Is this normal?

[seestorcoo]

Hi there! I want to celebrate - I started sneaking up on McDougal in mid-December and went on it seriously on January 5th and in that time, I've lost 31 lbs with next to no effort. Is it really this easy? Does it continue to be this easy?

[hope101]

Wow! Just wow, seestorcoo, that is amazing! I can't really give you my perspective on that rapid a weight loss as I am not far from my goal and for me it goes slowly, but I just wanted to congratulate you on your efforts and early success.

I can tell you that in general the more a person has to lose the faster it comes off. Most people do hit a plateau for at least a few weeks at various times, but if that happens to you just come here with your questions and there are lots of people with experience to help you tweak your eating plant.

Anyway, awesome job!

[Nettie]

Congratulations! That's amazing! Keep up the good work. And, yes, it really is that easy. I've lost 60 pounds since September, with no time to exercize. All that poo-poo in the media on avoiding carbohydrates - it's all wrong. We love our potatoes and rice and beans...They make us THIN!
Nettie

[happyalyssa]

Huge congrats to you! Or should I say "shrinking grats!" Oh I'm so silly

Anyway you must have made quite the changes to your diet! I'm sure your body will thank you in the long run I'm no doctor but you may want to do some research on losing weight too fast, but like was mentioned before, the heavier you are the more you'll lose at first, so it my not necessarily be a bad thing... but at the same time always better safe then sorry! In any case, don't give up the McDougall program, it is amazing for good health, and not just weight loss!

But, yeah, keep hanging out on these boards and do keep sharing your successes! Other people have been a huge inspiration in obtaining my own goals and I thank you

Alyssa

[seestorcoo]

Thanks all for your kind comments. I am pretty heavy so that might be why I'm losing so fast. I also found out that my blood pressure has gone from 130/85 down to 101/62 - whoohoo! I have really done some soul searching this time and tried to come out of denial about my weight. I'm trying to attack it on all angles - group support, computer support, food diary, healthy reward system, changing my words - I realized that saying that I "lost weight" implies that I want it back so I'm trying to remember to say that I am "releasing" weight. Thanks again for your support.

[stephanie]

I love your new term of "releasing" the weight rather than losing it. I find that with health, as with all things, my self-talk makes all the difference in the world. One of my favorite quotations is from Proverbs 23:7..."As a man thinketh, so shall he be." I think that our thoughts are so powerful that they literally shape what happens in our lives, so having the most healthy, nurturing thoughts is so important. (BTW, even though this really belongs more in the "recommended books" thread that's been going in another part of the forum, I have found Lynn Grabhorn's book "Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting," which deals with this idea of the impact of our thoughts, to be very enlightening, even though I haven't finished it yet.)

I hope this shift in perspective (from "losing" to "releasing") makes a big difference for you. Best wishes!

Stephanie

[PamM]

Hi Seestorcoo,

Those are some amazing results!! Congrats too on your bp drop -- that's great. Would you mind sharing some specifics about what you typically eat and how you exercise?

And -- I have to ask this, cuz it *does* make a difference -- you aren't a boy by any chance, are you??

Thanks! Pam

[L]

I had the same questions Pam had. Great job! Please post again!
L
(Laurie)

[seestorcoo]

Hi again. To answer your questions - I'm not a boy - I'm a 41 year old woman who started out at 323 at 5'7". Quite big but still functional. I've always lost weight easily when I've changed my eating habits - lucky I guess - but changing them for more than a couple of weeks, theres the rub. I'm 33 days and counting on McDougall (plus the practice meals I did before starting). I stick mostly to the 12 day plan but allow myself food that is not technically McDougall if it is low/no fat and vegan i.e. pasta and rice boxed meals like Zatarains Jambalaya. I probably stay below 5g fat/day and definitely below 10. I try to make sure I eat at least 3 kinds of "real" vegies a day - broccoli, cabbage, etc - and then of course, all the starches I want. I took a couple of "days off" after the first 12 days but was extremely well behaved with them - and have had one other day off since then. I spotted that my "days off" were getting closer together and so stopped that promptly - I refuse to sneak up on failure here. I eat bread but try to limit it to 1-2 servings a day and have not replaced my last loaf because I felt like I abused it. I'm really trying to be extremely honest with myself about my behaviors - every time I fail at a diet, I get fatter and at 323, thats starting to get dangerous. Exercise - I have been letting myself approach it naturally as I get more energy from the good diet. I was very sedentary because of my life (I'm a full time student plus have a mostly sit down full time job = not much time for exercise). I've gone from almost no exercise to a 20 minute walk 2-3 times a week and then tonight (tadum!!!) I started my very first belly dancing class. Of course, I was the only middle aged fat woman in the class but it was doable and fun too. So, that's it - I don't think I do anything special. I've been fat all my life and struggle with the concept that I could change that permanently but I just keep looking for stories and pictures of people that have lost more than 100 pounds so I remind myself it can be done. Of course, nice comments from people like you all help too!

[happyalyssa]

If you haven't already seen these, try checking out the Star McDougallers pages http://drmcdougall.com/star.html There's a pulldown menu on the right hand side that says "Jump to Story."

It is a good place to find a lot of inspiration I read their stories again whenever I'm feeling like I need a mental boost. It is very inspiring, and humbling, to know that people who've had it far worse than me have come so far in regaining their health. If someone can reverse heart disease, I should surely be able to lose 55 lbs (for example).

I saw your triathalon post and agree with you there, though I haven't any experience with it myself. I've been setting small goals for myself though and I would LOVE to be able to run for 15-30 minutes this spring without feeling like I'm going to die. I haven't been able to do that since I was a kid.

[Sunny]

Congratulations on your weight loss, that is fabulous. Keep up the good work. You will find alot of friendly support here. Keep us posted.

[PamM]

Hi Seestorcoo --

Thanks for anwering my nosy questions. Wow -- now I'm even more impressed. You sound so strong about it all, and so clear (tho believe me, I know from my own experience how that can slip away, so I understand and applaud your vigilance!!).

FWIW, I'm a 90-lb loser -- not quite 100, but durn close. It absolutely *can* be done! And it makes you a whoooole new person.

Keep going!! Keep telling us and letting us cheer you on!!
Pam

[grangran7]

I'm about a month into McDougalling and have been reading through posts just to see how it's working for everyone else who wants to lose weight. Your posts are from some time ago. How are you doing now? I started out needing to lose 100 pounds (that was about a month ago) and now have 88 to go. You sure had a good start. Hope you were able to stay with McDougall and it's still working for you. I can't believe how much better I feel physically and mentally too. I'm never hungry or if I get hungry I know there's always a potato that I can eat. I've never eaten so many potatoes in my life.

[f1jim]

She's got a journal page going to track her progress so check out her other thread.
Both of you are doing super and while I have been doing this for 2 years hearing your stories keeps me motivated and convinced of the effectiveness of this plan. Good luck to both of you and thanks for sharing the message.
f1jim

[seestorcoo]

How strange to read my entry from so long ago. Grangran - I've been up and down on this thing as far as compliance goes but I've pretty continued to lose (albeit very slowly at times) and just hit 100 lbs. If I had stayed 100% from the beginning, it wouldn't have taken 2 1/2 years but we all have our paths. I'm 100% now and expect things to go more quickly. Probably have 60 or more lbs to go. This program works if you work it. Jim, Bob, Letha, Nettie and others are 100%ers that are very supportive and always ready with some advice. Good luck with your journey and congratulations on your weight loss so far.