As promised in this post, here is my report after one full week on Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s Eat To Live plan (I started on Monday, December 30, 2013):
Week’s Weight Loss: 5.5 pounds – I’m thrilled!
What I Ate: For breakfast Monday through Friday, I ate the 5 Minute Oatmeal & Fruit Breakfast. Lunch was a HUGE salad of mixed lettuce greens, spinach, kale, arugula, tomatoes, carrots, celery, red peppers, onion, black beans, raw nuts (walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts, almonds), hemp seed, and TVP (texturized vegetable protein). I used balsamic and apple cider vinegar (no oil) for dressing. If I was hungry in the afternoon, I had the Spinach & Citrus salad. For dinner, I made a huge pot of vegetable bean soup with spinach, kale, celery, tomatoes, carrots, and cannellini beans. I also made mushrooms, onions & garlic sautéed in vegetable broth with a variety of things like asparagus, edamame, kale and spinach. If I wanted a “heavy” snack, I would have black beans with a little balsamic vinegar, fresh ground pepper and small amount of salt – filled me up every time. If I wanted a lighter snack, I would have the Parsley Spinach Kale & Flaxseed Smoothie with Tomato Juice. The only thing I drank other than the smoothie was water – about 2 to 3 liters every day. I also took a multi-vitamin and B12 every day.
Did I Cheat? Very little. Dr. Fuhrman’s plan calls for no added salt, however, I put a very small amount on some meals. On two occasions, I put 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil on my salad. Another day, my husband fell off the wagon and made a vegetable omelet (eggs are not allowed on the diet) so I had a couple of bites. There were a couple of days where I had a few extra nuts and another when I had quite a few olives. Overall, I didn’t do anything that I’d beat myself up about.
Did I Feel Hungry? No. This plan lets you eat unlimited amounts of vegetables, fruit and beans, so I didn’t feel like I was missing anything. Beans give you that full, satisfied feeling, so I made liberal use of them. Previously when I dieted, I limited my intake of beans to 1 cup or less per day because I thought they would make me gain weight due to the carbs. But seeing how much weight I lost this week eating lots of beans for lunch, dinner and snacks, I will not deprive myself of these in the future. I really think they were the key to keeping me on track all week. I also think that exercise cut my appetite as well.
Did I Exercise? Yes. I exercised 5 days last week (took off New Year’s Day and Saturday). For each session I spent 30 – 40 minutes between the treadmill, elliptical and bike. As the week went on, and especially by the weekend, my appetite was noticeably reduced. I think exercise was the biggest factor in that regard. In fact, one day I woke up and wasn’t hungry at all even though I had an early dinner the night before. By 10 a.m. when I planned to go to the gym, I hadn’t eaten anything, so I ate a banana thinking that would be enough to get me through the workout. I was fine at the gym, but as soon as I got home, I crashed. Note to self – don’t work out on an empty stomach.
Any Problems Eating the Food? After reading Wheat Belly, I cut grains out of my diet and noticed a big improvement in my asthma symptoms and runny noise. (Even grains that are “gluten free” often contain gluten because they can be processed with gluten-containing ingredients.) But since Dr. Fuhrman’s plan allows grains in limited quantities, I decided to add them back in to see what happened. This week, I had ½ cup uncooked (about 1 cup cooked) rolled oats for breakfast every day. I thought this was a small enough amount that I wouldn’t have any problems, but I was wrong. My asthma really started acting up, and my nose was running like a faucet. I went through more than a box of tissues last week and my nose was getting raw and red! It was so bad by Friday, that I cut the oats out of breakfast. And now, three days later, I’m feeling much better. So this coming week, I’m going to switch my daily starch to quinoa, which is a seed rather than a grain, to see how my body reacts to it. I’m not saying I’ll never eat oatmeal again because I love it – I will just limit it to a couple times a month to see how that works for me.
How Am I Feeling in General? Excellent! Other than my issues with oatmeal and crashing after working out on an empty stomach, I feel incredible. Although this is a high nutrient diet, it is also pretty low in calories, so I thought my energy level would suffer, but it didn’t at all.
Will I Do Anything Differently This Week? Yes. I won’t eat oatmeal. I won’t work out on an empty stomach. I’ll try not to cheat………
Look for another post on Monday, January 13th for my results after Week 2 on the plan!
Taylor says
This was so helpful to me so thank you so much! I just restarted (for the second time) this eat to live lifestyle after falling off of the wagon when I went on a trip. I gained a few pounds so I’m hoping I can make progress once more. I’m almost completed with my first week back so seeing you’re results and commentary was very encouraging and helpful to me. Thanks for sharing! Best of luck, and God Bless!
Amy says
Thanks, Taylor. I find that even if you fall of the wagon, just keep plugging along and you’ll get there. Good luck!
Ashley says
I am pretty sure the book said to only eat steal cut oats and that you shouldn’t eat rolled oats.
Amy says
Hi Ashley: I checked the book and on page 217 under the Starchy Vegetables and Whole Grains section, Dr. Fuhrman says “Grains include barley, buckwheat (kasha), millet, oats, quinoa, brown rice, and wild rice.” So he doesn’t specify rolled versus steel-cut there. But on page 252 in the Breakfast Recipes section, both the Blue Apple-Nut Oatmeal and Quick Banana Breakfast To Go recipes call for old-fashioned rolled oats. Personally, I use both. I think you’re safe either way. Thanks for stopping by!
Rosie says
You can get certified gluten-free oats. I react to standard oats but am fine with the gluten-free ones.
Amy says
Hi Rosie: I’ve experimented with oats, buckwheat, quinoa and other gluten-free grains. As much as I love grains, I have to admit that I have a harder time losing weight when I eat them.
Thanks for stopping by, Rosie!