Eating a Whole-Food, Plant Based Diet: Weight Management, Mood, Mental Health & More

Have you been a freshman in college? Ever fear or feared the "Freshman 15?" I sure did upon entering university, so I told myself if anything I would do the exact opposite. Coming in, I was a little heavier than where I wished to be. By buckling down and becoming hyper-focused on eating healthier to lose that excess weight, I ended up losing about 25 pounds within just a few months of college. Here's how I did it, and where I went wrong in hopes that you can learn from this experience!

Me during my journey (ca. 2019)

I wanted to lose weight because I was afraid of the freshman 15! I had set out on a journey to do the opposite by losing 15 pounds.  I was at the doctor's office while I had my vitals taken and I stepped onto the scale, totally not expecting to see my weight drop so far. Suddenly, I was down 20 pounds, which happened quickly. It was an absolute surprise!

The combination of the social scene in college and doing my research were huge motivators in this weight-loss process. From all the new people I was meeting, the social outings and parties, going to college on the beach and more made me hyper-aware of what I put into my body. I knew that if I continued the way I used to eat in high school, this would equate to having a larger belly area and excess weight. I wanted to look good and feel good! I had to eat fewer calories which are typically found in whole-foods like fruits and veggies. So, I did TONS of research, and I mean, like daily research, on how to eat for weight loss. Research was game-changing for sure, being able to ask Google any question I had. My findings included lots of emphasis on fiber found in grains and veggies, as well as emphasis on protein-packed meals, which make your body burn more calories just to break down the food! In this way, I found the dining commons a place of freedom. The salad bar was my go-to. I'd modify some of the meals to make it more nutrient-dense and less calorie-dense. The commons had a nutrition calculator so I tracked everything I consumed. The most important factors for me were minding calories, sugars and sodium, while aiming for high protein and whole foods, of course. 

"Less is More"

Everything that I did was a huge reward, especially after losing 25 pounds in total. However, two significant events occurred that changed my view about diet and lifestyle forever! 

The first event was when I was at my slimmest, but I was less happy than I was when I began my journey:

Around Spring of 2019, I made the mistake of  allowing nutrition and calorie-counting to consume me and act as a dictating force in my personal and social life. Stress and social anxiety became a daily experience because I was in new comfort zone that I allowed food to define. Think of it like this: You're in the gym, aiming for "maxing-out," or aiming to lift as much weight as you can to see how strong your muscles are. However, I was aiming to "max-out" from a dietary perspective, attempting to see how little I could eat without starving. This was an unsustainable practice because through restricting myself on some meals or some days, I would go crazy at the end of a given day or week and overeat! I'd finish whole box of whatever and ask, "how did I get so out of control just now? Is this even me?" I believe it's the primitive brain speaking and acting for you, because it's being deprived. On several occasions I considered getting help from a therapist to help me along my weight-loss journey because of my mental and emotional states. Overall, the lesson is that you DON'T need to "max out" in terms of dietary intake. You need an approach that feels challenging but also true to you if you wish to find a lower weight without harming your mental and emotional state

The second event that changed my life forever was more recently in the Spring of 2020:

The whole pandemic issue came to surface and I realized what it was I actually wanted for myself in terms of my mentality and health. Instead of relying on extrinsic sources of motivation, such as social outings and parties, I needed a new intrinsic reason to still eat well without feeling like I needed to "max out" each day. During this time I had regained ten pounds originally lost last year. This was the worst yet best thing that could have happened for me. I'm now eating in a way that is fulfilling and intuitive, and I practice forgiving myself any time I feel like I didn't perform at an optimum level. Through having patience to get to where I need to be, it really does not matter what my current weight is. And neither should it for you. Have faith that eating whole foods as much as possible will naturally put our bodies at the size and weights they need to be at. 

My Key Takeaways for You :)

I am thankful for this experience. I'm thankful for seeing how far I could push my physical and mental state so I could define new boundaries for myself. Now that I have turned to creating motivation internally rather than externally, I made eating well something that I genuinely love to practice. More recently, I have found yoga and walking my favorite forms of movement to fulfill that exercise component. Ground your reasoning for what you love in positivity, not fear. Having true passion and desire for being the best version of yourself is key. Love eating whole foods and the weight loss will follow. Connect with your body on a deeper level and find the self-love through having self-discipline. 

See each day as an opportunity to make it your perfect day. Visualize and actualize it to existence. Plan for hiccups, plan for going off-course and detours in a controlled fashion. Don't try to perfect each detail but definitely check in with yourself throughout the day on what your intentions are. Make each meal special and enjoy it in company whenever you can. Eat from home, don't order out unless you must. Take pride in your cooking skills and savor each bite. 

Last but not least, be persistent and extremely patient with results and with yourself. Changing behavior takes time. When something is truly worth your time, energy and focus, you will appreciate the journey even more. When we want to rush through things to see instant results, it can be useful on a special occasion but absolutely useless when it comes to embodying the personality and the identity of someone you wish to be, while balancing this by going with who  you are to begin with. Be in this game for the long-run and see your dietary changes as a single component of a healthy lifestyle.

Me! (ca. 2020)