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.
Vickie
While I am not brand new to the vegan world, i appreciate any new recipe that is vegan. I need to lose weight to get healthy. I just made the bolgonase recipe, but added lentils in place of your choice of protein.....can't have gluten. Turned out great! I joined the 3 cups a day challenge. Hope it works for me!
Cruznv
I'm late to start, but I put my hubby on this a couple days ago.... He loves Potatoes & Bread... Wish me luck in converting him to Plant Based by the end of this Challenge... If it's going good I might not tell him when the Challenge is over... Just let him keep eating & losing weight.... ?
Diane Smith
Do you think it’s important that the 3 cups be all the same kind of food?
Chuck Underwood
No, Dr. Mcdougall says you can mix and match. His wife Mary has a "Mary's Mini" and she specifies in her more advanced weight loss version to stick to the same kind of starch, but for this - no.
Diane
Start small, that is what I get from your challenge. I love it! Great way to begin the WFPB process. Thanks again, Chuck.
narf7
I have never been able to lose weight and keep it off prior to now. I stopped "dieting" because after 45 years it WASN'T WORKING! I cut my portion sizes from HUGE to normal and stopped trying to live on green beans alone. I added potatoes back into my diet. I LOVE potatoes. They are my favourite food and I figured if I could eat them, I would be able to adhere to a more healthy way of eating and I was right. My diet features potatoes heavily and I have lost 27kg (60lb) since August last year with very little additional effort. I have finally beaten my overeating and it feels fantastic and it is all down to the humble carbiferous spud. Who'd a thunk?
Kim Brandt
Well put, Chuck. I appreciate this 3 cups a day challenge. WE can do anything for a few day starting out.
GC
This is a great idea! You might want to give credit for this idea where credit is due.
Chuck Underwood
I'm sorry...... and who would that be? I really have no idea what you mean other than the McDougall Newsletter I already mentioned.
MC
GC may be talking about Mary McDougall's Mini diet. It sounds just like that to me. How is it different?
I also noticed on your FAQ page, you used part of Caldwell Esselstyn's quote "but yet half a million people a year will have their chests opened up and a vein taken from their leg and sewn onto their coronary artery, just so they can to stay alive. Some people would call that extreme."
You might want to be a little more cautious and go the extra mile to cite your sources, just to be safe.