Frustrated...Not losing weight. Thinking about giving up.

[Jebbydoo917]

Hi everyone,

I am following the maximum weight loss protocol. I have not lost a pound in a month. I am constantly hungry. Any suggestions before I throw in the towel. I really wanted this to be a forever lifestyle change.

Erika

[Mark Cooper]

Hi Erika, very sorry to hear that you are struggling. I would suggest posting the specifics details of what you are eating each day, which will make it easier for forum members to offer specific ideas, suggestions and support. You can see many examples in the journals section of the forum. https://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=52

[Ltldogg]

Hi everyone,

I am following the maximum weight loss protocol. I have not lost a pound in a month. I am constantly hungry. Any suggestions before I throw in the towel. I really wanted this to be a forever lifestyle change.

Erika

Hi Erika,

I agree with Mark's post. I have a few questions for you as well:

Are you eating when you are hungry and until you are full?
Is at least 50% of your plate filled with starches like Beans, rice, potatoes, oats, barley, etc?
How much are you exercising?
Are you eating any nuts or oil?

I'm sure that we can help you if you provide us the answers and more details of your day to day eating and exercise habits.

Cheers,
Scott

[Jebbydoo917]

Food wise 100% compliant...

No oils
Half or more than half of my food from starch
Cooking all my own foods with Dr. M's recipes
Lots of boiled or baked potatoes.

If I can think of anything I am not doing right, it would be...

Not enough consistent exercise
Not enough consistent water intake
Maybe, too much salt added after cooking to my meals (but that extra salt is allowing me to stay faithful on the diet)

Thoughts,

Erika

[Michele613]

Hi Erika,

Frustration is a common denominator for most dieters or health-seekers. McDougall probably isn't your first time at dieting, well it isn't for most of us. Loss of weight does not happen in a flash though believe me I wish it would happen with less effort and more quickly. If you truly want to be HEALTHY and not just weigh less STICK TO THE PLAN. Doing the right thing is doing right, regardless of the results (though clearly results are what we look for). Give yourself more time and feel good about eating better.

Are there meds or health issues that are playing a role in your attempts or a history that contributes to this experience?

Drinking more water does help but if you are taking in too much salt you might actually retain more of it. Be totally honest and as hs been suggested, journal your EXACT foods, perhaps adding the time of day and your emotions surrounding your meals (whether you are feeling satisfied, hungry, upset, etc etc).

There are MANY supporters here for you and Mark and Ltldogg are long experienced in this way of eating and can be of further help if there is more background info to share.

Hang in there....don't try yet another program....just DO this and KNOW that if any program will bring results...in the end (whenever that is) it is McDougall.

Best of luck...if you proceed with the KNOWLEDGE (the deepest kind of knowing) that this plan works...you won't be frustrated or disappointed...you'll just continue with consistency and perseverance.

[Jebbydoo917]

Thanks Michelle

Upping the water, lowering my salt, and working on getting more exercise. Let's hope I see some losses soon.

Erika

[vegman]

Hi Erika,

I've found that adjusting the calorie density of my diet downward is very helpful: starting meals with a salad and/or soup, eating fruit raw instead of cooked.

[Ejeff]

Good idea to decrease the salt, I have done that recently also. You should not be constantly hungry. If you are then add more veggies to your meal, or eat more at meal time. You should not feel deprived. If you are patient you will see results very soon.

[Ltldogg]

Erika,

When I asked in my initial post "How much are you exercising?" it was not to suggest that you need to exercise more. While exercising is important to good health, it doesn't take much and it is NOT the key to weight loss. The key is the FOOD. The devil is in the details. We need exact details of what you are eating everyday and how much. I'll take a stab and say right now you are probably calorie restricting (because you mentioned you are always hungry) and thus not eating enough.

I'm also going to guess that you are tracking calories. While occasionally tracking calories can be a good guidance and reminder of how calorie dense foods are, if you obsess over calories your progress will be hindered. In fact, it is not recommended to track calories but instead eat when hungry, until full and of the approved foods.

Please share with us what you eat 3 days straight to include estimated portion sizes. From that, we can help further.

Cheers,
Scott

[vegman]

I agree with Scott that people can offer maximum assistance if you communicate in detail exactly what you are eating.

Otherwise, it's largely a shot in the dark.

What is working for me -- decreasing calorie density with bulky, filling, low-calorie foods like salads, may be just what you need, or it may be counterproductive.

[PJK]

Erika: Can you give us your current height and weight and maybe BMI?

I ask because perhaps you are already in the normal weight range.

If that's the case, then this diet should help improve your overall health, even though you might not lose weight.

Let us know?

[deweyswakms]

Oh, I hope you don't quit. I am back to do the MWLP because I want to lose at least 10 more #s. I just reread the basics on doing the program, and realize that I need to be sure I have a starch with every meal! I haven't been faithful with this. Plus I love steamed spinach and broccoli, so I have a small portion of those, especially with my morning meal. Oats give me a problem I think, so I may have oatmeal with berries, flax seed, hemp hearts at night.
"You need to find one starch-based dish that you enjoy for each meal (this can be the same starch for every meal – like potatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner)."

Good luck.

[Ltldogg]

Unfortunately, this person has not signed in since July 11, which is almost exactly one day after signing up. I have no doubt they will be back in the future because most likely they will not find success anywhere else unless they find another plant based program similar to The McDougall Program. I wish her a safe return trip and then healthy journey to happiness and long life!