Getting My dad on board!!!

[TheGreenBird]

There goes a pig flying in the sky!!!

My dad is the total opposite of me in every food way possible (he won't even buy his meat at Whole Foods, but goes for the cheapest, most disgusting looking piece of animal at Kroger, Target, etc.) and this morning we actually had a conversation about food that led him to say "I'll give it the college try for you"!!!!! I about died!

He mentioned he's the heaviest he's ever been and I kid you not, the man literally does not put anything in his mouth without eating his heartburn medicine within minutes. It's disgusting and sad. I'm so worried about his overall weight, heart health, etc. (he doesn't go to the dr. etc) I kept stressing to him that I just want him to be healthy for my son who is his best buddy.

His biggest worry is that he hates any rice or pasta but white, so I told him I could make my peace with that, for now, if he just would try giving up animals, dairy, and oil for a bit and see how he felt. He said yes!

So... I know he's going to be super overwhelmed and I know others on here have "converted" even the biggest "i need my meat" eaters... What info did you give them to start out with. I have tons of plant based eating books and I'm thinking of giving him The China Study, but i don't if that will hold his attention... I'm also going to set him up on here and printing out a bunch of recipes he might like to try (he loves to cook). Any good recipes to start with for a guy that would be happy grilling ribs eveyr day? I want to arm him with info and food, but not be too pushy about it.

[veggielou]

How about Engine #2 book. It is easy reading and men can relate to it I believe. Hope things go well.

[TheGreenBird]

Too funny - he just left here a few minutes ago and I showed him a few different books of mine and he walked out with a baggie of oatmeal, an orange, some of my ff/oil free organic popcorn, and fat free vegan potato salad I made last night....and my Engine 2 book.

[pinkrose]

Great news, Greenbird!

While you have probably already given him lots of good guidance, I suggest that you emphasize the importance of eating hearty meals--enough veggies, potatoes, sweet potatoes and other starches that he likes to keep him from feeling deprived and returning to his old habits.

Also, in regard to the old "college try" comment. If he wavers, remind him that he--not McDougalling--is on trial. We have no doubts about the effectiveness of McDougalling for those who will enthusiastically embrace it!!!

Please keep us posted!!!

[victw]

GreenBird/Jenny,

Congrats - I feel like you just negotiated a minefield.

I completed a motivational interview training this week and one of the hardest things to do is work with someone to motivate change.

At this point I would respectfully suggest that you do nothing. Nothing. Very hard to do with our loved ones. And even though it feels instinctive to be the cheerleader at this point ultimately this is your fathers journey and choices that he has to make on his own.

The risk you take with anything else you do is to trigger resistance.
http://www.motivatehealthyhabits.com/ht ... ggers.html

You recognized the change talk and you shared your knowledge. This is good.

And yes we know that the bigger the change the bigger the result. Even small changes are better than none.

Best wishes.
Vicki

[Chile]

Dr. Neal Barnard's 21 Day Kickstart might be really helpful for him.

[LauraA]

That's so great! I was also going to suggest Engine 2 - sort of "manly", I guess. It is also simple, but really shows how dramatic results can be. My older brother and his wife switched to McD after watching one segment of the Cornell on line plant based nutrition classes that I was taking. Older brother had high blood pressure (now better, of course). They haven't looked back, my sister in law loves cooking, so she has adapted everything. My younger brother and his wife converted after hear about Clinton. It's funny, this younger brother always brought up my eating each time that we ate together, then would say that he could never eat that way, then would ask why we were talking about it (after, as I said, he brought it up). i felt a little bothered, but I think that he knew deep down that he should try it. He has problems with 4 autoimmune diseased, and had high cholesterol . It is now much lower, of course! Take care, LauraA

[TheGreenBird]

Thank you so much everyone!

I totally agree on stepping back, I don't want to push him at all. I talked with my mom (who totally supports this and practically eats this way herself after having gastric bypass surgery many years ago) about it she thinks he's really scared. After lunch Saturday (a burger and fries for him) his fingers swelled up a ton and freaked him out. That combined with the highest weight he's ever been, heart burn issues, etc. has him freaked out. My dad loves meat and loves sweets (and not even the 'good' kind - the cheap, crappy kind!) so for him to even take an INTEREST in this is HUGE.

I printed out the food list from the free program on here b/c he kept saying he just wants to know what he's allowed to eat and he'll make up things from there. I told him that was great and my only worry was that he'd not be satisfied with such simple "recipes", not eat enough, and feel deprived, and then quit so I stressed that it was good to go like that, but he also might find himself wanting a few yummy recipes. I stressed making his starches the main part of the meal, etc. He travels a few days a week and generally eats a "bun on the run" as he says... so I told him to switch to Wendy's baked potato (plain) and broccoli and no cheese bean burritos at Taco Bell. Not perfect, but a billion times better for him.

I also told him he could come and eat anything I make (they live in the same subdivision so he's over playing w/ my toddler a ton) and I'd be happy to make him some things I think he'd like to take home.

I'm really excited for him, but nervous he's going to feel awful for a few days (withdrawal and addiction to SAD food is rough to deal with at first) and quit b/c it's too hard or he misses his old food. I'm hoping he can stick it out long enough to feel the amazing affects McDougalling will bring him shortly.

[blondie]

I'm really excited for him, but nervous he's going to feel awful for a few days (withdrawal and addiction to SAD food is rough to deal with at first) and quit b/c it's too hard or he misses his old food. I'm hoping he can stick it out long enough to feel the amazing affects McDougalling will bring him shortly.

Hopefully he will have an easy go of it. I honestly did not experience any kind of withdrawal, and had no cravings right from the beginning. I felt so much better almost immediately. I was certainly eating my share of junk before switching to McDougall -- usually ate fast food several times a week.

[ETeSelle]

Congrats!! That's really great.

I would look through a few cookbooks for things that are "kinda like" SAD food so that you can make him a few hearty meals that give him the same kind of feeling as the food he's used to. Try grilling up some portobello mushrooms for burgers, for instance, w/ BBQ sauce, lettuce, tomato, onions--whatever he likes. And "fries" made in the oven/non-stick pan w/ low-sodium BBQ sauce or ketchup for dipping. That sort of thing. Since your mom is already on board, you guys can both experiment to see what he likes best.

I was so excited to see a McD cookbook in my dad and stepmom's kitchen--they have always seemed to ignore me on this topic, but some of it must have sunk in!!!! Isn't it a great feeling?

Keep us posted!!

[vgpedlr]

I second the Engine 2 suggestion. The recipes seem to be a lot more familiar to most people and therefore easier to implement. When I met Rip at a preview screening of Forks Over Knives, he said that it was his intent. My mom is a litlt like your dad in food choices and she loves Rip's recipes. I was visiting for the weekend and we had our usual Friday night Red Bean Gumbo (Mary's recipe), and Rip's NY Times burger with no oil oven fries. Everyone was happy.

[Donna R]

I second the Engine 2 suggestion. The recipes seem to be a lot more familiar to most people and therefore easier to implement. When I met Rip at a preview screening of Forks Over Knives, he said that it was his intent. My mom is a litlt like your dad in food choices and she loves Rip's recipes. I was visiting for the weekend and we had our usual Friday night Red Bean Gumbo (Mary's recipe), and Rip's NY Times burger with no oil oven fries. Everyone was happy.

and I see the recipe for NY burger is available online
http://talkhealthytome.com/new-york-tim ... ie-burger/

[TheGreenBird]

Thanks everyone!

Well, the 1 week report is in and the results are amazing!!!

He's actually stuck with it and is having FUN creating interesting meals w/ grains and veggies. He's refusing to weigh himself yet (didn't even do a starting weight) however he says his pants fit much differently, he's noticing his belly is getting smaller and the best part...? He hasn't taken heartburn medicine since he started McDougalling!!! He's totally stoked! We were talking yesterday and he was telling me about his veggie and rice dish with his fat free pasta sauce I bought him and he was SURE all that tomato stuff would give him heartburn... nope! "must have been the oil and the animal fat I had been eating WITH it". Yes, dad, must have been. He also mentioned he's sleeping better at night and waking up with lots more energy!

I can't say he's going to do this forever, but I think if nothing else he's totally changed his eating habits forever even just a bit, and he plans to stick to this for at least 1 month, then go from there and see if he wants to lose more weight, etc.

[blondie]

That is such wonderful news. I hope that he keeps reading and learning, and the weight loss, coupled with feeling so much more alive, will help him to continue with this for the rest of his life. I'm so happy for you / him!

[TheGreenBird]

Just a fun update...it's been, what, about 3 weeks since he started I believe? He tells me every day he's down a pound or two and gets so excited! He didn't weight himself to start, but thought he was at least 215-220. Last time he told me his weigh in he was at about 204 I think!

Last night I made him tempeh joes and chocolate zucchini muffins from happy herbivore and he was so excited! And he spent a good 20 lbs looking through that book eying yummy things. (I'd given him a bunch of books/cookbooks, but not that one b/c I use it almost daily haha).