Do I really eat THAT much?

[feliciaslattery]

Hello!
About a month or so ago my naturopathic doctor suggested I begin eating a plant-based diet to help cure my gut issues I've experienced for more than a decade, which include excess bloating after eating almost any meal, enough to where people ask me if I'm pregnant. Eating gluten free for a few years helped a bit. Eating low carb for a couple years helped a lot and I had a flat stomach for the first time since I can recall. However as we know, that is not sustainable or healthy - and for the first time in my life my cholesterol went (predictably) through the roof. My goal is health and shedding an excess of about 20 pounds.

I happily embraced the plant-based diet, watched Forks Over Knives, Plant Pure Nation, and What the Health, and that led to watching dozens of other videos for education. I've lost about 5 pounds in 6 weeks, and now I feel like I'm gaining weight - my clothes re all too tight and I still have the gut issues. I KNOW food can heal me. So... last night I found a video "How to Lose Weight without Losing Your Mind" with Dr. Doug Lisle who mentioned Dr. McDougall and here I am! I love his approach and the only big difference I see in what I have been doing and what he suggests is eliminating oil and higher fat foods (I've been eating a lot of nut-based items and using olive oils and such).

I've read the guidelines in the free online program (thanks so much for that!) and began reading the 10-day menu plan.
https://www.drmcdougall.com/wp/wp-conte ... ecipes.pdf

Frankly I'm shocked! In looking at the first dinner for Friday night it includes:
Cesar salad, split pea soup, mushrooms, and lasagna (with sauce I would make from scratch).

Then Saturday morning breakfast is: oatmeal, hash, tahini sauce, and pancakes.
Of course the meal plans continue like that with many foods (and recipes) per meal.

How am I going to find time to cook ALL that?! And do I really need to eat ALL that? I'd be fully satiated with the salad and soup for dinner or the salad and lasagna, or any combo of 2 of the 4 I'm sure. For breakfast I'd normally only eat either oatmeal OR hash OR pancakes, but all three feels like it will be far too much food that I'll take a bite or three of each and be stuffed.

BTW I enjoy cooking and even have a food blog (that will need a major overhaul with my new way of eating), so that's not the issue at all. It's really more about how much food I'll need to prepare and eat (I'll figure out the time and how to cook it all while still working and being a wife and mom to my two teen daughters!).

So my question is: Do I really need to eat all the foods on the 10-day menu, or are they only options to eat a few things?

Thanks so much!
Felicia

[Lyndzie]

Gosh, that is a lot of food! It says enough to serve four, and, I agree, that involves a ton of time.

You can just make some oatmeal and top it with berries for breakfast.

You can make a batch of rice, top with beans and salsa, and have a burrito bowl for lunch.

You can cook a batch of pasta, buy a jar of compliant sauce, and add some veggies for dinner.

My favorite resource is this pdf. The recipes are simple combinations that are delicious, affordable, easy and fast. Good luck!

[sirdle]

Don't worry about the volume of food you are eating...

Eat when hungry. Eat until comfortably full. Repeat.

As far as the type of food...

The pdf that Lyndzie linked is sold gold! Simplicity is the key to maintaining this way of eating, year after year.

Also, you may need to play around with the calorie density of the foods you are eating in order to achieve your goal: losing, gaining, or maintaining weight. Jeff Novick's The Ultimate Guide to Free Calorie Density Resources and his video Calorie Density: How To Eat More, Weigh Less & Live Longer! are quite valuable.

Best of luck!

Cheers,

[debknott]

Felicia,

I think you may be misunderstanding the list of dishes given. For instance, in the breakfast dishes, you don't have to eat oatmeal plus hash browns plus tahini sauce plus pancakes all in one meal. You simply choose what you want from among the various suggestions.

I hope this helps. And welcome to the forums!

[feliciaslattery]

Thanks to all! I wish there was just a wee bit of instruction at the beginning of that document. Thank you to all for the excellent resources provided!

[michaelswarm]

I've read the guidelines in the free online program (thanks so much for that!) and began reading the 10-day menu plan.
https://www.drmcdougall.com/wp/wp-conte ... ecipes.pdf

Felicia,

The 10-Day Program demonstrates that eat when you are hungry, eat until you are full works. Participants loose weight over the 10 days, despite being served cafeterial style all those delicious dishes.

The recipes you link appears to be a complete list of all the recipes served at the McDougall 10-Day Program, not a sample getting started menu for 10 days. I immagine participants returning home from the program might want to try to make some of their favorite dishes they experienced at the program. All dishes are prepared by the professional hotel kitchen staff.