Many years ago, I was almost 100 pounds overweight, eating a fairly bad omnivorous diet, and decided to simply stop taking my blood pressure medication (not under the guidance of a physician) to avoid the side-effects. Bad move.
Pushed myself a little too hard on the elliptical and ended up having a little heart scare. Ambulance to the ER, the attending doctor gave me back my medication (which had been causing painful gout in my big toe) and told me to never stop taking it. I, of course, complied.
I decided then and there, on Martin Luther King Day 2004, that I would get the weight under control.
Over the course of a year, I lost all the weight, getting down into the top end of the regular BMI ("goal"), using Weight Watchers. Problem was, I was depriving myself, and it's really hard to maintain the weight loss - with everyone else around you in a meeting losing, losing, losing; and you're just staying the same. Plus, there was the hunger.
So I gained a portion of it back...maybe 30% of the weight, after about a year, but I still maintained the "healthy eating habits" I'd learned in Weight Watchers, and still continued to pay (week after week) for a program that I was getting a little "meh" with. They tell you, of course, that you can't do it alone, and you need to stick with the program and all that, but it never made sense to me that I could continue to maintain, while still depriving myself. Plus, after two or three years (at that point), I became a vegan for personal ethical reasons.
Now, veganism is great for animals, and I was really good about not eating honey, or certain types of sugar. I searched through a few brands of bad vegan shoes until I found just the right one that actually stood up to the constant walking I like to do. I donated all of my animal-related food products to friends, and started "eating vegan." The nice thing about that was that I was able to maintain my weight, but I still had about 30%, and after almost three years of being a vegan, it wasn't just melting off.... You'd think that being kind to animals, I would have some sort of karma-related weight-loss and be all trim and fit; but it didn't work that way.
Over the past few months, I started to watch my weight slowly creep "to the other side of the scale..." just a few pounds, but that jump from one side to the other made me wonder if I wasn't on a journey back to something near my original weight. Plus, I knew there was no way I could ever get off my two blood pressure medications without a doctor's blessing, and without being physically ready for the transition. Being overweight simply wasn't where I needed to be in order to become pharmaceutical-free, and Dr. McDougall's book The Starch Solution couldn't have come out at a better time.
The nice thing about the book is that it showed me about the oils (which are in so many processed, prepared vegan foods, sometimes in huge amounts), how sugar and salt in moderation are scapegoats, and how eating a starch-based diet actually works with our human genetics to make things flow properly.
Although I've read a few McDougall books, and watched many PCRM-related videos, this was the first time recalling having read about his diet-related stroke, and his rapid road to recovery (despite the completely ignorant medical culture of that time), and becoming a medical doctor to help others.
I also appreciate reading the stories of Star McDougallers, because becoming medication-free is my number-one long-term goal, aside from healthy eating leading to sustainable weight loss. I'd also like to become a Star McDougaller some day.
I hear about people who drink sugary beverages daily, losing a bunch of weight in their first week, just cutting back (or cutting out) the soda. I lost six pounds in my first week of Weight Watchers all those years ago (100 pounds overweight), and I've heard of other folks losing even more in the first few weeks. Not typical weight losses, mind you, but when your body is loaded down, and you take control, the first month can be pretty exciting. The problem with the other programs is that they are very challenging to sustain: you get bored, and your body often gets sick for various reasons.
I remember walking with a friend of mine, who would tell me stories about folks who had weight-loss surgery and how they would lose the weight, but never quite look right: peaked skin, pallor was off, and they just weren't the same afterward, not to mention the fact that they'd get sick if they ate too much, or had certain types of food. I knew that, in my mind, weight-loss surgery was just about as radical as eating bacon six times a day to lose weight, or only eating salad greens all day (so hungry!)
I started following the Starch Solution program the day I was traveling for a week with co-workers. Traveling, for me, is usually very hard being both a vegan and, back then, a Weight Watchers person. With the Starch Solution, I could go to a steakhouse with the guys and know I could eat. I would order a dry baked potato, and a plate of steamed veggies, with a side salad. Each time I ate out, I knew what to ask for, and I never left hungry. In fact, while my co-workers would say they were hungry an hour or two later (after eating a 1/2 pound steak, really?!), I would still feel full/satisfied.
The coolest part? Even with traveling, and eating at least two oily (but 100% vegan) meals, I've lost 6 pounds as of today. That's under two weeks, and I was never hungry. Another nice thing is that it's actually cheaper shopping for McDougall's plan, because you get veggies and a big bag or two of potatoes. Instead of the potatoes growing eyes like they used to, now they actually get eaten; guilt-free.
Oh, and the reason why I decided to post today wasn't just the six-pound loss, but it was also another milestone: back on the other side of the scale again. Hooray!
I still have some weight to lose, but I can tell already that this program is sustainable, vegan-friendly (an important part of the ethical side of my life), and that I have a great support team out there!
Thanks to everyone out there who shares their stories, and I look forward to updating this post as things progress.
Oh, and I'm budgeting both time and money to hopefully take either the McDougall 10-Day Residential Program, or at least one of the weekend retreats, next year. Here's hoping!
