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Shawnah & Shane Lowered Their Cholesterol Without Medication and Lost Over 50 Pounds

My journey has been a roller coaster ride since 2014. Gaining and losing weight has been a constant in my life since I have six kids. I went vegan and initially lost a lot of weight. I went from 185 in 2014 down to 142. I stayed vegan for years. Well as life would have it, I went back to my old ways a few times. Yet I always ended up coming back to vegan because I just felt better and ethically knew better. I have Hashimoto’s disease, so weight loss is not an easy thing for me. Most top thyroid doctors recommend meat, specifically organ meats, to help heal thyroid issues. So, I would feel like I was harming myself and go back to eating meat again. Fast forward to 2021, I went to my doctor and my cholesterol was 225. He wanted to put me on a statin. I told him there was no way that was happening, I knew what to do (I was already vegetarian at the time). So I cleaned up my act yet again…I went back to plant-based and found “The Starch Solution” book that I already owned, dusted it off, and got serious about it this time.

In four months I have lost 30 pounds. I started at 175 pounds and am now down to 145 pounds currently at 5’9″ without restricting any calories. I’m still in the weight loss phase. To be honest I didn’t expect to lose as much as I did in only 4 1/2 months. For the first time in my life, I’m eating huge portions instead of eating like a bird. I never was a big eater so this was an adjustment for me. I can’t explain how much better I feel! I think the picture says the most because my face was just totally inflamed. My thyroid medication at one point was 180mg. I’ve cut that dosage down to 90mg and am slowly going to lower it again in a few months. My cholesterol went from 225 to 147 in no time at all. My doctor said I have to come in and do lectures to help other people because he is amazed! I just told him to refer them to Dr. McDougall’s website. 

My husband, Shane has never ventured into plant-based eating. He would eat a few items I would make but always had meat with my healthy item. When his cholesterol came back at 298 he knew he had to change. So for the last 90 days now he has been fully plant-based following a 50/50 plate and has also lost 20 pounds. His cholesterol went from 298 to 197 without meds in only a few months. Combined we’ve lost the weight of our dog which is amazing! We are so grateful to Dr. McDougall! We definitely will keep telling anyone who will listen. It’s very simple when you don’t crave the bad stuff anymore.