The Weight Game...30 day update

So, I've been working with Karen McCarville of Mindful Life Nutrition  to transition to a whole foods, plant-based diet.  The difference in this from the vegan diet I follow now is a much bigger focus on eating foods in their natural state. (Practically, this means a lot less breads, vegan meat substitutes and stimulants like coffee.) I've been working with Karen for 30-days and will continue for the next five months to make the transition so that it is incremental.

Here are the changes I've made so far: 

- Drink 32oz of water first thing of the day. 

- Exercise from 20min to an hour daily. 

- Drink 32oz green smoothie for breakfast.

- Eat only fruit until lunch. 

- Lunch consists primarily of raw vegetables in the form of a large salad or raw soup. (I will continue to use cooked vegetables and grains while transitioning.)

- Eat an afternoon snack of either smoothie or fruit. 

- Reduce fats—even healthy ones—to be only 15% of daily calorie intake over the course of the next month.

- Dinner is a normal vegan dinner transitioning to more whole foods and grains. (Which in practicality will result in a "raw until 4pm" routine, choosing rice or quinoa over pasta at dinner, etc.) 

The biggest challenge for me has been eating out.  In my day job, many meetings occur over meals and I am still learning to navigate.  Travel will be another challenge. 

Over the past 30 days, I've lost all of my typical "bad food" cravings.  Even lemon squares offered at a luncheon didn't spark a thing.    The smell of coffee still tempts me though. ;)

One of the cool things about working with Karen is that she starts with where you are and helps you make incremental changes to meet your goals. The other cool thing is not only that Karen is a great walking advertisement for the lifestyle, but others who follow it get the same results. (I ran across this video of  70-year-old Annette Larkins which was pretty impressive. )

In this "weight game" experiment, I am the scientist, lab and rat.  I will keep reporting on how it goes. Karen has told me not to focus on the scale yet—that the body will prioritize internal repair over dealing with any excess weight.  All I know is that I've seen changes in Melania-Joy who is also on this path with me and she looks fantastic, so I am happy to be patient!