Discussion Board

Hi there,

I have been strictly doing the Mcdougall plan for about 9 weeks and doing good overall with it and dropping weight at around 1.5 lbs a week. I do around 25 minutes of moderate running 5 days a week and do body weight exercises for muscle building. Things are changing and I'm even growing a nice amount of muscle on the plan. However, there have been a few times I have felt horrible. I figured maybe too few calories, so I have been pretty good about keeping them up to around 1800-2200 calories a day.
2 days ago, I had this feeling going on in my brain like I was super thirsty, but, it turns out that's not what I was. I kept drinking insane amounts of water and the feeling did not subside. It's hard to explain, but it was only in my brain I felt something was missing, my throat was not craving water, at all. After feeling so horrible I could not function and not knowing what was going on, I went to a buffet and I decided I would break the diet to just load up on TONS of calories including fat since I know I do not have diabetes, especially on Mcdougall. I probably ate, during that meal, around 2300 calories and it was almost ALL fat. I had pizza, lasagna and even chicken and just gorged on it. Within 15 minutes, the crappy feeling was MUCH better. Within 75 minutes, it was totally gone. The next day I felt OUTSTANDING and today I do as well. I kept eating extra fat and it seemed that was supplying my brain with something I may have been missing. I just don't know. I love, love the Mcdougall plan but is it possible I need to up my fat intake a bit here? There is no denying it made a HUGE improvement.

Any feedback would be so appreciated.
thanks

You saw it as an improvement b/c you wanted to see it that way. <shrug>

If you feel you need to eat more calories, eat more McDougall-legal food. It's whole complex carbs that give you energy and make you feel satiated, not fat!

Hello Eteselle,

Thanks for the reply. Well, I am not sure I wanted to see it as improvement. I truly did NOT want to break the diet, at all. Just 3 days before I emailed instructions to my brother because I am very enthusiastic around the highcarb/low fat philosophy.
I ate starches like the world was coming to an end the day I felt crappy. My stomach was very full from yams/pototoes, dates, and oatmeal. Like I said, I eat at least 1800 calories a day from all these things and I think the last 24 hrs, of that day, I had probably eaten around 2200 calories-plus

I truly do NOT want to need more fat because I love the simplicity of not dealing with any fats, but, it did seem like i felt worlds better in MINUTES once I ate those fatty foods. Rice would not have done that.

I hope it really can be done pure Mcdougall style but that experience made me feel that a touch more fat may be missing for me....maybe I am totally wrong though.

Sometimes we do our best to fulfill what we think we need. I can think of no reason you would suddenly feel a thirst like symptom other than being thirsty. Cravings for fat would not be unusual at all for someone trying this way of eating especially early on but almost always if you have not been particularly adherent and have bits of off plan food here and there. Regardless, if you feel you have a particular need for something, anything, it's not our place to tell you yes or no. Plenty of people describe what you experienced they only call it something else. Follow what your best sense says to do and don't worry about getting approval from any of us. We all are trying to make sense of all this diet and nutrition stuff and we all come to our own conclusions. Most of us here tend to agree with Dr. McDougall or we would be hanging out elsewhere. You have to find your place in all this. Those of us in this particular forum would largely tend to look at this as a pretty common experience and to stay with the plan and move forward. Only you can tell if that would be emotionally or physically too challenging for you.
f1jim

Thanks for you assistance.
Yes, I am totally still in the game. No problem. I just know something was wrong beyond just "eat more carbs" or hang in there and don't give in to any cravings"....I felt like I was going to end up in the hospital or something. I felt about as awful as I ever felt that day. It was not just a cravings issue. It's also interesting that the today I upped my omegas a little beyond the McD suggestions to around 16-17% and I felt better than I have felt since doing more 9% levels the last 9 weeks.
As much as I wanted to do the pure McD diet, I can't ignore I feel significantly better at around 16% fat and my calories are the same so I will still continue to drop weight.
It's been a great learning experience for sure.

OK. New to this type of discussion. Not sure how everything works.
My question: Is there any data on reversal of prostate cancer with vegan diet?

I would also recommend searching Dr. Gregers site, nutritionfacts.org and looking there . Seems I remember a video or two from him on the topic.
f1jim