Not everyone is cut out to be a Vegan, I get it. It can be HARD leaving behind our favorite foods. So here’s a quick and easy solution for those who absolutely refuse to give them up, but still, want to lose a little weight.
Eat More Carbs!
That’s right, carbs. You know, comfort foods like beans, rice, corn, and even bread.
Here’s why:
In the December 2011 McDougall Newsletter, Dr. John McDougall mentioned a study that took place in 1979 by the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department of Michigan State University. ¹
Basically, they took 16 moderately overweight college guys, and had them add 12 slices of WHITE bread to their daily diet in addition to their normal everyday meals. (They also had a choice of high-fiber bread).
And what happened?
They lost weight!
The ones who ate the white bread lost on average 14 pounds over an 8 week period and the ones who ate the high-fiber bread lost 19 lbs.
YES, by eating bread. (I can hear the angels singing! I LOVE bread!)
You see the bread filled their stomachs with bulk and fiber, allowing them to feel fuller longer. So they no longer had the desire to eat as much of their usual high-calorie foods.
“By adding the bread, the college students were able to spontaneously reduce their average daily intake by 850 calories (3,200 to 2,350) for white bread and 1,325 calories (3,200 to 1,975) for high-fiber bread.”
In other words, the more you fill up on the good stuff, the less room you’ll have for the bad stuff.
Here’s a link to the complete study if you’re interested.
3 Cups a Day Challenge
So my challenge to you – if you’re having trouble giving up your favorite foods……..is don’t.
Just ADD some high fiber starchy foods to your daily diet and see what happens after a month.
Pick any one of the ideas listed below to add to your daily diet.
- 3 cups of steamed rice (white or brown)
- 3 cups of corn
- 3 cups of beans, peas, or lentils
- 3 cups of spaghetti
- 3 potatoes, mashed, baked, or air fried
- 3 sweet potatoes, mashed, or baked
Or, if you want to try bread, like in the study, add 6 to 12 slices of fresh bread (make sure the ingredients have no added fat, milk, or eggs)
You can mix and match any of these to make up the 3 cups.
The idea is to displace the meats, dairy products, and oils (calories, fat, cholesterol, and chemicals) and increase your starches (fiber, vitamins, minerals, and carbohydrates).
Think you can do it? You ready to try?
LET’S DO IT! ²
Leave your comments and updates below – and let’s show the world that carbs are NOT the enemy everyone believes them to be!
1) Mickelsen O, Makdani DD, Cotton RH, Titcomb ST, Colmey JC, Gatty R. Effects of a high fiber bread diet on weight loss in college-age males. Am J Clin Nutr. 1979 Aug;32(8):1703-9.
2) If you have Type 2 diabetes, please check in with your doctor before changing your diet. You’ll definitely want a medical professional to monitor your progress.
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