I've been reading How not to Diet, and to lose 200 lbs, I've decided to try a more plant based diet. It's been 55 days with no meat, eggs, and very little dairy. It's been a huge change for me. Being that I'm morbidly obese, I've allowed myself to eat anything I've wanted for years, so this is very difficult for me. I've lost over 30 lbs so far and cemented quite a few habits, such as regular exercise and no coke, the crack of my choice. But trying to find meals for me and my family that taste good, don't take hours to prepare, and don't have meat, eggs, or dairy in them, is difficult. I'm learning there's a whole new world of whole foods I've never known about and have even started a youtube channel, The Fat Vegan (the girl who loves steak), and I couldn't have done it without this cookbook. While I haven't tried every single recipe, I've tried quite a few and have even made my own hummus. Every single recipe I tried was delicious. Totally and completely different from anything I've ever tried before, and it's been quite a learning curve learning about new ingredients such as "nutritional yeast" and "tahini". For someone who is used to eating out several times a week, this book was a life saver. The only bad thing I can say about it, is if you're not ready to make a commitment to eating this way, the recipe's will be difficult to make, as you'll be needing things not already in your kitchen. If you're already a plant eater, or a whole foods guru, then none of these ingredients will be new to you, and you're in for a yummy treat. Highly recommended.
Update as of 7/5 - I'm down over 100 lbs now and feel totally different. And it's not just because of the weight, it's because of the food. All my numbers (LDLs, blood sugar, etc.) are now completely fine and some almost too low. I'm about 95% plant based/vegan and splurge once in a while. Mostly on cheese and coke which are big weaknesses for me. Other than that, my life has changed a lot. I went down 3 sizes in clothes and don't like to wear anything. I don't feel comfortable in anything and everything fits weird. Skin is starting to hang, and that will only get worse. I look in the mirror and know I've changed but still see the fat me. If I don't look in the mirror, I feel amazing and have so much more energy. I walk 1-3 miles and bike 4-8 miles at a time whereas last year I couldn't walk 100 ft without being out of breath. Someone hacked my youtube channel and I just decided to end it because it was taking too much time and I already spend enough time in front of the computer. Life isn't perfect, I'm still getting used to this new body. And there are times when I go weeks without any changes and I feel like I'm failing. It's an ongoing struggle, but I'm pretty sure this is a permanent life change for me.