Day Two

Wow, so after one day of eating a whole foods, vegan diet I lost 1.4 pounds. That made the second day a very upbeat day, considering the fact that I thought I was eating way too much food the first day. But then, according to Dr. Barnard, if we eat too little calories, the hormone Leptin is not released, and its job is to signal the brain when we are full. He recommends taking your ideal weight and multiplying it by 100. That number is the minimum number of calories your body needs each day.  But he also advocates not having to count calories so long as one steers clear of animal products and added oils, instead choosing a diet full of vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains. 

After spending months, years even, counting calories and thinking I would lose more weight if I felt hungry, this approach has been mind blowing. I had the same breakfast of oatmeal yesterday, but I did not have the meatless breakfast patty. I simply was not all that hungry, but I knew better than to skip breakfast. As I dug into my bowl of oatmeal, it suddenly looked quite hefty. I could hardly believe that just one day before I ate all of the oatmeal plus the patty like a person who had not seen food in weeks. I had, after all, been on a low fat/ low calorie diet of mostly processed foods and felt hungry most of the time. 

Now, I was daunted by the amount of food before me. I even felt full just half way through the bowl. So I set it down figuring I would wrap it up and save it for the next day. (I was in the middle of play time with the cats, so I had to finish that first). But then, I kind of felt like I could eat a little more, and long story short, I snacked on the oatmeal until it was gone. Slowly.

Normally, I would devour my tiny breakfast entrees from Nutrisystem in a flash no matter how hard I tried to slow down. I believe the ingredients involved in making processed food has an addictive element, and/or is so lacking in nutrition the body doesn't recognize it as food and continues to feel unsatisfied. But the oatmeal was just rolled oats, to which I added some dried apricots, a pinch of nutmeg, and this time, a couple sprinkles of ground cinnamon.  

Hunger creeps up on me in a very gentle way with this diet. I am used to a blood sugar crash that leaves me mumbling to myself with a pained look on my face as I wander the kitchen gathering up food to make a meal. Or I am like a tasmanian devil wildly tearing open packages and growling at any person who dares get in my way. But not on this diet. 

Sure, as my body uses the calories from the food I eat, it eventually starts to run low on fuel. But now instead of rolling into the gas station completely on empty, I still have a quarter tank of gas in my tank. 

And I'll tell you what.. it ain't too shabby for the waistline. In two days of following Dr. Barnard's advice, I have lost exactly two pounds! 

Aside from weight loss though, I am looking forward to other health benefits. I am certain that at 41 years old, it is the garbage food that causes my skin to break out. I have to use those acne face washes that make my skin photosensitive, and the tiniest bit of sun reddens my face. And when I eat that processed food, I crave more things, like candy, and guess what. I continue to break out in pimples. Here's the good news so far, after just two days.. TWO DAYS.. my skin is clearing up. I am loving every part of this. 

OK, so for those who like to see a consolidated list of what I ate, here it is.

Breakfast: Oatmeal
I made it the same way as I did on Day One, except that I added some cinnamon.

Snack: Smoothie
Again, I did the same thing as I did on Day One. 

Lunch: Cabbage Roll
I feel like a broken record, but this is from the batch I made on Day One. I have to say, it was even better the next day. And my omnivore husband likes them, too. 

Snack: 2 Mandarin Oranges and Silk Chocolate Soymilk
Now, I didn't have these together. I am just listing them together as they were both snacks I had in the afternoon between lunch and dinner. 

Dinner: Brown Rice, Asparagus, Sweet Potato and a Salad
I made extra brown rice the other night when I made some for the cabbage rolls to have on hand for quick meals. I want to eat healthy, but I am a bit lazy at times, so having foods already to go is my thing. I peeled and chopped up a tiny little sweet potato--it was no bigger than my hand. I then cooked it in the microwave for a few minutes. In a non-stick pan, I poured enough vegetable broth to cover the bottom, and then added a handful of asparagus spears I had cut down into 1-2 inch pieces. Once they were bright green, I added the potatoes and about a half cup of the rice to the pan. I also dribbled some Bragg's Amino Acids in for taste. It's like healthy soy sauce. I had considered adding garlic and kale, but I was feeling kind of lazy. I just tossed the ingredients around to let the vegetables cook through.

The salad was pretty basic--red leaf lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, and carrots. I added Annie's fat free mango dressing. I had intended to just add some fresh lemon juice, but I grabbed the dressing bottle out of habit. 


Late snack: 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
I hate to admit to this one, but I think I let boredom cravings get the best of me. I also LOVE peanut butter, and I just needed to taste some. I get the kind that is just roasted peanuts and salt, so there isn't all the added garbage like extra oils and sugar. 

And now, on to Day Three....