OMG I lost 17 lbs in 6 weeks!!! - Page 5

[PaisleyStar]

Originally Posted by ambereva

I don't eat any animal products at all and I have a pretty 'primal' diet. I eat in this order: vegetables, fruits (I tend to go for the lower GI fruits), nuts/seeds, beans (I know beans aren't 'primal' so no need to jump on me, lol). I eat virtually no grains (although I do cook them for my family). My diet isn't low-carb (my macronutrient breakdown averages 50% carb/35% fat/15% protein) but I've lost a TON of weight eating this way (and I eat like 2800 calories a day, so my weight loss hasn't been from calorie restriction, lol). I think people get a little too hung up on macronutrient ratios and animal-based vs. non-animal based diets, when the key really is eating whole, clean foods that our ancestors evolved on. Whether they be plant or animal based foods, the key is whole foods.

Amber, I would be really interested (either by PM, another thread or posting here) if you would take the time to give a sample of your daily meals/snacks etc.

[PaisleyStar]

Originally Posted by lil_earthmomma

I completely agree ambereva!!! Avoiding frankenfood proccessed crap non food is the key!!! For me, cutting grains out needed to happen for my health. My SIL is vegan, and I wish she would eat like you. I wish she would avoid eating so much soy and tempeh and weird frankenfood, and pasta rice and bread. Yesterday I made her a delicious (imo) stirfry full of red and yellow peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, onion, etc. in a wonderful sesame stirfy sauce I made, and also served the family a salad that was vegan friendly. (I made a pomegranate dressing, to top mixed greens and baby spinach, pomegranate seeds...). *shrug* she picked at it and said, "I don't really like veggies." Sigh...

This really made me giggle. Isn't eating vegetables a pre-requisite for being vegan?

[lil_earthmomma]

Originally Posted by PaisleyStar

This really made me giggle. Isn't eating vegetables a pre-requisite for being vegan?

No, loving animals is a pre-requisite for being vegan. I think veganism is the only secular diet with emotional/spiritual dogma attached to it. It's why I think pushing vegan's to change is as wrong as trying to get a jewish person to eat bacon. I love her, I don't try to change her views, just try to get her to see that she could be a MUCH healthier vegan!!!

[ambereva]

Originally Posted by PaisleyStar

Amber, I would be really interested (either by PM, another thread or posting here) if you would take the time to give a sample of your daily meals/snacks etc.

Ok.

Breakfast in the summer is usually just fruit and nuts in some form. If I'm having an especially grueling training session that day I'll eat oatmeal or homemade whole wheat sourdough with nut butter, I need the extra carbs on those days. Sometimes I'll have non-dairy yogurt, but it's a rare treat. I also eat lentils and greens for breakfast fairly regularly.

Lunch is almost always either leftovers from the evening before or a big salad (greens, chopped veggies, olives, walnuts, beans, tahini based dressing).

Dinners are vegetable based soups, stews, stir fries, loaves/burgers, etc. Beans or lentils are the primary protein in my dinners, but they are supporting actors, not the star of the meal. I've had people say this is restrictive, but there are so many regional cuisines, so many different vegetable and bean varieties, so many different herb and spice combinations. I can have a lentil and vegetable based dinner every night for a month and not repeat a recipe, kwim?

I snack on fruits and nuts/nut butters all day. I'm on the go a lot so I make homemade fruit/nut bars (larabar style) or just take a couple actual larabars with me.

[Freedom~Mama]

Congrats on your weight loss! I am going to check out that link!

[PaisleyStar]

Originally Posted by ambereva

Ok.

Breakfast in the summer is usually just fruit and nuts in some form. If I'm having an especially grueling training session that day I'll eat oatmeal or homemade whole wheat sourdough with nut butter, I need the extra carbs on those days. Sometimes I'll have non-dairy yogurt, but it's a rare treat. I also eat lentils and greens for breakfast fairly regularly.

Lunch is almost always either leftovers from the evening before or a big salad (greens, chopped veggies, olives, walnuts, beans, tahini based dressing).

Dinners are vegetable based soups, stews, stir fries, loaves/burgers, etc. Beans or lentils are the primary protein in my dinners, but they are supporting actors, not the star of the meal. I've had people say this is restrictive, but there are so many regional cuisines, so many different vegetable and bean varieties, so many different herb and spice combinations. I can have a lentil and vegetable based dinner every night for a month and not repeat a recipe, kwim?

I snack on fruits and nuts/nut butters all day. I'm on the go a lot so I make homemade fruit/nut bars (larabar style) or just take a couple actual larabars with me.

Thank you...I just noticed your blog too, enjoying reading through it.

[Ahappymel]

Originally Posted by lil_earthmomma

No, loving animals is a pre-requisite for being vegan. I think veganism is the only secular diet with emotional/spiritual dogma attached to it. It's why I think pushing vegan's to change is as wrong as trying to get a jewish person to eat bacon. I love her, I don't try to change her views, just try to get her to see that she could be a MUCH healthier vegan!!!

Being a vegan woman, I completely agree.
My food choices are ones I make for ethical and emotional issues related to my value system. Asking me to change my diet is asking me to change my values...as the poster above said, it is equivalent to asking someone to change their religion.
Having said that, there are junk food vegans out there and encouraging a vegan to eat healthier vegan foods (when done in a loving and non-judgemental/non-preachy way) can be appropriate at times.
It's great to see everyone losing weight here! Congrats!

[Ahappymel]

Originally Posted by ambereva

I don't eat any animal products at all and I have a pretty 'primal' diet. I eat in this order: vegetables, fruits (I tend to go for the lower GI fruits), nuts/seeds, beans (I know beans aren't 'primal' so no need to jump on me, lol). I eat virtually no grains (although I do cook them for my family). My diet isn't low-carb (my macronutrient breakdown averages 50% carb/35% fat/15% protein) but I've lost a TON of weight eating this way (and I eat like 2800 calories a day, so my weight loss hasn't been from calorie restriction, lol). I think people get a little too hung up on macronutrient ratios and animal-based vs. non-animal based diets, when the key really is eating whole, clean foods that our ancestors evolved on. Whether they be plant or animal based foods, the key is whole foods.

You've totally got my attention!
Now I assuming you can eat more calories than most vegan women because you are a triathlete. If I may ask, how often/long are you working out?

I personally know that I can't do more than about 1800 calories daily, even with my 3 work-out a week schedule and maintain my weight. I would need to drop to 1500 calories to begin to lose.

[bluets]

Originally Posted by lil_earthmomma

I think veganism is the only secular diet with emotional/spiritual dogma attached to it.

i would disagree with this comment, having just read "The Yoga of Eating". the premise in that book is that we have separated the physical from the spiritual and for food to really be nourishing, we need to re-integrate. the author, btw, is not a vegan or vegetarian - he advocates local eating and all that good stuff.

[lil_earthmomma]

Originally Posted by bluets

i would disagree with this comment, having just read "The Yoga of Eating". the premise in that book is that we have separated the physical from the spiritual and for food to really be nourishing, we need to re-integrate. the author, btw, is not a vegan or vegetarian - he advocates local eating and all that good stuff.

I stand corrected! I will have to check out that book, as I love yoga, and I love eating!

[ambereva]

Originally Posted by Ahappymel

You've totally got my attention!
Now I assuming you can eat more calories than most vegan women because you are a triathlete. If I may ask, how often/long are you working out?

I personally know that I can't do more than about 1800 calories daily, even with my 3 work-out a week schedule and maintain my weight. I would need to drop to 1500 calories to begin to lose.

I work out 60-90 minutes most days of the week. I include my 3-ish hours of weight training per week in that figure.

[bluets]

Originally Posted by lil_earthmomma

I stand corrected! I will have to check out that book, as I love yoga, and I love eating!

it has nothing to do with yoga poses - more like the more esoteric, spiritual component of yoga + food.

[lil_earthmomma]

Originally Posted by bluets

it has nothing to do with yoga poses - more like the more esoteric, spiritual component of yoga + food.

It sounds very interesting. Thanks for sharing!

[Ahappymel]

This book sounds interesting!
I am a Bikram yoga student and one thing I don't like about this style is that there is so much talk about the Yoga being maintenance for eating hamburgers, drinking alcohol as a way of life, etc that I wonder if there is any awareness about the spiritual aspect of what one consumes.
Gotta check out that book...

[lil_earthmomma]

Originally Posted by Ahappymel

This book sounds interesting!
I am a Bikram yoga student and one thing I don't like about this style is that there is so much talk about the Yoga being maintenance for eating hamburgers, drinking alcohol as a way of life, etc that I wonder if there is any awareness about the spiritual aspect of what one consumes.
Gotta check out that book...

Exactly! I think food can be very spiritual or have a negative impact on us!

[Ahappymel]

Originally Posted by lil_earthmomma

Exactly! I think food can be very spiritual or have a negative impact on us!

Absolutely agree

[~savah~]

A quick question for the OP. Do you still eat beans, corn and potatoes and or sweet potatoes. Or did you stop eating all of them? Thanks