As part of my New Year’s Resolution, I set out to see how much weight I could lose during January following the program set forth in Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s book, Eat to Live. Here are the results and some concluding thoughts about the whole experiment:
Week’s Weight Loss/Gain: Lost 3.5 pounds.
Total Weight Loss to Date: Lost 14.5 pounds. My goal was 20, but I’m still very happy with this result.
Why I Chose Dr. Fuhrman’s Plan: I have tried probably every diet on the planet at one time or another, and while I lost weight on them, most plans were very hard to stick with, I was hungry the entire time, and eventually I would gain all of the weight back. Although I wasn’t overweight when I started this program, my weight was slowly creeping up over the years and getting near the top of the range for someone my height and age. I wanted to stop the yo-yo effect and find something that was a permanent fix. Dr. Fuhrman’s book made perfect sense to me and explained why prior diets would not provide a long-term solution. Even though I had a pretty healthy diet before I started, I didn’t realize that I was addicted to certain types of foods and those were the ones causing the slow but steady weight gain. More about that later.
I Didn’t Feel Like I was on a Diet: Aren’t you supposed to feel hungry and deprived while dieting – like you’re punishing yourself for needing to go on a diet in the first place? And because you are such a poor judge of portion size, isn’t it fitting that you should be required to get your nutrition pre-packaged out of a box and nuke that hockey puck-like substance that now constitutes dinner? This is the first time I didn’t feel like I was on a “diet”, because I wasn’t. Dr. Fuhrman’s plan is simply a very healthy approach to eating that just happens to result in weight loss as your body gets in balance nutritionally. There’s no ordering special foods, counting calories, measuring portions or hunger. Initially I felt like I was doing something wrong because I wasn’t hungry!
What I Learned I Can Eat That I Thought I Couldn’t: Beans and fruit, especially bananas – and lots of them. Most diets I tried really limited the amount of beans due to the carbs. And usually fruits were restricted because of their sugar content, especially something like bananas. Bananas have been my favorite fruit since I was a kid, but I spent a lifetime feeling guilty every time I ate one because I thought they would make me fat. I found out just the opposite. I ate 1-2 bananas every day on Dr. Fuhrman’s plan, along with at least 2 other fruits and lost weight. I also ate lots of beans – sometimes 2 cans a day! These foods are incredibly filling and satisfying, so why would any diet restrict them? Because I ate so many bananas and beans, I was never hungry on this plan, and therefore the urge to cheat was pretty much wiped out.
What I Learned I Can’t Eat That I Thought I Could: Grains, cheese, dairy, eggs, beer. Consuming any of these will almost immediately result in stuffy sinuses, a runny nose, and a very noticeable increase in asthma symptoms. They also immediately cause weight gain. Even gluten-free breads didn’t help because they triggered food cravings (i.e., addiction) for things that are chewy, doughy, and sweet. I was also surprised to find that I have an addiction to cheese – once I eat it, I want more and more and find it hard to stop. And it takes days for that craving to subside and I’m miserable the whole time. If that doesn’t describe what it means to be addicted to something, what does? So does this mean I will never let any of these foods pass my lips again? No, but it means that I really need to limit how often I have them and to expect all of the physical symptoms they trigger. I’ll need to have a detox plan ready. What concerns me most about this is that if I have sensitivities to these foods, how many other people do? Quite a lot, I imagine, as grains, cheese, dairy and eggs are the basic ingredients of a substantial part of the American diet.
Foods I Will Always Need to Be Careful With: Nuts and oil. I love to snack on nuts. But I found that if I eat them as a stand-alone snack, I will gain weight. However, if I mix them in a salad or a smoothie, I don’t gain weight so long as I limit the quantity. Even though nuts are loaded with nutrients and protein, they just have too many calories to be anything I can indulge in regularly. Same with oil. Even though Dr. Fuhrman’s plan eliminates oil, I used small quantities of it – about 1 to 2 tablespoons per day either in salad or to cook with. Oil is basically one of the highest calorie foods per ounce, it doesn’t have any fiber, and very few nutrients. If I had a heart condition, high blood pressure, or unhealthy cholesterol levels, I would definitely cut out all oil. But since I don’t, I will continue to use small amounts of oil being very mindful of how easy it is to start packing on weight again if oil consumption gets out of control.
Keys to Keeping the Weight Off This Time: There is no doubt in my mind after one month on this plan that the following things are essential to losing weight and keeping it off: (1) eat large amounts of vegetables every day – a huge salad for lunch and cooked veg for dinner; (2) drink a lot of water – I had at least 3 liters every day; (3) keep yourself from getting hungry by eating beans, fruit, nuts and cooked mushrooms (which are very satisfying); and (4) exercise at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes at a bare minimum – preferably 5 times a week. The weeks where I skimped on any of these, I had lower weight loss. On the weeks where I stuck by these, losing weight was easy – something I haven’t experienced with any other diet.
It’s a Lifestyle – Not a Diet: If I immediately went back to eating some of the things I used to, like baguettes with cheese, I’d be right back where I started. Maybe there are people out there who can regularly eat pizza, pasta and bagels and not gain weight, but I’m certainly not one of them. Now that I realize how certain foods negatively affect my health and energy, why on earth would I choose to eat them? Making long-term changes to a diet can be hard, but I think it’s much harder, scarier, and expensive to deal with adverse health issues caused by poor eating habits.
Future Accountability: Even though it was a huge pain in the butt, I will admit that committing to write a post every week about my results following this plan helped keep me focused and on track. For at least the rest of this year, at the beginning of each month, I’ll write a post about whether I’m keeping the weight off and what it’s like cutting out a big chunk of my old staple foods. Whether or not anyone reads it, I’m going to do it for myself to keep from falling off the wagon and going down that yo-yo cycle again.
I hope this series of posts has been informative, if not a bit entertaining, for the readers out there — and I know there are a few! Many thanks to those of you who have cheered me on – your support truly helped!
Detox Girl says
Very nice article, thanks 🙂
Amy says
Thank you so much!
Margo Graves says
Awesome post. I just started this again. I hope it works this time.
Amy says
That’s great! Hang in there and I’m sure you’ll have success! Thanks for stopping by, Margo!
Molly says
I just started the Eat to Live plan yesterday. It’s very encouraging to read that you saw such success in just a month. Thanks.
Amy says
That’s great to hear that you’re starting ETL! It has to be one of the healthiest programs I’ve come across, so I wish you the best in making it work for you. Keep checking back for more updates on my progress with the maintenance portion of the ETL program, and let me know if you have any questions. Thanks for stopping by, Molly!
Kristine says
Thank you for your posts. I’ve just reached the 2-week mark in ETL and feel healthy and not hungry. I am determined to finish the 6 weeks and to continue this eating style predominantly. Your post was very helpful to me. Thank you!
Amy says
I’m so glad you are doing well on ETL. I really think it’s one of the cleanest, healthiest eating plans out there. Thanks for stopping by, Kristine!
Carla says
Starting ETL very soon. This post was very helpful! Thanks!
Amy says
So glad you found this helpful, Carla. I plan on doing a lot more like this in 2017, so check back to see what’s new!
Laurie Andrade says
I have been on Eat to live for one week. I have not lost one pound. My husband lost three.
I a a type one diebete. I do feel much better and have more engery. I also am much happier.
What am I doing wrong?
Can anyone help me? I need to lose twenty five pounds.
Amy says
Hi Laurie: It can be hard to start a new dietary routine. Here are a few things I found helped me get over periods of no weight loss. (1) I found that if I did not eat after 6 p.m., my weight was usually down in the morning. There’s something about eating late at night that always throws off weight loss for me. I also go to bed at 10 p.m. and get up around 6:30 – a good night’s sleep helps my weight loss tremendously. (2) Don’t confuse thirst for hunger. Before eating something, try drinking water or tea, then wait 15 – 20 minutes to see if you are really hungry. (3) Use portion control for everything – except salads. I found that a proper portion size for me is to put my hands together in a cupped fashion. This is how much “solid” food I eat at each meal. Then I supplement it with a salad, which includes lettuce, spinach, arugula, cucumbers, tomatoes, red peppers, carrots and celery, plus 1 – 2 tablespoons of walnuts or sunflower seeds and a tablespoon of currants or raisins. For dressing I usually use apple cider or red wine vinegar – and a splash of extra virgin olive oil! I know that’s a no-no on ETL, but there’s something about just a hint of oil that seems to “finish” off the salad and make it satisfying. And finally, I drink 3 – 4 liters of water per day to keep everything flushed out and moving along – helps carry out the waste and keep you hydrated from the inside out. But I stop drinking around 7:30 – 8 p.m. because drinking later than that seems to make me bloated in the morning and my eyes puffy. I hope these hints help you! Hang in there – you can do this!
Laurie Andrade says
Thank you so very much! You gave me hope. I will update you in a week.
Happy New Year, you are my hope Angel.
Laurie Andrade
Amy says
You go, girl!!
Jane says
I read it! I am on day one of the eat to live plan. I have been dieting most of my adult life..if not some fad diet, i’m eating too much of the bad things and gaining it all back again. It’s incredibly depressing and I am done feeling bad about myself.
Thanks for letting us know how it’s going. I hope to have the same results and make eating the right foods a part of my life!
Amy says
Good luck, Jane! I think the ETL program is the best plan out there for long-term, healthy results.
Jane M says
i have a quick question..how important are mushrooms? I really dont like them… 🙁
Amy says
Mushrooms are pretty important to the ETL plan. Dr. Fuhrman says “G-BOMBS (Greens, Beans, Onions, Mushrooms, Berries and Seeds) are the foods with the most powerful immune-boosting and anti-cancer effects. These foods help to prevent the cancerous transformation of normal cells, and keep the body armed and ready to attack any pre-cancerous or cancerous cells that may arise.” Mushrooms are also one of the few food sources of Vitamin D. Perhaps you could experiment with different types of mushrooms to see if you find something you like. Or maybe you could finely chop them up and incorporate into a veggie/bean burger. You might also want to try a liquid mushroom extract mixed into a bowl of soup or a veggie smoothie drink. Straight up it tastes like alcohol, but the taste disappears in a big bowl of soup. A brand I use is Host Defense. Here’s a link to their product – http://www.fungi.com/product-detail/product/host-defense-mycommunity-extract-1-fluid-oz.html. And no, I don’t get paid to endorse their product – I just think it’s a good one.
Jane M says
you are awesome! thanks so much I will try it!
Amy says
🙂
Jane M says
hello,
I’m checking in after one week….I’ve lost 5 pounds already! I got the mushroom extract and it’s great to drop into smoothies–which have become part of my dinner. I didn’t realize how simple they are to make–just water and fruit. 🙂
I wonder if you noticed more loss of inches vs weight? I feel like I’m losing the “belly fat.” This has always been my enemy–no matter how many sit ups I do, I have a little “pooch” below my belly button. It seems like my pants are fitting differently. I took measurements after a week and I have lost an inch on my hips.
Anyway, so far so good.
Thanks for your blog.
Amy says
Congratulations, Jane – that’s awesome! I’m glad the mushroom extract is working for you. I hope you can find a way to eat the “real thing” as Dr. Fuhrman recommends. 🙂 Regarding losing inches versus weight, I found that is greatly influenced by the amount of exercise I do – more exercise = more inches lost. At the beginning, the more I exercised, the faster I lost weight and inches. But after a while, the weight loss slowed down because I was substituting muscle for fat – and muscle weighs more. So I kept my measuring tape handy to see that I was still making progress on the inches even if the scale isn’t moving as much.
Keep going, Jane. You’re doing great!
Nicola says
Stumbled onto your website after watching a PBS Special Dr Fuhrman was doing. I read your month of posts concerning his eating regimen.. And really am pressed by the detail. I plan on starting this tomorrow to loose weight and improve my health. Thanks for all the great info!
Amy says
Hi Nicola – I hope you find the posts and recipes on my blog helpful during you ETL journey! Please let me know if you have any questions and I’ll do my best to answer. Enjoy!
Jannah says
Hi Amy
I came across Fuhrmans book via another blog on a similar journey and was really inspired. Now on the hunt to find more stories. Im already convinced and wanting to start it asap, but alike having reference from different sources.
Thankyou for sharing your journey and the details. Really helpful!
Amy says
Hi Jannah – so glad you are finding helpful info on my blog. Congrats on starting your journey with Dr. Fuhrman’s ETL program – I think it’s top notch. Thanks for stopping by!
Ben says
Hello,
My family and I are under a budget of 250 dollars a month for food, is there a way to shop smart?
Thanks,
Ben
Amy says
Hi Ben: Here are some suggestions to keep food budgets under control. Instead of animal sources of protein, switch to tofu, tempeh and dried beans. Animal products are expensive and less healthy, whereas a package of tofu (which serves 4) is about $2.00 and 11 grams of protein per serving. And buying dried beans and legumes is a very cost effective way to get lots of protein, vitamins and minerals. Just soak them overnight and cook the next day with some seasonings. (Don’t get hung up on counting protein grams. Americans consume way more protein on average than is necessary. As long as you eat a variety of fresh or frozen fruits, vegetables, beans & legumes, and nuts & seeds, you’ll get all the protein your body requires.)
Another thing to help keep food costs under control is to not drink your calories. Juices, soda, milk, etc. is expensive. Throughout the day, I drink about 3 liters of water. That’s it. Instead of drinking orange juice, I just eat the orange which provides fiber that is removed during the juicing process. I also stopped using vegetable stock years ago as it’s an unnecessary expense. Just use plain old water instead. When I make soup, I saute onion, garlic and some spices (like chili pepper flake and Italian seasoning) in a little oil to start the base. Then I add in vegetables, beans, water and more seasonings. Create your own flavors rather than relying on canned or boxed stock.
Another option to consider is frozen fruits and vegetables rather than fresh. When produce is in season, it’s easier to find at reasonable prices. But I often find that I can get better pricing in the frozen food section. Because most produce is flash frozen on site, vitamins and minerals are well preserved so you really aren’t compromising on quality. Finally, I sometimes find it’s cheaper to buy canned tomatoes than fresh. They add a ton of flavor to soups, chili and sauces.
I hope you find these tips helpful, Ben. Thanks for stopping by!
Claudia says
Is transformation 20 the same as ETL?
Amy says
Hi Claudia – I haven’t heard of transformation 20. Sorry I can’t be of any help. Thanks for stopping by!
Josephine Hasfal says
I just started ETL on Monday (June 10th), and so far, I am down 3.2 lbs. I feel great and I am never hungry.
Amy says
Congratulations! Keep up the good work!
Jenna says
My friend and I are starting the diet tomorrow. How much is a serving of berries? The plan says to eat 4 fruits which I assume could be something like a banana, a nectarine, an apple, and a pear, but I’m not sure how many berries a serving is and I don’t want to risk going over by making a fruit smoothie and also putting berries on my oatmeal breakfast. Btw, I’m happy to hear that you had good success with eating plenty of beans. I though I could only have a cup of them a day, and that wouldn’t be enough for me.
Amy says
Congratulations on starting the ETL program! A serving of berries (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc.) is 1 cup. I found that eating lower glycemic fruits, like berries, worked best for me, although I used things like one banana, mango, etc. as a fruit choice every other day. A wide variety of fruits is what to strive for. When you have a fruit that needs to be cut up, like watermelon, dice it into smaller pieces and use a 1 cup measurement for your serving size. On the bean front, black beans are my staple to use on salads. I use various types of lentils and yellow split peas for making soups and curries. Although I love garbanzo beans, I only use them occasionally in hummus as they tend to cause “issues” if you get my meaning, so if you have a sensitive system, be aware! Same with red kidney beans, but I use them occasionally for making chili. I wish you and your friend success on ETL!!