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801 Views 10 Replies 7 Participants Last post by Rayemond, Jan 19, 2015

bradcouturier

Discussion Starter · Jan 18, 2015

Hello! I'm 27 years old and looking for a change. My diet is very poor (mostly processed "foods"/beverages) and I'm in the worst shape of my life. I weigh the most I've ever weighed at 317 pounds. I wake up every morning with back pain from what I believe is the bulk of my body pressing down on my lower back. I have a gym membership that I pay for every month and use very rarely.

I've watched a few documentaries on diet/nutrition. Most of them make me feel bad for animals when I'm watching them, but then when it comes time to make a change in what I'm eating I never have. I think Forks Over Knives has struck the biggest cord in me. I've eaten a vegan diet for small periods before in my life (1-2 weeks here and there).

I purchased "The Forks Over Knives Plan" book and a companion cookbook/recipe book with vegan recipes. I'm determined to make this transition. I know it is going to be the hardest thing I've ever done. I feel the addiction my mind/body feel for certain foods and that makes me mad. I feel like I shouldn't be in a bad mood and then as soon as I eat some chocolate or sugary beverage I'm in a better mood. I feel like the stuff I eat isn't even food, it's just something designed in a lab and manufactured to be yummy and addictive. I wish I could say I want to make the change for something as noble as the animal well-being, but I'd be lying if I say that is the main reason. I need and want to lose weight. I need and want to feel better. I'm trying to keep in the forefront of my mind that this is a lifestyle change and it is about the progress, not the perfection. I shouldn't have an all-or-nothing mentality. I can't throw in the towel as soon as the first slip happens.

My wife and I both have weight problems and issues with poor nutrition/exercise. I've browsed this forum in and out for different random articles and answers and decided to register. I'm looking forward to hopefully chatting with everyone on the boards!

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David3

· #2 · Jan 18, 2015 (Edited)

Hi Brad,

Both your and your wife need to see your doctor immediately. Unless all this weight is coming from muscle, your health is in serious danger. A low fat vegan diet is effective for weight loss and health improvement, as you stated.

You and your wife both must make these changes, or you won't succeed in making them. When one spouse is trying to overcome an addiction to unhealthy food, they will not succeed if the other spouse is continuing to keep these foods around the house.

Your doctor should refer you to a weight loss specialist. Your insurance will probably cover this, because your current weight puts you at serious risk for diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.

A little story:

My previous boss weighed 330 pounds at age 60. He had diabetes, and his doctors told him that his feet would likely need to be amputated. He went in for lap-band surgery, he lost 100 pounds, and almost all of his health problems went away. However, he then retired to Thailand, away from his support network of friends and doctors. He gained all the weight back, ultimately weighing 400 pounds. He died at age 64. Moral of the story - almost nobody can beat addiction alone.

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bradcouturier

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jan 18, 2015

David,

I actually went to the doctor a 2-3 months ago when I started getting worried about all of this. I had never had blood work analyzed. So I went in to my family physician and he ordered blood work. He didn't seem to worried about my health. He agreed that healthier eating habits and exercise were the right way to go and that fad dieting should be avoided because it won't stick. After my blood work came back he said nothing stood out as dangerous. I wasn't sure how to take that. With or without his pushing I know I need to make a lifestyle change and what I'm eating is first up.

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David3

· #4 · Jan 18, 2015

Hi Brad,

It sounds you're getting a good grasp on the situation. I hope I didn't come across as harsh or rude. Good health to you, and I look forward to talking with you again on VeggieBoards.

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LedBoots

· #5 · Jan 18, 2015

Hi Brad and congratulations on taking the first steps to better health.

So, do you cook? Are the recipes in the cookbook you have do-able time-wise and ingredient-wise?

Planning out dinners for the week before my shopping trip works out best for me. Some resources on the web have shopping lists, weekly menus, etc thqt can make the transition easier. Good luck and happy cooking!

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Rhei

· #6 · Jan 18, 2015

Welcome and well done for taking the step towards veganism! : ) I'd love to read more about your journey as you go on. I've also thought about purchasing the Forks over Knives-plan but havent got around to it yet, so it would be fun to hear what you think about it.

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bradcouturier

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jan 18, 2015

David3 said:
Hi Brad,

It sounds you're getting a good grasp on the situation. I hope I didn't come across as harsh or rude. Good health to you, and I look forward to talking with you again on VeggieBoards.

Oh, no, not at all! I appreciate the perspective and welcome! Visiting the doctor is for sure a necessary first step. I was just kind of shocked at how little he seemed to care. I put myself in his shoes and envisioned talking to me as a doctor and would have been incredibly concerned for someone in my condition. But, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised - the medical industry seems like a big business. The sicker I am, the more money they stand to make. No business in healthy people.

LedBoots said:
Hi Brad and congratulations on taking the first steps to better health. So, do you cook? Are the recipes in the cookbook you have do-able time-wise and ingredient-wise?

Planning out dinners for the week before my shopping trip works out best for me. Some resources on the web have shopping lists, weekly menus, etc thqt can make the transition easier. Good luck and happy cooking!

My wife went to school for culinary arts and I enjoy cooking as well. I haven't seen anything yet that isn't doable from a talent perspective. We are going to have to do a pantry makeover to make sure we have everything we need. We've been the most successful at sticking to meal planning vs. eating out when we plan the week ahead of time and make out a schedule on a note card to hang in our kitchen. We use that to make our grocery list. So, this will need to be a continued habit.

Rhei said:
Welcome and well done for taking the step towards veganism! : ) I'd love to read more about your journey as you go on. I've also thought about purchasing the Forks over Knives-plan but havent got around to it yet, so it would be fun to hear what you think about it.

Thanks! So far it hasn't given me a whole lot that the documentary didn't cover. I was attempting to read it cover-to-cover, but have since started skimming the initial chapters. I was more looking for a laid out plan. Each transitional week has good information. I will let you know how this goes as it progresses.

The basic plan is:

Week 1 - Breakfast
Week 2 - Lunch
Week 3 - Dinner
Week 4 - Snacking/fighting cravings

I'm worried that a week each will be too fast of a transition, but I'm worried if I take 2 weeks per stage I might get comfortable in the breakfast stage and get off track.

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MozIsMyShepherd

· #8 · Jan 18, 2015

Hi Brad
Welcome to VB. I think it's a very good place to start. By leaving out animal products you'll instantly cut out lots of calories and nasties, it's definitely the best way to cleanse your system. I unintentionally lost some weight when I started eating vegan, I eat bigger portions than when I was an omni and my weight is still dropping slowly and steadily even though losing weight was not on the agenda, just seems to be happening naturally.
And if you are ever tempted to reach out for meat dairy etc again I recommend watching 'Earthlings' - likely to put you off those foods for good

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bradcouturier

Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 18, 2015

MozIsMyShepherd said:
Hi Brad
Welcome to VB. I think it's a very good place to start. By leaving out animal products you'll instantly cut out lots of calories and nasties, it's definitely the best way to cleanse your system. I unintentionally lost some weight when I started eating vegan, I eat bigger portions than when I was an omni and my weight is still dropping slowly and steadily even though losing weight was not on the agenda, just seems to be happening naturally.
And if you are ever tempted to reach out for meat dairy etc again I recommend watching 'Earthlings' - likely to put you off those foods for good

I haven't seen that. I will have to try to watch it. Thanks for the recommendation!

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Go Vegan

· #10 · Jan 19, 2015

Welcome to VB...Please feel free to ask any other Qs

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Rayemond

· #11 · Jan 19, 2015

Welcome! You've made the first step towards a healthier, happier life!

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