What's 6 Weeks in a Lifetime?

Back in January of this year I read the book Eat to Live and decided that after YEARS (25+) of trying to lose weight (and get out of that damn obese category on my Wii Fit), it was now actually a matter of health. Not weight. Weight would be a wonderful byproduct. But I wanted to live. I didn't want to go on drugs for high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, any of it. I knew that it was a matter of time before it would happen. My blood sugar counts were already starting to rise according to my physician. That's how age works.
The book made me realize that I couldn't blame it on genetics. That's a cop out. Nope. It would be a matter of whether I valued a good quality of life. It was a matter of whether I wanted to be able to enjoy my children and grandchildren, not from a rocker or bed but in the yard, on excursions, at the beach.
So I committed to Dr. Fuhrman's six week challenge. And I kept telling myself, "What is six weeks out of a lifetime?" Six weeks. 6 weeks x 7 days = 42 days. Big deal. A month and a half. Surely I owe it to my body.
What does this diet entail? I tell everyone: fruits, veggies, beans and a handful of nuts. Really. That's it. In all shapes and forms. I could eat all the fruits, veggies, and beans I wanted. And when I got hungry in between, I could have a small amount of nuts to curb my hunger.
I made smoothies, steel cut oats, no oil hummus, I ate raw bell peppers and cucumbers, I cooked lots of mushrooms, stir fries (fried with water, not oil), lots of stews (w/ beans and sweet potatoes). I stopped going to Yogurtland and drank all fruit smoothies from Jamba Juice. They know my order. Five fruit frenzy. No juice. Soy milk substitute. Or oatmeal. No brown sugar. Just banana on top.
It's a whole foods plant-based diet. Nutritarian. No oil, sugar, salt, artificial "stuff". No diet soda or juice. No diet bars. No fast food. Heck, I didn't even want to get a Jack in the Box or McDonalds salad because I'm sure they put preservative junk on it to make it look fresh longer. I bought almost all my fresh veggies at the open market. I bought en masse frozen fruits and veggies from Costco.
And it changed my life.  I went back to my doctor after the 6 weeks and he was blown away. Weight dropped SUBSTANTIALLY (over 20 pounds) and my cholesterol levels AND everything else improved a great deal.
I won't go back to being the fat girlfriend in my group of 4 close classmates. I always hated that.
I know what feeling good feels like now. First time since I became an adult.
The food is actually great. My taste buds are definitely heightened. Sweet foods are generally TOO sweet for me now. Same with salty foods. Just a little is PLENTY for me. I never would have thought it possible.
Went through my pics to try to grab some before and afters. Painful. And joyful.

So I want to encourage you, if you want to lose ANY weight and/or improve your quality of life, follow these steps:

1. Get the book Eat to Live (audio, kindle, paperback, vook)

2. Go to the doctor and get your weight checked, get some blood work done (test your cholesterol, A1C/blood sugar), check your blood pressure and whatever else your doctor thinks is important to good health. And let her know what you plan to do to improve your health.

3. Prep your kitchen (get rid of the crap food despite moans from the family members and stock up on fruits and veggies, fresh and frozen, and beans. And canned tomato sauces.

4. COMMIT! No more "I'll try". DO IT. It's your choice.

You won't go hungry. You won't starve. It's not too expensive. Seriously. Meat costs and weighs more than fruits and veggies. I can eat all day long. And there are many eateries that have nutrient rich, low calorie choices. You just have to know what that really means. No oil, salt, sugar.

Six weeks out of a lifetime. What harm will it do? You follow the challenge as the book says and I PROMISE you you will lose weight. Lots of it. And you will feel great. And you will improve your quality of life. 

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