The Results Are In (Drum Roll, Please)

Mildly disappointing, I didn't lose any weight this very last week. I blame waaaay too many alcoholic beverages and slices of cake on Friday and Saturday (stupidly just before my weigh-in). Just because the cake was vegan didn't mean it was calorie free. But hey, I've learned my lesson, forgiven myself, and am ready to move on to bigger and better things.

So, over the course of my three week Weight Loss Kickstart, I:

• Lost 6 pounds
• Lost 1 and 1/2 inches of off my hips
• Lost 2 inches off of my waist
• Lost 2 and 1/2 inches off my bust
• Lost 1 inch off of each thigh
• Gained a lot more energy, especially midday
• Stopped drinking coffee and soda almost entirely
• Completely halted my IBS episodes
• Started developing a better self-image, outside and in
• Cleared my previously conflicted conscience about eating ocean life

Not to shabby, I'd say! I am feeling really, really positive about all of this. So where to go from here?

Right now, I feel like I've only just begun a really awesome adventure--there is so much more to do and learn about food (and I do love food). Dr. Barnard tells me not to say, "I'm a vegan now," but instead to say "I will follow a vegan diet for the next (relatively short-term commitment here)." So what kind of commitment will I be making?

Check out my new name to find out. Hope you'll stick around!

Day 14

This is my last day in week two of the 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart, and I've got a really good feeling about my weigh in tomorrow morning. First though, to get through some delicious meals today.

Breakfast:
Breakfast Burrito
Dan Dan Mian (recipe)
Banana

Lunch:
Portobello Fajitas (recipe)

Dinner:
???
Mango Lime Sorbet (recipe)

You're right, I can't just eat sorbet for dinner (though that does sound rather delightful). My new vegan friend, Jessica, has invited me over to her house and is cooking for us! I've no idea what we'll be having, but I'm sure it will be wonderful and I'll take pictures and get the recipe if it is super yummy. So excited!

Week 1 Progress

Here's the moment I've been waiting for all week! Drum roll, please...

This morning the scale read 252 pounds. While I don't know my exact starting weight, I'm pretty sure it was at least 255, maybe a tiny bit more--let's just say 255. That is a weight loss of 3 lbs in one week. Seeing as I'm supposed to lose 2 lbs per week, I'd say that is a pretty good number!

While the books says to look primarily at the scale, I did decide to take my measurements on day three as well. According to the tape measure, I've lost one inch each off of my hips, bust, and thighs as well as one and a half inches off my waist.

I could tell about my hips and thighs--I can barely get my jeans to stay on, and they are very baggy in the butt, pooch, and thigh areas. I started noticing my waist a little bit, but I was surprised to see so much gone.

I can't tell you how happy I am that this is working! I have tried and failed so many times that I was completely terrified there would be no difference today. So glad to be wrong! I feel like I have a purpose now, and that this isn't crazy after all.

Also, I actually have been feeling a difference in energy. I don't have as hard of a time getting up in the mornings, and I am completely off of coffee now--I had been drinking an average of three cups a day. My whole adult life I've consistantly felt a rather miserable slump at almost exactly 3 o'clock in the afternoon every day, which usually resulted in a nap. I don't feel sleepy at all during the day anymore! It is so nice not to be battling with myself and to have extra time to get things done because I don't need to sleep half way through the day.

Helen asked me last night if after three weeks I would go back to an omnivorous diet. I told her no last night, that I wouldn't, and today I really mean that. I am completely content eating this way, so why change? At the very least this is environmentally healthy, but that isn't just it. This diet has so many perks, and I am not seeing very many downfalls. To be honest, I haven't missed meat, cheese, or dairy once this whole week. And considering that I've still got a whole lot of weight to lose, no, I'm not stopping at three weeks. The only difference after the 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart will be that I get to make up my own menus.

I can't believe I used to make fun of vegans before this... Just gotta' live and learn!

Baked Cardamom Pears

This was dessert for day seven of the 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart.

Cardamom Baked Pear

This is probably the easiest and mess-free recipe in the meal plan I have been following. All I did was cut a pear in half, scoop out the core with a spoon, fill the core with golden raisins, sprinkle the whole thing with ground cardamom, and bake in a covered dish at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Fresh out of the oven.

While these are fairly sweet, it is all natural sugar enhanced with a little bit of spice. I bet these would also be wonderful as a warm, homey breakfast. I kept pestering Helen about having one, and she finally acquiesced to a little bite. She found it to be so good that she ended up eating the whole pear half. I think we've got a keeper!

Day 7

Today marks one week that I have been following a completely vegan diet as well as Dr. Neal Barnard's book, 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart. While not over yet, I can say that this week has had its ups and downs, but has been overall an incredibly positive experience in my life. For the past week I have eaten better than I have in my whole life--and I don't just mean better as in healthy. Better as in more food, more often, and more delicious. This is one diet you definitely won't feel deprived and hungry on. And what's more is that last night at Gobblerfest and the Spirit Rally I could barely keep my pants on me because they were so loose! The poor people sitting in the grass behind me had to stare at my backside all night due to the fact that I do not own a belt. As Carla said, "I wish I had your problems..."

The menu for day seven is:

Breakfast:
Pancakes with maple syrup
Fresh raspberries

Lunch:
Quinoa and Red Bean Salad (recipe)
Hummus and pita bread

Dinner:
Sauteed spinach with fresh lemon juice
Penne al Forno (recipe)
Linguine with Seared Oyster Mushrooms (recipe)
Mixed greens with balsamic vinegar
Baked Cardamom Pears (recipe)

The Asian buffet last night, Hokkaido, turned out to be very good, and had lots of vegan options. I chowed down on sauteed mushrooms, steamed bok choy, vegetable lo mein, rice noodles, and some fried rice (with no egg, yay!). Because of this, I didn't get to cook the lovely menu from last night. So tonight I am going to make a few substitutions. There is no way that I am going to let those mushrooms go to waste, whereas the Penne al Forno ingredients are nonperishable.

Check it out this evening!

Day 4

Here is the menu for day four of the 21-Day Weight Loss Kick Off:

Breakfast:
Mango Spice Breakfast Smoothie (recipe)
Oatmeal with blueberries

Lunch:
Hummus and Sun-Dried Tomato Wrap (recipe)
Low-fat baked tortilla chips
Fresh apple

Dinner:
Quick Black Bean Chili (recipe)
Rice Topped with Tomatillo Sauce (recipe)
Warmed corn tortillas

I will probably be making quite a few changes today. I was so bogged down with homework deadlines last night that I didn't have any time to cook and just ended up eating my leftover Rustic Tomato Soup. This morning, instead of the smoothie I am going to make the Bananas in Berry Artesia recipe (which is basically the same ingredients in a different form). The tiny food processor we have isn't cutting it, so I'm going to have to go out and find a blender.

Today's going to be a busy one, so forgive me if I don't post until this evening.

Rustic Tomato Soup

This is dinner for day two of the 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart. The menu called for Rustic Tomato Soup, mixed salad greens with Red Pepper Vinaigrette, and a piece of sourdough toast.



Rustic Tomato Soup, mixed salad greens with Red Pepper Vinaigrette, and toast.

Surprisingly, the store had to sourdough so I had a slice of 12 grain bread. This was a loaf that I had had, and when I looked at the ingredients I saw milk on the list. Technically this is non-vegan bread, but I just couldn't in good conscience throw away a perfectly good full loaf of bread. Besides, in the study where Dr. Campbell fed rats a diet of 20% casein (milk protein) and 5% casein, those who ate only 5% in their diet saw their cancerous tumors begin to receed. I don't think a tablespoon of milk is going to kill me.

Tonight's dinner was fabulous, and much less of a hassel than day one. The tomato soup consisted of onion, garlic, diced Roma tomato, water, fresh thyme, freshly ground cumin, salt, and pepper simmered together until the tomatoes broke down. At that point I added half a cup of rice and let it simmer on low for 25 minutes. Super easy, right? The only problem I had was that there wasn't any liquid left when the rice was finished cooking, so I had to stir some water back in. I had to be quite heavy on the salt as well. I would definitely make this again, maybe with a little more tomato and a little less rice.

Rustic Tomato Soup

The vinaigrette was also very simple. I tried out the food processor again, and thankfully it only leaked a tiny bit. I think we may need a new one... Anyways, I put one roasted red pepper, one clove of garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and two tablespoons of red wine vinegar in the food processor and let it go until it was as fine as I thought it would get. The dressing was still a little pulpy--I think it would have been better as a puree. I'm not a huge fan of red bell peppers, so I don't think I would make this too often, but it was pretty good.

Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette

I went ahead and made the full batch (two servings) of soup because I knew I would eat the leftovers at some point. This turned out to be so filling that I couldn't even finish my salad either. Another winner!

Gallo Pinto

This is breakfast for day two of the 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart. The main part of my meal is called Gallo Pinto ("Painted Rooster"), also known as Costa Rican Rice and Beans!

Costa Rican Rice and Beans, Pineapple, and Pumpernickel Toast with Apple Butter

You might notice that the meal plan today called for mango in the pineapple salad and orange jam on the toast. I couldn't find any orange flavored jam at the store, so I got this organic vegan applebutter (just apples and apple juice), which tasted wonderful. I have never had pumpernickel bread either, and it was quite good. While I was making breakfast I was thinking that if I hurried I might be able to make it to class, so I skipped the mango. Well, I didn't make it to class, and decided just to eat the pineapple by itself anyways. Argh.

The gallo pinto is completely out of my comfort zone. I have never eaten a plate of rice in beans in my whole life, and that includes dining in Latin restaurants. I guess it just seems like a cheap dish to eat when you need sustenance, and not something yummy to cook and eat because it sounds good. Also, the recipe said to put hot sauce on it, which was equally out of my comfort zone. I don't do hot sauce.

Onions, red bell pepper, garlic, salt, water, and rice simmering together. Just stir in black beans when the rice is done.

Well, it looked pretty good. It smelled really good while it was cooking. My skepticism was slowly slipping away...

Gallo Pinto

It turns out that it was actually quite tasty! After a few bites I felt like I was missing something, and then I remembered the hot sauce. This was against my better judgement as well, but I went ahead and put a few drops on to start. Suffice to say, I ended up using a lot more hot sauce. It was really, really good. Who knew!

Texas Pete is the only hot sauce that I know and like. Any others I should be trying?

As weird as this was to me, I can actually see this as a staple--for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Day 2

Day 1 had its ups and downs. On to day two!

Here is the menu for the day:

Breakfast
Costa Rican Rice and Beans (Gallo Pinto) (recipe)
Sliced pineapple and mango
Pumpernickle toast with orange jam

Lunch
BST (Bacon, Sprout, and Tomato Sandwich) (recipe)
Sweet Potato Fries (recipe)

Dinner
Rustic Tomato Soup (recipe)
Salad of mixed greens with Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette (recipe)
Slice of toasted sourdough bread

Another of the things that I really enjoy about the 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart book is that there are daily readings. Today Dr. Barnard talked a little about the lack of meat and asked how I was feeling. Today I am supposed to have increased energy and improved digestion. Negative on both fronts. The energy thing might be my fault--I didn't go to bed till almost midnight last night and then had my alarm set for 4 am. I felt so miserable when I got up and started working on homework that I pretty much said, "Screw this," and went back to bed, missing my Organic Chem and Economics classes. It is 11am now, and I've just finished breakfast, but I still feel like I'd give anything to go back to bed (I won't, of course). As for digestion, that's always been a big problem for me. I have IBS, and just about anything can trigger it. Even my vegan breakfast this morning didn't settle so well. But it is only day two after all, so we'll just have to wait and see.

Seven Layer Garden Nachos

Okay, so maybe this isn't what they're really called, but I couldn't find blue chips and it seemed more to me like nachos than a salad. This was my lunch for day one.

"Blue Corn Chip Salad", A.K.A. Seven Layer Garden Nachos

I thought for sure that I was going to miss my normal fixin's such as cheese and sour cream, but let me tell you--I was wrong. Very wrong. This just might be some of the best nachos I've ever had, and that is without and meat, cheese, or dairy! Mom, you'd go nuts over these.

The first layer of the nachos is the chips themselves. Since one of the rules of the 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart is to reduce oils, I had to get baked chips. There was only one type of baked tortilla chip that Krogers carried (and this is an incredibly large and diverse store), and it was not blue. I ended up getting Baked! Tostitos Scoops.

Layer One: Chips

The second layer is composed of lettuce. I got red leaf lettuce, which is simultaneously beautiful and tasty. The recipe said to tear it into bit size pieces, but instead I removed the thicker stem pieces and then did a chiffonade cut. We eat with our eyes first, and just looking at those purple little swirls was making me hungry!

Layer Two: Lettuce

The third layer is black beans. I just got a cheap can of the store brand packed in water. I used half of a 15 oz can on my nachos.

Layer Three: Beans

Layer four is a fresh diced Roma tomato. The recipe called for half of one, but mine was so tiny I decided to use the whole thing.

Layer Four: Tomato

The fifth layer is a half cup of any type of salsa. I went with a jar of ChiChi's mild salsa, and that was quite nice. Obviously if you like it hot, go nuts. One option for the future is to skip the fourth layer of tomato and just make this layer a nice heap of fresh pico de gallo. Yum!

Layer Five: Salsa

Layer six is roast red pepper. The recipe called for one and a half peppers, and that sounded like an awful lot to me. I ended up opting for only one pepper, which still seemed like too much but ended up being just perfect. Make sure that these are packed in water with no added oils. I julienned them, but you can dice them however you like.

Layer Six: Roasted Red Pepper

The last layer is comprised of any toppings you might want. I used unprocessed pepitas, which the book suggested. I also decided to put a little fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime. I'm glad I did, because I feel like it really elevated all of those already delicious flavors to another level. And, ta-da! Observe your masterpiece.

Layer Seven: Toppings (Cilantro, Pepitas, Lime Juice)

The menu for today also included a watermelon salad tossed with lime juice. I got the cutest little melon from the farmers' market, which is the perfect size for just me. I also got a bunch of fresh mint at the market, and decided to chop a few leaves up very finely and add that to the watermelon salad as well. Remember about eating with your eyes? Here's a close-up:

Watermelon Salad with Mint and Lime

This was actually so much food that I couldn't finish it. I had about half a cup of random veggies left on my plate and had to put most of my half cup of watermelon back into the container as well. That's okay though, the watermelon will be a good snack between classes tomorrow. The only hard part about this diet thus far has been eating the recommended amounts of food! They weren't kidding when they talked about "real" portions. Perhaps dinner will have to be rather later tonight... Also, if any of you readers happen to be in my neck of the woods, please stop by--there is more than plenty of deliciousness to go around. I feel bad that I keep shoving it at Helen when she's not much of an eater to being with.

Day 1

Blacksburg has a lovely farmers' market Saturday mornings and Wednesday evenings, and I fortunate enough to be able to go this morning and start my shopping for the week. I've got to go to Krogers still to get my dry ingredients and a few out-of-season fruits that were on the meal plan. I'm not quite sure how this is going to work out financially yet, but I'll keep you posted about that as well.

I spent $33 at the market this morning (minus the two dollars in the tip jar of a wonderfully talented guitarist) and walked away with a bunch of herbs, several onions, some rather pricey garlic, a watermelon, and bunch of other green produce. Oh, and a 40 ounce $8 package of organic, home-made sundried tomatoes. These should last a while, and I would consider them more of a treat to use in special recipes.

Here is tomorrow's menu:


Breakfast
Mango Lime Pancakes with maple syrup (recipe)
Fresh Strawberries

Lunch
Blue Corn Chip Salad (recipe)
Sliced watermelon drizzled with lime juice

Dinner
Fettuccine with Grilled Asparagus, Peas, and Lemon (recipe)
Caldo Verde (recipe)
Pears in Balsamic Glaze (recipe)


I am buying for meals throughout Wednesday, and the cool thing is that since I am cooking small portions I can use half of an ingredient I buy for a recipe later in the week. I wish the book would have provided a shopping list as well, but it isn't a big deal to figure it out on my own. Except for the beans... Every single day I think I am eating beans, which isn't bad--I'm just not used to it. In four days I am scheduled to eat 72 ounces of beans, which is roughly half a gallon or two pounds of cooked beans. Holy crap!

I am going to prep a little tonight and a lot tomorrow in order to get things started for the week. Get ready for lots and lots of photos.

The Plan

Alright, here's what is going to happen for the next 21 days:

• All meat is out. That means chicken and seafood as well. Definitely no steak...

• All animal by products are not allowed. No milk, no eggs, no yogurt, no ice cream, no mayo, to ranch, no nothing. This I think will be the hardest part.

• Plant oils need to be greatly reduced. While these are plant-based, they are still fat. I won't be cooking with oil, eating any deep fried, or comsuming too many avocados or olives (though these things and other foods like seeds and nuts are fine in moderation). Fat amounts need to be two grams per serving or less--and that is in realistic servings, not the serving size listed on the package label.

• I'll be aiming for low glycemic index foods. While all plant products are allowed, I will still be trying to make good choices. Instead of eating a 111 GI baked Russet potato at every meal, I might opt for a 77 GI sweet potato once in a while. Or if I'm feeling extra healthful I can skip potatoes altogether and eat 16 GI raw carrots. With the preset meal plan in 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart however, all of my food choices are already set out for me. Check it out at www.glycemicindex.com.

• I will be eating whole grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and tubers. Nothing more, nothing less.

Here is the book I've been talking about, which details the meal plan and recipes I will be using:

 

 

 

Also, the documentary Forks Over Knives is available for watching Instantly on Netflix. I highly recommend watching it, even if you do have to cover your eyes at the heart bypass surgery scene (Mother...). Click here to watch with your account now.



Introduction

Welcome to my new blog!

I think that at this point most of my readers know who I am, but I'll give you a little background. My name is Britney, and I am obese. 

From the summer of 2011.
(I'm feeding this injured turkey vulture some dead mice.)

I am 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weigh 255 pounds. I have struggled with my weight my entire life, maxing out at 275 pounds last year. Right now I am wearing size 16 jeans, but that's not my real size. I only buy jeans from Target because they run very large (which means I can get a smaller number) and even so I still have to do odd stretches and dances to get them on me every morning. My actual pants size is most likely 22, and I haven't worn a dress in so many years that I have no idea what dress size I would be. I enjoy exercise, and walk quite a bit, but my doctor tells me that my metabolism is so slow that exercise isn't enough. I have a food addiction and dream about sweets day and night. I am quite fat and out of shape--and very unhappy about that.

Thankfully, I am at a point in my life that I can do something about that. Last month I moved away from and got my own apartment, which I share with my two room mates, in Blacksburg, VA. While I attend college at Virginia Tech, I do not have a meal plan and therefor purchase my own groceries and prepare all my own meals. What is to stop me from making a dietary change then? Absolutely nothing.

There is me on the left and my room mates Helen (center) and Carla (right).

 

I've tried or looked into dozen of diets in the past, almost all with marginal success. The South Beach Diet works well while I am on Phase 1, but as soon as I move out of that phase the weight comes right back on. Last semester I did a nutrition research paper for my Human Anatomy class and discovered that a vegetarian diet provides all necessary nutrients and is a viable option for weight loss. When my professor read my work, she asked if I had ever seen the documentary named Forks Over Knives (www.forksoverknives.com). I hadn't, and didn't end up watching it until yesterday. It was wonderful, and provided me with a new option that I hadn't ever considered before...

 

I'm going to be a vegan for 21 days in order to lose weight.

 

And who knows after 21 days? I guess we'll have to wait and see. Those of you who know me really well are probably saying right now, "That girl has lost her damn mind..." Yes, I most likely have. I have slowly been driven mad with frustration, self-image issues, and anger with for being too weak to control myself. I am blind with rage at myself half of the time. Do you know how many stairs are at Virginia Tech? Do you know how large and spread out the VT campus is? Do you know how small the seats in the lecture hall are? Do you know how awkward it is to be touching the person next to you on the bus because your fat rolls hang over the seat into their personal space? Do you how embarrassing it is to be brick red and soaked with sweat when you arrive to a lecture because you just had to walk up a very small hill in order to get to the class in question? Well, it sucks. Bad. I am beyond fed up with all of this.

 

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

How I shall miss you, frosting...







The reason that this sounds so extremist is because I come from a meat, cheese, and potatoes family with a voracious appetite. We find occasions to get together that are centered around food. When it is someone's birthday we go out and get inch thick ribeye steaks to celebrate. Instead of turkey at Thanksgiving, we barbecue racks of ribs. At this moment in time I am having difficulty imagining not eating meat, not to mention things like milk and eggs. But a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, and for at least 21 days this is how I am going to live--totally and completely vegan.

 

And you'll get to see how it works as I blog about it every step of the way. As recommended by Forks Over Knives, I'll be following Dr. Neal Barnard's book entitled 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart to begin with. As I follow his meal plan I will include recipes, thoughts, science, and progress in my upcoming posts during the next three weeks.

 

Stay tuned.