Making Adjustments In Your Weight Loss Plan

It has now been almost 3 weeks since I started on my plan to lose 20 pounds by mid-October.  I am following a primarily whole food plant based diet and trying to stay away from processed and refined foods.  I don't eat any animal products with the exception of some seafood maybe 2 or 3 times a week.  I have been working on increasing my exercise levels gradually, although exercise is not a major part of my strategy.

Right now I am down 5 pounds from my official starting point but also down around 8 pounds from my highest point in August. So I feel that I am making pretty good progress overall.  I have discovered in the past that when I initially start a new weight loss plan, it takes a few weeks for my body to adjust to the process and get into fat burning mode.  After every pound or two my body seems to try to resist and get stuck at the new level for a few days or more. 

So, I have found that I also need to resolve to not only stick to my plan and not give in to the temptation to overindulge in foods I enjoy (even healthy ones), but also make adjustments to portions, eating more foods that are less calorie dense, until the weight loss kicks in again.  The positive side is that as I stay with smaller portions my appetite eventually decreases as well and I am satisfied with less, along with the satisfaction of seeing the scale move down again.  I bounced around for the first 2 weeks, so the bulk of the 5 pounds I have lost in the last three weeks has come in the last 7 days.

For breakfast I am eating some fresh fruit and/or a light fruit smoothie made with some frozen fruit, rice milk or fruit flavored water and some ground flax seed.  That seems to be enough to hold me until lunch, which is usually a large green salad with a low fat dressing and some veggie or bean soup.  Sometimes I add whole grain crackers (e.g., Wasa or Akmak) with hummus, but if I'm satisfied without the crackers I save them for a mid-afternoon snack. 

For dinner I usually eat a variety of cooked veggies with beans or soy meat (tofu, tempeh or meatless "chicken, etc.) and flavor them with Indian curry sauce or Thai peanut sauce or another such concoction--I tend to like the spicier sauces.  Cajun seasoning is also a good option, and I like any kind of beans with tomatoes/tomato sauce and chili seasoning mix.  I also make bean tostadas using taco seasoning with low fat refried beans over a sprouted whole grain tortilla and topped with lettuce, tomatoes and salsa. 

I like to have some dark chocolate for my evening snack, along with tea or decaffeinated coffee.  If I feel I need a little more I add a few raw nuts or seeds.  I also take daily vitamin/mineral supplements including extra B12 and D3.

I am not using any dairy products, but tostadas and meatless tacos or burritos are actually surprisingly good without the cheese.  I have always been a big cheese lover but haven't found any nondairy cheese that I like that well.  I found that going without cheese and dairy products is not as difficult as I expected.  The Eat to Live Diet book is adamantly against cheese and suggested only small amounts of nonfat dairy products if you feel you want them.  We are taught to believe that we need dairy products to get enough calcium in our diet, but if we eat the right kinds of veggies we will get more than adequate amounts without all the unhealthy fats or the lactose sugars. 

After all, what animals in nature continue to drink their mothers' milk after the first year or so?  And the milk from cows or goats is not the same as milk from human mothers anyway.  So it is more likely that we eat dairy products because we just like the taste and have been brought up with it, not because we really need it.  We have to look at the whole picture and see what the real benefits are, and what happens to the animals who are being used as the source of our indulgences.  That's my view now, after giving it a lot of consideration.

Veggie Weight Loss Plan

Yesterday I decided to start a weight loss program based on a combination of several different plans I have read about.  My goal is to lose about 20 pounds in the next 7 weeks.  One of the plans is a vegetarian option focusing on low starch vegetables and high fiber fruits and whole grains.  This is the Eat to Live Diet which was discussed in one of my previous posts. (Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss)  The second plan is also vegetarian (although it also includes options for nonvegetarians) and includes more selections of high protein grains and legumes such as quinoa, soy, and nut butters--one small serving with each meal or snack.  This plan also emphasizes 15 minutes of high intensity weight training at least 3 times per week.  I will try to manage the intensity level as best I can even though I am not very big on high stress workouts.  I will probably include more types of interval workouts which alternate cardio and weights.  Here is a link to the Fat Burning Furnace diet plan if you want to check it out: Click Here!  The third plan focuses on belly fat by suggesting foods that help to target that part of the body.  These foods are packed with monunsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) which help to burn fat and reduce inflammation, including olive oil, avocados and certain nuts and seeds.  The best book I have found which centers on this concept is this one: Flat Belly Diet!    All of these plans have options that I really like, so I am going to pick the foods and the suggestions that appeal the most to me and see how it goes, making adjustments as I go along.  I will report here on my progress periodically.

These are the basic foods I will be eating:  green veggies (lettuce, kale, bell peppers, broccoli, green beans, spinach, asparagus, brussel sprouts, cabbage, celery, cucumber, zucchini, artichoke), other low starch veggies (cauliflower, eggplant, onions, garlic, mushrooms, carrots), plant proteins (soybeans, tofu, black/navy/pinto beans, chick peas (garbanzos), lentils, green peas, raw nuts and nut butters, seeds), high fiber fruits (apples, oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, papaya, bananas, berries, grapes, peaches, pineapples, mangos), whole grains (oats, whole wheat pasta or bread, rye, quinoa, millet, barley, sprouted grain bread or tortillas), and other nutrient rich whole foods such as sweet potato, melons and fresh corn (limited quantities).  Fats include olive oil, avocados, nut oils, sesame oil and coconut oil, plus flax seeds.

For beverages I will try to stick to herbal teas and water or mineral water flavored with small amounts of fruit juice such as freshly squeezed lemon, lime or grapefruit, or blended smoothies made with fresh fruit and soy or almond milk.

For two meals a day I will include 2 servings of fruit or veggies (about a cup each), 1 serving of protein (palm of the hand for legumes or tofu), and one serving of carbohydrates (1/2 to one cup depending on how dense the food is).  The third meal will be primarily low starch veggies and a small serving of protein.  Fats should be limited to small portions, just enough to stir fry the veggies or add texture to salad dressings (sticking to low fat dressings on salads).

For snacks I plan to include cut veggies such as carrots, celery, cucumber, zucchini seasoned with herbs and some fat free marinade.  Also apples or applesauce, edamame, or some raw nuts and seeds.  Green salads with low starch veggies and fat-free sugar-free dressing can also be used as snacks, and can be included with meals without adding much to total calories.  For a treat, the Flat Belly Diet also allows some indulgence in dark chocolate, which has natural substances that boost good HDL cholesterol, relax blood vessels and help regulate insulin and seratonin, the "feel good" brain chemical.  The darker the chocolate the higher the cacao content and the least amount of sweetener will be added in processing.  It is possible to find good organic chocolate that is lightly sweetened with organic evaporated cane juice; I look for chocolate that is at least 70% cacao and has less than 7 grams of sugar per 100 calorie serving.

For the next 7 weeks I am going to stay away from added sugar (with the exception of the small amounts in dark chocolate) or excess sodium, and highly processed foods.  Even some of the meatless veggie products such as veggie burgers can contain ingredients that are not natural so I am going to read the ingredients before I buy them.  In sticking with natural whole foods, I believe that my body will get all the nutrients it needs and be relieved of some of the burdens of filtering out toxic chemicals that are found in many of the processed foods we find in grocery stores.

OK, that's the plan.  I will report my progress and any pitfalls I run into as I go along....

The "Eat to Live" Diet

I have recently been focusing my attention on the concepts that are discussed in Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s book, “Eat to Live”. What I am really looking for is a way to get my weight down to my preferred level while maintaining a very high nutrient diet; i.e., to lose excess weight and keep it off without any feelings or symptoms of starvation. I would like to lose about 15 pounds to look and feel my best, but I want to do it in a way that does not feel like self deprivation. According to Dr. Fuhrman it is possible to take off those extra pounds (i.e., fat) while maintaining high energy and promoting better health by eating a diet consisting primarily of veggies and whole fruits, and lowering your starch and fat intake.

For the first 6 weeks of his eating plan, the aim is to eat about 90% unrefined plant foods, especially low starch vegetables such as dark leafy greens (e.g., romaine lettuce, spinach, turnip and mustard greens, etc.), cucumbers, peppers, sprouts, tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, garlic, mushrooms, eggplant, etc. Half of the veggies should be eaten raw as salads or prepared with herbs or spices (no salt though). The other half can be cooked, again with herbs and spices but no added salt. You can also have four servings of fresh fruit per day. You are encouraged to eat legumes instead of grains for your starch quota; you can have one cup or a bit more daily of your favorite beans or tofu. Cooked high starch veggies and grains are limited to no more than 1 cup per day. High fat foods, even healthy ones such as nuts, avocados and olive oil, are to be restricted to about 2-3 ounces. You can also have 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed daily to get your healthy omega-3 fat. I have long been a fan of fruit smoothies and like to incorporate flax seed into them for that purpose.

Dr. Fuhrman includes some great recipes for low fat salad dressings that you can make at home, along with soups and stews, main dishes, shakes and desserts. I personally cannot fathom eating green salads without a nice dressing, and this makes it possible to use a dressing that doesn’t include the unhealthy oils contained in many manufactured dressings.

The goal for the first 6 weeks is also to either completely eliminate or only include a very small amount of animal products (meat and dairy). After that, you can add back some low fat (hopefully healthy organically fed) animal products if you really miss them, but use them more as a side dish rather than the main portion of your meals.

Although some nutritionists are concerned about the level of protein included in an all plant food diet, according to Dr. Fuhrman there are more than adequate levels and varieties of protein (amino acids) contained in green vegetables and other plant foods if they are eaten in sufficient quantities. For example, out of the total calorie content of spinach about 50% is actually protein. And because his diet is very nutrient rich while low in calories overall, you will get enough protein along with the highly beneficial phytonutrients from plants without the body converting excess food into fat for storage. Eating high quality, nutrient dense foods is the key to this diet.

I highly recommend reading this book even if you are not ready to follow his program “all the way”. He shares some valuable information about foods that promote excellent health, and some necessary reinforcement as to the reasons why our typical high fat, highly processed American style diet is definitely not in our best interest. Dr. Fuhrman cites many reasons why he considers green veggies to be the healthiest food on the planet.

The hardest part of the diet for me is limiting whole grain products to one small serving per day during the initial phase. I really enjoy having whole grain toast in the morning and brown rice or whole grain pasta along with lunch or dinner. This is a bit of a sacrifice to me, but if I can lose weight, maintain a good energy level and not feel hungry on a diet of mostly unrefined low starch plant foods I am willing to do it. I must admit I am still working on the resolve to take this 6-week plunge and see what happens.

Right now I am just at the start of a (too-short) 10 day vacation in beautiful Kauai, Hawaii. This is obviously not the best time to go on a strict diet, but I am going to try to ease my way into eliminating starchy foods and high fat dairy while I’m here. More to follow…