Out of control triglycerides - McDougall change my life

[dturner]

First I wanted to thank everyone resposible for this site. It has changed my life. My Story:
I am 42. I have been struggling with triglycerides at 1000. My weight has been about 30 pounds over ideal and I had stopped daily excercise several years ago. I have tried several diets including ZONE, etc. Several weeks ago my wife brought home a DR. Ornish book which then indirectly linked me to this site and Dr. McDougall. I immediately started the 10 day with the recipes included. At the same time I started daily excercise during lunch.

I wanted to also include a little background on the past 2 years of hell I have gone through with my local Dr. The problem all started when my cholestorel started to climb and I took the first step into what I describe as pure hell (prescribed medication). I started off with the standard list of prescribed meds. All leading to serious side effects which lead to more tests and several ER visits. I finally settled into SIMCOR. After a year on that I began months of vommiting at night and feeling like I was on death door. I am an educated person and never questioned my DR who always told me diet and excercise would never bring down my numbers and that it was all genetic. After years and thousands of dollars in bills I quit. I stopped all meds and within a few weeks felt great. I knew my numbers were still bad so I searched for an answer with diet and exercise, trying to eliminate the obvous that my DR. said was impossible.

The results:
Just got my lab results back after the 10 day and my triglycerides are 109! My HDL has increased and my liver test improved. I suspect HDL and liver will fall in line in time. I never told my DR I stopped her posion. I have an appoinment in a few weeks to enlighten her. I was spending hundreds of dollars a month just on meds and thousands a year on labs and test to try to remedy the side effects with little change in my labs.

Once again I want to thank everyone on this site and Dr. McDougall for providing free recipes and explanations online. I will now be purchasing the recipe books and once again enjoying life. I feel 20 years younger! The medical industry in general is totally flawed. Something has to change!

[Faith in DC]

Way to go. I hope you tell your wife how lucky you are. If she hadn't have opened that door you may have never found us. After your visit, maybe write to Dr. McD and let him know the improvement you made.

[Vegankit]

So sorry you had to suffer before you found this site and the wonderful information. Isn't this a great website? Thanks to dr. McDougall.

[dturner]

I feel guitly for not trying the obvious before meds. This is a great site and Dr. McDougall seems to be one of the few Dr's using common sense. Looking back on all this, it is so obvious that I should have tried diet and exercise first. The thing that trew me was I tried other diets like the zone that seemed really healthy, eating mostly veggies, chicken and fish. but it was not enough for me. Vegan is the way to for me.

Thanks!

[afreespirit]

Wow. Thank you for sharing, and congratulations.

[Love the Lorax]

Very impressive. I just love reading how many people get better with this diet - and to drop your triglycerides from 1000! WOWZA!

[Tazi752000]

I feel guitly for not trying the obvious before meds. This is a great site and Dr. McDougall seems to be one of the few Dr's using common sense. Looking back on all this, it is so obvious that I should have tried diet and exercise first. The thing that trew me was I tried other diets like the zone that seemed really healthy, eating mostly veggies, chicken and fish. but it was not enough for me. Vegan is the way to for me.

Thanks!

Don't feel guilty. From a young age, we learn that doctors should have the answers to our health problems. When we were sick, most of our parents took us to the doctor for medicine which made us magically feel better. I dose of antibiotics when you have pneumonia can make you think your doctor is amazing when you are a child! We learned to rely on them and look up to them for their knowledge. It can be very hard to accept that your doctor may not be right. I spent 4 years in pain and going to doctors, hoping for a cure for my back problems. But it wasn't until I changed my diet and started exercising that I saw results. I too spent thousand of dollars in medicine, doctor, hospital and chiropractor visits which didn't work.

Congratulations on finding something that cured you and being brave enough to go against what your doctor suggested.

[Birdy]

You are not only "an educated person" you are also endowed with good old common sense. What good fortune that your health is improving so rapidly! Thanks for sharing with all of us and I look forward to reading more of your posts.

[slimkat]

Those are phenomenal results--congratulations!
Isn't it amazing that 10 days can change your blood work and your life?!?
Please post after you see your doctor again. You might want to bring a McD book or DVD for her to read/view.

Congratulations!!!



Kat

[Sunshine1]

Would be interesting to know what you were doing and what you changed it to that made such a big difference? may be others can learn from your experience.

[dturner]

Just got back from my follow up visit. My Dr. was really happy to see my numbers go down without the drugs. I give her credit that she did not discourage me. She did say that other Doctors would be offended by not following thier advice "My way or the Highway". Although she never mentioned she discouraged me from trying diet, saying it was all genetics a year ago. I will be tested again in 3 months just to make sure all of the choles. drugs are out of my system and the plant based diet continues to work. She also wants to see if it changes my thyroid numbers. I feel so much better and I changed so little (diet). She kept saying that I am sensitive to prescription meds and that most people have no problem taking them. She missed my point completely. I was hoping she would take what I learned and possibly change her recommendations to people in my situation or do some research for herself.

I was basically 35 pounds overweight and followed the SAD diet eating fish and chicken, milk, etc. I changed to the McDougall eating recommndations and within weeks my number were at the levels I had 20 years ago. Unbelievable. I was on a really bad path that had a slow progression. This is a common sense diet and it's a win-win for your health and environment.

I also mentioned the research I did reading books from Dr. McDougall, Dr. Dean Ornish, Essy, etc and she said she has never heard of them. How sad and how little our primary Dr's understand the human body.

[Faith in DC]

It is. I know mine refuses to believe that diet brought my cholesterol and tris down. She figures it was a lab error the first time.

[dturner]

Just wanted to update my orginal post in case others are struggling with high triglycerides. Try the McDougall Plan!!

I am now about 9 months into the McDougall plan and had another lab for chol., triglycerides, etc. Once again my numbers are very good. This last test came back with total chol. at 170 and triglycerides where well below that. Remember I had consistant triglycerides at 1000. I feel great and have dropped 35 pounds (need to loose about 10 more). MED FREE FOR THE PAST 8 MONTHS!!! My Doctor has completely ignored the fact that the high doses of meds did very little and the McDougall plan had drastic change. Of course I now have very little contact with my Dr.

One thing I have noticed is if I eat diary now (rare) I get really sick. I never had a problem with eating dairy before, but now my system cannot tollerate any diary. Have others had this transformation?

Thanks again Dr. McDougall.

[ncyg46]

I can't eat any dairy either, or oils....or I get very sick. It's wonderful that everything changed to fast for you. My dr. thinks I am crazy but there is always less of me when we go to see him once a year! I really don't care for doctors anymore since none of them even know Dr. McDougall or any of the other people recommending lifestyle medicine instead of drugs! Way to go!

[nicoles]

SO amazing! I am so glad you found this diet and that it worked so very well for you!