Hi! This is a blog started to post about following the Engine 2 Diet Challenge (http://engine2diet.com/28-day-challenge/), hoping it will hold me accountable and therefore I am more successful! I work as a Clinical Research Coordinator which means I travel a lot and eat out a lot. I know there is a lot of oil, sugar, fat etc. in restaurant foods, even when trying to find healthier items. I feel a little worried how it will go asking restaurants no oil and eating out with co-workers but I'm ready to try now. I hope my experiences will not only help myself, but anyone else reading this.
I decided to do the challenge because after researching and reading things (including Rip's books, and definitely the China Study was a major eye-opener) I really do feel this is the optimal way to eat for health. Since I have mostly eliminated animal products already, I am starting with the Firefighter plan.
Some background about me:
About 3 years ago my husband and I knew we needed to lose some weight. He went on Atkins and lost about 40 lbs. I tried it, lasted maybe 5 days and was so grumpy the whole time that he basically threw carbs back at me. This of course was before I started learning more about nutrition. He has since calmed down with Atkins as his LDL cholesterol was high and he didn't want to take medicine. He has cut out cheese and for the most part eggs, cut back to about twice a month on red meat and increased his fruits and vegetables.
Two years ago, after seeing multiple Facebook posts about the vegan diet and the documentary Forks over Knives from a respected and smart good friend and her sister, I decided to watch it. At this time I had a finding of abnormal cervical cells 4 years running and a couple doctors recommended a LEEP procedure, which I did not want. When I went to get it done, that doctor felt uncomfortable doing it and didn't recommend it. I was glad to not do it, but then didn't know what to do. After watching the documentary I decided to try and cut out animal products. Four months later the abnormality was gone and everything has been normal ever since! I had a really hard time giving up cheese though and started having it now and then. Once the holidays came around I was back to eating animal products but did not feel good about it. Not only for health but because by then I learned too much about the industry and ways animals are treated to not think about then when eating it.
Throughout last year I still struggled with giving up all animal products but have been meat free now for awhile. I don't really get cravings for cheese much anymore. I still have seafood every once in awhile (mainly sushi) and am a bit casual with the diet, meaning I don't ask what type of broth is used in a vegetable soup, that sort of thing.
After all this, I have not lost any weight! I feel I need to lose about 15 lbs. I don't eat a lot of junk food (fries every once in awhile) or much processed food. Last year I was really good at exercising about 4x a week but fell out of it in October and have been having a hard time getting back into the habit. It seems no matter my diet or exercise my weight fluctuates around 123-126 (I am 5'1"). I am not as concerned with my weight as how my pants fit, that's the indicator I am going by and throughout this, no change yet. I hope eliminating oil and sugar will help. Tomorrow is day 1, I am ready to begin!
#E2Challenge
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