Kathy in SC Journal

[KathyinSC]

I started the Dr. McDougall diet on February 21, 2010 because I saw how successful my sister, Amy and her husband, Mike, were in getting off meds, losing weight and becoming more active. I was 54 at the time and had been diagnosed about 8 years with Type II diabetes and had hoped to control it through diet, but that proved unsuccessful and I eventually had to start injecting insulin. My A1C was almost 9, my cholesterol was 248, my triglycerides were out of control, I have high blood pressure, and I weighed over 260 lbs. I was 241 lbs. on 2/21/10. I printed off recipes from FatFreeVegan.com as well as this website. I was gung-ho vegan and in about a month, people started to notice my weight loss--mostly in my face and neck. It felt great and I felt great. I dropped almost 20 lbs. and was sure I would continue this regimen for the rest of my life.
Some time near the year-end I fell off the wagon and slowly started eating things I shouldn't have. But I never ate red meat. I still can't stand the thought of putting that into my body. Chicken and tuna sneaked into my pantry and fridge and eventually into my diet. I ended up gaining back almost all the weight I'd lost. It wasn't until I went clothes shopping yesterday that I saw in the dressing room mirrors what everybody else sees on a daily basis -- my BUTT!! Horrors! It's huge!!! That was it!!! I've decided June 1 is going to be a new beginning #2 for me -- no more meat, cookies, ice cream, chips. I've also started exercising again and even though my muscles are sore, I'm determined to get rid of that butt. I know Dr. McDougall is the best way for me to do it. Any encouragement from anyone is appreciated. My sister, Amy, also journals here and we are going to help each other out. My goal is to get off my meds. I know it will take a while and I'm willing to take baby steps. I just don't want to fall off the wagon again.

[LoriJenny]

Welcome Kathy!!! I think you will find alot of support here and many cheerleaders too!

[rebecca]

Hi Kathy. I am starting over tomorrow too. I know that having a journal is a great start for support. Stepped on the scale today and said this is it.
Here is to our success

[AmyLa]

Welcome, Sis! I am so glad you found your way back here again. I have found that if I am off program, I start ignoring this site, and it is my sign that I need to get back to it. The support is great, and is (pretty much) non judgmental. Also, lots of ideas for food and recipes. Go to "Roberta's" posts and you'll see what a couple of people are eating. If you have questions about nutrition, go to Jeff's thread.
Good luck! One of my mantras is from Oprah, by way of Glinda the Good Witch, when she was telling Dorothy how to get home: "You always had the power."

You do......I know you do.

[AmyLa]

P.S. If you eventually want to do a weight loss ticker, the one most of use is at: http://www.tickerfactory.com/ezticker/t ... signer.php

You can make your own and do NOT have to post it!

[Chile]

Welcome back to the light side from another one who fell off the wagon (and probably broke its wheels when it ran over my fat butt). I lost enough weight at one point to weigh less than my DH for the first time in years of marriage, then I gained it back (and, of course, a little more).

I'd seen the reflections in the mirror - I knew I was fat again, but it took seeing the results of my bloodwork last month to give me the real kick in the butt (which is too big to miss) to get back on track. I'm on my last day of the "Mary's Mini-McDougall" potato diet and it's killed my cravings dead. If you find yourself struggling, you might want to give it a try. Sure makes cooking simpler while getting used to eating healthy again.

Good luck!

[KathyinSC]

Thanks for all the positive comments and support. I've really tried to stick to it and it's been hard, and yes, I've eaten some things I shouldn't (I'm a chocoholic) but overall I think I've been doing really well. I eat oatmeal with blueberries (quick oats and frozen berries) every morning and I gave my daughter 5 bags of groceries from my pantry, freezer and fridge. I went to the grocery store today and they had Breyer's ice cream buy one get one free and I resisted! Instead I bought frozen fruit bars. (Patting myself on the back for that one).
I came home and cooked my sweet potatoes in the oven and made a huge pot of Caribbean and Beans Quinoa, loaded with spices!! The house smells so good!! Now I'm set for my lunches and snacks for the rest of the week. I also stopped at the local produce stand and bought 2 cantelopes at 99 cents each and a huge basket of fresh strawberries!
I have lost 5 lbs. since June 1 and my short term goal is to lose another 5-8 by June 29. If I can just stay away from the chocolate!

[KathyinSC]

I've lost 7 lbs. since June 1 and don't know how. I eat like a horse all day long! Since changing back to a vegan diet, I have not suffered from heartburn at all. Tums is no longer needed--thank God! My daughter noticed that my stomach is smaller too!

Went shopping at the farmers market down the street and picked up red, yellow and orange peppers and found Rainier cherries--very yummy snack! I found a recipe called Quinoa Garden Salad and spent about 30 minutes chopping the peppers, spring onions, tomatoes, mint and parsley and mixed it with the quinoa, chick peas, and lemon juice and soy sauce. It needs to sit in the fridge for a couple of hours, so I'll try it in a little while. It made a huge bowl full--I just hope I like it!

My sister told me about Mary's black bean and salsa dip, which I pureed in my food processor and ate with baked tortilla chips. The next time I'll use medium instead of mild salsa to give it a little more "heat", but I could have eaten the entire bowl. It was so simple to make. Another yummy snack!

My daughter just asked me to get some of the salad, so we're going to snack on it and watch tv. I'll let you know how it tastes.

[KathyinSC]

I survived the week! The salad I made is not my favorite, but I ate it anyway--didn't want to waste that quinoa. Haven't felt much like cooking, but fixed some frozen hash browns and mixed in some sauteed (in vegetable broth) onions. I ate the whole pan! That was Wed. night. Last night I had a bowl of bran flakes with almond milk and blueberries and then some baked chips and salsa for a bedtime snack. Stepped on the scales this morning and have lost 7.5 lbs since June 1. But what really got me excited is when I checked my fasting blood sugar -- down to 128!!! I've had Type II diabetes for over 10 years and my fasting sugars have been well over 200 and at times over 300 even on my meds. But, I had also been eating junk causing those high sugars. One of my bosses offered me a Snickers bar the other day, which in the past I would have devoured. It's my favorite--omg, I love Snickers bars. He knows I'm a vegan and apologized after he realized what he'd said. We both laughed and I instead ate my fresh, juicy strawberries. Patted myself on the back for that one.

I'm determined this time to remain vegan. I have no desire to eat meat. In fact, I can't even look at fast food commercials because they make me gag.

I'll be making a trip to Aldi's tomorrow to get their frozen blueberries--$2.99 for a 1 lb. bag. What a deal!

Feeling really good tonight, and VERY thankful my sister, Amy, and her husband, Mike, turned me on to Dr. McDougall. I honestly believe he is saving my life.
Good night all!

[amyla51]

Kathy-
Yeah to you!! You should be VERY proud of yourself....especially for the blood sugars. Wouldn't it be great to get off the diabetes meds totally? Now, for your challenge......being with family in IN and Michigan. I know how hard it can be.......I know how hard it is to resist DQ in Danville, but just remember how your digestive system may revolt if you reintroduce dairy. Besides, you know what it tastes like, you've had it before, right? I know it especially hard with other family members who eat exactly the opposite of what you eat, and who have opened a local hot dog stand!! FYI: a "veggie" hot dog does NOT mean one that has only veggies as toppings!

Anyway, good luck. I know you may not have internet access up there. Let us know how it goes!

Amy in NH