Maintaining Your McDougall Health/Weight Success

[JeffN]

During the past year a few of you have posted and/or PM'd with me about starting a thread similar to the MWL Weigh-In thread, for those who have achieved their weight/health goals and are on maintenance. As Sue says, Riding The Wave. As those of you know, maintaining McDougall can bring on its own set of challenges. The journey doesn't end when you achieve your goal.

Starting in January, we are going to have a monthly thread with a weekly check in for those who have achieved their health/weight goals and are following the McDougall Regular Program, Maximum Weight Loss Program, Mary's Mini or some combination of the three.

If you have any thoughts on what you might like to see in regard to the thread and support, let me know.

Much of the idea was inspired by Sue's journal on her journey of maintenance, Keeping the weight off: riding the wave.

For those not familiar with her journal, you can find it here..

viewtopic.php?f=52&t=58031

Thanks

In Health
Jeff

[spinner]

This will be very helpful to all of us.

About 11 years ago I reached my Weight Watchers goal and was able to maintain it only 3 months. When the door of food opened a little, all the food that caused my weight problems came flooding back into my life with a vengeance. I gained about 75% of my lost poundage back. It was very discouraging. This was before I knew much about a WFPB way of eating, before I read books by Dr. McDougall and others, and before I watched your many DVDs and segments on youtube.

As a consequence of this way of eating, I now have a BMI of 26.5 so I am within spitting distance of a normal weight, and just a bit further to a healthy weight. I would love to read how others have managed to maintain the attitudinal and behavioral changes that are helpful. I often think about your post relating how one successful woman (1) keeps eating simple and (2) doesn't care what other people think.
Thank you for caring so much about all of us who read this forum.

[Starchyme]

Fantastic! A dream come true to have a place with support for maintaining our goal weight. Many thanks!

[Grammy Ginger]

Once I articulated that I wouldn't eat anything that makes me ill to spare another person's feelings, everything fell into place.

[SilverDollar123]

Thank You. A much needed thread. RAS

[abit]

...

[lucidguppy]

@abit - for me gaining weight back was because I stopped daily exercise and also let junk food (vegan) snacks like peanuts and veggie sticks back into my diet (one between breakfast and lunch). Also I started eating Peanut butter sandwiches. I ate to relieve stress.

I also started drinking 2-3 beers on weekends.

I should have been eating fruit and salads for my snacks and doing no less than a 40 minute walk on a treadmill.

I don't think you can let much of your old life back into your diet after you hit your goal. Your current weight is a function of your current lifestyle - so if you don't want your weight to change - and you're at your goal - you can't change your current lifestyle.

[JeffN]

Just to clarify, this is not the discussion thread on “maintenance,” it is just a thread to let you know that a monthly maintenance thread is coming and to find out, “If you have any thoughts on what you might like to see in regard to the thread and support, let me know.”

Thanks
Jeff

[Starchyme]

Thanks, Jeffrey. Can't wait!

[patty]

Sounds like a great idea. Repetition breeds recognition. Jeff mentions the bowl of oatmeal with berries every morning. A simple lifestyle change. Sue provided the link on the original post. I remember someone sharing it takes a hundred pennies to make a dollar. Lynize shared on another thread about about a app Habit Share. It sounds like a positive way of tracking time.

Aloha, patty

[Skip]

Good idea, kind of like http://www.nwcr.ws/research/ where lessons can be learned from successful and long term weight loss stats.

[geo]

After almost 7 years of following the MWL and your Guidelines, I'm not sure that I have "achieved their health/weight goals" nor would I consider myself in maintenance mode...the changes/challenges/life happenstances just don't seem to stop. But I understand the intent of the new forum and welcome it. I definitely will participate in it. One can never be too curious to learn from others no matter how much you think you know

[JeffN]

Good idea, kind of like http://www.nwcr.ws/research/ where lessons can be learned from successful and long term weight loss stats.

Thanks.

Not exactly the same.

The NWCR, which I speak of frequently and highly and whom we've had the head of speak at an ASW, is different. It is looking at common denominators of successful dieters, regardless of the approach. There are no recommended guidelines or support.

This is a support thread to those following very specific guidelines (The McDougall Program, The McDougall MWL Program and/or Mary's Mini).

In Health
Jeff

[JeffN]

After almost 7 years of following the MWL and your Guidelines, I'm not sure that I have "achieved their health/weight goals"

We may be talking semantics but since you are a Star McDougaller, I, and probably others, would like to hear how and in what why you feel you have not reached your goals. I think it may be of value in determining how we (or you) define success and whether someone feels like they belongs in the group or not

Thanks

In Health
Jeff

[Willijan]

I think this new thread is a very good idea because it will, based on posts from many "successful" McDougalers, present positive views of the program.
I think the forums often are weighted toward "negative" posts from those who have been UNsuccessful with the McDougal diet, because those are people who especially need help. But it may tend to give the incorrect impression to newcomers that this program doesn't work. Perhaps the majority of those for whom it does work simply don't post.
And of course, I am interested in finding out how the challenges of living this way have worked out for those who have done it for a long time. For me, yes, there have been points of difficulty that I have had to recover from.
Thanks, Jeff!