April 2020 McDougall MWL Weigh-In Thread

[Mark Cooper]

A very warm welcome to the April 2020 Weigh-In thread for Dr. McDougall's Maximum Weight Loss Program!

This is a weekly weigh-in group for those wanting to follow the Maximum Weight Loss (MWL) program. MWL is a minimally processed starch-based diet that is low in fat, low in calorie density and low in added sugars and salt. MWL is the simplest, easiest, most effective path to achieve your weight management and health goals.

Please familiarize yourself with the MWL Guidelines and the MWL 10-Point Checklist. These serve as the textbook for this group, and represent the program we will follow exclusively within this group. The accountability and support we provide is in understanding and implementing these guidelines. If there is any confusion or question on any issue, just ask and Jeff, Lyndzie, Wildgoose, or I will answer.

Regarding the book, The McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss; while the book is helpful, it was updated with the guidelines provided in the January 2005 newsletter and has been further condensed into the MWL 10-Point Checklist, which together provide the most current program information. You do not need to buy the book.

Weight loss is an outcome contingent on behaviors; to change that outcome, it is necessary to change those behaviors. The most effective behaviors for achieving healthy, sustainable weight loss are outlined in the MWL 10-Point Checklist. In this group, our focus is on bringing our behaviors into adherence with the MWL 10-Point Checklist, not just our weight change from one week to the next. While we do recommend participating in the weekly weigh-in and reporting your weight change (up or down), the MWL program is not about rapid weight loss, but rather establishing a pattern of behavior and a way of living that produces steady, healthy, and lasting weight loss.

Weigh-ins are on Friday; participants have until noon PST on Saturday to report your result for that week. If you choose to participate in the weekly weigh-ins, please post your report in the following format -

Weight change +/- in lbs
Points from the MWL Checklist where I succeeded this week
Points from the MWL Checklist that need greater attention
General impressions & observations / resources to share / sources of excitement / requests for input & support

Please post a new report each week. All group members are encouraged to post regardless of whether they have a gain, loss or no change to report.

Our goal is for you to learn the program, enjoy the food and change your lifestyle. The average weight loss at the McDougall 10-Day Live-in Program is 3.5 lbs in 7 days; the first week is when the majority of people have their largest weekly weight loss. The average over time is about 1% of your current weight.

This thread is intended for the mutual support of all who wish to participate. We encourage members of the group to converse openly with each other.

To anyone considering joining the group -

THERE IS NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT!

You are very welcome to jump aboard, just be sure to review the information in this introduction, and post below to introduce yourself. For all our returning members, give yourself a pat on the back for continuing to show up and put in the work! I can't promise that it will be easy, but I DO promise that it is worth it. I will do my very best to be present here periodically throughout the week to welcome new members, respond to questions, and share resources; thank you so much to Lindsey and Wildgoose who have volunteered to help out and jump in when they are able.

Our continuing focus for April is on taking action in accordance with the following ten points -

A 10-Point Checklist for Maximum Weight Loss

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. Choose fruit for dessert.
3. Greatly reduce or 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).

Your plate should look like this - For example,


I strongly recommend using the MWL 10-Point Checklist on at least a weekly (or daily) basis to bring to your attention the areas that may hinder your progress. The more you are willing to use it in your own life, the more success you are likely to have.

An essential resource for everyone to review is Jeff Novick's presentation on the principle of calorie density -

Calorie Density: How To Eat More, Weigh Less and Live Longer

Watching this video is one of the best ways to come to a clear understanding of the concepts embodied in the MWL program, and it will likely answer MANY questions and help alleviate confusion.

In addition to participating here, I would highly recommend you all consider starting a journal in the My Daily Menus & Journals forum. These journals can be really helpful in keeping track of your progress over time and they also help other members to learn from your experiences.

If you are in need of recipe ideas, the recipe section of Dr. McDougall's website has a category for MWL, filled with delicious recipes from Alu Gobi to Zucchini Corn Salad. If you prefer something extremely easy and affordable, try Jeff's SNAP meal template. If you would like to share recipes in this thread -

• Please do not post or recommend a recipe unless you yourself have made it and tried it.
• Only post recipes that conform to the MWL guidelines.
• If you have adapted a recipe to meet the MWL guidelines, please clearly list any needed adaptations.

This month's first weigh-in is on Friday, April 3, 2020.

I wish you all a successful and health-supporting April!


April 2020 RESOURCES
This section will be updated throughout the month with links to useful resources, as they are added to the thread.

MWL 10-Point Checklist
MWL Program Guidelines
Calorie Density: How To Eat More, Weigh Less and Live Longer
MWL Recipes
SNAP Meal Template

1- 28 oz Can No Salt Added Tomatoes
1- 16 oz Bag Frozen Mixed Veggies (any type)
1- 4 oz Frozen Green Leafy Vegetables (collard, turnip, mustard, etc)
1- Around 200-250 Calories of a Cooked Starch (Brown rice, Yam, Potato, WW Pasta, etc)
1- Seasoning (to your preference)

200- 250 Calories Of Starch options
~ 1.25 to 1.5 Medium Potatoes
~ 1.25 to 1.5 Cups (Cooked) Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
~ 1 to 1.25 Cups (Cooked) Brown Rice

The Road to Success: Creating Healthy Habits
The Pleasure Trap: Dr. Doug Lisle at TedxFremont
How to Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind with Dr. Doug Lisle
Dr. Doug Lisle on The Ego Trap
Dr. Doug Lisle: The Story of Willpower – What it Is & How it Works
Dr. Lisle's Three Top Tips for Dietary Success
Jeff Novick, RD - Nutrition & Health FAQ: Answers To The Most Asked Questions

[Mark Cooper]

Given that many of our daily lives have been affected by COVID-19, I thought I would share a short compilation of relevant resources from various posts on the discussion board -

A Letter From The McDougall Team on CoVID-19
Dr. McDougall’s Self-Help Approach to Saving Yourself from COVID-19 -video
Dr. McDougall Answers Questions on COVID-19 and Mary Provides Practical Tips -video
Jeff Novick - Re: COVID-19 preparation - ordering in bulk
Jeff Novick - Staying in Shape when Sheltering at Home

I also want to head into April 2020 by posing a few questions -

Will you take steps right now and throughout the month of April to support your health, well-being and weight loss goals? Do you have a plan to make it as easy as possible to adhere to the behaviors needed to build toward your goals? What challenges do you anticipate, and how might you deal with them? Is your immediate environment as supportive of your goals as you are able to make it?

Try a simple experiment - spend the next 4 weeks diligently adhering to the MWL 10-Point Checklist to the best of your ability, under your current circumstances. You might just be surprised where you end up.

[moonlight]

Thank you, Mark, for all the good information!! It is so inspiring!

I've decided to make a schedule out for this next week. The days are running together. I'm not working at my regular job so I don't have a regular routine. I need to plan exercise!! I've been getting outside quite a bit walking in the woods, etc. but no real cardio workout - plenty of Vitamin D, though!

Take care.

I hope everyone has a great week.

[Mark Cooper]

I've decided to make a schedule out for this next week. The days are running together. I'm not working at my regular job so I don't have a regular routine. I need to plan exercise!! I've been getting outside quite a bit walking in the woods, etc. but no real cardio workout - plenty of Vitamin D, though!

I think making a "health-supporting lifestyle" schedule for the week is an AWESOME idea! If you feel comfortable sharing what your schedule looks like, please do.

[Veganjo]

Thank you Mark for all the information you posted here! This is a great idea!
I am signing up for the April weigh-in.

[NateKruse]

Hello Everyone!

My name is Nate. I’ve been following Dr. McDougall since 2015 and even attended an advanced study weekend in 2016. I haven’t been completely strict with his way of eating and let my weight creep back up, gaining over 50 pounds from a low of 226.2 pounds on 10 July 2019 to my record high weight of 276.6 pounds on 03 January 2020. For reference I am 6’5” tall. Looking at those dates it is obvious what happened. I went on vacation on 11 July 2019 and more or less abandoned healthy eating. I had even started frequenting a local buffet. This yo-yo cycle of weight loss from the McDougall plan followed by weight gain from introducing food from the standard American diet must stop.

I’ve made improvements this year and have been following the McDougall Maximum Weight Loss Program for the last 33 days. My weight has fluctuated slightly the last couple of days. I suspect it’s from the differences between the new guidelines and what is in the book. I’ve been eating plenty of air popped popcorn and rice cakes.

I look forward to sharing my progress with you and supporting others along the way.

[Mark Cooper]

Veganjo - Welcome to the group! I'm glad you decided to "sign-up" and join us this!

NateKruse - I think the pattern you're describing is not at all atypical for many people - a period of successful adherence, followed by less focused attention on our health-supporting behaviors, and sometimes a near total relapse. From my perspective, a key thing to recognize is that those detours ideally teach us how much we have to lose by not attending to our health and behavior pattern over time. SUCCESS = ADHERENCE + TIME. This group can be a great place to gain confidence in putting the necessary level of adherence into practice in a way that fits your personal life situation. If I'm reading your comments correctly, you've already noticed the ways in which the plan has been updated to match current knowledge, but to clarify for anyone reading along -

Neither air-popped popcorn, nor rice cakes are recommended for MWL, as they are calorie-dense (~1757 calories / pound) and provided "vanishing perceived satiety," since most of their volume comes from air.

9. Vanishing Perceived Satiety
Foods that fall into this category appear to be high in satiety due to their large volume but are actually high in calorie density and low in satiety. This is because they are dry foods with their volume coming from air as opposed to water (which decreases calorie density and increases satiety). For example, cooked brown rice (high water content) is 560 calories/lb and brown rice cakes (high air content) are 1760 calories/lb, an over three-fold difference. On a WFPB diet, foods that have vanishing perceived satiety include air-popped popcorn, rice cakes and puffed cereals.

I'm delighted to have you join the group, and look forward to your participation!

[dawndebus]

Thanks! I would like to be apart of the weight loss forum and do the weekly weigh ins.
I only have 5lbs to lose and the support to maintain my ideal weight.
I already feel so much better from this plan and my clothes are finally starting to fit better.
I think with the combo of this plan and regular exercise I will maintain my ideal weight.
Thank you

[Mark Cooper]

dawndebus - Welcome to the group, and congratulations on already seeing some noticeable results! Feeling better is certainly one of the greatest rewards.

[Faith in DC]

I am in. I am long time follower of mcd but frankly haven't gotten on this site in ages. Thanks for posting this. I need something else to focus on.

[Gracie2020]

Thought this would be an ideal time to get serious about cleaning up my diet since virtually all of my meals will have to be prepared at home during this coven-19 crisis! I also think I need some accountability so this forum is ideal. I’m 66 years old and have been eating a plant based diet for about 7 years. I feel great and function well. My weakness is refined carbs and those convenience vegan meat substitutes. I lost no weight when I transitioned to the plant based diet but I also did not gain any either. For my height I estimate I should be 15 lbs lighter. Let’s see how well I can follow that 10 point plan!

[Mark Cooper]

Faith in DC - Welcome! I've certainly found it helpful to focus on things I can control (like my personal daily behaviors in adhering to the MWL 10-Point Checklist), particularly since I have very little agency over what is happening in the ongoing crisis.

Gracie2020 - I'm glad you decided to join us; I think you are right - what better time than now! Those calorie-dense baked goods and vegan substitutes can definitely sometimes work against weight loss and health goals. Jeff has an excellent discussion of meat replacements - Beyond Meat or Beyond Health? A Step in the Wrong Direction

[goose11057]

Hi Everyone,

Would like to join this weight loss group. I certainly need to lose some weight and change my eating habits. There is no time like the present. I do have some challenges in that we are snow birds away for winter with no access to a scale. Also in the process of trying to get home considering the corona virus. Will try my best.
Be safe and be healthy
Rich

[varora]

Thanks, Mark. I am in and looking forward to losing 5 pounds

[Mark Cooper]

goose11057 - Welcome, Rich! If you are unable to access a scale, just concentrate on your pattern of behavior and choose foods / assemble meals that adhere to the MWL 10-Point Checklist. Please feel very welcome to still participate in the Friday "weigh-in," just evaluate your success & challenges for the week with respect to the principles of MWL embodied in the checklist.

varora - Excellent! I'm glad to have you.