I'm Baaack......Whole Food Plant Based wannabe

Balaru

Hi there - I've been on and off MFP for a few years. I do well for awhile but find entering all the food too time consuming and life gets in the way. Thanks to my new job I am able to do it on my break at work. So I am trying again. My ultimate goal is to be Whole Food Plant Based 90% of the time.

My weight journey condensed version - too skinny as a kid, major food allergies with reactions to both food and environmental allergies sending me to the hospital all the time as a kid until they invented Benadryl. 27 years ago my allergist put me on a Rotation Diet (basically whole food plant based). It was the best I have ever felt in my entire life but I could only keep it up about a year because it was so extreme and though it made me feel wonderful physically, mentally it made me feel like everything I ate, breathed or touched was after me. And the only allergist who truly helped me passed away this year. He was very healthy and lived a full life way into his 90's.

Then the Yo Yo began after my first child - joined Weight Watchers to lose the baby fat from my second baby. Lost 30 pounds became a Life time member - lost it, gained it, joined over and over. It works if you work it. That baby is graduating from college tomorrow!!!!

Did vegetarian for 3 years - hubby gained weight and I lost weight without thinking about it.

Went through years of chronic migraine headaches that the doctors just kept running tests and not finding anything and sending me from one specialist to another. Did the allergy shots 5 different times.

It got so bad that they had me on Hydrocodone 500 mg and I was taking it 4 times a day, commuting to work, coming home and taking care of hubby and 2 kids. I have no idea how I did that looking back.

The last allergist I tried did not know me at all, spent 15 minutes with me and I left with literally 10 prescriptions. First we couldn't afford to fill all those and 2nd how was I supposed to function with all those chemicals in me. But that was their answer to give me some relief. I went home in tears, threw the prescriptions away and never went back!

Now I don't even taken Benadryl unless it's a MAJOR reaction. Not even ibuprofen. After being off of it for awhile, several months, I had a headache so I took (1) ibuprofen and it made me feel so much worse. So no more OTC stuff for me.

When I eat right I am so much better. I even have my own garden now and can stay out there for quite some time without one sneeze!

A couple of years back I hit the big 5 - 0 and went in for a physical (the first one since 4th grade). At the time, I was doing Spin class, Zumba, Yoga, a strength class, working full time and the kids were finishing high school and college. I thought for sure my numbers would be okay. The reason I went was to see how hard I could push it at the gym because I was a little nervous knowing that my Dad had a heart attack at 57. Well the numbers were NOT good and I got freaked out.

Started reading and watching everything beginning with Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, Forks Over Knives, Vegucated, Engine 2....YouTube videos about vegetarian, vegan and WFPB. I have had a few false starts but am hoping this time it will stick.

My new job that I just started in August is amazing. Part of their benefits is a required "Biometric Screening" each year. And although my numbers were down they still weren't low enough. My goal is to have great numbers in November when I have to do bloodwork again.

Looking for some WFPB who have been there done that and are ready to be cheerleaders. I live in the deep South so there's not a whole heck of alot of support. Fortunately, it's not as bad as it was and people are more supportive than they used to be. My new job has so many incentives to live a healthy life, like standing desks, health coaches and the biometric screenings.

I cook two meals right now - one veggie and then for the meat-atarians in the house their version. I believe in leading by example. I call them "build a bear" dinners - LOL Last night was Build a Pizza. Tonight was Build a Taco. My version is all veggies. There's has meat.

Hoping to make this a lifestyle and KEEP the lifestyle going. I've done it before the trick is making it stick.

Looking for tips and encouragement along the way.....and confirmation that I'm "doing it right"..... and that's the condensed version - LOL

Harpin_Maddog

Hey Balaru, WFPB doesn't have to be difficult. Check out Dr. Greger's website Nutritionfacts.org. Or his Youtube videos. He wrote the book "How not to die". He has videos abougt plant based food and allergies. The trick for me is to meal prep. I make a huge pot of chili every weekend and change up the ingredients. I eat a ton of brown or wild rice. Add some greens and a little fruit and there you have it. I truly lost all cravings for meat, sugar, dairy. I might have it once in a while if I am out at a restaurant and they don't really have plant based options. But I always feel ill afterwards. Anyway, keep it simple. Beans, rice, veggies, nuts and seeds. There are a million ways to prepare rice and beans. And they are fantastic for your gut microbes. I don't count calories myself. No need to on a whole food plant based way of eating. Good luck.