Just saying hi

Learn the basics and take the first steps to successfully implement the McDougall Program.

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Just saying hi

Postby Strawberry60 » Fri Mar 31, 2017 11:03 am

I am 57, female and living in the UK.
I currently have M E, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, vertigo, vestibular migraine, chronic long term depression, dissociative disorder, anxiety, panic attacks, IBS, osteo arthritis in neck, shoulders and upper back.
My story in a nutshell....
I was a relatively healthy child although I realised in my early 20s when I started taking my health into my own hands I had suffered the misery of vaginal thrush for as long as I could remember. I also had a couple of episodes of blacking out.
In my mid teens depression and migraines set in.
Then in my early 20s I contracted for the second time in my life a severe episode of measles. After that my energy levels gradually deteriorated along with my physical and mental health.
I have always been interested in food and diet. As a child I was convinced that I was fat, although looking back I see from old photographs that I was a very slender child.
At age 17 I started on the slippery slope of anorexia which lasted for some years.
Eventually I wanted to get better and start enjoying life again, I wanted to be able to go out without having to know where every single toilet was just in case I had the sudden need for the toilet. I wanted for every step not to feel like I was dragging a ball and chain, and I wanted not to feel such intense pain when people bumped into me. More than anything I wanted the strength to work a decent job and earn some decent money.
The doctor I saw put me on a high carb, low fat diet and my health slowly improved!
However I then battled with bulimia. And as I say everything changed in my early 20s once again.
As a child I detested the thought of chopping and grinding animals for food, but I had to eat what was provided. Even when mum started on a vegetarian plan we consumed barrel loads of cheese and eggs and nuts.
I never felt comfortable with fatty foods but was just told off for being fussy. I would frequently feel very nauseous.
But over the years I have tried many different types of eating plan with various levels of success.
However most of them I kept a healthy weight on, but mounds of cellulite covered the backs of my thighs and backside. Even at 100lbs (5ft 0in) I still had heavy cellulite deposits.
However there were a couple of occasions when I eliminated fat from my diet and the majority of animal foods apart from skimmed milk in tea and a small pot of natural yoghurt each day. I remember then that the cellulite disappeared. I put it down to the fact that I had swapped out my regular drinks for decaf and stopped eating sugar and bread.
Currently I mainly eat steamed fresh or frozen veg but with packaged gravy granules (with added beef fat). I drink regular tea with soya milk, and eat lots of oatmeal and instant oats but I add in coconut oil to give a creaminess. My treat food are croissants and tortillas, (large bags)!

So folks I have a few changes to make and my initial reason is to get my weight from 110lb down to about 96lbs. I have a tiny frame so this is fine for me. Also I want to get rid of that darned cellulite.
However for the past three years I have also had constant excessive saliva which is driving me mad! I have to keep swallowing and it makes my face and throat hurt. The inside of my cheeks and lips are swollen and sore. Doctors are not interested in this as I have not responded to their initial treatments, I have been left to suffer in silence. So my big hope is that this is something that will also go. It is hard to explain the misery of this condition! It is like constantly having a mouth full of slimy, egg white!
But I also hope to see a lift at the very least in my mental health as I have just had an excruciating six months of paralysing depression. And the only exercise I am comfortable doing is walking, so I would really love to be able to do more of that.

I am swapping out my soya milk for almond milk. I will no longer be having gravy on veg but rather using Vecon and soy sauce. I will simply cut out the coconut oil and just have some extra cereals.
My croissant will be swapped for a whole meal roll with fruit sugar jam. My tortillas maybe with some home popped pop corn.
Now I know this does not sound great, and it is far from ideal, but I am stepping in the right direction.
I have a very small budget to work with but will be adding in some more salad and a little fruit as time goes on. Plus a gradual weaning off of tea.

Anyway, just wanted to check in with all you good people and hopefully create a network of support.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and please say hi and offer any comments, questions or tips etc.
Will it matter in 10 minutes. 10 hours. 10 days. 10 weeks. 10 months. 10 years.
Strawberry60
 
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2017 10:14 am

Re: Just saying hi

Postby Quayette » Tue Nov 14, 2017 11:04 pm

Hi! Have you had any success? Im 110 lbs wanting to go to 100lbs....
Quayette
 
Posts: 6
Joined: Sat Oct 28, 2017 9:34 am

Re: Just saying hi

Postby Strawberry60 » Thu Jul 18, 2019 11:03 am

Hi Quayette
After 2 years away I have been looking through some old posts and realised that 1 person responded to my little story. So thank you for that.
Hope you are still active on the board.
If so please get in touch and we can swap stories or adventures or whatever.
Will it matter in 10 minutes. 10 hours. 10 days. 10 weeks. 10 months. 10 years.
Strawberry60
 
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2017 10:14 am

Re: Just saying hi

Postby Willijan » Thu Jul 18, 2019 8:52 pm

Strawberry60 wrote:Hi Quayette
After 2 years away I have been looking through some old posts and realised that 1 person responded to my little story. So thank you for that.
Hope you are still active on the board.
If so please get in touch and we can swap stories or adventures or whatever.


Hi, Strawberry, just read your original post from 2017. I am sorry you only got one response. I'm sure it was just a random accident.
How is your health now and how are you doing with your diet?

"Now I know this does not sound great, and it is far from ideal, but I am stepping in the right direction." When I read your post, I thought you were making excellent moves in the right direction.

I originally started this diet in the 1980s, in my thirties, but didn't manage to make it work. I found it again in my 60s, around 2012, and I have stayed with it. Even when life isn't going well and I am having (non-diet related) health problems, I can't imagine eating any other way.

Let us know how you are doing.
Willijan
 
Posts: 790
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2013 12:12 pm

Re: Just saying hi

Postby Strawberry60 » Sat Jul 20, 2019 3:42 am

Hi Willijan
Thank you for replying to my post.
Well here's the update. 2 years later and I have not implemented the ideas that I said I was going to.
I found myself 5lbs heavier and health in much the same place.
However I have had 2 years of toil and trouble so found it very difficult to think about doing anything new.
Although my diet was majority plant and starch the coconut oil still was a major player.
I did however swap my meaty gravy granules for veggie ones and gave up all forms of milk in my tea. Also swapped out some of my tea with a coffee replacement type drink called Instant Chicory.
So a couple of minor tweaks.
But recently I seemed to get a gear shift in my brain. I am ashamed to say that it was motivated by vanity, but if it is motivation then it's good enough for me.
Cellulite!! I have it very bad and have struggled with it since my early 20s. Looking back to the couple of times it 'miraculously' disappeared was when I went oil/ fat free.
My light bulb moment hit me with more force than it's ever hit me before.
So I started steaming all my veg with Ajwain and Cumin or finely chopped ginger, and barely noticed the lack of gravy or oil.
I used to eat instant oatmeal (with coconut oil) as my starch or potatoes. However have swapped the instant for the real stuff. I do think thought that it maybe is not my best starch. Things seem to 'work' a bit more smoothly on days when I use quinoa as a starch. However for my budget that is quite expensive so I am going to try a 50/50 mix with brown rice. I have also started using sweet potato and peas.
I am getting there and can honestly now say that I am enjoying my food oil free.
So now that I have got that nailed I feel confident that this time I will be able to stick to it.
My 2 major food downfalls have been sweet potato fries and family size packs of crisps/chips. So am going to implement the popcorn idea that I notice I had in the previous post.
Oh and as an aside...once I gave up the soya milk my migraines reduced. I experimented and tried it back in my diet and back they came. Also I have had to stay away from the potatoes because they cause gas that could be defined as toxic.
So that's it for now.
I hope to keep you informed of progress and am looking forward to telling you good things.
Will it matter in 10 minutes. 10 hours. 10 days. 10 weeks. 10 months. 10 years.
Strawberry60
 
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2017 10:14 am

Re: Just saying hi

Postby Willijan » Sat Jul 20, 2019 6:04 pm

Hi, Strawberry, so glad to hear from you!
A lot of things in your account ring true from my own experience. Sometimes I just hit a point in life when I am able to do something I couldn't do before. Also, vanity.
When I went on McDougall in the 80s I knew that it was important for my health, but I was most immediately motivated by vanity. I just wanted to lose weight so I could fit into pretty clothes and look nice. It still motivates me, even though I am 70 years old! But if I go off the diet I quickly get motivated by health. It's pretty easy to tell when something you eat makes you feel sick if you haven't eaten it for a long time.
I have also learned that having a sub for something I used to eat is essential. For instance, I have "pumpkin cake" available almost all the time. It keeps me from eating real cake, and ice cream. It's made of oatmeal, pumpkin, dates and chopped apples, with spices. No sugar.
I do hope you keep posting.
You are already experiencing health improvements, such as no migraines. What I have found out for myself is that the longer I stay on the diet, the more I learn about how to successfully do it (for myself), and the more I don't want to eat any other way. Because eating off plan makes me feel bad (sick).
Also I have found that if I go off the diet (for instance, eat ice cream), I often don't really like the ice cream super much BUT it makes it really hard to stay on the diet for a few days. The addiction comes right back, even if I don't enjoy it.
Willijan
 
Posts: 790
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2013 12:12 pm

Re: Just saying hi

Postby Strawberry60 » Sun Jul 21, 2019 4:22 am

Willijan
It was good to hear from you.
First of all I would like to say how much I admire your fantastic mental attitude towards chronological age. To still want to look pretty at 70 is just great, and I'm sure you do. I will be 60 next year and am beginning to feel old. However you have shown me that it doesn't need to change the basics of who you are. You have inspired me.
I fully agree with you that finding substitutes is key. I think this is going to be a little bit tricky whilst on maximum weight loss as the food choices are a little more limited. And in my own case so is my budget. Not that what you suggested sounded expensive. In fact it sounded super yummy and very achieveable.
I do like sweet things from time to time and ice cream is a big draw for me too. But after having watched the video Dairy Is Scary I now find dairy to be the most repulsive of all animal produce that the industry turns out.
I have on occassion eaten a tasty soya ice cream that you can get here in the UK called Swedish Glacé (as an aside where are you based if you don't mind me asking). Anyway that is absolutely delicious and most people I have given it to haven't been able to tell the difference. However on checking out the ingredients I see the top ingredient is glucose-fructose syrup. One of my pet hates. So I stay away from that now too. And it really is not in keeping with WFPB diet.
My biggest downfall is savoury snacks, crisps/chips etc. The ones sold in the health food shops here are lovely. Made from quinoa or chickpeas and authentic cheese tastes. However as with all things like this very high in oil.
I was thinking of popping my own pop corn. I wouldn't eat it on a regular basis as I suspect an intolerance, but as a once a week treat I think it should be ok. I am sure it will pop in the microwave perfectly well without fat. However after that I am a bit stuck for ideas.
I am getting a bit more creative with my vegetables and grains and food is definitely much more enjoyable to me now. My ultimate goal is to be able to provide someone else with a McDougall meal and have them enjoy it. I will have to consult Mary's recipes or devise a few of my own.
Last night I weighed out a portion of cooked brown rice into a glass bowl. On top of that I put a measure of mixed, frozen berries. I covered it and left it to stand and by this morning all the juices had seeped through the rice and it was really quite tasty. A little tangy, but it beat eating plain rice for breakfast.
I really most of all want to think of a bit of a change of pace for Sunday's. I am not working, and currently live on my own. But I still want to feel like I am having a weekend. And weekends to me mean something a bit different to the norm. My thinking is that on a Sunday I will do a normal McDougall day and give myself a bit more choice and return to MWL for the rest of the week. What do you think.
Anyway I am so glad that you contacted me. As I say, I feel inspired by your experiences and your honesty.
I am going to weigh myself tomorrow so will post results either way.
I look forward to continuing the conversation xo
Will it matter in 10 minutes. 10 hours. 10 days. 10 weeks. 10 months. 10 years.
Strawberry60
 
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2017 10:14 am

Re: Just saying hi

Postby Willijan » Sun Jul 21, 2019 9:00 pm

Strawberry,
Yeah, I thought of MWL after I wrote that post. My McDougall compliant desserts are not MWL compliant. And I have never been on MWL. But there are plenty of people on here who have, and I'm sure they'll help you.
Your idea of rice with berries sounds good. Also, since you like chips, you might be able to have homemade corn chips. I think some people make them in an air-fryer, but I make them in the microwave. Cut a corn tortilla into sixths, put it on a microwave bacon rack or other dish, and microwave just long enough to get it crisp. The timing is tricky, because it varies with how many tortillas you are cooking at once. If you cook them too long, they can burn and be inedible. The chips are good with beans and chopped greens and tomatoes.
I think you can have tortillas on MWL, but I'm not sure.
As for popcorn, my husband air pops his all the time with no added anything, and he likes it.
I certainly agree with you about dairy. But of course dairy in the form of ice cream doesn't look like dairy to me! :-D However, I almost never eat ice cream or even get off the diet anymore.
I guess my best experience is that as you eat this way your tastes will change. I went on the elimination diet for a week, and I ate rice mixed with steamed green veggies every day. I got so I hated it. A few months later, I tried that dish again, liked it, and now I eat it multiple times a week, if not every day.
Willijan
 
Posts: 790
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2013 12:12 pm

Re: Just saying hi

Postby Strawberry60 » Tue Jul 23, 2019 4:55 am

Hi Willjan
Thank you for the tip about the tortilla corn chips. It reminded me that I used to buy uncooked poppadoms years ago and cook them fat free in the microwave. They were lovely. So I am going to see if I can get hold of those again. But the tortilla idea is great. I will see if I can get those in any of the shops around me.
It's right, your body does quickly adapt to what you are eating. A tip I have found to be working is to tell myself when I am preparing my food that I am really looking forward to eating it. It will be so delicious. Then when I eat it I say this is lovely. After I finish I say I really enjoyed that. This seems to be helping me tremendously.
Also I keep visualising beautiful thighs, my own of course haha!
On that train of thought, I jumped on the scales this morning to find myself 5lbs lighter. I was very surprised and very delighted.
I look forward to continuing to experiment and find out what food combos work for me.
So far I have had to ditch permanently potatoes, oats. Wheat my body will accept on ocassion and corn will be an occasional but not an everyday part of my diet. Of course the soya as I mentioned, although a bit now and again doesn't cause any adverse reactions.
Bananas are also a no for me as I tend to always get a headache when I eat them and feel a bit nauseous and the same with avocado. Sometimes they are ok and sometimes not. I am becoming quite a detective.
And as an aside, I thought I would have a final, farewell pack of my favourite savoury snacks on Sunday and guess what? They made me feel sick and I didn't enjoy them. So I said triumphantly as I put the empty bag into the rubbish, I didn't enjoy you and am never going to eat you again, you make me feel ill. Goodbye forever.
Anyway I face my future with confidence.
I spoke to my daughter the other day about being on this way of eating. The initial questions were protein and fats. I explained about Doctor McD being able to back every statement he made with science and facts. I explained that there were so many health professionals who recommended this way of eating. And I told her that along with the heaps of scientific research there were also tons of anecdotal evidence for it. Then I was telling her how all plants have a degree of protein and many have essential fats, even brocolli. Well she seemed happier at the end and was also thinking of implementing some changes to her way of eating
Ok I've finished now!!
Thank you for listening . As always I am inspired by your comments and encouraged that this is a way of eating that you do not want to compromise. Thank you x
Will it matter in 10 minutes. 10 hours. 10 days. 10 weeks. 10 months. 10 years.
Strawberry60
 
Posts: 37
Joined: Fri Mar 31, 2017 10:14 am


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