Question of the Week Search

Question: I've been on a low fat plant based diet for about two months now. I have had a few slips, but very minor. I eat whole grains and fruit for breakfast. Rice and beans with veggies and a piece of fruit for lunch and usually veggies and more beans for dinner. Snack on fruit before bed, sometimes another bowl of oatmeal. I'm not desperate to lose weight (5'9" 175 and my scale says I have a body fat percentage around 11%), but I would like to lose a few pounds and I haven't lost an ounce. I'm also pretty active-run 4 times a week, lift weights and climb several times a week in a gym. Any advice?

Answer: Thank you for your question. We believe that if you eat a strict low fat, plant-based diet, that includes such foods as whole grains, vegetables, fruits and legumes without ANY oils then you are going to be your ideal lean weight. Of course, daily moderate exercise in the sun is important as well. We always find that the last few pounds vary based on how strict someone is. Finally, if you are very muscular then your weight might be higher just due to that (muscle weighs more than fat). The important point is that you use your weight as a guide to your health but not as the absolute definition of it. In other words, most overweight people are living a very unhealthy lifestyle...and should therefore worry about their weight, or more accurately their health. But if you know you are following a strict low fat, plant-based diet, exercising in the sun, and maintaining clean habits then you know you are healthy no matter what the scale says. Now, that is provided you are not consuming hidden junk foods from packaged foods and restaurants. Ultimately, a few pounds of variation between people does not necessarily correlate perfectly with overall health. So check and make sure you are following a strict low fat, plant-based diet. Particularly, look at any packaged foods and restaurant foods...they usually have hidden “badness” if you are trying to be strict. Let us know what you come up with. When all else fails, we tell people to keep a strict food diary of what they are eating over a two week period...that includes EVERYTHING that goes into their mouth! That usually singles out the few "mistakes" that are causing those last resistant pounds. Overall, however, it sounds like you are already living a very healthy lifestyle so keep up the good work!

Back to Question of the Week