July 2019 McDougall Weigh In Thread

[laurag]

also thanku for wendys suggestion

[sirdle]

Does Shredded Wheat work with this program? There’s no sugar, oil, or salt in the ingredients. Just wheat.

I can't find the reference (perhaps Amy or Lyndzie will chime in ?), but I believe they are fine on the regular McDougall diet, but restricted on the MWL plan.

The ingredients are fine, as you noted, but the calorie density is very high due to the lack of moisture. (The same could be said of rice cakes.) Pasta is allowed because it is re-hydrated during cooking, and the result is a calorie density around 500-600 calories per pound.

I could be wrong about all of this.

Best to wait for the experts to drop by.

Cheers,

[Lyndzie]

Does Shredded Wheat work with this program? There’s no sugar, oil, or salt in the ingredients. Just wheat.

I can't find the reference (perhaps Amy or Lyndzie will chime in ?), but I believe they are fine on the regular McDougall diet, but restricted on the MWL plan.

The ingredients are fine, as you noted, but the calorie density is very high due to the lack of moisture. (The same could be said of rice cakes.) Pasta is allowed because it is re-hydrated during cooking, and the result is a calorie density around 500-600 calories per pound.

I could be wrong about all of this.

Best to wait for the experts to drop by.

Cheers,

Correct. Shredded wheat is made from flour, so it is not part of the MWL program. It has a calorie density of 1600 cal/lb.

[amandamechele]

Amy - The guidelines for the program should be considered just that, guidelines, instead of hard and fast rules. Sirdle is correct with regards to the sprit of the law here. We are attempting to lower the calorie density of the food in order to feel satiated through more volume using less calories. Wet starches will be more filling than dried or puffed starches. However, if you were to look in the McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss book, circa 1994, you would see that things like rice cakes are on the shopping list, as are puffed cereals (pg 175). Shredded wheat is mentioned, specifically, in the book when discussing eating out and is described as a next best choice (pg 159) for the exact reason that Lindsey has said; it is very high in calorie density. Both Sirdle and Lindsey are also correct that it is a perfectly healthy and acceptable choice when following the regular McDougall program. Amy, this will be something you will have to decide for yourself. How quickly would you like to lose weight? Are you able to find another breakfast option that you are equally satisfied with? If you already own it, I suggest it is fine to finish off the box, no use wasting money. However, you may consider any number of hot cereals as an alternative.

Laura - It is hard when the person you love doesn’t wish to make the change too. Sharing a meal is a quintessential human experience and you may be feeling that loss right now. It is your time to focus on you. Get well, get fit and make enough to share. You never know when he may just take a spoonful or two and actually like it.

Sirdle - Thank you.

Lindsey - Thank you to you too!

[Aprincess]

amandamechele, Lyndzie, and sirdle,

Thank you all so much. It’s much clearer now. I did have a bowl the other day because I had forgotten to make overnight oats and I was pressed for time. They are always in the house because my husband eats them. But, they are not a draw for me other than occasionally for convenience. I’ll definitely be careful with that. I love the way this group does NOT make you feel you have broken a cardinal rule.. lol I will look up those page references. Thanks again, everyone!

[AnnetteW]

@Aprincess, that sounds like the perfect time to be eating them.

I was going to comment that eating something occasionally, that is basically considered compliant, isn't the issue. Which is something we all inherently know, I believe.

I'm at the point where I've increased my starches, a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast daily vs. the green smoothie I had for the past few months. As of today, I decided it's time to switch up the carbs, and I cooked up a bowl of barley. Honestly it didn't taste any different or have any different texture than the oats.

Dinners will also start incorporating different starches...more of different ones I guess. And it's time to start experimenting.

I just cooked up a nice batch of polenta for dinner, and kept tasting it as I made it, dang it was yummy. I'm making the Polenta and Mushrooms dish out of the Quick and Easy cookbook.

My weight seems to be going back down, so my gut must be back to normal.

[Aprincess]

AnnetteW, I have never tried polenta. I have no idea about it. I’ll have to look up that recipe. Thanks!

[vegman]

I'm unclear as to whether polenta or other preparations of grain flour and water are MWL complaint.

Dr. McDougall's original MWL guidelines eliminated flour products, but later pasta was deemed compliant.

According to Cronometer, the calorie density of polenta is about half that of cooked brown rice or cooked pasta.

The operative issue seems to be whether, as Dr. McDougall originally said, the small particle size makes for more complete digestion, hence higher calorie absorption, or whether this effect is not significant for flour-water preparations of low calorie density.

Does anyone have any insight?

[JeffN]

I'm unclear as to whether polenta or other preparations of grain flour and water are MWL complaint.

Dr. McDougall's original MWL guidelines eliminated flour products, but later pasta was deemed compliant.

According to Cronometer, the calorie density of polenta is about half that of cooked brown rice or cooked pasta.

The operative issue seems to be whether, as Dr. McDougall originally said, the small particle size makes for more complete digestion, hence higher calorie absorption, or whether this effect is not significant for flour-water preparations of low calorie density.

Does anyone have any insight?

These comments apply to Polenta too

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=58681&p=591201&#p591201

In Health
Jeff

[vegman]

I'm unclear as to whether polenta or other preparations of grain flour and water are MWL complaint.

Dr. McDougall's original MWL guidelines eliminated flour products, but later pasta was deemed compliant.

According to Cronometer, the calorie density of polenta is about half that of cooked brown rice or cooked pasta.

The operative issue seems to be whether, as Dr. McDougall originally said, the small particle size makes for more complete digestion, hence higher calorie absorption, or whether this effect is not significant for flour-water preparations of low calorie density.

Does anyone have any insight?

These comments apply to Polenta too

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=58681&p=591201&#p591201

In Health
Jeff

Thanks.

[Aprincess]

These comments apply to Polenta too

viewtopic.php?f=11&t=58681&p=591201&#p591201

In Health
Jeff

Thanks.[/quote]


Thank you so much! GREAT info!!!

[Michele613]

Happy Friday everyone,

Down .6 - will aim higher next week

Looking towards seeing your best efforts posted. Cheers to health!!

[vegman]

Last Friday: 164.5 (BMI 24.5)
Today: 164.0 (BMI 24.4)
Change: -0.5 pounds
Goal: < 148 (<BMI 22)

Want to regularly do enough walking to get that satisfied feeling, which I got when I walked 14,000 steps one day recently. Average has been around 8,000.

[AnnetteW]

Starting weight (7/5/19): 158.5
Week 1 (7/12/19): 151.4 (loss of 7.1)
Week 2 (/19/19): 153.4 (gain of 2.0)

[sirdle]

Weight is still roller-coasting downward.

This week: 1.8 lb loss.

Last week was a small loss; I expect next week will be a small loss, too.

Cheers,