Dr. McDougall's Online Discussion Board

Everything is sounding just peachy all around with you, Hamster! I'm glad to hear that your coworkers are starting to notice the changes. That is a huge morale boost, isn't it?

As for the diet soda, you're right. I'm not going to torture myself if I have it a couple of times a week. I have lots of water and occasional fruit juice, but sometimes I want sweet without having to worry about more sugar and calories. I know artificial sweeteners have risks, but I'm nowhere near close to drinking a gallon or more of the stuff every day like I did throughout my teens, twenties and much of my thirties! It's now closer to a gallon a week. Actually a bit less. That will be okay by me for now.

Your article drives home exactly why I'm actually glad to have no access to doctors on one level, even though I know I'll likely have to see one just to keep my medications I'm taking around for just a bit longer. I really can see the day when I'll be taking nothing, but I'm not going to try that again until it's truly safe to do so. There is no suitable punishment in my mind for these multi-billionaires whose sole desire is to become ever richer while using us "common folk" as their own private collection of lab rats. My vitriol towards people like that is something best not expressed in this forum, although on my favorite political board I have no qualms.

Keep up the great work, Hamster!

Please, Hampster, be very careful when mixing McDougall with BP medication. Are you checking your bp? You are doing so well with the McD plan that you should be monitored very carefully by your dr. If you feel tired again, please get thee to the doc asap. The sooner you are off the meds, the better. The two don't mix very well.

I do enjoy reading your journal. I have a dear friend who now lives her summers in So. Calif. as well as Australia since she married an Aussie a few years ago. What a life!

Keep up the good work. You'll reach your goal in good time.

Gentle Reader

Jan

Please, Hampster, be very careful when mixing McDougall with BP medication.

Thanks for the advice Jan. My medication - Micardis (Telmisartan) was recently reduced from 80 mg per day down to 40 mg. I've deliberately missed taking it now for several days and the light-headed feelings have virtually disappeared. I intend to stay off it over the weekend and then to see my GP early next week.

I expected that my blood pressure would normalize without medication but I didn't expect that it would happen so quickly.

The support shown on this forum is incredible, so thanks once again.



Yesterday was another good day, without anything in particular happening
so what I might do here is to post some links to images of where I do my lunch-time walks.

After I leave work it is only a short stroll to the Queensland Parliament, http://www.sydneyarchitecture.com/image ... isbane.jpg

I then pass though the Queensland University of Technology

http://ieconference.org/ie2008/wp-conte ... /qut_1.jpg

After passing through QUT it's over the Brisbane River on the Goodwill Bridge http://www.swiftcity.com/pictures/1/65/121.jpg The Goodwill Bridge passes over the Maritime Museum which has the HMAS Diamantina in dry dock http://lh3.ggpht.com/_KZKtgQBJEn0/RnpvM ... SEUM..jpeg The HMAS Diamantina is a River Class frigate, designed in Britain and built in Australia (Maryborough) it entered service in April 1945. It was named after a river in Western Queensland.

After crossing the Goodwill Bridge I enter South Bank, but that gentle reader can wait until tomorrow.

My exercise yesterday was a 5 km walk through the city, South Brisbane and South Bank. In the gym I only did 1 km on the rowing machine due to some upper leg pain but followed this up with 4 km on the treadmill so all up I walked and rowed for 10 kms. The dreaded dairy still calls for my attention at times but it's attraction seems to be fading.

The attached link dealing with fast-food chains and childhood obesity might be of interest http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbei ... -fbgl.html

At this point Gentle Reader I will close my journal for today and hope that everything is good with you

Way to go, Hamster. It sounds like you're getting lots of great exercise lately. Keep up the good work!

You keep on keepin on !

It's a very inspiring moment when you take your last few pills. I still keep my 1/3 filled bottles around the kitchen to show people what isn't going in me any more. The only ones disappointed will be the drug companies.
f1jim

he is doing good...so am i.am 134 lbs now,,,on 20 mg of lisinipril and 40 mg of lovastain each day now from much higher meds.....I feel good unless I go to high altitudes and then I have to take an extra blood pressure pill. Not as bad as I was. I used to be on 40 mg of lisinpril and 40 mg of hyzaar. And on Lipitor.....

I check it in the morning and check it at night and that's it now. I have to go for tests when i get back in October but last time I did the cholesterol it was 100 so i dont' know if it is right or not. We'll see in October! my doctor thought 200 was good...screw that i said it sucks! Hope that is not swearing but really...they don't have a clue!!!!!!

Congratulations on getting off those b. p. meds, Hamster!

Those pictures of your walking route sure are pretty. I'd love to check that area out for myself someday. I've always had an affinity for Australia. Lots of great bands from down there!

Gentle Reader

This will be a really short update. It's 06:00 AM and I'm just waiting for Mrs Hamster is start moving. We're planning to do a really long walk today which is the reason for the early start. Tomorrow will be an easy day and they I'll let you know how we went

Kirk
Glad you liked the pictures - I'll post some more pictures of my lunchtime walk in the near furture.

Until then here are some pictures of Redcliffe

http://www.brinasworld.com/images/Redcl ... %20Aug.jpg

http://www.realestate.com.au/assets/ima ... c-pool.jpg

http://www.ozmuso.com/Mothol/Redcliffe.jpg

http://s3media.pleasetakemeto.com/photo ... 037965.jpg

http://www.ourbrisbane.com/files/galler ... CLIFFE.JPG

that is a beautiful area...you are lucky!

What great avatar photos you have!

Gentle Reader
Hamster has returned from his l---o---n---g walk and is now feeling both very tired but also very pleased. In total your humble correspondent has walked 36 kilometers in a little over 7 hours. Of course the time away from home was much longer because Mrs Hamster insisted on going shopping, but more of that later.
Shortly after leaving home we began walking along the beachfront at Suttons Beach
http://www.write101.com/Suttons_Beach1.jpg
Further south we crossed Scotts Point
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3261/258 ... 545dec.jpg
Here the walking path comes to a temporary halt as we have to walk up and over the point before arriving at Woody Point. At Woody Point there is the HMQS Gayundah which was the flagship of the Queensland Navy before the various colonies federated in 1901 to form the Australian Nation
http://www.ourbrisbane.com/files/galler ... 021501.jpg
Also at Woody Point there is a newly constructed jetty
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2480/377 ... cf9940.jpg
As well as a small collection of shops
http://woodypointqueensland.com/library ... %20LGE.jpg
After Woody Point the walking path continues to follow the beach along Bramble Bay
http://www.caravanparkphotos.com.au/bri ... g_9420.jpg
Until we reached the Hornibrook Bridge
http://media.photobucket.com/image/%252 ... ibrook.jpg
The Hornibrook Bridge crosses the mouth of the Pine River and is approximately 3 km long. It is now no longer used for traffic and is now used for pedestrian traffic as well as fishing.
After crossing the Hornibrook Bridge we continued again following the bay through Brighton then to Sandgate


At Sandgate we stopped for a well earned rest and lunch. Unfortunately Hamster's choice of food for lunch as not as wise as it could have been, consequently I went through the remainder of the day feeling as though my teeth were covered with a layer of fat. Seriously unpleasant and not something to be repeated.
After Sandgate we continued to Deagon Railway Station
http://qroti.com/southeast/explore/stations/517.jpg
After Deagon it was time to turn around and head back to Sandgate and then along the beach and back to Redcliffe. Simple you might think, but that is to seriously underestimate Mrs Hamster. As we passed through Sandgate she sights a secondhand book shop. “Let’s go in and just have a look” she says. We left having bought five books. Hamster, being the perfect gentleman (and in fear of his life) is of course obliged to say “please let me carry those for you”. Gentle reader, do you have any idea how heavy five books become after a few kilometers, well try carrying them for 15 kms they begin to feel like lumps of lead and then continue to get even heavier.
Despite everything that Mrs Hamster could burden me with Hamster finished the walk and can now report that despite tired legs and general fatigue he has completed a 36 km walk. Tomorrow will involve a very l---o---n---g and extended sleep-in. Indeed I may not emerge to face the new day until noon.
Gentle reader, Hamster must close now and make with the zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzs.

hey Hamster

it's good that you'll be seeing your doc on that whole BP thing. My BP is normal, but I noticed that whole light headed and wobbly thing you mention, for the first couple of days following McD...so seeing the doc will be a good thing, man.

Proud of you, on the exercise! veddy good, old chap. wot.



keep going, you're doing great

blessigns, HeidiW

Hey Hamster,
I so admire all the walking that you are doing. One of these days I’m gonna catch up with you. I enjoyed checking out all the photo links. It’s wonderful that you have so much interesting scenery to look at as you exercise. Hope you’re having a great weekend.
Letha

If my math is right, that was nearly a 12 mile walk you did today! I'm so proud of you, bud!

I really hope they'll just take you off that b. p. medication when you go to see the doctor. Keep up the great work and keep those awesome pictures coming!