Discussion Board

Today's NY Post has a photo spread about getting into shape for bathing suit season and had 4 people follow 4 of the diets out there:

http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/health/surf_up_slim_down_KAm7qjBAXY3wTafxRX7VmN

The diets used were The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet, The Women’s Health Big Book of Abs, The Eat, Drink and Be Gorgeous Project and The Starch Solution.

Here's the only excerpt we care about:


THE DIETER
Amy Vega Guobadia, 32
Height: 5-foot-8
Before: 244.8 pounds

THE DIET
“The Starch Solution” ($26.99), by John and Mary McDougall, is a starch rich, vegan plan that helps drop pounds and prevent sickness by fueling the body with carbs instead of proteins and fats — a stark contrast to beliefs popularized by diets like the Atkins.

After: 239 pounds
Lost: 5.8 pounds

THE RESULTS
Guobadia sought an alternative diet plan when she hit a plateau after shedding 30 pounds in 10 months through Weight Watchers. Her goal was to drop 10 more by Memorial Day — but with “The Starch Solution,” the Belmont, Bronx resident struggled to find recipes her 11-, 5- and 3-year-old kids would enjoy. “My neighborhood doesn’t offer a lot of vegan products,” explains the teacher’s assistant, “and there are only so many ways you can eat beans.”
Still, Guobadia saw the benefits of eliminating meat and dairy from her diet. She suffered from fewer stomachaches, thanks to swapping bagels with cream cheese for oatmeal, herbal tea and apples for breakfast, and veggie burgers and salads topped with sundried tomato dressing for lunch. She supplemented the diet plan by riding her bike for an hour every day in preparation for the Five Boro Bike Tour, a 40-mile ride she completed three weeks ago.
THE GRADE: B

I suppose it is not easy/moderate enough to rate an A.

"there are only so many ways you can eat beans.”

Interesting, the longer I eat this way, the more possibilities i find for ways to use beans... And the more variety in my diet.

Do you have 100 bean recipes, Lydia? Maybe you will write The Bean Lover!

That's rather misleading. Virtually all of the ingredients in the recipes are available in supermarkets. But I think every mention of the book will get more people reading it!

Agreed. Though the book does include some more exotic ingredients like Sunsweet Lighter Bake, I think every real grocery store (as opposed to corner market) in the country has ample supplies of tubers, legumes, grains, vegetables, and fruits.

And, honestly, although it might be challenging in the fresh fruits and veggies department, you can often buy non-perishables on-line at Amazon or whatever. Buy a big bag of beans, or three, and keep them on-hand - that's what I do. Beans, rice, other legumes, grains. I wonder if she was thinking about some of the processed vegan foods, like Gardein and such? Yes, those are difficult to find, but not really 100% SS-friendly except in moderation - and not really required. Although, when you have kids, and they're used to SAD, maybe you need to find replacements?

I think someone folks might need to drive or bus for fresh or frozen items, but it shouldn't be too hard. Some folks are just super lazy and don't want to expend any additional energy to make things work. As far as recipes being too hard, or too challenging to find, that's not true at all. I mean, you can literally plop a potato on a plate and cook it in the microwave - or in the oven. You can make rice in a rice cooker, pressure cooker, or on the stove. Beans and lentils the same way. Chop up some onions, garlic, peppers...not that hard. And if you make larger batches and refrigerate them or freeze them, you can have meals for over a week.

It's nice to see The Starch Solution mentioned in the national media, I just wish they'd compare more of the benefits, not just the weight loss side of it.

I think this is the problem. It was a NYC newspaper, and if television taught me anything ( ) it's that New Yorkers love their take-out after a busy day's work, especially working women with hungry families waiting at home. While it's not impossible to find take-out that's McDougall friendly, it's not easy, so that means more food shopping and home cooking, the last thing most women want to do after a hard day's work and a hot, crowded subway commute home. It's easier on the ego to say you can't find the food than to say you're too tired to cook.

Granted, I'm new to the program (but not to plant-based eating), but I don't understand what "lack of vegan products" at her grocery store has to do with it. There are no mandatory specifically "vegan" items; on the contrary, Dr. McDougall discourages the use of processed "fake" meats, etc. Even the most basic food store has fresh veggies, rice and beans, spices, etc., right?