I feel like an anomaly

[dteresa]

Dr. Popper and even Dr. McDougall say that on a plant diet their patients lose two to three pounds a week. Dr. Popper says this happens until they are down to their normal weight. I do not know if those numbers of Dr. Mcdougall's are only for his live in program or for anyone over a length of time eating starch based. I doubt it because other wise why the MWL plan. Does he claim that on MWL people will lose two to three pounds per week?

I am only about ten pounds from the normal weight I was in my twenties but at no time, even when I weighed a whole lot more did I ever lose at the rate of two to three pounds per week. In fact though eating the same diet I experienced many plateaus often lasting several weeks. I have only lost about 33 pounds since my MI in April of 2012 which is less than a pound a week and because I fear another MI have been one hundred percent compliant, including not eating nuts (but recently added some flax seed). I also exercise several times per week which mostly includes walking, occasional stationary biking at the gym and the weight lifting I learned in cardiac rehab class. I do not use milk substitutes as there is nothing I eat that requires the addition of milk. I would also never eat five or ten pounds of potatoes a day as did Mike Tehan, yet he lost weight.

I think this weight loss comes to, on average, a tad more than about half a pound per week, averaging in the weeks I lost nothing.

Perhaps if I ate far fewer or no starches and whole lots more raw vegetables I would see a difference but I am not a raw food only fan. Even Dr. Esselstyn says that for AGGRESSIVE weight loss to cut back on starches. I do not know exactly what the pam popper diet is.

I feel like I must be doing something wrong. And yes, I am totally oil free and the only sugar I eat comes in the balsamic vinegar and honey mustard which I use as dressing on a very large raw vegetable and greens salad.

Did I misunderstand about the 2 or 3 pound per week weight loss being consistent until reaching goal. What about you guys? Perhaps the slow weight loss is because I am 70 years old?

didi

[f1jim]

If you are within 10lbs of your desired weight you will not lose 2-3lbs a week. If you are fortunate it might be 1lb a week. If you have a large amount of weight lose to achieve 2-3lbs a week would be possible. The closer to your desired weight the slower the weight loss becomes.
f1jim

[dteresa]

Pam Popper definitely said in one of her videos that her patients lose 2 to 3 pounds per week until they achieve normal weight. That is why I wrote. I wondered if anyone else, even those who are very overweight achieve a weight loss of 2 to 3 pounds a week. That is a lot of weight to regularly lose every week. It was never my experience even at only 40 pounds overweight. I mention this particular weight because that is how much I weighed when I had my MI and got religion. Of course, for me, come to think of it there was a long period of no weight loss because recovering from hip surgery slowed me down quite a bit.Although I did lose weight after ten days in the rehab hospital because I only ate the food my daughters brought me and wouldn't eat what they were serving. So I more or less lived on sweet potatoes, beans and big salads with my own dressing. That was it. I was just wondering the rate of weight loss for those completely compliant with the McD way of eating. Even, plateaus, sporadic? Fast at first? At what point did you notice it slowing?

I have the greatest respect for and am a fan of Dr. Popper but can that rate of loss be attained other than in a live in setting?

didi

[ulialen]

loosing weight speed decrease continuosly while you are approaching your ideal weight.
In nature there is no an on/off button. all things that happen naturally follow a natural evolution sufficient slow to not alter all none of the functions of the body. So if you are 30 lb overweight you loosing weight is faster for sure than if you are 2 lb overweight. It is normal.

[scooterpie]

Are you getting a good amount of RESTORATIVE sleep? Are you doing the same weightlifting exercises with the same amounts of weights?

Not getting good sleep affects metabolism. It's not fully understood, but it may be a consideration for you specifically. Your body may no longer be challenged by whatever exercise you're doing and it might be good to increase the intensity/duration so you can increase your muscle mass. It's possible (good research on this) to increase muscle mass at any age. Muscle weighs more than fat, but working the muscles offers great benefits.

It's not always about the food. Not to mention being frustrated at not losing weight or not reaching your goal when you feel like you've done everything right. That wouldn't help anyone's outlook.

Wondering if you're an anomaly is a good question to ask, but I don't think you're alone. It may be that you need to consult a trainer to start doing more intense physical activity. Especially if you're still apprehensive about upping it on your own--who would blame you after having your "MI/stenting experience," that you so often cite here.

[SweetPea]

I was just wondering the rate of weight loss for those completely compliant with the McD way of eating. Even, plateaus, sporadic? Fast at first? At what point did you notice it slowing?

I haven't been completely compliant the whole time I've been losing weight, but am getting better and better at following and enjoying the program. With that said, for me, losing weight has been a calorie issue more than a food-choice issue (my straying has been pretty minimal overall). Losing weight has been easier for me while McDougalling in the sense that I can feel full on less calories than on any other plan I've tried. It's also far healthier and tasty, to boot. But I can't say my excess weight ever "melted off" or "dropped like a stone." It took me a year to lose 40 pounds and will have been almost another year to lose the next 20. That's a boring old 2.5 pounds a month, on average. But they've stayed off, and that's been one of my main goals. Some months I lost zero pounds, some I lost 6.5 (my max, I think). Some weeks losing weight was effortless and others it was arduous, all on what seemed to me to be a similar amount of calories. Our bodies aren't machines and a lot of factors come into play. Patience has been key for me (with a fair amount of grumbling to my DH).

Now that I'm close to my goal weight, maintaining has been less challenging than losing, thank goodness. I think it helps that I've been doing some strength training and exercising more. So I indulge in more calorie-dense meals now and then without gaining. Which is exactly where I want to be.

[Werner1950]

I am also wondering about those normal weight standards.nSurely this is not an exact science. What if normal means average, and this means some peoples normal will be above average, and others will be below average..

[colonyofcells]

Since the McDougall diet does not compute calories needed by each person and count calories, the statistics produced must be just approximate numbers. Many people who do the McDougall diet are probably overweight so the numbers about weight loss are probably mostly from overweight people. There are probably a few who were not overweight when they do the McDougall diet or don't have much weight to lose.

[eXtremE]

I was just wondering the rate of weight loss for those completely compliant with the McD way of eating. Even, plateaus, sporadic? Fast at first? At what point did you notice it slowing?

I haven't been completely compliant the whole time I've been losing weight, but am getting better and better at following and enjoying the program. With that said, for me, losing weight has been a calorie issue more than a food-choice issue (my straying has been pretty minimal overall). Losing weight has been easier for me while McDougalling in the sense that I can feel full on less calories than on any other plan I've tried. It's also far healthier and tasty, to boot. But I can't say my excess weight ever "melted off" or "dropped like a stone." It took me a year to lose 40 pounds and will have been almost another year to lose the next 20. That's a boring old 2.5 pounds a month, on average. But they've stayed off, and that's been one of my main goals. Some months I lost zero pounds, some I lost 6.5 (my max, I think). Some weeks losing weight was effortless and others it was arduous, all on what seemed to me to be a similar amount of calories. Our bodies aren't machines and a lot of factors come into play. Patience has been key for me (with a fair amount of grumbling to my DH).

Now that I'm close to my goal weight, maintaining has been less challenging than losing, thank goodness. I think it helps that I've been doing some strength training and exercising more. So I indulge in more calorie-dense meals now and then without gaining. Which is exactly where I want to be.

Hey SweetPea, how does DH like the new you? I saw those pictures you posted on another msg board here and you are looking good!

Losing weight has been easier for me while McDougalling in the sense that I can feel full on less calories than on any other plan I've tried.

This is exactly how I feel now altho i did not start eating like this to lose weight. I enjoy the WFPB foods but it is like my brain now realizes no more SAD foods super concentrated with fat, salt, and sugar are coming in now so no real desire to over indulge anymore. The hunger / satiation switch from brain to stomach seems to be working optimally now and I only seem to be eating enough calories to fuel my exact energy needs with minimal excess...thus the weight loss. I am nearly at the weight I was when i was 18 years old.

*Hell, if that evolutionary famine ever does show up, my a%# is in serious trouble.

[ajhondrngal]

I usually see 2-3 pounds come off in one week if I haven't been eating right and then start eating better. I attribute it to the fact that eating less salt, oil and sugar releases stored water. After a couple weeks of that I will settle into 1-2 pound loss per week, but I have to be very strict with what I eat to see that progress.

When I lived in Honduras I started at 120 pounds and ended at 112 in the first four months I was there. That was 1 pound a week even though I was so near my ideal weight to begin with. Now that I've gained about 30 years...I would probably only lose 1/2 pound per week when I get that close to goal.

I do think that plateaus also make the numbers look worse. It would be nice if we didn't have down time. My loss looks really good on paper until I take into account all the time I maintain weight. When I look at the whole picture my 2-3 pounds per week is actually 1/4 pound per week.

[dteresa]

NO. I have terrible sleep patterns. I only get three or four hours per night but get drowsy in the day time. Needing a nap in the day time is nothing new for me because even when I would absolutely never last past ten at night and not wake up until seven the next morning I always felt drowsy in the afternoon. If I try to stay awake longer and go to bed much later I will still get the same number of hours sleep. I tried Dr. McDs method to re establish sleep patterns but can't stay awake long enough to make it work but I guess I will keep trying. Now that you mentioned sleep and weight loss I am wondering if that is the problem. I will also try increasing the weights at the gym although am leery of too much for the legs since my hip surgery. Many thanks for those comments. If that is what the problem is then I am surprised I lost any weight at all and now feel really pleased that I have made as much progress as I have. The diet itself is no problem and I really enjoy the food. Once I lose the weight I never gain it back so that is never a problem. It is just that it has been so darn slow even when I was a lot heavier. But even when heavier I had the same really poor sleeping patterns.

didi

[SweetPea]

Hey SweetPea, how does DH like the new you? I saw those pictures you posted on another msg board here and you are looking good!
....I enjoy the WFPB foods but it is like my brain now realizes no more SAD foods super concentrated with fat, salt, and sugar are coming in now so no real desire to over indulge anymore. The hunger / satiation switch from brain to stomach seems to be working optimally now and I only seem to be eating enough calories to fuel my exact energy needs with minimal excess...thus the weight loss. I am nearly at the weight I was when i was 18 years old.

He seems almost as pleased as I am. I feel the same way about that switch...but it's taken me a good while to get there! And congrats!!

[Katydid]

It took me four years to lose 150 pounds. That's about 3/4 pound per week on average.
Kate

[Peg]

Hi Didi,

I'm glad that you brought this up because it is something I have been wondering too. The first month I did the McDougall plan I lost 4 pounds, but since that time I have lost 2 pounds per month. My main starches are grains (oats, rice, millet, barley) so I figure that is part of the issue, but I would rather lose slowly and feel comfortable and satisfied than lose weight on a program I can't sustain (I don't think I could sustain the MWL plan for long) and gain it back. I don't like most of the starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn (and absolutely detest sweet potatoes) so grains are my thing. I'm also 54 and just don't lose weight as fast as I used to.

It makes be feel better to know that some others lose weight slowly too. It is not anomalous after all.

Peg

[shell-belle]

dteresa posted:

<<NO. I have terrible sleep patterns. I only get three or four hours per night but get drowsy in the day time. Needing a nap in the day time is nothing new for me because even when I would absolutely never last past ten at night and not wake up until seven the next morning I always felt drowsy in the afternoon. If I try to stay awake longer and go to bed much later I will still get the same number of hours sleep. I tried Dr. McDs method to re establish sleep patterns but can't stay awake long enough to make it work but I guess I will keep trying. Now that you mentioned sleep and weight loss I am wondering
if that is the problem.>>

I think staying up later is not the way to re-set sleep patterns.

someone [ can't recall who] posted this awhile back:
...............................................
I suggest going to bed an hour or two earlier. As the mother of 3 small children, I have found that most sleep-related problems can be solved by going to bed earlier. When our kids are waking frequently at night or waking up too early, it can usually be solved by going to bed earlier for several nights in a row. Someone explained to me that when you stay up later, your body releases more cortisol, which eventually interrupts your sleep. Additionally, then if you wake up you could get up for a while and still wake up at 6 am feeling refreshed.
......................................................

The more hours that you can sleep before midnight and in synch with the sun the better ... it has to do with your circadian rhythm and your pineal gland's production of melatonin . Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, ...