Plant Based Weight Loss - 10 Tips for Getting Started

As long as I can remember I've always had very unhealthy eating habits.  Since childhood I have fed and nurtured my unhealthy relationship with food to the extent it has become intricately woven into every facet of my life.  

Sure, I always said I wanted to be fit and healthy, but the sad part about it is that I did not know how to give up my killer eating habits. Nor did I deep down even believe it was possible for me to change my eating habits.  It wasn't until about four months ago, when the curtain of denial was divinely drawn back, that I was able to make the decision to fully embrace a plant based lifestyle. 

If you are in the same boat and have struggled with poor health and weight issues, below are the top 10 things that propelled me into a happier and healthier way of life. 

1. Surrender – many times I had to pray for the willingness, to be willing to let go! For me, divine intervention was the key. 
2. Education - thoroughly research the plant based lifestyle before you start.  The movie “Forks over Knives” is a great movie to watch - http://www.forksoverknives.com/. It provides a great source of education and motivation.  Once you have done the research, choose the plant based lifestyle that will work best for you.   Select a plant based program that you will be able to fully embrace.   In my life, if I want to make a lasting and forever change, I have to believe in what I am doing.
3. Develop a network of plant based friends to support you through the process.  I have been richly blessed with a tribe of plant based friends who are supporting me and cheering me on in my quest to get healthy and lose weight.   Their support has been invaluable!  If you need help in finding a plant based support system social media offers a lot of vegan/plant based support options - such as Pass the Plants, Please.
4. Clean out your kitchen cabinets, fridge and freezer and give away or toss all unhealthy and non-plant based foods.  I did this the night before I started my new lifestyle and I actually cried - which shocked and embarrassed me!   Sniffling I called a friend of mine and together we walked through the emotional process of saying goodbye to the junk food.
5. Purchase a few tried and true plant based cookbooks.   Some good friends of mine gave me a Lindsey Nixon Happy Herbivore Cookbook.  Her recipes are simple to follow and for the most part she uses easy to obtain ingredients.  If you enjoy creating your own dishes, the following website has a great list of essential vegan pantry items - thekitchn.com.
6. Make out a list of what recipes or foods you want to eat for the first week.  This will provide you with the much needed shopping list for your first vegan excursion to the supermarket!
7. Restock your kitchen with healthy plant based foods.  Now comes the fun part, the restocking of your pantry with healthy food items.  If you have a vegan friend, who is available to shop with you, ask them to join you…their insight will be most helpful. Fruits, vegetables and dried beans will be readily available at your local supermarket, however, miso, nutritional yeast and some vegan staples may not be so easy to find at your local markets – especially if you live in a rural area.  So for the harder to find staples, consider making a trip to Whole Foods for your first shopping trip.  I always find their employees to be super helpful.
8. Read a plant based lifestyle article, post or blog or watch a vegan recipe clip everyday.  For me, doing so keeps my desire to get and stay healthy fully stoked and burning strong!
9. Don’t hyper focus on the bathroom scale numbers.   I need to lose a massive amount of weight and it can be overwhelming.   Since December 8, 2015 I have lost 54 pounds, however, I still have a long way to go.  During this journey what keeps me motivated to stay the course is not the weight loss, it is the health improvements. Nothing feels better than starting to regain one's lost health.
10. Be patient and kind with yourself - we did not get unhealthy or obese overnight.  One of the greatest lessons I have had to learn during these last four months on this new lifestyle is to be patient. It is the tortoise that wins the race. 

Wishing you prosperity in your journey!

Love,

Sharon