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Derrick: Discovered the McDougall Program and Lost 160 Pounds

The fundamentals of the McDougall Program are simple yet often difficult to implement. Star McDougallers have either adopted the Program themselves by learning from our website and books or joining one of our programs. For personalized help, learn more about the 12-Day McDougall Program. For questions on whether a change in diet can help your ailment, learn more about our consultations.
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I don’t know where to start! I guess I should probably start with thanking Dr. McDougall for giving me a brand new outlook on life! I started following the McDougall program in May of 2020, I turned 36 this May (2021). For the last 15 years, I have struggled with my weight. I was always a bigger kid growing up but as I got older my weight got more and more out of control. No amount of exercise would help! I combined nearly every diet imaginable with rigorous exercise routines and still, the struggle continued. I was depressed and angry most of the time because I knew this wasn’t the life I had envisioned for myself. There was a constant struggle of trying to find nice name-brand clothes that would fit and I worried about what people thought of me. I had absolutely no confidence or self-esteem. My job was in jeopardy because I had just barely passed my annual physical. I was at my all-time heaviest after just trying the keto diet. I was 361 pounds! 

I knew I had to do something so I went home and searched the internet for hours! That’s when I came across Dr. McDougall’s YouTube videos. I watched days worth of videos by Dr. McDougall and his team and other whole food plant-based doctors. Out of all the doctors’ different views on what a whole food plant-based diet should look like, Dr. McDougall’s was the only one that seemed realistic to me. I have to admit I was skeptical and it was a difficult change for a meat-at-every-meal southern Indiana guy, but after just one week I noticed my energy level had gone way up. 

The weight loss in the first 8 weeks was nothing short of miraculous! I was losing anywhere from 6 to 10 pounds a week!! I weighed one time each week just to monitor progress. Eventually, the weight loss leveled out to an average of between 2-3 pounds a week. In total, I lost 160 pounds in one year!!! I was able to quit taking my blood pressure medicine and avoided having to take cholesterol medicine that the doctor had told me I was probably going to have to start taking. I can’t thank Dr. McDougall enough for putting his information out there. Dr. McDougall and his team really did change my life more than they will ever know! 

Thank you and God Bless!