geo wrote:I kind of prefer the way you showed a generic 3 meals a day plan in this post:
Simple, Easy and Starch Based:
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=15014Makes it all simple, generic and shows calories and serving size per meal if that's your interest. Works great with your SNAP meals. And i think more importantly it shows the program is all about THE food and not any one particular food. Keep your eye on the big picture perspective and its all really simple, basic and mentally freeing of all that math
I agree. And it has served us well for many years.
However, it seems like many are caught up in this current trend to eat "x" lbs of veggies a day and "x" lbs for breakfast and "x" pounds before you eat your starch, and making it all seem like it is McDougall and/or MWL approved. So I wanted to give a more detailed look at the numbers and what is actually recommended.
It also puts it in perspective as some misinterpret my 50/50 to mean by calories (which is doesn't) and some misinterpret Dr Mcdougall's comments about how much starch to eat on the regular program and the MWL program.
It is kinda of like the "how many meals a day" issue. Everyone is looking for that little trick that will help their success, wether it is 2 meals, 3 meals, 6 meals, skipping meals, intermittent fasting, etc etc. They "ALL" work in the short term.
Let's face it, this program may be simple, but doing it in this world with its toxic food environment with little social, personal and environment support is nothing less than "brutal." As a result, people struggle with it and are always looking for the next "trick" that will make this easier for them. In addition, the "pull" of pleasure trap foods, even those often seen as healthy, is powerful.
Dr McDougall always says at the 10-day program that he can get you much better short-term results if he switched up the diet a little, but it would not result in better long-term results and will cause many to fail. He has seen it over and over throughout the years, as have I.
On a similar note, I am working with a friend I have known for 30 years and has done this ever since. In the last year or two, he faced some very tough personal challenges including losing family members. His schedule got way off, he was out of his comfort zones and usual routines. He went and got his labs done and there were some concerns. He said his diet and lifestyle was still 90%. Yet, his weight had slipped up some as had his blood pressure. So, I asked him to identify what, if anything, does he think he could improve upon. What little indiscretions have slipped in and we talked about the things most likely to have an impact. I didn't even need to know what they were as after 30 years, he knew.
Once he identified them, we listed them, and I asked him to do an little experiment, 2 months with no exceptions. None. No matter what. That was 1/22. No weighing, measuring, counting, etc.
We talked this morning and he said his blood pressure is back down with most readings below 120/75 and he has lost 15 lbs. The blood work will be in another week or two and I am sure it will be right back in line.
The program works, as is, with minor modifications when necessary. No weighing, measuring or counting required. And as long as you follow the recommendations and guidelines, you can eat until you are comfortably full whenever you are hungry. And you will have consumed a nutritionally adequate health supporting diet.
The hard part is doing it.
Not just for today, but for this week, and month, and year and once you have done that, then, see if you can get 10 years in.
Re-read my analogy in the, "How Much Kale Does It Really Take To Reach Nutrient Nirvana" to investing, the stock market and always looking for the next miracle stock that will solve all your problems. We are much better of with a simple, well diversified portfolio, savings plan and retirement plan over the long haul.
Oh wait, the new Apple Watch is coming out, maybe Apple...
In Health
Jeff