Top 10 reasons for failure

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Postby Vegeloon » Wed Sep 23, 2009 3:42 pm

dlb wrote:Oops - I was making my list and it sounded kind of negative. So I changed it around to give it a positive spin - not paying attention to the fact that I was getting off the mark. Turn those around again and that's how I get myself in trouble :D.

Donna


Donna - I really liked your positive spin!
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Postby DebbieSLP » Tue Sep 29, 2009 7:15 am

Roberta, I agree with you on #1:

Lack of support at home.

My husband is the worst kind of SAD eater, although he is thin, active, happy, and healthy: at 44 he has no medications, health concerns, or elevated risk factors. He has no desire to change, but does not comment about my eating style except to tell me my greens "stink!" His philosophy seems to be that we can each eat the way we want, as long as the other person doesn't interfere or complain. Sigh.

My parents are also SAD eaters, and although my mother has read McDougall, Fuhrman, China Study, etc., she continues to feel pity for me having to eat in such a "restricted" manner. She and Dad are on a huge variety of medications, and feel they no longer have health problems because the symptoms are under control.

If I lived alone, I would have NO problem eating whole-foods vegan all the time. But I don't like living alone, and hope I never have to again.

#2 for me would be eating out, including eating at friends' or family gatherings. I often have some of what I would normally not choose to eat, because it is there. Fortunately I am now at a point where such off plan eating does not put me in a downward spiral or cause cravings.

#3 would be a lack of time or inspiration for cooking on certain days. Normally this is not a problem, but I am surrounded by SAD food in the home (see #1), and so if I'm exhausted from working late, or sick, or it's almost time for bed when I get home, I may eat something I normally would not choose because it's there.

I don't exercise. OK, I do play golf once a week, and bowl 5-6 games a week, and run around outside with the dog, and garden, and walk a fair amount, but that's not "real" exercise. I just don't have time for the "real" thing.

I do stay informed and interested by reading newsletters and forums like this one. "Commitment" really isn't an issue for me, because eating healthy is no longer an effort after five years. I may not be perfect, but I will never go back to being a SAD eater.
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Re: Top 10 reasons for failure to follow program?

Postby Gareth » Tue Apr 13, 2010 3:40 am

What a great thread, some very honest statements about coping with a chosen diet.

I would like to add to the list of hurdles that prevent us from following our preferred path.

1-Not continually educating ourselves
2-Never in touch with like minded people (like this great site)
3-Having no patience with others
4-Not being organised


In my experience amazingly brilliant marketing by supermarkets and their 'food' clients make it a real challenge to stay on track for most people.
Because big business is so brilliant at marketing products, healthy or unhealthy, (that's what they are supposed to do), we shouldn't beat ourselves up if we 'fall off the wagon' once in a while.
So my number 5...

5-Keeping a negative conversation with ourselves rather than congratulations for being strong enough to try again, with a bit more knowledge than we had before!

My message to everyone out there in McDougall land is;Keep Going, It's Worth It!

Gareth

[b]Spreading The Plant Based Nutrition Word In The UK [/b]
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Re: Top 10 reasons for failure to follow program?

Postby Birdy » Fri Apr 23, 2010 10:55 am

I agree, this is a great thread. I've been reading through many of Jeff's stickies on how to succeed with the McDougall diet. Certainly, I find myself in all the thoughtful posts in this thread. It's like a mirror being held up so I can see mistaken thinking and behaviors, such as not planning ahead, being discouraged by family or friends, not embracing genuine adherence to the plan, etc. I also strongly agree with whoever wrote that bread of whatever kind is too calorie dense and it's better to stick primarily with whole grains. Bread, like sugar, can actually completely derail my efforts to stay on the McDougall plan. Thanks for all the very helpful reflections about failure to follow the program, and thanks also to you Jeff for the other stickies about succeeding and the one listing ingredients that you frequently use, such as frozen vegetables, canned beans, and quick cooking brown rice.
"The program is essentially cost and risk free." ~ Dr. John McDougall
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Re: Top 10 reasons for failure

Postby AranMC » Tue Jan 04, 2011 10:18 am

My #1 would be dad in law, he tries to sabotage my efforts.. but this time I'm not going to let him win...

#2 would be boredom especially in wintertime when I'm confined to the house by the weather..
#3 would be punishment, I get annoyed with myself for letting family or something get to me so then I go and eat something I shouldn't which makes me more annoyed with myself..

Aren't we silly with ourselves...

Aran
"It's not a Diet, It's a Way of Life!"

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TIMELY TOPIC

Postby Clary » Tue Jan 04, 2011 12:02 pm

It's interesting to note that this thread was started 8/25/2008.
Still VERY "TIMELY" and useful. :nod:
"LIFE always begins again." --Edmond Bordeaux Székely
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Re: Top 10 reasons for failure

Postby landog » Tue Jan 04, 2011 2:35 pm

Happy New Year, Clary!

Here's to success in 2011 :-D
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Re: Top 10 reasons for failure

Postby Clary » Tue Jan 04, 2011 7:25 pm

landog wrote:Happy New Year, Clary!

Here's to success in 2011 :-D

Well, what a nice surprise, landog. Thank you for the good wishes. You, too. :nod:
"LIFE always begins again." --Edmond Bordeaux Székely
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Re: Top 10 reasons for failure

Postby lucidguppy » Thu Aug 26, 2021 6:06 am

Besides what everyone else said.

1. Stress and letting things get to you (especially stuff that you don't have control over). If politics is making you go for roasted peanuts, turn off the TV.

2. Snacks in break room (not so much with the pandemic now...) I need to make sure my mid morning stacks of salad and an apple are big enough to squash any excuse to eat bad food.

3. Thinking you're done with the WOE. The diet that gets you to your ideal weight is very likely the diet that will keep you there. (Some may need to transition to a less strict MWL plan of course. I'm just saying you don't get to eat SAD or have SOS like you did before).

The other top ten items are spot on (like bread).
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Re: Top 10 reasons for failure

Postby JeffN » Fri Aug 27, 2021 10:52 am

I cleaned up my list and added #10

Top 10 Reasons for Lack of Success.

1) Poor Adherence/compliance. Sometimes from lack of application and sometimes from lack of understanding of the principles.

2) Misdirection of focus/priorities. Focusing on matters that don't really effect your health while not focusing on the ones that do.

3) Minimizing/Rationalizing the effect of certain behaviors and/or personal preferences, **especially in regard to certain foods**.

4) Too many ultra processed, refined and/or calorie dense foods, especially those that are marketing as being healthy, vegan or plant-based."

5) Not understanding the difference between something that is "not compliant," something that is "allowed" on occasion in small quantities, and something that is "recommended."

6) Inadequate exercise/activity

7) Not planning ahead. If you do not plan ahead for success, you will most likely not find it.

8 ) Time. Healing and results take time and for some of us, it may take a little longer than we hope.

9) Mcdougall "Plus" - This is where you mix the McDougall principles with other principles you have read or learned somewhere else that are not inline with the principles recommended here.

10) Adherence Fatigue - A feeling of fatigue over time for doing what is necessary to maintain compliance to the program (ie, special ordering, meal prep, preparing ahead for social situations). Sometimes, people tire from doing the right thing.

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