Journal for Health

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

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Journal for Health

Postby keithswife » Wed May 09, 2018 3:37 pm

Starting up a journal again. It's been years since I was on here, but recent events have brought health issues to the front and center, soo....

For fun, my older sister and I got our genetic medical history done through an online dna testing service. If I can give anyone any advice for anyone considering doing this, it would be: FOR THE LOVE OF MIKE DON'T DO IT WITHOUT GETTING COUNSELING FIRST! Because, as it turned out dear sister has squeaky clean genes and I inherited all the genetic sludge (mother always did love her best :nod: ). I found out I carry both the gene for Alzheimer's and Macular degeneration. I was totally unprepared, and have lost many a night's sleep since.

In a way, this makes sense. I'm middle aged, at a normal weight, perfect blood pressure and sugar numbers, but I've always had high cholesterol. Currently, my numbers are a total of 224 with an LDL of 145. So after googling all things related for several weeks, I made the decision to follow Dr. McDougall's diet. It might help, and it certainly won't hurt.

My goal is to get my cholesterol down without statins. My doctor doesn't want to prescribe them, as I am otherwise healthy. It is my hope that with this diet alone and exercise, this will be possible.
"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." - Virginia Woolf
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Re: Journal for Health

Postby keithswife » Thu May 10, 2018 6:20 am

It is impossible to go out to eat any more. Last night after a school function, we went out to a Mexican restaurant that had a "vegetarian" menu. I ordered two bean burritos without cheese after asking the nice waiter how they were prepared. No meat at all, he assured me. After waiting an hour to get our food, I was served two very dry bean burritos. Halfway through the second one, I bit into a chunk of pork fat. I guess no meat means, "no visible meat. And if you think you bit into a chunk, we'll tell you it's just lard, not meat" Live and learn. :-(

Thankfully I don't need to go anywhere today. I have the following menu planned:

Breakfast: oatmeal with blueberries and flax meal
Lunch: baked beans over kale
Dinner: vegetable shepherd's pie.

I'll try to sneak in a walk in between rain showers.
"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." - Virginia Woolf
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Re: Journal for Health

Postby moonlight » Thu May 10, 2018 6:39 am

Hi, good luck with getting back on track with your eating. :D It takes some adjustment for sure. I wanted to suggest a menu item at the Mexican restaurants that's not just salad. I've found that most Mexican restaurants will have spinach enchiladas on their menu. Ordered with no cheese, these seem to be a good choice. Of course the enchiladas will be cooked with oil, but I think this choice is lower in fat than beans. Bon Appetit the McD way!
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Re: Journal for Health

Postby keithswife » Thu May 10, 2018 8:04 am

moonlight wrote:Hi, good luck with getting back on track with your eating. :D It takes some adjustment for sure. I wanted to suggest a menu item at the Mexican restaurants that's not just salad. I've found that most Mexican restaurants will have spinach enchiladas on their menu. Ordered with no cheese, these seem to be a good choice. Of course the enchiladas will be cooked with oil, but I think this choice is lower in fat than beans. Bon Appetit the McD way!


Thanks for the tip! I'll be sure to look for those next time. :-D
"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." - Virginia Woolf
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Re: Journal for Health

Postby Morris » Thu May 10, 2018 9:56 am

When I go to Mexican restaurants, I'll order the vegetable fajita and ask if they can water saute (or steam) the vegetables with no added oil, sauce, seasoning or dairy. I usually end up with a nice plate of steamed vegetables
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Re: Journal for Health

Postby keithswife » Fri May 11, 2018 10:40 am

It's a gloomy, overcast day here in my little town. But at least there is no snow. Our winter lasted well into late April this year and everyone is happy to see spring finally arrive. I'll even take the rain. :D

It's going to be a work day for most of today. I will try to walk this evening. Last night, I did drag hubby and poor son off of the couch and out for a walk for about half an hour. Despite initial complains, we had a good time. I will never convince them with my words to live more healthfully, but I am hoping to sway them with my actions. It keeps me honest and on track.

Today's menu:

Breakfast: whole wheat pancake with flax and blueberries, herbal tea
Lunch: baked sweet potatoes, green salad
Dinner: leftover shepherd's pie.

I'll be glad to finish up the shepherd's pie. The recipe I used wasn't that great, and it contains a small amount of tofu. I'm still trying to convince myself that tofu is edible. My taste buds aren't so sure.
"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." - Virginia Woolf
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Re: Journal for Health

Postby keithswife » Sat May 12, 2018 12:12 pm

I had such big plans of working this morning, going for a nice long walk before the rain hits us. But, my ungrateful horse stomped on my foot this morning, changing those plans until my bruised toes feel better.

Today's eats:

breakfast: whole wheat and flax blueberry pancake
lunch: leftover shepherd's pie
Dinner: hmmm....I'm thinking sweet potatoes, greens and brown rice. Something that doesn't need too much fuss.
"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." - Virginia Woolf
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Re: Journal for Health

Postby Principality » Sat May 12, 2018 7:48 pm

Wow! Way to stay positive. I would have completely used those circumstances to binge on something completely awful. Sorry for the bruised toes, though I'm surprised it wasn’t worse. Your horse at least owes you a pleasant ride when the weather is better.
Starting weight : 240lbs, current 235.9 change -4.1
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Re: Journal for Health

Postby keithswife » Mon May 14, 2018 7:14 am

Principality wrote:Wow! Way to stay positive. I would have completely used those circumstances to binge on something completely awful. Sorry for the bruised toes, though I'm surprised it wasn’t worse. Your horse at least owes you a pleasant ride when the weather is better.


This horse has the biggest feet I have ever seen, and I'm not sure he realizes just how much real estate they take up. Thankfully, I had boots on or he would've broken my toes for sure. I feel much better today, and think I will ride him after work, seeing that he owes me one. :D

I stayed on plan through the weekend. This makes almost a month for me, which has to be some kind of new record. Before, I always gave myself an out, a reason I could quit. In the back of my head I'd tell myself, "I'm pretty healthy, so this stuff really doesn't apply to me". This gave me permission to stop and start as much as I wanted. Now with the bad cholesterol numbers and other matters, I feel like I don't have that out any more. Now, it feels like, "unless you want to get diabetes, go blind and lose you mind to dementia, eat the vegetables." I read a great article by T.Colin Campbell on genetic medical tests. He assures us that just having the bad genes isn't enough to create the disease. Lifestyle and nutrition play a major role in whether these genes get turned on, or stay off. This gave me more motivation to put down the ice cream and stay on plan.

So far, the positives have been no more IBS, no more bloated, pregnant like belly after eating, no feeling like I had a baseball stuck in my stomach after meals, and much less heartburn. I'm praying for a decrease in those cholesterol numbers when my next testing comes up.

Today's Eats:

Breakfast: whole wheat and flax pancake, coffee
Lunch & dinner will depend on what I find at the store. I'm out of nearly everything. Time to go shopping :D
"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." - Virginia Woolf
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Re: Journal for Health

Postby Principality » Mon May 14, 2018 8:36 am

I’m willing to bet you will see the reward for you actions in your cholesterol numbers. In August of 2011, I got blood work and had cholesterol at 230. I only did McDougalling and walking and 1/2013 I got down to 193. I had no other markers of success and it was a fight and expense to try to get bloodwork ordered more than once a year because I wasn’t on meds, had no other chronic disease, and was only 30 so I had to pitch a fit to get the bloodwork so I could see if I was having success. It did work but since I haven’t seen any bloodwork in a long time and wasn’t compliant many years since I bet I am back to square one. However, I think you will be very pleasantly surprised at how well cholesterol levels seem to react to mwl compliance baring other health complications.
Starting weight : 240lbs, current 235.9 change -4.1
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Re: Journal for Health

Postby keithswife » Mon May 14, 2018 10:28 am

I sure hope so. Thanks for the encouragement, Principality.
"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." - Virginia Woolf
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Re: Journal for Health

Postby keithswife » Tue May 15, 2018 7:44 am

I found my weight and measurements from February, right before I was ready to start a new diet. All my adult life, I was all about low carb, low glycemic diets. That is until I got my cholesterol numbers back from the lab. :angry:

But, the good news is I've lost about five pounds since I started back McDougalling, eating all that blessed, forbidden starch. I've also lost a whole bunch of inches off my waist and abdomen. Not so much fat loss, but just "deflating" since my IBS and chronic constipation has healed. I feel so much better. More healthy and alive. I'm going to stick to this and see where else it leads.

Today's Eats

Breakfast: whole wheat pancake with flax
Lunch: cabbage and noodles, carrots
Dinner: baked beans, greens, and cornbread
"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." - Virginia Woolf
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Re: Journal for Health

Postby keithswife » Wed May 16, 2018 7:15 am

I stayed on plan yesterday, but it was a fight. I picked up my son from school and took him pants shopping for his band concert. Afterward, we went to McDonalds so he could grab a quick bite before heading home to do his homework. On the way home, I tossed around the idea of pulling the car over and grabbing the bag out of his hands and eating it all myself, but I reminded myself of my goals and drove home. Feeling very underprivileged and sorry for myself. :angry: Later that night, the husband wanted to take us out for ice cream. I tagged along, dreaming of cookie dough ice cream, but still ordered a diet coke. :( I went home and made myself some oatmeal with peanut butter in it, then went to bed.

I also had a butt ton of mother's guilt for feeding my son all this junk. He's 12, and was such a picky eater when he was little that I ended up letting him eat what he wanted to keep him from starving to death. If I pushed food on him and made him eat it, he would barf it up anyway so I gave up. To his credit, he is now trying to eat more salads and fruit. My husband, no way. He will never change his diet. Why are we so attached to the food that kills us? My dear Grandma basically ate herself to death. She was a proud southern woman who loved everyone with food that was laced with copious amounts of bacon grease. Everything was fried, pies were made with lard in the crust, and her biscuits always dripped with pan gravy. It was love and we ate it all and asked for more. Later in life, she ballooned up to 300 pounds and had a heart attack. Then came the congestive heart failure, the diabetes, the blindness, the dementia, and finally death in a nursing home. Her food was love. She couldn't give it up. :cry:

So I will dust myself off and stay the course. The consequences of not staying on this eating plan are just too great for me.

Today's Eats:

Breakfast: pancake with flax, coffee
Lunch: Boca burger, baked beans and apple sauce
Dinner: Cabbage and noodles
"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." - Virginia Woolf
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Re: Journal for Health

Postby Principality » Wed May 16, 2018 8:44 am

You did good, real good. My son is 12 too and my daughter is 14. It’s a fight...everything is a fight. I understand endless amounts of mom guilt. I also am now hugrey for pie with lard crust and bacon. Lol I don’t know how you survived that day. Like I said, you did good.
Starting weight : 240lbs, current 235.9 change -4.1
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Re: Journal for Health

Postby keithswife » Thu May 17, 2018 6:58 am

It's no wonder that many folks (myself included), find it so hard to stick to this way of eating. The world is stacked against you. You can't go through a drive through and pick up a quick sandwich. You can't go out to eat with your family at a sit down restaurant without hours of menu scouring beforehand. And when you do find that one restaurant that has that one thing you can eat, it isn't something you wanted anyway (I am so tired of portobello mushroom sandwiches). Or, suggest a vegan place to your family and get rotten eggs and tomatoes thrown at you (figuratively, hopefully).

So, that leaves you cooking for 3 meals a day. Honestly, I like to cook as much as the next person, but it gets old after a few weeks straight. Especially when you have to make two separate meals because your family won't eat your vegetable meals. The planning alone is a full time job, in addition with everything else I have to do in a day (like go to work and make money, among other things).

Last night after my son's baseball game, my sweet hubby treated us to our favorite ice cream place. Nothing dairy free on the menu except for italian ice. I got lucky and ordered a root beer italian ice while the guys got fatty sundaes. It was way too sweet, but refreshing. And I didn't have to make it myself. And, after watching my poor hubby suffer through heartburn and indigestion later that night, I quietly patted myself on the back for sticking with my plan in spite of the obstacles. That could have been me. I told him he should have ordered the italian ice. :D

Today's Eats
Breakfast: oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins
Lunch: beans, greens, and cornbread
Dinner: not sure yet, I'll have to see what looks good
"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." - Virginia Woolf
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