Dr. McDougall's Online Discussion Board

Hi
So, I am a newbie and I would love some help please! I have read all the books, watched all the documentaries. I have been veganish for about a year. I decided to start the Mcdougall fast weight loss plan last week. I start my mornings with spinach or roasted brussel sprouts. For lunch I have a homemade quinoa salad, dinner brown rice and beans with veggies, snacks are 1-2 fruits or raw vegetables. I use no oils, no sugar, no nuts or seeds, no animals products. I drink at least 2 litres of water a day and peppermint tea. I am also hypothyroid. I have been enjoying the program so far. I weighed myself before I started and weighed myself this week for some encouragement....I gained 2lbs. Help???

You didn't say whether you are overweight, and if so, by how much. What's your height and weight? How much weight, if any, are you trying to lose?

Reason I ask is, the more weight you have to lose, the faster and easier it should come off. And if you're already close to your target weight, weight loss typically gets slower and more difficult. Knowing which situation you're in would help.

Also, just curious - why 2+ liters of water a day? That's a lot of water.

Hi
I am 5’5 and 237 lbs. I drink a lot of water purely out of habit. I realize that drinking that much is not required, I just thought it would speed things up.

It may not be relevant but retaining water can cause my weight to increase 2-3 pounds in a couple days. For me the cause is usually taking any kind of NSAID (including aspirin) or eating more salt than normal.

Thanks. One thing I notice right away - no starch at breakfast. That's not doing the McDougall diet.

You need to give it a chance before you conclude it's not working.

That means building all meals around starches. Not veggies or fruit.

Starches are foods such as oats, potatoes, rice, bread, pasta.

Dr. McDougall's book, The Starch Solution, has the full story. Check it out again.

I am reading your posts and wishing I had a suggestion. Mostly, I think a week is not much time to tell what's happening. I hope you continue on the diet and then keep us posted with what you are doing and what your results are. Then, if you still need help, maybe we'll have more ideas. Having starch for breakfast is a good change for now. Also, how do you feel? Overfull? Constantly hungry? Just right?
This diet, over the long term, is highly likely to work for almost anyone, especially for weight loss. If you find yourself losing momentum, read some of the Star McDougallers' stories.

stick with it. enjoy the food. add a short 30 min walk most days of the week. it works eventually, plus your internal health is improving.

One more piece of advice: Don't mix and match programs. So if you're doing Dr McDougall's program, don't also get advice from others. They often conflict, and you'll end up confused.

Instead, give 1 program a fair trial - say, 6 months. Then you can see whether it works for you.

Don't be disappointed yet. If you were not eating starch at breakfast, you were not doing the McDougall diet. So it has not let you down. Give it a fair trial. I also recommend getting a copy of Dr. McD's The Starch Solution book. It has plenty of good suggestions for a starch-based breakfast.