Not into diets -but this one looks challenging enough to give it a go! (Esselstyn)

I’ve gained about 40lbs since my ankle surgery last July and that’s just not good for anyone especially someone who should be putting less weight on their feet not more.  Healing of this tendon transfer surgery means I need to go easy on the ankle and the added weight is not helping.  The lack of mobility for the last year was no help not to mention the last 3 years of challenges with the foot.  I’m definitely close to the goal of normalcy in walking but long story short, I need to lose weight!  If my scale is right I’m at 180 about 40lbs overweight at a minimum.  Ideally I would like to be under 140 lbs but will start with a goal of a 150.  I know my scale is slightly inaccurate but as long as I am using the same scale that hardly matters.

My basic lifestyle in general has been, no sodas besides an occasional social soda.  No alcohol and no coffee.  I eat breakfast on a  regular basis.  Kashi crisp cereal with about 4-5 tablespoons of raisins and a banana and milk, no sugar.  The other meals of the day have been hit or miss and rarely anything to brag about!  So 1 good meal a day for breakfast and the rest a joke.  Did I mention I don’t like to cook or even prepare food?

Yesterday I was speaking with my neighbour about a diet he did for the sake of his heart.  I don’t know how the subject came up.  I guess we were talking about heart stuff or something.  It was not meant so much to be a diet but rather a path to healthier heart.  I don’t have any fears regarding my heart and no abnormal indications in my blood work for concern so far but as he described the regime of this diet it made sense to me to I bought the kindle book and gave it a glance over.

I’m not going to get into all nitty gritty -mostly I’m just going to start trying to follow the plan.  No oil, no meat, no dairy but rather eat a plant based nutrition.  I’ve never considered myself a vegetarian but also i have found over the years that i don’t crave beef of any sort and if I am to eat meat it is either chicken or fish.  For this diet -no meat-not even fish!

I am going to give it as a good a shot as any but not go over radical.  This is a six week plan at which time I will 9if i’ve made it that far) either continue or modify.  If I make it to 6 weeks then no matter what i will be eating healthier than I currently am.

My first step in the process was a stop at a couple of stores to pick up the plant based diet foods.  Mandarin, limes, strawberries, blueberries, dried cranberry, balsamic vinegar, hummus, chia seeds,ezekial bread (made with sprouted grains), unsweetened almond milk,vegetable broth, papaya, cucumber.

My afternoon snack/did not eat lunch was the mandarin.

My dinner was a  toasted sandwich.  the bread with hummus and chia seeds with lettuce & spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, mushrooms.  It was quite good.  I followed that with a small salad of mixed greens, mushrooms, sprouts, and the balsamic vinegar.  My dessert or latter snack was some papaya and strawberries.  For a drink I had a mix of green tea and hibiscus tea.

Overall day 1 good.  Will what the morning is like with the almond milk on my cereal -that will be an acquired taste probably!