Today's The Day

[jams]

I had my last meal of flesh with a Crossiant and a Cup of tea at 11:53pm. I've been doing alot of research on how I can safely, effectively lose the 120lbs my knees, chest aches and pains tell me I need to lose. I have a 2 year old and the best husband in the world and want more for them and me. I want that elusive promotion; yes I know it's been said that losing weight, changing your hair doesn't change your life but I want the opportunity to know for myself. I've been overweight since I was 14...I'm now 38...WOW! that's pretty embarrassing to write. Sigh!!! I want another child but at my age I can't risk putting a child throught this weight challenge. Yadda Yadda...I think McDougall's MWL will the the best route to lose the weight. As a former Vegan...in my 20's, I was what the Dr described as "overweight Veg". So I've spent the last week looking for a team of people with similar goals. My hubby thinks he's a vegan by eating Animals that eat veg! Atlast; I'm the funny one in this relationship. BACK TO THIS...I NEED YOUR help...I know being prepared is the the best thing you could be.I have a great Oriental Market across the street so Fresh Veg should be no problem..are you still reading...Then I really need you ! Can you help me out. Weekly I'll log my weight loss hopefully no gain and if you Stars are able to provide advise I would appreciate it.

My first question....What is the easiest thing to have for breakfast? I'm usually running out of the house with out anything and am pretty starved by 10am.

2. Can I really go without Juice....Or COKE????????

3. How are you able to workout with only 6hrs sleep. Today is a holiday in Canada That's why I'm still up.

4. If not Soy Milk; what do you eat your cereal with? I picked up some Rice Milk....Is this okay?

Please Pray for Me! Have a great Vegan Week

[Joe in CO]

Jams,

I have been McDougalling off and on for about 10 years now and when I started this time I was about 180 lbs overweight (365). On the one hand, I am certainly not the posterchild for McDougalling, but on the other, I probably have some unique insight to some of your problems.

The good news is that since you are 120 lbs over, you will probably not have to do much at this point to start and maintain a decent weight decline. At my weight I notice that if I attempt to adhere (even slightly) to McDougall two or three days a week, I can loose at least 2-3 lbs a week. I have currently been "McDougall-minded" for the last 6 weeks and have went from 365 to 329. Though I won't be entering a marathon anytime soon, I will say that I do feel much better.

Before I run off course too far, let me answer your questions:

1. What is the easiest thing to have for breakfast?

I eat 2-3 packets of Quaker instant Oatmeal for breakfast. It's fast, it tastes good, and it is 100% better for you than an Egg McMuffin. I'm a very busy person, and I have tried to do the organic, whole food, make your own the hard way oatmeal... I can't stick with it! I buy the large 40 packet box of Maple & Brown Sugar from Sam's Club so it is VERY inexpensive.

2. Can I really go without Juice....Or COKE?

Yes you can, but I don’t. I still drink Coke (regular not diet), but I have reduced my intake. I normally drink tea (sweetened), and when I’m feeling particularly motivated I try to limit myself to water.

3. How are you able to workout with only 6hrs sleep. Today is a holiday in Canada That's why I'm still up.

Everybody is different as far as how much sleep or exercise they get. I will start by saying that for the most part, the more that you can get of both the better, but once again I’m not the posterchild. I probably get around 5-7 hours of sleet a night and I do not have a regular exercise program. Most of my exercise comes from jumping to conclusions . But seriously, I do try to take walks with my family 2-3 times a week and I just bought a new house so there are many chores I do that get my heart pumping. The thing to keep in mind is that the vicious circle works both ways. As you gain weight you don’t feel like doing anything so you get less exercise and as you loose weight you feel better and want to do more, so you get more exercise. I enjoy the family walks much more now than I did 6 weeks ago.

4. If not Soy Milk; what do you eat your cereal with? I picked up some Rice Milk....Is this okay?

I LOVE cereal and milk, but the one thing that I do try to completely stay away from when I am McDougalling is milk. I use vanilla flavored Rice Dream. It doesn’t taste like milk, but it does taste good. I find that I am just as happy with it when I mix it half-and-half with water, so you may want to give that a try.


Now back to my ramblings:

The main thing I would want to get across to you is that McDougalling is NOT an “all or nothing” proposition. I have a bit of an anal-retentive nature so I’m the type that if I’m going to do something I want to do it TO THE LETTER, but I have found that to be counterproductive for me when it comes to eating. When I try to stick “to the letter”, I find that when I don’t; I get mad at myself, I get depressed, and I eat.

Though I am fully convinced that if you completely adhered to MWL you would feel better and lose weight faster, I have found that making any positive change is a great step towards your final goal. As an example I will tell you that my wife has had a difficult time with the total-vegan concept and over the 8 years we have been together, every time we start McDougalling she has felt very deprived. Given this problem, when we starting this time, we made an agreement that 1-2 times a week we would have a starch-centered meal that included some type of meat. So far this has been a rice/been dish with 1 piece of steak or chicken divided between the two of us (probably about 4-6 oz each). Although this may seem like blasphemy to some, it sure beats me eating a 16 oz steak all by myself 2-3 times a week. This type of approach may even help with your husband.

I hope this helps,

Joe

[TominTN]

Hi, Jams. Welcome!

My first question....What is the easiest thing to have for breakfast? I'm usually running out of the house with out anything and am pretty starved by 10am.

I eat steel cut oats cooked with cinnamon (apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice work too) and no salt. KarenInTN cooks up a 4 cup pot for us every three days (2 cup dry oats, 4 cups water, cooked until it thickens). It lives in the refrigerator and we cut the two cups into 6 2/3 cup slices. Along with my oats, I have a 1 lb bag of frozen fruit (strawberries, or peaches, or cherries), a fresh banana, and ground flax seed.

This keeps me very satisfied from 7:30 am when i eat it until 10:30 am or so, when signal inquiring about lunch start getting through to the brain.

I have found that I can cook regular rolled oats in the microwave in about two minutes. 1/2 cup dry oats, 1 cup water in a large mug or bowl. Put it in the microwave on high for two minutes. I like to stir in some brown sugar for flavor.

2. Can I really go without Juice....Or COKE????????

Of course you can, if you want to. Many of us do. Are you aware that a 12 ounce can of Coke contains 10 teaspoons of sugar?

Do you like tea? I drink green tea at work, with some sugar in it (but not 10 teaspoons per 12 ounces!). I find it's easier to resist the things I don't want to be consuming if I have available some options I feel good about and enjoy.

3. How are you able to workout with only 6hrs sleep. Today is a holiday in Canada That's why I'm still up.

1) Exercise I really enjoy (mine is running with an iPod full of my favorite music), 2) a regular schedule helps, and 3) the combination of healthful food and moderate exercise increases my energy level. Of course, different people have different energy levels and needs for rest -- your mileage may vary.

4. If not Soy Milk; what do you eat your cereal with? I picked up some Rice Milk....Is this okay?

For a long time, I was pouring a little soy milk over my oats and fruit. In the last month or so, I've stopped using the soy milk and don't really miss it much.

Not all soy milks or rice milks are created equal. Check out the label. Here are some guidelines for understanding labels: http://mcdougall-friendly-recipes.pbwiki.com/HowToReadLabels

As Joe points out, it doesn't have to be an all or nothing proposition. Many of the folks here have posted about how their way of eating has evolved over time as they have learned about nutrition and what works best for them.

On the other hand, there are members here who will testify to the importance of following the program strictly.

As with most areas of life, the more effort and commitment you're wiling to put in, the greater result you're likely to achieve. It's up to you.

(edited to correct the steel cut oats recipe)