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.
Hello All,
I hope you're all having a great weekend! Spring is in the air where I live, with the emergence of daffodils and crocuses and some unknown pink flowers in my yard. It will be a fun year with surprises in every season, as I discover what grows here at my new home.
I thought it would be appropriate for the beginning of this new month to highlight the program basics. Some of you will be very familiar with this material, but it may be new to some of you. I recommend opening all of the links in this post if you are just starting out on the program.
Here is Dr. McDougall, in a 2 minute McDougall Moment discussing the
Maximum Weight Loss Program and how it differs from the Regular program
Jeff Novick, the staff dietician for the McDougall Program, has created a number of summaries to try and keep the learning curve as easy as possible.
In referring to the Dr. McDougall's January 2005 Newsletter article Pushing Your Setpoint to the Limits: The McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss, Jeff writes:
JeffN wrote: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
Additionally, let's re-look at:
JeffN wrote:A 10-POINT CHECKLIST FOR MAXIMUM WEIGHT LOSS (MWL)
1) Start each meal with a soup and/or salad and/or fruit.
2) Follow the 50/50 plate method for your meals, filling half your plate (by visual volume) with non-starchy vegetables and 50% (by visual volume) with minimally processed starches.
2) Choose fruit for desert.
3) Greatly reduce of eliminate added sugars and added salts. This includes gourmet sugars and salts too. If either is troublesome for you, you can eliminate them.
4) Eliminate all animal foods (dairy, meat, eggs, fish, seafood).
5) Eliminate all higher fat plant foods (i.e., nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, soy).
6) Eliminate any added oil.
7) Eliminate all higher calorie-dense foods including flour products (i.e. bread, bagels, muffins, crackers, dry cereals, cookies, cakes), puffed cereals, air-popped popcorn and dried fruit.
8 ) Don’t drink your calories (especially from juices & sugar-sweetened beverages).
9) Follow these principles, eating whenever you are hungry until you are comfortably full. Don't starve yourself and don't stuff yourself.
10) Avoid being sedentary and aim for at least 30 minutes or more of moderate exercise daily (i.e., brisk walking).
Try to come as close to the guidelines as you are capable. You can do this all at once, or one step at a time, whatever works best for you.
I think this is going to be a great month for weight loss! Best wishes to everyone.
Amy XO
PS. Happy Easter and Passover to those celebrating!
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.