MARCHing to the ETL drum!

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Carla_wfpb
Carla_wfpb Posts: 1,336 Member
Oh no, Donna! Sorry that you're still sick. I hope you are feeling better for your flight on Sunday.

Mihani, that barley is pearled (the white rice of barley), but I ordered some hulled barley on Amazon for the next time around. I get almost all of my raw nuts and dates from Amazon too. How's your 6-week plan going so far?

Ouch! That foot injury sounds really painful C&P! I hope you have a great getaway! Nice job on the food planning.

This weekend, Joe and I might test drive a Prius Prime hybrid car. We're also looking at the Bolt EV, and possibly the Nissan Leaf as well. We're still deciding between buying a new vehicle and getting one used for the time being.

If the weather cooperates, we're going to go for a walk or hike. I think I'm going to need to invest in some good shoes soon. I've also been looking at a few of the walking and hiking clubs nearby. One of them seems too slow and easy - 2 mi at a relaxed pace, and the others are kind of intense, big hikes with steep inclines and walks of 9+ miles at a fast pace. The distance doesn't bother me much, but I'm not sure I can maintain a fast pace the whole while. We might have to work up to that one.

Have a great weekend!
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  • whats_her_name
    whats_her_name Posts: 716 Member
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    Cute title for the thread. :smiley:

    I'm looking forward to the weekend. I have 2 nights of relaxation ahead of me. Tonight is a night in with knitting and Netflix. Yay! Then tomorrow, my DH and DS are going to cubs camp at noon, so it's just me & the DD all afternoon, all night and then until about 11am on Sunday. YAY!!! Love the boys, but love when it's just girl time, too...

    Goals for this weekend: Get some meals in my freezer and do 2 workouts on my treadmill.
  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,945 Member
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    Ouch C&P, hope your foot heals quickly.

    Carla, great thread title! I am glad you pay attention. I always forget about starting a new thread. Good luck with your car shopping. A walking club is a great idea too.

    Your girls weekend sounds great Karrie! What do you plan to cook this weekend?

    Day 6 at 100% on the 6 week plan is in the bag. The first week has gone really well. I have only had a few times where I thought I was getting snacky and I just powered through. I am drinking a lot of herbal tea at the office throughout the day and that helps a lot. I am going to weigh myself on Sunday since I'll have the first week done, but I can definitely tell that I've lost by the way my clothes feel.

    Breakfast and lunch today were the same as usual. Dinner was leftover tofu from last night and a cole slaw of sorts. I had a bag of cole slaw so I whipped up some rice vinegar and soy sauce with ginger and garlic for a dressing. When I dished some out I topped with toasted sesame seeds and black pepper. It was pretty good, but could have used a little sweetness to counter some of the acidity. Next time I'll throw the dressing in the blender with a date or a tablespoon of raisins. I didn't have any cooked veggies today so I'll have to make sure I get those in tomorrow. For dessert I had an orange and a pear. Really grooving on fruit this past week.
  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,945 Member
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    Same ol' breakfast and lunch. I really don't care about having variety for those two meals. I do change up the greens and veggies in my salads every few days. I made a pot of the OSG red lentil kale soup tonight and had a big bowl of it. That stuff is so good! Haven't made it in a while. Just left out the oil to make it 6 week plan approved. I add more than two handfuls of kale so there's a lot of green in there. Also ate the rest of the cole slaw I made last night and two wasa bread crackers.

  • Carla_wfpb
    Carla_wfpb Posts: 1,336 Member
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    My breakfast and lunch stay pretty much the same too, Mihani. The OSG lentil kale soups sounds yummy!

    Joe and I went for a long walk today on a new-to-us trail. It was sunny and crisp, a great day for a walk. I packed some oranges and pumpkin seeds, and we were treated to one of the tastiest oranges I've had in a while.

    Tonight is leftover stuffed acorn squash, and leftover eggplant parm with spaghetti squash.

    I did part of the batching today again. It worked out better for us last week. Only 3 meals to prep tomorrow.
  • bisky
    bisky Posts: 1,013 Member
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    Hi,

    We leave tomorrow. I have my medicine packed, compression socks out and started baby asa to prevent long flight pulmonary emboli. After we pass security going to get 2 liters of water. I just wish I could pack my homemade soup.

    Everyone is doing great. I will have wifi off and on but leaving messages at strange hours.

    Ciao, Donna
  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,945 Member
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    Have a wonderful trip Donna! Hope you are feeling better.

    Carla, I've noticed oranges are seriously good right now too. I just bought a whole bag of them to enjoy this week.

    So, results of week 1 on the 6 week plan ... 6.8 pounds! Ready for week 2! I'd like to start getting some regular exercise this week. We're finally, finally getting some more help in the office starting next week. I'm sure hoping that I will have a little more free time and be less exhausted and stressed soon. In the meantime, heading to the office as usual today.
  • bisky
    bisky Posts: 1,013 Member
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    Wow Mihani! That is great. When I come back I will need to do the 6 week plan.

  • Carla_wfpb
    Carla_wfpb Posts: 1,336 Member
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    Donna, hope you feel better soon & have an amazing trip!

    Mihani, yes to the oranges! We went out and picked up another big bag of the same navel oranges while they're in stock. Congrats on the big weight loss and on getting some help in the office! That's so awesome!

    Batching this weekend wasn't too bad. I think we're getting better at it, and more used to it. I'm down 3.2 lbs for the week and happy with that!

    Today's Food:
    Breakfast - smoothie
    Lunch - tu-no salad over mixed baby greens, tomatoes, sliced carrots
    Snack - orange. might try to fit one with another meal, too!
    Dinner - buffalo chickpea bowl, looking forward to this. the buffalo sauce tastes like the kind you get on buffalo wings!
  • CoffeeandHumblePie
    CoffeeandHumblePie Posts: 125 Member
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    Oy! I train wrecked yesterday. I did fine on my trip, it was the day after that got me. Tired and unprepared. I honestly don't know that I can sustain ETL, or that it's even the right choice for me, but it is causing me to eat more nutrition-dense foods and that is a GOOD thing. I'm sticking around for inspiration, motivation and your great recipes. ;)
  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,945 Member
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    C&P, you are welcome here whether you are full on ETL or not! One off day doesn't mean anything in the big picture. If you are really struggling with ETL you might want to check out the Engine 2 Diet. It is similar but a lot more starches allowed. I tend to eat a bit more Engine 2 when I'm not on the ETL 6 week plan, because I love my starches! >:) But they are still whole foods... potatoes and other starchy veggies, whole grains, no oil, etc. I did the Engine 2 - 7 Day Rescue for a while last year, and it really helped me get back into the WFPB mindset when at that time I felt like I was struggling too much with ETL. I've been vegan for a long time, but there's a lot of good vegan junk food these days and I got into some baaad habits.

    Donna, hope you had a good flight to Italy and that you left your cold behind. I forget if you said, how long are you staying?

    Carla, WOOHOO on the 3.2 pounds! Your meals sound so good. It takes some dedication to commit to the shopping, prepping and cooking.

    Today I switched up breakfast - nuked 1/2 cup oats with some water then topped with a chopped pear, a few walnut halves, a small handful of frozen blueberries, sprinkle of cinnamon, tablespoon of chia seeds. It tasted so good after over a week of smoothies. Not that I don't like smoothies, but it was a nice change of pace.

    L - big ol' salad same as usual, an orange

    D - leftover red lentil kale soup, not sure whether I'm going to have a piece of fruit. Worked late and getting a late dinner so I want to keep it light since it's nearly bedtime already.
  • CoffeeandHumblePie
    CoffeeandHumblePie Posts: 125 Member
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    Mihani, thank you for the recommendation! I've heard of Engine 2 but have not looked into it. I'll definitely check it out. Oh, those pesky starches. ;)

    Donna, we are buried in snow here in Minnesota, I can only imagine how lovely it is where you are right now!

    Carla, congrats on the significant weight loss! Wow! Proof that this eating plan works.
  • freshstartpat
    freshstartpat Posts: 7 Member
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    Mihani - Wow! So happy for you - your week one weight loss was amazing! I am staying off the scale for now because it was not moving down, as it normally would when I follow the 6 week plan. It turns out, after 6 months or so of nothing, I must have been premenstrual - because my old friend arrived yesterday. But I'm just sticking to the plan. About to eat an apple instead of the sugar cookies that are sitting in our kitchen at work.

    C&P - I'm glad you are sticking around. We are not perfect in any of this and, as you said, so many good ideas and yummy recipes are shared here.

    Carla - So great to hear that you lost 3.2 lbs! Nice going. You and Mihani and killing it. I'm going to start sharing my meal plan here like you guys do.

    Donna - Have a great trip!

    Karrie - Hope you enjoyed your girl's weekend. I love hanging with my daughter when she's home from college. :)


    My meals today:

    Breakfast - Rolled oats, banana, seeds, raisins
    Lunch - Navy bean & kale soup
    Apple
    Dinner - Mushroom barley soup (yes I'm making it again!)/ salad with walnut balsamic vinaigrette
  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,945 Member
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    Pat, I remember those days of totally unpredictable! It has been at least 5 years since I've had to deal with my "friend". I started into menopause pretty early, mid-40's, and was completely done by 50. I imagine you'll see a good drop on the scale in a few days. I want to try that mushroom barley soup.

    It is 8:30 and just eating a small bowl of soup. I had to get my hair done and didn't have time to eat. Honestly I don't feel hungry at all, but I'm afraid if I don't eat anything it might throw me off tomorrow.

    B - back to the usual smoothie
    L - didn't have things prepped for my salad so I just took a container of arugula to work and topped it with a steamer bag of broccoli, some nooch and balsamic. It was not good lol. Unfortunately it is probably what I will be eating tomorrow too. I really don't like those microwave steamer veggies, they are mushy and blah. Fresh steamed veggies are SO much better.
    D - the last of the red lentil kale soup and a wasa bread cracker

    Tomorrow night I will have time to prep and my salads will be a lot better!

  • Carla_wfpb
    Carla_wfpb Posts: 1,336 Member
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    C&P, yes, definitely stick around! I've been very far off track for long periods of time, but it's still nice to soak up the inspiration to be had and of course the recipes (and us :D)!

    Pat, thanks for sharing your meal plan. I'm always up for fresh ideas! My weight fluctuates for various reasons. I usually have a few small losses, followed by a big chunk.

    Mihani, how did your hair turn out? It feels so good to get a trim. I should force myself to go in. I hate spending the time to do it, but it's worth it.

    We had another sunny day here and I went for a walk on a new-to-me trail. It was busy enough that I was comfortable, but I wouldn't take it alone on a less populated day. Great views of the water and nice to try something different.

    Last night we had cauliflower garlic soup and a salad with a creamy orange vinaigrette. The presentation on the soup isn't quite as nice because I started eating before I remembered to snap a pic! :smiley:

    Breakfast - green smoothie w/ strawberries, mango, and blueberries
    Lunch - tu-no salad over mixed greens, maybe an orange
    Snack - orange? I am obsessed with these Navel oranges!!
    Dinner - mongolian tofu stir fry over quinoa

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  • freshstartpat
    freshstartpat Posts: 7 Member
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    Carla - That cauliflower soup looks so good! I would love that recipe.

    Mihani - Honestly, I thought I was done...I'm 54. I had a back ache for a week and was about to call the chiropractor, lol. I think you are right, if I stay off the scale and just focus on what I'm eating, I'll see a loss at some point. Its a good exercise for me to just eat what I know is healthy for me without looking for that instant gratification from the scale.

    Here is the recipe for the mushroom barley soup. I just substitute Better than Boullion vegetable base for the beef stock. http://foodandwine.com/recipes/mushroom-barley-soup

    I brought the kids up to Mt. Snow today to ski on their snow day. So fun!

    Breakfast - Smoothie (pecans, kale, banana, cherries, cocoa powder, flax seed, pom juice, almond milk)
    Lunch - I'm going to buy a salad from the cafeteria here.
    Dinner - Black Bean Burgers / Roasted veggies & potatoes/ salad


  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,945 Member
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    Carla, definitely feeling better since I got my hair done. Last time was before Thanksgiving and I was getting pretty scraggly. Your meals all look scrumptious. Glad you are finding some new places you are enjoying walking.

    Thanks for that link, Pat. I will definitely be trying that soup. I just turned 54 last month! It seems weird. I feel like my parents were a lot more grown up at this age than I feel lol. Skiing sounds like fun, I've never tried it. I'm a bit klutzy so it would probably be a bad idea.

    B - same smoothie
    L - steamer bag of broccoli & cauliflower with soy sauce and nooch, an orange and a pear
    D - chard and arugula sauteed with water and garlic and then tossed with a little balsamic, side of cheezy chickpeas and brown and wild rice, a pear

    I still haven't managed to get into the exercise groove. I hope things will settle down a little next week. Going to have to make a priority.
  • Carla_wfpb
    Carla_wfpb Posts: 1,336 Member
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    Pat, I wish I could give out that recipe. I can't share it because it is part of a paid meal plan and they specifically request that subscribers not share it since that's how they make their living. I have made a lot of the recipes that are free on their site and they've all been tasty. (https://cleanfooddirtygirl.com/). Right now, all of my dinner meals are part of that plan and I make my own (boring) breakfasts and lunches. Can you taste those pecans in your smoothie? I added walnuts to my smoothie the other day and it was extra good!

    Mihani, I'm sure you'll get into your exercise groove once things ease up at work a bit. You're doing great with your food.

    I'm trying to motivate myself to get out of the house today. It is a little drizzly and cool out, which isn't helping. Maybe I'll get some exercise in the form of cleaning and vacuuming my house! It is ready for it.

    Today's Plan:
    B - smoothie
    L - tu-no salad over baby greens, orange
    D - deconstructed chickpea pot pie over whole grain penne
  • Mihani
    Mihani Posts: 3,945 Member
    edited March 2018
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    Did it warm up at all today Carla? We got some blustery snow and cold again today. Ugh! C'mon Spring! I still haven't tried the tu-no salad. After the 6 week plan is up I will give it a try. I'm trying to keep things very simple and that sounds too tempting to overeat to me.

    I've been eating nearly an entire bunch of greens almost nightly. My pants were loose today. My knees aren't achy. It's working.

    B - smoothie same as usual
    L - sliced tomato, steamer bag of broccoli with soy sauce and nooch, an orange (After making my salad this morning for lunch I ran out the door without it and had to eat steamer veggies for the third day in a row. I am NOT forgetting my salad tomorrow!)
    D - sauteed mustard greens and kale, leftover cheezy chickpeas and rice, a grapefruit
  • whats_her_name
    whats_her_name Posts: 716 Member
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    I made a super easy dinner last night and it was delicious. I cooked some garlic couscous and put it as the base to my bowl. Then I added a "herbed garlic" spice to a bowl of chopped celery, tomatoes and red onion. Tossed it and then threw it on top of the couscous. it was sooooo tasty! I'm going to do the same thing tonight, because I still have 3 more servings of couscous left. I might add avocado tonight. mmmmmmm.....

    I am down 5 lbs this week! Yay!! :smiley:
  • RunningMaven57
    RunningMaven57 Posts: 24 Member
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    Hi All! Was thrilled to see a community for ETL minded people! After a three year hyatus from the program, that left me 30 lbs heavier than whe I was on, I’m back at it, determined this time to stick with it. I’ve already lost 8 lbs and feel great.

    My three years off the program was due to I took up distance running, along with the myth running gave me permission to eat what I wanted. What a mistake that was. Still running. Difference is now I’m determined to stay on track diet wise.

    Is anyone else a distance athlete, willing to share your eating regimes for those long workouts (over 6 mile runs). Any advice on how to stay nurourished is appreciated!