For the program details visit the MWL Guidelines thread in this forum. Please check out as many of the links as you have time for, there is so much here to discover!
A couple of other great resources, for those just starting out, are from Jeff Novick the staff dietician for the program: The Ultimate Guide to Free Calorie Density (MWL) Resources and his 1 hour video explanation on Calorie Density: How to Eat More, Weigh Less and Live Longer.
This past week Jeff added a summary-update to the Maximum Weight Loss Guidelines (linked above). I think its an important post for everyone take a look at - even if you've been at this for awhile, so I've included it here in its entirety.
JeffN wrote:Here is a link to the January 2005 McDougall newsletter where Dr McDougall discusses the Maximum Weight Loss (MWL) program. This newsletter was published about 10-11 years after the original MWL book and after holding an actual MWL program at the McDougall center.
https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2005nl ... ushing.htm
In it, he discusses 12 "Refinements for Maximum Weight Loss" that "Are the Measures Taken to Emphasize Weight Loss" and describes each tip, listing the Program Protocol and Practical Tips for Home Compliance for each one. They are virtually in agreement with the MWL Book and my principles of calorie density.
1) Thrive on Unrefined Starch
2) Avoid Refined Foods and Flours
3) Eat Green and Yellow Vegetables
4) Eat more raw foods
5) Avoid All High-Fat Plant Foods
6) Avoid Sugar
7) Minimize Fruits
8 ) Eat Slowly and Frequently
9) Keep Your Meals Simple (Monotonous)
10) Lower Salt Intake
11) Its Okay to Be Hungry
12) Exercise
Sometimes we run into people who are volume eaters. In regard to this issue, Dr McDougall discussed, "How to Help the Volume Eater" in the November 2005 McDougall newsletter
https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2005nl ... 100vol.htm
I recommend anyone struggling with their weight to read these two newsletters.
The recommendations of Dr McDougall and myself come from not only a thorough review and understanding of the scientific literature on these issues, but also from decades of clinical experience working with clients in a closed residential setting.
However, in the last few years, people have come up with their own personal ways to improve the MWL program, usually based on their own short term experience. Most often, they do not have the understanding of the literature or the longterm clinical experience we do. In addition, we are not interested in promoting modifications to the MWL to produce short term results that will be unsustainable for most people. As Dr McDougall always says at the program, we are not here for instant results, we are here to get you to like the food and teach you a sustainable program. We could easily serve you an all (or mostly) vegetable diet and you would have better initial short-term results but it will be unsustainable.
It is important to realize that any modifications to the MWL that are not in the above newsletters, or that do not come directly from Dr McDougall or myself, are not part of the MWL program, nor do we recommend them.
As Dr McDougall said in a recent newsletter...
https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2017nl/jul/simple.htm
"many popular healthcare "gurus" have had no formal education in the potentially life-threatening matters of your health. Almost as troubling are the credentialed healthcare/diet advisors who provide advice based solely on reading other people's research articles. The relevance of their guidance must be placed in the context that many of them haven't touched a patient since their primary dietetic or medical training."
People will often say, I was doing the MWL program but it wasn't working till I also did "X," to which they are often unaware that "X" Is already a part of the MWL program. On the other hand, people will often say they are following the MWL program and doing "Y" but they are unaware that "Y" is not part of the MWL program nor recommended.
Before making adjustments to the MWL program, we recommend you give the MWL program with the refinements a fair and honest chance.
Here are a few of the adjustments people make that are not recommended. None of these are new. All have been around for a long time and seem to get recycled every few years
- A predominately raw food diet
- Eating only raw foods till 4 PM
- Intermittent fasting
- Restricted feeding window
- Extended fasts to lose weight
- Smoothies
- Juicing
- Basing their diet on non-starchy vegetables.
- Not including starch at each meal.
- Delaying the starch component of a meal.
- Eating only fruit for breakfast
- Eating only non-starchy vegetables for breakfast
- Excessive or extreme exercise
- Food Combining
- Meal Replacements
- Supplements
In regard to added salt and added sugar, we recommend buying and preparing food without either and if any are to be used, to add them at the table on the surface of the food. If either one is troublesome and create uncontrollable cravings for you, then leave them out.
While anecdotal stories are interesting, and you can always find them for almost any intervention, that is not why we are here or what our programs are based on. If we go by anecdotal evidence, we open a huge door that we don't really want to because then why not believe anyone with any anecdotical stories and testimonials regardless if they are doing any of the adjustments listed above or if they are doing Paleo, Atkins, Weight Watchers, etc.
We are here because we are an evidence & science based program.
In Health
Jeff
As usual, Jeff has a way of getting you to focus back on guidelines that are supported by evidence in order to have greater success at consistent, maintainable weight loss. I had a little discussion with him about a couple of the adjustments listed above that I had considered harmless additions to the program if all other guidelines were being followed. He pointed out that many of these are unsubstantiated distractions at the least and, more seriously, potentially detrimental to reaching your weight loss goals in a sustainable way. He also, astutely, pointed out that a good many people aren't actually giving the MWL guidelines as they are the proper chance to work....ahem...like me.
I've decided to do an experiment on myself and follow the guidelines and 12 refinements for the month of October. I'll take pictures of all of the food that I eat each day and post them . I'll start out by posting them here in this thread, but if it starts to get crazy long, I'll switch over to putting them in my online journal. For this next couple of days I'm going to start thinking about what foreseeable challenges I will have to face in order to achieve success this month.
Feel free to post some photos of what you're eating too! Its always fun to see the many ways which we can creatively enjoy this way of eating!
Best wishes to all this month!
Amy XO
Here are the standard monthly instructions for participating in this thread:
Our weigh in's are on Fridays and you have until 12 PM PST on Saturday to report.
Anyone is welcome to join the weekly weigh in group as long as they follow the McDougall principles. We recommend following the Maximum Weight Loss (MWL) plan or the Mary's Mini's Plan.
There is a sticky at the top of this forum on the guidelines for the MWL program.
In order to tally the results please submit your results by posting the total pounds you have lost or gained that week. You don't have to share your total weight if you'd rather keep that to yourself. This is an honor system so we take the gain, loss or maintain you give us in order to tally. (Please make a new post each week)
If you are a new member and would like to join but don't have a weight to be counted for the week then you will be counted either as a body with a zero starting weight, or when you check in for the weekly weigh in the following week. Large amounts of weight lost over a period of months or weeks, prior to joining the weekly weigh in group, will not be counted towards the weekly total.
If you measure your weight in something other than pounds please convert the measurement to pounds.
All gains will be counted towards the total to encourage weekly participation. Posting is encouraged whether it's a gain, a loss, or a maintain.
You are welcome to share as little or as much as you want on your weight loss journey here in this thread. We encourage members of the group to talk to each other, cheer each other on and set goals together.
This thread is for the mutual support of all who wish to participate.