Hi, Lynn. Interesting info on the dressing. The info I got was from the web, and maybe you are using a different product. One of the problems with processed foods in general is that labels can also change. I got into a problem with that when I was starting and Jeff helped me out of that mistake. I am interested in the specific brands of soy milk/almond milk/rice milk that you use. That is another area where the labels are important to read carefully. If you haven't seen Jeff's lecture on this topic, it is very unlikely that you know to read a label and get the proper info - they can be quite deceptive.
Re the corn tortillas, I should be clear. It is true that these are allowed on the MWL plan and served at Dr. McDougall's programs. If you want somebody who knows all the rules of any particular program, I am probably not the person to help you. I hired Jeff as my dietician and learned the principles of the program from him, and not any set of rules. Probably the closest thing to a rule that Jeff advises everybody is this:
JeffN wrote:But what is more important and what I feel to be the most important test, is what I call the "plate test." Very few people know about it yet it is one of the most effective tests and simple and easy to do and very inexpensive. You can even do it at home.
Here is how you do it.
When you sit down to eat each meal, look at your "plate" and see if it passes this "test", the "Plate Test."
Are at least 95% of the calories on your plate coming from unrefined unprocessed fruits, vegetables, starchy vegetables, intact whole grains and/or legumes? Are there at least 12-15 grams of fiber coming from whole natural foods? Does it meet my guidelines for sodium? Are any "exceptions" being kept to less than 5% of calories?
If your meal passes this "Plate Test", then I think that is the most effective test you can ever have done and the best indicator of your future health and longevity.
In Health
Jeff Novick, MS, RD
Since I had failed trying to apply various rules based versions of Dr. McDougall's plans, Jeff was careful to explain this issue to me. He first emphasized that Dr. M's published material was directed to the general public, and that they were not directed to solve anybody's personal issues. The corn tortillas, rice cakes, flour products, breads, etc. were all discussed because they were things I loved and things that were not recommended for me. Jeff emphasizes that he and Dr. McDougall, when they treat patients, do not simply put them on a plan that he has published. Some people are not allowed some of the higher calorie density foods that others are permitted. So my point was not that there was anything inherently wrong with tortillas. With your stubborn weight problem, you would simply be better off with a less calorie dense choice. That is what is going to give you the solid , motivating, and exciting change that you are looking for.
Jeff once addressed a writer with a weight issue who had not experience success, and who thought that various rules and categories of food published by Dr. McDougall were paramount. Jeff put it this way in explaining why this was not correct:
JeffN wrote: Snyders Pretzels are on the approved list for the regular program. Do you think someone could live on just Snyders pretzels, and/or Snyders Pretzels as their main starch with a few servings of fruit and veggies a day? Can Snyders Pretzels, be used as someones main starch?
Jeff discusses this issue in great detail in this thread, which I think is must reading:
http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=14185So the straight MWL plan can work for many without any tuning. Those with special problems may need some tuning. What if you substitutes rice cakes, or popcorn, or tortillas in place of Snyders Pretzels. You could have the same absurd result. So I am not claiming that anything is inherently wrong with these foods, but as I said, that YOU would be better off by replacing them with a whole plant food. Jeff is always going to recommend corn over a corn tortilla. You have tried to apply the McDougall plan and your weight loss has (hopefully had) stalled at much too high BMI. We still aren't sure why that is, but Jeff emphasized to me the importance of whole plant foods, and the importance of avoiding excessive use of dried goods and flour products. Like you, I had a serious obesity problem as well as diabetes and heart disease, not to mention kidney stones, indigestion, chronic sinusitis, and a host of other problems.
Jeff really helped me understand the importance of putting my situation in perspective and designing a fairly optimal plan for me. I am not sure how much it differed from the books because I haven't committed them to memory and don't use them. I went with Jeff's approach, and am happy to share what I learned if you think that this is how you would like to go.
If you prefer an approach based upon the rules in one of Dr. M's books for the public, there are lots of people here who can help you, and some of them have succeeded spectacularly with that approach. The fact that you have stalled where you are might suggest that you need more - or maybe it will be just a matter of weeding out a problem or two. I am confident in any event that if you do the work you will no doubt succeed, and that is a lot more important than whose approach you like best.
If you like, I'll keep posting here, and if you prefer, I am happy to defer to others. I do think it is important to apply a consistent approach. A favorite saying is that a man with a watch know the time, but a man with two watches is never sure.