The Starch Solution for losing weight.

@Happyflowerlady, this isn't much of a leap for me because I've been eating 95% vegan for 7 years anyway. Just needed to tight up that last 5%, be mindful about the mixed nuts that I occasionally indulge in, and see if I can figure out how to saute onions without any oil - and still like how they come out. So far no success on that front.

How do you saute onions - or don't you?
 

I have been working on the no-oil sautéing also, @StarSong . I have been using a bit of water and some bouillon powder and seasonings. I think that there are some things that can’t be exactly replaced, so I am trying to just find acceptable substitutes that work for me. Every week, I have been losing between 1-2 lbs, so it keeps me motivated to keep on trying with this, and I am enjoying most of what i am eating, even with keeping it boring, and not much variation normally.

Since you are used to doing this, and already have learned the ways of making plant-based foods taste good, you are way ahead of me on this, changing from so many years of low-carbing, and thinking that a potato was a sinful extravagance.

I ordered some of the Molly McButter seasonings, both the butter and the cheese flavors ( cheese will arrive next week), and I am liking that on my baked potatoes.
 
@Happyflowerlady, this isn't much of a leap for me because I've been eating 95% vegan for 7 years anyway. Just needed to tight up that last 5%, be mindful about the mixed nuts that I occasionally indulge in, and see if I can figure out how to saute onions without any oil - and still like how they come out. So far no success on that front.

How do you saute onions - or don't you?
Starsong,

I routinely water "fry" onions and even caramelize them using an uncoated regular triply stainless frying pan. What I do is start with the pan heated with a fairly high flame so that there is sizzle when the onions hit it and let them start to sweat. Moving them around keeps them from sticking much. I'll adjust the heat downwards if needed.

As the onions cook and begin to stick I add a small bit of water which releases the onions and by keeping the onions moving I incorporate the fond which browns the onions further and helps clean the pan. To get a true caramelized onion does take about 50-60 minutes, but that's for 3lbs of onions. To speed the process up you can lightly salt them to help release their moisture, I don't as I try to limit my salt intake.

Does it brown as effectively as using fat? No, it doesn't, nor as quickly. Not to mention one can't just leave them on to cook unattended. However, I can get 90- 95% as good depending on the product and we've just adapted to that. Of course, everyone's tastes are different.
 

by keeping the onions moving I incorporate the fond which browns the onions further and helps clean the pan
I don't know what this means.

I'm not a fan of caramelized onions, or indeed any caramelized vegetables. Thanks for the tips - I'll see if I can make that work. If not, I'll just continue with 1/2 tsp of oil when sauteing onions and call it good enough.
 
I don't know what this means.

I'm not a fan of caramelized onions, or indeed any caramelized vegetables. Thanks for the tips - I'll see if I can make that work. If not, I'll just continue with 1/2 tsp of oil when sauteing onions and call it good enough.
The fond is the brown stuff that sticks to the bottom of the pan, concentrated juices--more intense flavor, that's why one uses a liquid to deglaze the pan to make a sauce.

I hope you get the results you're looking for.
 
Just an update on my McDougalling life. I feel like I am enjoying my food more than ever, and have been really happy that I can have things like fresh fruit, whole wheat bread and pasta, and starchy veggies again. I know that completely changing over will take a while for me.
Atkins diet came out in the early 1970’s, so I have spent about a half century thinking that I could only eat low carb foods, and that starchy foods like potato and corn were totally sinful.
I lost weight and gained it back with even more weight, and always felt like I was starving in order to lose what I did lose, so it never really worked for me.
Weight Watchers had me hungry all of the time, and trying to eat the small recommended amounts, so I washed out of that a few times as well.

Now, I have lost almost 20 lbs, but slowly and steady. When I started swimming again, the scale almost stopped moving, even though I am burning up more calories than I was before I started swimming again. Since my clothes are feeling looser, I think that I am burning fat and building muscle (which weighs 4 times as much as fat), so the scale is not moving as fast as I want it to do, but I am happy that it is going in the right direction.

I totally recommend the starch solution diet for anyone who wants to lose weight, or just wants to be healthier and hurt less. I stay pretty faithful to the program, but I do add small amounts of fat-free yogurt or meat occasionally, just for flavor, not as a main part of the meal.
(My baked potato with Molly McButter sprinkles and FF yogurt is delicious, and much healthier than it used to be with the butter and sour cream piled on top of it. )
Also, if we go out to eat, then I enjoy having breakfast at IHOP and don’t worry about doing that, since it is only one meal on an occasional basis, and not part of my everyday diet. But it helps me to feel like I have not been totally cut off from foods that I have enjoyed for all of my life.
 
@Happyflowerlady - I've never known anyone who lost significant weight by swimming - whether recreationally, competitively, or strictly for exercise. Even Olympic long-distance swimmers tend to have far more body fat than their track-and-field running counterparts. (My children's swim teacher was hardly svelte despite being extremely active teaching young children in her pool 8 hours or more each day every summer.)

To add to my personal story of the friend who had emergency triple bypass surgery (post #18, above), a very dear friend recently died at work of a heart attack. He was gone before his coworkers could dial 911. 63 years old. Between him and Anne's mom, I've been scared straight.

After reading some of the website info and McDougall's books, I've integrated their plan with the quite similar whole food plant based diet I'd already been eating. Just became more vigilant, backed off a bit on some of the fruit, and added more starches. No sacrifice in the starch for fruit swap, believe me!

I've lost 6 pounds in about 6 weeks, which took me by surprise because my weight was already in a good place. Good grief, who could imagine losing weight while eating a lot more potatoes, rice, and homemade bread than I've had in decades!
 
Last week, I got the bread machine out and made a loaf of whole wheat bread, and we have been really enjoying the fresh bread; so today I decided to try another one and make it with cinnamon and raisins and a little flax and chia seeds. The recipe also called for some steel cut oats, so with all of the things added, it should be great as a breakfast bread.

I just cashed in a $100 amazon gift card that I got from my Humana Medicare Advantage plan, so I looked on amazon and found a nice new bread machine on sale and ordered that.
If I am going to be making bread, it is time for a new machine.
The one that I have, I have had for 4-5 years, and it came from a thrift store in the first place, so it is like a dinosaur bread machine.

Yesterday, we went out and I had Mexican food, and I still lost another pound this week. I stay away from anything that was fried, but the food that I ordered had beans and salad and the Chili Rellano ; so most of what I had was compliant with McDougal food.
 
Last week, I got the bread machine out and made a loaf of whole wheat bread, and we have been really enjoying the fresh bread; so today I decided to try another one and make it with cinnamon and raisins and a little flax and chia seeds. The recipe also called for some steel cut oats, so with all of the things added, it should be great as a breakfast bread.

I just cashed in a $100 amazon gift card that I got from my Humana Medicare Advantage plan, so I looked on amazon and found a nice new bread machine on sale and ordered that.
If I am going to be making bread, it is time for a new machine.
The one that I have, I have had for 4-5 years, and it came from a thrift store in the first place, so it is like a dinosaur bread machine.

Yesterday, we went out and I had Mexican food, and I still lost another pound this week. I stay away from anything that was fried, but the food that I ordered had beans and salad and the Chili Rellano ; so most of what I had was compliant with McDougal food.
When my husband and I traveled to Spain and Italy a few years ago we fell in love with their rustic, crusty breads, so that's what I've been making. Not bothering with the bread machine - just my Kitchen Aid mixer for a little bit of the kneading and doing the rest myself.

I've been baking round loaves (free form) on parchment paper that I put on my pizza stones.
 
Good News from my doctor !

Today, I went in for my 3-month checkup from my regular doctor, and she is VERY pleased with me and my progress !
My cholesterol has dropped from around 200 to 188, my thyroid is in a great range, my triglycerides are still around 100, my kidneys are doing better, and I have lost 24 lbs since I was there in February.
She asked if I had been to the cardiologist, and I explained that I have not needed to, and no episodes of a-fib or tachycardia in the last 3 months, either.
So, over all, everything is looking great, and I am giving a lot credit to the Whole Foods, plant -based diet that I have been doing since mid-February.
 
Good News from my doctor !

Today, I went in for my 3-month checkup from my regular doctor, and she is VERY pleased with me and my progress !
My cholesterol has dropped from around 200 to 188, my thyroid is in a great range, my triglycerides are still around 100, my kidneys are doing better, and I have lost 24 lbs since I was there in February.
She asked if I had been to the cardiologist, and I explained that I have not needed to, and no episodes of a-fib or tachycardia in the last 3 months, either.
So, over all, everything is looking great, and I am giving a lot credit to the Whole Foods, plant -based diet that I have been doing since mid-February.
💕 💕 💕 💕 💕
Your hard work, persistence and determination are paying off! So happy for you!!!
 
Last week, I had my annual visit with my cardiologist, and he is very happy at how well my heart is doing. When he asked if I had been exercising, he was pleased that I said that I swim for an hour 4-5 days a week. He said that a lot of people come in, feel poorly, but are not open to making any lifestyle changes that will help them to feel better, and I could see from his face that he was actually pleased, and not just saying that.
Altogether, I have lost almost 30 lbs now, so things are going well, and I can definitely feel the difference in my body and my clothes.

I have been reading more books besides just Dr. McDougall’s Starch Solution. I also like Dr. Joel Fuhrman, and am reading his book on Eat To Live, and also got the “Quick and Easy Cookbook” from both doctors.
I like quick and easy !
I also am reading a very interesting book called “The Pleasure Trap” by Dr. Douglas Lisle. He is a psychologist, and he does an excellent job of explaining the reason that we are so connected to our eating habits, even when we know that they are bad ones.

Here is his TED talk about the Pleasure Trap.

 
Last week, I had my annual visit with my cardiologist, and he is very happy at how well my heart is doing. When he asked if I had been exercising, he was pleased that I said that I swim for an hour 4-5 days a week. He said that a lot of people come in, feel poorly, but are not open to making any lifestyle changes that will help them to feel better, and I could see from his face that he was actually pleased, and not just saying that.
Altogether, I have lost almost 30 lbs now, so things are going well, and I can definitely feel the difference in my body and my clothes.

I have been reading more books besides just Dr. McDougall’s Starch Solution. I also like Dr. Joel Fuhrman, and am reading his book on Eat To Live, and also got the “Quick and Easy Cookbook” from both doctors.
I like quick and easy !
I also am reading a very interesting book called “The Pleasure Trap” by Dr. Douglas Lisle. He is a psychologist, and he does an excellent job of explaining the reason that we are so connected to our eating habits, even when we know that they are bad ones.

Here is his TED talk about the Pleasure Trap.

This is all such wonderful news about your health improvements, HFL.

I just put a library hold on Lisle's book - his TED talk was amusing and informative. Hoping he injected some of that humor into his book, too.
 
Cows milk is formulated so calfs can gain a minimum of three pounds per week.
This is very true. Calves have to grow from 30+ lbs to almost 300 lbs in a very short time, and their milk definitely helps them to grow fast.
Another interesting thing to think about is that most dairy cows are bred each year, so the milk you buy is likely coming from a pregnant cow, and has a lot of estrogen in it.
Plus, they give the cows hormone shots to help them produce even more milk than nature intended for a cow to produce, and they give cows lots of antibiotics because so many dairy cows have mastitis , and they are only allowed to have a certain amount of pus to be in the milk to sell it.
After reading about that part, it totally helped me to think that I didn’t need dairy products as much as I thought I did before.

I am now reading a book called “The Cheese Trap”. Just started it and already learned a bunch of things about milk, cheese, and other dairy products, most of which I didn’t want to know.
We have long known that sugar is one of the addictive foods, but it turns out that cheese also stimulates the receptors in the brain that cause it to release dopamine (just like drugs do), and that is why we feel so good when we eat something with cheese.
Learning this is upsetting to me, because I have always loved cheese, and do not want to completely stop eating it, but on the other hand, I don’t want to be addicted to food either.
I used to actually crave having pizza, and almost always had a sandwich or something that had cheese every day, and maybe an apple and cheese (which I thought was a healthy bedtime snack) before bed at night.
Now, I have not craved a pizza since February. I still know (or at least think) that I would enjoy eating pizza, but it is not a craving that tells me that I NEED a pizza, so this is almost 5 months that I have lived pizza-free.
 
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Now, I have not craved a pizza since February. I still know (or at least think) that I would enjoy eating pizza, but it is not a craving that tells me that I NEED a pizza, so this is almost 5 months that I have lived pizza-free.
I eat homemade pizza with real cheese once a month or so. I've learned to enjoy eating it but am careful to not revisit the experience too often. My pizzas aren't heavily laden with cheese so the crust, tomato sauce and spice flavors come through - and I don't feel like I'm knocking my arteries for a loop.
 
I eat homemade pizza with real cheese once a month or so. I've learned to enjoy eating it but am careful to not revisit the experience too often. My pizzas aren't heavily laden with cheese so the crust, tomato sauce and spice flavors come through - and I don't feel like I'm knocking my arteries for a loop.
That is how I look at this eating venture, too, @StarSong . It is what you eat every day, day after day, that is important, and not the occasional meal that you have, that determines the health of one’s body.
I remember reading, in one of my many diet books, the suggestion , “Eat what you should when it doesn’t matter, so that you can eat what you want when it does matter”.
Now, if it is a special occasion (any kind of occasion counts), then I have what I want and feel okay with that, and then it is back to healthy eating again for the duration.
 
I now weigh less than I have in literally YEARS, and can wear smaller clothes , and I am really liking this !
It is a slow (very slow) weight loss. I think that my body has had so much extra fat for so long, it hates to give it up; but it is still happening, and I am almost up to a total loss of 40 lbs now, and still enjoying what i am eating.

I really do not even think about foods like pizza anymore, so I think that I am breaking the cheese/dairy addiction. I do use a little bit of dairy, like fat-free yogurt or powdered milk, in something I am making; but only in small amounts, and not very often.
This month I will get my latest lab results, so I will know how my cholesterol, thyroid, and kidney function are doing , and I am hoping to see an improvement again this time, like I did last time.
My doctor (actually the NP) is no longer with my doctor’s office, so I will probably be seeing my actual doctor, at least until he replaces the lady that left.

I have really been enjoying all of the fresh summer fruits and veggies that I haven’t allowed myself when I was doing the low-carb type of diet.
Fresh pineapple, peaches, grapes, cherries, and even corn on the cob, and still losing weight, life is wonderful !

I am going on a trip out west with my daughter next week, to see my family out in the Seattle area, and it is awesome to be able to pack clothes that actually look good on me, and not like a blob.
Still have months to go to reach goal, but at least it is gradually getting closer.
 
I now weigh less than I have in literally YEARS, and can wear smaller clothes , and I am really liking this !
It is a slow (very slow) weight loss. I think that my body has had so much extra fat for so long, it hates to give it up; but it is still happening, and I am almost up to a total loss of 40 lbs now, and still enjoying what i am eating.

I really do not even think about foods like pizza anymore, so I think that I am breaking the cheese/dairy addiction. I do use a little bit of dairy, like fat-free yogurt or powdered milk, in something I am making; but only in small amounts, and not very often.
This month I will get my latest lab results, so I will know how my cholesterol, thyroid, and kidney function are doing , and I am hoping to see an improvement again this time, like I did last time.
My doctor (actually the NP) is no longer with my doctor’s office, so I will probably be seeing my actual doctor, at least until he replaces the lady that left.

I have really been enjoying all of the fresh summer fruits and veggies that I haven’t allowed myself when I was doing the low-carb type of diet.
Fresh pineapple, peaches, grapes, cherries, and even corn on the cob, and still losing weight, life is wonderful !

I am going on a trip out west with my daughter next week, to see my family out in the Seattle area, and it is awesome to be able to pack clothes that actually look good on me, and not like a blob.
Still have months to go to reach goal, but at least it is gradually getting closer.
Congratulations! You must be feeling wonderful about your successes!
 
It has taken me most of this year to lose the weight, but I have lost over 45 lbs, and looking forward to that 50 lb weight loss. I am still basically doing the whole food, plant based way of eating, although I have added foods like non-fat cottage cheese with fresh pineapple (after crushing it in the food processor), and also the non-fat yogurt and coffee creamer, and I am still feeling good and losing weight comfortably.
I feel much better in my body now than I did when I was so overweight, if that makes sense.
I am thinking that by next spring, I should be at my goal weight, unless winter slows me down. I am really happy that I found the Starch Solution book !
 


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