Yay me!! Cholesterol numbers have improved!!

[Pool Hall Ace]

No meds, just by eliminating animal products from my diet. Woohoo!! :D

Now, if only I could lose weight . . . :think:

[Ignis]

1. Heh, it can be tough on a carby veggie diet to shed pounds.

Now that you've got the hang of the basics, try increasing the portion of vegetable-based "filler" in your diet.

For example:
- Made a great veggie marinara sauce with tempeh crumbles? Try it over green beans instead of over pasta. (Advanced users can do the same over broccoli slaw.)
- Mince/Chop a stick or two of celery and add it early into a pan when you're frying up onions for a sauce/stew, just before you add the garlic.
- Salads, salads, salads! Try cabbage shred, spinach, mache, butter leaf, etc. as a base, and don't be afraid to make it chunky with chopped fruit, nuts, soy meats, or diced crudites on top. Try turning leftover stir-fry into a salad by throwing it on some cole-slaw shredded cabbage.
- Add fat at the last minute rather than early in a dish. You'll get more "mouth-feel" out of a dollop of vegan Aioli on top of a dish than an extra tablespoon of oil used in frying/sauteing. (Do the same thing with salt: Add late for more taste from less.)

But hang in there, you're off to a great start! :hi:

[Pool Hall Ace]

3. Thank you for the tips!!

I have lost a little weight, but not much.

I also need to allot more time for real exercise. I love my doggie, and I enjoy taking him for walks, but he's not as young as he once was (who is?), and since he is a dog, he does his share of sniffing (and I wouldn't dream of denying him that). :hi:

[Ignis]

5. My pleasure.

A sustained exercise program is really the silver bullet. Did you know you can buy a decently-built, compact exercise bike for ~$100?

I'm a workaholic cube-rat, so I don't get as much exercise as I should these days. If I didn't use some of those same tips, I wouldn't fit through the doors around here.

;)

[livetohike]

2. Way to go!

:toast:

[Pool Hall Ace]

4. Hee hee! I was over the moon when I found out.

It is a real effort changing eating habits. I cringe when I look back at the type of garbage that I used to consume daily (Underwood Deviled Ham, anyone?), but it is worth it!!

:fistbump:

[dana_b]

6. good for you!

excellent to hear. Your weight may go down too - slowly. The problem I had when I first became a vegetarian (or when I get lazy!) was/is eating too many carbs.