Getting Back on Track Using the Rice Diet

Sometimes my train just jumps the track.  It may be my household train, my finance train, or in this case my healthy eating train.  My train derailed in late July and I haven't got it completely on the track since.  In previous posts, I wrote about high school sports and the challenges that brought.  I've tried to get back on track after that but have not been completely successful....yet.

When I first began a WFPB diet with no meat, eggs, or dairy, I began on April 1, 2017 after a little over a year being vegetarian again.  My catalyst was a high blood pressure reading at my annual physical.  I researched and chose the Rice Diet, as practice by Dr. Kempner, due to the success it had shown with reducing blood pressure.  It was very successful with that and my blood pressure was normalized within two weeks.

I did not follow it to 100% perfection but I had great success with it for BP and for weight loss. I was pretty strict with it for two weeks and then transitioned to The Starch Solution.  I was able to lose about 12 pounds from April 1- May 30th.  Another 3 came off during the month of June.  Then vacations stalled the weight loss part as my diet varied even more.  Evening travel and time away from cooking, including junk food, brought back a few pounds, eight to be exact during eight weeks of  high school tennis season.  Water accounts for a chunk of that as I have not watched my salt intake as closely either. So now it's time for a big kick in the butt.

I love The Starch Solution, by Dr. McDougall, and that is sort of how I've been eating since mid-April.  Certainly rice was a part of that but it wasn't as restrictive as the Rice Diet.  Of course after July I added way too many processed foods/snacks which did not help me get back on track.  I realize that this is real life and this scenario is likely to happen again.  There will probably be times in the future where I dip too often into processed foods and veer away from a WFPB diet.

Therefore, November 6, 2017, tomorrow, I will go back to the strict Rice Diet again.  Simple starch and some fruit, no salt, and lots of water.  I was satisfied eating that way and I feel it really cleansed my palate and jump started my body to detox and helped me focused on making healthy food choices.  That is what I want again and why I am choosing something that had only positive outcomes for me. 

 I made a no-fat, vegan supper with lentil loaf, mashed potatoes, and peas.  Lots of fiber, lots of starch, and plenty of vitamins.  It was very good and the lentil loaf was a recipe from High-Carb Hannah.  Leftovers for the family are pictured below.  None for me, tomorrow, of course. Thought I would try out a recipe for Thanksgiving dinner.  I have a couple more to try before my final decision.

If anyone else is following, or would like to follow The Rice Diet, comment below.  Maybe we can buddy-up on this journey and help each other along.  I am thinking about doing a combination with Intermittent Fasting (IF), as I think there are big advantages to that also. 

Scale Keeps Moving Lower on WFPB Diet

This morning marks the end of my fifth week eating WFPB.  I've basically been eating a high-carb low-fat diet without animal products.  My reward for eating carbs, not counting calories, and not being perfect: a 12 pound weight loss in five weeks.  In addition, I have lots more energy, less muscle soreness, improved blood pressure, and I don't feel like I'm on a diet.  Plus, It is the best diet for the environment and it makes me super happy.

There has also been some residual affects.  My husband, whose blood pressure was worse than mine on the day I came home from the first doctor's appointment, went to the doctor this past week.  His blood pressure had come down from 166/107 to 146/86.  He is not eating just a WFPB diet.  He eats lunch meat sandwiches for lunch.  If we go out, he eats meat.  However, he is evidently benefiting from all of the meals at home that I make which are WFPB. We grilled Boca veggie burgers for supper and he commented that they were better than beef.  We have been eating them for almost a year and the All American Grillers are our favorite.

The energy I have gained from this way of eating is wonderful.  I have been able to accomplish so much more these last few weeks without migraines or debilitating fatigue.  I had some things to create for a party and in the past the stress of finding time to do that would have brought on some migraines.  This time, no problem getting things ready and even had additional items added on at the last minute.

What I really want now is for everyone to become informed about this way of eating.  I can imagine how much pain, discomfort, and money could be saved if people would give WFPB eating a try.  The online resources for meal ideas are great for those just stepping in to this way of eating.  I have always cooked so transitioning to meatless meals was easy, but I still like seeing what others are making and new combinations of ingredients.

I was able to share a bit of my short story and success this weekend with a few family members.  I seriously hope that I was able to get them a bit excited about it through my words and my appearance.  You never really know if the seeds you plant will grow.

By the way, I wore my new size 14 jeans to the party.  So very excited about going down a size. Today, I took 4 items from my closet to donate.  I definitely see more of that activity in my future.

So Many Positives Including another 1.4 Pounds Lost

I continue to gain positives from this WFPB lifestyle and lose pounds.  I'm down another 1.4 this week and my pants are feeling pretty loose.  Haven't felt this good in a long time.  What makes the difference?

I like this way of eating so much and have given up the diet mentality.  In the past, I always had anxiety about any 'diet' I tried.  Would the scale show a loss?  Could I get through another day of it? Would I gain weight back after I was 'off' the diet?  How was I going to eat when the diet was over?

As I mentioned in another post, I had used the Atkin's plan to lose about 20 pounds years ago.  The whole two months I ate the low-carb meat-based diet, I knew I could not eat that way forever.  I tend toward eating plant based foods.  I never ate meat every day, let alone every meal like the Atkin's plan recommended.  Of course, when I did get off the plan due to a move across country, I did regain the weight eventually.  Not immediately of course but certainly within the next year.

The WFPB way of eating is different.  I like this way of eating.  I like knowing I can eat when I am hungry and not be limited to 1/2 cup of something.  I feel good eating this way.  My energy is much improved along with other positives that I've mentioned in a previous post.

I feel calmer about eating this way.  There is no anxiety about going off this diet because to me it is not a diet, it is the way I eat now.  I feel slimmer everyday.  So far the scale has shown weight loss each week, but even if it didn't, I feel thinner.  My thighs feel thinner and my pants are looser.

I went in Kohl's today because I had some 'free' money I had earned and thought I might pick up a pair of pants in turquoise if they had them to go with a shirt I want to wear to an event next week.  I looked for my regular size 16 and saw a 14.  I held it up to my body and thought, "What the heck, I'll try it on."  When I went in the dressing room, I asked my daughter to go back and grab the 16 just in case.  Since I was already taking my jeans off, I might as well have the bigger size ready.

The size 14 pants fit and the 16 size went back on the shelf.  I really can't remember when I wore a size 14 since the Atkins trial.  So in 26 days, I have lost a total of 10.4 pounds.  Realistically, I know it won't always be this easy but for now I am enjoying all of the changes and positives this WFPB way of living is bringing me.

One of my dishes this week was spaghetti, Yes, Barilla, non-GMO thin spaghetti.  About 2 cups with an organic vegetable sauce to which I added sauteed onions, peppers, and mushrooms. I even had one slice of bread with garlic, no butter.  I also had leftover spaghetti (about 2 cups) twice this past week.  Once with sauce and once with hummus.  Delicious and I still lost weight.

I have been trying to walk a minimum of 8,000 steps each day.  Some days it's less but most I meet or exceed goal.  The last few days I haven't kept track due to the fact that I have poison ivy on both arms so I can't wear the Fitbit.  I work in the garden most days; weeding, planting, moving pots, hoeing, etc.  This of course is seasonal and this is the season.  I did work out on the elliptical machine one day last week as it rained for 3 days and I was feeling lazy.

If you are on the fence about eating WFPB, I would encourage you to give it a try.  Join a FB group, read Dr. McDougall's free information on his website.  There are even YouTube videos that support this way of eating. It will be good for you, good for the animals, and good for the planet.  It's a win-win I can live with.

Enjoying WFPB/Starch Solution Weightloss and More

To say that I am pleased seems to be an understatement.  I have been eating the WFPB/Starch Solution way since April 2nd.  Nineteen days and nine pounds gone.  Those are real pounds.  I have been drinking lots of water each day and have not put any back on.  I have not been perfect.  Some Belgian Easter cookies found their way into my cart the other day and I ate several of them.  That was just my major blunder this week.  I was tempted by a Scor bar in the store today but resisted.

How I feel is just as important as the weight loss.  Energy up to levels I can't remember. Sleeping better.  Less fibromyalgia pain.  I feel lighter and more flexible.  Current jeans zip very easily and are very loose a few hours later.  Another 10 pounds or less and I will try the next size down.  I feel calmer and clearer.  I don't feel deprived or that I am on a diet.  

I love eating this way.  It corresponds with my beliefs.  I am always working on removing hypocrisy from my life and this does that in the area of nutrition for me.  Blood pressure reading today: 121/79. I find my mood calmer and I am happier.  I always have something I can eat when I get hungry and it's food I enjoy.  

The first day I started I had a headache bordering on a migraine.  A week later, I had another headache that seemed like it was more from congestion.  A week later, swollen tonsils and an earache.  Seems like incremental detoxing to me.  Hopefully, the next weeks will not see any issues.

I keep meals simple. Here's an example:  Red and green lettuce, brown rice, black beans, homemade pico de gallo, roasted red peppers, green chile  So good; so simple.

I am ready to branch out a little and make some 'special' meals.  I plan to begin cooking every recipe in the Starch Solution.  Reading through them, they all seemed doable.  I like that they do not rely on a soy protein, seitan, or other fake foods or meat impostors.  I have been gathering ingredients and will sit down tomorrow to make a structured lists so I will have everything on hand for at least five of the recipes this week.  I'll posts pics and comments on the recipes when I prepare them.

I know each person has to find their own way of eating, exercising, and making self-improvements.  I feel I have found my way and WFPB is it.