New or coming back?

jrunion1

Hi everyone! I'm new around here, I ate strictly nutritarian for a few months before I got pregnant with my second at which point I had huge aversions to beans and squash and coconut. I kinda gave up after that. Now after having my baby boy I am back at it! I have lost 4 lbs in the last 2 weeks and am trying to stay focused on the goal! This is the point where I know it gets hard.

Anyone else new or coming back to Eat to Live? Any suggestions or encouragement from those more seasoned??

Mihani

Hi jr! We have a monthly thread you are welcome to join in on, although I will admit we are all sort of following our own drummer at this point lol. We've been at this for a long time. I stick pretty close to ETL guidelines, but I have recently allowed a lot more grains than probably even the life plan (as opposed to the strict 6 week plan) would permit. I am more following Engine 2 at this point, but they are all good, plant based diets.

Congrats on your 4 pound loss, that's awesome!

Things are usually a bit quiet around here on weekends, and during the week sometimes too. I don't think ETL fits with the mfp mindset of calories in/calories out. We are all mostly vegan (I'm totally vegan have been for hmmm... 5 years now I think) after many years vegetarian.

My advice is, don't get too wrapped up in the all or nothing. That's been a big problem for a number of us. Do the best you can, eat lots of plants, enjoy the foods, and if you slip no biggie just dust yourself off and keep going with the next meal.

dgread53

Hi Everyone,
I am new to this eating plan, recommended by my doctor. She is a great fan of this plan, and has lost 30 pounds on it herself. My cholesterol is borderline, always hovering around 200, with the bad levels inching up over the years, I also have high blood pressure. Rather than think about drugs to treat the cholesterol, she wants me to try this. She is also adamant about not consuming too much protein as it depletes calcium in the bones, even the sources such as yoghurt that add calcium! I am at day four. I haven't eaten red meat in about 40 years, and eat only a little local chicken now and then. I do eat fish. I am going to be extremely careful about how many days a week I include even a little of these. I do miss my cheese!

Mihani

Hi dgread! Welcome to the group. That's awesome you have found a doctor that approves of ETL. A lot of doctors roll their eyes at plant based, even my own, although he can see the improvements I've made in my health. I've been going to him since I was in my 20's though and he's awesome so I would never switch. I can handle a little eye rolling lol.

Cheese was the hardest thing for me to think of giving up. I was vegetarian for many years and ate LOTS of cheese and yogurt. I decided, I think it was January of 2012, that I was going to be vegan, mainly because I realized I wasn't being as kind to animals as I liked to think not giving up dairy. I have not had a bit of cheese or other dairy since and honestly after the first month didn't miss it Now the idea of it makes me feel a bit queasy. And within a month of giving up dairy my skin was so clear and I felt so good, and lost a whole bunch of weight. I didn't even give it up to lose weight so that was a very happy side effect!

Feel free to join into our monthly thread. A new one should be starting tomorrow although you can jump in any time.

Oh, and collards have crazy high calcium. They are so good too. I chop and steam them, then add to salads, reheat and top with sauteed mushrooms and some balsamic glaze, water saute with onion and garlic, etc.

Carla_wfpb

Hi dgread! Wow, you sure have the right doctor! What an awesome recommendation from her. Mihani and I are both doing the 6 week plan right now so we're posting every day in the monthly post. Hope to see you there!

dgread53

Thanks Carla and Mihani. I really am lucky to have a doctor who recommends this style of eating, and who isn't obsessed about "getting enough protein"! Dorothy