Hi from Las Vegas, NV

[Daffodil]

Hi, My name is Amy, I have been a previous McDougaller back in 2001 and lost 45 pounds easily on the progam. But fell off and regained it all plus some.
I have been under a doctors care for the last 6 years and am much worse off than before. I am struggling to lose weight and one of the pills seems to be preventing me from doing so. I also developed an ugly dented in like scaly rash on my legs after starting the metoprolol, a beta blocker.
I want so badly to lose this 100+ lbs, and i want off of the beta blocker but the doctor says no. I have switched doctors quite a bit and am running out of options. If i could find a nice vegetarian doctor on my insurance plan that understands McDougalling as a normal way of life, that would be great!
So i am here to mcdougall, and learn how to wean myself off of these destructive drugs as soon as possible. I am turning 50 in another month and a half.
I want the second half of my life to be much healthier than the first half! I am so fed up it's unbelievable!!!
Thanks for reading.

[Doris]

Amy, welcome back to McDougalling! You know it works since you have succeeded once before. Sometimes we have to do what we think is best for us, so I would suggest that you just start McDougalling and when you go to your doctor again and he (or she) sees your improvement maybe the doctor will at least listen to you. I know that my doctor's mind set has changed since she has seen my results. As I lost weight, she had to discontinue medicines every so often. I'm down from 5 to 1.

I wish you the best on your McDougall journey. Keep posting, it really helps!

[hope101]

Hi, Amy, and welcome back. I am a relative newbie myself (McDougalling since November 2006), but this lifestyle certainly has proven health benefits for me. I have to take a beta-blocker to control arrhythmias but as I have lost weight I take the least possible amount. Hopefully you will have the same experience, if not actually be able to ditch the drug.

Anyway, welcome and let us know how and if we can help.

[Love the Lorax]

I'm also from LV - still sweating it out here! Whew.... I know ALL ABOUT having done McDougalling, falling off, and coming back. Been there, done that and have the T-shirt!

As a matter of fact, I'm just now coming back after falling off the wagon and regaining 20 pounds lost. My BP is up, etc. I KNOW this program works - when I eat lots and lots of veggies, fruit, beans and I do so much better.

I wish you well as you begin again!

[Faith in DC]

Welcome aboard Amy. I have a similar story. I'm going to be 49 in a week, been having blood pressure issues for a few years because I wouldn't be strict on McDougalling and exercise. When my cholesterol shot up to over 240 it was like a slap in the face. So I started back. Oh yeah, I also had gain all my weight back and then some.

I got my cholesterol down to 160, which my doctor thought was a lab error and re-did. She didn't believe in three months I lowered my chol. that much by diet. Unfortunately the bp still was resistant.

Now over a year later, the blood pressure isn't to her liking. I'd love to find a doctor who understood mcdougall too. This doc I have is trying to get me to reach 120/70 by drugs. I know McDougall doesn't like that.

Bad me, has a hard time being consistant with exercise. I really need to start doing that.

Anyway I know at one point I was off all bp meds, but it took diet and exercise to do it. Miss one and bang, it's back up.

[Daffodil]

Thanks for all the nice welcomes.

Doris, I've been having no luck with doctors in Las Vegas that would even remotely embrace the vegan food plan. Most doctors are not knowledgeable about nutrition as it is, and then they think we are kooks when we want to get healthy.
As for my meds, since I have been taking the beta blocker, I can't lose
weight no matter what i do, in fact, I gained at least 30 or more lbs since starting them. The doctor i saw before the newest doctor switched me to them in january of 2006. I had been taking Nifedipine before, and i was losing weight on those, but the side effects were killing me.
I have more problems with the metoprolol. I developed ugly scaly rashes on both legs, mostly on my left. The only thing that changed, was the new drug. I have also had night terrors, waking up yelling while grabbing my husbands arm, thereby waking him and scaring him. Ive suddenly stopped after i quit taking the pill at night. I'm supposed to take it twice a day, but the second pill causes the terrifying night things. And after having the night terrors for a year and a half, i couldnt stand it anymore anyway.
I just want off these stupid things! I will quit them one way or the other, but i don't want to have a stroke like they warn me about.

Hope, I do hope to ditch the drug. Both of them. I am trying to do the low salt with the fat free, but according to a book i read on the subject, (The rice diet solution) we can't be on diuretics if we are doing low sodium. Doctors wont let me off either pill, so i feel trapped. And am getting depressed.

LovetheLorax, what area of Vegas do you live in? I'm in the north in Aliante. I've been in this part of town for 3 1/2 years. Still looking for a walking buddy, but they don't seem to exist here yet. I like to walk when it's cooler, in the evening.
Yes, this program works. It is easily the best program I have ever tried. I always refer back to McDougalling, and i have a few of the books. love the recipes.

Faith, I will admit, i can't always do the exercise part. When i do a 30 minute Walk away the pounds tape, i get so sore after it, then i get all stiff in my neck, shoulders and back, then I can't exercise several days after that. I really hate being so big.

Heres an example of my frustration: I walked all last fall, winter and spring. I thought, wow, i should be smaller now when i weigh. Nope, didnt happen. I was eating mostly the mcdougall way, walking my butt off for an hour or more a night, and no progress. I almost screamed.
then i did some research about the pills im taking. The beta blocker causes weight gain, raises blood sugar levels and cholesterol. I think doctors have an agreement with the drug companies to prescribe things that allegedly help one ailment, but create more to prescribe more drugs.

[Clary]

You live in Las Vegas, which is not that far (as compared to Tennessee! ) from Dr. McDougall's Live-In program facilities in California.

It is my understanding that when one attends his program, and chooses the "medical" portion, that Dr. McDougall can become that person's personal physician, and will continue to work with the person. Many people shed or diminish drugs while attending the program (as well as weight!).

Perhaps someone with more experience about the program, etc. could answer some questions for you if you are interested in perhaps setting a goal to attend.

Oh, and other great helps Dr. McDougall provided for me were a couple articles in his newsletters about how --if we must see a Dr., --how to select and INTERVIEW the Dr. to find one more willing to work with your own personal health goals and needs. I used what he suggested and do now have a Dr. who is willing to work with me on "Lifestyle Changes" as a first choice.

I don't have those articles saved anymore, but the articles are in the newsletter archives at his main website.

The only other suggestion I can think of at this time is to check out if you have a "Natural Hygienist" Physician in your area. If I remember correctly, there used to be a group of them practicing in Las Vegas. If you do, that might be a choice closer to what you are seeking.

Several Natural Hygienist practitioners champion Dr. McDougall's teachings.

[Daffodil]

Thanks for the information Clary. I appreciate it.
I would love to do the Program in California for a weekend or the 10 day. I just cannot afford it at this time.
i wanted to send my Mom to it once I can afford it. She really needs it. She is on 13 different medications for so many ailments. And she can barely move around anymore. Diagnosed with Parkinsons. I still don't believe she has all the things her doctor says she has. She is 73 and feels like she's around 100 or so. (her words) Meanwhile, my husbands parents are in their late 80's and they are running all over the place. Go figure. lol

My husband is a penny pincher and if a doctor is not on our insurance list, he tells me no, I can't go to that one. I did have a pretty good doctor at one time, a few years ago, but the insurance changed, and she was not on it. I even tried to get her to apply to be on it, but she said she didn't have the qualifications they were looking for. And she didn't believe in medicating a person, and would try other ways.
I miss her.

I am just going to hope for the best, and do the best I can. I will look for the Natural hygienists. I think I saw one or two listed somewhere.