Discussion Board

Hi Everyone,

After years of being a fast-food vegan I recently jumped on Dr. Mcdougalls plan after being introduced to the Engine 2 diet and doing further research.

I loved the way Dr. Mcdougall lays everything out pretty clear, but I still have a few questions...

Background:
I exercise around 8 hours a week, if not more. Often swimming for 1.5 hours at a time (swimming pretty vigorusly on a team) and/or doing a plyometric boot camp type work out for around 45 minutes (okay, I do the insanity DVD's, I'll admit it!). I am trying to lose 15 pounds I've gained over the last year and also get in shape for a few endurance races I plan on doing this late summer/fall.

My Questions:
-What should I eat to fuel these workouts and keep me energized? I've experminted with fruit and processed grain but they aren't allowed on the MWL plan?

-Could I still lose weight on a modified version of the MWL plan or even the traditional McDougall plan? Has any one lost a significant amount of wieght on the traditional plan and kept it off?

I am having a hard time cutting out all processed grains (i.e. tortillas, wheat-toast, spelt pasta, etc) on the MWL plan and still having enough energy for my day. Not to mention that I crave those little delicacy's way to much. I've read a bit about Mary's Mini Diet but I wasn't sure if I would be able to keep the weight off if I was able to lose weight by doing it and going back on the regular plan...

Any experience or advice is certainly appreciated!

Fruit is allowed on MWL. Keep to 2 pieces a day. Not sure what you mean by processed grain--no bread or pasta, no, but brown rice and oatmeal give you energy w/ staying power! Ditto potatoes.

Plenty of people do. But it's slower--that's all.

You may want to follow The McDougall Program, Twelve Days to Dynamic Health -- this was/is the original plan for health with weight loss as a by-product.

THE ESSENTIALS OF THE PROGRAM

As we have seen, the McDougall Program combines:
• A health-supporting twelve-day diet in which you eat starches,vegetables, and fruits high in complex carbohydrates and fiber and low in fat, and
• Judicious daily exercise (see Exercise, below).

You will be allowed:
• Unlimited amounts of the right foods
• Unlimited healthful snacks

You will not be allowed:
• Animal foods (meats, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt,etc.)
• Oils
• Refined foods (see Chapter 3)
• Alcohol and caffeine (except in extreme circumstances—see Chapter 5)

You will be limited to:
• Almost no fat (no animal fat; no added vegetable fat; no high-fat plant foods)
• Reduced sugar
• Reduced salt

But the McDougall Program is more than just a twelve-day regimen; it is a whole new lifestyle. At the end of twelve days, you can expect to feel younger and more energetic, look better, and see measurable improvement in your weight, blood pressure, and laboratory blood tests. I hope this will convince you to continue the Program for the rest of your life.

One other suggestion is needed:

Don't be half-hearted about the deal we're arranging.

Some of you are quietly thinking: "I'll try out McDougall's program—sort of." You're planning to give it a one-or two-day trial and then cheat the moment you're tempted. Please don't do that. You'll hurt yourself more than you'll cheat me. Of course, for a while you'll miss the familiar taste of meats and cheese, chocolates and doughnuts, but that's no reason to merely reduce the amounts of these rich foods you eat. To continue eating old favorites in smaller quantities is a form of slow torture that will lead you back to eating the way you used to. And, you'll never be able to judge the Program fairly—or yourself, as a willing experimenter—if you don't follow it strictly for twelve days.

I believe not only that everyone deserves to have a slim and healthy body, but that everyone who reads this book—and follows faithfully the Program it describes —can achieve that goal. Right here and now, for your own sake, resolve to do the Program strictly for twelve whole days. It can be the most important resolution you'll ever make.

Here's a link to the book that you can read online to understand the basics -- yes, you can eat fruit and lots of it as long as it is whole, lots of whole grains, potatoes, so you'll have plenty of energy and stamina: http://www.scribd.com/doc/76203835/Twel ... mic-Health

I lost 80 pounds on the regular McD plan and have kept it off for years...with only walking in moderation as exercise.

As much exercise as you get, it should be a snap to lose weight. Just stick to regular plan and don't eat unless you're HUNGRY. Then eat until you're full. Repeat regularly!

Don't cheat either. If you do, expect to gain a pound, lose a pound, over and over and over...never getting anywhere. Stick with the plan and lose easily and consistently and happily.

This plan is wonderful for simplicity and it's easier to lose weight if you keep it simple. Whenever I start baking a lot, it leads to extra pounds from the flour even though it's whole grain. There's so many vegies and fruit and starches out there that it's easy to get variety AND simplicity at the same time.

There are world class athletics that eat this way. Try googling "Carl Lewis and McDougall plan"...and buy the cookbook by Rip Esselstyn--the Engine 2 Diet. Rip's recipes are great but can add weight--too many nuts and special treats.

In the last 10 days I've eaten 10 pounds of potatoes, a crock pot of black beans, lots of salsa, cilantro, corn, kale. (BTW, I sliced the potatoes into chips and cooked them in the microwave on parchment paper. Yum! I love this way of eating. )

For supper I usually have oats and berries w/cinnamon. Simple. But you can be a gourmet cook and enjoy it too.

Congratulations on finding the RIGHT plan for your health, your weight, and your athletic performance!

Thanks everyone for all the awesome advice and taking time to reply. I think I'm going to try the traditional program and see how it goes. I'm encourages by everyones results and I think you guys hit the nail on the head with the NO cheating and eating only when hungry. Those two things alone should help my diet I think! We will see! Happy almost summer to everyone

Aubrey Jane...that could have been my bio And gracious, don't be embarrassed that you do Insanity--ppl often make fun of "those crazy infomercials"...but if you are like me, you love it and need/want that endurance that HIIT training gives you. That said (and no, I don't think it's for everyone, but it is definitely for me and keeps me challenged)...getting to a healthy weight is 80% diet...20% exercise, and the Beachbody website if flooded w/ppl who don't want to or can't "seem to stick to" the nutrition portion and that's where the beauty of McDougalling comes in. I find my workouts wonderfully energized w/sweet potatoes, boiled yucca, beans, veggie pizzas, rice, etc. If you are constantly trying to diet and eat less calories than you are burning, I think that's when your metabolism may slow. Just relax, enjoy the workouts...but eat 'til satisfied. Great advice to not just mindlessly eat "just cuz"...I find I do that when I know I have a heavy exercise day ahead, double classes to teach, etc...even if my body doesn't need the food. Great question!

Don't you just love Sean T!!!! I can't wait until my knees are good enough for me to start doing Insanity again. I miss it, believe it or not.

At first the insanity workout were so rough I feared having a heart attack after each set, but I took my own pace and I am keeping at it! I don't plan on being a fitness model or an endurance athlete, I just want to be able to feel healthy and live life. Sean T is a pretty good motivator, I like that he pushes you and that eeven he gets tired! And I totally agree with you health-nut, there are few people on there that seem to want to committ to the diet portion too. Even on my masters swim team (where ages run from 20-78 currently) there are zealots who swim two hours EVERY single day at high intesnity but then they go get buffalo wings and fries after!

I'm realizing that in an attempt to get myself out of a personal rut (I'm making a big career change and going back to school, I'm having mid-life crisis in my late 20s) I've been trying to cook more and be a culinary master. I will spend hours at the grocery store and behind the stove concocting things when I use to be working long days. It's almost as if I am rebelling from years of hard work! I go to whole foods and wind up with 50 different types of snacks that I want to eat the second I get home But I read everyones post and I've decided to concentrate on the mindful eating like you guys have said and I'm even doing a Mary's Mini with Potatoes to help me get back to the idea that food should be simple and not a hobby (a rather expensive one, I might add). I've lost a pound so far! It's almost a relief to get back to such a simple diet to be honest; I feel more stable than I have in awhile.

Maybe it's the starch talking right now

I've been going on 30-40 mile bike rides recently when the weather has been nice. I don't have any issues at all with having enough energy. My main staple food is brown rice. I eat lots of potatoes, have whole-wheat pasta with homemade tomato sauce, salads, whole-wheat bread, and fruit. For breakfast I usually have a bowl of cereal such as Grape Nuts, with almond milk and a banana.