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Dr. McDougall's Comments
On the first day of each 10-day live-in McDougall Program in
Santa Rosa, California, I begin my first lecture by telling
participants that those people who have “failed” repeatedly at
dieting in the past are the ones who are almost certain to
succeed this time, because they have, over the years, put the
work in required to finally make changes permanent. Now the
staff members of The McDougall Program are going to add the
finishing touches. Karen’s learning experiences from
Weight Watchers were essential for her success with us.
Without these “failures” The McDougall Program would have
amounted to no more than one of the beginning steps in her
journey for better health.
Many people also come to our
program with stories of having “failed” with the Pritikin or
Ornish Programs, and I try to explain to them that these
educational experiences were necessary steps and I remind them
that when they look back they must give deserved credit to these
excellent programs.
More than half of the people who
attend our live-in program have previously tried to follow our
recommendations from the McDougall books and DVDs.
Fortunately, most of them had experienced sufficient benefits to
understand the value of our low-fat, starch-based diet and
exercise. But, because
permanent changes require time and
effort they “fell off the wagon,” as the saying goes. Many
experimented, before and after their McDougall experiences, with
completely opposite, low-carbohydrate, high-protein diets
(Atkins, Zone, etc.). They received painful lessons from
these diets. Finally through persistence they decided, as
Karen did, to commit to the McDougall Program—and that
commitment was the turning point. (She recently dedicated 10
days to focusing on her health at our center.)
One comment I enjoy making to
people is, “Those of you who have known me for many years will
notice that I (Dr. John McDougall) am looking trimer, stronger,
and handsomer than the last time you saw me. And the reason is
that I take better care of myself now than I did in the past—and
it shows.” Few people follow a perfect diet, exercise
ideally, and have pristine habits. But, as we get older we
take better care of ourselves. My sincere hope is that our
rate of learning stays ahead of our development of serious
disease and disability. We also want to live life looking,
feeling, and functioning at our best. Perfection is not
required—just steady progress.
So if you feel
like an “incurable failure,” think again. A worthwhile
education is an ongoing, difficult, and sometimes painful
process. There is no reason to give up and every
reason—since life is good—to seek experiences that will make us
better persons, capable of getting more of what we
deserve—health, prosperity, and happiness.
We encourage you to pass this Star McDougaller along to
friends. |
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I began struggling with
weight-gain after giving birth to my two children: I was 29
years old, stood 5’4”, and weighed 165 pounds. In the early
eighties I went through a divorce and other emotionally
challenging periods and started eating as a way to comfort
myself. In a matter of just a couple of years, I was 100 pounds
overweight. I was now 37 and weighed 235 pounds.
 In
1990, at age 40, I joined Weight Watchers and ended up losing
all my extra weight in about 18 months. I ate the standard
American diet but restricted my calorie intake by eating small
portions at each meal. I
ended up taking a job with Weight Watchers, and the environment
of constant reinforcement enabled me to keep the weight off for
five years.
However, I was often hungry
because the allowed portions were so small, and this often led
me to break the rules. I was seldom satisfied and often on the
verge of going over my weight limit (if you go over your weight
limit for a long stretch of time you can lose your job!). My
view of dieting at this time was not “What is healthiest for my
body?" but rather, “What can I get away with eating and not gain
weight?”
When I eventually left my job at Weight Watchers, gone was the
constant reinforcement to keep my weight down. My perpetual
hunger led me to regain of all my lost weight. I was now back at
my original high weight of 235 pounds.
Due to the extra weight, I
developed asthma, pre-diabetes (my blood glucose was 103 mg/dL),
and I began to feel hopeless. Gaining back the extra weight at
age 50 took a much greater toll on my body than it had the first
time around. I had little energy, was short of breath with
minimal exertion, and my back and knees hurt. Believe it or not,
my doctor at the time never even mentioned that I should lose
weight. His explanation was that it was all due to my genes.
In January of 2003, I decided to try to get things under control
yet again. I did not rejoin Weight Watchers, but instead created
my own portion-controlled calorie-counting regimen based on what
I had learned at Weight Watchers. I also joined a Jazzercise
class, the first form of exercise I had ever enjoyed during my
previous weight loss. However, the weight came off much more
slowly since I was now older.
During the first year I lost 45
pounds, the next year I lost 30, and then my progress came to a
halt. At this point I weighed 160 pounds, which was still 25
pounds from my target weight. Worse yet, despite having lost a
total of 75 pounds, my cholesterol was 281 mg/dL (far more than
the 200 mg/dL many doctors say is desirable) and on a good day
my blood pressure was 145/90 mmHg. My doctor suggested I begin
taking blood pressure medication.
Clearly, my calorie-controlled
standard American diet was not having the positive effect I had
hoped for. Not wanting to be tied to medication for the rest of
my life, I decided to decline my doctor’s recommendation for
pills and instead began reading about how I could reduce my
blood pressure naturally.
Discovering the path to
permanent weight-loss
My research led me to seriously
cut back on my salt intake, which eventually led me to the work
of Dr. McDougall. I remembered reading some of his books in the
eighties, but rejected his recommendations of a low-fat,
plant-based diet as being “too extreme.” But now in 2005, while
facing a future of declining health, they no longer seemed so
extreme.
I didn't really care for meat, but
my dairy and cheese consumption was driving my cholesterol
through the roof. I began to wonder, “What's so extreme about
oatmeal and bananas for breakfast, boiled potatoes and green
salads for lunch, and baked sweet potatoes and broccoli for
supper?” So I began, and soon discovered the McDougall plan was
quite simple, the foods were delicious and, most importantly,
the meals were filling!
 I
no longer had to count calories and control my portions. I went
on to discover hundreds of recipes in the McDougall books,
newsletters, and on the website. I have since lost my last 25
pounds, and have reached my target weight of 135 pounds. My most
recent cholesterol reading was 142 mg/dL, my blood glucose was
78 mg/dL, and my blood pressure on a typical day is 115/75 mmHg.
My husband, Tom, also decided to
adopt the McDougall lifestyle along with me in 2005. He has
since lost 80 pounds and is a Star McDougaller in his own right.
My oldest son and daughter-in-law have adopted the McDougall
diet and have had excellent results. My youngest son, who is a
sous-chef in an upscale restaurant, does not follow the same
eating style as we do but is supportive. (I'm trying to persuade
him to add some McDougall-friendly items to the menu, or at
least when Mom comes to visit.)
Today, at age 56, I exercise
daily, doing Jazzercise five days a week, as well as occasional
walking, running, and biking. My friends at Jazzercise have
witnessed my entire weight-loss process, and they applaud me.
When newcomers hear about my history, they will often ask how I
achieved such success, and I am always happy to share my story
with them.
I have also stopped drinking
alcohol, coffee, and caffeinated beverages. Now when I get out
of bed I feel very awake and my energy stays level throughout
the day. I love the way I look, but even more I love the way I
feel: light, energetic, strong, and confident that I can do this
for the rest of my life and never have to worry about portion
control and weight gain again.
I look forward to a long and
healthy life while continuing to follow the McDougall diet. I am
not an overnight sensation. It has taken persistent effort to
get where I am today. But as the old fable says: Slow and steady
wins the race.
Karen Barron
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
February 2008
 2008
John McDougall All Rights Reserved
McDougall Wellness Center
P.O. Box 14039, Santa Rosa, CA 95402
http://www.drmcdougall.com
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