Maximum Weight Loss Guidelines

For those wanting to learn about and follow the McDougall Maximum Weight Loss Program. You can also join our monthly weigh-ins.

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Re: Maximum Weight Loss Guidelines

Postby Lean Jean » Sun Jan 04, 2015 7:37 pm

Thank you so much frozenveg! I started a new topic thanks to your help and posted a number of questions there. I put a bit more of my history and current situation there also. I hope this will get me on the right path.

By the way, I picked my user name because it is the vision of what I want to be (not there now).

Thanks again!
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Re: Maximum Weight Loss Guidelines

Postby clandestironman » Tue Jan 06, 2015 9:01 am

Hi,
Any links to articles / posts on batch cooking, freezing etc?
Me and my wife are pretty darn lazy, but the idea of a weekly cooking day whereby we can sort out say 60 per cent of the main bits of dinners and snacks really appeals. Practical points such as: can you freeze rice and potatoes, if so, how (i.e. in bags, tubs, etc?)
What periodicity should we cook up the MWL type stuff (soups, starches, sauces)?
Porridge is literally 5 mins work. A raw food salad is 10 mins, so we're happy to commit to that per day, but the rest with a busy job and 2 kids can get oddly difficult to do. Thanks in advance!
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Re: Maximum Weight Loss Guidelines

Postby frozenveg » Tue Jan 06, 2015 9:30 am

Quick answer--I have to get to work--I will try to look up posts on batch cooking--many of us do it all the time! Frankly, most of the recipes in the Free Program are quite freezable and make big batches, or can be doubled. I often make all my meals on the weekend.

In brief, rice freezes and reheats very well--a minute or 2 in the microwave to reheat, or just dump it in a pan with whatever hot soup or stew you have. Potatoes, on the other hand, do not freeze well. They tend to get mealy and/or fall apart. Cooked potatoes do last in the fridge for a week or so, though, so I make ahead about 4 - 5 pounds and we (my husband & I) eat them in 2 or 3 days most weeks.

I'll get back to you with more references if I can find them! Perhaps others will chime in!
5'3", 74 YO. Started Jan. 11, 2010
Starting weight: 222.6
Current weight: 148.2.0


Success Story:
https://www.drmcdougall.com/articles/st ... -rockwell/
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Re: Maximum Weight Loss Guidelines

Postby clandestironman » Wed Jan 07, 2015 3:33 pm

Many thanks. I like the idea of cooking all meals at the weekend. Ppppp, as the old military maxim has it: perfect planning prevents poor performance. :-D
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Re: Maximum Weight Loss Guidelines

Postby ProudMama » Fri Jan 09, 2015 12:17 pm

I had a great week, nutritionally speaking, because I cooked on Sunday (i was having fun with my new Christmas present, the Instant Pot pressure cooker). What a life saver it is to have premade food ready to go. The reason I go off plan is convenience and availability. It's hugely important that I make eating healthy foods just as easy and convenient as the other.

thanks for posting the question, and thanks to those who responded. We all benefit!!
All the best,
Susan



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Re: Maximum Weight Loss Guidelines

Postby CMD » Sat Jan 10, 2015 7:06 pm

ProudMama,
You are going to love the Instant Pot and what it can do for you. I go it a year ago, have used it almost daily and I'm still in love it with it. It has simplified EVERYTHING. I no longer have to wonder if my beans or rice will turn out as desired. In the past, they never did; now they always do. I can cook a pot of soup in 10 minutes without the house smelling for hours (one of my favorite features!).
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Re: Maximum Weight Loss Guidelines

Postby DWu » Wed Jan 14, 2015 11:51 am

Hey clandestironman,

I think you may find this helpful.

I created a guide that includes tips on easy batch cooking with a rice cooker and steamer attachment. With it, all you need to do is put all the ingredients in, press the button, and your food will be done in about an hour.

You can download it by clicking on the globe icon under my username.

Good luck!
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Re: Maximum Weight Loss Guidelines

Postby Karen J » Sun May 03, 2015 4:57 pm

Hi. I've been wanting to do this program for a long time now. My intention is to follow the guild lines but have a question about including my Nutribullet into the program somehow. Also, I've just started with the Nutribullet and have noticed that I have a lack of energy. I have one blast for breakfast. Any reason for that? Thanks for any help
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Re: Maximum Weight Loss Guidelines

Postby frozenveg » Sun May 03, 2015 6:13 pm

Karen J wrote:Hi. I've been wanting to do this program for a long time now. My intention is to follow the guild lines but have a question about including my Nutribullet into the program somehow. Also, I've just started with the Nutribullet and have noticed that I have a lack of energy. I have one blast for breakfast. Any reason for that? Thanks for any help

Hi Karen! Welcome to the program! From what I can tell, the Nutribullet is some sort of blender, like a Vitamix or something? It may come in handy on occasion, but actually, this program is about eating good, whole vegetables and starches, and blending our food is not recommended. The blades disrupt the fiber, and blended foods are proven to be not as satisfying to hunger. I'm sure you'll still be able to use the appliance for the occasional soup or smoothie, but not all the time.
I don't know why you are experiencing a lack of energy, but remember--this is a STARCH-BASED program. (For instance, are there starches in the "blast" you make in the morning?) That means that your basis for each meal--the mainstay of keeping satisfied--are good, whole starches. Potatoes, rolled or steel-cut oats, brown rice, quinoa, barley--those should be the basis of your meals. If you have no energy, and what you had for breakfast is just whizzed veggies, then no wonder! Have enough good starches to keep you going till lunch!

Keep us posted, and remember your starches!!
5'3", 74 YO. Started Jan. 11, 2010
Starting weight: 222.6
Current weight: 148.2.0


Success Story:
https://www.drmcdougall.com/articles/st ... -rockwell/
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Re: Maximum Weight Loss Guidelines

Postby Karen J » Wed May 06, 2015 10:43 pm

Hi. Thanks for the answer. I have changed it to lunch instead because I was missing my porridge. I'm doing the Nutribullet because a friend of my here in NZ has been doing the Dr McDougall program as well as the nutribullet and it's been working great for her. My only problem is that I can't get corn tortillas or the ingredients to make them either without great difficulty or expense. Any ideas on that perhaps? My lunch is the only meal I struggle with. Thanks
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Re: Maximum Weight Loss Guidelines

Postby frozenveg » Fri May 08, 2015 8:02 am

Karen J wrote:Hi. Thanks for the answer. I have changed it to lunch instead because I was missing my porridge. I'm doing the Nutribullet because a friend of my here in NZ has been doing the Dr McDougall program as well as the nutribullet and it's been working great for her. My only problem is that I can't get corn tortillas or the ingredients to make them either without great difficulty or expense. Any ideas on that perhaps? My lunch is the only meal I struggle with. Thanks

If you can't find corn tortillas, there is no need to use them. What do you want to use them for? You probably want to build your food plan around the whole starches and veggies that are easily available to you where you live, rather than counting on finding products that just aren't there. What kinds of whole starches are available in NZ?
5'3", 74 YO. Started Jan. 11, 2010
Starting weight: 222.6
Current weight: 148.2.0


Success Story:
https://www.drmcdougall.com/articles/st ... -rockwell/
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struggle to lose weight without restricting calories

Postby siobhanbmeehan » Wed May 13, 2015 1:18 pm

I hope I am posting this correctly! My name is Siobhan Meehan and I am 19 from Ireland last summer eating many raw till four style (I did eat fish a couple times at night and a tiny bit of dairy) I lost a lot of weight in two weeks my guess is I lost 4 kg going from 53kg to 49kg, I am five foot three. I was delighted with myself but if I am honest I was restricting what i ate when I came home I fully began the raw till four lifestyle trying to eat as much fruit as I could and eating MASSIVE dinners to the point I was extremely bloated and over stuffed everything was grand I had great digestion and lots of energy most of the time however only stepping on the scales recently after switching over to the starch solution I have gained anywhere from 6-10 kg in 9 months!! I don't feel that I have a lot of weight on me but I can definitely notice some especially on my legs and a lot of my clothes either don't fit or are very tight I was very very happy at 49kg but even 53kg I would be happy with now or even just a bit of loss! I am following the starch solution guidelines for about a month

A typical day for me would be
One huge orange
125 grams of oats with water

Lunch a salad and 300-600g of potatos

Dinner lots of veg mainly green and again potatos 300g-600g

I have a snack of an apple too
Although the scales says different I feel I am slimming down slightly but I would like to loose weight quicker but In a healthy way not like my holidays! I excercise atleast three times a week usually four (twice an hour of intense dancing+trx+spin and weights) so far I am loving the starch solution but does anyone have any tips for me in regards to that? Thank you so much If you read through all that!
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Re: Maximum Weight Loss Guidelines

Postby juipi » Tue Nov 10, 2015 12:54 am

Hi I have a question. Im starting the MWLP and I have been a vegan for over a year so the animal products out of the diet are not a problem. But for example I don't like oatmeals and of course we can't eat bread so I tried having one banana with 4 strawberries and granola, is that ok? can we eat granola? is chia ok? What other breakfast options are ok (specially now that the weather is cold).

(I bought granola from rainbow the ingredients are whole grain rolled oats, mixed fruit juice concentrate (pineapple, pear, peach) evaporated cane juice crystals, natural vainilla flavors)

Thank you so much!
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Re: Maximum Weight Loss Guidelines

Postby frozenveg » Fri Nov 13, 2015 8:57 am

That granola sounds OK, but one of the guidelines for MWL is to use simple sugar sparingly. It has both evaporated juices and cane sugar, so it seems that's not too sparing. And your meal as you outline it also uses up most of your fruit for the day (4 strawberries might not be a serving!).

You might want to read Jeff Novick's ideas on calorie density. You say you don't like oatmeal but you are eating granola which is made of oats. The big MWL advantage of cooked cereals is that they have had their calories diluted by the water they are cooked with, so they are much more filling and satisfying. A big part of MWL that often goes unsaid is that we don't eat as many dried-out foods as are in the standard Western diet. Grapes instead of raisins. Whole cooked potatoes, rather than dried potato chips. Whole cooked rice instead of rice flour crackers. We can cook up wheat berries and eat them like rice, but avoid bread that has taken those berries, ground them, and baked the heck out of them. All that natural moisture in the food helps fill our stomach and gives us a much better sense of satisfaction than dried crunchy things.

That said, OK, you don't like oatmeal. But you want something warm. You can try other whole-grain cereals to cook, like rye flakes, triticale, or rolled barley. Or you can make up a big batch of brown rice at the beginning of the week, and have brown rice reheated with cinnamon and cut-up apple. For that matter, you don't have to eat traditional breakfast foods. If you want to have 3-4 little potatoes and a cup of green beans, go ahead. If you want to have some leftover 3-bean chili you made the night before, do it.

So good luck experimenting and find what you like! Let us know!
5'3", 74 YO. Started Jan. 11, 2010
Starting weight: 222.6
Current weight: 148.2.0


Success Story:
https://www.drmcdougall.com/articles/st ... -rockwell/
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Re: Maximum Weight Loss Guidelines

Postby ceekaye » Wed Dec 16, 2015 9:32 am

Hi. I wanted to share my experience with MWL and the the idea of consuming a limited amount nuts and seeds and fruit as part of a weight loss regimen.

In early November I was losing weight at a rate of about 1-2 pounds per week. Near the end of November, I read about how a modest amount of nuts n seeds could be very helpful fat loss; i also read that fruits such as berries and citrus were low enough in sugar that they were ok to include. I found an amazing amount controversy on the subject - half advised against the idea and the other half supported the idea. Rather than take sides on the issue i decided i would find out on my own.

And so, after a week of adding a modest 1/2 -1 ounce of nuts /seeds to my salads and dressings and having up to 2 servings of berries /citrus, my weight loss has completely ceased [and the scale is reporting that i have gained 1 pound].

Salt? not likely. Overeating? My calorie intake has remained below my RMR, so no. How about simple sugar and fat?
What are the odds; I wonder... :nod:

My theory: I think this past week has proven to me that fruits and nuts and seeds are NOT helping me with fat loss. Even in modest amounts, and despite my calorie deficit, the addition of fruits and nuts/seeds is obviously counter-productive to me at this time.

Therefore, I will get back to where i was prior to this self-initiated fruit, nut and seed experiment.

I may keep the seeds to under 1 tbsp per day, since i was eating them prior to introducing the nuts and fruit; however, if that doesn't do the trick then wave buh-bye to the seeds - I still have another 28 pounds of fat to shed! I'd advise anyone having difficulty with fat loss to do the same - Make your diet beans, greens and veggies - raw and cooked. Do it until you reach your goal weight. Just like Dr. McDougall says, nuts seeds and fruit are wonderful sources of nutrition for people who are already healthy, lean and trim.

I will end on a positive note: I will consider this past week of experimenting with fruits nuts & seeds an early preview of how i should be eating once i've reached my goal weight.
Christina~

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