by parksjul » Fri Feb 13, 2015 4:26 pm
One of the many reasons I am such a fan of Dr McDougall is because he communicates so well the simplicity of a starch-based diet. He warns against overcomplicating things, i.e. pick those favorite 3-9 meals you can then make over and over; don't obsess about a little sugar or salt to make starch-based eating more palatable; in other words, keep-it-simple. His approach has helped me to lose 75 lbs. with little effort. I’m a 5'6" female, just turned 60, and started at 249 lbs. I love that a life-long struggle has turned into loving what I eat, and knowing I can eat this way for the rest of my life, easily. I have no set number, but assume I have about 30-40 lbs to go to be at an optimally healthy weight. But HERE is where I struggle. I I lost 60 of those lbs., effortlessly, in the first year, 4 yrs ago. For much of the last 3yrs, I’ve lost and gained the same 10 lbs, usually gaining it around the winter holidays, when the dark days, and sugary sweets abound. I really am a sugar addict. My grandparents ran a pie shop, for gosh sakes. Growing up, we ate healthier than most of our neighbors, but dessert has always been a part of our days. That sweet snack at the end of the day was and is a ritual I look forward to, and don’t really want to end (and no, a piece of fruit just does not replace the flour/sugar combo I want and crave). I have heard Dr. McDougall and others (Dr. Goldhamer for one) talk about eliminating flour and sugar for MWL, and especially if you know you are one of those people for whom sugar is very addicting. Like any addict, I’ve wanted to find some way around that (understatement of the year!) I have drastically reduced my consumption of these two things, mostly by having my own rule that the majority of my meals for the week be bread/pasta free (at most 2-3 meals will include bread or pasta) , and that my evening snack, if flour/sugar based, be limited to around 150 calories. In the last few months, I’ve lost an additional 15 lbs. That’s great, but my goal is not to lose weight fast, but to let the weight take care of itself by learning what it takes to continue in good health and in a way I can happily eat for the rest of my life. I just listened to the 3 video series that Susan Peirce Thompson posted about what she calls Bright-Line-Eating. Great free information, which I appreciated very much, and didn’t see in conflict with the MWL plan (she also has a paid program for those who struggle with addiction and want continuing help. I see nothing wrong with charging a fee for expert knowledge and services). I don’t want to boil down her program to soundbites, and don’t know enough about it to do that anyway, but a few of the major things I took away from it are that 1) for those susceptible to food addiction, flour and sugar just have to go (two of the “bright-lines” you just don’t cross), and 2) creating the daily rituals that support eating the way we intend. Most of us are already doing a lot of this, which essentially is having a clear line about what is food for us, and what is not, and taking the time to plan and prepare our environment for success. I’m not writing to ask about her program specifically, but more to ask about what you think about the need to eliminate flour/sugar altogether for those of us who know we are addicts. I’ve eliminated the animal products, added oils, and refined foods. But I have continued using raw sugar, whole-wheat flours, and maple syrup either on the surface of whole foods, or in desserts. I’m aware of the plant-based cooks who eliminate the more refined sugars in desserts with dates, etc., but really, please explain to me how refining fruits and grains in our own blenders at home is so much better than buying the minimally processed sugars and flours from the store. So all this background to ask, 1) do those with a sugar/flour addiction need to eliminate these altogether, or can we have rules we set for ourselves that allow us to enjoy on occasion, and 2) how are ww flours, dates, etc. used by the chefs (Bravo, AJ, Fisher, to name a few) better than the convenience of store-bought sugars? Thanks! - Julie