If you've known me for any period of time, you're aware that I struggle with my weight.
My ace in the hole was the clinic that helped me lose 56 pounds four years ago. This time around, I only had 20 pounds to lose, and I was certain I would be able to shed them fairly easily on the 600-800 calorie diet I had signed up for again.
But years of yo-yo dieting and low carb regimens (and age!) have done a number on my metabolism.
After 10 weeks, I managed a bare 10-pound loss. And the moment I started eating a more normal diet (i.e., 1200 calories a day instead of 800), the weight came back.
I decided it was time to try something else.
So for the last three weeks, I've been a vegan.
And you know something? I'm kind of enjoying it.
For one thing, I have denied myself fruits and grains for so long that eating them again feels decadent.
And I'm not missing the meat, eggs or dairy -- which is really surprising to me.
I should backtrack: This came about as a result of a converation I had with my Moms LA peeps at a May event event with nutritionist Ashley Koff. Sarah Auerswald and Yvonne Condes were about to embark on a challenge from their neighborhood Whole Foods Market: to be vegans for 28 days.
I initially told them I'd start along with them -- but then I remembered that I had a birthday coming up, as well as a trip to San Francisco. So I wisely delayed my own vegan challenge until June 1 ... and then, I set about trying to convince my husband to do it with me.
And here's the amazing part: He agreed!
It's true that he accepted the challenge after our party had consumed a pitcher of sangria at San Francisco's Thirsty Bear Brewing Company. And the fact that our friends and family all placed bets on how long he would last probably contributed to his determination to stick with it.
He's exceeded everyone's expectations: Our most optimistic friend gave him 14 days. Our own daughter got in on the action with an estimate of four days (which is better than the 24 hours I expected he'd be able to stick with it).
Having him try it with me has been a great help. While I was doing Lindora, meals were a pain to plan, because no one in the family was eating the same thing. But since starting the vegan diet, I've rediscovered the fun of cooking for the two of us again.
My daughter is a lost cause; at 15, she still has the palate of a toddler and will only eat a limited range of food. As the month has worn on, she has started worrying that at the end of the 28 days, we will remain vegans.
I don't think she has to worry about my husband, although I've been reminding him that eschewing all animal products is a surefire way to lower his cholesterol and keep it low.
I should mention that we're not doing the challenge the way Sarah and Yvonne did, which followed the guidelines laid down in Rip Esselstyn's spartan Engine 2 Diet, which advocates cooking vegan without added oils or fats. I've been using his book too -- but last week, the husband started complaining about a lack of variety... so I pulled out Tal Ronnen's vegan cookbook, The Conscious Cook. These recipes are complicated and some are downright scary -- but oh my goodness, the results are tasty. And a little olive oil in your salad or atop your roasted veggies really makes a difference.
My husband has lost a few pounds during this experiment, which makes sense because he does not have my dieting history.
I have not lost any weight -- but I've not gained any, either. And most important to me is that I'm not feeling hungry or deprived. I can live with that.
Yes, I realize that need to be more active. But while on the starvation diet, adding exercise to the mix increased my appetite to the point where I couldn't see straight enough to stick to the plan. Now that I'm trying to eat in a more natural (albeit limited) way, I shouldn't have that problem any more. This means the only excuse I have now is lack of time.
Baby steps.
