There's a common saying in a fitness magazine I read: "Abs are made in the kitchen." If abs are, then it can also be assumed that the rest of the body is also made in the kitchen (bearing in mind the body loses weight in its own idiom, we can't spot train it or tell it what to drop first). We are also what we eat. According to Dr. Fuhrman's book Eat to Live, research analysts can biopsy hip or abdominal fat and identify fat from pork, chicken, dairy, or olive oil. Not much motivation to eat meat or oils, from my perspective!
The greatest thing I did was cut meat, wheat, sweets, and dairy (salt too) and completely retrain myself to thrive on veggies -- up to 1 lb cooked and 1 lb raw daily. I've lost 20 lbs in 30 days, my clothes are fitting well again, and I'm on my way to my goals, without having to bust my butt in the gym. I drink a green smoothie every morning, beans and greens for lunch, and usually a "splurge" smoothie in the evening along with more veggies. I'll also drink a mug of Egyptian licorice tea with 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, soaked overnight if possible or at least for a couple hours.
I had to allow myself a transition period--that it's okay if I slip up, just get back on the horse right after. Cold turkey never worked for me, I always failed in the past. It took a couple weeks to wean myself off the weight loss shakes and chemicals I was used to ingesting on a regular basis (sugarfree gum, anyone?).
Thing is, if you're eating non-starchy veggies and fruit, you don't have to worry about calorie counting. They're unlimited, free to feast on whenever you have that sugar craving (like me). Within a couple weeks the cravings go away, and followed faithfully, once you allow yourself to splurge on things you used to love, you'll find they are a) overkill in flavor and b) usually disgusting once your palate has shifted. I discovered this with some garlic parmesan wings at a restaurant I used to love. You'll also find that when you splurge, you won't want as much. My husband and I now split dishes at a restaurant, rather than each of us ordering an entree. We used to clear out a sushi joint with 6-8 large rolls between us, plus seaweed salads and drinks. Last night? We each had a seaweed salad and split a single roll and we were stuffed. We look forward to salads, not burgers and fries or pasta.
This is truly the best thing we have ever done. I'm monitoring his loss through inches, until he's light enough to use our scale. His blood pressure dropped from 120/90 to 120/70 in a week of eating only veggies and fruit.
For those who say "I can't give up my meat," give it a shot for six weeks and see how you feel. You never know until you try, and you'll likely experience some withdrawals at first, but I'm sure you'll find you need a lot less protein than we've been led to believe. Your heart will thank you. I used to eat an 8-12oz steak every time I went out to eat, and had meat at every meal. With occasional sushi (once or twice a month, tops), I've gone vegan and it is amazing.
No comments:
Post a Comment