I am somewhat new to the vegan world as an adult. As a child, I didn't like meat and was severely lactose intolerant. Granted, I ate my fair share of Ritz and popcorn- and was a slightly heavy child... but as an active teenager I maintained my weight well. But somewhere along the lines I discovered I could "handle" dairy again- and meat wasn't so bad... and the weight piled back on. Obviously, I ate other things... but you get the picture.
Then, I did HCG. If you're thinking about it.... DON'T. I lost 25lbs in a very short amount of time, but the restriction spurred out of control binging and constant thought about food. Aaaaand I'm back to square 1!
Well, square one weight wise. I've spent the past few months focusing on self awareness and my HEALTH, not just weight loss. Well, I've lost none of the weight I've gained back- but I have made my way back to my vegan lifestyle.
I've read Dr. Mcdougall's MWL, and have been practicing a high starch plant diet. This has been great for my skin and helping me get back on track- however it's kind of wreaking havoc on my digestive system! A basic day for me includes fruit and oatmeal with oatmilk for breakfast, apple for snack, and brown rice/veggies/beans for lunch and dinner. Usually a salad with oil free dressing thrown in there for fun. Annnd.... I've had a lot of bloating/gas/stomach aches too. Less than ideal! I've been doing MWL for a couple weeks now, with not much to show for it... which seems odd. But my body could also just be adjusting? I walk almost every day, at least 1.5 miles and practice yoga most days as well. Two days a week I take a pilates reformer class, and otherwise I'm fairly active in my day to day life outside of my sedentary job.
I'd like to find a "diet" that is very sustainable for me. Zero fat is a pain in the ass- low fat fine... but zero? I'm married to an Italian man. He can deal with no meat no dairy... but when I stop cooking with oil my home is not a happy place! Haha! Not only that, it almost doesn't seem healthful to eliminate all fats. Not that I want to have a fat fest- but nuts, avocados, coconut oil, EVOO... all feel healthy in obvious moderation. But... can you have a high starch/high fat diet? That sounds like fat city!
I avoid processed foods to the very best of my ability, and consume "brown" products. I am a fruit-aholic! (MWL suggests only two servings of fruit per day.... something I just cannot follow). I have a hard time believing the basic calories in/calories out theory- there simply must be more to it (food combinations? Food types? Ect?)
So... what about the rest of my vegan compadres? What do you do? How do you balance it? Help me find my way to nutritional balance!
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