The internet is filled with people who want to tell you good news about your bad habits. 🧁 People who have never experienced obesity think that their 25 pound weight loss (if that!) gives them the authority to tell overweight and obese people that eating the foods that made them fat in the first place will result in weight loss, if they just listen to their bodies. 🤡 Here is the problem with that logic:
🍎 Obesity is caused by insulin resistance and overeating. If people could control their overeating, they wouldn’t be obese in the first place. What’s the solution? Eat the right foods that cure insulin resistance, such as those advocated by @masteringdiabetes ! Whole food plant based low fat foods for the win! 🍎 Obese people often have stretched out stomachs from years of overeating. Is a 100 calorie pack of Oreos going to help them reach their a healthy weight? No- but a low fat whole food plant based diet allows for individuals to eat higher food volume since veggies, fruit, whole grains, potatoes, and legumes are so calorie dilute versus all of the processed crap in the grocery store. 🍎 Obese people have disregulation of their grehlin and leptin systems- which may actually be a genetic issue. Telling obese people to “just stop eating when you are full” is absolutely fat shaming. But filling up on high water content and fiber foods that stretches the stomach lining and effectively signals to the brain that the meal can end is the solution. Not oily foods or processed protein powders, but real whole plant based food filled with micronutrients.
I’m not afraid to use the word “obese” because I’ve been there. And when I studied neuroscience in my undergrad, my professors were involved in research equating the effects of high sugar and high fat foods on the brains of obese people to that of cocaine on the brains of addicts or alcohol on the brains of alcoholics.
I’m definitely not saying you can’t enjoy a slice of birthday cake or some vegan pizza on your date night, but if your goal is weight loss, the name of the game is discipline in eating whole food plant based to create a consistent calorie deficit. The caloric deficit is the only way, and it’s a lot easier to accomplish long term by focusing on whole foods!
If you are overweight, you have an overweight mindset. As much as we want to feel like victims to a cruel world that made us fat, ultimately it was our decisions that made our bodies overly fat. Recovery starts by realizing that we have a problem with our current behaviors and taking responsibility for the changes we want to see.
If you are eating junky processed foods, it’s no surprise that you “can’t lose weight”. If your day is largely sedentary, it’s no surprise that you “can’t lose weight”. If you eat clean all week and then go buckwild on the weekends, it’s no surprise that you “can’t lose weight”. In contrast, how would your weight look if you walked at least 5 days a week for 45 minutes, if you did strength training at least 2 days a week for 30 minutes, if you broke up long periods of sitting with a quick Zumba workout, if your everyday breakfasts and lunches were predictably healthy yet satisfying, if dinnertime prep consisted of chopping loads of fresh veggies and whole plant foods?
Perhaps you overeat when you are stressed out. Perhaps you can’t say no when your favorite snack foods are on sale. Perhaps you drink alcohol when you are bored or frustrated. Perhaps your alcohol consumption leads to decreased inhibitions when it comes to food choices. How do we get to be the people we want to be? How can we reprogram ourselves so that our baseline behaviors are healthy ones, perhaps with the exception of special occasions?
Highly successful people know that change comes from within ourselves. The change you seek is seeking you. The person you want to be is always one decision away. Each day, we must choose to be the healthier version of ourselves with our thoughts and behaviors. Would the healthier version of you finish off the tray of Oreos? Would the healthier version of you snack on processed foods while watching Real Housewives reruns? Or do those behaviors belong the the old you- the one that is long gone at this moment, because you decide it is so.
One of the first vegan resources I ever came across was a book series called “Skinny Bitch”. Her attitude, while controversial, was that if you wanted to lose weight, you had to stop acting like a fat person. You had to stop eating what fat people eat. And you needed to start behaving more like a skinny person. This approach received some pushback because there is thin line between this type of reasoning and the flawed reasoning associated with addictive eating disorders. However, I think that overweight folks do need to understand that they are never going to be like that one friend who can eat burgers and fries at the drive through and never gain a pound. If your life experiences have taught you that your genes are programed to accumulate adipose, then behaviors must be changed. And that all starts in the mind.
There is incredible research into manifestation and multiple universe theories that assert that we truly design our future with each thought, behavior, and action. However, this all begins with our thoughts- what we think is possible, what we think we are capable of… You are capable of living a healthier life. You are capable of sticking with it. You are capable of turning your life around and being an inspiration to others. But it begins with your decision to be the new you! More to come on mindset and motivation, but please reach out at weightogovegan@outlook.com or comment below if you are ready for the new you!
Call a local nutritionist. Scroll through Instagram. Browse a health/wellness magazine. “Eating intuitively” is a buzzphrase in the weight loss space. But is this sound advice for all peoples? Absolutely not.
147 MILLION people in America are obese. Are all of these people stuffing themselves past the level of fullness everyday? No. If “listening to your body’s hunger signals” worked for all people, then 42% of America would not be obese. If “eat when you hungry and stop when you are full” worked, then why don’t we teach this to the 20% of children who are obese to solve all of their problems. This concept is commonly uttered by thin wellness enthusiasts who have never experienced obesity. And sadly, they don’t realize the harm they are doing.
How “intuitive eating” harmed my health
There was a point when my body would tell me to buy vegan junk food at the grocery store. My body would tell me “just one more Oreo” 25 times in a row. My body would have no problem finishing off an entire bag of salty snack food while watching TV. My body would not be able to stop eating even though my brain was trying to override the hand to mouth movement. My body’s hunger and satiation signals WERE completely out of whack and had been since adolescence. I used intermittent fasting and unhealthy methods of restricting my “eating window” to balance out the caloric intake of these binges.
Out of desperation and complete lack of satisfaction with my growing physical size and overwhelming feelings of being out of control, I contacted nutritionists who blamed my vegan diet for my eating behaviors. They blamed hidden nutrient deficiencies for my binges. They rolled their eyes when I told them I refused to revert back to a standard American diet due to ethical reasons, even when their overpriced blood work all came back normal, showing no deficiencies. But then, they suggested that I needed to learn to listen to my body’s hunger signals to fix this behavior. They said I had been restricting my diet for too long, and that the binges were a result of long term dieting. Finally, we agreed on something.
They told me to listen to my body, eat when hungry, and simply enjoy binge-triggering foods “in moderation”. You can probably guess where this story is going… For me, it’s the salty corn chips and snacks, crunchy cereals, and nuts/nut butters that have always been my downfall. My favorite self-deprecating joke is, “I can eat my weight in Chex Mix!” It’s true what they say, “Once you pop, you can’t stop!”
I followed my nutritionists advice and gained 25 pounds in a relatively short time. I knew that my friends and coworkers noticed although none of them said a single word about it. Moderation was not an option for me. The advice to “eat when hungry” meant that I was eating nearly full sized meals every 2-3 hours. I was listening to my body, and that’s what it was telling me to do. And I was eating what I wanted. Processed and high fat foods that were delicious and always called me back for seconds. When I knew the portions on my plate were too large, I tried to eat mini meals which left me completely unsatisfied. I was completely distracted all day by the thought of my next meal. Thousands of dollars later and 25 pounds heavier, I broke off my relationship with those nutritionists. I can honestly say that this time in my life was the darkest of all of my days.
So how did I get my health back?
I feel healthier now than ever before. And I did figured it out WITHOUT the help of a condescending, anti-vegan nutritionist. I am binge-free for the first time since my teen years! I am in a state of weight loss, despite years of plateaus. I eat three square meals a day comfotably. My hunger is no longer ravenous, but rather a mild nagging reminder that I haven’t eaten in 4-6 hours and should consider what to make for my next meal. My preoccupation with food is gone.
How did I achieve this balance and peace with binge eating and food addiction? The answer is plants- in their whole form. No oil. I began filling half of my plate or bowl with non-starchy vegetables. The other half of my meals consists of starch such as whole, unprocessed grains (such as rice, oats, barley, corn, etc.), potatoes, sweet potatoes, and legumes. This way of eating is advocated by Dr. John McDougall in his book The Starch Solution. Chef AJ, High Carb Hannah, Plantiful Kiki, Chuck Carroll, are YouTube personalities that also promote this way of eating. They attribute their own massive weight loss to this dietary change.
But how does it work? The weight loss from this way of eating is the result of decreased caloric density of your overall meal. Starches have far less calories than meat, cheese, nuts, seeds, and oils. Vegetables have less calories than any other food group. But what they do have are loads of micronutrients, fiber, and water to fill you and satiate you. But avoiding higher fat foods and loading up with starches and veggies, you can eat far more VOLUME with less calories. Dr. McDougall argues that this is the natural diet of the human and that only since the invention of processed foods have we started experiencing early onset diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
Sample meals
Nonstarchy vegetables
Starches
Other ingredients/seasonings
Frozen stirfry veggies
Brown rice
Liquid aminos, sriracha, ginger powder
Frozen green beans
Baked sweet potato
Cinnamon, hot sauce
Roasted Brussels sprouts
Roasted potatoes
Favorite dry seasoning of your choice and homemade ketchup
I’ve dedicated this blog to sharing this way of eating that has freed me from the shackles of food addiction. For me, the answer was NOT counseling, “listening” to my dysfunctional body, intermittent fasting, skipping meals, diet pills, cutting carbs, or reverting back to meat eating. The answer was PLANTS. Large portions of low calorie foods to fill, satiate, and satisfy my hunger until the next meal… that was the key to breaking my binge eating and starvation cycle! I am excited each meal to fuel my body with wholesome food that nourishes and heals my mind, body, and soul!
I am happy to chat anytime with anyone about this way of eating. Find me on Instagram @weightogovegan, comment below, or email weightogovegan@outlook.com with questions! There is so much more coming soon, but if you are hungry for more information, check out the Starch Solution book that explains everything you need to know about how to eat plants to lose weight and prevent disease! I promise that if you are struggling and commit to trying this for several months, it will change your life as it did mine.
LipedemaVegan 