Moderators: JeffN, f1jim, carolve, Heather McDougall
Hi, Sarabee! It is NOT too late ; you would be most welcome to join the group. If you haven't done so already, review the orientation materials, and I will look forward to your initial self-assessment report. Cheers!sarabee wrote:Hello, Mark, and MWL friends.I would like to join the March 2024 group if it's not too late. If "okay," I will post on Friday or Saturday morning. I have enjoyed reading through all the information as well as your posts from last Friday and am excited to get on board officially. Many thanks. Sarabee
Absolutely! You would be welcome in the group; I'll look forward to your participation.Artista wrote:Hi Mark, I would like to join the group for March. I had so much going on in life during February I had to step away from the group. Things are still busy but I'm in a place now where I can focus on the MWL principles again. I'm looking forward to picking up where I left off.
JeffN wrote:Sometimes, people are confused in regard to my 4th principle of calorie density. This is the one that says,
Dilution is the Solution (the 50/50 guideline) - Dilute Out High Calorie Dense Foods/Meals - Dilute the calorie density of your meals by filling 1/2 your plate (by visual volume) with intact whole grains, starchy vegetables and/or legumes and the other half with non-starchy vegetables and/or fruit.
For the record, this 50/50 guideline is the exact same recommendation as Dr McDougall makes for his Maximum Weight Loss Program. As he says, " If you are desperate, then you may push that amount to one-half of your plate (measured roughly by your eye)."
People often confuse the 50/50 guideline to mean calories. However, as stated above, the guideline clearly is in regard to visual volume.
However, for discussion sake, lets see what a 50/50 volume split relates to in regard to calories. And, while we are at it, we will also look at a 67/33 split and a 33/67 split. The 67/33 represent the regular McDougall program, where he often says, make starch around 70% or 2/3rd's of our plate. Also, in the original MWL book, Dr McDougall said for "extra-rapid weight loss" you could make your plate 2/3 green and yellow and 1/3 starch-based (though he no longer recommends this).
Here are 3 simple versions of a 50/50 meal split. Each has 4 cups of food, which is split 50/50 between 2 cups of starches (Starchy vegetables, intact whole grains and legumes) and 2 cups of fruits/non-starchy vegetables.
NOTE! I am not recommending you eat 4 cups of food, or weigh and measure your food, or use this as a suggested meal plan but am only using this amount as an example to make a point.
1) Oatmeal and Fruit
2 Cups Cooked Oatmeal 332.3
1 Cup Raw Blueberries, 84.4
1 Cup Raw Strawberries, 53.1
This meal is 470 calories with 70% of the calories coming from the "starch" and 30% coming from the fruit.
2) Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli & Kale
2 Cups Cooked Sweet Potato 360
1 Cup Cooked Broccoli, 54.6
1 Cup Cooked Kale, cooked, 36.4
This meal is 451 calories with 80% of the calories coming from the starch and 20% from the vegetables.
3) Rice, Beans and Veggies.
1 Cup Cooked Brown Rice, 216.4
1 Cup Cooked Red Kidney Beans, 224.8
1 Cup Cooked Red Peppers, 47.8
1 Cup Cooked Onions 92.4
This meal is 581 calories with 75% of the calories coming from the starch and 25% from the veggies.
Considering these three options, it might be safe to say a 50/50 split by visual volume results in about 75% of your calories coming from the starch foods with 25% coming from fruits & non-starchy vegetables.
I will post the results later for a 67/33 split also but I can tell you from past experience, it results in around 90% of the calories coming from the starch foods.
JeffN wrote:Here are the same 3 simple versions using a 67/33 meal split. Each has 4 cups of food, which is split 67/33 between 2.66 cups of starches (Starchy vegetables, intact whole grains and legumes) and 1.33 cups of fruits/non-starchy vegetables. Dr Mcdougall has often used the terms, 70% or 2/3rds, but to be exact, I used the 67/33 split. Shifting it to 70/30 would not make a huge difference.
1) Oatmeal and Fruit
2.66 Cups Cooked Oatmeal 441
.66 Cup Raw Blueberries, 56
.66 Cup Raw Strawberries, 35
This meal is 532 calories with 83% of the calories coming from the "starch" and 27% coming from the fruit.
2) Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli & Kale
2.66 Cups Cooked Sweet Potato 478
.66 Cup Cooked Broccoli, 34
.66 Cup Cooked Kale, cooked, 24
This meal is 536 calories with 89% of the calories coming from the starch and 11% from the vegetables.
3) Rice, Beans and Veggies.
1.33 Cup Cooked Brown Rice, 288
1.33 Cup Cooked Red Kidney Beans, 299
.66 Cup Cooked Red Peppers, 29
.66 Cup Cooked Onions 61
This meal is 677 calories with 87% of the calories coming from the starch and 13% from the veggies. I'm
Considering these three options, it might be safe to say a 67/23 split by visual volume results in about 85% of your calories coming from the starch foods and 15% coming from fruits & non-starchy vegetables, etc.
In regard to Dr Mcdougall's regular program, which he says is about 70/30 (I used 67/33), this 70/30 split by visual volume results in about 85% of you calories coming from the starch foods and 15% coming from fruits & non-starchy vegetables, etc.
JeffN wrote:The program works, as is, with minor modifications when necessary. No weighing, measuring or counting required. And as long as you follow the recommendations and guidelines, you can eat until you are comfortably full whenever you are hungry. And you will have consumed a nutritionally adequate health supporting diet.
The hard part is doing it.
Not just for today, but for this week, and month, and year and once you have done that, then, see if you can get 10 years in.
JeffN wrote:"Bottom line, following the recommendations here to consume a unrefined unprocessed plant based diet that is low in calorie density, high in nutrient density and high in satiety, along with the proper amount and type of physical activity may be the most important issue. Whether someone does this in 3 meals vs 5 meals vs 1 meal, may be less important than total calories and overall food choices, and a fine detail that would be up to the individual based on which method helps them incorporate the more important principles."
"Some people just can't maintain a meal plan with fewer meals and some just can't maintain a meal plan with more frequent meals. I am one of the latter, and so, I keep a more limited meal plan but would not insist on that for someone who felt more comfortable with more frequent meals as long as the overall dietary and nutritional pattern is the same."
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