Need some encouragement

[gingerlemongirl]

I've been on the McDougall plan for two weeks today. I know that isn't a long time, but I haven't seen a lot of results scale wise and it's kind of discouraging. I have started exercising about 30 minutes a day, today is the 4th day I have consistently exercised so that's awesome for me. I also received a comment on my blog yesterday, which while I was expecting to hear something like it soon... it's frustrating none the less here are the comments:


"Have you done any research on how carbohydrates are linked to high cholesterol. Get thyself to a naturopath who can coach you on the right foods to eat. It's not the protein but the *sugar* coming from rice (brown or white), fruit like bananas, legumes, potatoes ---number one evil for sugar (potatoes are worse for you than eating plain sugar) corn and corn products. You won't find the answers in conventional eating. You really gotta step outside and find a true student of healthful nutrition to guide you. I hope you can use this information to help you to health. It's changed everything for me.

Carrie, I meant to mention as well that there are things far beyond diet that have an effect on high blood pressure. I was on two kinds of meds for about five years (I'm 45 now)after my second child was born. I tried, just like you, to get avoid the medication, but nothing was working until I saw a naturopath. The wholistic approach looks for what is *causing* the problem in contrast to conventional medicine which only treats the *symptoms*. It turns out it was my adrenals. I've been off of meds for three years now and take things to support my adrenal system and I do not have high bp. I'm still overweight, I'm working really hard on the sugar, but I'm so much healthier than I used to be. Remember that books are written for the masses and you are an individual. You need someone who can see you and you alone to help you figure out this health issue. I've been sucked in for too long by this book, those Juice Plus pills, those magnets (actually, some of the magnet products do work for me) that research. My naturopath is wise and helps lead me and my family through this minefield of food and health. Best to you...Julie"

-- I realize the good intentions of this person, but it's also frustrating to hear. I've TRIED high protein low carb diets in the past and they absolutely didn't work for me. I usually lost a few pounds the first few weeks, but after that i'd gain it back plus a few more...

How do you respond when people say things like this to you about your diet?

Did anyone else have trouble losing the weight at the beginning? You just didn't see it coming off?? What did you do to increase weight loss?

Carrie
http://veganpeas.blogspot.com

[Letha.]

Hi Carrie,
When you post in a journal here on the McDougall forum, most of the folks who read it are going to be familiar with the basic concepts of a starch based diet so you won’t see this kind of feedback. But if you’re going to do an open blog on BlogSpot, you’ve got to expect a lot of your readers will believe that carbohydrates are bad. If you just want to share your experience to get support and encouragement you could limit who has access to your blog. If you’d like to use your blog to encourage and educate others, then you could use a comment like this as an opportunity to share the truth. For example, you might ask the person who commented for scientific evidence that potatoes are worse than eating plain sugar. And you could post all kinds of information about the wonderful qualities of potatoes. McDougall’s books & newsletters have huge numbers of references to support his dietary guidelines and you can share those references with others to help them analyze the facts and make informed decisions. For example:

http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2008nl/may/potato.htm

Best wishes.
Letha

[gingerlemongirl]

Thank you Letha -- I know to expect these kinds of comments as I've been blogging a long time..I just needed some encouragement today and somewhere to vent. Thank you.

[sksamboots]

All I have to say , is if you want results you have to stick with it. And you have to loose all your expectations about fast weight loss. If your looking for fast weight loss than Mcdougall isn't for you. If your looking for health and weight loss as a bonus, than this is for you!

PS: I didn't lose weight for like 3 weeks, then it just started falling slowly off.... Good luck!

[ladynnred1]

I agree that the idea people drop weight instanteously is, alas, not realistic. Stick with it for health! We didn't 'find' it that quickly so we won't 'lose' it that way.
Cynthia

[MaryW]

When I first started posting on this site, I actually GAINED. That was discouraging, but I know this program works, so I stuck with it and the weight has slowly come off. Everyone is different, but for me, I usually have a fairly big loss (a couple of pounds) then smaller losses and even a small gain or two before I lose again. But the general trend is downward, and that's what counts.

You might find the same thing is true for you. You've only been on the plan for 2 weeks, so you might also see a large drop in the next week or two. Other people see a huge drop the first week and then no losses for another week or two. Just give your body (and yourself!) time to adjust. And one of your main goals is to improve your cholesterol and triglycerides. That takes time too. Sticking to this plan is the best way to bring down ALL of you numbers (including your weight). Don't worry, you'll get there!

And as for that person who commented on your blog..."You really gotta step outside and find a true student of healthful nutrition to guide you." You HAVE found a student of healthful nutrition, and his name is John McDougall!

[ncyg46]

we went out camping this weekend and it was a geocaching event. The guy that was running it had to be at least 300 lbs. We all met for dinner on Saturday nite at a local restaurant and he ordered a 20 oz prime rib, ate the entire tables bread basket, bummed pizza from another couple that was sharing it, ate his salad, and left his baked potato since it was bad carbs....

If you a blogging on the internet, I would ignore comments like that and just do McDougall..or like they said, inform people of the right way! Dr. McDougall knows his stuff and it works! I am NOT here to lose weight but I have cut all my meds considerably and feel great. I am almost 63 and doing good even with a few things off plan...so stick with it and you will feel healthier! And vent all you want! Oh and I went to the 3 day Celebrity Chef Weekend last year and did gain 4 lbs from all the eating!!! lol! Came right off though after I stopped making those recipes! Hang in there!!!!!!

[Griffin]

I'd like to give you some encouragement but it's not exactly what you are looking for. I read your blog and I know exactly why you are not seeing results you'd like to.

You are figuring that the switch to veganism should take care of the weightloss all by itself. I think you will find that there are plenty of overweight vegans who really didn't lose weight until they followed McDougall -- specifically maximum weight loss McD.

In reading your meals, nearly every meal, and at a minimum, nearly every day, you let something slip that is not McD friendly -- and most certainly not MWL friendly. From the fat in the hummus to the fat in the beans and the fried chips, rice milk (is it fat free?), tofu, coconut ice cream, etc, etc.

I'm not trying to give you a hard time but those things add up. It's really not fair to say you aren't getting results unless you are actually doing the program.

You want to show the commenters on your blog they are wrong? Lose a bunch of weight by eating potatoes....that'll show 'em.

If you actually read and follow MWL, you really can't help but lose weight. If you just eat as a vegan, you will most likely be healthier than you were but you may never see the changes you want to see.

[ncyg46]

ncyg46 What is geocaching? I have a friend who does that or is into that or whatever, but I dont want to ask her. dont want to feel stupid. guess I feelmore comfortable with you

Deb

go to www.geocaching.com and enter any zipcode in the world and you will see how many are in the area. You use a gps handheld and load the caches into it and they list the latitude and longitude and then you go out and find them....they are in various places rated from 1 to 5 in difficulty and you just have to find the container. Sometimes they are a virtual where nothing is there but you have to read the info since you can't put anything out in a National Park, or an ammo box or container, or a microcache where it is attached to like a guardrail on the freeway or something. You sign the logbook, and go to back to the website to log it in. It takes you to places you would never find otherwise! We have had some funny experiences!

The ammo boxes have a bunch of junk in them, you can take something and leave something or just sign the log..it's just fun and it gets you out walking....aside from these months where it is too hot and there are rattlesnakes out there!!!!! I once got out of the truck in Pahrump Nevada and looked at 15 burros staring at me....but they didn't bother us!

[WishIWasInBuffalo]

Focus on being healthy, not weight loss. The weight loss will follow from striving to eat healthy. Also, read the September thread as there is a post that sums up the program rather well.

Whole grains, veggies and some fruit. It says 1 cup of beans, but I *think* that's a maximum, not a minimum. I opt for no beans as the higher starch diet helps to make a difference with regard to my depression/OCD. I also need less sleep which I don't eat beans. Protein is overrated in IMHO. The more a food is processed, the less like it is MWLP friendly. Try just buying food in the produce section along with whole grains. Nothing from anywhere else. It takes awhile to get past missing vegan treats, but that's what they are (treats, not necessities) and try to treat fruit as your dessert or treat. Fruit is nature's candy!

Also, weight takes awhile to put on, and can take awhile to lose. Don't be so hard on yourself and relax.