The McDougall Diet Update – Week 4 (August 22-28, 2013)

It is a new school year for my daughter and I had very little spare time for writing.

I will change my writing times so that I can maintain my blog posting schedule.

I share this because this week was a slow week for me in the world of blogging.

Today, I share with you how the McDougall diet is going.

I misplaced my little spiral note pad that has the meals that I ate during the four week period.

Instead of telling you what foods I ate, I will tell you some things that I have discovered about myself while following the McDougall eating plan for the fourth week.

Letting the Pretzels Go

As much as I enjoy eating pretzels, I know they are not a healthy snack and that I must stop eating them.  I easily gave up sweets, but the pretzels are the hardest for me to let go.

I like crunching on pretzels when I am not busy.  I feel at ease when I am crunching.  It is a habit that I am kicking for good.  I am throwing the pretzels in the trash and not looking back.

Eating an apple, carrots or celery is better than consuming pretzels.  Pretzels have no real nutritional value and they must go.  I am done wasting my energy eating something that is not real food.  Today, I vow to eat real food and the pretzels don’t make the list.

Menstrual Cycle

I am 42 years old (wow, can’t believe I wrote that), and had problems with my menstrual cycle since I was a teenager.  Since changing my diet to a plant-based diet (2008), I don’t have premenstrual issues that I used to have.

However, I have noticed that since I have stopped using refined oil in my diet, that my menstrual cycle has shortened.  I am thankful for this.

I have been eating low fat (no added oils) months before I started the McDougall plan, but it seems that after starting the McDougall plan, my menstrual cycle changed for the better.  I welcome a shorter menstrual cycle with open arms.

Body Odor

I used to eat a raw vegan diet, but I changed that because, it was not the best diet for me.  During the time when I ate a raw vegan diet, I never wore deodorant because I didn’t need it.  My underarms never smelled.

Today, I don’t eat a raw vegan diet, but since following the McDougall plan for four weeks, my underarms don’t smell.  Here is my testimony about no underarm smell.

Let me begin by stating that I do not wear deodorant.  It is hot in Georgia and I don’t have a working air condition in my car. Although I run errands during the cooler times of the day, it is still very hot and I get sweaty.

One day, I ran errands and wore no deodorant.  I was sweaty and just knew that I had smelly underarms.  To my surprise, I did the sniff test and there was no odor.  I couldn’t believe this and didn’t think anything of it.

This week I ran errands and I was paranoid that I had smelly underarms.  Again, I did a sniff test and was very surprised that I didn’t have smelly underarms.

There was a time, just a month ago, that if I was hot and sweaty, that I didn’t have to do a sniff test, it was obvious.  Side-note:  Mental check to self.  Keep the arms down at all times and get home as soon as possible.

I know this is too much information, but I want you to know that when you eat a whole food, plant-based diet that you will experience little to no body odor.  It is hard to believe, but it is true.

Tweaking the McDougall Plan

My weight has been fluctuating, but I am going to blame a little of that on the menstrual cycle, but I want place the entire blame on the menstrual cycle.

There are some things that I have been doing when preparing food, that I will stop doing.  I will not add Agave Nectar to my oatmeal.  I will only use fruit to sweeten my oatmeal.  Agave Nectar gets used sparingly, if at all.

1. I will also cut out these foods:  all foods with flour, no pasta, olives, and dried fruit.  I will occasionally have seeds and nuts.
2. I will slightly decrease the amount of starch based foods I eat while increasing the vegetables.
3. I will keep my meals simple, which means, I will only eat two or three different types of food at one time.  Here is are examples of what I mean:  oatmeal and blueberries, potatoes and broccoli, beans and greens.
4. I will also exercise more, because I have to admit, I need much improvement in this area.

Final Words

Four weeks of the McDougall plan and I am still going strong.  Overall, I am doing well following a starch based diet plan.  I have a few naysayers, but that’s to be expected.

I am trying the McDougall plan because I believe it will work for me.  I have tried other ways of eating a plant-based diet and those ways weren’t the best for Evelyn.

I document this journey because I want you to learn about my experience.  I also want those interested in trying a starch based diet to not let what others say or do be a hindrance.  Don’t be afraid of trying something new.  What do you have to lose?

Always do what you know is best for you.  Stay focused!

Until next time…