How Faith Lost 20 lbs. in 7 weeks

I got an exciting email last week from a new friend. Faith Clemente, mother of two, is part of the TrishaMandes.com community.  She wrote to tell me that she lost 20 lbs in less than seven weeks and dropped three pant sizes!  All without calorie counting or portion control.  Yeah Faith!  

How did Faith do this?  She simply took advantage of the FREE resource guide she received for signing up for email updates on www.TrishaMandes.com.  Then, she read the books, watched the movies, used the recipes and voila!  When you dive into the diet and completely go for it, you can expect to lose 1-3 lbs. each week, just like Faith.

Below is the email Faith sent me describing her experience.  It is a beautiful and inspirational story.

Trisha, 

I hope you are loving your time abroad! Thank you for continuing your support and "Take Control Tuesdays" while you are a away. 

I started my WFPB lifestyle on January 19, 2014 cold turkey. Almost 2 months into it, I have gone down 3 pant sizes. I no longer weigh myself on a regular basis although I did today to let you know I have lost 20 lbs! I am loving it.

My palate has changed to what I believe to be more refined. Food pops in my mouth whether it be earthy (I love mushrooms), buttery (cashew salad dressing) tangy, sweet, bold, etc. Everything tastes amazing. I feel great, I am looking great, my skin has a glow to it, people are starting to notice my weight loss, my house smells like a produce department (that might sound weird but I have noticed it no longer has a slight smell of cooked meat and oil), I have energy after every meal instead of feeling sluggish, and my goal is to live to be at least 100 vibrant and happy! 

My husband has been wonderful through my lifestyle change as well. He is super supportive, eats what I cook, and has even come up with a few recipes himself that follow the WFPB guidelines. On days when he wants something for lunch that we don't have in the house he chooses a healthier option than a fast food cheeseburger. In fact he just discovered he loves sushi. 

I still have lots to learn and a ton of "re-teaching" myself about nutrition.  After looking at your recommended reading list I have read Dr. McDougall's book about weight loss, Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live, and the Forks Over Knives book after rewatching the film on netflix.

My husband and I watched it almost 2 years ago and even went out and bought the Forks over Knives cookbook. I didn't make a single recipe out of it until last fall when I had my vegan sister and brother-in-law over for dinner. The recipes in those four books have been my food bible. They have helped me with the basics of cooking this way and understanding why meat, dairy and oils are not good for you foods. I have just ordered 4 new cookbooks for WFPB eating! I can't wait to dive into those!

I have also learned that the vegan diet isn't as great as I assumed it was. There is so much processed food and chemicals that go along with that diet. Have you ever read the ingredients on fake cheese? Gross! Earth Balance, Vegenaise, Tofutii... I don't even know how to spell them they are so fake LOL.

My next step is to start exercising on a regular basis. It is difficult to find time when I have 2 boys under the age of 3. It's not impossible but difficult.  

I've said it before and will many times more; thank you Trisha for your passion and inspiration to help people live longer healthier lives. If it wasn't for you I would never have picked up my first book to learn the benefits of living whole food and plant based. 

- Faith C., 29 yeas old, Legal Secretary, Newberg, OR, Mother of two

I'd like to thank Faith for sharing her story with us.   She is an inspiration and is doing an amazing job!  We will keep in touch with Faith and let you know how she progresses.

Take Control Now

Would you 'jump right in' to a plant-based diet like Faith, or would you take smaller, more transitional steps?

Answer in the comments section below.  

Why "Eating Less" is NOT the Answer to Weight Loss

Dr. Doug Lisle explains why "eating less" is not the answer in his one hour lecture titled 'How to Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind.'  Dr. Lisle is a Clinical Psychologist and the Director of Research at the True North Health Center in California.  He is also the co-author of the amazing book 'The Pleasure Trap.'  

He explains how skinny people aren't any 'less indulgent' than those with excess weight; how humans are one of the three animals on the planet that can't control their weight and the number one reason you aren't losing weight.  It all boils down to one thing... 

...the natural law of satiety is being broken.  

What's the law of satiety?

In our digestive system, we have nutrient and stretch receptors.  Nutrient receptors calculate how much nutrition is in our food.  I.e. calories, fat, protein and carbohydrate.  Stretch receptors decipher how much volume of food has been eaten.  When both the nutrient and stretch receptors become appropritely activated, our digestive system will tell our brain it's time to stop eating.  If we don't, it will become painful.

The receptors have been appropriately activated when 1.  there’s enough food our stomachs (or bulk) and 2. when we’ve eaten enough nutrition -- calories and macronutrients.  

If we don't get enough of one or another, we still won't feel satisfied.  Dr. Lisle uses the example of lettuce.  If you eat one pound of lettuce, you won't feel satisfied and full even though you've eaten a large quantity of food.  This is because the lettuce is so low in calories (around 100 calories/pound) that it's not enough nutrition for the nutrition receptors to be satisfied.  Likewise, if you eat a high calorie food, like chocolate for example, that doesn't have a lot of volume to it, you won't feel full even if you're eating enough calories.  

This is the law of satiety and this natural law is being broken everyday by humans, causing most of us to gain weight.  The hyper-concentrated foods the average American is eating (refined foods and animal products.  Only 6% American's diets come from unrefined plant food) is tricking our nutrient and stretch receptors.  Our bodies think we haven't eaten as many calories as we really have because the volume of these hyper-concentrated foods is small compared to how many calories they contain.  

As an example, Dr. Lisle asks what will fill you up more?  Two cups of ice-cream or, 1/2 gallon of salad, 3 ears of corn, 2 baked potatoes and a pound of cherries?  Same amount of calories, but the latter, is made of whole, plant foods that are naturally low in calories, but large in bulk.  

Skinny people aren't any less indulgent than fat people

There's a false assumption that those with excess weight are what Dr. Lisle calls, "eating into the pain."  They're eating so much until it hurts, everyday.  However, this isn't true!  

According to Dr. Lisle, women in the U.S. gain on average, one pound every year from the age of 20 to 40.  That equals only 10 extra calories per day.  Large people aren't massively overeating and they aren't massively out of control.  Rather, their nutrient and density receptors have been fooled.  

Skinny people have escaped this problem not because of their will-power, or because they are smarter or are in more control than bigger people, but because their genetics have given them more nutrient and stretch receptors.  This allows them to become fuller on less calories making it easier for them to not gain weight.  Unfortunately, skinny people eating the typical American diet, won't escape from other nutritional diseases like heart disease or cancer from eating this way.  

Think you've tried everything and nothing works?

If you think you’ve tried EVERYTHING... you’ve tried every diet there is and nothing works.  Or, you just eat 'healthy' and are still over weight, I want you to answer yes or no to these questions...

Have you ever followed the dietary advice of any of these doctors... Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Dr. Neal Barnard, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, T Colin Campbell PhD, Pam Popper PhD, ND,  Dr. John McDougall, Doug Lisle PhD, or Dr. Alan Goldhamer? 

If you answered no, then you haven’t tried what myself and these amazing docs recommend.  If you answered no, then you have not tried everything and you are not doomed to deal with excess weight.  If you answred no, your stomach is being fooled from the foods in your diet and for the average person, it’s going to be difficult to maintain a healthy weight.  

Getting the weight off is easier than you think!  Just swap one hyper-concentrated food, for an unconcentrated one and you'll lose weight.  Want to lose even more?  Swap more foods!  Need help doing this?  That's what I'm here for.  Contact me with any questions and I'll make sure you get results right away.

Take Control Now

Have you ever followed the dietary advice of any of these plant-based docs?  What has your experience been dieting before, on or off a plant-based diet?

Put your answers in the comments section below.  

Why Surgery + Meds Won't Save Your Heart

You probably know someone with heart disease or someone whose died from it.  My grandmother died when she was just 52 from a heart attack.  She didn't even make it to my first birthday.  My grandfather -- congestive heart failure.

Many people feel a naive sense of security when diagnosed with heart disease, high cholesterol or blood pressure.  Why?  Because there's "medication and surgery that will save you!"  For most people, that's just WRONG!

Even with technologically advanced surgeries and new medications, heart disease still kills 385,000 Americans annually, while another 715,000 Americans have a heart attack each year (1).

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr, internationally renowned clinician at the Cleveland Clinic, writes how currently modern cardiology is a complete failure, in an article published in the American Journal of Cardiology.

Esselstyn cites Forrester, JS when he writes... "modern cardiology has given up on curing heart disease.  Its aggressive interventions -- coronary artery bypass graft, atherectomy, angioplasty and stunting -- do not reduce the frequency of new heart attacks or prolong survival except in small subsets of patients" (2).

Modern cardiology is treating the symptoms of disease -- pain and high biomarkers, not the underlying cause of the disease which is from diet and lifestyle.  As Dr. McDougall commonly says, "it's the food!"

It's important you understand there are other means for treating heart disease other than risky surgery and expensive medication.  Dr. Caldwell Essestyn Jr. and Dr. Dean Ornish have both stopped the progression of and reversed heart disease via diet and lifestyle changes (2), (3).  

Unfortunately, your doctor probably won't present this research as a viable treatment option to you.  Likewise, your doctor probably won't advocate for your cholesterol to be below 150 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L) which was the goal of Esselstyn's patients.

Esselstyn notes in his article (citing Castelli) that "in the Framingham study, people with cholesterol between 150 and 200 mg/dL accounted for 35%  of those with coronary heart disease."  

You can still have heart disease with a 'good' cholesterol level of less than 200 mg/dL advocated by your doctor and the American Heart Association! (4)

Esselstyn continues to cite Castelli stating that "amongst those with levels <150 mg/dL, heart disease was rarely encountered" (2).

If you're interested in lowering your cholesterol levels via diet and are looking for support from your doctor, here is a PDF from the Phycisian's Committee for Responsible Medicine that you can take to share with your doctor.  It references Dr. Ornish's work and gives you practical tips for lowering your cholesterol levels.

Too many doctors are either unaware of this information or just aren't informing their patients.  But it's important you know you have options.  And if you need support and guidance through the transition, I am always here to help.

Take Control Now

Is your total cholesterol above or below 150 mg/dL or 3.9 mmol/L?  

Now is the time to find out and put your answer in the comments section below!

1.  CDC.  Heart Disease Facts. August 2013.  Accessed online Feb. 2014.  

2.  Esselstyn, CB Jr. Updating a 12-Year Experience with Arrest and Reversal Therapy for Coronary Heart Disease (An Overdue Requiem for Palliative Cardiology. American Journal of Cardiology. 1999: 81; August 1 339-341.  

3. Ornish D et al. Intensive lifestyle changes for coronary heart disease. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1998 Dec 16;280(23):2001-7.

4. American Heart Association. What your cholesterol levels mean.  Dec. 2012. Accessed online Feb. 2014.

3 Ways to Stop Eating Junk Regularly

We're constantly bombarded with unhealthy foods everyday.  Cupcakes tempt us in the lunch line; cookies are always available with coffee; and co-workers consistantly bring in junk food to share.    

Because we're constantly assaulted with disease promoting foods, it's essential you learn how to set yourself up for success in these situations... how to increase your chances of choosing the healthiest foods in your house, your office etc.  

And trust me, I know this can be difficult.  In my studio apartment, I literally sleep in my kitchen.  My bed is 5ft from the fridge!

If I want any chance of eating a healthy, plant-based diet on a daily basis, I have to set my environment up in a way that promotes eating optimally... I have to sanitize it!

When you sanitize your environment, or clean it up, you no longer have to rely on will-power to try and eat healthy.  Which is awesome because will-power doesn't work!  

It's only a matter of time until the free cookies in the break room start calling your name, or the ice-cream in the fridge.  Our bodies are specifically designed to seek out these foods.  We naturally desire calorie dense foods like cookies, ice-cream and fatty foods.  

When we were gatherers and hunters, our existence was dependent upon eating foods high in calories.  If we didn't, we could die.  The problem now is that we're no longer struggling to find food and get enough calories.  However, that mechanism still exists within us.  

In order to beat will-power, you have to set-up your environment in a way that you don't have to worry about it.  

Warning!  You aren't going to want to do this!   These steps can be difficult -- especially cleaning out your kitchen -- but they are essential if you really want to start to make a change to your diet.  It makes eating well so much easier!     

Here's 3 Essential Steps for Sanitizing Your Environment

1.  Get troublesome foods out of your kitchen, and stocked with delicious, plant foods instead.

Get the foods you shouldn't be eating on a daily basis out of your daily living environments.  This means treats as well as the other foods I suggest you don't eat: refined foods (sugar, oil and white flour products) and dairy.  (Click here to watch the Take Control Tuesday episode 'Food Guidelines: What to Eat, What to Avoid').

At the same time, you need to make sure your kitchen (and office!) is stocked with delicious plant-based meals and foods.  An abundance of fresh fruit, veggies, pre-made salad dressing, hummus, boxed soups, frozen dinners, sweet potatoes and the list goes on!  

This way when you're hungry, the only option you have is to eat something delicious and nutritious!  If you get hungry and healthy options aren't available, you're going to eat something you shouldn't!

2.  Save treats for special occasions, outside the house.  

Eating a healthy plant-based diet doesn't mean you can't ever eat dessert or a treat again.  However, it's essential you decipher between a treat and daily fare.  Cookies, potato chips, cake, chocolate etc. are not foods to be eaten daily or even weekly.  

Treats are foods to be eaten only for special occasions... your birthday or traveling abroad for example, outside the house.  Otherwise, they're no longer treats because you're eating them regularly.

To piggy back on rule #1, if there's left-over treats from a birthday cake for example, don't bring them into your house!  Kindly decline or give it someone else.  If you bring it home, you will eat it!

3.  Buy foods you aren't tempted by, when serving/buying foods for others.

Although you may be striving towards eating a plant-based diet, your spouse, children, parents etc. may not be on the same page.  You'll probably have to prepare food for them that isn't ideal for you.

When this is the case, buy foods you won't be tempted by.  This way, even if something isn't good for you, you're less likely to eat it.  Don't buy them your favorite dessert for example.  You'll drool over it and are more likely to cave in and eat it.  Instead, whip up something that doesn't appeal to you at all.

Although these changes may be difficult for some, they really go a long way.  Forget will power and change your environment instead.  You can do it!  Please let me know how it goes!

Take Control Now

What's one food you can't (and shouldn't) keep in your kitchen because you'll always eat it?  Are you ready to kick that food out of your kitchen for good?  

Answer in the comments section below.  

Why You Should Never Believe the Front of a Food Package

Have you ever gone to the grocery store and been completely confused about the claims made on food products?  The covers of products are filled with captivating images and health claims... organic, pesticide free, zero trans fat, 100% of your recommended amount of vitamin C and the list goes on.   

But does that mean a product is truly healthy?  You may think you're making a wise choice, but in reality, you may be wasting your money on food that doesn't support a healthy body or a healthy weight. 

Here is my number one rule to follow when deciphering between fact and advertising on food package covers...

Never believe ANYTHING on the front of a food product.

Ever.  Why?  Because the claims can be very deceptive and misleading.  In today's episode, I give you three examples why.  

For someone without nutritional knowledge, it can be even more difficult to sort through.  So, it's best to look directly at the nutrition facts on the side of the package and completely disregard the front!  The nutrition facts panel is the only place where you'll figure out exactly what is in your food.  

 

Take Control Now

Does the deceptiveness of food products shock or bother you?  Do you have a useful tip to share when looking at food packages?

Put this knowledge into action and share your thoughts in the comments section below.