How I lost 100+ lbs while saving the world.

Like most women my age I’ve been on the diet train most of my life. Poor self-image and an overall lack of self-esteem made me the perfect person to fall prey to the diet hype. You name it and I’ve done it. Now, just to be clear, I was never one of the genetically blessed that only needed to shed a mere 5-10lbs to fit back into my little black dress. No, no I was a whopper. Huge, I was huge. At my very largest I weighed over 300lbs. YIKES!

When I hit my forties I had to take a hard look at my health. I had been diagnosed with Hashimotos Disease which slowed my metabolism to a crawl. I had been on every diet imaginable and I exercised hard and regularly, so why the hell wasn’t I losing weight? I did all the tracking and journaling, counted every calorie and carb. Nothing was working.

Call it a nervous breakdown or call it a moment of enlightenment. Either way, I threw a fit and tossed my scale. That was it! I was so done starving myself, being a slave to the scale, diet apps and workout tips! Life was already so stressful with work, kids etc. I was spending so much of my free time tracking foods and exercises that I was missing out on living!

So, I made the decision that day that I was only going to do the things I loved and to boot, I was only going to EAT what I loved. Now, full disclosure here. My name is Stacey and I’m a carboholic. Carbs = Life.

I love….all the carbs. So, how in the world was I going to manage to devour every carb in my path while not managing to develop my own gravitational pull? Science bitch! (Yes, Yes I did).

I went back to my Biology 101 days and remembered a specific conversation we had about animal protein digesting slower than plant protein. I’d understood the science behind the low carb craze the way everyone did. Meat good, carbs bad. It was pretty basic. Though, now being older and more concerned with my actual health this intrigued me enough to start some digging.

A friend once asked me “When you go to a BBQ, what foods do you make a beeline for”? The answer, without missing a beat was a very quick, “anything but the meat”. I wasn’t a huge meat eater. Never had been. I was always all about the sides. I’ve always gravitated more to the higher carb, higher fiber foods. Fruits, vegetable, grains, beans and CHEESE! Maybe vegetarian was for me?

I hesitated because I kept thinking, “but, I have a slow metabolism, a high carb diet would be awful for me wouldn’t it”? I would literally be going against every single thing I had ever learned about dieting for weight loss! You need protein to help you feel fuller longer and to help you fire up your metabolism. So then in theory, wouldn’t removing the meat from my diet allow my system to run a bit faster thereby allowing me to utilize more energy? Fueling my furnace or helping to increase my metabolism?

I was intrigued. What could it hurt to try something new? I’d already tried Every. Single. Fad. Why not give this a shot?

I decided to go vegetarian and my weight loss has been close to effortless since I made the leap. Which was really a small hop considering I wasn’t much of a meat person anyway. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified I was going to balloon up to a metric ton in record time, but my results surprised even me! Two years and 100+ pounds lost I think I just might have the hang of this healthy thing!

Why vegetarian and not vegan?

That answer is simple I do eat some limited dairy, because that’s what I like. As an example, I don’t like cow milk, I never have, so I don’t drink it. I prefer almond milk for the taste plus there are added health benefits I enjoy. Though I do eat sour cream, various cheeses, ice cream, yogurt etc. The idea of overhauling my entire diet and therefore lifestyle was to make it something I could easily live with and not feel deprived in any way. Being a vegetarian I don’t. I don’t even feel like I’m dieting because I naturally reached for those foods.

Are you hungry all the time? Do you snack all day?

No, I’m not and no, I don’t. In my previous weight loss journeys I’d always had timed meals and snacks. Everything portioned out properly, measured and recorded. I’d eat in the morning even if I wasn’t hungry because you need to get your metabolism going, right? EHHH wrong!

I’m not a breakfast person. I’m more of a coffee kinda gal, so that’s what I have. Real coffee with creamer and real sugar. (Insert gasp here) Yes, real sugar. Don’t panic! I’ll explain in a few!

One of the biggest surprises I noticed early on was that my appetite actually decreased. This was a pleasant surprise! I wasn’t deprived at all so I never felt like I was missing out on anything I was craving. Vegetarian diets are typically much higher in fiber than a standard American diet. Removing meat from my diet naturally helped to boost my fiber intake so I felt fuller much longer while also being completely satisfied because I was eating what I enjoyed.

Don’t you have to buy a lot of special foods?

This one is tricky because it really depends on your own tastes, lifestyle, etc. I myself don’t care for tofu and I don’t like meat substitutes because I don’t like meat. So I don’t use them. I prefer to get creative with my meals and the things I have on hand. I’m a fan of crispy buffalo cauliflower, cauliflower steaks, and anything having to do with cheese.

The only real “vegetarian” specific food I purchase on occasion is the morning star farms black bean burgers. The only reason really is because I have yet to find a homemade recipe I like as much as those. Plus you can grill them, pan fry them or just throw them in the microwave. They have a spicy flavor that pairs well with all of the regular good old burger topping! Or I eat one on its own over rice topped with salsa and cheese.

If anything, my grocery budget has actually gone down. Seasonal produce is always inexpensive and fresh is best when you can. If that’s not possible or the selection isn’t that great, then I look at the frozen fruits and veggies.

It’s not all fruits and veggies though, I eat regular pasta, rice, beans, grains and legumes. This includes white flour, white pasta, and white rice. I don’t deprive myself and I don’t weigh or measure a single thing. I simply eat until I’m satisfied. Now one caveat to this is that, a vegetarian diet that doesn’t rely heavily on processed foods tends to be pretty low calorie. Keeping that in mind, I’m sure to add in just a little extra healthy fat to my meals because I can. It adds flavor and the fatty acids are incredibly beneficial. So don’t skimp on the healthy fat and when you can, toss in a little of the unhealthy for fun (think full fat cheese).

Are vegetarians really healthier in the long-run?

Honestly, that depends on who you ask. Some people believe eliminating an entire food group isn’t a healthy way to live. Other’s believe that a plant based diet is the only way.

I can tell you that I myself have had incredible results in shifting my diet. Not only have I lost a substantial amount of weight, there were added benefits as well. I had suffered with bloating and digestive issues for quite some time.

After the first week of a meat free diet, I noticed that:

• I no longer had the uncomfortable pain or bloating that usually accompanied me after every meal. I was perfectly fine. This was a very pleasant surprise.
• My complexion which had always been a bit red and irritated cleared up significantly and continued to over time.

After the first month:

• My blood pressure dropped into a normal range and I was taken off of medication. I’m still off of it a couple years later.
• My hair and nails became stronger while my complexion started to glow.
• I had lost 18lbs by doing nothing other than removing meat from my diet.

After years of struggling and being the ever diligent dieter, I effortlessly lost 18lbs that first month. All of those positive benefits were enough for me to see that this was definitely something my body was responding to. I felt like I was literally coming alive. My body and mind were thriving and I just felt so much better than I had, maybe ever!

These incredible benefits coupled with the fact that historically, vegetarians have a much lower risk for various Cancers, Heart Disease and Type 2 Diabetes only helped further solidify for me, this was definitely a good, healthy lifestyle decision. I never looked back.

Let’s not forget….It’s better for the environment

Even if you don’t eat seafood going all or even part veggie can help to save our oceans. We all know, meat farming contributes roughly 20% - 50% of all man-made Greenhouse Gases which are a major contributing factor to climate change. Though did you know, many sea animals are ill prepared for the rapidly rising temperatures and they are dying off at alarming rates.

The coral reef is dying in many spots and marine biologists are concerned for the future of sea life. Not to mention, the exceeding temperatures are also causing the sea level to rise. Add to that increasing pollution levels and 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris that have been discarded and you have the perfect storm of environmental chaos.

So, what can we do?

Be mindful of your carbon footprint. When and if you can, I suggest visiting local farmers markets for produce. This is an easy and fun way to support your environment. You also get to support local farmers by going straight to the source for your farm fresh produce. This can help reduce the amount of emissions used to truck produce into your local store. We bring our own cloth bags to package it in reducing our plastic grocery bag usage.

Our family drinks a lot of water and while I’m proud of that, I was disheartened to see the mountain of plastic bottles in our recycling bin! We shouldn’t be wasting that much plastic in an effort to be healthy, it just seemed idiotic. We invested in a water purifier and we all have our stainless steel reusable water bottles to fill. Just that one minor change alone reduced the amount of recycling in my bin by more than 50%. Once you open your eyes and really start to take in the different ways you can make a difference, it’s easy to see that a few small steps is all it takes to tackle a massive goal.

Conclusion

At the end of the day it boils down to what makes you happy, what’s best for you and what makes you smile. My inner fat kid is very happy that I’ve finally stumbled into a lifestyle that works perfectly for me, my health and as an added bonus has a pretty kick ass benefit for our planet too! I get to eat all the foods I love and I feel really good doing it. Do what feels right, do what makes you happy and above all, do what makes you smile.

Thank you for reading