1 month on diet, 30 lbs lost - and a new challenge

Share your McDougall successes here in order to inspire others.

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Week 17 Roundup: 3 lbs lost (76.2 lbs total)

Postby wycoff » Fri Nov 01, 2019 7:42 pm

In July I weighed 474 lbs, and today I weigh 398 lbs. I started the McDougall diet looking for relief from my knee pain, and the diet is living up to its reputation. Back in July I was periodically using a cane, but I put it away some weeks ago, and I've started daily walks again for the first time in almost a year.

I talk about this in my Week 17 Roundup video where I discuss the things that happened this week.

This week I watched and commented on a YouTube video entitled, "Is Meat Really Bad for You", and my comment contained the following:

Everyone has to make their own choice. I gave up meat in July of this year and have lost over 70 lbs since. I don't go hungry. My quarterly bloodwork results have improved significantly. So dropping meat was good for me. But like I said, everyone has to make their own choice


And another user had the following response:

This has been the worst decision of your life, but you are simply not aware of that, at least not yet. You can do the exact same thing by fasting aka not eating anything. Your bloodwork results improved because you lost weight, and not because you stopped eating meat.


I'm happy to hear other opinions. But I do not agree with the other user, especially the "not eating anything" comment.

I can clearly remember how I felt on my north-bound journey past 398 lbs, and I would have to classify it as a very achy, sometime nauseous trip. But my south-bound journey past 398 has me feeling fantastic. More importantly to me: after brain damage, stroke and damaging seizures, I am cognitively sharper in the last month than I've been in the last 2+ years. Something about the McDougall diet is working a kind of magic in me. That's what I came for, and that's what I'm getting. And I didn't have to starve.


Even though PG&E cut power to my home for five days, this was a great week. Looking forward to the next one.
My weight loss vlog: The Felton scale-down
Day I started diet: Day 1 on McDougall
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Re: 1 month on diet, 30 lbs lost - and a new challenge

Postby Lyndzie » Sat Nov 02, 2019 8:15 am

Well, I am (obviously) in the pro-veggies camp. My argument about Paleo is pretty much the same as that commenter’s position about veganism. Losing weight will no doubt improve bloodwork, regardless of strategy. Jeff’s many insightful articles and Dr. McDougall’s years of clinical and personal experience are extremely convincing, plus when I apply the guidelines to myself it works for me, and is doing great for you. Keep it up!
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Re: Week 17 Roundup: 3 lbs lost (76.2 lbs total)

Postby michaelswarm » Mon Nov 18, 2019 12:19 pm

wycoff wrote:This week I watched and commented on a YouTube video entitled, "Is Meat Really Bad for You".


The meta analysis mentioned in this piece was discussed extensively in a couple of other threads. The flaws and interests of the studies were previously discussed here:
https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=60160

Of course, there are diverse opinions out on the internet, and some contain grains of truth.

Most people will see improvments by changing to natural whole foods and reducing overall calorie density, and then become quite passionate because of their success. But overwhelming evidence shows more improvements are possible by also eliminating animal foods.

True North does medically supervised water fasts, and gets some amazing results. But they also follow with a McDougall like diet.

Your insight that you suffered at all of the lower weights indicates it’s just not having a lower weight.
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End Week 19 Roundup

Postby wycoff » Wed Nov 20, 2019 5:31 pm

For week 19, ending on Nov 15, 2019...

Accomplishments
Lost 4 lbs (82.2 lbs total)
Got pie video published on Wednesday, Nov 13.

Challenges
9 lbs variation. Its the salt's fault for being so tasty.
Stick to my caloric intake pattern
Try to cut back salt.
Upcoming Thanksgiving week.
Don't miss meat. That is good.
Love pie, and wife can make good pie. That is the challenge.

Pleasures
Vacation days Friday and Monday.
Having a good time with my wife out on the coast.
Talking to wife about Yomano's Gate.
Will try and work on Tombs of Prema (book 2).
Will get in some writing and some chess with wife.
I always win game 1. She wins all the others.
Will continue to relax for my 4-day weekend.
My weight loss vlog: The Felton scale-down
Day I started diet: Day 1 on McDougall
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Re: 1 month on diet, 30 lbs lost - and a new challenge

Postby wycoff » Sat Nov 23, 2019 6:33 am

Week 20 Roundup. Lost 2.4 lbs (84.6 lbs total).

I think the niftiest thing this week is that my 4 years of suffering from plantar fasciitis in my right foot have ended. I cannot explain this, other than to credit the diet and weightloss. If you can imagine, I've had five cortizone shots in my foot, spread over the four year period, and none of them resolved the issue. I'd accepted and learned to live with the pain several years ago. But last night I realized the pain was GONE, really GONE!

So, all together I am: on my feet; no more dizziness; no more nausea; I'm 80+ lbs lighter; I no longer need a cane to walk; my diabetes and blood pressure have significantly fallen; and my plantar fasciitis is gone. I keep wondering what things will be like when I've lost all the weight.

Is there an end-game requirement I should be thinking about? I mean, if/when I achieve the place I want to be, what happens next, diet-wise? I'm happy with how I eat, what I eat, and certainly from the way I feel. Is there something more I should be considering for the day I achieve my goal? I mean, I don't want to blow back up again, after. I want to stay down. Better to ask a question when I'm still far from goal than wait to get there and stumble soon after.
My weight loss vlog: The Felton scale-down
Day I started diet: Day 1 on McDougall
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Re: 1 month on diet, 30 lbs lost - and a new challenge

Postby Lyndzie » Sat Nov 23, 2019 3:08 pm

The best way to stay at your end weight is to keep doing what you did to get there. Congrats on your success! I enjoy watching your weekly updates.
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Week 22 Roundup: 1.8 lbs lost, 86.4 total

Postby wycoff » Fri Dec 06, 2019 11:25 pm

Yes, I missed a posting for Week 21: I'm working on getting over a nasty cold I caught over the holiday.
Anyway, here's my Week 22 Roundup.

In general, I survived the Thanksgiving feast, but I ate well and ate McDougall, and in the end I lost weight.

Now I just need to get over this lung infection! Hassah!
My weight loss vlog: The Felton scale-down
Day I started diet: Day 1 on McDougall
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Week 24 Roundup: Lost 1.6 lbs (91.4 lbs total)

Postby wycoff » Fri Dec 20, 2019 8:30 pm

Doesn't look like I'll pass up 100 lbs lost by year's end, but I've passed up 90 lbs lost since July 5th, 2019. I discuss the week's challenges and accomplishments in my Week 24 Roundup.

I'm still feeling great about the diet, and that's important to me.

The tangled story about my knee pain resulted in a second Physical Therapist; and the second Physical Therapist assigned exercises that caused a new injury that is worse than the problem I went to them for. This is the second biggest challenge I've had since starting the diet, but I'm going to walk my way through the pain as best I can, and keep losing weight. I figure there's a silver lining in those clouds up above, and I just have to be patient. Glad I'm losing weight!

Otherwise, I'm on vacation for two weeks and I'll be making at least one cooking video, and enjoying time with my family. Next challenge: don't eat the poison food during Christmas holiday!

Happy Winter Solstice to everyone!
My weight loss vlog: The Felton scale-down
Day I started diet: Day 1 on McDougall
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Re: 1 month on diet, 30 lbs lost - and a new challenge

Postby wycoff » Fri Dec 20, 2019 8:41 pm

Lyndzie wrote:The best way to stay at your end weight is to keep doing what you did to get there. Congrats on your success! I enjoy watching your weekly updates.


Nice thoughts. Thanks. The end-game is the same as the beginning game. Eat a McDougall diet. And it would appear the calorie counting helps. But once I'm eating to maintain weight I will actually have slightly more calories than I have when eating to lose weight. I have that to look forward to, though I think I'm looking more forward to 15+ mile hikes every Saturday, and maybe taking some Ballroom Dancing. My wife wants me to get back into martial arts. I think I'd have more fun with dancing, though; but they aren't mutually exclusive. We'll see. Lot to lose, still...
My weight loss vlog: The Felton scale-down
Day I started diet: Day 1 on McDougall
wycoff
 
Posts: 45
Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 3:53 pm

Re: 1 month on diet, 30 lbs lost - and a new challenge

Postby wycoff » Fri Dec 20, 2019 8:44 pm

serene wrote:Oh, gosh, feel better soon!


Thanks! And I do! That was a nasty cold. Even my wife got hit with it, and that is the first time she's taken a sick-day from work since I've known her. She and her mom (my mother-in-law) are both so healthy as to make me jealous when I'm walking around with a box of kleenex and a handful of Halls, and they smugly stay cold-free for decade-long runs.
My weight loss vlog: The Felton scale-down
Day I started diet: Day 1 on McDougall
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100 lbs lost since July 5th, 2019

Postby wycoff » Fri Jan 03, 2020 8:11 pm

I finally crossed the century-mark line: I have lost 100 lbs. Nice way to start the new year.

My blood was sampled and tested the day after Christmas, and my A1C and lipids are all down. You can hear the details in my Week 26 Roundup over on YouTube, or read about it, and see the bloodwork results in today's blog entry.

Each quarter I also adjust my caloric intake to keep my calorie restriction copacetic. Today's adjustment dropped my working calorie count by 200. We'll see how that goes. Fortunately it isn't a huge move.

My greatest challenge continues to be my knees, and now the thigh/hip issue that developed as a consequence of the Physical Therapist's assigned activities is even worse. Unfortunately the PT activities caused me to develop a new and worse condition than my knee problem. That has taken me back out of my daily walk: any walking of more than a half mile causes significant pain. I was hoping 2 weeks of not walking on it would cure the issue, but it hasn't. So I am back to not walking. I'm not happy about that.

My goal is to reach 220 lbs, so I have a bit north of 150 lbs to lost after today. I'm hoping to drop the next 100 by this time next year, but it would be even better if I could get there sooner. For now I will continue to try and get back on my feet (e.g., get over the PT-caused injury), and continue to follow the McDougall diet.

A question for McDougallers: I noticed my HDL cholesterol plummeted along with my LDL. You can see the chart in my blog. I love olive oil, but I stopped using it when I started McDougall since McDougall is low-fat. Is there a minimum amount of oil I can/should use to bring my HDL back above 40? Or should I continue to avoid added fat altogether?

Thanks, all!
My weight loss vlog: The Felton scale-down
Day I started diet: Day 1 on McDougall
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Re: 1 month on diet, 30 lbs lost - and a new challenge

Postby Mike Deadmonton » Sun Jan 05, 2020 12:27 am

The only oil you should add is no oil. The only oil you should eat is naturally in the plant. To get corn oil, eat the kernel. To eat flax oil, eat the flax seed. To eat peanut oil, eat the peanut and the same goes for olive oil.

In trying to lose weight, you avoid high oil foods. No nuts, no olives, no avocados.

It has been shown that adding any oil in cooking is not only bad for calorie density, it is hard on the arteries as well.

So, never add oil to food, never cook food in oil. Avoid oily plants, especially when weight loss is a goal.

Ps congratulations on your weight loss.
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Re: 1 month on diet, 30 lbs lost - and a new challenge

Postby Lyndzie » Sun Jan 05, 2020 6:10 am

The reason your HDL went down is because ALL of your cholesterol went down. If you add fat back into your diet, your HDL might go up along with all of the rest of the numbers. Your total cholesterol is amazing. Mine is low, too, and my HDL is also low because of that. Another note, sometimes people see high triglycerides when losing weight as the fat moves out of the cells. It’s not a result of the carbohydrate intake necessarily. Those picture comparisons are striking! I am just so thrilled for you. From what I can see, you are doing great. Congrats on 100 lbs gone, and best of luck on the rest of your journey!
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Re: 1 month on diet, 30 lbs lost - and a new challenge

Postby Suey51 » Fri Jan 10, 2020 2:11 am

Many congrats Don on your weight loss! I enjoy watching your You Tube videos :)

Was researching cholesterol this morning and came across Dr McDougall's September 2003 newsletter which which gives additional information about this topic.

Best of luck with the rest of your journey, Sue
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Week 28 Roundup: lost 0.4 lbs, 100.4 lbs total

Postby wycoff » Sun Jan 19, 2020 5:55 pm

It was a very busy two weeks. I just got back from a business trip to Spokane that absorbed an entire week, and tonight I posted my Week 28 Roundup. Spokane was snowy, cold, wet, and I got a ride from a propeller-driven aircraft with thimble-sized seats that were an uncomfortable squeeze. I ended up at major meat-eater steakhouses quite a few times, but managed to order "legal" foods and stick to my diet. I even avoided all the desserts.

This is my smallest weight loss week(s) yet, though the fact that I lost 0.4 lbs and didn't eat the desserts I was offered stands as a "challenge resolved" accomplishment. I'm glad for the loss, but I'm especially glad I didn't give into caloric temptation.

I don't much care for sweets, so it wasn't as hard to turn the desserts down as you might imagine. Some of the people offering their deserts to me, though, I think may have found some difficulty in my sticking to my diet like I did. To each their own, I suppose.

While in Spokane I learned that I'll be flying to Asia to train a group of people on things I am a subject matter expert at. I've never been asked to fly to another country to train people, so that will be a first. That will certainly present a food challenge. But the good news is that there are a lot of vegetarians where I'm headed (in March), so sticking with McDougall foods probably won't be as difficult as my week in Spokane. We'll soon see.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my previous posting. So far so good... I'll just keep at it and see what happens, diet wise.

Also: I finally got to a chiropractor this weekend, and he gave me significant relief after adjusting my back. Apparently the pain in my left hip and back and leg was due to a pinched nerve. I have new exercises and stretches to help reduce the swelling and open up the pinched area. Once I get past the hip, I'll be back to PT to try and work out the issue with my knee. So things are improving still, and that is good.
My weight loss vlog: The Felton scale-down
Day I started diet: Day 1 on McDougall
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Posts: 45
Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 3:53 pm

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