I'm gaining 1 pound a day in weight... help!

[Lesliec1]

I hate to see anyone limit starches unless they absolutely have to! That's why this plan is so awesome!! I eat my fill of starch and I am a very big eater. I have ALWAYS had trouble losing. I have ALWAYS had a weight problem. Not any more! I only regret that I didn't know about this 20 years ago. Ugh, those years spent depriving myself. Now, I don't think I could gain weight if I tried. Plus the strangest thing happened after a couple months- I'm not obsessed with food like I used to be. I think knowing i can eat more is the difference - ??

[SweetPea]

I was able to lose weight eating mostly raw fruits and veggies without staying as low-fat as recommended. Because I feel low-fat is healthier for me, I'm now happily McDougalling (and still eating fruits and veggies!). The weight loss isn't quite as quick for me, but I feel calm and grounded and healthy--and like this is a sustainable path for me. I'm also learning to drink more water consistently. I eat less calories this way than I did on raw fruits & veggies, but I feel more full (and uninterested in bingeing).

I think calories do ultimately matter, and while someone may not gain weight eating mostly carbs (fruits or starches), that doesn't mean they will lose it if they are eating exactly what they are burning. And so many other factors go into how we lose weight, in my opinion, that they can cloud the issue. For example, if I kick my exercise up into high gear and give the starches all the credit, is that really the whole story?

I think each of us has to find what works, just as the Star McDougallers themselves have varied approaches to losing weight and maintaining their weight. I've been doing the MWL program for 17 days and have lost 3.5 pounds. Not bad, but I was hoping for something more dramatic. (On the other hand, if I keep going at this rate, that could be around 7 pounds in a month: that sounds great! ) I'm now ramping up my exercise and am focused on feeling good. I'm being patient because I'm seeing other positive benefits, but if weight loss slows or stops--something's gotta give, right? And if I start to find that I'm disappearing and have to eat more to keep weight on, well, that would be amazing. Bring on the (fat-free) tater tots*, stat!

*I can eat a couple of large potatoes at one time usually, but cut them into tater tots and bake them, and I can eat several!

[funcrunch]

Again, moonfruit was concerned about recent weight gain, and she was also interested in losing a few pounds. 50/50 on the plate is the suggestion of the Grand Poobah of Dieticians Jeff Novick himself. Obviously, the choice of how to proceed is up to the original poster.

I have great respect for Jeff Novick, but his recommendations are not always in line with McDougall's. In general I prefer to stick to McDougall's plan as outlined in his 12 Day Program book and here on this web site. It has worked well for many people.

Regardless, Novick still promotes a starch-based diet, and doesn't recommend having the salad as the main dish and starch as a "dessert" like another poster suggested. That's Joel Fuhrman territory. Fuhrman's diet plan may work well for some people, but it's definitely not the McDougall program.

[Moonfruit]

It's just water carbo"hydrate". don't eat too much sugar. you'll be fine.

Thanks Chey!

[Moonfruit]

I hate to see anyone limit starches unless they absolutely have to! That's why this plan is so awesome!! I eat my fill of starch and I am a very big eater. I have ALWAYS had trouble losing. I have ALWAYS had a weight problem. Not any more! I only regret that I didn't know about this 20 years ago. Ugh, those years spent depriving myself. Now, I don't think I could gain weight if I tried. Plus the strangest thing happened after a couple months- I'm not obsessed with food like I used to be. I think knowing i can eat more is the difference - ??

Thanks Lesliec1! Your reply is REALLY encouraging! After only a week or so on this plan, I have found myself no longer thinking about food - I think it just happens automatically when you know you can eat as much as you want. Thus, you don't want to eat AS much as you did when you were obsessing about it all day long. Awesome!

[Moonfruit]

I was able to lose weight eating mostly raw fruits and veggies without staying as low-fat as recommended. Because I feel low-fat is healthier for me, I'm now happily McDougalling (and still eating fruits and veggies!). The weight loss isn't quite as quick for me, but I feel calm and grounded and healthy--and like this is a sustainable path for me. I'm also learning to drink more water consistently. I eat less calories this way than I did on raw fruits & veggies, but I feel more full (and uninterested in bingeing).

I think that is the key - "being uninterested in bingeing" - because when we are thinking about food all day long, we end up eating a lot more, and head for the quick-fix foods - the fat.

When I was thinking about food all day, I certainly wasn't thinking about plain starches - I was thinking about fat filled potatoes, biscuits, cakes, chocolates and pastries. I suppose that is because they are very calorie dense due to the fat, and a quick-fix to a constant hunger. But, they don't fill us up for long (unless they are also high carb) as the fat just gets stored somewhere for wearing tomorrow, and doesn't nourish the original hunger... and so the pattern continues.

That pattern has ceased since I've been eating as much as I want on this diet.

Thanks SweetPea!

[SweetPea]

When I was thinking about food all day, I certainly wasn't thinking about plain starches - I was thinking about fat filled potatoes, biscuits, cakes, chocolates and pastries. I suppose that is because they are very calorie dense due to the fat, and a quick-fix to a constant hunger. But, they don't fill us up for long (unless they are also high carb) as the fat just gets stored somewhere for wearing tomorrow, and doesn't nourish the original hunger... and so the pattern continues.

That pattern has ceased since I've been eating as much as I want on this diet.

Thanks SweetPea!

Thank you!! That's a perfect explanation for where I was...and for how I'm feeling on this plan.

[Moonfruit]

I decided to post my weight record. It might be of interest in the future - especially as it goes down!

My current goal weight is 9 stone (126 lbs)

01. 04/07/12 oooooooooooooooooooo 10.06 (146) +20 (Started)
02. 05/07/12 ooooooooooooooooooooo 10.07 (147) +21
03. 06/07/12 oooooooooooooooooooooo 10.08 (148) +22
04. 07/07/12 ooooooooooooooooooooooo 10.09 (149) +23
05. 08/07/12 ooooooooooooooooooooooo 10.09 (149) +23
06. 09/07/12 oooooooooooooooooooooooo 10.10 (150) +24
07. 10/07/12 ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 10.13 (153) +27
08. 11/07/12 oooooooooooooooooooooooooo 10.12 (152) +26
09. 12/07/12 ooooooooooooooooooooooooo 10.11 (151) +25
10. 13/07/12 oooooooooooooooooooooooo 10.10 (150) +24
11. 14/07/12 ooooooooooooooooooooooooo 10.11 (151) +25
12. 15/07/12 ooooooooooooooooooooooooo 10.11 (151) +25
13. 16/07/12 oooooooooooooooooooooooooo 10.12 (152) +26
14. 17/07/12 ooooooooooooooooooooooo 10.09 (149) + 23
15. 18/07/12 oooooooooooooooooooooooooo 10.12 (152) +26
16. 19/07/12 ooooooooooooooooooooooooo 10.11 (151) +25
17. 20/07/12 ooooooooooooooooooooooooooo 10.13 (153) +27
18. 21/07/12 oooooooooooooooooooooooo 10.10 (150) +24
19. 22/07/12 ooooooooooooooooooooo 10.07 (147) +21
20. 23/07/12 ooooooooooooooooooooo 10.07 (147) +21
21. 24/07/12 oooooooooooooooooooo 10.06 (146) +20
22. 25/07/12 ooooooooooooooooooooo 10.07 (147) +21
23. 26/07/12 ooooooooooooooooooooo 10.07 (147) +21

[Nettie]

When you gain weight, do you ONLY eat starches, fruits and vegetables?

Yes.

Are you certain it’s the carbs that are making you gain weight?

Yes. But some of the carbs are refined, as in cereal and bread.

Do you know that the weight you have gained is fat?

Yes, if the weight hangs around for weeks or months at a time, and my clothes get too small.

Nettie

[Moonfruit]

Here is what Jeff says on a question about limitation on his discussion board. It looks like SOME foods ARE unlimited, and others aren't. This is a relief to know! (The averages given here are cooked weights.)

You can read the full discussion here:
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=6032

Unlimited does not mean unlimited in the sense that you can eat all you want of anything.

What it means is that if you follow the principles of the program, especially of the Maximum Weight Loss program, you will be able to eat all you want until you are comfortably full, and still lose weight.

The reason, as TominTN pointed out is due to calorie density. Many many studies have been done in the last few decades confirming this. If you allow people to eat "ad libitum" or all they want till the are comfortably full, from low calorie dense foods, they will lose weight, not be hungry and do not have to count calories.

Of course, calories still count, but it becomes almost impossible to over consume calories from the foods you choose if you follow these recommendations.

The numbers Tom gave are very close, so let me adjust them slightly

These are averages

Fresh Veggies are around 100 cal/lb
Fresh Fruits around 250-300 cal/lb
Starchy Veggies/Intact Whole Grains around 450-500 cal/lb
Legumes around 550-600 cal/lb
Processed Grains (even if their Whole grain) around 1200-1500 cal/lb
Nuts/Seeds around 2800 cal/lb
Oils around 4000 cal/lb

What they found is if the calorie density of the food is below 400 calories per pound, not matter how much they eat, they all lost weight.

Between 600-800 calories per pound, with some moderate exercise, they all lost weight.

Between 800-1200 calories per pound, people gained weight, except for those with very high activity levels

Over 1200 calories per pound, everyone gained weight.

These numbers are also inline with other recommendations.

The recent WCF/AICR report on cancer recommends that the average calorie density of our diets be around 550-600 calories per pound, to avoid obesity and weight problems.

The Okinawan diet, before Western influence, was around 600-650 calories per pound

So, knowing all this, if you look at the numbers, it all makes sense.

A starch based diet, made up of starchy vegetables and intact whole grains along with some fruit and veggies, will have a calorie density under 500 calories per pound and maybe even 400 calorie per pound. It would be near impossible to overeat.

You can also see the problem with many of the "low fat" diets that focused on processed whole grains, like whole wheat bread, crackers, dry cereals. At 1200-1500 calories per pound, if they become a large part of the diet, they can raise the overall calorie density and make it much easier to overeat on calories and easy to gain weight and/or not lose weight, even with a higher activity level. Hence the principles of the MWL program is to avoid those foods, or really limit them.

In Health
Jeff Novick, MS, RD