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!

Daily Reading

Remember those daily readings I've been doing along with the meal plan? Well, they've been pretty cool so far. Some days I am just blown away though. Today was one of those days.

The section was entitled, "Foods That Conquer Pain." Not that I really have any pain, but I think that some of this is applicable to almost everyone. Dr. Barnard talked about the four different types of pain that can be managed, prevented, or treated with diet: joint pain, migraines, back pain, and menstrual cramps.

Joint Pain

This part referred mostly to arthritis, but all of it has to do with inflammation. Apparently there are some foods that trigger joint inflammation for some people:

• dairy
• meat
• eggs
• corn
• sugar
• nuts
• coffee
• wheat, rye, oats
• citrus fruits
• potatoes
• tomatoes

His suggestion for people who have joint pain is to switch to a vegan diet for a few weeks--that means diary, meat, and eggs are already out. If the pain persists after that, remove all of the other foods from your diet for a month. Once you begin feeling better you can start introducing one trigger food at a time until you identify what the problem is.

Migraines

These intense headaches, as it turns out, are very much like joint pain. Here's what can trigger them:

• dairy
• meat
• eggs
• chocolate
• corn
• nuts
• wheat
• citrus fruits
• tomatoes
• onions
• apples
• bananas

You'll want to do exactly what was listed for the section above.

Back Pain

Dr. Barnard says that a lot of peoples' back pain is caused from restricted blood flow to the spine, which is often caused by a meaty diet and/or smoking. This can actually lead over to to a pinched disk and pain that shoots all the way down the leg. A vegan diet alone should alleviate back pain that is not caused by an underlying disease.

Menstrual Cramps

Alright ladies, this is the answer you've been looking for. The science behind this one is that a vegan diet lowers estrogen levels (while a meaty diet raises them). High estrogen levels are associated with breast cancer, and also all of those lovely monthly side-effects. Even in women with severe symptoms, a vegan diet reduced pain and in many cases completely got rid of it. And yeah, that is every month. The key to this one is also a low-fat, high-fiber diet too though. Oh, and don't worry--less estrogen isn't going to make you extra hairy or anything. The odd thing to me is that my birth control is constantly feeding me more estrogen on a daily basis. I wonder what Dr. Barnard would say about that. Perhaps I'll shoot him an email. Regardless, I'll be able to say whether this one works or not in about a few weeks, hehe.


Some of these I'm not really sure about why they work, and I really am quite interested. But seriously, if you've got something like this going on and nothing is working, why not try dietary changes?

The was a story as well in the reading, about a nutritionist who had arthritis in her neck so badly that she could barely move. After taking steroids and tons of other drugs she was still in a lot of pain. She was only in her forties. After switching to a vegan diet her inflammation completely cleared up, she lost 40 pounds, and all of her acne went away. Pretty crazy stuff!

That story actually made me tear up a little bit while reading it, because it made me think of my mom. At forty years old, she has tendinitis in both shoulders and what is most likely sciatica affecting her back, hip, and leg. She's been working hard with physical therapy to help alleviate the inflammation but I know it is still a daily nuisance for her.

Soooooo what needs to happen is that she'll move in with me and I'll cook her a super healthy home-made vegan meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day! Right mom? *nudge nudge*

Maybe not, but I do think that this might be able to help. A vegan diet sounds crazy, I know, but it is actually the easiest "diet" I've ever been on. It really is a "diet" only in the sense that it is a way to eat, just like omnivorism or vegetarianism. Not to mention that all of these veggies contain loads of vitamins and minerals to keep you healthy anyways. I also have a friend with terrible migraines that I think could benefit from a vegan diet.

Dr. Barnard had one more tip for those struggling with joint inflammation. As a doctor, and after you've given dietary changes an honest try, he would prescribe every night with dinner:

• one tablespoon of flaxseed oil
• 1.4 to 2.8 grams of gamma-linolenic acid from borage, black currant, or evening primrose oil
• AND 400 IU of vitamin E (only 100 if you have high blood pressure).

The top two are omega-3 fatty acids that are naturally found in plants.

Good luck, and I hope I've influenced you in some way to be healthier! I certainly have been.

Weigh In 2

Today marks two full weeks of a vegan diet completed and the start of the third. This past week I have lost another 3 pounds, bringing my weight from 255 to 249. Over the last seven days I've also dropped an additional inch and a half on my bust as well as a half inch on my waist. I'm feeling pretty good about this!

I know that other people are losing more, but I am happy right where I am at. I don't think I'd want to lose any faster anyways, because I know that rapid weight loss can cause some serious health issues. My goal is 150 pounds, and at this rate I could be there in about 8 months--before the end of the academic year and next summer. To stop me from being down on myself, my mom always says, "It took you twenty-one years to get this way--it'll be just as hard to get back." I don't know mom, it is looking pretty quick and easy from here!

I'm Baaaack

What an awesome (and crazy) past few days!

Helen (left), Carla (right), and me at the Victoria's Secret Pink Takes Tech party.

I've missed you all and promise to be diligent about posting in my last week of the diet. Stay tuned!

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!

Inspiration

Today's reading talked a lot about energy and featured some incredible athletes that follow a vegan diet for the nutrition they need to perform at their best. One that really stood out to me was Scott Jurek.

At fifteen he was skiing and decided to become an Ironman. At twenty he entered his first ultramarathon (50 miles) and came in second place. Over the next few years he came in first place at the following races:

• seven times champ and world record holder for the Western States Endurance Run (100 miles)
• one time winner of the Badwater Ultramarathon (135 miles)
• three time conqueror of the Spartathlon, running from Athens to Sparta in one stretch (153 miles)

And can you believe that this is all on fruit, vegetables, rice, beans, and potatoes? This guy completely blows my mind. I don't even know what to say. Check him out: http://scottjurek.com/.

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 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.

Dinner

This is dinner for day one. Talk about a three course meal--this was a huge amount of food! I made a Balsamic Pear Salad, Caldo Verde, and Fettuccine with Asparagus, Peas, & Lemon.

Day One Dinner

I almost didn't make everything that the book had listed, but decided to stick to the plan as closely as possible. Whereas my earlier meals were fairly simply, I basically destroyed the kitchen while making all this. Flipping through the upcoming menus, I notice that everything is quite a bit simpler than this, and it makes me wonder if they tried to be impressive on the very first day and took it a little over the top. Either way, I'm glad there are no more "feasts" in my immediate future.

Admittedly, I didn't really like any of theses three dishes. I started off making the Caldo Verde, which I believe is supposed to be a Portuguese version of Zuppa Toscana. This is not what it turned out like...

Looks pretty good so far...

I think a lot of the reason for this was human error. The recipe said to blend the potatoes to get a puree. All I had was Carla's little food processor, and the bottom came unscrewed while I was blending. All of the boiling hot liquid pour out (all over my book). So after this point, it wasn't really soup anymore. It was more like mushed onion and potato baby food. Yuck.

Caldo Verde

The recipe called for half a bunch of kale, which I think ended up being a little too much. Also, it called for soy chorizo or another vegetable-based sausage. The only kind I could find in Krogers that was vegan was a brand called Gimme Lean, which was basically chunky refried beans in a chub. Following the instructions carefully (and against my better judgement), I just plopped some of that in at the end and tried to break it up with the spoon. Bad idea. I would make this again, but with some serious alterations. I would have sauteed the onions and garlic first, used vegetable stock, diced the kale finer, made sure there was a lot more liquid, and IF I decided to use the veggie sausage again, I would cook it and crumble it in a separate pan first. This recipe was edible, but just barely.

Next was the fettuccine. This one sounded promising to me, though I was confused about what I was supposed to dress the noodles with. As it turns out, nothing. Also a bad (and very sticky) idea.

Fettuccine with Asparagus, Peas, & Lemon

The asparagus was to be tossed in a garlic lemon sauce before grilling, but once they were on the grill that sauce evaporated and the asparagus got very dry. The pasta also had a bunch of chopped parsley in it. The only variety of parsley I could find at Krogers looked very odd to me, but it was that or nothing so I bought it. It was a flat-leaf variety, and it turned out to be bitter and spicy and overly aromatic. It pretty much ruined whatever goodness would have been in the dish to begin with. The noodles were sticky and flavorless so I squeezed the juice of one lemon over them, which was actually quite nice. I ended up eating these with my fingers and picking bits of parsley off of the noodles and my tongue as I went along. Less than an awesome experience, to say the least. If I were to make this again I would have steamed the asparagus and peas in the oven in aluminum foil with the garlic lemon mixture. I would have poured the entire packet on top of the freshly drained noodles, and then used some normal parsley to top it off. This recipe has potential, but it needs some major changes.

Lastly but not least (well, actually yes, least) is the salad. It is comprised of arugula, Bartlett pear, radish, and a red wine vinegar reduction.

 

Balsamic Pear Salad

 

I really like fruit on my salads so I thought for sure this one would be a winner. I was wrong. Have you ever had raw arugula? It is awful. It was so bitter that it actually induced an involuntary gag reflex when it got to the back of my throat. There was only one brand at the store, which looked less than stellar, so maybe the quality was the problem. Either way, I took only one bite before pushing it away. I ended up picking the pears and radishes off the top and eating those. The dressing was lovely though, I must say. The recipe called for balsamic vinegar, but all I had was red wine vinegar. I put some in a pan and let it reduce until it was a little thicker, and then drizzled that over the salad. I will definitely be using the vinaigrette recipe again.

 

 

Three strikes, your out. It was a little disappointing, especially after all the effort it took to cook it, but it is okay really. Dr. Barnard says that if you don't get the occasional dud then you are not experimenting enough. We'll just chalk this up to a valuable culinary learning experience.

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.