Dr. McDougall's Online Discussion Board

Estelle:

What does your daily menu look like now that you've lost weight. Can you give us some examples and amounts that you consume?

Thank you and Congrats

ETeSelle - Thanks so much for posting that. Very motivating!

Birdy wrote:Great story and great photos! You look about 25! Were you still taking the medication for bp while you lost 70 pounds these past few months or did you discontinue it?

Naaah. I ditched it in July after reading up on Dr. McD's opinions re: BP meds.

http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2009nl/nov/bp.pdf

As he says there (citing a study):

Dr. McD's article wrote:A
recent review by the well-respected Cochrane Collaboration concluded with: “Treating patients to lower than standard BP targets, ≤140-160/90-100 mmHg, does not reduce mortality or morbidity.”5

I was on hydrochlorothiazide for about 6 mos and it actually had NO effect on my BP. Zilch. Then she put me on Norvasc but I discontinued once I went back on the McD plan.

I'm planning to go in for tests next week. I don't expect my BP to ever be super low--it's always been on the high side. I asked Dr. McD about that a while back and he basically quoted the study above and said that if that's what my BP is, no matter what I do, that's just how it. There would be no benefit in trying to lower it via meds. I am on a VERY low sodium diet--I use no-salt added canned products when I use them, never salt my food, etc. So I think I'm doing the very best I can do no matter what it turns out that it is now.

skysee wrote:What does your daily menu look like now that you've lost weight. Can you give us some examples and amounts that you consume?

Well, as I said, I really don't plan to change ANYTHING. I'm still on MWL, with occasional regular plan or slightly off-plan feast days. I'm always vegan--that's non-negotiable. So by "off-plan feast days" I mean very occasionally not making a fuss about oil in a restaurant or at a friend's house.

Otherwise, I eat lots of potatoes and brown rice and tons of veggies. I use some fresh veggies and some frozen, esp. in the recipes I make by "throwing things in a pot" a la Jeff Novick's Fast Food DVD). I make his Longevity Soup often and eat it for days!

Breakfast is usually either hashbrowns (Yukon Golds nuked and chopped and then browned in my non-stick skillet) or oatmeal w/ fruit.

Lunch during the week is our fabulous salad bar at work--lots of veggies, some beans, and balsamic vinegar as dressing. There's a lot of variety on the salad bar so it never gets boring.

When I'm on the road for my other job (hoof trimming for horses) I take along a little cooler with leftovers that are good eaten cold, nuked Yukon Golds, and fruit.

Dinner is usually a SNAP meal (see DVD above) or something similar. I'm now working on converting some authentic Indian recipes to be McDougall friendly and have enjoyed experimenting with that. Oil is the main problem but I'm finding that the recipes are just as good w/out it.

So basically I just eat MWL. Even though I don't need to lose weight anymore, I still feel that it's the best way to eat b/c it emphasizes WHOLE foods, with no processed stuff. Not only is eating that way better for you, but it prevents me from ending up w/ stuff in my house that is a pleasure trap for me. I may occasionally eat those things (bread, tofu, etc.) but I want to eat it OUT, not IN, b/c that way it's not available for me to binge on.

I actually think that maintaining will be at least as hard as losing! So I'm trying to protect myself, as I didn't last time. I don't want to slip back into having "just a little" of X, Y or Z b/c I know I just CANNOT have "just a little." Having lost weight doesn't change that.

WOW!!! You Rock Girl! I think it's so important for people like yourself to share there achievements. You've given me the incentive I need!
Thank you
~also very happy for you!

ET, I am so happy for you! As you know, you & I were losing, racing to the bottom, all this year together, and I am sincerely proud that you have reached the goal!

But you're right--maintain, maintain, maintain! That will be our mantra. But this MWL way of eating is pretty darned tasty and easy, so let's just keep going on this, right??? Yay for you!

frozenveg wrote:ET, I am so happy for you! As you know, you & I were losing, racing to the bottom, all this year together, and I am sincerely proud that you have reached the goal!

You'll be there soon! You're doing great!

But you're right--maintain, maintain, maintain! That will be our mantra. But this MWL way of eating is pretty darned tasty and easy, so let's just keep going on this, right??? Yay for you!

Yup. Fortunately, if it's got potatoes in it, I love it, LOL. That's what I tell everyone about the McD plan: anyone who tells me I can eat all the taters I want is my BFF! So I'm really MORE than happy w/ the way I eat. Just have to make sure to keep from allowing the little cheats to get their toes in the door.

You look great! Keeping weight off is the real challenge isn't it? This was my second time around, too.

I really like your attitude ETeSelle. I always look forward to you posts. You don't take any crap from anyone. You know the program and you stick to your guns. I like that.

Kate

Darn katydid jut beat me to what I was going to say. You do realize ET that you are in good company on the board for being through this a second time. Many of the great stars - Like Katydid/Cathy and Nettie.

I also like that you make your point. As a person who eats lots and lots of whole foods, I totally agree that they are better. I have learned to make my own fast food and skip the packaged crap too.

edited: I meant to say that the difference between 154 and your 130 picture is amazing. Of course, the original to the 154 is too, but you expect that. Our next star.

Congratulations...you look awesome

ET,
You look fantastic—congrats on the weightloss! Thank you for taking the time to write about your journey and to share what you eat. I find it so helpful and inspirational.

—CW

Thanks so much for sharing a testimonial!
You look fantastic, again congratulations! It is great to read/see how the plan does work.

frabjous, j ust frabjous!!!!

can't wait to get there myself.. THANKS FOR THE ENCOURAGEMENT!!!

quick question then;

my brother ( star mcdougaller) told me my soup ( all veggies, barley and quinoa) is processed and to stay away from processed foods?

this is how I lost 20lbs in 4wks in the beginning, and then I started that chili and stopped losing weight, so recently went back to my veggie soups.. what is your opinion?
I started losing weight since I started back on my soup ( more of a stew really)

Well, if your soups are packaged soups, they're processed. They're also probably very high in sodium, etc. But homemade soup is awesome for you--soup is a great food item b/c it is high in nutrient density but low in calorie density (see Jeff Novick on this). Anyway, if you make it yourself out of non-processed ingredients, it ain't processed, LOL.

If you can find a TRULY low sodium commercially packaged soup that's minimally processed, that will be just as good. The key is to have real, whole food in it (and not blend it all up, b/c then you don't have to chew and your body gets confused).