Found some motivation...

I wasn't sure exactly what I would fill up this space with but I think I have found some ideas to share.

I began following the Esselstyn plan (mid October) after strong suggestion from my primary doctor. I wasn't familiar with Dr. Esselstyn's plan but I was familiar with Forks over Knives. FOK is on netflix and I found it really interesting. Good place to start in my opinion.

While getting this information is good, where do you start? What do you eat? The next day after my doctor visit, I was feeling pretty overwhelmed. It was important to my health to pursue the new way of eating. Maybe I'll write about the why another time. FOK is similar to the Esselstyn plan, but as my mom says, "This is extreme." It seems extreme when you read labels to avoid oil, sodium, sugar, etc. Your safe choices are found in the produce department. Here is the link to the plan we are following. www.dresselstyn.com

After a couple of bumpy days to start, I decided to purge the pantry and refrigerator. Good move! That helped so much but there wasn't a lot left. Off to the store I went. Shopping produce is the easy part. Canned beans, granola bars, hummus, tomato sauce, etc. is the challenge to find no oil, low sodium and so on. Of course, you can make all of these things but I was already feeling like I'm relearning how to cook.

Big discovery...'vegan' does not mean plant based, dairy free or oil free.

Oh my gosh, what am I doing?

I will admit, the first week was tough, second week a little less tough. I was finding recipes with 30 ingredients and I just don't cook like that. OK, I am exaggerating but it was more than 5 ingredients. Or I would find plant based recipes that called for oil. I do have this ability in my genes to make stuff without a recipe...rarely is it served twice because I don't remember what I did. It's a one time deal that I created at that moment with what I had. My dad has this wonderful ability, too.

I'll talk about eating out in another post. I have not had blood work done since I began this new woe but I lost 10 pounds in 20 days. As of today's date, I have lost 21 pounds. Even though this was not the reason to change my woe, it is a wonderful perk. I have struggled with my weight and honestly, this is the easiest weight loss I have ever had. Kevin has lost 23 pounds. Plus, we are feeling great!

The idea of blogging this journey came up from a friend. I had intentions of blogging to keep family and friends up to date on what Kevin and I are up to. (I didn't get far) This seemed like a great way to share what is working for me and what isn't. I absolutely love sharing about this way of eating. I don't have it all down perfectly but it is a journey.

For my family and friends that are following, this is for y'all!