Eat Pizza, Mashed Potatoes, Fries, and Still Lose Weight…

Eat pizza, mashed potatoes, fries, and still lose weight…

The title isn’t click bait, my friend. It’s the reality, IF you understand the nuances behind it and have someone to guide you through your journey with those foods. Eating healthy isn’t all-or-nothing. Your fridge doesn’t need color-coded meal prep for success. (Who has the time or mental capacity for that!?)

Without guidance, SUSTAINING weight loss can be difficult… not impossible, just difficult.

Through decades in the cooking, nutrition, and health realm, I’ve learned one of the biggest mistakes people make: it’s not about learning to count points, calories, macros, so on. Yes, those things work. But they aren’t typically sustainable, or our country wouldn’t have an obesity and health epidemic. Especially when you understand nutritional labels are incorrectly UNDERREPORTED—by 20%!

Calorie counting is a horrible way to track progress. We’re notoriously inaccurate (about 500-1000 calories’ worth of inaccuracy!), food labels are wrong, and it’s impossible (yes, impossible) to accurately track your calories out. Tracking devices such as apps, watches, treadmills, so on have up to a 38% inaccuracy rate—use these gadgets as an estimate, not scientific fact.

We spend over $4 trillion in healthcare and over $66 billion on DIEts each year, more than Japan, Germany, France, China, Italy, Australia, Spain, and the U.K. combined. And our health care ranks last in all first-world countries.

Clearly, “counting things” isn’t sustainable, nor is it working. Eating as whole food and plant-based as possible does work. And it’s easy with the right guidance, making it a long-term solution. I love sustainable, non-trendy health methods. I love “doing things” the way Nature designed them. 😊

As I’ve said before, Nature doesn’t count calories. Deer don’t limit carbs; squirrels don’t have fancy watches. They follow Intuition—something we’re programmed to ignore. I’ll show you how the lies of the medical establishment and media overtake our instincts about food.

Here’s a conversation from someone who’s lost 80 pounds in 11 months, when people ask how… and their response when he explains he has another 15-20 to lose.

It’s important you understand how our perceptions and stories keep us stuck. We humans often “mis-hear” what others are saying. Our senses interpret conversations and experiences based on our experiences in life. We also underestimate accurate weight, which is why I shared a BMI graph a few weeks ago.

Our country is conditioned to see 20 pounds overweight as normal. This is a deadly trend, my sweet friend.

“OMG, how’d you lose all that weight?”

It’s no mystery, I can tell you that. I eat plant-based, and 3 meals a day. I don’t eat after 6:30 and no snacking.

I eat very little white flour, barely eat processed foods. We don’t have dairy in the house; we make our own almond milk. I eat eggs; I usually have 3 for breakfast. I eat a salad with protein for lunch, then a normal sized dinner.

I go for regular walks and weigh myself every day. It’s all basic, common knowledge. It’s not a DIEt, this is a lifestyle. I don’t DIEt; I changed HOW I eat. I’m no longer that guy who weighed 80 pounds more… THIS is who I’ve always been.

Whenever I say I don’t eat past 6:30, that’s the biggest argument people push back on, right after cheese.

Anyone that’s diabetic needs to understand HOW to check their blood. If you don’t have a baseline, you never know what’s messing up your sugars.

“You’re not still losing more weight, are you? You’re totally fine!”

I have another 15-20 to lose, yes, but thank you. That’s very nice of you! We’ve normalized being 20 pounds overweight.

Here’s what people commonly hear in that conversation and his responses:

• I eat very little white flour = “I’ll go to the pizza place and ask for gluten-free flour. Quitting white or wheat flour is harder than quitting cigarettes! Everyone uses it—it’s in everything!”
• I weigh myself every day = “my doctor said to throw out my scale because it’s meaningless.” He responded: That’s mistake number one. While it’s not the only number to look at and yes, scales have error points (like not measuring fat vs. muscle, retained water, etc.), it’s certainly NOT meaningless.
• I don’t eat after 6:30 and no snacking = “oh yeah, that’s too hard for me. I eat late and end up going to bed right after. I can’t do that.” Neither could I, until I changed my schedule and made health a priority, based on my identity.
• We don’t have dairy in the house = “I could never give up dairy.” I tell them it’s one of the first things you need to look at. It’s not that you can’t ever have it again, you just can’t have it in the house unless you want to eat it all the time. I could live off bread, butter, and cheese. I choose not to.

Friend, there are so many stories to unpack, along with nuances.

I’ll cover just a few, so you understand the importance of getting help from someone who has knowledge AND experience in nutrition and health.

1. An occasional snack of pickle slices, a couple of olives, sunflower seed/raisin mix aren’t the end of the world. But this can’t become the norm, especially if you’re pre- or diabetic. The longer your blood has little to no glucose running through it, the faster you improve insulin sensitivity. Insulin resistance is a major risk factor for diabetes and other major diseases.There’s an 88% increase in snacking since the flu of ’20, and 58% say this will be their new norm. We now spend $56 billion more in savory snacks than in 2019 and prior (totaling $133 billion). No wonder so many people gained 20+ pounds! And “they” tell you snacking isn’t dangerous.
2. Eating at 6:30 is 2-3 hours before going to bed. There’s also a walk after dinner, which improves digestion and increases insulin pushing glucose into cells. Glucose needs to be in our cells, not our blood. A pleasant walk after dinner also burns calories, releases relaxation hormones, and increases your metabolism.You can make up as many reasons to eat late as you want, but the responsibility is yours, as are the results. When you want something badly, you do what it takes to get it, don’t you? You can always eat earlier or at work, if you work a night shift. Yes, it may require you to change your schedule, and you may need help to figure out how to make that happen.

   Going to bed with undigested food in your stomach decreases your ability to heal while sleeping, since your body is too busy digesting. Lying down isn’t an optimal position for digesting, either—upright, walking, or laying on your left side for 5-15 minutes is ideal. If you have trouble sleeping, consider what time you’re eating your last meal.

3. Very little white flour doesn’t mean NO white flour, and it certainly doesn’t mean avoiding whole grain carbs. He eats white flour/farro/whole grain pasta/rice (rotating white and brown) about 4 meals a week. Chickpea flour flatbreads replaced bread for sandwiches or the old tradition of “bread-n-butter” with meals.You can also substitute whole grain bread or sprouted bread, if you want… it’s a preference for your tastes and health goals. Chickpea flour flatbreads are high in protein and fiber, as well as flavor. When you have less of the non-ideal foods like bread and cheese, you find when you DO have them, you enjoy them more!

    

4. A salad each day may seem boring at first… until you understand the options available to you. And if you enjoy a simple salad with spring mix, tomatoes, olives, ranch, and hummus, well… have at it. Daily. This salad fills you up, gives you significant amounts of protein with minimal fats, and helps you shed weight. Nothing tastes as good as it feels to go from a size 46 to 32 in 11 months.
5. A normal-sized dinner is very subjective and may require help from an outside party. In the opening paragraphs, I explained our perception is VERY skewed with weight and portions. There are way too many nuances to cover in a single article, but for starters, my LG Plate is a basic guideline. I dive deeper into portion control and DIEt misconceptions in my Transformation 101 course and book, which you can explore here.
6. Eating 3 eggs most days may be problematic for some people, depending on your health levels. We also didn’t mention the QUALITY of the eggs he eats, which are free-range eggs—they taste different, feel different in your body, and are higher in nutrients than regular factory-farmed eggs.3 eggs aren’t an everyday occurrence, either. Some mornings are bean tostadas; others are beans-n-rice; chickpea Ohmelettes; fresh fruit or a simple smoothie for the days you don’t feel like having a heavy breakfast. In time, you learn to listen to your body and trust your cravings.
7. Giving up dairy is one of the hardest things to do… no one argues that. An occasional bit is fine here and there, if your body can tolerate it. But the high levels of sodium and hormones keep you coming back for more, as does the creamy texture.Homemade plant-based cheezes are a great substitute until you’re OK not having much of that, either—plant-based cheezes are high in fat, which is something to consider for weight loss. I teach people how to make these cheezes in groups and private classes, because I know how much of a barrier cheese is.
8. Let’s briefly talk about checking your blood glucose levels. Most people only check it when the doctor tells them they have diabetes and they need to monitor their sugar levels. I believe anyone who’s 30 pounds overweight should check their glucose, as excess fat increases estrogen storage and increases insulin resistance. Get in the habit before it’s too late…Here’s the nuance most people miss: check immediately in the morning before drinking any coffee or eating (ideal is 80-85 or 99 for conventional western medicine); check it again 2 hours after you eat. I have clients with continuous glucose monitors and check them right after they eat—this the worst time to check, as insulin always spikes after you eat.

   If it spikes, notice what’s causing the increase. Is it fat? White carbs? Certain whole grains? Everybody is different—we all react to foods and drinks differently.

   If you have high insulin levels 2 hours after eating (above 126), check it before you go to bed and again in the morning—this helps you learn what’s causing the spike. We aren’t all the same… proteins, carbs, and fats metabolize different in different people. What affects your blood sugar affects someone differently.

   Note: If you’re going to bed less than 2 hours after you eat, you can’t track what’s causing an issue for you, because you’re not awake to take an accurate reading!

    

9. One thing not discussed in his conversation is fat intake—he eats minimal fats, easily controlled by making his own foods. Eliminating processed foods decreases dangerous, rancid oils; faulty nutritional labels; chemicals versus herbs & spices; other questionable ingredients; and is much cheaper!He now preps staple items as needed (and not a color-coded fridge system! 😉). Throughout the day, there’s no extra time required to make the base of chickpea flatbreads/Ohmelettes, cashew ranch dressing, sour cream, almond milk, cheeze sauce, Italian red sauce (AKA gravy), pizza dough, hummus, BBQ sauce, and other dressings and sauces.

   This is how you enjoy pizza, mashed potatoes, and fries, while still losing weight—the title that I promised wasn’t click bait.

   An air fryer is one key to increasing your health, as long as you use it properly. Throw away the cookbook that comes with it—it suggests grilled cheezes, brownies, bacon-wrapped shrimp, chicken fingers, and other high-fat foods, but having them with less oil.

   Cutting fat is crucial for weight loss, especially if you have a history of heart problems or diabetes. I cannot stress this enough—you will not lose weight and achieve optimal health if you eat large amounts of oils, butters, or high-fat, processed foods.

    

10. Know your addictions, especially with desserts and high-fat foods. If you have food issues around peanut butter <raises hand>, I suggest trying PB Fit, which is a versatile low-fat powder. You have healthy options…Switch to banana ice cream or make sorbets—the Nutramilk machine makes milks, nut butters, smoothies, and amazingly creamy ice cream/sorbet/sherbet. Buy fresh fruits each week for an after-dinner-treat, rather than heavier, processed, high-fat treats.
11. This is a lifestyle, not a DIEt. In other words, these are behaviors of a healthy person (his Identity). People ALWAYS assume there’s a crazy DIEt involved, since that’s how we’re programmed… crazy workout + crazy DIEt = weight loss. This can’t be further from the truth and is why most people fail. This isn’t temporary, it’s a way of Thriving, in fact.

Again, healthy eating and living isn’t all-or-nothing. Your fridge doesn’t need color-coded meal prep for success, but having a guiding hand helps. There’s so much information online, and most of it’s inaccurate or not tailored for you specifically.

As your weight, age, body, and life changes, so do your needs. If you want one-on-one guidance with plant-based living that is SIMPLE and combines nutrition science with Ancient Wisdom (AKA not cutting out foods we’ve eaten for years!), reach out to me for your no-cost call!