by openmind » Sun Feb 01, 2015 8:21 am
I started on the McDougall program in January 2014. I weighed 196 pounds at the time (at 5’ 11 ½”, making me overweight, but not obese), and had been following the program of Dr. Joel Fuhrman inconsistently for 3 years. Under the Furhman program, I had lost significant weight (when I started the Furhman program, I weighed 207 pounds), but I found the guidelines of the program difficult to follow and my compliance with it was declining over time.
Then I heard Dr. McDougall on Coast to Coast AM with George Noory in November 2013 and had a big ‘aha’ moment. Dr. McDougall’s Starch Solution program seemed simpler and easier to follow, so I decided to start on it with the New Year in 2014.
The results have been more than I hoped for. I now weigh 170 pounds, for a total loss of 26 pounds, which puts me in the normal body weight category.
Furthermore, on the McDougall program my total blood cholesterol has dropped from 177 down to 129 (LDL dropped from 90 to 68). My blood pressure has also dropped from high normal to the upper edge of normal. My goal is to get my blood pressure in the ‘excellent’ range by losing a few more pounds.
The unbelievable part for me is that I have lost this much weight and improved my biometrics without ever counting a calorie, going hungry or worrying about portion size.
In addition to reading the Starch Solution, some resources that have really helped me along in this program :
1. Listening to the interviews and talks of Dr. McDougall, Jeff Novick, Doug Lisle and Alan Goldhamer on YouTube over and over again.
2. Buying Jeff Novick’s Fast Food Volume 1- this has been critical in ensuring I don’t fall into the habit of going to Taco Bell when I absolutely don’t feel like spending more than a few minutes cooking.
3. Spending time in this forum McDougall Friends FB page, most importantly to get a feel for simple recipes that people here are using to make this program work.
If there’s one key that has made the program work, it is simplicity. I am a busy person, as is my wife, and we don’t have time to do a lot of meal planning. So we have a limited menu that is based on brown rice, beans, white potatoes, Japanese sweet potatoes and fruits and vegetables. Do I miss the rich foods I used to eat? Not really- thanks to Dr. McDougall's description of the number of puss cells contained in dairy products, nachos with melted cheese kind of grosses me out now.
One final benefit of adopting this WOE is that my overall mood is better and I feel more centered and balanced. Even stress at work doesn’t bother me much anymore. No matter what else is going on in my life regarding finances, relationships etc., I am finally eating the food my body was designed to eat. Sometimes I even think to myself, 'Woo hoo, I finally got my food right!'
I would highly recommend this WOE to anyone. Thank you Dr. McDougall, Jeff, Doug and Alan!