I Can't Believe I'm Still Here!

Share your daily McDougall menus and/or keep a journal describing your personal progress.

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I Can't Believe I'm Still Here!

Postby AnneC » Thu Feb 09, 2012 9:16 pm

I didn't post a journal when I started the MWL plan because frankly, I didn't believe I'd actually stick to this plan. I've tried a TON of diets, but I haven't stuck to any of them for long. In fact, I'll pass my record in just a few weeks.

I also usually spend a bunch of $ on a new diet too - diet books, recipe books, membership fees, diet gadgets, special food, etc. So far, I haven't spent a single cent. Instead, I've saved $$$. Not only is the food way cheaper than my previous SAD diet, but I've gone from eating out 5+ times a week to a few times a month!

Something else I never thought I'd have to do - eat more!!! Yes, you heard that correctly. I've lost a pound a day for the last four days, so I added a little more food to my meals today. While I do want to lose weight quickly, I don't need bad side effects - like hair falling out. I need all I got.

I'm rarely hungry on this plan. I eat 5 or 6 meals a day and snack on fresh vegys or a fruit inbetween meals, if I feel the need to munch. I am feeling great, even though my heart rate has slowed to 50 bpm - and no, I'm not an athlete. I started exercising this week - 15 minutes each morning - making up my own aerobic dance routines to country music videos.

I've developed a routine for my meals. I nuke 8 potatoes in the evenings, then bake them in the oven for 30 minutes to crisp the skin. While the potatoes are baking, I mix 3 kinds of frozen vegys in the microwave with DASH table blend seasoning. I mix NSA tomato sauce with more DASH seasoning and store it all in the fridge. In the mornings, I fix 3 small containers with 1 baked potato sliced (add DASH seasoning again), 1 C of vegys, 1/4 C of tomato sauce and sometimes I'll add 1/4 C of beans or non-stick fried onions and mushrooms. I eat this for breakfast too, take the 3 containers to work for a morning snack, lunch and afternoon snack, plus I take a couple small salads, a couple fruit and/or some fresh vegy sticks. Yup, dinner is the same.

So far, I've been happy with this routine. I have eaten out occasionally. I've found that I LOVE Subway vegy sandwiches - no cheese, just vegys on a whole wheat or honey oat grain bun with FF honey mustard dressing. Delicious!! And I get a huge sandwich for $5 and the scale still drops some the next day! I am so thankful I found this website and thanks to everyone who put this together and keeps it going. AnneC
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Re: I Can't Believe I'm Still Here!

Postby Dissolution » Thu Feb 09, 2012 10:44 pm

Welcome and congratulations on finding this place and way of eating. It truly is amazing.

I had some low heart rate issues pretty early on, I think it was the beta blocker I was taking (off that med), and simple slight dehydration. Because I had been used to high blood sugar, I was always thirsty, after starting this WOE, my blood sugar quickly corrected itself. So I just wasn't drinking enough.

Good luck!
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Re: I Can't Believe I'm Still Here!

Postby MmmCarbs » Fri Feb 10, 2012 1:03 am

Hi AnneC. Wow, that's quite a food system you have. How long have you been eating the potato/veggie meals?
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Re: I Can't Believe I'm Still Here!

Postby AnneC » Fri Feb 10, 2012 8:24 am

[I had some low heart rate issues pretty early on, I think it was the beta blocker I was taking (off that med), and simple slight dehydration. Because I had been used to high blood sugar, I was always thirsty, after starting this WOE, my blood sugar quickly corrected itself. So I just wasn't drinking enough.]

My heartrate dropped to 45 bpm this morning, so I contacted the on-call doctor. He did tell me to stop all my heart meds and that should correct the problem. I also find that I'm rarely thirsty and have to remind myself to drink water. So far, I've stopped Novalog completely and lowered my Lantus from 140 units per day (2 shots a day) to 40 units (only 1 shot a day). AnneC
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Re: I Can't Believe I'm Still Here!

Postby AnneC » Fri Feb 10, 2012 8:27 am

MmmCarbs wrote:Hi AnneC. Wow, that's quite a food system you have. How long have you been eating the potato/veggie meals?


I started MWL on Jan. 3rd of this year and played around with different meals. I ended up settling on this meal plan a few weeks ago. After signing up for the cronometer and putting in my daily meals, I've found that my sodium level is way too low, so I'll be substituting brown rice for the potatoes for some of my meals to increase my sodium intake. I'll also add some condiments that are not all sodium free. AnneC
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Re: I Can't Believe I'm Still Here!

Postby AnneC » Sat Feb 18, 2012 9:50 am

I've stuck to this program for seven weeks now. It just keeps getting easier. I was exercising last week and lost a lot of weight that week, but I stopped when I started having the slow heart rate issues. My heart rate is remaining in the low 50's, but my cardiologist says that I don't have to worry about it, unless it drops below 40. So, it is time for me to start an exercise program. I need to buy a treadmill, so I can walk in the mornings before I go to work.

I did have an afib episode yesterday, so I'm back on my heart meds and back out of afib. These are meds I'll probably have to take the rest of my life. AnneC
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Re: I Can't Believe I'm Still Here!

Postby Rosey » Sat Feb 18, 2012 5:32 pm

Sounds like your doing really good. Be careful of eating subway sandwiches though. The bread has oils, eggs, and milk in it. I get sick from all 3 of those so I asked them what was in the bread. I love getting a veggie delite salad when I go there. It's very filling and delicious with the vinegar as the dressing.
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Re: I Can't Believe I'm Still Here!

Postby AnneC » Sun Feb 19, 2012 12:04 pm

So far, except for salads, I haven't found anything I can eat at a restaurant that strictly follows the McDougall eating plan. For now, as long as I'm losing weight, I'm not going to worry about it. I haven't gotten sick eating them either, so that's good. I'll have to pay attention to whether I get a stuffy nose, because I have noticed that if I forget to ask to leave the cheese off my salads and I eat it, my nose gets pretty stuffy afterwards. AnneC
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Re: I Can't Believe I'm Still Here!

Postby AnneC » Sat Mar 03, 2012 9:38 pm

Just came back from shopping. I decided I needed to celebrate my 2 months on program. I had started going through my clothes over the weekend and by the time I was done, I had 5 large garbage bags full and nothing left in my closet. So, I bought myself a new wardrobe, went grocery shopping and munched on vegy sticks on the way home from the store. AnneC
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Re: I Can't Believe I'm Still Here!

Postby Potatohead » Sun Mar 04, 2012 8:47 am

CONGRATULATIONS ...ANNE :nod:

Your doing great..keep it up...you will be there in no time..and much healthier too :nod:
"IT'S THE FOOD"....John McDougall MD
~Potato Freak~
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Re: I Can't Believe I'm Still Here!

Postby Dissolution » Sun Mar 04, 2012 8:55 am

That's awesome! Having to buy new and smaller clothes is a problem so many people wish they had. Congratulations on your continued success.
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Re: I Can't Believe I'm Still Here!

Postby LauraA » Sun Mar 04, 2012 9:00 am

Wow! Welcome! You are doing great. Keep posting so that we can all follow your great success. Take care, LauraA
Take care, LauraA

"ON PLAN, AND PLANNING TO STAY THAT WAY!"
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Re: I Can't Believe I'm Still Here!

Postby carollynne » Sun Mar 04, 2012 6:32 pm

Sounds so wonderful!! Congrats to you!!
I have lost about 60 lbs and never thought I'd be in the 150s ever again. cured my NAFLD!! Feel great!! Wt loss is so good for the knees and back, ankle, that I know I will never start back to the SAD way of eating again.
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Re: I Can't Believe I'm Still Here!

Postby AnneC » Sat Mar 10, 2012 11:05 am

Today is my official first day of following a 100% strict Mary's Mini. I plan on being very strict for the next two weeks - eating only potatoes, green & yellow vegys & my two daily fruits. I've basically been eating this way all along, but I admit to regularly cheating, mostly by eating trail mix. My hubby likes to munch on it and I've been helping myself to his trail mix on a regular basis. I've also eaten a couple meals off program and I have allowed myself to eat the samples at Costco, vegan or not. So, while I've done pretty well so far, I'd like to see what I can lose by following a strict program. AnneC
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Re: I Can't Believe I'm Still Here!

Postby AnneC » Sun Mar 11, 2012 10:53 am

Woohoo!!! Mary's Mini is definitely working. I've now officially lost 25% of the weight I need to lose to reach goal. AnneC
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