The Mcdougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss
by John A. McDougall
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Book Summary Information
Author: John A. McDougallEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1995-04-01
ISBN: 0452273803
Number of pages: 336
Publisher: Plume
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Book Reviews of The Mcdougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss
Book Review: It works, of course.
Summary: 5 Stars
Not that a fair amount of other diets have not pointed out the same thing, but Dr. McDougall makes a great effort to stress how the rich Western diet has become so standard that we are all convinced that eating gobs of meat, fats, and junk food are normal. Bear in mind that the McDougall plan has been around for many years...and although it's never been a huge fad like Atkins, McDougall has stayed around and still remains mostly relevant. Alot of people will find his plan too restrictive - vegan in essence (but not by creed...he doesn't care one way or another about the ethics of eating animals, just the physical result), it takes a LOT of preparation and getting used to. A friend and I tried this plan around 5 years ago, and the first two weeks were a bit of a struggle - you realize how used to salty, sweet, buttery, creamy foods we all are, and his recipes seem bland and hard to take (and I agree with what a previous reviewer wrote, that the recipes are a little too on the Tex-Mex side). Then you get used to the concept of eating "pure food"...and the benefits start to kick in. My friend and I did start losing weight, seemingly without trying - we were packing our faces with McDougall approved food and definitely not starving - but the other benefit was that I had more energy, and was more likely to wake up earlier and be more alert and cheerful and ready to start my day right away.
After 2 months or so, my friend and I went out for dinner and broke the diet. The next morning we both had the worst hangover we'd had in a while - from food. I felt sluggish and letharic and greasy. And, eager to get back to eating vegan.
McDougall says himself that meats, dairy, and junk food have their place. I think a lot of people miss his point when reading his opinion on eliminating these foods from your daily diet. At one time, rich foods were "feast foods" that were prepared on special occasions - turkey for thanksgiving, ham on easter, cake and ice cream on a birthday. Today it is easter for breakfast, thanksgiving for lunch, and every day is a birthday. The point is not that you have to swear off these foods for the rest of your life - eat them on special occasions, sure, but not every day. The point is, to recognize that it is much, much healthier to build your daily diet around vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. McDougall was saying this way before the Food Pyramid was even changed (twice - once to give grains and vegetables the top spot, then again to emphasize vegetables even more and also bring attention to the fact that there are other foods in the protein group besides meat).
He brings up a few interesting points that, although I'm not sure of the facts to back up his statements, definitely make an impression. One, is that Americans overconsume protein, overestimate our need for it, and assume that we can only get our protein from meat. We're led to believe this by the meat industry, of course. You can just as easily meet your protein needs from beans, seeds and nuts. Vegetarians have been arguing this for years. Two, is that the milk industry pounds into our heads that (cow's) milk is essential to prevent osteoperosis. He makes the point that Americans consume more milk than any other country and we also have the highest rate of osteoperosis than any other country. A kind of of silly example he makes - Giraffes eat nothing but leaves, and you'd think an animal like that would really need healthy bones, right? The truth is that you can also get calcium from other foods, like broccoli, spinach, and tofu. Morgan Spurlock addressed the same issue (from a junk food angle) of the food industry selling us a skewed view of the foods they sell, in the documentary "Supersize Me".
McDougall also advocated "grazing", what he called eating small meals rather than 3 large ones. Now we know that this is a good practice and it it much better suited for an even blood sugar level. When McDougall first publish his plan, it was a novel idea. Much easier on your insulin production and your energy levels, much easier on your apetite.
The downside - and there is a downside - is that eating McDougall long term is difficult unless you embrace it like a religious conversion. My friend and I slowly quit after about 6 months of fairly dedicated eating, because we were sick of all the extra effort. Friends and family are either hostile, feeling the need to defend their own eating choices and poking fun at yours, or well-meaning but clueless, inviting you to dinner and insisting you try their "vegetarian" casserole they took hours to prepare just for you, gobbed with oils and cream and cheese, and are hurt if you decline. It really is tough eating out, whether at restaurants or other people's houses - even ordering a salad is a hassle, since everything but garden salads have got meat or cheese stuck in them...and unless you order plain vinegar as a dressing, you're out of luck. I think McDougall recommends either using a lemon wedge for dressing - I never heard of a real person that would consider lemon a dressing - or carrying around your own dressing mix. Imagine going to dinner with friends and whipping dressing out of your purse - and what do men do without a purse to whip their dressing from, anyway? And it seems like all your spare time is given over to cooking, cooking, cooking...and you'll develop bigger muscles by carrying around all the food you'll need to eat throughout the day. Since it's so fresh and healthy, the whole foods he recommends are digested much easier and quicker and before you know it, you're hungry again. I found myself eating 6 minimeals throughout the day, from breakfast to pre-dinner, and believe me when I say I lugged a big grocery bag full of food back and forth to work every day. And you HAVE to do this, because it's not like you can go out for lunch and order something quick from the local deli. You might also wind up feeling alienated from friends and family because your new lifestyle is so different than theirs, and your needs have become so specialized that asking them to accomodate you turns you into one of the worst picky vegetarians that perpetuate the stereotype that all vegetarians are card-carrying pains in the neck.
Another bad point is the use of salt. McDougall assumes that his readers are attempting to lose weight or regulate their blood sugar - he doesn't take into consideration people with hypertension. Salt use is encouraged - and so is the use of salty condiments in order to make his recommended foods more flavorful; barbeque sauce, soy sauce, and salt, salt, salt. Canned foods are also encouraged, also high in salt...and in a few places he encourages the use of granulated sugar. Not great for diabetics.
To sum up, this is a great book to read (along with some of his others) to get a different outlook on the food industry in America, and inspiration and enthusiam for changing your own eating habits. It is by no means the be-all, end-all of diet books, and I don't think it should be regarded as the cure for every person's problem. I do think that it deserves credit for bringing attention to the fact that a lot of the reason why we are so chronically sick these days is that we are poisoning ourselves with over-processed, nutritionally vampirized, artificially "improved" foods and lost touch with the cause and effect of our bodies' fuel needs.
TRY the diet - give it your best shot, your most open mind, your most optimistic intentions, and ignore the maintsream media and "common knowledge" that tells you "everyone needs meat" or "but are you getting enough protein?" And, continue learning about the subject through the web and other books, even after you've finished The McDougall Plan. I think the best thing I took away with me after reading this book was a newfound interest in my own nutritional needs and a realization of how important it is to know for myself what is good for me to eat - because *I* know, not because the TV tells me so.
Summary of The Mcdougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss
Drawing on the latest evidence about nutrition, metabolism, and hunger, an easy-to-follow weight loss plan places emphasis on a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet while explaining how weight is lost and gained. Reprint.Low Fat Books
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