July 5, 2017
In my previous blog published March 31st, I indicated that I had gained weight on a plant based diet, 10 pounds in the last year since I switched to a plant based diet. To make matters more challenging, I am a post menopausal woman who has a slower metabolism.
Gaining Weight On A Plant Based Diet?
This spring I decided to do a biggest loser challenge at work and I followed a 3 part game plan:
- Drink lemon and turmeric in the morning and 32 oz of water at work.
- Don’t eat after 7:00pm and if I am still hungry after 7:00pm, then eat only vegetables.
- Do more exercise. Cardio three times per week and 10-15 minutes of strength training 4 or 5 times per week.
Well, it’s now June 15th, and you are wondering how I did?
Unfortunately, I am the same weight. What gives? Well, I have been drinking more water at work and I add turmeric to my smoothie. I have not kept up with the lemon in my water. Too much work in the morning.
I have tried not to eat at night, and this is definitely the most challenging. I usually have a fruit, veggie or a carb, sometimes more.
My exercise has not been consistent and I definitely have not done enough. I try to go for walks, about 60 to 90 minutes per week.
There are two major factors that have contributed to this lack of progress. STRESS!! And lack of EXERCISE! The last 3 months have been very stressful. I am retiring at the end of this month after teaching for 29 years. I sold my house in Timmins and after a 2 month search, my boyfriend and I bought a condo in Ottawa. During this house search, we changed our minds about what city to live in twice. We saw houses in Kingston, put in an offer. It was declined. Then we saw houses in North Bay, put in an offer, then decided not to go through with it.
Finally, 4 weeks ago, 6 weeks before I had to be out of my house, we went to Ottawa for a weekend and bought a condo. Now I am in a panic to get rid of all my furniture because it costs too much to move stuff from Timmins to Ottawa. In addition to this stress, our relationship has been tested. My daughter in law has leukemia and is fighting for her life in Toronto, so I am constantly worried about my son and his wife. At times, I have felt overwhelmed and I have lost a few nights of sleep. During this time, exercise has been put on the back burner. Normally, I run three times per week and do strength exercises.
I am sure these factors have hindered my progress in weight loss. Being the vegetarian that I am, I researched foods that help with stress. Whole, plant-based foods that contain high levels of magnesium, calcium, potassium and B vitamins, which help your nervous system. The food needs to be whole, not processed, because these foods contain raw vitamins and minerals, your body can use to fight off stress.
The following 5 five foods are considered the best stress fighters
- Spinach has calcium, magnesium, potassium, and B vitamins. These nutrients help to calm you down and boost your energy.
- Sweet Potatoes are nature’s, healthiest comfort food. They are high in magnesium and Vitamin B6 and have more potassium than a banana. Squash is also a good alternative.
- Bananas have magnesium, Vitamin B6, potassium plus the amino acid tryptophan which helps lower your stress and reduce anxiety.
- Chia is very high in magnesium, potassium, B vitamins, calcium, and iron and fiber. It also improves heart health. It is easy to add to smoothies.
- Cacao is rich in tryptophan which triggers serotonin and dopamine, both feel good hormones. Cacao is one of the richest sources of magnesium. Raw cacao has 7 times the antioxidants of cocoa powder.
Dr. Micheal Gregor reports that vegetarians on average are more happy and less depressed and moody than omnivores. Omnivores eat more arachidonic acid found in animal products, especially chicken and eggs. More arachidonic acid in the body contributes to more proinflammatory compounds in the body which affect mood and mental health because of the neuroinflammation.
So what do I do now? I usually eat a lot of spinach, chia, and bananas. I could eat more sweet potato and cacao. Right now I will ride the wave of stress until I move out of my house in a week. I will go for walks when I can. In the summer I plan on a running again, because I need to increase the intensity of my exercise. Since, I will be retired, I will have more time for it. Hopefully, the excess weight will come off.
Sources:
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/natural-health/ease-your-stress-levels-with-these-plant-based-foods-can-help
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/plant-based-diet-mood
