Yesterday, I walked into an H&M store, selected a few pair of jeans, and headed to the fitting room. The first pair fit perfectly, slid on without a struggle…no need to ‘suck it in’, and no ‘muffin top’. I bought that first pair and left the store in less than 10 minutes feeling great. The big deal about this scenario is that the jeans are a skinny size 6. On April 1st (no fooling), I will be 55 years-old. I entered menopause in my mid 40’s (a natural part of a woman’s life by the way, not a disease), and had struggled with my weight for decades (check my Nourish page where I share added details). The struggle I experienced managing my weight ended just over 4 years ago.
I watched the film Forks Over Knives in 2015. During that film I discovered the work of Dr. John McDougall. After reading his book, The Starch Solution, and T. Colin Campbell’s Book, The China Study I adopted a whole food plant-based oil free diet. After only 10 short days following Dr. McDougall’s FREE 10-day program I experienced amazing results. In the months that followed I ultimately lost (and have kept off) 30 pounds and regained a quality of life I thought I had lost. After all, I began that 10-day plan as a middle aged woman living with dual hip replacements, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, osteoarthritis, and Hashimoto’s disease. I had been led to believe that weight gain for women was inevitable and part of the aging process. My background in Health Education, colleagues, physicians, relatives, and friends had each confirmed this belief system. Though due to what I learned and experienced first hand eating a plant-based diet, I discovered that I had been misinformed. Here are a few of my realities today…
I currently weigh less than I did when I graduated high school
My blood pressure and cholesterol are normal, no need for meds
I returned to a labor intensive job as a Professional Licensed Massage Therapist and have no problem keeping up with my 20 and 30 year old colleagues
I am on the treadmill 4-5 days per week and weight train 3 days per week and am an avid hiker
Outside of a death in the family and a crushed fingertip injury (I worked half of a shift that day - as a massage therapist), I haven’t missed a day of work since switching over to a plant-based diet
I cannot recall the last time I had a cold or the flu
I sleep soundly and wake up feeling rested
Best of all, any pain I experience is minimal and manageable - without prescription medication
The photo shared alongside this post is the feast I enjoyed for breakfast today, which is a normal meal for me now. A full frying pan serving of hash browns steamed to a crispy brown. Cooked with chopped broccoli, spinach, red onion, dill, onion powder, topped with hot sauce with fruit on the side. I eat portions like this 4-6 times a day, am lean, and feel wonderful. My weight loss liberated me from feeling awful physically, emotionally, and psychologically. The goal of losing weight simply for appearance sake is something I mistakenly did as a much younger woman. This is another reason why I rarely display before and after photos of myself. Excess weight had become detrimental to my good health. Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight removes a dangerous burden from my artificial joints, improves my quality of life, strengthens my immune system, and provides me with energy.
Join me - I challenge you to participate in Dr. McDougall’s FREE 10-day program and experience the results for yourself. What do you have to lose…other than excess weight that may be preventing you from feeling better?
Be Well! ~Tiffany