So you want to become a Nutritarian? You’ve read one of Dr. Fuhrman’s books and you know what the 6 week Aggressive Weight Loss plan entails. Get ready for week #1!
This first week was all about survival and acceptance. I’m happy to report that when I weighed myself this morning I had lost 7 pounds! 7 pounds in 7 days is amazing and made it all worth it, here’s how I did it:
Day 1: WITHDRAW. Like, Seriously.
This is harder than I thought. My withdrawal symptoms are intense. I have a headache that I can’t shake and psychologically I have this feeling of fear, dread and being very uncomfortable.
This is what happened today:
Breakfast was okay, I had an apple and a banana and took my vitamins. I made a large pot of what I call Mexican beans: black, pinto, and kidney beans with onion, garlic, green bell peppers, corn, tomatoes and green chilies. Now, when I usually make this dish I use olive oil and salt while I cook and then douse my serving with Chipotle flavored Tabasco sauce–and it is kick ass! This time I “water sauteed” the veggies and did not add any salt or hot sauce. The result was NOT kick-ass.
Lunch was, by far, the most difficult meal for me: My husband and mother-in-law were having turkey sandwiches with chips and I was settling down to a large spinach salad with grape tomatoes, chopped crimini mushrooms, red onions, blueberries, pepita seeds and a no-oil sesame dressing I picked up at Whole Foods.
As I shoveled the salad in my mouth, I couldn’t pretend to care about the conversation at the table. I was fiending–I wanted to use. I thought back to all the episodes I’ve seen of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew and then I understood what Dr. Fuhrman was saying about most Americans being food addicts. I surely was reacting to this change like an addict! Everything in my mind and body was telling me to quit the diet–stop right now! I was seriously panicked.
As I silently fought off this feeling at lunch, I felt so anxious and annoyed by everyone and everything. Later, my husband described me as being “quiet and in my own world.” I was fighting myself, talking back to that voice in my head saying: “Give up; put it off to start some other day; lets eat pizza for dinner, we earned it for being so good so far–no one would have to know!”
Thank God I had told my husband and mother-in-law about what I wanted to accomplish in the next 6 weeks. It was that self-induced peer pressure that kept me from tossing my salad and beans in the trash and heading for my favorite drug: chips.
I stuck to the plan! I made it through lunch–eating the whole salad and a big bowl of beans. The food sucked. I ate two clementine oranges for “dessert” and this fruit settled me down tremendously.
I told my husband and mother-in-law about all the crazy thoughts that had come up in my mind during lunch. And talking about how I was feeling helped a lot!
First bit of advice: TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES WHAT YOU’RE DOING, IT WILL KEEP YOU HONEST.
DAY 2: Motivated & Garlic Breath
After the hell of the first day, I woke up without the throbbing headache! Don’t get too excited, it was back again before I noshed on my breakfast of banana slices and raw almond butter (1 tbsp.). Honestly, it was a small price to pay for losing 2 pounds over night!
BAM! I am back in the game!
Seeing the scale finally budge gave me the motivation I need to make it through day 2.
Warning: You will now become annoyed by your own garlic breath! Using fresh garlic in your cooking, like Dr. Fuhrman recommends, really takes a toll on your freshness. If you feel like you and your husband barely have a chance to smooch as it is, this will seal the no-lip-locking deal!
Another heads up: You will get really annoyed with TV ads. Well, the fact that more than 50% of the commercials on TV are food related, you can see why. At least a heroine addict doesn’t get his senses assaulted when he chooses to escape into some bad reality TV, or the latest episode of Revenge. Well, us food addicts can’t catch a break in that department so be ready to look the other way.
DAY 3: I Made Something That Tastes Good!!!
Big news! No headaches today–none at all!
The scale keeps moving, more than I could have ever hoped and now I’m feeling invested. I CAN do this! I AM doing this!
Breakfast was a banana with 1 tbsp. of raw almond butter and an apple for good measure.
But my highlight was lunch. I was blessed with baby Kamryn taking an extra-long nap and a spontaneous bout of culinary creativity. I made a “Stir Fry” with frozen broccoli, peas and tofu, sauteed in vegetable broth with minced garlic. Even without using salt or oil it tasted good!
At the end of the “broth sauteing,” I added a cup of quinoa (remember you can only have 1 cup of whole grains per day). I breezed through my salad to get to this delicious stir fry and I actually felt like: I could live this way!
Dinner was not so great because I had to finish my leftovers of Mexican beans from Day 1. Luckily my hubby helped my finish them off (he had the aid of hot sauce) so now I can make more creative and yummy dishes like I did for lunch. Fruit Freezer again for dessert. I’m a survivor! Queue Beyonce!
DAY 4: TMI Alert & The Power of Fruit
So, I poo a lot now. I always was very regular but now I’m just proficient. In the morning and at least once after every meal. Needless to say my husband is not thrilled about my new bathroom habits. Unfortunately, my #2s are quite filled with veggie matter and one flush is not always enough–this was politely brought to my attention by my toddler asking: “Daddy, what did Mommy leave in the potty?” Followed by chuckling. Some more advice: Be ready to do more “business” and if you’re the kinda gal who doesn’t like to fart, this may not be the right diet for you!
I also have to report that this way of eating keeps you feeling very even. You’re never full, and when you’re hungry it’s not your-stomach-is-growling-like-a-small-bulldog-puppy kind of hunger. It’s controlled. I imagine our forefathers feeling this sensation and knowing that they either find food for the next meal or go without–their body was equally prepared for either outcome–and so was their mind.
And some of us can’t give up dairy? Makes you think…
The highlight of my days are my “fruit freezers” as I call them.
I am was a legend at Yogurtland, so as you can imagine I have a hearty sweet tooth.
I blend frozen mangoes, strawberries, bananas and pineapples with fresh blueberries and 3/4 cup almond milk in my Ninja. (You can get big bags of frozen organic fruit at Costco and it’s a great value.) I finish off with a tbsp. of ground flax seeds.
Then, everything makes sense. The lifeless grazing of my ridiculously large salad, my disappointment at the lack of flavor salt in my cooking, and the realization that: “Oh Laurdy I’s Gots A Long Ways to Go!” I let go of all the day’s mental struggle and just surrendered to my fruit freezer.
DAY 5: Rebellion
Down to a number on my scale that I haven’t seen in almost a year, I started the day feeling pretty good. Losing 5 pounds in 5 days is nothing to complain about! I had an early breakfast of 1/2 cup oatmeal with 3/4 cup almond milk and 1 tbsp. ground flax seeds. Everything was fine.
Later in the day I made everyone else their lunch before I decided to whip mine up. I was beyond the point of hunger.
All of a sudden, I was just really mad. Mad that I had to exert so much effort trying to think of some way to make this kind of eating taste better. Sick of all the flavors I had tasted so far. It was bad. But I realize that I shouldn’t have waited till 3 o’clock to eat my lunch. I was more of a crab than my three-and-a-half-year old coming off a lollipop high and two hours past nap time. Yup, not a good look. My husband was not amused by my un-amused demeanor.
So, I decided to do something I thought I would never do while on this diet: use only vinegar on my ginormous bowl of salad (a.k.a. my main dish). I was so sick of the Whole Foods Sesame Ginger No-Oil dressing that I had been using for the past 4 days that I almost threw up in my mouth at the thought of having to use it again. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I bit the bullet and lightly sprinkled some of the Rice vinegar I had picked up at Trader Joe’s.
More advice alert: VINEGAR WILL TRICK YOUR TASTE BUDS INTO THINKING YOU’RE EATING SOMETHING SALTY! Everyone else in the world may have already known this (duh? Salt and Vinegar potato chips, right?), but when I read that Dr. Fuhrman eats his daily salads with just different vinegars I thought: Yeah right! Well, it works! It makes it taste better and therefore easier to eat. After lunch I felt much better.
Dinner was more salad (this time drenched in vinegar) with garbanzo beans, chopped raisins, tomatoes, apple slices and sunflower seeds. Then I made an “Italian” inspired cooked veggie dish of eggplant, Cremini mushrooms, onions, garlic, shallots and basil with no-added-salt tomato chunks. I flavored it with a salt-free seasoning blend I picked up from Whole Foods. It was like a non-salted Italian stew without any cheese, sausage (or anything sexy). It sufficed. I ate it knowing that I would get my fruit freezer reward!
DAY 6: Saving $$$
So, I’ve already gone to the grocery store twice this week. I didn’t realize how much salad I would be consuming! Buying fresh means buying more often.
My husband is always skeptical about how much diets cost (we had an incident on the South Beach Diet back in 2005). I have to remind him that even though we’ll be going to the grocery store more we will be saving in the end. I’ve had to remind him of all the dinners out, all the Chipotle lunches (I’ve eaten there so frequently that if a Chipotle recently opened in your area, you’re welcome!) and all the Yougurtland desserts we’d enjoy every month too.
Word of advice: Yes, you will be going to the grocery store more frequently. So you have to plan your menu and have a strategy. This is not my strong suit, but I had to break down and come up with a meal plan so I wouldn’t have to “think” about what I was having for a given meal. And also so I wouldn’t be running to Trader Joe’s everyday because I forgot something! Plan ahead to make it easier to stick to the plan. Dr. Fuhrman advises doing your cooking on the weekend, making a big pot of soup or stew and having leftovers during the week.
DAY 7: Eat to Live Tailgating
Let’s face it, Super Bowl is just one big excuse to do two of America’s favorite past times: drink & eat. I saved my best recipe for this day specifically so I wouldn’t feel deprived. This Thai Curry dish was so fulfilling that I combined both my dinner and lunch meals. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, it will finish off your week the right way! You can get the recipe here!
OFFICIAL WEIGHT LOST FOR MY FIRST WEEK: 7 pounds!
And stay tuned, I will be updating my Eat to Live journal every Monday until I have finished the 6 week plan!
Check out what I ate and how much I lost for Week #2!
Check out what I ate and how much I lost for Week #3!
Check out what I ate and how much I lost for Week #4!
I’m confident you will succeed. Keep calm and carry on!
Thanks Mom! Thanks for showing me the way 🙂
Good to be back!
Proceed at your own risk, it is definitely a commitment! If you need a support group, I’m here!
I am so glad I found your site. I am on day 3 and was laughing so hard that I was crying. I am lucky to have my 2 daughters and husband also doing this with me.
I am so glad I found your site. I am on day 3 and was laughing so hard that I was crying. I am lucky to have my 2 daughters and husband also doing this with me. Thank you for giving me encouragement.
Hi! So happy you found us too! Congrats on becoming nutritarian–it it the best thing for my body I have ever done! I am working on my sequel posts to the 6 week plan and there will be more nutritarian-friendly recipes in the coming weeks. Please stop back bye and let us know how you are doing and feeling. After seeing your comment I re-red this first post: I was brutally honest–I’m sure I made Dr. Furhman himself blush 🙂
That could have been me writing the emotional side of withdrawal. I tried the Eat to Live diet once for 2 months and lost close to 25 pounds. It was the ONLY time Ive lost more than 8-10 pounds on a diet(I’m a slow loser and I usually give up). The first 3 days I was just angry. Angry that I had to diet. Angry I had to plan so much. Angry that I couldn’t just grab and go. Angry of what other people were eating. Angry at all the fast food places around. Funny though, if I would eat that hamburger and then see the pictures of the food here I would have wished I had eaten something pictured above instead. A big colorful salad is so delicious when you feel like you don’t HAVE to eat it! I’m getting ready to give it a go again. Your meal ideas are really helping. Anyone starting out the first time it’s easier to think of the first week as the weightloss week and the other weeks as the getting healthier weeks.
Ronda, I’m so glad you commented on this! You have no idea how much motivation you have just given me to get back on track!! I started ETL almost a year ago now (Jan. 28th to be exact!). I lost just over 21 pounds doing the 6 week plan to a “t”! I had lots of motivation because I was sooo far from my pre-baby weight I knew I needed a major intervention! So after the 6 weeks went off the plan for a little while. Then I went back on for a few more weeks and lost some more weight! Went off again and on again. Just before Thanksgiving I was within 1 pound of my pre-baby weight and I felt confident I could reach my ideal weight by continuing with the 6 week plan! Then it was all down hill 🙁 From Thanksgiving till today, I have gained 11 pounds and I feel miserable! I tried to start up yesterday and did well until the afternoon when my kids were driving me crazy and I just dove into a bag of tortilla chips. Then my husband had a bad day and wanted to take us out to Cheesecake Factory. Needless to say I am not proud of my decisions, but hearing your experience and knowing you’re about to give this another go because it works, makes me feel fired up!! So thank you so much for taking the time to let us know your experience, you have inspired me and I thank you!! Please let us know how you are doing and I will be updating soon!!
“My husband and mother-in-law were having turkey sandwiches with chips and I was settling down to a large spinach salad with grape tomatoes,…” –I think this says it all. How are you doing with your Nutritarian lifestyle? Still at it? It’s almost impossible to do these radical diets because so few people in the world do. And for good reason. You would need to divorce your husband and marry a vegan. Get new friends. Embrace that whole lifestyle of semi/quasi/mostly/no all-vegan. Because you’re constantly thinking about food. I think there’s a way to incorporate more veg., including salad without going as extreme as Eat to Live. I too lost the most weight I ever have on this diet. But think about it, you’re giving up everything, i.e. dairy, animal protein (including what’s leached from bones and marrow for soup! ), fat, most starchy carbs (or cut back significantly). So what else is left? The nutrition from vegetables is not sustainable for a lifetime. I learned a lot from Dr. Fuhrman. I eat much less animal protein. It’s just a condiment now but it’s every day. I’ve actually increase fat a little bit. I don’t eat nearly as much starchy carbs and I eat a lot of veg. Good luck to all on your weight loss quest.
Hi Rayca! I’m so glad you found the blog and shared your experience with Dr. Fuhrman’s plan! Yes, health excellence is a hard daily choice to make especially while most of the people around us don’t see food that way–as a direct link and path to exceptional health. That was really the turning point for me. Nutritarian food helps our bodies function at their best potential and ward off deadly diseases. Of course I miss dairy, meat, processed food and oils and I do have them sometimes. I strive to eat 90/10–90% majority on the 6 week plan. I’m happy to report that my hubby has himself turned into an Eat to Liver and is doing great on the plan! Whatever you take away from the experience is only beneficial to your long term health! And in Dr. Fuhrman’s newer book “The End of Dieting” he gives new recommendations about using meat as a condiment in your cooking! Everything else aside, I agree, eating more raw veggies alone can dramatically improve your health–I always say if there’s one take away from this program, that would be it! Xo, Kristen
Are you able to control your weight and health?
Kristen – I am thrilled I came upon your blog. It really helps to know that others share the same struggles. Just seeing your feelings written into words give me hope. I turn to food for everything. Since I am 100 % Italian it goes without saying that food is so important. I was told I am addicted to food.
I look forward to all the information I can find to help me get thru this. Thank You-Lori
Hi Lori! Oh, I’m so glad that the weekly journal has been helping you on your health journey!
Look, we are ALL addicted to food! Dr. Fuhrman had a food addiction quiz and I am a certified food addict too! It’s good to know what you are up against and it will help your recovery!
I am so happy to be able to help you along! I do very frequent Eat to Live posts, so stay tuned! And don’t hesitate to reach out to me via the contact form–I am here for you!
xo, Kristen
Did you workout while on the 6 week plan?
Hi! No, I did not workout while on the plan my first time! And I don’t recommend it either. Focus on your eating and the weight will come off!
xo, Kristen
I just found this blog and I’m inspired. My brother lost a lot of weight sticking to this diet and he does cheat now on the weekends (reintroduced meat only once a week into his diet). I love your honesty and wit because we’ll all feel what you’re feeling. I hope I have the courage to do this! This helps tremendously. Thank you.
Hi Naz!! Yay for your brother!! And a big YAY for you!!! I’m so excited you are going to start your health journey with Eat to Live!! It has forever changed my life for the better and I know it will for you too!
I am here for you! If you need anything (or just someone to talk to) you can email me through the “contact” page!
xo, Kristen
My dearest Kristen I am excited to start but I feel that being gluten intolerance and lactose might be a lot . No excuses I always can work around except Dr. Fuhrman wants to make a point to eat mushroom, I happen to have an allergy reaction to them. Can you help me to get a better understanding, I need to feel healthy and also loose some of the weight I gained with my Shoulder Rotator Surgery.
Hi Martha!
If you have a mushroom allergy then leave them out–not a problem!
The main premise of this plan is to eat more vegetables! Have a large salad before lunch and dinner, cut out dairy and processed carbs. Do as much as you can and give your body time to heal!
I highly recommend that you read The Eat to Live Food Prep Guide as that will help you learn batch cooking!
Wishing you every success! xo, Kristen
I recently started Eat to Live and have been really struggling with the “big salad” concept. The first day I put a super small amount of normal dressing and could barely finish the thing. It was so bad I almost felt nauseous to keep eating it. So that’s when I went online to look for advice, and came across this blog post & read about the vinegar. Thank you sooooo much for sharing that tip – it makes the salad a million times better to eat. Currently chowing down a huge salad loaded with balsamic & dijon — and actually enjoying it. Thanks!!!
Hi Kristen (lovely name BTW),
Yay!! I’m so, so happy you decided to embark on your nutritarian journey and that you found the blog!
As your taste buds change you can start making some great no-oil dressings and there are plenty on the blog just search for “dressings”!
Wishing you the best success on your 6 weeks!
xo, Kristen
Hi Kristen,
I am on day 3 of Eat to Live, and I am pretty proud of myself! I resisted pizza at a party today, and although I have had snacks a couple of times, I have completely stopped eating all of the foods that are forbidden from the diet. I also have a killer headache like you did, and I’m hoping it will go away soon.
This post is really helpful, it is nice to know that beginning this diet is not a breeze…I did not think I had it in me but there is no going back now. 🙂
Hi Cassie!
YAY!! So happy for you completing your third day!
Oh boy, those withdrawal headaches are just awful, I know!
You’ve got this–you are going to feel freakin’ amazing after your 6 weeks!
xo, Kristen
Hi Kristen,
Thanks! I am still going at it on day 5 now. 🙂 Headaches are gone and I feel great in general already. I am also starting to inspire my friends and family to eat better, since they are seeing me eat salad all the time.
Did you feel like you were hungry all the time during your first week? It is probably because my diet has changed so rapidly, but I feel perpetually hungry and not always satisfied by my salads. I do need to get more creative with my meals as well though. I cooked the bean enchiladas recipe from the Eat to Live book last night and they were amazing.
I really appreciate your whole food prep post, I have had no time to do it lately but I’m hoping to have a day dedicated to prepping food this weekend!
Cassie:
Yay!! Already at day 5–woop, woop!! So glad headaches are gone!
Yes, I felt hungry a lot in the beginning but I didn’t really have the right proportions of everything going on yet. I definitely recommend beans in every salad and either raw sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds–it will give you that extra fiber!
Just finished my own weekly food prep yesterday–it makes a huge difference for me!
xo, Kristen
THANK YOU!! I’ve been struggling to get back on the Nutritarian Band Wagon for some time now, your real life experiences, delicious looking meals and reminder that this program DOES work when you put your effort into it is what I need to re-focus. Great blog!!!
Hi Alyssa!
So happy you found the blog and some new inspiration for jumping back into your Nutritarian lifestyle!
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and for your kind words!
xo, Kristen
HELP! I’m getting ready to start my First week with the 7 Day cleans. I have No problem with the 7Day Cleanse menu. My problem is with what to drink during the day. I take a lot of different medications and I get cooton mouth consistently throughout the day so I constantly have to have a beverage within reach all day. A lot of “beverages” give me heartburn, especially plain water. I have found a Lipton Berry tea that I can drink, it does have caffeine iin it. I am currently reading the Eat to Live book by Dr. Fuhrman, and I understand the nutritarian way of eating, I just need help on daily beverage iideas. Good News, I have given up my Strawberry Crush soda, completely.
Please Help, any suggestions welcomed.
Hi Michelle!
Welcome to MMTM! Are you talking about The 7 Day Salad cleanse?
That is awesome that you’ve given up soda!! Huge first step!! I think you should try your hardest to get to a place where you can drink water comfortably. Just know that heartburn can be caused by lots of different factors that you may want to rule out first. I would go for a soothing tea like chamomile and drink that through the day–try your best not to use a sweetner!
But focus on making one or two changes every two weeks and just get consistent with them!
Wishing you all the best!
xo, Kristen
Discovered your blog yesterday. I’m seriously considering this lifestyle change, but my sugar-addicted self is struggling to make the commitment. Your honesty, advice and recipes are super helpful!
So nice to meet you, Carla!
Sugar addiction is real but if you follow this lifestyle you can kick the habit!!
So happy you’re finding the site helpful and I’m wishing you the absolute best!
xo, Kristen
I am so thrilled to have found your website and FB page, it is so well done, so motivating that I started right away, today Friday Feb 10, 2017!!!! I think I have to get used to all these preparation etc….and with the help of your blog I will make it!!!! Thank you so much!
Yay!! So happy you found the site Nathalie!!
And huge congratulations on starting your new lifestyle!!
xo, Kristen
Kristen,
I have read most of Furhman’s books and have gone through one with my mom and sister. I am part of an eat to live support group on Facebook and found your webpage through one of the comments recommending it. I have tried doing Furhman so many different times and always end up failing having to do that many salads in a day is very hard and I just give up. I have been extremely inspired by your webpage as well as your 6 week detail blog when you did this. I was curious did you put your own 6 weeks together or get that out of one of his books? Also if you did not do you mind if people use your 6 weeks meals that you shared to help me. I have decided to really give it a shot for losing of weight and some health issues so I can become healthier for myself. Is it okay If I just start off with 1 salad a day though for a couple of weeks? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!
So nice to meet you Tabitha!
I love the Eat to Live Support Group and I’m so happy you found the site!!
Yes, I put my own 6 weeks together in my 6-week journal! Absolutely you can use this as a resource to help you–that’s exactly why I have it here!! I also have daily menu plans you can see them here!
Yes, you can most certainly start off with one salad a day, just make sure it’s very big (because you want to flood your body with those nutrients)!
I also highly recommend doing weekly prep, at a minimum a large pot of soup weekly–you can read up on it here!
You’ve got this Tabitha!!
xo, Kristen
Kristen,
Thank you so much for the resources. I will definitely take a look and see how can I apply some of it to my next 6 weeks. I had one more questions as I start my 6 weeks. I am also part of Fit Body Boot Camp and wondering if I need to increase anything during this next 6 weeks? I know they always push so hard on getting that extra protein and I also know where Fuhrman stands on it I just want to make sure I’m getting anything extra I may need for these work outs.
I really appreciate all the information and am really looking forward to getting healthier.
Thank you,
Tabitha
Hi again Tabitha!
Protein won’t be an issue but I have heard that people increase their whole grain intake. You might want to start by adding another 1/2 cup to the 1 cup of whole grains quota.
I really advocate for doing the first 6 weeks without strenuous exercise so you can really concentrate on creating healthful eating habits without that nagging question: Am I eating enough to sustain my workouts?
But I would start there and then see if you are still losing weight. It also matters how much weight you have to lose to get to your ideal weight.
I’ll be rooting you on! xo, Kristen
Hi Kristen, I am what you call probably a diet freak. I have read many diet books and exercise programs. I stuck with Dr. Fuhrman’s books and have tried to the very best of my abilities to follow along (on and off for 2 years) I have come to a middle age road (I am 52), going through menopause. I have always been active, running, walking exercising in the gym and out, I also have raised and homeschooled 5 children. BUT, I am tired. In the past year I stopped running because I was obsessed and feeling my age, hot flashes have taken over and well I have put on some weight(5-10 pounds) Not a lot but it is really bothering me. Am I destined to have to run the rest of my life to stay in shape?…I don’t know if I can keep it up and I don’t know why I should have to at my age…anyway, I am not overweight by any means but psychologically it is bothering me. I have worked so hard to stay in shape for so long and why?? If I gain that much each year…well, I will be a failure…in my mind) I have tried your cleanse and not lost weight, I have done other exercise programs and not lost…am I just destined to gain now that I have reached that age in life. I love the Nutritarian way of eating. I feel good when I’m on it and it has become a way of life for me even though my friends and family think I’m crazy. I always struggled with bad bloating and gas when on the SAD diet. I will always eat this way, but do I have to eat less to get the results of losing the last 5-10 pounds? I feel like my metabolism has slowed down and even though I am eating small portions I am not losing…Have I ruined my body? what is my problem? Or do I have to get psychological help?? By the way your newest version of the 7 Day Cleanse is beautiful.
So nice to meet you Patti!
Well, I can speak from personal experience that my body and metabolism have changed and what used to work for me doesn’t anymore. And I think that’s the trick, sometimes you have to throw out the old rule book so to speak.
You body is going through a major change–my mother is on the other side of it now and doing so much better. You need to try to be patient with yourself. Stop running if you feel tired and try a new activity. I would recommend weight training, as we lose muscle mass over time and muscle mass helps you burn calories.
I would also recommend focusing on getting your GBOMBS in daily, and even doubling your portion of green veggies, read up on how powerfully onions and mushrooms block and kill off fat cells here.
Finally, I would focus on your lymphatic system. I read The Well Path: Lose 20 Pounds, Reverse the Aging Process, Change Your Life
“>The Well Path earlier this year and it has really helped my understand the full picture on bodily health. She recommends dry brushing your skin to help with lymph and circulation. I also now drink a mug of hot lemon water first thing each morning.
In the Well Path she also talks about how exercise that is too taxing for the body can actually stress the body and she advocates for staying active, by standing and walking throughout the day. I am a big fan of walking–it is literally the perfect exercise. I would recommend you try consistent walking with weights every other day and concentrating on eating more greens, mushrooms and onions.
Give your body time to adjust, and try not to stress about the number on the scale (I know this is hard), maybe make a deal with yourself to focus on creating and maintaining new habits for two weeks before checking your weight.
Embrace new strategies for your health, experiment and explore! Meditation, yoga, all of these things can be beneficial. The message is what you’ve always done might not work anymore one day–don’t fight it, try not to get frustrated and find what will work for you now!
You’ve got this!!
Come on back and keep me updated!
xo, Kristen
Thank you for all the effort you have put into this site as it does such a great job of simplifying the reality of adopting and adapting to a nutritarian lifestyle. I look forward to using it daily during my journey! After seeing how you prepped, I spent a short while today chopping and roasting veggies and it is a game changer. I cannot believe I never thought to do that before. Again-thank you!
Yay Sandy!!
So, so happy to hear that you are doing some weekly preps–it is a complete game-changer that will keep you on track and make this lifestyle doable for the long run!!
xo, Kristen
One more question for you-How to do manage this type eating when on a family vacation eating only from restaurants as well as when you are at large family gatherings you do not host? Thanks! Sandy
Thank you so much for responding. I am truly impressed. I don’t usually ask online questions because I don’t think I will get a response to my silly questions. Am loving your new version of the 7 day salad cleanse and will definitely read the book you suggested. Yeah, I am usually looking at that dratted scale too much and it really effects my moods. Getting older is not always easy…
Hi Kristin,
Your blog is really giving me the inspiration to keep at this plan. I’ve been a vegetarian for a while, but as a cancer survivor, it’s time to make sure it doesn’t come back! However, I’m following the plan to a T, never cheating, and often not getting my 1 cup of carbs (tons of beans tho), and I still haven’t lost a single bit. I’m on day 5 and exactly the same weight as day 0. I’m feeling so demotivated and I don’t know what to do!! Do you have any experience in your subsequent 6 week diets where this happened?
SO lovely to meet you Ali!
Thank you for taking the time to reach out and I’m so happy you found Dr. Fuhrman’s lifestyle!
YES! Weight-loss stall outs happen! After my first 6 weeks I treated this more as a “diet” when I wanted to lose weight and I would go on and off. It wasn’t until the end of last year that I truly developed this into my lifestyle by cultivating my prepping habit.
In all my 6 week jaunts there would be 1 to 2 weeks where the scale wouldn’t budge. These are challenging times that are ripe with that wanting-to-call-it-quits feeling! Keep at it! I’ve found that the first 6 weeks work like an antibiotic prescription–you need to keep taking those 3 daily doses and get them in one after the other to gain the momentum to lose weight.
I lost a lot of weight the first time because I was at my heaviest and I had a lot of weight to lose. If you are within 20 pounds of your ideal weight, the pounds are much slower to come off! But it will happen, it’s only a matter of when.
Furthermore, your body naturally defends its weight so it takes time to shift that set point.
You are doing amazing things inside your body and I promise you the weight results will come!
xo, Kristen
Oh, I enjoy your humor! I haven’t been laughing too much lately & I almost cried bursting out laughing unexpectedly at various points. One reason is- it’s all so true. You didn’t sugar coat what you/ we experience as we try to change our food life for the better. Reading your experiences should help me thru this thing.
Thank you.
Contrary to many others I don’t want to lose weight. I hate writing this because people don’t take me seriously.
But I lose the weight fast it’s keeping it on without looking like a skeleton or anorexic that I am concerned about.
I’m just shy of 5ft and always weighed less than 100 pounds. Now getting into my 50s I’ve been able to stay above
100 pounds but I’m still skinny yet not healthy. My question then is how can I adjust this way of eating without
losing the weight. Thanks.
So awesome to meet you Damaris!
Yes, Dr. Fuhrman actually discussed this topic at his Culinary Getaway in May. He said a nutritarian diet will automatically help your body gravitate to it’s favored weight. He did say that those people don’t have to restrict their raw nut and seed intake like those of us trying to lose weight.
So, I would recommend that you get in 4 ounces of raw seeds and 4 ounces of raw nuts daily. Other than that follow the nutritarian guidelines here! To improve your health focus on GBOMBS, make sure to avoid processed foods, lower your sodium to no more than 400 mg added daily, and don’t cook with oil!
Reach out, I’m here if you need anything during your journey!!
xo, Kristen
Hi Kristin – I am a practicing nutritarian who struggles alone as the rest of my family think I’m nuts. But the quick weight loss and feeling of ultimate health is SO worth it! I haven’t read all of your journals, but something in this first one struck me. You mentioned hating tv commercials. Well, we took a 3 day, 20 hour roadtrip to Oklahoma this summer to take our daughter to music camp at UOkla. I was amazed at how many billboards advertise food – and of course it’s crappy food like McDonald’s and stuff like hash brown cheese casserole from Cracker Barrel. Ginormous pictures of greasy burgers and rainbow colored Starbucks and chocolate drizzled fake ice cream shakes. It made me realize how we are bombarded by the SAD (Standard American Diet) EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME. I’m beginning to wonder if big business and big medicine need us to eat this junk to stay in business! Not me! Now back to reading your entertaining journals…
I am so grateful for this post and thanks such a lot for sharing it with us.
So wonderful to hear that, Reggie! I’m so happy you’re enjoying the journal and site and thank you for taking the time to leave a comment too!
xo, Kristen
Hello! I am just finishing up my first week of Eating to Live. I have read the book, twice, and am ready to make this my lifestyle. However, I have already cheated in my first week and I feel terrible about it. Last night I ordered a pizza. Just cheese and mushrooms but….. Anyway, I think I know why I did it. I was really bored with my food choices and my cravings were out of control yesterday. I’ve decided that this will not derail me but I’m still feeling guilty and like I’ve set myself back. Can you give me any encouragement? Thank you!
So wonderful to meet you Raschelle!
Huge congratulations for starting your journey!!
First thing you have to do right now: FORGIVE YOURSELF!
If you start mentally beating yourself up it’s going to leave you more susceptible to quitting.
Get in the mindset that you are going to be in withdrawal for the first 3 to 4 weeks of this plan. Your cells are literally detoxifying themselves and its uncomfortable.
When I met Dr. Fuhrman in May he said “Don’t make yourself feel better.” And what he meant was if you eat something to feel better you’re moving in the wrong direction. Expect to have hard times in these next few weeks but please know that if you get them under your belt, you are going to have insight into another way of existing and living that is full of energy and positive feelings!
YOU CAN DO THIS AND YOU WILL!!!
Also, go ahead and read this article about “cheating” and staying on track: https://hellonutritarian.com/how-to-cheat-on-your-diet/
I’m here for you! Email me at kdacuna@hotmail.com
xo, Kristen
I need encouragement to eat this way; so many around us are eating other things and I just give in or I give in to it without anyone eating it around me.
Can you eat eggs on the nutritarian diet?
Simple question- when you say 1 cup of oatmeal, is that measured raw or cooked?
Great question Melyssa! It’s cooked, and that would be your quota for the day on the Aggressive Weight Loss plan!
xo, Kristen
Kristen, I am on my 6th day of the 6-week plan. Up until yesterday I lost 1pound per day.
Eat to Live has a recipe, Eat Your Greens Smoothie, which has 1/2c of POM. That is contradictory to the first 6 weeks prohibition on juices. Yesterday I followed the recipe and split the smoothie with my husband. The juice, combined with not consuming enough greens and consuming too much nuts (I made the Austrian Cauliflower soup after having some walnuts with my oatmeal) caused my weight to be flat for the day. At least I didn’t gain!
What pearls of wisdom do you have in such instances, as well as how much nut mik is allowed in a day?
I know, loaded question 🙂
Hi Kristen, I have done this diet before and it worked great, but…then I “fell off the diet wagon” and its back to square one.
What would be a great asset is a weekly shopping list. I didn’t see one on your blog. Is there one somewhere I haven’t come across?
Im not happy that you had so many skipped meals. That’s like cheating. Anyone can lose weight starving. You’re calories were probably ridiculously low, thus, skewing the results. I wasted my time on this site
Hi Jessica,
I understand how that may seem alarming. But when you’re eating such high-nutrient food you can feel full much faster and for much longer than when you’re eating empty calories from processed foods. I was definitely not starving because my body had plenty of stored fat (energy) to live off of during those meals I skipped, and I still ate very well on those days.
Skipping one meal a day and condensing down to two meals is a great way to narrow your feeding window and allow your body to enter the catabolic stage where cellular clean-up, detoxification and DNA repair can take place.
xo, Kristen
Your information is great and your blog is inspiring. I’m coming off a 6 month plan of eating every three hours and high protein, low fat. Three days into the Nutritarian lifestyle I’m loving this. Now I eat at 9, 1 and 6 with a fruit snack or your frozen fruit recipe for dessert. Please explain feeling true hunger, that Dr. Fuhrman refers to, in your throat and mouth? When I’ve gone 6 hours without food I get stomach cramps that have me doubled over. To me, that’s true hunger.
So excited to hear that you’re enjoying your new nutritarian lifestyle, Lisa!
Dr. Fuhrman vaguely describes true hunger as occurring in the mouth and throat in his books–its frustrating because it’s not very descriptive. He insist that hunger is not felt in the stomach or the head and is very clear about this in his books. He considers light-headedness, dizziness, stomach cramps, and tummy grumbling as toxic hunger–or the withdrawal symptoms felt when your body has finished digesting its food and has entered the catabolic stage where cell detoxification occurs.
If you ate a lot of animal products before starting the plan your cells may have a lot of waste products built up that causes cell inflammation and that can cause these types of withdrawal symptoms to happen.
For me personally the withdrawal symptoms subsided after the 3rd week. Now I feel hunger in the back of my throat as a hollowness that’s always accompanied by increased saliva. And when I first eat my food the flavors are very bright (and almost verge on overwhelming) even from something as benign as a tomato or celery.
It takes about 6 months or more to develop true hunger signals and now I can go very long stretches of time without feeling hungry. It’s amazing how the body can change!
Keep going strong!!
xo, Kristen
Hi Kristen!
I saw you said you started this when your little one was 6 months old. Were you breastfeeding? I went strictly whole foods plant-based no salt, no oil for 3 months just before my first kiddo turned 2, and although I was still nursing maintaining my supply wasn’t a major concern. But I’m currently nursing my almost 5-month-old and don’t want to do anything to jeopardize my supply. If you were breastfeeding did this affect my supply?
Hi Dana!
Yes, my youngest was 6 months old when I first started. I didn’t see a decrease in my production and she was exclusively breastfed.
You’ve got this!
xo, Kristen
Hi, doing this 6 week plan for my mother farther sister and mother in law ,
today is a week so far only my farther and mother in law lost weight my mom and sis didn’t they r not very over weight very frustrating !!
what do u say
Hi Ruth!
Congratulations on starting your nutritarian lifestyle! Everyone will lose weight at different rates on this plan. Age, current weight and activity levels are all factors on this front. For more information on this topic check out my FAQ section here!
xo, Kristen
Thank you so much for your weekly blogs and all of the great information on this website! It’s set up incredibly well – beautiful to look at and easy to navigate. I just started my journey last week and love reading through your blogs in real-time to my journey. Thanks for the amazing inspiration! Just followed you on Instagram! I’m morbidly obese and needing to get healthier. Luckily I have a good foundation, just need to get my act together and stick with it. What you are doing is incredibly helpful and life changing for so many people!
It’s so lovely to meet you Jen!
I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to leave this lovely review letting me know how helpful the website has been for you! And also thanks for the extra support in following me on Instagram!
I have been obese several times in my life and getting out of it takes a lot of work but it definitely rewarding–just remember that you are so much stronger than you may think you are right now.
All the best,
Kristen
I am on Day 5 and so appreciate the journal you share. I’ve read to Day 5 and will keep reading your posts (from 2013) as I progress. I relate 100% with your experience and am so grateful for the support I have found through your website. Thank you! I still have an on again off again headache but am sleeping better and my chronic inflammation is basically gone, this could be a life-changer for me! So excited and thankful to Joel Furhman, to you, and for the technology that links us by Internet across the continent!
Hi Jennifer,
So happy that you’re finding the website helpful on your nutritarian journey! I’m wishing you all the best as you cultivate your new lifestyle!
Kristen
I think your site is awesome and we are enjoying reading your 6-week journal. I have a question for you. Would you consider red lentil pasta as beans on the aggressive weight loss plan or would you put it in the limited category like rice or other grains? It seems like cheating and I don’t want to violate the rules of the plan since we are only in the first week!! Struggling but we will persevere. Thanks
Hi Matt,
That’s a great question nd one that was asked to Dr. Fuhmran when I was at his 2019 retreat. He said bean pasta goes into the unlimited category but you must be getting in the 1 pound of raw veggies first!
I like to be able to transform to Vegan health diet as I am diabetic and I don’t like vegetables
Hi Demetra,
My kid’s physician told me something important when they were young: you have to learn how to eat veggies. They are so critical to your health that you cannot just decide that you won’t eat them.
It takes 11 exposures before your tastebuds get used to it.
Start off with 1 tbsp. per day. I you have to spit them out that’s fine. Continue the exposure for 2 weeks or until you can eat them and still feel okay. Then double the portion in the same two week pattern tunnel you can get to 1/2-cup servings.
It’s worth your time and effort!
Kristen
Hi Kristen!
I just stumbled on your site last night while searching for recipes. My husband and I are both going to try the nutritarian diet for two weeks (hopefully longer but we have to start somewhere). We are choosing to do it to lead a healthier lifestyle, although I could use to lose a few pounds and wouldn’t mind that side effect!
We are starting today and will be using your day by day meal plans to help guide us.
Do you have any advice for someone just getting started?
Hi Angel,
So happy you found the site and that you and your hubby are starting your nutritarian journey together! I have all my tips and recommended reading on my Start Here page!
Wishing you all the best!
xo, Kristen
I know I eat wrong – way to many red meat choices and lots of dairy. Not many fruits or veggies. Sometimes I even “yearn” for a big healthy salad but it seems like too much work to make or I don’t have the correct foods or am just too tired. So I end up with a poor choice. I am starting out this Sunday getting prepared for the week. I want to succeed and make a change for better in my life. I need support and mentoring from those who have succeeded!
Hi Katherine!
I think it’s very self-aware of you to identify that you are making less-healthy choices and that a bit of preparation can help you make better choices! I’d recommend checking out my meal prep guide here and downloading the free weekly planner!
I’m rooting for you!
Kristen
This, Kristen is the best thing you could have done for me–writing your weight-loss journal. Too often I am paralyzed by “I can’t do this. This is crazy diet etc.” and just reading your thoughts and emotions and how you had the stuck-to-itivness to strive is highly motivating to me. Too often I go on diets and just don’t see the W. Loss results. I’m working on organizing my kitchen right now so I can start with the Nutritarian way and thank you for your journal inspiration. I shall be reading your WL Journals daily to keep me motivated.
P.S On vinegars–I bought The Chef AJ Sampler on the California Balsamic website. It comes in 3oz bottles for you to sample them before buying the big bottles. The added bonus is you could take it with you in your handbag on planes, to any restaurant; order a big salad and use your own balsamic vinegar.
I’m so happy to hear that you’ve found these journal entries helpful on your journey! I really need to try the California Balsamic because Chef AJ just raves about them–love that they are so portable too!
I get the whole burning in your throat for true hunger, but how long should you wait with that feeling? Do you eat at the first sign? Do you wait an hour after feeling that? I find that a barely feel it once and then eat, but it only takes me 3/4 hours to get there. Advice?
That’s a great question, Tish! If you’re only at 45 minutes and already starting to feel it, that may be a different signal. Everyone is different and I don’t get a burning feeling in my throat, I get excessive saliva and I feel it more in my stomach. In your case I’d recommend stretching out at least 3 and a half hours between meals. The longer you eat this way the better attuned you’ll get to your body’s individual queues!
Hi kristen! Thanks for all your effort in diffusing The nutritarian diet! I have a doubt: when you say “1 cup brown rice”or “1 cup cereal”, you mean 1 cup meassero when cooked or raw? Thanks☺️😘
Hi Grazia,
It’s one cup cooked! And I’m so happy to learn that you’re interested in starting the lifestyle!
xo, Kristen
I would like to get a copy of the free 7 Day Salad Cleanse book
Of course! You just need to sign up to my weekly email list here: The 7 Day Salad Cleanse
Could you send me the seven day cleanse, I seem to have misplaced it and cannot find it on your site to reprint it.
Hi Rhonda, absolutely! Please send an email to my support: k4mediagroup@gmail.com
Hi!
your plate look sooo small how can you not starve?
Lol, I tried to grab shots of just a few of the things I was eating but I promise that it is a big volume of food daily. You can check out my daily posts here:
I am so glad I found this site. I was wondering how I was going to do this health plan. Thanks again.
SO happy that you made your way here Vivian!