Dr. McDougall's Online Discussion Board

Debbie wrote:This thread was inspired by a suggestion from Frozenveg. Thank you for the great idea.

A reminder of the basics from the McDougall Maximum Weight Loss Book. All of these points are discussed in more detail in the book.

Below some links with more information about calorie density and the starvation mode myth and what McDougalling really is.

Program outlined in the MWL book, page 60.
1. Eliminate All Animal Foods
2. Eliminate All Oils
3. Eliminate All High Fat Plant Foods: Nuts, Nut Butters, Seeds, Seed Butters, Avocados, Coconut, & Olives.
4. Eliminate All Flour Products
5. Eat Whole Grains and Potatoes
6. Eat Legumes
7. Make Green & Yellow Vegetables One-Half to One-Third of your meal
8. Eat Uncooked Foods
9. Restrict Fresh Fruit to No More Than Two Servings a Day, and Avoid Dried Fruit, Fruit Puree, and Fruit Juice
10. Use Simple Sugar Sparingly

Guidelines for Healthy Eating in MWL book, page 67.
1. Eat until you’re satisfied
2. Graze
3. Allow time for digestion
4. Chew foods thoroughly
5. Restrict variety

Weight-Losing Reasons To Exercise. MWL book, page 100.
1. Exercise burns calories
2. Calories continue to burn after exercise
3. Exercise counteracts plateaus
4. Exercise suppresses appetite
5. Exercise reduces insulin
6. Exercise protects and increases muscle mass

Exercise you can live with. MWL book, page 106-107

Aerobics: The best kind of exercise. Walking, running, cycling, & swimming are not only enjoyable but highly efficient ways to lose weight.

Benefits of weight training:
Build a stronger body
Build a shapelier body
Strengthen ligaments
Improve bone density
Help prevent musculoskeletal injury
Elevate metabolism
Increase stamina
Elevate blood levels of HDL cholesterol

Your New Daily Exercise Plan: MWL Book Page 109
1. Get up half an hour earlier each day, or skip a TV program to do a specific exercise.
2. Make exercise a part of each day.
3. Choose an activity that you have always enjoyed and do it at least four times per week.
4. Sometimes purchasing equipment helps to motivate…
5. Invest in a membership in a YMCA, YWCA, or health and fitness club
6. Ask a friend to become your exercise partner
7. Go dancing, a great aerobic (and romantic) exercise
8. Join a walking or hiking club.
9. Check with your local adult-education program for exercise programs.
10. Keep an exercise journal.

Establishing a healthy way of life from page 127 of the MWL book.
Step 1. Be Goal-Oriented
Step 2. Acknowledge Your Willingness to Pay the Price
Step 3. Educate Yourself, Become an Expert
Step 4. Visualize Yourself as Healthy
Step 5. Make a Commitment: It’s Magic
Step 6. Ensure That Your Environment Supports Your Goals
Step 7. Alter Your Coping Mechanisms
Step 8. Join A Support Group
Step 9. Reward Yourself
Step 10. Keep It Simple

About set-points
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2005nl/ ... ushing.htm

Calorie density
http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewt ... 322#p41322

Can You Really Eat As Much As You Want?
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=27333

Starvation mode
http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewt ... 22&t=17541

My favorite all time post about what McDougalling really is:

Its starch based not veggie based
http://drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic ... 249#p57249

Mary's Mini McDougall Diet
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2006nl/june/marys.htm
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2006nl/july/marys2.htm

Rhythm wrote:Hi! I am new to the McDougall Forum.
I am a beginning practicing vegetarian.
I studied Dr McDougall's The Starch Solution food list
on this forum. I am ready to go.

Question: I did not read about amounts of food I can eat
in one day or at one meal. Are there restrictions?

I noticed restrictions towards fruit and oils and nuts;
but if I eat the main starches and fruits and vegetables,
can I eat all I want, when I want?

juipi wrote:Hi I have a question.

I noticed that under the guidelines there is no mention to nutritional yeast. I use it to make my own salad dressing (for example 1/4 of a cup with 3/2 c of unsweetened soy milk, 2/4c white beans, lemon juice, spinach) . I thought we were not supposed to use it but then I found that they were using it on the program on this newsletter

https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2005nl ... ecipes.htm

Can anyone please let me know if its ok? I have to be honest, it makes a big difference on the flavor of the salads that I do.

Thank you!

judytoronto58 wrote:I've decided to fully commit to the MWL program. I have not really done MWL up until now, just been following the basic guidelines as best I can. Now I'm going to just do this.

This is what I'm going to do:
Exercise: 30-45 minute walk at least 5 days per week
Breakfast: oatmeal with cinnamon, one fruit, hibiscus tea
Lunch and Dinner: whole food starch (potatoes or brown rice or quinoa or millet), beans or legumes or chickpeas, vegetables (raw and/or cooked) - the starch and beans would be ~50% of my plate, and the vegetables would be the other 50%
If hungry between meals, make up a small portion of what I've had for lunch or dinner.
Evening snack: One fruit and herbal tea

I'm making up a checklist sheet, and will do a daily check of everything I've listed. I'll include a column for comments. I'm hoping it will also be a great learning tool. On days I am less successful, it would be helpful to see what was going on for me either that day or in the days before that day.

I want to lose at least 120 lbs. At this point I've lost 50 lbs, but a few months ago I was at a 65 lb weight loss - the weight has been accumulating and I am mortified, to say the least. I was falling off the wagon, having take out food that was swimming in oil, eating slices of buttered toast at night, eating sandwiches, etc. I've remained 100% plant-based, but as Dr. McDougall has described, I have been living as a fat vegan. It's shameful. I recognize that oil is a gateway drug for me. Once I have it I am hearing the call of foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugar.

It's time to accept that I have to commit to this. Enough is enough.