August 2018 McDougall Weigh In Thread

[Idgie]

Stopped the antibiotics night before last, and "miraculously," I'm down 2.2 pounds this week. So glad I didn't use the bloat as an excuse to stop eating right.

[squealcat]

I am down 1.8 pounds this week. There is room for improvement so I look forward to next week. Trying to add new habits a little at a time to my days. This week I am doing two sets of squats (12 squats to a set ) for five out of seven days. I need to strengthen my core and this is a good exercise for that. I already walk five days a week and I got my three miles in this morning. Temps are in the 60's this morning in Michigan and it is not muggy this morning. I enjoy getting my steps in !

This week I will also work on planning my meals a little bit better. Making good tasting food ahead of time always works for me. I have creamy corn chowder in the crockpot right now. Never made this before but excited to try it.

I wish everyone a good week ! Love all the input you have given !

-Marilyn (squealcat)

[victw]

Down .6 for the week.
4 lbs for the past 4 weeks.

The loss is kind of nice - but not necessary. I did go clothes shopping and I'm between sizes - so a few more lbs wouldn't hurt.

I still don't feel like my habits are smoothed out. I made my pot of soup for the week. But really needed a second bulk item. Two soups in this heat is too much. Next week I will likely make a pasta salad. Hmm - I'll have to ask about pasta recommendations on a different thread. Spelt anyone? I haven't found a non-traditional pasta that I like.

It's been stressful at work - and I'm surprised how that has spilled into other areas.

Vic

[VegSeekingFit]

Hi to the Group!

Looks like another great week for everyone!

I'm down 1.4 lbs. from last week. Makes an even 38 lbs. lost this year.

Wishing all success this week.

Stephanie

[Lizzy_F]

Hi everyone! I am pleased to report being down 2.6 pounds this week!! I feel I have done a great job sticking to regular McDougall all the way, and a decent job of incorporating many MWL meals along the way over the last week. Weight loss is going to get more challenging, so I will continue to focus on my outer boudary being the McDougall plan, and spending more and more time on the narrower inner path of MWL.

Last Saturday I started an exercise challenge with a group of friends. The goal is 100 days of intentional exercise for at least 15 minutes. Not an extreme time requirement, and the exercise can be anything. I am using this challenge to help me incorporate the "walking" aspect of the McDougall program. I have walked at least 1 mile each day, and a few days a bit more - up to 3 miles. It's a start! Today will be day 7/100 and I'm hoping to make 3 miles although it's really humid outside so we shall see.

I haven't been around much this week as it's been busy at work and at home. So I am behind on reading posts which I hope to catch up on this weekend! I would also like to start a journal so I can keep track of what I'm doing. I'm already getting confused with myself and it's only been a couple of weeks!!

I have also been devoting some time each day to reading WFPB books. Right now I am reading The Starch Solution again. It's amazing how I absorb new things each time I read it. I have still not ditched all supplements and I need to get serious about that. It's scary when most of what I'm taking has been doctor (NOT McDougall obviously!) recommended. I wish I could have Dr. McDougall as my MD! There are a couple of medications I am on currently. A thyroid medication (which is not a vegan one). I have been on that med for years. I'm thinking about seeing what happens if I reduce my dose slightly. I will probably wait another month to try that once my "time and adherence" is a bit more solid.

I was also recently started on low dose naltrexone (currently 1.5mg on a course to titrate up to 4.5mg as a maintenance dose). The main reason my functional medicine doc prescribed this is due to some high inflation markers (CRP). After reading about this medication, it seems to be old enough where any side effects are well known (and there don't seem to be many) and it's very inexpensive. So given a seemingly low risk, I figured why not. Especially since LDN is also described as helping with anxiety, depression, weight loss - a miracle drug?? LOL! Anyway..if anyone has any experience with these medications, taking them, getting off of them, etc. I would love to hear any personal testimony out there.

OK - I am way beyond the topic of MWL but I guess this is all about the healing journey, right? Thank you for listening!!

[Rosey]

Kinda figured I'd be up a little this week up 2.6 lbs from 276 lbs to 278.6 lbs On to next week and losing it again.

[amandamechele]

Marilyn - XO. I'm happy to encourage anyone who is working as hard as you are. My family very slowly has come around to not just accepting how I eat, but to encouraging me and sometimes even eating this way for a time. Maybe your husband will too one day. It took many years in my household, but I think there is hope if you just keep quietly modelling it and and really sticking to it his support will turn into admiration to your dedication. I have Jill's cookbook and will take a look at that zucchini chowder recipe..thank you! I may not like zucchini, but my generous friend keeps giving me more of them so I will just keep experimenting. I'm currently wishing for rain where I am...it is desperately needed.


Moonspirit - Your hikes sound beautiful and like quite the workout! That is high altitude you are in. I'm looking forward to hearing your description of the lake, once you make it up there.

Lyndzie - Thanks for the fried zucchini link...I saw this on my Facebook feed and meant to go back and search for it, now I won't have to. Your husband sounds so sweet, definitely a keeper. I'm was same as you, I wore things until they were falling off because I knew I was going to lose more weight and didn't want to waste the money. Someone recommended having your favourite items taken in by a seamstress...I did this to good effect. Another thing I did was buy really inexpensive interim everyday clothes for around the house. If you are in need of good work outfits this may not work, so maybe buy a high quality item with a simple design/cut that will take nicely to also being taken in, in the future.
I hope you enjoyed your time with your mom at breakfast...you made some pretty good choices and can always try to fruit bowl next time...or maybe two of them...they are always so small. All the best this week.

Hi Rebia - I just wanted to say hi because we haven't met.

Stephanie - I'm with you...raw zucchini may be the way to go. LOL...look what my friend dropped over today:

Great loss for the year so far. 38 pounds down...amazing!!

Jobet - Nice loss this week. Thank you for posting that link, it is a great read. I find it can be easy to get sucked into all of the detailed research and social media hype and diet-wars around eating this way, or similarly. Jeff has a great way of reminding us that the point of eating this way is to get healthy in order to have more time for other things we enjoy in life.

Mark - Great to have you checking in again. You are a better man than I*, sticking to 2 fruits a day is something I am still working on (*well, I'm not a man and can only assume you are but you know what I mean...hee hee). Do you add anything to your oat groats for breakfast?

Idgie - I hope your mouth has healed well. You managed to keep your focus through a minor challenge; that is how to be successful. From the posts that I have read of yours, I don't think you have ever been the excuse making type. Best wishes for the same successful efforts this coming week.

Marilyn (again) - Good week for both weight loss and activity levels. Here are some fast favourites from Mary McDougall from the February 2005 newsletter: Mary in your Kitchen as well as her Planning Meals presentation from a previous Advanced Study Weekend. Let us know if you find any good tips in there! How did you like the corn chowder?

Vic - Nice loss, and how nice to be close to another size down. Bonus!
When I eat pasta it tends to be ordinary whole wheat pasta. Is there a reason you are searching for a non-traditional variety? I also like brown rice pasta, but find it very easy to overcook and turn into mush. Jeff answered a pasta question awhile back in an earlier MWL thread that I'll include here:

Not sure if making that switch to gluten free pasta helps with the weight loss thing or not as sometimes I get confused with the whole pasta thing. I've noticed in Jeff Novick's things I've looked at, he doesn't mind whole grain pasta because the boiling process removes the "bad" stuff, but I can't specifically remember the details on that.

I wanted to ask about pasta, since Jeff Novick specifically seems to say pasta is okay in the video Amy linked in her introductory post to the March Weigh In Group topic. Although it is made with flour, when it is rehydrated in the cooking process, the resulting calorie density is about 550 cal/lb. This puts it on par with beans. Yet several people have mentioned that they avoid pasta. It is rather confusing.

So; here's my question--is pasta a no no on MWP?

The recommendation for the the McDougall MWL is to avoid all flour products except for tortillas, including pasta.

As noted above, cooked Pasta is only around 550 cal/lb which makes it fairly low in calorie density. The reason is, unlike most other flour products, in the cooking process it absorbs quite a bit of water back into its structure. That is why I allow whole grain pasta in my recommendations which also include making sure your plate is 50/50 "starch based foods" to non- starchy vegetables (is, pasta primavera).

However, because it's a flour product, some people find it easy to overeat on. If that's you, then avoid it.

In Health
Jeff

Lizzy - How fabulous! Congratulations on a great week. I think your plan is a really good one... slowly but surely that weight will come off with low enough calorie density.
Enjoy the exercise challenge, a little light competition can sometimes keep you motivated. Especially when competing against yourself and trying to improve a previous time or technique or pattern. I love that you're re-reading the Starch Solution, that's my favourite book of Dr. McDougall's. We'd love to hear what else you glean from this refresh. I can't really comment on your thyroid medication levels as a professional, but as someone who has taken levothyroxine for thyroid disease for 15 years, I can say periodic dosage adjustments are necessary and, for me, weight loss appeared to coincide with a need to lower my dosage. Definitely talk to your doc before making any changes, just to be safe. With regards to your C-reactive protein levels, Dr. McDougall talks a bit about how a plant based diet affects them in the December 2003 newsletter. Jeff has also posted research that indicates CRP levels are modifiable through increasing dietary fibre:

The effects of dietary fibre on C-reactive protein, an inflammation marker predicting cardiovascular disease
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2009) 63, 921–933; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2009.8; published online 18 February 2009

http://www.nature.com/ejcn/journal/v63/ ... 0098a.html

Abstract

Background: C-reactive protein (CRP), a sensitive marker of inflammation, is an independent predictor of future cardiovascular disease (CVD), which is a major cause of death worldwide. In epidemiological trials, high-fibre intakes have consistently been associated with reduction in CVD risk and CRP levels.

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the influence of dietary fibre (DF) on CRP in clinical trials.
Data sources: Databases were searched from the earliest record to April 2008 and supplemented by crosschecking reference lists of relevant publications.

Study selection: Human adult intervention trials, at least 2 weeks in duration, with an increased and measurable consumption of DF were included and rated for quality.

Data synthesis: Seven clinical trials were included, and six of these reported significantly lower CRP concentrations of 25–54% with increased DF consumption with dosages ranging between 3.3–7.8 g/MJ. The seventh trial with psyllium fibre supplementation failed to lower CRP levels significantly in overweight/obese individuals. Weight loss and altered fatty acid intakes were present in most of the studies.

Conclusions: In the presence of weight loss and modified saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat intakes, significantly lower CRP concentrations (↓25–54%) are seen with increased fibre consumption (greater than or equal to3.3 g/MJ). Mechanisms are inconclusive but may involve the effect of DF on weight loss, and/or changes in the secretion, turnover or metabolism of insulin, glucose, adiponectin, interleukin-6, free fatty acids and triglycerides. Clinical studies of high- and low-fibre diets are needed to explore the potential favourable effects as observed epidemiologically, and to understand individual susceptibility to its anti-inflammatory effect and long-term cardiovascular reduction.


In Health
Jeff

Dietary Fibre: Just Passing Through
All of these changes are definitely part of the healing journey and this is a great place to talk about it and share experiences. We are all always happy to listen. XO

Rosey - Hugs! Rough week? On to good efforts next week is the best (and only course) of action. I'm with you sister...currently re-losing some weight myself.

[Suey51]

Hello everyone,

Marilyn - I love the sound of creamy zucchini chowder so will be giving that a go!

Amy - love the pictures of your food! The cauliflower baked with hummus and nutritional yeast sounds delicious! Here's my twopenn'th on the zucchini/courgette question:

I like them sliced into batons and eaten raw, or chopped into smallish bits and microwaved with other veggies and served with brown rice and a little sweet chilli sauce and low salt soy sauce. We also add them to a mixed veg and bean minestrone-style soup.

This recipe is from kaitsfarm on Instagram, after I asked for recipes that used a lot of courgettes during our glut last year I use it for those courgettes that overnight become marrows

Courgette & Basil Soup

1.173kg (approx. 7) courgettes,
19g (approx 4-5 cloves) garlic,
"handful" basil (I used 15g),
1 cube vegetable stock,
60g dried chickpeas - cooked (if using a tin, I'd use about half a tin or 120g)
1 tbsp lemon juice
Cook courgettes, basil, garlic & lemon juice until soft and reduced*. Add stock, add chickpeas, blend and season with salt and pepper.

*I cook them for quite a long while so that they really reduce which seems to give the soup more flavour. If they start to stick, I add a little water at this stage. And I add more water at the end, if needed, to get the soup to my preferred consistency.

Courgette Bake

My husband made this yummy and comforting dish recently. The courgettes were soft but in a melt in the mouth way and had plenty of flavour from the tomato sauce. He didn't use a recipe and didn't write down the ingredients but it went something like this:

Slice courgettes into long strips and cook on a griddle pan (not sure if that's the right name - its the flat frying pan with raised lines) till they are softened and have char lines. Then remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, prepare a tomato sauce as follows:
Chop a large onion, some garlic, carrot and celery into tin pieces and sweat in a frying pan/medium sauce pan with a tiny bit of water. Add more water if they start to stick. Once the veg are soft and the onions translucent add orange lentils, finely chopped mushrooms, tinned chopped tomatoes, veg stock. Cook until the lentils are cooked you have a thickish tomato sauce like you'd use on pasta.
In an ovenproof dish place a layer of the courgette followed by a layer of the tomato sauce and repeat. (He added some wholemeal breadcrumbs on top but those aren't part of MWL program.) Add some sliced tomato on the top. Bake in the oven for a while....

We had this with some steamed kale and some green lentils (again cooked by my husband so no recipe but I think he uses with dried rosemary, chopped onion, water and celery). I sprinkled a little nutritional yeast on the bake once it was on my plate. We both enjoyed it so much and thought it would be a good option for people who don't eat this way. He's planning to make it again so I'll try to write down the ingredients and quantities this time!

Best wishes, Sue x

[Mark Cooper]

Wow - Great week everybody! Amanda - I've been eating the oat groats with my fruit for the day - pineapple and strawberries right now. I top it with a dusting of cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon. It has been really delicious and filling. Everyone in the thread is SO amazing, even if this week didn't move the scale it seems to have been a real week of progress, learning and overcoming of obstacles!

My medical / injury situation is in flux right now and I need to have some more diagnostic tests, so hopefully I'll have an update by the end of next week. I'm a little scared actually, but sticking strictly to MWL has kept my anxiety from affecting my eating habits so far.

I've no advice on the zucchini - I actually really like it baked in the oven with mushrooms, onion, and red pepper - the somewhat mushy texture doesn't bother me at all, especially when it is mixed with more toothsome foods.

[moonspirit]

Hi Everybody,

Sounds like another great week for everyone. I am down 2.6 lbs to 167.2.

Next week I will be visiting with my dad, his wife, and my brother. We'll be eating out for lunch and dinner every day. My plan is to stick to LFPB as much as I can, but to not sweat it if it's too hard and to not expect myself to be perfect. I'm in this for the long haul, and I feel good about my normal daily compliance. Being too hard on myself in social situations, being too strict, was part of why I stopped doing this years ago, so I don't want to do that to myself again. I won't weigh in next week, to keep this an accurate thread, though I will definitely check in about how it was. My attitude is "eat like a peasant most days, and feast occasionally to remind myself why I do this".

Went on two hikes this week, because hubby had an extra day off from his retreat work. Our mission for the second hike was to find the small dead tree with the beautiful rose-hued wood that we'd seen the time before and make it into a walking stick. We didn't end up finding it on the way up, and hubby found a more gnarled stick instead, and we cut that. On the way down, we did find the beautiful dead tree that we had intended to "harvest", but by that time I was attached to the gnarled one - lol. A sturdy walking stick really helps my knees on the steep downhill parts.

On interim clothing: you can find some good deals at thrift stores on nice work clothes, as well as lounge-around-the-house clothes. Just go and prepare to be selective and try things on. Go when you don't feel rushed for time. Look out for stains, rips, missing buttons, too much wear. I have found some real treasures thrift-store shopping. I have also saved up some money to buy clothes when I reach goal weight, and I saved many of my favorites from when I used to be goal weight. I don't find that I enjoy shopping all that much when I'm overweight, but that's probably a relationship that needs to be improved.

On food: I pretty much do what Stephanie does. I make one big pot of hearty something (this week it was mushroom barley soup) that I eat for one meal a day, have oatmeal and apples for breakfast, then have quinoa or potatoes with a steamed veggie for the other big meal (if I'm even hungry enough after I've had my smoothie). My smoothie consists of dark leafy greens, water (blend); two scoops of vegan chocolate pea protein powder for bulk and a cup of frozen wild blueberries (available at Trader Joes pretty inexpensively - we stock up whenever we visit the Big City). It's divine and a great way to get my dark greens and antioxidants for the day. You could also do it with vanilla pea powder, but I love the chocolate-berry combo.

On summer bulky food: My go-to is "Mexican Bean Salad":

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 large tomatoes, diced
2 red or orange bell peppers, seeded and diced
a small or a half of a medium red onion, diced small
juice of 2 limes
handful of cilantro - chopped (optional)

Mix everything together. Let it sit in the fridge for an hour or two. Salt after serving. It's good for 3-4 days. When not doing MWL, you can add a bit of avocado (that's what I did before MWL).

And finally a shout-out to all the other Oregon-philes. I do love it there, and I hope that those of you who are still there are doing OK with the forest fires - I heard yesterday from Eugene friends that the smoke from the California and S. Oregon fires was starting to have an impact. Makes me glad to be doing my part to reduce my carbon footprint (through PB eating). I hope I can go back to Oregon some day to live (I spent half my life there, and my kids still live there), but the increasing smoke makes that a tough prospect with my asthma. People are more used to drought in Colorado, and it seems like, despite the dryness we've had this year, we've had fewer problems with fires (knock on wood). We're now into our rainy season, so hubby and I had a nice patio fire last night, the first all year. It was a lovely night for being outside.

Have another great week, and I'll see you on the other side of the adventure into family waters.

- Becca

[Cherrydale]

This is the end of my first week and I am happy to report a 6.5 lb loss. I know that a good part of this is water loss, but that's okay...that extra fluid I carry is as uncomfortable as the fat. I was not perfect with my food choices, but much improved. I cook for my husband and mother, who are not eating the same as myself, and tasted a bit of what I had made for them. It is a little difficult preparing the old food I had enjoyed, but the health benefit is greater if I restrain myself. For the most part, I was satisfied with the food I ate. It was a very busy work week and I hope to be able to read more of the threads on here in the days to come.

[Rosey]

Jane and Ann Esselstyn did a video on Zucchini just recently. looked yummy..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDTJrVSsXNQ

[moonlight]

Hi ! I’ve gained 1 lb. I’ve been traveling a lot... I’ve joined a gym and plan to be home and organized starting Monday!

[amandamechele]

Hi All,

Awesome, awesome week.

I came across this 2008 McDougall newsletter while looking for some inspiration to do better. I'll be honest..it was the It's not fair line that got me. I'm that gal sometimes...dragging my heels and slowing the process of what I know needs to be done.
Overcoming Four Greatest Obstacles to Following the McDougall Diet.

Obstacle #1 - Change is difficult
It sure can be. Here Dr. McDougall discusses the benefit that a change in environment a live-in program can provide to someone needing a really good start. But, he also points out that everything you need to know is available at no-cost, here on the website.

Obstacle #2 - McDougall is not about vegetables
For all of the experienced starchivores this obstacle no longer requires additional explanation.

Obstacle #3 - Failure to appreciate the body's efficiency
This obstacle gets to the heart of what the MWL program really is to the regular program. The regular program got many of us in the door, so to speak, but to truly feel at home in our own bodies we may need to kick it up a notch....or more accurately down a notch on the calorie density scale.

"Robert, a 50-year-old doctor from California, lost 70 pounds on the McDougall diet during the first year with the program. His debilitating back pains almost disappeared, as did his generalized arthritis. However, over the last 6 months he has lost nothing more, with 60 more pounds still to shed. “It is not fair,” he said, “I eat better than ever before, and I am stuck at this plateau.”
***
Robert, and others stuck at similar roadblocks, must make even more changes in order to set a new body weight and higher level of health. And that means a stricter diet and exercise program—because obviously the one that he is currently following has allowed him to remain at an undesired plateau. Paying closer attention to the details of the McDougall program will start people back on the losing track."
***
Eat simpler for better health and easier weight loss. At home, plan meals of cooked whole grains or oil-free hash browns for breakfast and pack your lunch with leftovers. For dinner, think “two choice combinations,” like sweet potatoes and broccoli; rice and green beans; or beans with a few plain condiments. Simple, monotonous meal plans facilitate success."

Obstacle #4 - No one is responsible for fixing your food
This explanation is about failing to plan. There is always a way to be prepared when a goal is important enough. Take stock of your situation. If time is scarce but money is ample maybe hire some help. If the opposite is true, schedule shop and chop dates with yourself. If both money and time are tight...like with most of us...then consider learning Jeff's 15 minute Fast-Food system for quick healthy meals.

Best wishes this week everyone. Thank you so much for the courgette recipes (Oh lala... sounds so much fancier than zucchini...thanks Sue...LOL!)

Amy


PS. I'm so excited...Dr. McDougall is releasing a new interview this coming week on August 14th, between himself and another plant-based doc, Dr. Luke Wilson. I've totally missed his webinars and can't wait to see this one.


Here are the results for the second week in August:

Next Weigh-In is on Friday, August 17th, 2018

Total group loss reported in 2018: 374.8 pounds

August 2018 Weight Loss Group :: Monthly Weigh-In Results
Total group loss in January 2018: 54.7 pounds
Total group loss in February 2018: 49.3 pounds
Total group loss in March 2018: 52.5 pounds
Total group loss in April 2018: 26.9 pounds
Total group loss in May 2018: 50.8 pounds
Total group loss in June 2018: 54.3 pounds
Total group loss in July 2018: 50.3 pounds
Total group loss in August 2018: 36 pounds

Week ending 08/10/2018: 13 participants reported a total loss of 16.1 pounds
---------------------------------------
Mark Cooper - 0.7
Rosey - 2.6
Moonlight - 1.0
---------------------------------------
Total gains: 4.3
--------------------------------------
Jobet - 0.7
Lyndzie - 0.0
Idgie - 2.2
Squealcat - 1.8
Victw - 0.6
VegSeekingFit - 1.4
Lizzy_F - 2.6
Moonspirit - 2.6
Cherrydale - 6.5
Amandamechele - 2.0
---------------------------------------------
Total losses: 20.4
---------------------------------------------

Total group loss in August 2018: 36 pounds
Week ending 08/10/2018: 13 participants reported a total loss of 16.1 pounds
Week ending 08/03/2018: 16 participants reported a total loss of 19.9 pounds

[Idgie]

Thanks so much!