Unexpected upsides to McDougalling.

[Mrs Missakian]

So I knew that I could expect weight loss, increased energy and all around good feeling. However there are some things that have been occurring that I hadn't been expecting and I'm pleasantly surprised.

Washing dishes is faster, easier, and I use less detergent since I don't have to contend with oily residue on my dishes.

I no longer use harsh cleansers when wiping down my hood above my stove, I can anly assume that is due to the fact that there is no oil in my foods to become airborne and accumulate there.

The third and best for me is all the extra attention. I'm very open about the changes I've been making and I discuss them at length with my friends, family and co-workers. I am fortunate that everyone is very supportive and it adds that degree of accountablity that I thrive on. About a week ago I backslid and had four Gils Scout Thin Mint cookies. When I confessed the next day, one of my coworkers told me that he felt let down because I was his shining example of consciously and actively working towards better health (which he has been trying to do himself). That helped me to get back on the horse. So, in short, I seem to be the center of attention and, as I'm VERY self centered and self serving, I'm loving it.

Does anybody else have any unexpected and welcome surprised to share?

[hope101]

I no longer have to treat a significant amount of my grocery purchase like it is toxic waste, so I save time by not having a separate cutting board, save plastic wrap by not obsessing about keeping juices from dripping.

We spend the same on food but I now buy mostly organic.

I have been forced to become more experimental in cooking and my family with me. That has made us realize how an ordinary potato, which before I would have almost treated with contempt, can be something so extraordinarily delicious. My formerly fussy son and somewhat fussy husband have discovered they like a lot of foods they would have rejected before and so, we actually have more choices of what to eat than less.

I am acquainted with my pressure cooker.

I have more non-perishable food in the house so that if there ever were a true disaster we would be more prepared.

I have met more people of like mind here and in the local vegetarian society I joined. I needed a bigger social net but was especially seeking more people with concern for the earth and health as part of everyday life.

I think my sister and the three other people in her family are going vegan because of what they have seen here and I too love the reinforcement for this lifestyle, providing her with recipes. I can't wait to see my two dear nephews who have been obese for life slimming down.

I made the switch to this lifestyle for health, but I have to say how much mentally lighter I feel for not eating animals anymore. The effort to live with what was deeply wrong to me that I wasn't acknowledging was exhausting. I don't like living without integrity and I didn't realize I really was the old way.

I like this exercise--kind of inspires gratitude.

[Faith in DC]

I can second the dishes part. The smell of burning flesh, amazing that I use to think it was good. But the fat that comes out of meats, yuck.

I've became so much more appreciative of other's cultures. Two weeks ago I had a business trip in Ottawa. They were having record low temps for this time of year. It was so cold (-42c) that I couldn't get far on my quest for dinner. But across the street, and two doors down (so near) was a middle eastern place. They had great rice, grilled veggies, tabouli, which I love, hummus, falalfal, and it was way below perdiem. Sure maybe not 100% mcdougall but darn close and I wouldn't have known about it back in my meat days. The stuff was so filling, that I even ate it for breakfast (the leftovers), and didn't have to fear I was being food poisioned.

[hope101]

Forgot to add one of my favorites: the ability to eat the batter of whatever I am baking!

[Mrs Missakian]

I thought it was just my imagination, but a total stranger commented on it and I have never had anyone comment on it before. I thought my wedding rings were shining more brilliantly. I have little diamonds (as this is my first set and don't expect to upgrade for a while). I clean them myself periodically but I can only guess that the shininess is because I don't get all kinds of grease and stuff on them to dull them. Now THAT was unexpected.

[chrisv]

I didn't start this to lose weight, so losing weight and dropping to a setpoint I hadn't seen on the scale in many years was a big plus. Even though I started for health, if I think of going off McDougall, the first thing I think is, I wouldn't want to gain the weight back!

Even though my family is not on McDougall, I am seeing them eat better than I would have ever expected. I guess their taste and expectations of what is normal to eat, are changing with the way I cook.

I enjoy the taste of vegtables now and find food I would have liked once to be much too greasy and salty.