The Proof is in the Pudding......
(deactivated member)
on 7/15/09 12:36 am
on 7/15/09 12:36 am
I started my new lifestyle, mostly a complete change in my diet April 13, 2009. I was taking a fairly high dose of Simvastatin to lower my cholesterol and a few weeks earlier my cholesterol was in the low 200's while taking medication daily.
Once I started my new diet I stopped the simvastatin and last week I went to get my cholesterol checked - it's now 171 mg/dl. Now I don't know the exact number I had before but it probably was in the teens or twenties - which means I definitely lost more than 30 points on my cholesterol without taking any medication. That is phenomenal proof that eating whole food and avoiding animal products is working for me. I still have a lot of weight to lose which means that when I'm at a more normal weight, my cholesterol will be even lower. I'm thrilled - I feel like I'm walking on air right now.
I also had high markers for inflammation as part of my autoimmune disease and they have all dropped well into the normal ranges.
I just feel so much better and it has only been about 3 months. Best of all I don't feel deprived or that I'm starving.
Skylar
Once I started my new diet I stopped the simvastatin and last week I went to get my cholesterol checked - it's now 171 mg/dl. Now I don't know the exact number I had before but it probably was in the teens or twenties - which means I definitely lost more than 30 points on my cholesterol without taking any medication. That is phenomenal proof that eating whole food and avoiding animal products is working for me. I still have a lot of weight to lose which means that when I'm at a more normal weight, my cholesterol will be even lower. I'm thrilled - I feel like I'm walking on air right now.
I also had high markers for inflammation as part of my autoimmune disease and they have all dropped well into the normal ranges.
I just feel so much better and it has only been about 3 months. Best of all I don't feel deprived or that I'm starving.
Skylar
Oh Skylar, that is wonderful! I've been waiting for your announcement on what your cholesterol level is. I've been thinking about rereading my book AGAIN, and also get the China Study. I've done so much research on it I feel like I already know it. But I'm sure there is lots of info I could learn from. Maybe I'll head to the used book store today and see if they have it.
I'm just amazed on how easy your transaction went on your plan. You didn't even wean yourself off of meat did you?? You are doing fantastic.
Can I ask you if you found out how much you have lost?
(deactivated member)
on 7/15/09 3:46 am
on 7/15/09 3:46 am
Thanks for your kind response. I see my Dr. tomorrow and I know she is going to be thrilled with my results. I will ask tomorrow what I weighed - and I'll let you know. I've never been so excited to see a Dr. as I am right now. LOL
As for changing my diet, I actually think it's easier to just go cold turkey - just do it. It's a lot harder to wean yourself off because you are still being tempted to just eat the way you always did. It did help to find some sources for new recipes - I'm having a lot of luck with fat free vegan's recipes. The hardest part is just getting started and getting into anew routine but once you in it, it just becomes routine. I'm extremely lucky that DH is 100% on board even though he is also struggling at times when we eat out - at home he is doing well.
Actually what we're finding very difficult is to eat out - there is really nothing in restaurants that we can eat besides plain lettuce which, lets face it, isn't very exciting. I keep reading suggestions to ask for steamed vegetable and a baked potato or rice which is yucky in my book. But now I realize maybe if you eat that in a restaurant it helps break you away from the notion that eating food in restaurants is so special and fun etc. - instead it makes you focus on the people you're eating with and why you're getting together with them. I guess it helps us see that we need to eat for fuel and nutrition and not for entertainment. It is hard to change your whole mindset especially when everything around you is geared to this unhealthy lifestyle. Little by little I'm winning the battle.
We have also almost completely stopped watching TV - we either listen to music, read books or watch movies and documentaries that I'm finding at the library so we aren't seeing all those ads for fast food. I have nothing agains****ching TV shows - just trying to avoid the ads.
Skylar
As for changing my diet, I actually think it's easier to just go cold turkey - just do it. It's a lot harder to wean yourself off because you are still being tempted to just eat the way you always did. It did help to find some sources for new recipes - I'm having a lot of luck with fat free vegan's recipes. The hardest part is just getting started and getting into anew routine but once you in it, it just becomes routine. I'm extremely lucky that DH is 100% on board even though he is also struggling at times when we eat out - at home he is doing well.
Actually what we're finding very difficult is to eat out - there is really nothing in restaurants that we can eat besides plain lettuce which, lets face it, isn't very exciting. I keep reading suggestions to ask for steamed vegetable and a baked potato or rice which is yucky in my book. But now I realize maybe if you eat that in a restaurant it helps break you away from the notion that eating food in restaurants is so special and fun etc. - instead it makes you focus on the people you're eating with and why you're getting together with them. I guess it helps us see that we need to eat for fuel and nutrition and not for entertainment. It is hard to change your whole mindset especially when everything around you is geared to this unhealthy lifestyle. Little by little I'm winning the battle.
We have also almost completely stopped watching TV - we either listen to music, read books or watch movies and documentaries that I'm finding at the library so we aren't seeing all those ads for fast food. I have nothing agains****ching TV shows - just trying to avoid the ads.
Skylar
Wow, you guys really are changing your life styles. Good for you! Have you ever tried to find some vegan or even vegetarian restaurants in your area? I know of two in my area but only been to one. They do actually serve meat at this one also, but also caters to vegans. I guess this one is an "organic" restaurant instead of vegetarian. But they make all kinds of dishes, and home made salad dressings so your not eating anything processed. I know when I was following Fuhrmans plan just for a little while I had a heck of a time at resaurants. So I know what you mean. At least if you go to organic or vegetarian restaurants they will offer tofu, seiten, or tvp protiens for more of a variety in their dishes.
wow that is so great! isn't it amazing how, when you cut out the "fake" processed food you body finds the balance it was searching for all along? it's like we were created to live on whole natural food or something! 
Michelle Hendrickson Holistic Health Coach http://www.gracioushealth.net
You are doing great Skylar we started out diet / lifestyle change 1 day apart I started on April 12th looks like we are both doing good on our journey. I do still watch tv some but I admit the ads make it hard wehn you're always seeing fast food advertised, I just keep my focus an avoid eating out. I think I've only eaten out 2 times since I started this journey but once I loose about 15 more pounds I will start adding in a bit of eating out because it's just not realistic for me to think I'll never eat out again so I'd like to have practice at going out and trying to order healthy. So I will see how that goes once I add it back into my diet. Right now I allow myself to have everything else I want in moderation the only thing I completely cut out was dining out. I've even had ice cream cake a few times as we went through a few birthdays I just had very small slices and accounted for their calories in my food diary that I keep. I try to always keep myself between 1200 - 1400 calories a day and it seems to be working great for me.
Johnita
Johnita
Non Surgery - (HW/CW/GW) - - 247/173/150(first major goal)
(deactivated member)
on 7/21/09 3:42 am
on 7/21/09 3:42 am
Hi Johnita, yes I too found those ads on TV hard to watch - after all big bucks were used to buy clever people to design those ads to drive us to eat their crap.
I have eaten out a few times since we started but I find it extremely difficult to find something worth ordering and paying money for since everything is loaded with fat, salt and sugar and chemicals and worst of all I find all that crap so delicious and addicting. I do agree that you have to have the occasional treat and your diet shouldn't be so rigid that you can't enjoy a piece of ice cream cake once and awhile. But it is hard to keep moderation and balance in check when that food is so addicting.
Skylar
I have eaten out a few times since we started but I find it extremely difficult to find something worth ordering and paying money for since everything is loaded with fat, salt and sugar and chemicals and worst of all I find all that crap so delicious and addicting. I do agree that you have to have the occasional treat and your diet shouldn't be so rigid that you can't enjoy a piece of ice cream cake once and awhile. But it is hard to keep moderation and balance in check when that food is so addicting.
Skylar
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