Some Random Thoughts On Successful McDougalling...

Share your daily McDougall menus and/or keep a journal describing your personal progress.

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Some Random Thoughts On Successful McDougalling...

Postby geo » Sat Jan 20, 2018 9:54 am

I think its time for me to maybe give back to the community what I can. As a successful McDougaller I know how hard it can be to get started and stay with it. My own journey has been well documented already but not in any easy to read manner (no one really wants to read through hundreds of posts to get started.)

So I will be starting from the beginning and write this all up in hopefully small chunks that will be easy to digest (I promise!). I will try to stick to just the basics of the program, but in some cases I may stray into things that may not be a direct part of McDougalling but should fit in well with the program for some (I will make note of this when they come up.) This will all come from my experience as an individual and I will not be spewing any science studys or anything like that. This will be simply, what has worked for me in the McDougalling lifestyle. My hope is that some of you may find that little golden nugget that will help you succeed on this program as well.

Welcome to the McDougall Program!
geo

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Some Random Thoughts on Successful McDougalling
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Re: Some Random Thoughts On Successful McDougalling...

Postby Starch Chick » Sun Jan 21, 2018 2:08 pm

Looking forward to it :)
.....Beth
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Re: Some Random Thoughts On Successful McDougalling...

Postby geo » Sun Jan 21, 2018 8:47 pm

Perspective and Context

Two little words but without them there can be no understanding. Ever wonder why people seem to be always talking past each other? Or why the media always seems to misunderstand nutrition studies and blows them out of proportion.

Proper perspective of the speaker combined with the context of whats being said is the only way to make sense of what someone is saying. Without them, meaning is lost, truth becomes blurred and arguments ensue. I've seen this happen over and over again in these forums, and in life in general.

Let me tell a little tale that just happened today that led me to write this. My wife and I were talking as we were driving around the burbs. The conversation went something like this:

Me: Wow this is great weather today
Wife: Are you kidding? its freezing out there
Me: But its 40 degrees?
wife: Yeah exactly, its freezing cold
Me: I think its great!
Wife: Your crazy!

and around we went...

The missing ingredient, perspective and context! For me, I tend to run warm, I prefer the cold and am comfortable in it. My wife runs cold and prefers the warm. Thats our perspectives. My context was, this is mid winter in Michigan and 40 degree temps are really rather warm for this time of the year and location. Her context, its winter dummy, its always cold in winter, end of story :-)

So before I start writing my opinions let me give you my perspective from which I write.

I am a firm believer in the McDougall Program. It is the only diet/lifestyle I've ever followed that gave me overall health, cured and reversed my issues and I believe will lengthen my lifespan. I've experienced the effects of the program from the outside and have proven to myself the effects on the inside from all the tests I've taken. I believe Dr McDougall is a genious and the only Doctor that truly has the answers to optimal lifelong health. That is my perspective and yes my bias.

The context from which I write will always be in relation to the McDougall Program and my experiences in it. I may from time to time say things that may not be spoken of directly within the program (but I believe easily fits within the program) and I will point those out so as to not confuse anybody.
geo

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Re: Some Random Thoughts On Successful McDougalling...

Postby petersk » Tue Jan 23, 2018 11:32 am

Great! Look forward to your insights that I have always found valuable.

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Re: Some Random Thoughts On Successful McDougalling...

Postby bunsofaluminum » Tue Jan 23, 2018 4:27 pm

yay! Hi Geo! I'm gonna be watching this!
JUST DON'T EAT IT

I heart my endothelial lining
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simple, humble food
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The rest is an industry looking to make a buck off my poor health
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Re: Some Random Thoughts On Successful McDougalling...

Postby geo » Fri Jan 26, 2018 12:22 pm

What is the McDougall Program?

In a few words, The McDougall Program is a Starch based diet and lifestyle.

How do you follow the program? Simple! Eat starches as your primary calorie source, add in veggies and a few fruit, drink water, and do a little exercise. Thats it. Notice there's no mention of what not to eat because its not needed. Starches veggies, fruit and water is what the diet consists of. If you only follow these 5 words (starches, veggies, fruit, water, exercise) you will be able to easily obtain optimal health for the rest of your life. Your body will thank you. It will cure/reverse/prevent many if not most all of the chronic diseases that the SAD will create over time and it will lengthen your life span and greatly increase your quality of life. That is the promise and IMHO that is what it delivers.

Thats the program in a nutshell. Simple, easy, cheap and for life.

Notice, I didnt say anything about science studies, what not to eat, macro nutrients or percentages, when to eat, how much to eat, or any particular food to eat, It doesnt even tell you what exercise to do. Yes these are details that are answered within the program and can be important. But if you never did anything other than just follow those 5 words (starches, veggies, fruits, water, exercise) you will be perfectly fine and healthier than 99.9% of the population.

Two brilliant men, Dr McDougall and Jeff Novick, RD have spent over 70 years making this program viable in painstaking detail.(It takes brilliance to make such a complex subject as nutrition so basic and simple for everyone.) All you really need to know is eat your starches, veggies, fruits, drink water, and do a little exercise...for the rest of your life. The details will follow in next posts...
geo

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Re: Some Random Thoughts On Successful McDougalling...

Postby geo » Tue Jan 30, 2018 12:05 pm

Is the McDougall Program Vegan?

Quite simply NO!

While the McDougall Program recommends no animal products at all it is not vegan. Veganism is more a philosophy that encompasses not eating animal products, environmentalism, animal rights, and other activist type activities. The McDougall Program is not involved in those types of activities but for sure the effects of the McDougall Program are encompassed within veganism.

Dr McDougall himself has stated many times (with a wry smile and a twinkle in his eye) that he sometimes may have a small piece of turkey every other year for Thanksgiving.) My interpretation of this is simply by saying this he 1. Decouples the program from veganism and 2. makes newcomers more comfortable to start the program. Dr McDougall is big on getting people started by eliminating as many hurdles and objections as possible that people may have. He's willing to give a little to get people started because he knows that getting people started on this lifestyle is the most important thing he can do. The rest will work itself out over time.

JeffN gives his answer on eating animal products in this manner:

viewtopic.php?f=22&t=57173

In regards to recommending animal products:

Second, in regard to "recommend," no, I don't. However, and this may not answer your question but, I have no problem if someone includes a small amount, lets say less than 5% of calories. I don't think a 100% plant diet is required for optimal health. And, I don't know of any benefit to adding them in, in regard to physical health.


In other words, there simply is no science on a 100% plant based diet vs one that includes very small amounts of animal products. We know that eating significantly less animal products can bring greater health if done right. But theres no science that says elimination of all animal products brings optimal health. Now maybe in the future their will be such studies and the science may say otherwise, but for now, we dont know. Thus this is not a vegan program. But remember, animal products are NOT recommended in the program.

There are a lot of other good reasons to not eat animal based products as stated in his post above. For me, its simply better safe than sorry. I know that if I eat a little animal product I wont be able to stop. I suspect it may be the same for many others.

One last reason that this program is not vegan is that in a vegan diet you can eat things such as:

Breakfast - sugar frosted flakes with soymilk, glass of processed orange juice, white toast with margerine, coffee with creamer
Lunch - processed peanut butter and jelly sandwhich on white bread with a side of potato chips and a coke
Dinner - Some tufu thrown into a stir fry of veggies (cooked in oil) with lots of soy sauce, a salad with oil/vinegar dressing and a glass of wine followed by a nice bowl of soy ice cream for desert

NONE of that would be allowed on the McDougall program (though there are suitable substitutes for all the above that would be McDougall compliant.)

In other words, its all about the food and while the McDougall program fully recommends plant foods for its diet, it is not vegan.
geo

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My March 2013 Star McDougaller Story
Some Random Thoughts on Successful McDougalling
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Re: Some Random Thoughts On Successful McDougalling...

Postby geo » Wed Jan 31, 2018 10:04 am

Is the McDougall Program WFPB?

No its not!

It been very popular the last 5 years or more to talk about lots of different Doctor dietary plans that are all lumped into the simple moniker of WFPB (Whole Food Plant Based). But the McDougall Program does not rightly fit into that moniker. Why? Because its not a plant based program. It is specifically a starched based program. Yes, starch, is plant based as well, but to mearly call the program plant based is to ignore the biggest point of the program that distinguishes it from all WFPB diets.

Starch is the over-rideing factor of the McDougall Program that distinguishes itself from other plant based programs. It is the "secret" to its great success in creating an optimally healthy diet. The program focuses on starch as the primary source of calories. This focus in turn allows people to eat the lowest calorie dense diet while NOT being hungry. That is the key to the McDougall Program, never being hungry and always eating till your comfortably full through its low calorie density, starch based approach.

More accurately, the McDougall Program should be called WFSB (Whole Food Starched Based). Dr McDougall likes to call those who follow the program starchivores (as opposed to herbivore, omnivore or carnivore). That really would be an accurate representation of the program as it specifically points to starch as the main primary food type. Though starchivore is a made up word today and not really all that popular outside the program maybe some day it will gain enough popularity and be put into a dictionary as a real word.

So how much starch does the program focus on? The number that Dr McDougall mentions in a video interview he did about 2 years ago with a Dutch interviewer was 65-95% starch, caloriewise. I've read and heard numbers like 60-90% as well. The bottom line is the actuall number is not important as long as you are not getting hungry and that is a major concern for Dr McDougall because if your hungry you will not stay on th program. That is the over-riding concern. Never being hungry. Dropping the starch percentage too much below the 60% level may make you hungry. Some can go to 50% starch calories and not be hungry but most can't.

On the other end of that scale, this is NOT a 100% starch based program. 100% starch, such as an all potato diet is NOT reccomended. Remember what I said in earlier posts. This program is about Starch, veggies, fruit, water and exercise. Its a completely nutritious program that recommends a variety of plant foods, not just any single food even if it is a starch.

There are other differences between the program and WFPB programs and we'll explore those in future posts...For now just understand this is not a WFPB program, it is starched based. Starch keeps you full and is, in its whole form, low in calorie density. And you can't get a better combination than that, especially if you are trying to lose weight :nod:
geo

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Re: Some Random Thoughts On Successful McDougalling...

Postby geo » Tue Feb 06, 2018 10:21 am

Do you need to measure out your foods on the McDougall program?

No you don't and its not generally recommended. I wrote this response in a Lounge thread: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=57388

"The McDougall Program is an Ad Libitum Starch Based program. I.e., you eat till your comfortably full of any and all the recommended foods. Essentially, starches, veggies, fruits, and water.

Some foods are restricted a little, like beans to a couple servings and 2-3 pieces of fruit a day, etc...

But the important point is never to be hungry, thus the recommended food amounts are what ever keeps you comfortably full till the next time you eat. The reason this works is because the calorie density of the recommended foods is so low that its nearly impossible to eat too much. The fiber and water and bulk of the whole foods will fill you easily before you over eat.

JeffN's Healthy Plate is a good example to follow if you really need something closer to servings. Just take a plate fill it half full of starches and the other half full of veggies/fruit. Then start the meal with a bowl of soup or salad or both! Follow that with the main plate and then finish that off with a piece of fruit if you want desert. Your drink should be water.

Thats it. eat what you serve yourself. If your still hungry, have another round! Just eat till your comfortably full, NOT STUFFED. Then eat again when your next hungry. There's no time table to follow or certain number of meals to eat a day. You can eat one or two meals if you want or a dozen meals if thats what keeps you comfortably full (satiated). Just don't over eat or stuff yourself.

This is just way so easier than other programs that tell you to eat so much of this and so much of that because those serving sizes are ment for who? a 120 lb woman or a 250 lb man? Theres just no need to go down that road of complexity.

One last thing I would recommend is truly focus on your hunger. Give yourself time to eat (20-30 mins or more) so that your stomach stretch receptors will have time to react to a comfortable full stomach and your brain will tell you thats enough. Eat mindfully in other words and don't just shovel the food in your mouth mindlessly while watching tv :-) Take time to enjoy what your eating and experience the new flavors and textures of the food. (they will be different as your taste buds get back to normal after eating hyper-palatable foods most of your life). Yes the food may seem a little bland at first, but within a couple weeks you'll be back to tasting the real flavor of real food!

Give it a try, you've got nothing to lose (well maybe weight) and everything to gain (your health):nod: "
geo

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My March 2013 Star McDougaller Story
Some Random Thoughts on Successful McDougalling
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Re: Some Random Thoughts On Successful McDougalling...

Postby geo » Sat Feb 10, 2018 9:29 am

SOS, part of the McDougall Program?

No, it is not, but it is heavily used as an acronym in the WFPB dietary world. And as long as everyone understands what it means its a useful acronym but generally thats not the case at all. So many think it stands for Sugar/Oil/Salt (SOS) or Salt/Oil/Sugar. But thats incorrect.

It actually stands for Sugar/Oil/Sodium. Thats not a subtle difference. Because its specifically sodium that the body uses and needs that can cause many issues if either too much or too little is ingested. There are other substances that contain sodium as well such as MSG (mono sodium glutamate) and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). So theres more to be concerned about than just salt, though probably 90% of the sodium we eat is in the form of salt..

Another issue with sodium is that nutritional standards are based on it and not on salt intake though everyone seems to talk only about salt. The problem here is that if you are told to eat no more that 1200-1500mg of sodium a day, that is NOT the same as 1200-1500mg of salt. Salt (Sodium Chloride) is only about 40% sodium. So 1500 mg of sodium is about 3750 mg salt or about 3/4 teaspoon of salt.

As for the Oil factor in SOS it too is actually more than just Oil and is probably more acurately call fats. It also includes the harden (hydrogenated) forms as well such as margerine and Crisco shortening and veg cheeses and such. These also all contain oil but in the hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated forms with allows them to be hard rather than liquidy.

And as for the sugar, that can mean sugar in all its various forms white, brown, turbonado, raw, natural, fructose, glucose, sucrose, corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, molasses, agave, date sugar, rice based sugar, etc...Some also include the alcohol based sugars as well and others may even include all the artificial sweetners.

Another point is that when talking about SOS we are talking about ADDED sodium/oil/salt to the foods we eat. Not to the SOS that is naturally found in all real foods. Processed foods are the major trouble maker in the use of SOS because they add so much to their products. Natural/real foods from nature have adequate amounts of SOS and thus do not need any extra added to it.

Another point to be made aware of is that the McDougall program is NOT a no SOS program as are other diets. While the McDougall program does recommend rrelatively low or minimal amounts of sodium and sugar added to our foods (not during cooking but sprinkled on top at the table), we do not demonize them and if you need them to add a little more flavor to your foods then they are allowed in small quantities.

As for added oil, that is expressly not allowed or needed.

So yes, use the SOS term if you want, but just understand what it really means and encompasses. Its not quite as simple as it sounds!
geo

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Re: Some Random Thoughts On Successful McDougalling...

Postby geo » Sun Feb 11, 2018 12:04 pm

What is fitness?

My thoughts: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=57431
geo

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Some Random Thoughts on Successful McDougalling
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Re: Some Random Thoughts On Successful McDougalling...

Postby geo » Thu Feb 15, 2018 10:26 am

How many meals a day should you eat?

As many as you need to keep yourself comfortably full and not hungry!

This is an Ad Libitum program. That means we do not restrict how much you eat, We say eat till your comfortably full. When hungry eat again. There is no set limit on the number of meals you eat a day or on their timing. Dr McDougall has stated that it makes no difference whether you eat 1 meal a day or 15 meals a day. The only rule is don't get hungry and eat only till you are comfortably full.

I know for lots of us coming from other diet perspectives that limit how much you eat and what times of day you can eat, this program can be a bit unsettling to say the least. People always worry that they will be eating too much if left to their own devices. But the facts are that this program, if followed strictly, allows you to eat foods that are low in calorie density, loaded with water and fiber and contain a great deal of bulk. All of which helps you to fill your stomach relatively quickly and keep you full longer. Thats why we say eat till your comfortably full.

Now understand that comfortably full is not in any way similar to being stuffed. When comfortably full you should be able to walk away from the table, not be hungry and not feel like you need to take a nap or feel bloated or in pain. You should feel satisfied and ready to continue on with your day, energized and refueled for whatever life brings your way.

If your hungry an hour later, then maybe you didnt eat enough for your previous meal. Never worry, just eat again as needed. I know you will think you will be eating too much and maybe at first you might! But give it a couple weeks and you will soon fall into a rythmn of eating that you will just automatically to eating what feels best for you. It can take a couple weeks for your body to adjust to any new diet and eating pattern. So don't worry, just stay the course and everything will fall into place.

Some tips that have helped me:

1. Eat slowly. Try to take 20-40 mins to eat. This will allow your stomach receptors time to respond to the filling of your stomach and let you know your comfortably full. Eating quickly won't allow this to happen properly and you may tend to over eat then. So try to eat when you have enough time to eat properly.

2. Be mindful of your eating. Taste and chew every mouthful of food. Feel the texture, enjoy the taste and sensations you feel as you eat. Don't just sit in front of the tv and midlessly stuff your mouth with food and swallow as quickly as you can.

3. Eat with family and friends and feel free to have conversations while eating. This will tend to slow down your eating. But don't get too carried away with conversations. You are there to eat afterall. Share your day, but stay away from explosive subjects...politics, religion, diet, etc...

4. Don't feel as if you need to eat only during traditional times of the day (breakfast, lunch, dinner). Again eat when your hungry. If theres a meal time you don't feel hungry then don't eat. Don't feel as if your skipping a meal and then may suffer from it. Just trust your instincts and body signals to know when your hungry and should eat. In the beginning this may be a little difficult, but after a few weeks your body will start to change and tell you when it needs food.

5. Try not to eat too close to bedtime. This can interupt your sleep. I personally try not to eat at least 2 hours before I go to bed. I dont want to be hungry or full when going to bed. Some may prefer going to bed a little hungry, but I find that may leave me too hungry in the morning or may leave me a little restless during the night.

6. Many people will eat first thing in the morning when they get up. I prefer to actually get a little movement/exercise in after I get up and eat my breakfast afterward.

7. I dont eat snacks as I don't feel they fill me up in any way. I prefer to eat when hungry a full proper meal.

8. If I can't make enough time to eat properly and fully, then I wait till I can. Trust me a little hunger is not starvation and will help you appreciate your next meal that much more. Often I find that if I wait a little when hunger pangs start, those hunger pangs start to subside and I can go another hour or two without any issues.

9. Don't worry about what food you eat at what meal of the day. Just eat what you like and what your taste buds may be craving for. Learn to listen to your body and its cravings. But note, this is not the same as food addictions!

10. Try to keep your foods and meals simple. If you can't cook your food in 10-20 mins maybe consider eating something else. Sometimes you may need to take longer to cook and for those times try to prepare ahead as much as possible so that it doesn't take you more than a few minutes to put it all together on your plate when your ready to eat. For instance, when I make chilli, it can take 2+ hours to cook. So I will cook it ahead of time and fridge it. When I want some, I can just spoon it into a bowl and heat it in microwave for 2 mins and I'm ready to eat. Some foods taste better the more their flavors have marinated over time....chilli is one of them...next day chilli is great!

11. Try to start your meals with a salad or soup or both! these can help you feel fuller quicker.

12. If you want a desert, try to stick to something simple like a piece of fruit or a bowl of mixed fruits (orange slices, berries, grapes, melon cubes, etc...)

13. Don't worry about eating the same or similar meals a lot. Its good to have favorite foods. Just try to get a good amount of variety in your diet. Try not to just eat one type of starch or veggie or fruit. Mix it up and be creative. Variety is important.

14. Drink water. Herbal teas can be good as well. But try to avoid caffienated drinks. If you follow the program strictly you may find your not drinking as much water as before. This is because the foods you eat will contain a great deal water already. Some may even find that they can eat their meals without drinking anything at all. Nothing wrong with that...just drink when your thirsty.

15. Try not to worry or be upset when you eat. Stay happy, and try to learn from your eating experience. Enjoy the tastes, flavors, smells, textures of your food.
geo

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Some Random Thoughts on Successful McDougalling
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Re: Some Random Thoughts On Successful McDougalling...

Postby geo » Mon Feb 19, 2018 10:00 am

My version of KISS - Keep It Stupidly Simple, Part I

And I really mean it. Theres no reason to make nutrition any more complex than, "its the food!". I have talked about this many times in lounge posts and this journal so you won't hear anything new per se, but maybe you will get a better perspective of how I think about this.

First, we need to understand the body and how it works, without the needless details. The body works some what like a machine. It needs energy, this comes in the form of food. It takes the food we eat and digests it and further through a variety of very complex chemical processes extracts all the goodness (nutrients and energy) it needs to function at peak capacity. Simple as that.

Secondly, the body is designed to repair itself as much as its capable. We see this in many ways such as: healing wounds, growing bones, fighting disease, killing off bacterias and viruses, etc... Again a very complex process, but simple in concept.

Thirdly, the body strives to be as efficient as possible in everything that it does. It does not want to waste any of its precious energy resources. It knows that there may be times when it doesn't get food (energy) and will need to support itself from its own internal energy resources such as fat and lean tissue catabolism. When forced to do so the body WILL allow processes to happen that will make it more efficient at resource creation and utilization.

Fourthly, all of these things happen at the same time, all day long, everyday. The body is a fantastically complex and dynamic organism. Its capable of orchestrating literally billions of processes all at the same time and it does what it needs to do automatically without you needing to do anything but feed it..."its the food"!

Fifthly, The body grows and changes due to whatever stresses it may be feeling at any instant in time. Stress is the impetus for the body to adapt and change to better handle that stress. That stress can take many forms such as: making you feel hungry when it needs energy, making you sleepy when it needs to recharge itself, learning to better deal with life, growing muscles when faced with situations that force its use, and mentally dealing with emotional situations such as birth/death/love/etc...just to name a few. Stress is the precursor to adaptation. Its neither good nor bad, but rather depends on how you adapt to it. Of course too much stress for too long a time can overwhelm the bodies capacity to deal with it and that can lead to all sorts of problems and even death. But stress portioned out in smaller doses for shorter periods of time that the body can adapt too is good for everyone and what makes life worth living.

As you can see, the body is incredibly complex and yet we are all the same. Yes we are somewhat at the mercy of our genes, but genes aren't the whole story as they can be in many cases turned on and off. But the bottomline is we are all the same and have the same requirements and needs depending on our genetic makeup. And lets get this out right now. We are all capable of having the same genetics, but God/mother nature/evolution/chance has provided us with a rich genetic pool to pull from and thus there are small variations within each of us, not withstanding the fact we are all the same and function similarly and have the same needs and requirements for life. That is...food, wtaer, air.

I know your saying to yourself, "Thats it???" Yep! There's obviously tons more to know about the body, but these simple concepts are the basics that everyone should know and truly understand if they want to be the healthiest they can without a medical degree or spending years of learning in health. Understand, these are my words, not Dr McDougall's or JeffN's. These words are NOT a part of the McDougall Program. But they are what helped me to understand the Big Picture of health. I am where I am today because of these concepts and I really think they can help you too.

Next: KISS, Part II
geo

My 1 year Journal McDougalling and results Testimonial
My March 2013 Star McDougaller Story
Some Random Thoughts on Successful McDougalling
geo
 
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Re: Some Random Thoughts On Successful McDougalling...

Postby bunsofaluminum » Thu Feb 22, 2018 2:27 pm

geo wrote:How many meals a day should you eat?

As many as you need to keep yourself comfortably full and not hungry!

This is an Ad Libitum program. That means we do not restrict how much you eat, We say eat till your comfortably full. When hungry eat again. There is no set limit on the number of meals you eat a day or on their timing. Dr McDougall has stated that it makes no difference whether you eat 1 meal a day or 15 meals a day. The only rule is don't get hungry and eat only till you are comfortably full.

I know for lots of us coming from other diet perspectives that limit how much you eat and what times of day you can eat, this program can be a bit unsettling to say the least. People always worry that they will be eating too much if left to their own devices. But the facts are that this program, if followed strictly, allows you to eat foods that are low in calorie density, loaded with water and fiber and contain a great deal of bulk. All of which helps you to fill your stomach relatively quickly and keep you full longer. Thats why we say eat till your comfortably full.

Now understand that comfortably full is not in any way similar to being stuffed. When comfortably full you should be able to walk away from the table, not be hungry and not feel like you need to take a nap or feel bloated or in pain. You should feel satisfied and ready to continue on with your day, energized and refueled for whatever life brings your way.

If your hungry an hour later, then maybe you didnt eat enough for your previous meal. Never worry, just eat again as needed. I know you will think you will be eating too much and maybe at first you might! But give it a couple weeks and you will soon fall into a rythmn of eating that you will just automatically to eating what feels best for you. It can take a couple weeks for your body to adjust to any new diet and eating pattern. So don't worry, just stay the course and everything will fall into place.

Some tips that have helped me:


7. I dont eat snacks as I don't feel they fill me up in any way. I prefer to eat when hungry a full proper meal.

8. If I can't make enough time to eat properly and fully, then I wait till I can. Trust me a little hunger is not starvation and will help you appreciate your next meal that much more. Often I find that if I wait a little when hunger pangs start, those hunger pangs start to subside and I can go another hour or two without any issues.






Hey Geo,

This whole post is just wonderful, but I wanted to pinpoint these two...isn't it just something that your stomach can grumble and you survive if you don't throw something down your throat then and there? It's something worth remembering...often times a nice cup of tea will tide you over...or just time. Give it a minute, and your grumpy appetite will go back to sleep. Either way, you're not going to perish if you wait until your next meal. It is food sanity to eat at meal time and let it rest between meals. :)

I'm appreciating all these posts. Very helpful!
JUST DON'T EAT IT

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simple, humble food
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The rest is an industry looking to make a buck off my poor health
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Re: Some Random Thoughts On Successful McDougalling...

Postby geo » Sat May 12, 2018 11:50 am

In a lounge thread on human longivity, viewtopic.php?f=1&t=57909 , I wrote the following:

My 14 step program for a long healthy rewarding life

1. dont smoke or use other drugs illicitly
2. dont drink
3. keep your BMI between 18.5 and 22
4. Follow the MWL program strictly
5. Exercise moderately 30 mins to an hour, everyday and generally stay active
6. Drink clean water
7. breathe clean air
8. Get plenty of sleep, relax and meditate
9. enjoy the love of friends and family
10. follow the golden rule
11. Have and practice some faith
12. don't worry, be happy
13. Keep learning your entire life and stay curious
14. And finally, start now, don't put it off. If the science changes, then change with it as needed...(but I doubt that will be the case)

Have a great day and remember, its starts and ends with you and only you


I doubt many read that and I think its important and worthy of being a stand-alone post and deserving of fleshing out a little more detail and refinement. When I wrote it it was more just stream of conciousness at the moment and I want to think about it a bit more so I don't leave out anything important. So that is what I will do now.

So here's my 14 step program for a long, healthy, and rewarding life, rev. 1:

1. Don't smoke or use drugs illicitly.
I think we all know the perils of smoking. Its probably the number one thing you can do to ruin your health and longevity. I believe that drugs also play a large roll in that, but not necessarily illicit drugs, but the illicit/inappropriate use of any drug...such as abuse of opioids and other drugs leading to addictions that disrupt physical health, cognitive thinking, emotional stability, and losing "control" of your faculties and actions.

2. Don't drink.
The science today points to modest drinking as being OK and potentially healthful. But I tend to disagree and believe that further scientific investigation will show that as a part of an overall healthy lifestyle (rather than studies on typical unhealthy lifestyles) will show that abstinance of alcohol will be proven to be the best course of action. I believe that any unnecessry "mind altering" substance, used over time will lead to poorer health and thus not worth the indulgence for overall health.

3. Keep your BMI between 18.5 and 22.
This is generally considered the healthiest range of BMI. Many believe that being closer to 18.5 and maybe even down to 17.5 may be the healthiest BMI. I think you quickly reach deminishing returns the closer you get to 18.5 and the science definitely shows a J curve at the lower end. More studies will be needed to better determine where the bottom of that J curve may be, but for now, 18.5 to 22 seems to be the best healthy place for everyone to be in.

4. Follow the MWL program strictly.
I'm a firm believer, through both testing results as well as short/long term practice, that Dr McDougall's Maximum Weight-Loss Program is the best and healthiest way to feed the human body for maximum health. JeffN's further refinements (as expressed in his last MWL rules posting) as well as his Principles, Guidlines and Recommendations explain the reasoning behind the program in great detail. Can following the regular program lead you to similar great health results...probably. But because so many of us have been in poor health all our lives from the SAD and suffer from many chronic diseases, I believe its prudent to follow the strictest form of the McDougall program to potentially regain health and reduce/stop/reverse and potentially eliminate chronic disease issues as quickly as possible.

5. Exercise moderately 30 mins to an hour, everyday and generally stay active.
Those are basically the recommendations from virtually all Medical sources for moderate exercise and to achieve the best bang for your exercise dollar.. If you want to try vigourous exercise then you can cut those times in half. The exercise should be a mixture of aerobic and strength training with flexibility/stretching exercises included as well. Just try to make sure your exercise is progressive as you gain fitness until you feel you are fit enough to do whatever you feel like doing in terms of physical activity. Fitness is not the same as becoming an athelete. The first is for health, the second for those with a competitive nature (health be damned). Staying active means to just try to stay moving. Moving is the natural state of the body. That doesn't mean not to sit or stand, just dont do those things for hours on end. I personally like to get up and move around for a few mins every 15-20 mins. In fact, the healthier and fitter you become the more naturally you will want to stay moving and be active. Don't worry you will have plenty of energy :-)

6. Drink clean water.
Water should be your first choice for when your thirsty, its as simple as that. Drink when thirsty. Let your thirst be your guide as to when and how much to drink. Don't force it. And more importantly try to drink as clean of water as you can get, yes even distilled or RO water is great. The less contaminated water the better. Most will have no problem getting clean water from well maintained municipal sources. Personally, I like highly filtered water and if its been steam distilled and or gone through a RO (reverse osmosis) system and even a DI system (De-Ionization) thats even better. I like my water reading 0 ppm on a cheap TDS meter (Total Dissolved Solids). Though thats probably being a bit paronoid...Or just buy distilled water by the gallon from your local supermarket, its only about a $1 a gallon and will usually last for a day or two of drinking. And theres no worries about drinking water without the minerals in it...you get plenty of minerals from your food and the water it contains...

7. Breathe clean air.
This should be obvious and there are simple things you can do...like breathe cleaner air from outdoors (assuming you dont live in a city or air polluted area), open your windows to get fresh air in your house (this should also lessen any fears of radon build-up in your home), use ceiling fans to help circulate fresh air. And if your air is highly dusty or full of pollen and allergens or even bacteria and viruses there are air filter systems you can buy to take care of this as well. There are various filters that include mechanical filtration, HEPA filters, Ionizers, UV-C filters, Charcoal filters, etc... And they exist at many price points if thats what you need. Some are for indvidual rooms and some are for a whole house. Only you can decide what and how much you need...Personally I like room filters and use them in my bedroom and living room.

8. Get plenty of sleep, relax and meditate.
I find that sleep is greatly regulated by both diet and exercise. I sleep naturally (about 6 hours a day). In stead of using an alarm to wake you you should just sleep as mush as you need, naturally. Early to bed and early to rise is a nice motto we all know. As you become healthier your body will naturally tell you how much to sleep and you will soon find yourself sleeping better, deeper, and waking up naturally when you've had enough. No need to try to regulate your sleep to X number of hours. I also recommend that meditation can be a great source of re-energizing yourself. A simple daily 10-20 mins of meditation and can, relax you, reduce stress, and reinvigorate you both physically and mentally and can definitely help you get better sleep as well.

9. Enjoy the love of friends and family.
This should be self-evident. Surrounding yourself with people that you care about and that care about you can be very healthy. Of course you should try to limit your exposure to those that arent helpfull or cause you all sorts of stress or pain.

10. Follow the golden rule.
I.e., "do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. I like to think that this applies not to just people but to animals as well. There's no simpler, better way to define how you should behaive towards others. You will feel better for it! Following the golden rule will also lead you to being humble and honest. It will give you some inner perspective and teach you respect. And hopefully will help you develope both sympathy and empathy for others, 2 traits I believe are very important in life.

11. Have and practice some faith.
Faith gives you something to live for. And it doesnt have to be religious faith (though I think thats personally best). It could be a philosophy of life, or a belief in humanity itself. Whatever you believe in will help guide you and give you goals for a long and fruitful life. Life without meaning is no life at all.

12. Don't worry be happy.
Self explanatory... theres really no need to worry. The best way to do this is to simply prepare yourself for the unexpected. Ignorance breeds fear and worry and stress of a kind that can be detrimental to your long term health. Simply being happy can significantly improve your outlook on life. And it takes no more energy or time to be happy then it does to be unhappy or worried. A positive attitude will lead you to being happy and vice-versa. Remember the old adage, you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar :-)

13. Keep learning your entire life and stay curious.
Learning leads to knowledge, knowledge leads to understanding, understanding leads to wisdom. Theres no better stimulous to your brain and keeping it young than to keep it learning. Strive to learn something new everyday and to make use of what you learn! (learning for the sake of gaining knowledge only is half the picture, you must use it or you will lose it). Staying curious is the obvious way to keep you learning. The day you stop using your brain is the day life no longer has any meaning.

14. Start now. dont put it off.
Theres no reason not to start now. Life is simple if you really think about it. Only we make it difficult in our minds. The sooner you start the longer you should expect to live and live a very fruitful, happy, loving, caring life. But don't think your not ready, trust me, you and your body are ready and waiting, even if it just means following one rule at a time.They each in their own ways will lead you down a path to a better, longer life. Following them all will eventually lead you to that which we all seek...the real meaning of life!

And I think I will add one more final rule :-)

15. Share your life with others.
How else can you pass on to others what you have learned? Trust me, we all need it and are searching for it

It starts with you and only needs you to start. What are you waiting for?
geo

My 1 year Journal McDougalling and results Testimonial
My March 2013 Star McDougaller Story
Some Random Thoughts on Successful McDougalling
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