New McDougaller needs help!

For those questions and discussions on the McDougall program that don’t seem to fit in any other forum.

Moderators: JeffN, f1jim, John McDougall, carolve, Heather McDougall

New McDougaller needs help!

Postby a-great-hunger » Tue Nov 08, 2022 12:10 pm

Hello! I am brand new to the forums, so a little history about myself:



I have struggled with my weight my whole life, being a chubby kid and later moving into an obese adult. I buckled down on my diet and exercise and lost a good deal of weight and have kept it off, but I have never been able to sustain a healthy BMI due to hunger. The only time I achieved a “normal” BMI involved fasting, excessive exercise, and a very low calorie intake that was meticulously tracked…which inevitably backfired due to hunger.



I have tried a number of diets to achieve a permanent weight loss without success due to hunger. I’ve done protein-sparing modified fasts, water fasting, time-restricted feeding, ketogenic diet, a HCLF diet, and frankly, all of them have produced unsustainable weight loss.



It is frustrating, to say the least.



I am simply hungry a lot, and eating to my hunger puts me at a BMI of 26ish. My days of measuring calories are long over (I’ll never return to that hell again), and I’m wondering how long on this diet it took individuals to succeed in their weight goals (and feel less hungry).


A few notes about myself and my eating patterns that will inevitably come up:

I eat according to calorie density. I eat plenty of green and yellow vegetables. I usually eat about a pound of raw vegetables and a pound of cooked vegetables per day. I minimize my fat intake on a daily basis. Salad dressing is usually balsamic vinegar.

I do not have an issue with dietary adherence. Starches are tasty. When including animal products in the past, I was content with things like egg whites, plain chicken breast, and low fat dairy.

I do not have an issue with binge eating (or, as Dr. McDougall calls it, “volume eating”). The only time I have experienced issues with volume eating have been in response to cutting my calories extremely low. Likewise, I do not have an issue with emotional or stress eating. (Do not suggest these to me, as I find it extremely disrespectful. I am quite in tune with my hunger and satiety cues due to struggling with anorexia in the past.)

The only times I eat highly processed foods are on special occasions like holidays and birthdays. I do not eat fast food. I am capable of eating one slice of cake or one piece of pie or having one restaurant meal out and resuming healthy eating thereafter.

I exercise daily, cardiovascular and weight training.

I drink plenty of water.

I have struggled with the McDougall diet because I find that the starches are very filling in the short term, but I find myself hungry again in just a few hours. Even with something huge, like a two-pound baked potato and a side salad. My hunger varies from day-to-day, but I still find myself eating enough calories that I maintain an overweight BMI. If I eat less than my hunger drive, I cannot sleep at night and will awaken needing food.

Are there any suggestions or tips successful McDougallers can offer? I am seeking a way of eating that is a sustainable path to weight loss without measuring or counting calories.
a-great-hunger
 
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2022 11:32 am

Re: New McDougaller needs help!

Postby Daydream » Tue Nov 08, 2022 4:02 pm

a-great-hunger: It might help you to join the supportive group "The Behavioral Path to MWL Success" led by Mark Cooper.

https://www.drmcdougallforums.com/viewt ... 11&t=62322
User avatar
Daydream
 
Posts: 669
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 11:16 pm

Re: New McDougaller needs help!

Postby VegSeekingFit » Tue Nov 08, 2022 8:41 pm

Hi to you --- A-Great-Hunger, :-D :) :D

Glad to see you post!!!

Daydream gave you excellent advice if you are interested in managing weight without hunger. Best place to do this is the thread that she linked. If you look at the linked post, there is JeffN's MWL Checklist --- #9 is eat when hungry --- don't starve and don't stuff. So, no need to be hungry!!! No need to worry about what you are eating if you stick to the MWL recommended foods (recommended fashion...). You can learn all about it in that thread!!! Seriously!!!

I started about 18 months ago with a BMI 26.2. Cleaned up my behaviors :lol: and got to "goal weight" about 4 months ago BMI 18.5 after oatmeal / maybe clothed... (so I guess the jury is out on time... but I will say that I feel pretty ok about continuing!!!)... I will say honestly that it would be more difficult for me to gain than lose weight in following these guidelines...

If you read the orientation materials for Time & Adherence thread and it is ok for you to do this, will say 100% that this is a super supportive group and I have nothing but benefited from it... Mark, JeffN, WildGoose... I have learned a lot and have always felt in a safe and supportive environment!!!

If you just start with an empty plate and go from there... awesomeness will follow...

Wishing you the best.

Cheers,
Stephanie
"Just put one foot in front of the other and don't worry about the length of the path.
Once you get on that path, and the longer you stay on it, there eventually will come a time when you will not turn back." - Martina Navratilova
User avatar
VegSeekingFit
 
Posts: 1324
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2015 9:21 am
Location: Illinois

Re: New McDougaller needs help!

Postby michaelswarm » Wed Nov 09, 2022 6:39 pm

A Great Hunger,

Hi and welcome. Sounds like you are doing pretty good.
You are researching and experimenting a lot. It has already brought you here.
Over eating whole plant foods close to nature is certainly better than over eating modern junk and animal foods.

I’ve been doing this for over a decade, since my then girlfriend was diagnosed and passed from cancer.
I have not experienced your struggle, having almost always been thin, and even when I lost 40 lbs from 190 to 150 lbs.
But have read and heard from others who have struggled.

My suggestion is try many small experiments. Each might get you a pound or two closer to your goal.
I’ve made a list of tips over the years. Here you go.

- 30m gentle exercise.
- Limit seasonings. No sugar or salt. Food simple and repetitive. Make food boring. (Make food boring. McDougall.)
- No higher calorie density: bread, dry fruit, nuts, etc. (Jeff Novick)
- Limit fruit, no dry fruit or fruit juices (McDougall)
- Eat vegetables first. Soups and salads. (Jeff Novick)
- Smaller portions (Simon Hill): eat until full, not stuffed.
- No Extra meals (Simon Hill): no snacks (fruit snacks)
- No Liquid calories: no juices and no smoothies (Simon Hill)

Some people swear by more starch and less vegetables to manage hunger.
The MWL group is an excellent suggestion.

Good luck, and keep us posted on your efforts and progress.
User avatar
michaelswarm
 
Posts: 854
Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 11:01 pm
Location: Traveling Mexico and United States

Re: New McDougaller needs help!

Postby landog » Wed Nov 09, 2022 8:29 pm

"I do not have an issue with dietary adherence." Really? Then why this: "I am capable of eating one slice of cake or one piece of pie or having one restaurant meal out "

Give up the cake and the pie! ..and eating at restaurants!

You say you are hungry a lot, but you also say "I usually eat about a pound of raw vegetables and a pound of cooked vegetables per day." This is a starch-based diet for a reason!


This may be all you need to know about weight loss.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CdwWliv7Hg

Calorie Density: How To Eat More, Weigh Less and Live Longer

I'd suggest that you watch it weekly until you can live it.

Be well,
-dog
User avatar
landog
 
Posts: 2209
Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 6:26 am
Location: Cleveland, Ohio

Re: New McDougaller needs help!

Postby a-great-hunger » Thu Nov 10, 2022 12:15 pm

landog wrote:"I do not have an issue with dietary adherence." Really? Then why this: "I am capable of eating one slice of cake or one piece of pie or having one restaurant meal out "

Give up the cake and the pie! ..and eating at restaurants!


Trust me, I make every effort to eat home-cooked meals, but the husband likes to eat out once per week. I get the most compliant dish possible (dressing on the side, no cheese, etc.). Any sort of dessert is reserved as "special occasion food" that occurs less than once per month, so I don't think it's hindering my health. (Having a piece of cake on my birthday isn't what got me in trouble...it was eating takeout and snacking on not-so-healthy grocery store foods like chips and cookies.)

I have definitely increased my starch intake per all the recommendations. If I'm really hungry, I have a slew of baked potatoes stocked in the fridge and fresh beans at the ready. I have noticed that increasing my starch intake helps me sleep at night, as has quitting caffeine and diet soda. (Pepsi Zero is my great weakness, and you have no idea how hard it is to resist that temptation, especially because it's zero calories.)
a-great-hunger
 
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2022 11:32 am

Re: New McDougaller needs help!

Postby MINNIE » Thu Nov 10, 2022 4:06 pm

This is a complex-carbohydrate starch-based diet. That's the main point. Actually it's the only point.

The beauty is in the elegant simplicity.(The only complexity you need is in the carbohydrates).

10-year McDougaller here, and this what I've learned.

Try it as Dr. McDougall designed it and see how it goes. Starch is satiating. No need to be hungry.
Review the rules and consider how simple they are compared to any other "diet". IF you make it more complicated than that, you'll waste time and mental energy.



I did this for health, not related to weight control, but after a few weeks I knew I would never eat any other way. :)
MINNIE
 
Posts: 1880
Joined: Tue Jun 04, 2013 10:17 am

Re: New McDougaller needs help!

Postby Matcha » Thu Nov 10, 2022 11:11 pm

:)
Last edited by Matcha on Fri Nov 11, 2022 3:42 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Matcha
 
Posts: 73
Joined: Fri May 13, 2022 2:14 pm

Re: New McDougaller needs help!

Postby veggiecat » Fri Nov 11, 2022 6:18 am

Hi!
I hope you are doing well today! I noticed you mentioned Pepsi Zero. I realize it has no calories, but I believe there has been a lot of recent research about artificial sweeteners affecting the microbiome. Do you like things like LaCroix seltzer? Or there are other brands & even store brands of unsweetened fizzy drinks. Or try peppermint iced tea, Iced green tea, or infused water. Give it a try; it might work for you.
Best wishes,Cat
User avatar
veggiecat
 
Posts: 435
Joined: Thu Oct 19, 2006 3:27 pm
Location: wpb,fl

Re: New McDougaller needs help!

Postby a-great-hunger » Fri Nov 11, 2022 12:01 pm

Yes, I've started drinking sparkling water and herbal tea. It hits the same "cool and refreshing" spot for me because I know aspartame and other junk chemicals are terrible for me.
a-great-hunger
 
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Nov 08, 2022 11:32 am


Return to The Lounge

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests



Welcome!

Sign up to receive our regular articles, recipes, and news about upcoming events.