Hi Everyone,

My name is Patty.  I am 44 years old.  I will be 45 on March 17th.  I started my journey 12 days ago.  I have always struggled with my weight and even had gastric bypass surgery about 6 or 7 years ago.  I lost 100 pounds and have gained about 20 of it back.  I still need to lose about 50 pounds.  I'm always tired and want to take naps (which is impossible while working and taking care of my husband and two sons).  I bought Alicia's book and then came on this site.  I watched some of the recommended videos (I cried watching Meet your Meat) and will never eat meat again. I have read alot of stories on the forum and there are lots of great ideas.   I am not eating eggs and only have a tiny amount of skim milk in my coffee.  I would love to drink the weight loss tea but I can't stand the taste.  I think its the soy sauce.  I've used it in other recipes and just can't get past the taste.  I lost a pound or two but that's it.  I don't know if I am making my portions too big.  I have been snacking on granola from Aurora Natural.  Could that be a problem?  Also, I am a terrible cook so my meals are very plain.  I am taking little handfuls of snacks in between meals (like granola, sunflower seeds, rice crackers, etc).  I feel full after I am done with my meals but it's like eating Chinese food, I am hungry an hour later.  Any advice would be helpful. 

I look forward to your responses. 

Hi Patty,
I'm new here and not real sure I can be much help, but I'm in the same boat as far as weight loss.  I also need to lose about 50 to 60 lbs.  My sister had gastric bypass and have learn a great deal about health from her story.  I know in her case, she has a very hard time absorbing vitamins (since your stomach is where that happens) and also gets tired easily.  I know if I eat too much processed items, my weight loss will stop in its tracks!  Hope we can help and encourage each other.

There is so much information on eating healthy and losing weight , and I'm sure you will get some ideas here. I definitely struggle as well, and have accepted that it is never going to be easy. Its not that the food, or the vegan diet is a problem...I love the food, but if I eat too much of the "wrong" things, I gain, and I DO exercise!. But in a nutshell, the more greens, non-starch veggies, fruits and beans I eat, and the less starchy vegs, and starches (even whole grain, which is all I eat, pasta, potatos, breads, chips, etc) helps. I do eat them, just not a lot, and brown rice seems to be a little less likely for me to gain wt. on. I eat a ton of salads, with beans on them, and yes, I do eat a little olive oil and raw nuts, very occ. a little peanut butter, but I do limit the fat overall. Also sugar!!!!!!!! Not that tsp. full on the oatmeal, thats not the problem, but "sweets", the cake, cookies, pancakes, etc, even if vegan, are a problem and must be limited.

Hi Swey,
Thanks for the advice.  I do take extra vitamins since the surgery.  I also have a very low iron level but I did find out that you need to eat citrus before or after you eat something high in iron.  It helps with the absorption.  I am going to give the weight loss tea another shot.  I am going to alter the ingredients a little bit I can't stomach the soy sauce.   Just the smell makes me ill.  I am using some processed stuff when I don't have time to cook.  I would love to share ideas and encourage each other.  Look forward to hearing from you. 

Pat

Good morning, vegan world!  Today is going to be my first attempt at this.  I am currently attempting my first cup of 'weight loss tea' and not sure if I'll finish it!  Anyone know how this tea is supposed to work or what it does?  Are you supposed to chew and swallow the carrot and daikon, or just let it steep in the hot water and drink around it?  Not sure I can eat it:) I am looking at losing 50-60 pounds.  I have been up and down on the weight scale my entire life, and I have vowed to make that cease by my thirtieth birthday in July.  My biggest challenge will be drinking and sugars.  I have been struggling with some major back issues these past couple months, which is all due to my excessive weight gain in a short amount of time.  So, this book has inspired me!  And I hope that I meet some people on this site that do the same!!

Hi Emily,

I too have been up and down all my life and would like to lose 50 pounds or so.  I was so excited about the tea until I tasted it.  UGH.  I could not drink the weight loss tea with the pulp either.  If you use a juicer you don't get the pulp.  If you want a little you can scoop it out of the pulp catcher.  I still have to plug my nose to drink it.  I am trying to work on the recipe.  I am going to take out the soy sauce.  I think that is what gives it that taste.  The daikon is a natural dieretic so that definitely needs to stay.  I found it easy to stop eating sugars after a few days.  Like alot of people, I got a cold about 1 weeks into the diet.  It may be your body getting rid of all the bad stuff.  I think my problem is picking between meals.  A handful of nuts or a handful of granola, a cracker here and there.  I work from home so it takes a lot of will power not to grab something.   

Hi Patty,Love that name.  My roommate is a Patty.  We are poor college students in grad school.  And it is so much easier to eat junk food and fast food to cater to our hectic and erratic schedules.  But something has got to give.  I cannot live like this anymore.  I am miserable (don't tell my mom.  she'll worry).  Good luck to you and your journey.  I am going to attempt to stay close to this website in order to be connected to my goal at all times.  So, I'm sure we'll be talking!  Cheers!
PS.  If anyone has any advice on juicers, I'm all ears

Walmart sells a GE juicer for around 60.00.  I bought it a while ago so I am not exactly sure of the price.  This one is hard to beat without putting a hole in your pocket.  It is easy to clean.  When I read one of the reviews it said to put a plastic shopping bag in the pulp catcher and just pull it out when your done.   It has a stronger motor then some of the other juicers in this price range.  I think this one is worth the money unless you want to be a hardcore juicer.  Then I would get a more expensive one.  Hope this helps.  

Hi Patty!

In response to your comment about not being a good cook so your meals are very plain, try treating yourself to a vegan cookbook. Before Christmas, when I was flirting with the idea of veganism, I decided to try a 21 day vegan cleanse to "see" how it felt (changed my life!). I went to the bookstore and picked up "V Cuisine." I knew I wouldn't be very successful at this if the food wasn't satisfying. This book is fun, delicious and pretty easy to follow, not to mention gorgeous photos! There's tons of vegan books out there so I say go treat yourself for making such great new choices in your life.  Good luck!

(what is this tea you are all talking about?)

It is a Carrot Daikon tea in The Kind Diet Book.  You drink it in the morning on an empty stomach and it is supposed to aid in weight loss.   I have 3 or 4 cookbooks.  Some of the ingredients are hard to find or I don't like the taste (especially the soy sauce).   I really mean it when I say I am a lousy cook.  My 13 year old son does cooks supper most of the time because the rest of my family prefers it that way.  I will look into "V Cuisine".   Thanks.

Hello,

I understand struggling w/ weight loss; I did a few years ago.  When I stopped eating meat I lost a few pounds.  Now being vegan I have not lost weight (I'm not trying to though).  I understand what you are saying about being hungry an hour later.  I am always hungry; but I always eat.  I eat smaller portions of things like grains, etc (I have started to actually measure my grain servings) and I find that the lesser amount does fill me up.  When I get hungry a little while later, I eat veggies for a snack, sometimes fruit if i'm craviyng sweet.  I was also never a good cook until I picked up some great cook books.  Hang in there; its tough at the begining.  I have also found that making some of the dessert recipes from TKD (peanut butter cups) really helps.. Yes it is a sweet, and a desert, but you have made it yourself, therefore you know what it is in.  Enjoy your new journey!