One year mark

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One year mark

Postby EvanG » Sat Jul 06, 2013 6:20 pm

The details:
40 yr old male at 5' 9" with no major known health issues.
I started at 175 & dropped to 157 or so in about three months on mostly whole foods plant based diet. I don't have any lipid stats, as I've not been to a doctor in a while. My blood pressure may have dropped 5 to 10 mm Hg over that time. It sits around 120/80, where it's been for most of my life, except during the relatively less healthy periods.

Summary: This diet (way of eating) is really pretty easy once you get going. It helped me feel more energetic and get to a pretty trim high school weight (bmi around 22-23). If you're on the fence, give it a try. I wish I did this years ago.

General improvements: I feel a bit better, am more rested in the morning, and have dropped coffee completely. My waist size has gone down from a tight 34 to an easy going 32 & my belly now makes a medium T-shirt fit well again. I do have a bit of tea in the morning, but not anywhere near as much caffeine as in the past. A knee that has had issues in the past has been trouble free for a year, which is a definite improvement.

Biggest surprise: It really is pretty easy to eat this way once you get going on this diet. When I started, I was most apprehensive about giving up cheese. That in particular seemed impossible. I've always enjoyed salads and veggies, so that probably helped the transition. After 6 months, it was pretty easy to do, and it just seems to get easier and easier.

Goals: These were three-fold. I wanted to drop 10 to 20 lbs, I was hoping that a skin issue would clear up, and I also want to hit 60 and beyond in a healthy med-free body. It seems that practically everyone over 60 or so is on a bunch of pills or has some malady or another.

Motivation: Forks over knives was a catalyst that led to reading The China Study, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, The Starch Solution, and a few others. Youtube presentations were a guilty pleasure, and some of McDougall's were really great; they were informative, and his attitude is very motivating. This board has been very helpful too, because it took a lot of work to convince myself that this was a necessary and good undertaking. Even after realizing some of the benefits, doubts crept in, and it took a lot of effort & reading to keep convinced. Personal stories and links on this board were very helpful.

The journey:
In the beginning of 2012, I started a weight loss challenge with some family members. At the beginning of the year, I was 179 (bmi=26.4). In the first half of the year, I was pretty successful when at home, but when I traveled or socialized a lot, any lost weight came back. By the end of 6 months, I had lost 4 to 5 lbs. Pretty much as soon as I started on a whole foods plant based diet, I started losing 1 to 2 lbs a week. I blew by my goal of 165 & decided to set it at 155 (high school weight). After 7 months, I hit 153 & since then have bounced between 152 and 157 depending on how many dried fruit and nut binges I go on. Unfortunately, my skin issue, which may be hives, eczema, sebhorreic dermatitis, something else or some combo has not gotten any better. So, the journey / learning period continues. This week is the beginning of an elimination diet for me. So, hopefully I'll know soon whether or not the skin issue is food related.
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Started in June 2012 at 39
Lost 25 lbs. Feel great.
EvanG
 
Posts: 536
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2012 11:15 am

Re: One year mark

Postby Don Stewart » Sat Jul 06, 2013 11:10 pm

wonderful read...you have done you and all of us proud.....you really are amazing.....plus this helps us all...
Don Stewart
 
Posts: 123
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2012 8:42 pm
Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand

Re: One year mark

Postby HomeHealthRN » Sun Jul 07, 2013 5:47 am

It was so nice to get up this morning, and read about your success with this WOE! Thank you for posting/sharing your story, and congradulations on your progress. :-D
I'm 6 months into this, and still have a little less than half way to go before I reach my goal. I agree with you, it gets much easier to eat this way after you have a little experience at it.
I have rosacea...while it's not gone, the facial reddness and acne are less, and on good days, it's not noticable at all. I use two topical prescriptions to keep the symptoms under control. You may consider seeing a dermatologist, if your elimination diet doesn't improve your skin.
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HomeHealthRN
 
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Re: One year mark

Postby Lesliec1 » Sun Jul 07, 2013 6:43 am

Thanks for sharing! Please let us know how the ED goes. I need inspiration on getting back to that.
Lesliec1
 

Re: One year mark

Postby Reb777 » Sun Jul 07, 2013 9:15 am

Thanks for sharing your experience. I, too, am interested in your ED results. I've got similar skin issues. Mine are definitely better w/o wheat. I suspect they could get even better.
~Rebecca~
Reb777
 
Posts: 140
Joined: Sun May 26, 2013 10:24 am

Re: One year mark

Postby Linnie » Sun Jul 07, 2013 9:38 am

Thanks for sharing your progress. It's always encouraging to hear the improvements that occur on this eating plan.
Yes, the foods get easier to eat and the prep on some days for me is to simply pop a potato in the microwave and top it off with some leftover cooked spinach that I added some vegetable broth to for flavoring. I can't eat salsa or ketchup due to silent acid reflux, so I use veggies as my potato topping and sometimes fresh guacamole - even though it has fat, I am very thin and not in this for weight loss but for autoimmune issues.
The only time I miss oil is when I make pasta, so I ope it with lots of fresh basil and a pureed cooked vegetable, like spinach, or a fresh steamed one like escarole with some garlic powder and steamed white onions.
And so easy to wash the dish and pans...no grease! :)
Linnie
 
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Re: One year mark

Postby EvanG » Mon Jul 08, 2013 6:45 am

Thanks for all of your kind words, encouragement, and advice. There do seem to be quite a few people here that have or have had some skin issues. I have been to a few doctors over the years, and have not found any solutions. Topical hydrocortisone is a temporary fix, but is not good to take long term. I'll follow up with results from the ED after some time goes by. Maybe it's wishful thinking, but I've been assuming that this is primarily a food or environmental issue.
-----
Started in June 2012 at 39
Lost 25 lbs. Feel great.
EvanG
 
Posts: 536
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2012 11:15 am

Re: One year mark

Postby theresaann » Tue Jul 09, 2013 9:19 pm

I get eczema when I eat gluten, and goes away completely when I don't. I've tried this on and off over the years, and its always the same.

The virgin diet says the top 7 intolerant foods for people are gluten, soy, dairy, corn, peanuts, eggs, sugar and artificial sweetners. I don't notice too much reaction to peanuts or eggs, some to corn and a TON to soy and gluten, which I avoid completely now. I don't eat eggs anymore since mcdougall and the artificial sweetners are also very bad-give me neck and head pain and extreme tiredness.

You will likely find one or more of these is the culprit. ;-)
theresaann
 
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Re: One year mark

Postby EvanG » Fri Jul 19, 2013 5:09 pm

As a follow up: At a recent checkup, blood pressure was 110/74, pulse = 65. Total cholesterol was 144 & LDL as 66.
-----
Started in June 2012 at 39
Lost 25 lbs. Feel great.
EvanG
 
Posts: 536
Joined: Thu Jul 26, 2012 11:15 am


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