Discussion Board

Hello everyone.

I have been a healthy weight from the get go. Well, I probably can stand to lose a few pounds but I'm not worried. Well, I recently cut out processed foods and my weight is starting to dip down. I can tell because I can feel the ribs in my chest. (And, just for an argument for not sitting all day, my butt is the only place that still has any fat )

Anyways, cutting out the sugar and almond milk has really helped my IBS, but I do not want to become underweight. Plus, I'm only eating about 1500 calories a day. I do eat until I'm full.

So, my question is, what healthy things should I add in to maintain a healthy weight? Nuts and seeds aren't the greatest since they upset my IBS (It can be a pain in the you-know-what, quite literally!).

I think I know the answer, but I have been curious about what Star McDougallers do and have wanted to ask for a while.

Normally I eat lots of brown rice, beans, veggies, 2 peices of fruit if I feel like it, and the odd "bread" product that's gluten-free.

I want to maintain while being able to keep a moderate exercise routine.

Thanks, and this forum is a great idea!

I too am interested in the answers as most all of us had an issue of losing not gaining weight. Of the top of my head I would look at perhaps increasing legumes as a step to more safe calorie density foods. Perhaps an extra serving of fruit daily. Small changes over a prolonged period will produce results.
f1jim

Loveskale, what is your BMI?

You SHOULD be able to easily feel (and see) your ribs. Human beings are made w/ a very thin covering over their ribcage--if you can't feel/see the ribs, there may be a little too much fat there.

It may be that you are at a GOOD weight, or that you could even stand to lose a few more pounds. See this link: http://www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougal ... weight.htm

For most people, eating this way (eating PLENTY of this kind of food) will maintain a HEALTHY weight--that may be a little less than you had previously thought it was! Unless you are exercising esp. vigorously (which may not be a good idea), you shouldn't need to worry too much about losing "too much."

loveskale -

The key to weight control - losing or gaining - can be found in calorie density. Here's a post from Jeff:



You don't need to worry about total calorie intake. As Jeff says, counting calories doesn't work. Put a few days worth of foods into cron-o-meter. You will see that it isn't hard to meet all your nutrient needs.

If someone wanted to lose weight they would go with the lower calorie density foods. If someone wants to gain weight they would up the calorie density of their foods (keeping in mind that this is a starch based program. Without our starches we would not feel satisfied).

In your case, you have to adjust what foods you pick due to the IBS and gluten issues you experience.

Just a note - Jeff shows oils to show the calorie density of them but of course he never recommends adding them to increase calorie density. I realize you know this but want to make sure I don't confuse anyone else reading the post.

If you cannot eat nuts and seeds can you do nut and seed butters? Can you add avocado? Increase your portion of starches? Add corn tortilla's or other such "processed grains"?

In my case, I don't have to add much of anything to MWL to stop weight loss and maintain my current weight. Some people many need to adjust more. You will need to experiment a little to find what's right for you.

Donna

Thank you all- that is exactly what I was looking for. I agree that most people don't know what a healthy weight is, so that's one of the reasons why I wanted to ask Star McDougallers!

I will experiment and update in my journal. Thanks again!

I forgot to mention, my BMI is about 21-21.5.

Thanks.

A healthy BMI for women is in the range of 18.5 to 24.9. That means you are right in the middle of the healthy range. That means, according to BMI standards, you are healthy!

How do you feel physically? Are you happy with the way you look? How do your clothes feel that they fit? If you are happy, great. If not, you can adjust a little up or down at any time using calorie density rules.

My guess is that at this time weight is not an issue that you really need to spend time on. Enjoy!

Donna

I agree with everybody else. There is nothing wrong with a low BMI if you are eating a healthy diet and not suffering from any eating disorder. My wife's BMI is 19, and we both think she is great at that BMI. I also don't think that BMI can be applied universally. It does not take into account, for instance, body fat percentage or the fact that the weight distribution curve for men is about 2 BMI points greater that for women.

I think that the mirror test is a good one, and I think that you have to look in the mirror with the advice of Jeff and Dr. M in mind. Thin is great, and if your friends think you may be too thin, you are probably just right. If you are eating a healthy diet, you should automatically get to a healthy weight.

Thanks everyone.

I agree that I do not need to worry about weight. I was just getting concerned that when I ate less processed foods I seemed to drop weight, which frightened me a little. Now I know that I am safe and there is no reason to be afraid anymore!