Eat to Live is Dr. Fuhrman's Six-Week Plan from Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss (ETL). Once you complete the initial six-week plan you can add in some meat and dairy and he suggests a 90/10 mindset. Ninety percent of your calories per day should come from the foods on the ETL plan and the remaining 10% can be your "fun" foods.
I find the plan a bit too restrictive for me even though the idea of eating tons of veggies and fruits isn't a bad idea. Too much restriction for me = going into binge mode and stuffing my face full of processed and carb filled foods. Below I've listed the plan as intended with my modifications noted.
UNLIMITED (eat as much as you want):
all raw vegetables, including raw carrots (goal: 1 lb. daily)
cooked green vegetables (goal 1 lb. daily)
beans, legumes, bean sprouts, or *tofu (minimum 1 cup daily in total of these)
*Beans should be eaten daily; tofu should be eaten less frequently.
fresh fruit (at least 4 daily).
eggplant, mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomato and other non-starchy vegetables, cooked and raw (unlimited)
No changes here. I try to limit tofu and tempeh to every other day on average. I don't worry about weighing the veggies. I don't always hit 4 fruits.
LIMITED (not more than one serving):
cooked starchy vegetables OR whole grains–Maximum 1 cup per day
(butternut or acorn squash, corn, sweet potato, brown rice, cooked
carrots, whole grain breads*, whole grain cereals*)
*avoid breads and cereals as much as possible
I'm doing around 1.5 cups per day due to activity level and satiety. In theory I agree with all whole grains and limited breads and cereals however in reality I have some white rice, granola and other items that I'll be using up as I just can't waste food.
raw nuts and seeds (1 oz. or 28.5 grams a day) or 2 ounces avocado
I read this as AND instead of OR ;) I don't measure my nuts or avocado so limit to no more than half an avocado. I use nuts and seeds in a lot of sauces and sometimes toss on salads so may occasionally have more than an oz but no more than 1.5oz or so.
ground flaxseed (1 tablespoon a day)
Or chia seeds or using raw walnuts as my nuts. All have the same Omega-3 benefits.
soymilk, low-sugar preferred–Maximum 1 cup a day
I only buy unsweetened non-dairy milks - almond, coconut, soy, rice, etc and don't worry about this limit as the calories are minimal.
OFF-LIMITS:
dairy products
I'm vegan for ethical reasons so no issues here.
animal products
I'm vegan for ethical reasons so no issues here.
between meal snacks
I eat when I'm hungry and that varies day to day. I do snack at times because making myself over-hungry isn't a wise choice for me.
fruit juice, dried fruits
Not a juice fan unless there is liquor in them. Not a huge dried fruit fan but do toss dried coconut in my smoothies and I'm not opposed to raisins in curries on occasion.
salt
Oh man, how I love thee. I'm not cutting out
completely but I'm trying to cook my own beans, make my own sauces and
other small changes to get salt down as low as possible. I personally
feel iodine is important, especially since my thyroid under performs,
and I don't care for sea vegetables leaving iodized salt as one of my
few options.
sugar
I know sugar has a negative impact on me mentally and physically so trying to avoid. I will use agave and maple syrup on occasion.
oils
I do continue to use some oil - coconut or olive. I try to limit how much. Also, still have some salad dressings and other items I bought for convenience that I will continue to use up before switching to lighter options.
NUTS and RAW SEEDS, but not ground flax, are optional for obese or
overweight persons while they follow this weight loss plan. People who
have difficulty losing weight may also eliminate the starchy
vegetable/grain.
I am in the obese category but um, no. This ain't optional.
Fuhrman also advises against alcohol and coffee. I drink about 2 cups of coffee a day and do enjoy an adult beverage. These aren't going away either.
No comments:
Post a Comment