Dr. McDougall's Online Discussion Board

I hear you--this was a horrible winter (I'm in Iowa) and I don't know how many more I'm going to stay for.

But as for your weight gain, do you think it would have made a difference if you'd weighed yourself during that time? Only you can answer that. For me, if weighing myself had anything to do with accountability or encouraging me to eat better, I would have gotten to my goal a long time ago. But I know others who feel the scale helps to keep them on track. I figure if whatever I'm doing isn't working, it's time to try something new.

annhett wrote: I also need to figure out what to do about sad (the seasonal disorder). This was a really bad winter!

I recommend the book The Vitamin D Solution by Michael Holick. He talks quite a bit about that SAD. Basically: get a light box (he has a list of recommended brands which I can give you if you're interested). Make sure to have enough vitamin D (he suggests supplements even if you get a vitamin D lamp, Dr McD suggests only a vit D lamp, and there is new research pointing to dangers of supplements so vitamin D lamp is preferable, but they're expenses, in the $500 range -- there's only one that is FDA approved). A light box is different from the vitamin D lamp, BTW. You can also make sure to have large stores at the beginning of winter so the natural depletion won't be such a problem. Or, go to a tanning salon if you can verify their ratios of UVA to UVB and they're correct for getting D. Make sure to cover your face at tanning booth and never to burn.

If you're already depressed, Holick says to kick start the light box with sleep deprivation. Wake up half-way through the night, then use the light box at the correct hour (breakfast time). This is in line with what Dr. McD talks about re sleep deprivation for depression. http://www.nealhendrickson.com/mcdougall/2004nl/040300pudepression.htm

Also make sure to get enough exercise, which is always good for depression.

I weigh myself almost every day on a digital scale that seems to be accurate, or at least consistently inaccurate.

A friend of mine, who is 66, said a high school gym teacher told him people should stay at the same weight they were when they were 19. He has weighed himself almost every day since then, and when the weight went up a pound or two he would reduce his eating. He has maintained 165 pounds since high school. If I did that, I'd be at 145 pounds and 6' tall, but I'm aiming for the weight I was when I graduated college (162).

From what I've read in various seemingly reliable sources is we gain muscle mass slowly. In my opinion, it's so slow that we can factor it out of the equation in the short term. What we can lose with exercise is marbled fat in the muscles which will both reduce weight, and maybe reduce the apparent muscle size. In my experience, which applies only to me, waiting for clothes to fit looser takes too long to be motivational on a daily basis, but every so often, I take in a notch in my belt. Yesterday, I had to go buy a new belt and pants as I was beginning to look like I was wearing hand me down pants from my older brother.

I guess what I'm saying is whichever way works for someone, that is the weigh (pun intended) they should do it.

thanks for all of the feedback.
I've been working on a longer post for the lounge. It should be posted by friday. The subject is "i've been struggling with this WOE for 20 years."

don't bother measuring your bodyfat if you are 40 lbs overweight, just weight yourself once a week and mesure waist if male or hips if female with tape also once a week, as long ad you are eating low fat/whole food/vegan, the scale will go down