Daniel Fast/Diet, success stories?

airforcebrat1988

Hey All, I decided to give up a lot of unhealthy eating habits for Lent and will hopefully carry a bunch of the new things I'm learning out of Lent and carry them on. I'm down just over 30 lbs (since mid-January) and hope to lose the last 20 before July. If it's possible I'll try to get down to 190, which means another 10 lbs on top of that !

I haven't had many issues switching over to the Daniel Diet, for those that don't know what that is, it's basically a vegan diet. I am not eating meat, dairy, anything from animals, no bread with yeast, and restricting my processed foods. Anything I do have has to be as close to whole food as possible. Nuts, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and seeds are all completely allowed.

Just yesterday I had 100% whole grain rotini pasta with organic marinara sauce, even checked online to make sure they fell into the diet I am trying to maintain. I added a teaspoon of pepper for flavor (i know to add about half as much next time) and it came out delicious!

I've noticed with my diet that I have more energy throughout the day, I can eat more frequently (smaller portions), and that when I go running I don't get as thirsty when I do get thirsty, and I don't get thirsty nearly as quickly. My sodium levels are normalizing and staying low. I wish was able to get more natural sources of protein (without succumbing to tofu), but I will be bringing my protein shakes back at Eastertime. I want my body to rely on natural, whole, unprocessed foods for these few weeks.

I was hoping to hear from people who had done the Daniel Diet. I do use a book to guide me or restrict me. No "fad dieting" where I have to go all protein and no carbs or whatever. I just focus on trying to get the nutrition I need without meat and dairy and processed foods.

I will note I have no objections to eating meat and animal produced foods, and have nothing against those that do. When I do start bringing meats and animal produce back into my diet I will be looking toward more free-range, grain fed, no hormone type product due to the health benefits associated with eating that way.

Let me know what you guys think. My diary is open to view and I take any feedback, providing it's constructive.

kirstyandrews11

Hey!
I'm doing a very similar thing!
Started on the 2nd of Jan and as you can see have lost just over 30 lbs already through going vegan.
My cal intake is always low, but i'm full up all day eating fruits and nuts - I get my protein from soya products, lentils, beans and some veg and nuts.
Feel free to add me, we can scope each others diary's for inspiration and ideas. I do still eat some fish and the occassional eggs (but only free range from my friends pet chickens as I've switched to vegan for ethical as well as nutritional reasons)
I've got another 40 lbs to go and even though I've been at this for 10 weeks now, weight loss doesn't seem to be slowing as I lost 5 lbs this week alone. I've had exactly the same effects as you, more energy, weight loss etc as well as better skin tone and a complete stop of the indigestion and heart burn i used to get every day!
I've switched all my dairy products to soya based, cut meat completely and any animal derived products like oils and gelatine and i only really eat foods i make myself from scratch, so i dont eat any chemicals, preservatives, e numbers, etc.
Stick with it, it sounds like you're doing really well.

airforcebrat1988

Sounds cool! I am working on learning to cook from scratch. I honestly had never cooked beans from scratch before, but now I've got it down. They're a little bland, but I try to change them out and they're actually not that bad. I am having some of the pasta for lunch and switching my beans and rice meal that I usually have to dinner. It's a little heavier and since I'm usually having an early supper these days, I am hoping that it'll keep me full through the rest of the evening and I won't get the munchies and want to eat again later before bed.
Keep it up! I've noticed that my weight loss stalled for a few days shortly before I started this diet. I had a "fat day" a day or two before my start day, but I will definitely be conforming strictly to it through the next 5 weeks. Since I've gotten back into it I've not had any issues (except for really wanting a Crunch bar on day 2) and that my weight has be steadily declining as I continue on.

Greenrun99

I was hoping to hear from people who had done the Daniel Diet. I do use a book to guide me or restrict me. No "fad dieting" where I have to go all protein and no carbs or whatever. I just focus on trying to get the nutrition I need without meat and dairy and processed foods.

Sounds exactly like a fad diet.

airforcebrat1988

It's not, haha. Can promise ya that. I'm getting all the nutrition I need. Fad diets usually restrict something to produce quick skewed results.

FIT_Goat

It's not, haha. Can promise ya that. I'm getting all the nutrition I need. Fad diets usually restrict something to produce quick skewed results.

Are you not restricting meat and animal products? Are you not restricting yeast breads? And, isn't this called a "fast" which has implications itself of unsustainable and rapid weight loss? You say yourself that you're restricting a lot of things. You also know it's unsustainable and plan on bringing meat/dairy/etc. back into your diet after this period has passed.

How is this not a fad?

I am not eating meat, dairy, anything from animals, no bread with yeast, and restricting my processed foods.

kirstyandrews11

I think everyone needs to maybe give you a bit of a break here!
If it works for you keep doing it, thats my motto.
I've not had any dairy or meat in 3 months, i dont miss it, i'm enjoying learning how to cook and snack on whole foods and raw foods - I don't feel hungry, weak or deprived and i dont plan on bringing any dairy or meat back into my diet. There are vegans out there who've been this strict for 30 years or more, so it can be done.
As long as its not a fad in the sense that you stop everything to loose weight then start eating everything again and put it back on as we all know it's the yo-yo up and down that is really bad for your body.
Good luck with the vegan diet, no matter how long you do it for or how much of it you actually stick to.
xx