am playing race-the-clock late in the week. Maybe I'll try the frozen ones sometime, too!

@bisky (Donna?) - How great that you found that wonderful bike mechanic! I hope she enjoyed the lemon bars. As you say, those bars needed a home with someone that needed the calories!
I totally get feeling out of place in bike shops. They are usually such very "guy" places.

magic71755

Austin, you're spreading the word...that is so Dr. F. I have seen how he has mentioned that...what a great inspiration you are to your friend...you are in the right place at the right time...and hopefully, chaning the course of their lives...(obviously, the rest is up to them).

I keep looking at Cathy Fisher's Website...her Straight Up Food website where she shows you what she eats...I think she calls it "her meals". Anyway, exactly that...straight up food...so easy.

Today, for I am having a burritor bowl when I get home from work. We get off at 6.

Thanks so much for mentioning my cleaning project, Austin.
Just ignore me, y'all, when I pop in here so much giving you updates.
I will check out Marie Kondo's book. I know she is very popular even a series on Netflix.

Today's work schedule is 10 -6 just getting things gathered for breakfast and lunch. 8 hours is a lot different than 13.

Congratulations Austin for sticking to YOUR plan during your trip. And how amazing for you to just sit with ice water during the meal. That is true focus!

Off to the showers with me...time to get this day underway.

magic71755

Ok, I have eating WFPB down (mostly SOS free...I certainly do not cook with it). And, I love it, BTW!

But I have a tendency to overdo a good thing...so I am NOT going to log all those veggies on the far left side of the Nutrient Density Chart...the 100 category ones. Not logging those.

But everything else...even fruit for now. Just to keep myself in check for awhile. But eventually, I want to drop the logging of fruit.

I just entered everything I brought with me to work...looks like I will be having a huge non starchy veggie salad when I get home. That's ok with me. I need to tighten the reins...hoping this works.

Later, mates.

Mihani

Great job planning ahead and sticking to the plan, Austin! And for taking the time to talk about WFPB and Dr. F with your friend. I have been using your idea for mushrooms and just nuking a couple of them in water to throw on my dinner salad. So much easier. I'm somewhat resigned to a mid-week grocery run these days so if I need more 'shrooms I'll just get them then.

Magic, fruit is the thing I often miss out on when I'm having a busy day or not paying attention, but I'm getting much better about making sure to get in the berries and at least one other fruit every day. Reading Dr. Greger's book really reinforced to me how healthful it is. I bought a package of the Lundberg rice cakes that include wild rice today so I'll let you know what I think of those.

Went to the office for a few hours and going to work from home the rest of the day.

L - big ol' salad (spring mix, tomatoes, beets, sunflower seeds, carrot, balsamic and nooch), small bowl of the soup I made last night, half a sprouted grain English muffin, cantaloupe and blueberries
D - should be leftover cabbage and kale casserole and spinach salad, an orange, but since I had lunch so late I don't know if I'll even be hungry at dinner

I have been buying the Love Beets in the produce section. Have any of you tried those? They are steamed and packaged in a mild organic vinegar. I really like beets (except pickled beets are pretty gross) but don't love cleaning and cooking them although for salads I usually just shred them in the food processor and eat them raw. Anyway with these I can get my beets every day and they really add something to my salads.

magic71755

Today I brought to work, among other things, Trader Joe's Lavash wrap...very few ingredients...(I prefer Gluten Free...but thought I would give it a try)...and Engine 2 Hummus. Wanted something easy to eat at my desk. If I were home, I would make a wrap with lots of veggies and use the hummus as the base. The wrap and the hummus are the type of things I would enter into MFP food diary.

Looking forward to hear how the rice cakes are, Mihani. I need to check out those beets, as well. I love em. I found some steamed ones at Trader Joes...need to use them up.

magic71755

Brought lots of goodies with me to get through "My Friday"...off at 2.

Nighttime will be a huge burrito bowl.

After work...cleaning project today: GUEST BATHROOM. Starting with the smallest, easiest room...so I see results fast. Hoping that excites me and makes me want to continue. That is my thinking. Will be back here later today with the results.

Have a great day everyone!

Mihani

Magic, have you ever tried the bagged broccoli slaw in wraps or on sandwiches? It's great and so easy! Good luck with your cleaning project.

L - leftover cabbage and kale casserole, apple
D - big ol' salad, leftover soup, cantaloupe and blueberries with chia seeds
S - 2 brown rice cakes

I need to lay off the rice cakes. They are fine as an occasional treat but shouldn't be eating them every day.

AustinRuadhain

Hey @magic71755 ! How is the Guest Bathroom project going?

@Mihani - I have eaten that bagged broccoli slow on salads. It's super handy!
I can't remember if I mentioned I had made the cabbage and kale casserole. It's quite nice. I am working on leftovers!

I had a good ETL day!
B - smoothie made with spinach, blueberries, cold brew, flax seed
L - steamed spinach, garbanzo beans, pickled red onion, apple slices
S - apple slices, walnuts (10 g)
D - huge salad (massaged kale, romaine, roma tomato, pickled white onion, red cabbage, red bell pepper); dressing (red bell pepper, tomatillo, nooch, Kirkland No-Salt Seasoning, cilantro); steamed mushrooms; apple slices and blackberries for dessert

magic71755

Good Morning my fellow ETLrs!

@Mihani I have not had bagged broccoli, but I will check it out.

@AustinRuadhain not a great day at work. Started out perfect...great mood, ready for my weekend. Then a salesman decided he was going to give me grief...actually, interferring with my job. And I fluster kind of easily and do not do well when things are not going smoothly...so he picked up on that and decided to continue to push my buttons. I had to have someone come cover my desk, while I took a break to breathe and go talk to my supervisor. I have a tendency to start to bubble up inside...and just lose it. But I didn't. I talked to my supervisor and I calmed down. The idiot salesman, however, had another dig in store for me when I got back.

Anyway, I just stayed with my ETL program and did not resort to eating my feelings. And got into bed really really early with Lulu and a few CDB drops to calm me.

I like my job. I like going to work happy. I do not do a very good job at not letting others behavior affect my mood. Something I really need to figure out how to fix.

Bottom line, no cleaning yesterday and a very restless sleep . -sigh-

Today will be better day.

I do love these burrito bowls...I use ezekiel corn tortillas made into strips and browned in the air fryer. Just that little bit of yum adds to the salad. Since I am using the strips, I am not using rice. And loads of veggies and salsa for condiment. TASTY.


Alrightyl then, thanks for letting me vent a bit. Talk to y'all later.

Mihani

Glad to hear you liked that casserole Austin. I have made it quite a few times now. Easy and tasty. The broccoli slaw is handy isn't it? I use it on sandwiches, in salads, even stir-fry it for a quick dinner sometimes.

Sorry to hear you had a rough day Magic. Sounds like you did what you needed to do with puppy snuggles and sleep. I don't cope well when people get aggressive with me either.

L - last of the cabbage and kale casserole, cantaloupe and blueberries, rice cake
D - big ol' salad (green and red leaf, radish, carrot, tomato, yellow squash, green onion, pickled red onion, red pepper, chickpeas, beet, steamed mushrooms, balsamic, spicy mustard, nooch), cantaloupe and chia seeds

The salad was so big and good that I am not hungry for my soup. I am going to portion out the rest of the soup and freeze before it goes bad on me.

bisky

Hi, the bike ride ended with a surprise. It went well, I was looking forward to it being over at but at mile 21 (we did 25 miles) a young large lab started following us. He ran with us for 2 miles and was obviously getting over heated...we stopped, discussed what to do...he jumped into a stream and laid down so we tried to go but he howled and started after us but now he is limping and breathing hard. There was a police station close by, they gave me a rope for him because we are now back by busy highways....I waited at police station and another rider picked me up with dog & bike...drove home with a very tired dog that got a bath and revived...no micro chip, tag or collar. Listed him on paw boost, craigs list and next door neighbor. I think we have a 4 th dog. He has horrible separation anxiety but has latched onto my yorkie. My 3 dogs are so calm when I leave and come home, I think that will help him. I checked all shelter listings, etc.

Had a tough swim lesson today rewarded by Korean veggie bowl with Tofu!

Mihani

Awww... pretty dog Donna. So glad you kept him safe and hopefully the owners will find him.

AustinRuadhain

Hey ETLers!

@magic71755 - I am so sorry you had a rough day. Hurray for not losing it or eating your feelings, and getting in puppy snuggles. I hope sleep went better last night.

@Mihani - Your salad sounds delicious!

@bisky - You are so generous and kind to rescue the dog! I hope his owners show up. Somebody surely misses him. He has a very sweet face!

My ETL day went well yesterday:
B - green smoothie (spinach, blueberries, cold brew, flax seed)
L - mustard greens, garbanzo beans, pickled red onion, diced roma tomato, apple slices
S - apple slices, walnuts
D - Big Salad (massaged kale, romaine, roma tomato, pickled red onion, red bell pepper, baby tomatoes); dressing (tomatillo, jalapeno, fresh turmeric, cilantro, nooch, Kirkland No-Salt Seasoning, cilantro); steamed mushrooms; apple slices for dessert

magic71755

Bisky...love the story how you rescued this beautiful dog. I think you should keep him...his owners are not responsible...no chip...no tags...no nothing. I hope you can keep him. What a good soul you are.

magic71755

@AustinRuadhain your smoothie...Cold Brew? I know that is coffee...but how does that smoothie actually work?

I am hooked on Taco bowl/burritor bowl whatever salads...just lots of romaine, onion, tomato, roasted corn from TJ's, beans, cilantro, salsa and Ezekiel corn tortillas cut into strips and thrown into the air fryer...yum.

Breakfast ... I just love the cold oatmeal with flaxmeal, banana and frozen blueberries...it makes the milk so cold, which I love.

Broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, pasta and this "cheese" sauce (yesterday I had it with a baked potato)...pretty good. Kinda expensive but worth it for me now, since I could never have made this stuff. It is actually dried...and you add boiling water and whirl in the Vitamix. Ingredients: russet potatoes, fortified nutritional yeast, onion, garlic, crushed red pepper, mustard seed, paprika, turmeric, cumin. It is from Well Your World. Found this great youtuber ... and he happens to live near me...have not met him...he is fun to follow. A good guy.


My kitchen is completely stocked with everything wonderful...lots of options for me. I just need you all to come over and eat with me. I think I have bought too much...hope it does not go bad.

Working in the kitchen today...all the dishes are done...just everything else needs to find a home...I rearranged everything to make it more user friendly for this way of eating.

I had a great day yesterday, after the goof tried to derail my happy mood on Monday. Sleep last night was not that great...but I am so focused on eating the right foods for health, longevity which not only benefits me, but the dear animals and our planet. Each day, I seem to get stronger and more resolute in my conviction about this way of eating. My only wish is that I had made this change years and years ago.

Have a great day everyone. Thank you all for your nice words about my crummy day.

@Mihani ...I noticed your cantaloupe…man, that sounds so good. I bought a mini watermelon...not so great. I just want that juicy yummy. But will wait. Pineapple will have to do for now.

bisky

Magic - I kinda agree. I have a hard time with who ever not neutering him, no collar with tags, no chip...nothing and heart worm is a huge problem here. Then again, someone spent some time house training, playing with him and not too bad on the leash. He is so sweet. My husband arrives home today. I am going to see if he wants to keep him or not before I spend a lot of money getting him chipped, neutered, heart guard test etc. and rabies. We just did that last month on a 3 dogs.

Any ways, 10 days of no wine, cheese or sweets except small amounts of dark chocolate and I lost 5 lbs while he was gone. I took a knitting class just so I would have something to do than nibble while watching TV. I am not really knitting anything...it is just calming before bedtime rather than too much internet.

Yesterday I went to a neighborhood Korean grill. They have my order down, vegetarian bowl with sprinkle of rice, extra broccoli, tofu with avocado and sauce on the side.

I have my short triathlon this weekend. I feel ready. I am so excited for this summer because Fort Sam Houston is having 4 triathlons and only $20.00 each. Most triathlons are over $100.00. They probably won't have all the bells and whistles with timers and stuff but I don't care or need it. I am walking the run part. I have been seeing PT..the good news is my hip pain is not due to arthritis...bad news it is lower back and more bad news is he does not want me walking long distances (probably dog walking/hiking in Italy started it again)...good news biking is fine because it stretches my lower back and swimming is good...so the excellent news: I have a reason to not attempt running in these events without feeling guilty and I can focus on swimming and biking and gentle walks with dogs.

magic71755

I want a neighborhood Korean grill that has my order down! LOL

Good luck with your triathlon, this weekend, @bisky !

Is your husband in the military?

I am working in the kitchen...making progress...more progress than in the last month. Kinda exciting.