Melissa wrote that she wants to lose 20 lbs and questions
if the McDougal diet which she thinks is vegan will help
her do this.
Actually McDougal and his wife wrote their original
book to reverse heart disease. It is a diet with
probably less than 10% fat. A few readers explained
that it is not necessarily vegan, which was correctly
described as an "ethical life style." The point behind
veganism is to eliminate any personal "abuse" of animals.
Many readers of this list are vegan. It is powerfully
socially isolating, because any form of eating out is
probably impossible. However, vegans feel strongly about
their beliefs and are willing to "pay the price" for it.
Weight loss is another issue completely.
In order to lose weight, it is necessary to take in fewer
calories than you use. You have these choices: Use more
calories than you take in, or reduce the number of calories
that you take in. A very low fat diet is the key to any weight loss
diet because fat is a very highly concentrated source of calories.
As a person who was once over 240 lbs as a youngster, and now
weighs 160 lbs, I have some experience.
1. It is probably almost impossible to lose weight and eat meat,
except in tiny portions.
2. Excercise must become a part of your life, almost daily, or you
will gain your weight back.
Good luck,
(Dr) Mike Rosenblatt
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