20 @60 or What happened to the fat boy?

[pinkrose]

I have just celebrated my 10th birthday in China which means I am 63 and I am very richly blessed! I enjoy being a grandpa, studying and working with students in many countries.

I continue to follow Dr. McDougall's guidance but I do stray a bit when I eat out with others. Cooking and eating at home is one of the important keys to success for many of us here. When we leave home, it is easy to be distracted.

I continue to enjoy the boards here and I have noticed many changes. It seems that our "movement" is moving forward and I expect that many here enjoy greater health and fitness due to the influence of this site.

I went to the USA in the summer and enjoyed Mom, other relatives and friends. When I returned to China, I could not access Flickr. We adjust.

We enjoyed a lovely visit with friends in Wuhan in October and I will share a photo made there.

I appreciate those who teach us and encourage us here.

Please visit us when you are in China!

[Potatohead]

great seeing you and your family, and belated Happy Birthday, I cannot imagine living in a foreign country for 10 years..I had a fit visiting the Philippines for three weeks a couple of years ago. While I enjoyed the country, my husbands relatives were always on my case to "eat"..they didn't understand being plant based and they would get offended if I did not eat the meal they cooked. I understand the custom of feeding guests, but I just could not partake of many of the foods because of meat and oil. I suppose if I moved there it would be different, I could cook for myself. I think I left the Philippines with most of my husbands relatives shaking their heads and rolling their eyes.
I was able to find plenty of fruits and veggies so I did not stave, it was just dealing with the extended family that drove me nuts.

[Dougalling]

Your story made me smile Thank you for sharing.

[pinkrose]

@64 I am still McDougalling! I am grateful to be pain free most of the time and I am not taking any meds on a regular basis. I usually walk about four miles daily and I enjoy eating several pounds of low fat plants daily.

After Facebook, yotube and many other sites were blocked here in China in 2009, I found this site. So I think I was blessed by the great firewall. I appreciate the "cooking skills" I have learned while McDougalling even though my wife thinks I just make stuff hot!

Except for those who are facing a life threatening disease, few have adopted this way of eating. So eating properly at home for me is very easy but eating properly away form home with others (especially in China) is very hard and I stray from the good path a bit when I am away from home.

I consider myself a veteran here. I advise others to investigate this way of eating but few are interested. However, we can bless others by choosing to be as healthy as possible. One of the kindest things you can do for your family and friends is to be as healthy as possible.

My diet has evolved over the last few years. Here is my typical daily fare:

B: cabbage, leafy greens, potatoes

L: sweet potatoes

D: brown rice and black beans

I cook the rice and beans in a rice cooker and cook the other items without additives in the microwave. I like to keep it simple.

I have still not met a fellow McDougaller face-to-face but I would love to do this!

You can see our pics at the link below and please connect with me on Facebook! I have a VPN!

[frozenveg]

So great to hear you are still going strong! This is very insightful:

However, we can bless others by choosing to be as healthy as possible. One of the kindest things you can do for your family and friends is to be as healthy as possible.

I really believe that--I am glad that the people I love don't have to worry about me--that I'm out of breath, or limping in pain, or having stomach distress, and so on. I always joked that one of my weight-loss goals was to make sure my stretcher wouldn't be too heavy for the paramedics, in case I ever got hit by a car again!!

Keep strong, enjoy those plants, and stay healthy!

[Starchyme]

Thanks for the update. Happy Birthday. What a beautiful and happy family. You are much inspiration to all!

[pinkrose]

So great to hear you are still going strong! This is very insightful:

However, we can bless others by choosing to be as healthy as possible. One of the kindest things you can do for your family and friends is to be as healthy as possible.

I really believe that--I am glad that the people I love don't have to worry about me--that I'm out of breath, or limping in pain, or having stomach distress, and so on. I always joked that one of my weight-loss goals was to make sure my stretcher wouldn't be too heavy for the paramedics, in case I ever got hit by a car again!!

Keep strong, enjoy those plants, and stay healthy!

I like your joke, Frozenveg, and I think that we will probably spare our loved ones a lot of grief and serve them better and longer by preventing or postponing diseases. Since I have found that few people seem to appreciate my dietary choices, it is important for me to keep in mind that these are not selfish choices. We eat for ourselves and others!

I am glad you, Jim Brown and others are here to guide and encourage those who need help.

Merry Christmas to all!

[pinkrose]

Thanks for the update. Happy Birthday. What a beautiful and happy family. You are much inspiration to all!

Thanks for your kind words, Starchyme!

[hazelrah]

Hey pinkrose,

Do you ever think about how much you would have missed out on if you hadn't made the changes you did? I think about that sometimes as I edge towards retirement. It's funny how when you first start this lifestyle you think about what you're giving up, but over time you come to realize you're getting a lot more than you're giving up.

Hope you had a great birthday.

Mark

[pinkrose]

Hey pinkrose,

Do you every think about how much you would have missed out on if you hadn't made the changes you did? I think about that sometimes as I edge towards retirement. It's funny how when you first start this lifestyle you think about what you're giving up, but over time you come to realize you're getting a lot more than you're giving up.

Hope you had a great birthday.

Mark

Yes, Mark! I especially think of this when my wife seems to be uncertain about what she should eat. Life has enough complex, challenging problems without making eating one of them! I am quite satisfied with my simple, healthful meals!

[amandamechele]

Pinkrose,

I look forward to your updates. Thank you continuing to post and inspire me, and many others.

Amy