Meet The Members: Forum Member Profiles

For those questions and discussions on the McDougall program that don’t seem to fit in any other forum.

Moderators: JeffN, f1jim, John McDougall, carolve, Heather McDougall

Re: Meet The Members: Forum Member Profiles

Postby MaureenR » Tue Feb 02, 2016 10:22 pm

Location: Redondo Beach, CA

Where/How did you find out about the site &/or Dr Mcdougall: Forks Over Knives

How long have you been following the McD program: Since May 2015

What was your initial reason/goals for starting the program: Needed to lose weight

What is your success to date: I have lost 40 pounds so far

Describe a Typical Day of McDougalling for you: Breakfast is oatmeal with stewed apples and blueberries + ground cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves. Mid morning I eat some steamed brussels sprouts and baked sweet potatoes or steamed Yukon gold potatoes. Lunch is usually a soup made with beans, barley and greens. I eat a sliced raw fennel bulb for an afternoon snack and more sweet potatoes or potatoes. Dinner is a grain or pasta with veggies.

Favorite Mcdougall Recipe/Dish: I think my oatmeal with apples and berries is my favorite dish. I never get tired of it!

Describe Your Exercise (How much, what kind, etc): I do yoga 5 days a week and walk a few miles most days of the week.

Other Hobbies/Interests: Cooking, strolling through farmers markets, ethnic markets, or even regular grocery stores, reading, movies, attending lectures, strolling through different neighborhoods, going to the beach, concerts at the Hollywood Bowl.
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Re: Meet The Members: Forum Member Profiles

Postby rhubarbtriangle » Wed Feb 03, 2016 10:25 am

Real Name: Sheena
Location: Yorkshire, England
Where/How did you find out about the site &/or Dr Mcdougall: Searching for vegan recipes and information on being a healthy vegan
How long have you been following the McD program: Since April 2015
What was your initial reason/goals for starting the program: Trying to improve health and lose weight.
What is your success to date: Lost weight, more to go. Off BP meds for weeks now. Off asthma meds for months (but I carry an inhaler with me as very strong fragrances can affect me). Reduced the pain meds, but still need them. Cholesterol now normal from high, iron now normal from low, ditto calcium. Inflammation markers reduced, but still there. Gout flare-ups less frequent. Most days I can walk without a stick - but not far yet. I just feel and look a lot better.
Describe a Typical Day of McDougalling for you: Tortilla wrap with leftovers in for breakfast. Soup or large salad for lunch (depends on weather). Dinner is always salad or soup, then generally roasted veggies and potato wedges. When I have time, I do batch cook and freeze things so there is always something for me to defrost and have ready fairly quickly when I am busy. Also, I like my slow cooker so I can come home to a hot meal. Exercise is at least one gentle walk with my dog, and whatever else I am able to manage.
Favorite Mcdougall Recipe/Dish: So far I have liked everything I have tried. I'm a confident cook so I like to make up my own recipes. I used to be involved in a historic cooking group and it is remarkable how healthy some old-time "peasant food" actually is.
Describe Your Exercise (How much, what kind, etc): I struggle with exercise due to pain. I have been doing some stationary cycling, some yoga and I tried dance - which I loved, but caused me too much pain so I will work on other things and get back to it.
Other Hobbies/Interests: My work keeps me busy but I like cooking, especially for other people. I also enjoy sewing and need to get some done as my clothes are becoming too big. That's a good problem to have in my position.
“What I say is that, if a man really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow.”
― A.A. Milne

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Re: Meet The Members: Forum Member Profiles

Postby Katydid » Wed Feb 03, 2016 1:54 pm

Katydid
Real Name: Cathy
Location: Marysville, MI.
Where/How did you find out about the site &/or Dr Mcdougall: 7th Day Adventist bookstore/restaurant
How long have you been following the McD program: 18 years
What was your initial reason/goals for starting the program: severe chronic asthma and morbid obesity
What is your success to date: Lost 150 pounds over the course of 4 years. Have kept it off for going on 14 years now. Asthma, allergies and EoE (eosinophilic esophagitis) now under control by diet.
Describe a Typical Day of McDougalling for you:
Oatmeal, fruit and flax for breakfast
Steamed vegetables, nutritional yeast; sweet potato and fruit for lunch
Big salad followed by stir-fried or microwaved veggies served over brown rice/quinoa for dinner
Favorite Mcdougall Recipe/Dish:
Actually its a Jeff Novick (if that counts). The SNAP meal protocol was a real game changer for me.
Describe Your Exercise (How much, what kind, etc): walking dog, stair climbing, recreational bike riding, yoga, hiking - about 40 minutes to 1 hour a day depending on the weather. Try to meet 10,000+ steps a day.
Other Hobbies/Interests: "lighthousing" and lighthouse climbing, camping. I basically camp where there are lighthouses :D Lately I've become fascinated by the whole "prepper" movement. Must be the upcoming elections :lol:
This diet can save your life - it saved mine! Read my story at:
http://www.drmcdougall.com/stars/cathy_stewart.htm
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Re: Meet The Members: Forum Member Profiles

Postby AnnaSpanna » Wed Feb 03, 2016 7:28 pm

Real name: Anna Drever
Location: Hamilton, New Zealand
Where/How did you find out about the site &/or Dr McDougall: Friends of ours got me curious about this woe so I followed in their foorsteps.
How long have you been following the McD program: Over 3 years now.
What was your initial reason/goals for starting the program: Admittedly vanity, I wanted to lose weight. I also wanted to improve my health (but seriously, it was all about being able to fit into a pair of skinny jeans :D ).
What is your success to date: Lost 15 kgs (over 30 pounds). My BMI is just under 20. And I can wear those skinny jeans. Awesome! Also finding that my menopause journey, while not easy, is certainly easier than I thought it would be.
Describe a Typical Day of McDougalling for you: B: gf Weetbix L: quinoa and veg with plum sauce and tamari D: kumara or sweet potato and green veg or maybe a bean stew.
Favorite Mcdougall Recipe/Dish: the quinoa dish I do for lunch. Easy, throw it in the rice cooker and walk away. Very little prep.
Describe Your Exercise (How much, what kind, etc): Here comes confession time. I do very little. A walk now and then. I need to do better.
Other Hobbies/Interests: Reading, mostly scifi or fantasy. Plant based books of course. Reading 'How not to die' at the mo. Gardening when I'm in the mood. Killing zombies on PvZ 2. :D
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Re: Meet The Members: Forum Member Profiles

Postby TaterQueen » Tue Feb 09, 2016 12:38 pm

Name: TaterQueen :D given name is Sami

Location: FLORIDA

Where/How did you find out about the site &/or Dr Mcdougall: From reading his books

How long have you been following the McD program: SINCE JANUARY 2016

What was your initial reason/goals for starting the program: To lose weight and be healthy

What is your success to date: 15 LB loss so far :D

Describe a Typical Day of McDougalling for you: BREAKFAST: Ezekiel break with homemade hummus and a banana, or oatmeal with fruit.
LUNCH and or DINNER: baked potato fries and a homemade veggie burger or brown rice with stir fry veggies

Favorite Mcdougall Recipe/Dish: Jeff Novick"s bean burgers :-D

Describe Your Exercise: I walk about 1 mile a day for now :shock:

Other Hobbies/Interests: I like to read and travel
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Re: Meet The Members: Forum Member Profiles

Postby nicoles » Tue Feb 09, 2016 1:35 pm

Member Profile Template
Real Name: Nicole O'Shea
Location: Los Angeles, CA, US
Where/How did you find out about the site &/or Dr Mcdougall: Online via a google search for "diet and psoriatic arthritis"
How long have you been following the McD program: Since January 10th 2011
What was your initial reason/goals for starting the program: To help manage my psoriatic arthritis
What is your success to date: PsA and Psoriasis - essentially gone (except if I don't eat right, sleep right or exercise). Lost about 40 pounds. Cholesterol down to about 130. Blood pressure down more each year (from 140/90 or something like that to from 90/60-110/70)
Describe a Typical Day of McDougalling for you: Breakfast: fruit salad and sweet potato (not always hungry) Lunch: Salad and starches. Dinner: Salad, Starches, cooked veggies.
Favorite Mcdougall Recipe/Dish:Microwaved sweet potatoes
Describe Your Exercise (How much, what kind, etc): Aim for 3-6 mile walk/hike daily. Also do yoga, weight training, dance, aerobics, and stretching. I try to mix it up so I don't get bored. Also try to move as much as possible within my day - stairs instead of elevator, park far, carry groceries, stand when on PC that kind of thing.
Other Hobbies/Interests: Painting, movies and art. Studying biomechanics, nutrition, the microbiome and epigenetics in a layperson capacity.
Tough times don't last, tough people do

Read the results of my journey here: Nicole S. O'Shea vs. Psoriatic Arthritis

My Journal
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Re: Meet The Members: Forum Member Profiles

Postby mapat » Wed Feb 10, 2016 2:24 pm

Real Name: Pat
Location: Central New York, just north of Syracuse

Where/How did you find out about the site &/or Dr Mcdougall: Have always been interested in health and nutrition and natural foods. Read Jane Plant's book, led to China Study, FOK, and a hundred or more other books and websites...finally settled on McDougall as consistently and effectively the best.

How long have you been following the McD program: one or two years as I adapted more a bit at a time, rather than all at once.

What was your initial reason/goals for starting the program: liver problems, with high cholesterol and overweight, followed by diagnosis of breast cancer in 2012. My goal is to never need to go to the doctors again!

What is your success to date: Still alive :D Lost 60 lbs, lowered cholesterol by 70 or more points, vit D not as low, no need for pain medications for arthritis; more active and feeling better than I have in many years.

Describe a Typical Day of McDougalling for you: Looking for ways to sneak these healthier ways of eating into meals for grandchildren and rest of family.

Favorite Mcdougall Recipe/Dish: Very large tossed salad for evening snack; black bean burgers. I prefer to keep my meals simple, more often just plain fresh veggies, starches and small amounts of fruits.

Describe Your Exercise (How much, what kind, etc): housework gardening kids stretching and sometimes yoga.

Other Hobbies/Interests:gardening--veggies and herbs, all the sciences; homeschool 8 yr old granddaughter; emergency prep; nature and camping. Herbal medicines and wild edibles. Continued research and Reading--a lot.
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Re: Meet The Members: Forum Member Profiles

Postby lifeisgreat » Wed Feb 10, 2016 9:03 pm

Barbara

Location:Sacramento Ca

Where/How did you find out about the site &/or Dr Mcdougall:
My son gave me John Robbins book " Diet for New America". That lead me to Dr. McDougall. I went to his one and only 5 day program at St Helena Hospital.

How long have you been following the McD program:
25 years

What was your initial reason/goals for starting the program:
I was very ill with an autoimmune disease for 6 years. I was unable to work and was receiving Social Security Disability payments. I had exhausted all the treatments the medical profession had to offer.

What is your success to date:
My cholesterol dropped 100 point during the 5 day program. I regained my health. my heart-rate regulated. I lost muscle and joint pain. My sleep returned to normal. I wake up rested. My mental fog lifted. I lost 35 lbs and I have maintained the same weight for 24 years. At 77 years old I do not take any medications. I went back to college and graduate with a degree in Occupational Therapy at 60 years old. I worked full time with children with neurological disabilities. I quit full time work at 74 . I worked part time until this year. At 77 years old I thought it was time to retire.

Describe a Typical Day of McDougalling for you:
I start the everyday with oatmeal, blue berries, flax seed and a splash of soy milk and a teaspoon of sugar. If I eat at 6 or 7 am by mid morning I have a Japanese yam. When I worked lunch was always Beans and rice with. My lunch has more variety now that I am retired. I eat very simple meals with lots of potatoes, soups and salads etc, I eat mostly MWL. I do add bread when I want it.( maybe once a week) I cook batches and do not mind eating the. same thing for several days. For a treat I will blend a Japanese yam with Wonderslim and a little soy milk to make a pudding. I live alone it is easy to keep it simple. All the Grandkids love the frozen banana treat. I do not enjoy eating out. I have found some places to eat, but I prefer my food. When traveling I make a bar that is oatmeal, a cooked yam and a little soy milk. If I am feeling adventurous I will sprinkle a little raw sugar on the top. I bake the mixture in the oven and cut into bars.

Favorite Mcdougall Recipe/Dish
Tostada, lentil soup, oven fries with roasted vegetables. Japanese yam, and mashed potatoes. A variety of soups. Ranch dressing made out of white beans. Simple instant pot recipes.

Describe Your Exercise (How much, what kind, etc):
I walk daily 2 to 3 miles.( sometimes more). I go to the gym three times a week. I work on weights to increase muscle strength. I use the stair steps and stretching. I make sure that I can get up off the floor. I do not want to lose that ability

Other Hobbies/Interests:
AA. I have been sober 32 years. I have a very curious mind and I like to learn new things. I enjoy technology and creating on Apple products. Health and fitness as we age is a major area of interest. I love to travel. Connecting with friends and family plays a very important role in my life. Attending Dr. McDougall's events.
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Re: Meet The Members: Forum Member Profiles

Postby FowlWoman » Sat Feb 13, 2016 7:06 am

**Updated: 03/11/2018

Name: Chris

Location: Wisconsin

Where/How did you find out about the site &/or Dr Mcdougall: I don't recall as I have been off and on veg. for 30 years.

How long have you been following the McD program: Off and on.

What was your initial reason/goals for REstarting the program: Regain health, lose weight, improve numbers.

What is your success to date: 3.3# this week but just restarting

Describe a Typical Day of McDougalling for you: ***

Favorite Mcdougall Recipe/Dish: Anything simple and not spicy.

Describe Your Exercise: I walk about 1 mile a day when I'm not working, so far.

Other Hobbies/Interests: art, reading, gardening
Last edited by FowlWoman on Sun Mar 11, 2018 9:11 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Meet The Members: Forum Member Profiles

Postby Sagefemme » Sat Feb 13, 2016 2:37 pm

Real Name: Sue Armstrong
Location: Eugene, Oregon
Where/How did you find out about the site &/or Dr Mcdougall: Read The China Study, Eat to Live, watched Forks over Knives and various other documentaries, read lots more books including McDougall books.
How long have you been following the McD program: Off and on since 2010, unfortunately mostly off for the last two to three years. Now I'm tired of being overweight and am getting back on the program.
What was your initial reason/goals for starting the program: I am a women's health nurse practitioner and see mostly an older population (women in their 50s, 60s, 70s) and most days every single person I see in my practice is overweight and gaining steadily year after year; all say "I can't lose weight, I've really tried." Most have the chronic illnesses that go with overweight and a sedentary life. I know all this is unnecessary, and the suffering I see, not to mention the cost to the health care system, is tremendous and very troubling. Personally, I have borderline high blood pressure and high cholesterol when I'm 25 pounds overweight as I am now. All that gets better when I'm at a good weight and eating plant based. My dad's life was considerably shortened by his hypertension and hyperlipidemia, and I don't want the same fate!
What is your success to date: I started following Dr. Fuhrman's Eat To Live program and lost 25 pounds, cholesterol plummeted, blood pressure normalized, felt great, etc. Found McDougall and found the starch based eating more satisfying and sustainable than nutritarian plan. Seemed like my struggles with food and overeating sweets were over for ever. Unfortunately I began having major problems with my left hip (from congenital hip dysplasia) and lost my ability to be active and fit. When my fitness went away so did my motivation to stay on program. I stayed vegan for a year or two but ate potato chips and other junk, gained the weight back, and for the last year have been eating cheese, eggs, etc (still no meat). Now I have had a hip replacement, have no more pain, and am starting back on the quest for fitness. This has led to increased motivation to eat on plan, and I've been back in the groove for a few weeks now.
Describe a Typical Day of McDougalling for you: Breakfast: oatmeal with fruit and oat milk; or leftovers from dinner previous. Lunch is microwaved potato or sweet potato topped with steamed veggies, dinner huge salad with potato or maybe quinoa or rice. I'm not good at consuming all this plain; I need sauces and dressings on my potatoes and veggies, and have found lots of good ones that have no oil. Trying to do MWL now since I need to lose weight. No bread or pasta is hard but I know from experience I won't lose weight if I eat those things.
Favorite McDougall Recipe/Dish: I don't use them, just make stuff up. I used to be known as a great cook and did lots of entertaining. My friends are sad I no longer cook rack of lamb and potatoes au gratin.....
Describe Your Exercise (How much, what kind, etc): Before my hip replacement Cross Fit, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, skiing, hiking, tons of biking. Now, just getting back to a Cross Fit -like program (conditioning classes), trying to walk more, cross country skiing, hiking. Have not been on the bike much but I will do when the weather improves. Not sure if I will do jiu jitsu again.
Other Hobbies/Interests: Fitness, nutrition, family, movies, gardening
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Re: Meet The Members: Forum Member Profiles

Postby Janeykhan » Mon Feb 15, 2016 8:22 am

Real Name: Jane
Location: Toronto
Highest weight 285 lbs. Currently 270 lbs. Aim 140 lbs.
Following program: 3 1/2 weeks
Reason for following program: weight loss and health issues
Success to date: 10 lbs

Typical day's food:
Works days - breakfast - whole grain cereal with low calorie almond milk
Lunch - pangoa bowl from Freshii restaurant - brown rice, black beans, romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, carrot
Dinner- buttercup squash, vegetables on hand, Esselstyn's no-fat hummus, tomato sauce, ketchup and or mustard
Weekends - more potatoes, boiled with corn, small piece of kombu, dijon mustard, ketchup or salsa
Soup made with lentils and mixed vegetables

Don't have a favourite McDougall recipe yet, but very impressed with cookbooks
Exercise: Walking, take transit to work
Hobbies: beginner at watercolour, read sci-fi, health reading
Interests: Follow Guruji Haidakan Babaji

I sat on the fence for years, low carb, insulin resistance programs versus macrobiotics. Low carb worked like a dream initially but I got quite sick. Macrobiotics is too restrictive and too labour intensive for me. The McDougall program is a wonderful solution for me. If I have rice in the fridge and potatoes, I will always go for the potatoes by preference.

Plagued with constant pyloric valve spasms and restricted diaphragm.
Last few months extreme pain in right kidney.
Right kidney pain is gone in 3.5 weeks, restrictive diaphragm has improved - less restriction, and pylori valve problem is less painful.
I had major hip flexor muscle issues - this has eased considerably.
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Re: Meet The Members: Forum Member Profiles

Postby roundcoconut » Thu Feb 25, 2016 2:43 pm

Real Name: Traci
Location: Taos, NM
Where/How did you find out about the site &/or Dr Mcdougall: I was looking for a wasy out of addictive food patterns -- I was finding that even eating simple vegetables and brown rice could become an addictive endeavor as long as I was still lacing my food with oil and salt -- and this led me to Jeff Novick's writings.
How long have you been following the McD program: Five years now.
What was your initial reason/goals for starting the program: I really wanted a way of eating that I could feel good about (one in which we share the earth with animals, rather than torture and dominate same). I also really wanted a way of eating that helps keep humans emotionally happy and stable, physically strong and mentally clear, and free from painful, powerless relationships to food (meaning that we have instead, empowered, and able to find small manageable pleasures in the food we eat, but never more stimulation than our bodies can handle)
What is your success to date: I feel that I have all the right information and guidance at my fingertips to be as healthy as I want to be! So, at age 41, I still very much trust my body to resist injury and disease, and to achieve satiety for me when given whole foods, fresh air, decent sleep and a little bit of movement once in a while. I do find that I continue to be somewhat susceptible to bad food environments, and so I am pretty careful to not put myself in bad food environments too many days of the week. (Work, for many people, including me, can be a bad food environement.)
What have been the real keys to you, for making this work: (I changed the question here!)f Eating simple foods in their (mostly) natural form is the one thing that can reset so many of the body's imbalances. At the moment, I do not have a salt shaker, or any sodium, in my possession; and it's funny because if you are hungry, you will happily eat a baked potato without salt, or some cooked broccoli without salt. I mean, there are just all these industries that tell you that you have to gussy up your food in order to find it pleasurable, but really, if you are hungry, food tastes delicious. -- Also, as mentioned above, creating and seeking out healthy food environments is a major piece of the puzzle. I don't bring home foods that require abstention or require more restraint than i have on a daily basis, and I don't worry too much about "missing out" on social activities that would carry me into places where high-calorie-density foods would be foisted on me. (Like dating -- a first date wouldn't happen with someone who didn't say "sure"" to homecooked veg burgers. That's the breaks people!)
Favorite Foods: I love a roasted onion. Broccoli (cooked, never raw). Corn when it's in season (raw corn is so, so good). Cooked green peppers (nuked in the microwave for a long time, so it's soft and sweet). Cabbage (also when it's mushy). Potatoes are always delicious and are my starch staple -- red potatoes and gold potatoes. Lentils are delicious too, when I'm willing to wait 20 minutes for my food. I do drink coffee (usually black but sometimes with a bit of soy milk) and enjoy spending time in coffee shops for social contact. Apples and pears tend to be my go-to fruits.
Describe Your Exercise (How much, what kind, etc): I like the idea of walking for transportation, rather than that horrible thing that most americans (have to?) do, of driving for transportation, and then walking for exercise. It takes some finnagling to live and work in areas that accommodate this, and to corrrect people who ask if your car broke down, or if you lost your licensee. But yeah, I've gone several years without owning a car, and it's one way to build movement into your daily life.
Other Hobbies/Interests: Talking about myself constantly, obviously. :)
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Re: Meet The Members: Forum Member Profiles

Postby GoodLife » Thu Feb 25, 2016 6:21 pm

Real Name: Nancy Wagoner
Location: Roswell, New Mexico
Where/How did you find out about the site &/or Dr. McDougall:
Amazon.com while searching for Pritikin books. Under “Other books recommended” encountered The China Study. After reading that, I decided the WFPB lifestyle was for me. Then I ordered all the WFPB books I could find on Amazon.com (Fuhrman, Barnard, Forks over Knives DVD, and McDougall). McDougall made the most sense to me, so I ordered as many McDougall books I could find. Started seriously McDougalling on June 5, 2014.
How long have you been following the McDougall program:
Seriously for about one year and a half. I had been a ovo-lacto-pesto vegetarian since 2008 (still ate eggs, fish, olive oil, and dairy). So switching to WFPB was hard because I gave up eggs, fish, yogurt and cottage cheese, cheese, and olive oil. I had to learn to cook without olive oil and to bake without eggs. But it was worth it—so worth it! The weight just fell off. And I had to learn to like vegetables. Imagine, a vegetarian who didn't like vegetables!
What was your initial reason/goals for starting the program:
Weight loss. I was almost obese with a 28 BMI. Also my cholesterol and blood sugar, although normal, were climbing every year.
What is your success to date
Very successful. Lost 35 lbs. My BMI went from 28 to 23. No more sinus headaches. Eyesight has improved. BP, cholesterol, and blood sugar lower than normal. My weight has been stable (from 152-156 lbs.). I can’t believe I eat as much as I do and still don’t gain back the weight I lost. I have no fear of gaining back the weight I lost. I have so much energy. I don’t sleep as much, but I sleep more deeply and wake up rested. I learned about segmented sleep so I am very productive in the middle of the night, instead of stressing out and being anxious because I think I am an insomniac. I learned about depressogenic sleep from Dr. McDougall.
Describe a Typical Day of McDougalling for you:
I eat the same thing for breakfast every day: a bowl of one half rolls oats and one half 7-grain cereal cooked with blueberries, dark sweet cherries, and peaches (all frozen). Yum and so filling and satisfying! For Lunch: I make a soup like 3-bean chili, or Spicy Lentils, or 4-Bean Soups or Potatoes or Barley and Mushroom. I add a green leaf salad with tomatoes, radishes and arugula with a fat-free dressing. I use a lot of the recipes from McDougall’s Quick and Easy Cookbook. The recipe will last for 2-4 days. So I cook from 2-3 times a week. For Dinner: I may eat the same thing as lunch. For Friday night Shabbat, I make the entire menu from the 7-day plan from The Starch Solution, including dessert. I have tried them all. I eat vegetables like kale, green beans, collard greens, Brussels sprouts, lima beans, okra, romaine lettuce, arugula, spinach. For Snack: I eat fruit like apples, bananas; or WASA crackers, or a handful of nuts, or veggies like celery, carrots, and radishes. I also eat 1-2 plain baked potatoes skin and all weekdays at work (this works especially well when someone brings donuts or cookies or candy to work. After eating my baked potato, I am so satiated, I have no desire for any of those temptations).
Favorite McDougall Recipe/Dish:
That I can still indulge my sweet tooth with compliant desserts like Strawberry or Peach Oat Crisp; Chocolate Brownies; Fat-Free Fudge; Frozen Banana Cream. But for real food, my favorites are Spicy Thai Noodles and Spicy Lima Beans and Cabbage. I don’t make them very often.
Describe Your Exercise (How much, what kind, etc.):
Weekdays, I walk for half an hour before I go to work in the morning and for half an hour during my lunch hour for a total of one hour. On weekends, I hike from 5-8 miles on Saturday, and 7-8 miles on Sunday. Daily, I do a little weight lifting at home, 16 full length push-ups, and 50 sit ups on a fit ball. At bedtime, I do yoga stretches.
Other Hobbies/Interests:
I am in graduate school taking online classes, so I don’t have a lot of free time. When I do, I love reading; binging on Netflix; and travelling to see my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. I also like drawing and writing. I also love spending time with my great nephew.
Started June 5, 2014; Joined Dec. 22, 2014
Height 5' 8.5"; Starting weight 190.5; Starting BMI: 28.5
Initial Weight Loss and BMI: 150.5; 22.5 (weight loss of 40 lbs.)
Current weight: 158
Current BMI: 23.7
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Re: Meet The Members: Forum Member Profiles

Postby petero » Sat Feb 27, 2016 2:46 pm

Real Name: Peter Osuchowski
Location: Gatlinburg, TN

Where/How did you find out about the site &/or Dr Mcdougall:
I first read Fuhrman's ETL but in the related research found Dr. McDougall.

How long have you been following the McD program:
Off and on, since 2007. The current stretch with only minor cheats is (officially in my spreadsheets LOL) recorded as January 17th, 2015, on which date I weighted 248 pounds and change.

What was your initial reason/goals for starting the program:
I had gotten to the point where I had metabolic syndrome. I couldn't keep my eyes open in front of a computer after a lunch of pulled pork burritos. After a few days I felt like I had a new brain, and with the weight coming off I knew this was the path to follow.

What is your success to date:
Hundreds of pounds lost! ;) Last week I weighed 193, so ten pounds overweight if I'm 6' 0", but this is holiday weight from a "convenience breakdown" due to working and socializing so much. To get rid of this quickly I'm now doing IF until Dinner on Wednesdays and Fridays. This might have to continue since I tend to plateau around 180, or maybe 175 during times I don't drink much alcohol. I'd like to be around 170 by the time I run my marathon in May and maybe hit the trail (AT).

Describe a Typical Day of McDougalling for you:
  • Breakfast: oatmeal, steel cut oats, quinoa, or sometimes just bananas with fruit.
  • Lunch: A SNAP-type meal.
  • Dinner: Another SNAP-type meal. Or A gigantic salad with beans or sometimes other starch.
  • Supper: If I'm hungry, I eat another SNAP-type meal.
  • Snacks: Usually I don't need any, but fruit or rice cakes otherwise, esp when in the car.
- I try to stick to 1:2 starch:veggies ratio.
- Intermittent Fasting on W and F. Intermittent "Fatting" with flax, chia, and walnuts when exercising heavily.
- Bonk training on Monday long day, and no calories during any activity <= 10 miles.
- I use salt very rarely and sparingly. During a nice, compliant period there is no salt.
- I have a minor hiatal hernia and chronic gastritis and take 40mg Omeprazole daily.

Favorite Mcdougall Recipe/Dish: I'm one of the weirdos that doesn't follow recipes. I cook starch in bulk in a rice cooker or crock pot and then add canned or steamed vegetables + tomatoes or beets and have a SNAP meal. I eat from serving bowls, rarely plates because I'm addicted to vinegar, lemon juice, and tomatoes.

Describe Your Exercise (How much, what kind, etc):
Right now recovering from ITBS but had my first full week last week.

M1: 10 mile LSD walk/run
T1: OFF
W: "Leg Day": leg and hip exercises with elastic bands, balance board, etc + Upper body if I'm not lazy
R: Terrain (my euphemism for hills) Run/Walk ~1/3 of LSD. Pre-ITBS, this was repeats of a hill on the Baskins Creek Trail.
F: "Leg Day" + Upper body
S: 50% Run: 50% of LSD but must run whole distance (currently 5 miles).
N: OFF
M2: 60% of M1
T2: 40% of M1
Rest of week like week 1.

- Before ITBS, my LSD was up to 21 miles and I was running 11 continuously on 50% day.
- Next week I'll start walking with pack weight on days that I'm not running.
- Upper body is not going well because this is a lot of exercise for me time wise right now in my life situation. Upper body is only because I'm single, lol, otherwise who wants to carry 20 pounds extra on a hike or run??
- I'm trying to become a 900 Miler (hiking all the trails in Great Smoky Mtns National Park), prepare for a trail marathon on May 14th and for a 90-day fastpack of the Appalachian Trail.
- Almost all of my running and hiking is done within the boundaries of GSMNP, since I can walk to two trailheads from where I'm sitting right now.

Other Hobbies/Interests:
Backpacking ("fastpacking"), scuba diving, paddling, philosophy (ethics, metaphysics, was a major for a while but had to drop out due to SAD and major depression--I credit Singer with making me vegan), psychology (Jung/Hillman but also things like O-R Theory, Millon, Klein, etc.), computers, business, economics, radical politics: socialism, communism, Marxism and anarchism, chess, good beer and intelligent women. I have a beautiful but imperfect cat who requires special meals and is not quite as tame as your average cat.

I'm CamelMan on Whiteblaze.net. My neglected YouTube channel is here.
Last edited by petero on Sat Mar 12, 2016 8:19 am, edited 1 time in total.
It's easy to be a naive idealist. It's easy to be a cynical realist. It's quite another thing to have no illusions and still hold the inner flame. -- Marie-Louise von Franz
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petero
 
Posts: 839
Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2010 2:45 am
Location: Gatlinburg, TN

Re: Meet The Members: Forum Member Profiles

Postby arugula » Sat Feb 27, 2016 8:31 pm

Real Name: Carol

Location: Florida

Where/How did you find out about the site &/or Dr Mcdougall: Read "The McDougall Plan" in the late 80s.

How long have you been following the McD program: On and off since then.

What was your initial reason/goals for starting the program: Didn't want to die a gruesome, premature death due to invasive breast cancer, aggressive chemo, and surgery like my mother did. I also did not want to gain weight like most people do as they age.

What is your success to date: I'm still alive! My BMI is the same as it ever was, 18.5.

Describe a Typical Day of McDougalling for you: very large romaine-based salad with beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal with fruit and fortified milk alternative, green vegetables, as much fruit as I want.

Favorite Mcdougall Recipe/Dish: don't really use recipes that often but I like potato-collard soup. anything with potatoes, really.

Describe Your Exercise (How much, what kind, etc): free weights at the gym 3-4x/week, bicycle to work. People say I am lucky but luck has nothing to do with it.

Other Hobbies/Interests: classical piano, chamber music, my dogs, formerly a voracious reader of literature, now just medical journals and textbooks.
arugula
 
Posts: 595
Joined: Sat Oct 17, 2009 8:36 am

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