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I have been on the diet faithfully w/daily exercise for over a month and have only lost 5 lbs total. I also feel terrible most of the time. I stopped the Metformin but am scared to death to stop the Clonidine for HTN as my blood pressure spikes to 200/120 within 2 days. I have been on low carb, low fat, you name it diet and I can't get down past 199 lbs. I need help and my doctor is against this diet and the sudden removal of meds.

I would say 5 pounds in one month is a good loss. Keep up the good work!

I'd agree with that. 5 lbs. a month = 60 lbs. a year!

Oh, and edited to add: since it's a lifestyle change rather than a temporary diet, what's the rush? You'll get healthier every month, every week in fact, and even in just 90 days you'll see a noticeable weight difference at this rate. Keep it up!

What I tell myself sometimes daily is "it took you years to put all this weight on don't expect it to come off in a few months". I know I read a lot of success stories both here and on the net and it makes it seem like rapid weight loss is the norm so it can be discouraging when you don't experience it yourself.

I've been at it for about 7 months and have dropped about 25 lbs. I see some people drop that much in two months. Keep at it though it's worth it. I could barely exercise at all when I started and now I workout 5 days a week at least. Change comes it just takes some of us a bit longer.

My blood pressure has been difficult to bring down also. I kept taking my bp meds along with the diet until my bp was within the normal range. Try to be patient, it took mine quite a bit longer to come down than the website stated. But I am now within the normal range w/o the bp meds. I also cheated a little though which may have been the cause. I can't seem to get away from my 1 cup of coffee in the morning. Today I went to the health food store and bought a coffee substitute. I'll see how that works.

I'm sad to hear that your doc is opposed to the McDougall WOE. Perhaps it would be helpful to find a supportive doctor.
Hang on is there and even though your weight-loss is slow, you are moving in the right direction. Stick with.

gypsyksb, how about an update? How is it going now that it's been a few more months?

What I got from Dr. MacD's writings and the movie Forks Over Knives (which introduced me to this woe) is that the goal is to eliminate the meds but not to eliminate them immediately until you've brought things down to where they should be with diet, then reduce/eliminate.

Doctors are human and unfortunately poorly trained (or not trained at all) in nutrition. I started this program over a year ago. A month before I did (Sept., I started in October) I went to see my doctor because i did something stupid and pulled a muscle. I went back to see her in May for my annual physical and had dropped over 20 lbs. in that time. She was shocked and asked me if I did that on purpose (yes!) My cholesterol dropped from 231 to 167 without drugs. I explained what I was doing and about the FOK movie. She had heard of the movie but not seen it so I loaned it to her. After she watched it she said "they got impressive results but I don't believe it was all from eliminating animal protein and fat."

The evidence was right before her eyes but she didn't want to see it, probably because it went against her training to push pills and procedures. You can change what a person thinks, but it's very difficult to change their beliefs.

Stick with it!

Just stopped by to ask how you are doing?

[Edit: Wrong topic.]

Yes a update?:)

Was thinking, 5 pounds can seem slow but that was back in August...now December minus another 15lbs..total 20 lbs gone.....5 pounds a month feels great I bet now....)))

Are you cooking your food with no oils? That was the missing link for me. When I realized NO OILS was an important part of "clean" eating, my weight plummeted.

If you're eating all plants, no animals, and no oils I'd say you're doing well, no matter your weight.

When it comes to exercising, I found it easier to lose my weight first; then exercising was a pleasure.

Trying to change my diet AND add exercise right away was asking too much of myself.

I considered my first month of eating this new way as my "dry out" time from my cravings. A time to "quiet" my body. A time to learn how to cook with NO OILS. A time to re-learn what food is for... nutrition first, taste second. Priorities! Simple foods. Whole foods. Real foods. Homemade foods.

To quote Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr., "When it comes to cheating, a little bit CAN hurt."

I found it much easier to be 100% compliant (especially with the NO OILS part) instead of hanging on to "treats" from the old days as some kind of "reward" for changing my diet.

When friends say, "Let me take you to lunch," I say, "Let's walk in the park instead." Social get-togethers are too-often centered around food. Besides, I don't know any restaurants that cook without oils.

A good way to comply with this diet is to change the behaviors that might lead to self-sabotage.

I get inspiration from the dozens of YouTube lecture videos of Dr. McDougall and the other good Doctors who encourage us to eat all plants, no animals, and no oils.

Here are some other good Doctors to search for on YouTube: T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr., Dr. Michael Klaper, and Dr. William C. Roberts.

Well-meaning friends will often express CONCERNS that we're not getting enough (pick one) protein/fat/vitamin B-12/calcium/this-and-that.

STICK WITH IT and their "concerns" will soon turn to admiration. It works for Bill Clinton! Did you know he's eating this way? He looks great.

Eat all plants, no animals, no oils, period. Eat 80% starches & 20% fruits and vegetables. Eat all you like, for the rest of your life. Good luck to you!

VegorSays.

P.S. Regarding your Doctor's "concern" about eating this way: ask to see your Doctor's naked belly. The proof is in the "naked truth." Dr. McDougall used this line-of-reasoning in a radio interview on KALW-FM (San Francisco) in 2012. Watch the McDougall YouTube video where he gave a one hour presentation to "doubting Doctors." The doubting Doctor who introduced him looked TERRIBLE! Fat, pale, and full of frowns. An unhappy & unhealthy man. Add a "God complex," and you've got a toxic situation. CAUTION is advised...

I don't think this is that slow. I've lost 7 kg in 4 months, so 15 lbs.

As for feeling terrible, I think you might have to eat more starch. I only feel terrible when I'm hungry and trying too hard to create a calorie deficit which is the wrong approach. It's just my impatience. Before I saw Dr. McDougall's views on starch, I was doing vegan on low starch, so lots of leaves and fruit, but no potatoes and rice etc. That made me feel terrible and I was eating the veg by the bucket load and still feeling hungry.