Where do I start?

[Lisa Q]

Hi! I'm from Chicago and this is my first post! Nice to meet you!

I bought the Millennium restaurant's cookbook, and, having seen Dr McDougall's book mentioned in there, picked up an old [early 80s] copy of The McDougall Plan that I ran across at a used bookstore.

Convinced that this is a worthwhile lifestyle change, I decided to buy updated books. I now just received in the mail my brand new copies of 12 Days to Dynamic Health, the new cookbook, and the Maximum Weight Loss plan.

Here's my problem:
I can't decide where to start. Do I do the 12 day program first, then switch to the weight loss program recipes? Or just start in on the weight loss program? I don't have a ton of weight to lose, but I know that the sooner I see results, the less likely I am to fall off the wagon early on.

[Doris]

Hi Lisa Q,

Welcome to the board! 12 Days to Dynamic Health is my choice.

I wish you the best,
Doris

[Clary]

Most people have excellent results restoring their health and appearance and ideal weight starting with the 12 Days program, which is a long-term lifestyle plan, not just a 12 Day diet.

Good for you for getting the books to read and have on hand. There is also the entire Free Program on this website, which answers so many questions:
http://drmcdougall.com/free.html

--and the Board supported WIKI:
http://mcdougall-friendly-recipes.pbwiki.com/

Have fun!

[TominTN]

Hi, Lisa. Welcome.

I agree with Doris. The "12 days" in the book title refers to the foods that are left out for the first 12 days -- soybeans and derivatives (tofu, tempeh, miso, high-fat soy milk), nuts and nut butters, seeds, olives, avocado -- to provide some early success. An easy option is just to stretch those "12 days" and continue avoiding those items on days 13, 14, 15, and so on.

After 30 to 90 days, if you find that the standard program doesn't do all you want for you, you can always consider ratcheting up to MWL (or even Mary's mini!) if so motivated.

Purdy, another contributor here, encourages people to not "get on the wagon" in the first place because it's so easy to fall off. Just take a nice, easy-paced hike along the wagon trail. You can go at your own pace -- no need to keep up or hold yourself to the wagon's speed. Give yourself a long time horizon -- 5 years to the rest of your life -- because it's what you do every day, day in and day out, over long stretches of time that really counts. It's a very counter-cultural message, but I think he's right on target.

[Lisa Q]

Thanks! I think this answers my question!
Oh especially thanks for the wiki, I hadn't seen that.

I probably should've mentioned that I'm already a vegetarian. It's not that major of a change in diet for me, but the hardest part, I think, is cutting out the soy, oil, and salt... thus why I'm considering just following the recipe plan outlined in the book to the letter for a few weeks at first, so that I won't be tempted.

While I agree about the wagon bit, I just know that if I try to ease into something like that, then I will just keep putting it off and it will never happen. The new books only came today, but from using the old book and the website, I had already been trying to eat better for the last two weeks... except, too many "oh it's just a little bit of butter/cheese/oil" and "well I can't eat this without salt" and friends offering ice cream for dessert and so on and so forth--and this is why I'm overweight to begin with!

[Clary]

Dr. McDougall says about following his programs, "the bigger the changes the bigger the results"!

Keep us posted on your progress, and keep coming back!

[Lisa Q]

...almost a year later...

I'm having a REALLY hard time with this. I keep going back and forth; I'll McDougall for a few days, fail, try again, fail, give up for a while, feel guilty, try again, fail, wash, rinse, repeat.

My downfall is usually some combination of the following:
-I eat out at the spur of the moment a LOT, and often don't have a lot of options as far as where I'm going. Furthermore, I HATE being fussy about food, and I can't bring myself to ask for something special to be made for me beyond requesting something vegetarian.
-My friends act like this is some kind of personal affront to them. They honestly are convinced that "olive oil is really good for you" and that I am somehow hurting myself and others by not eating it. This caused a HUGE drama at a barbecue where I *gasp* brought food that didn't have oil or meat in when asked to bring a dish to share with everyone.
-I quite often barely have time to eat, let alone cook something--not just during the week, but every day. I often get through most of my day on snacking.
-Years of being a foodie have made me a rather snobbish eater.
-I'm way addicted to salt. I crave crunchy salty things and will be crunching on a bag of chips from the school vending machine before I even know what I've done.

HELP!! How do you deal with these things?

[f1jim]

A lot of people go through what you are going through. Off, then on, then off again. This is rough on the body and the cravings never go away. I know there are those that endorse the "little at a time", or make small changes over a larger time horizon, but that is not what McDougall teaches and is rejected by almost all of those that have achieved great success here.
They follow the mantra that just as in quitting smoking or drinking, the best and maybe the only way is to go cold turkey. Get the bad stuff out of the house, fill the pantry and cupboards with lot's of healthy stuff so you don't have reason to go out and eat, or choose unhealthy options. It will only take about 30 days of this method before the taste buds change enough to make the food delicious. Use that time to get good at making a handful of dishes. Then expand on your recipes from there.
Trust me, don't depend on your willpower to keep your cravings and poor eating habits in check. I have zero willpower for that. Yet I have zero problems with staying on track. I believe its safer to stand in the middle of the boat, rather than one foot in and one foot out! That only makes a fall a certainty. Remember, this is a lifestyle choice, not a daily decision. It's kind of like marriage. Commit to it, don't make daily decisions about whether to stick with it or not! Give yourself reasons to believe and commit. Get some of the DVD's or books. Use them as reinforcement.
We are here to help when it gets rough. Remind yourself it's YOUR health, and when you have had multiple chronic illnesses will your social friends be there to change your diapers or give you a sponge bath?
Your profile sounds so much like me. Craving the salty stuff, being a foodie, etc. Don't stop being a foodie, I make new discoveries in plant based diets weekly. It will be very hard if you eat out a lot and at places that have little healthy food. Ask yourself what your real priorities are and don't do anything till you have an answer.
Remember, you haven't tried the way to make this easy, only the way to make it hard.
f1jim