Hi Everyone. Welcome to Cubanveganlife.com This is week two of my weight loss journey and I am thrilled to share my updates with you.
Scroll to the bottom to watch my YouTube video.
Weight Loss Update
This week I managed to lose six pounds! The small changes I’ve made so far have really paid off.
So far, I’ve lost 46 pounds, so I have 103 pounds to go before I reach my target weight of 200 pounds.
My Vegan Diet
As you know, I’ve been following a 100% vegan diet for ethical reasons.
In the past, I’ve talked a lot about Dr. John McDougall and his approach to weight loss. Besides removing animal products from your diet, he encourages avoiding oils and other high fat and processed foods.
Although I believe his approach is beneficial for weight loss, I have not been following the Starch Solution a hundred percent of the time. I still consume oils sometimes and eat a lot of processed foods.
My preferred processed foods include bread, mayonnaise, plantain chips, and Boca Chick’n Patties. But the Boca Chick’n Patties are my absolute favorite.
All Hail the Boca Chick’n Patties!
Boca Chick’n Patties are the keys to getting me through my weight loss journey. These patties remind me of eating Wendy’s. And I used to be Wendy’s biggest fan, their best customer.
There was a time in my life when I ate a lot of Crispy Chicken Sandwiches. I’m talking four or five times a week. Growing up my mother used to cook chicken almost every night for dinner.
What can I say? I used to be a chicken addict lover. But now I have my Boca Chick’n Patties and I don’t miss chicken anymore.
I love eating these on a burger bun spread with vegan mayo and topped with lettuce and pickles. I usually eat it with some homemade fries or plantain chips.
You could also make these a little healthier by using a whole wheat bun, replacing the mayo with avocado, and eating it with a salad.
But I’ve got to say I like my version better. It reminds me of fast food but without the heart attack.
Vegan Junk Food is Still Better than Fast Food
If you compare the Wendy’s Homestyle Chicken Sandwich to a Boca Chick’n Patty, you see that the vegan option is better. Wendy’s Homestyle Chicken Sandwich has 520 calories and 22 grams of fat. A Boca sandwich on a burger bun with a tablespoon of Just Mayo has 350 calories and 13 grams of fat. It’s a win-win, in my opinion.
Last Week’s Challenge: 30 Minutes of Daily Exercise
In my last weight loss update, I told you about my lack of exercise and challenged myself to incorporate more exercise into my life. The challenge was to do 30 minutes of cardio every single day.
There were days when I really had to push myself to get out there and move, but I didn’t miss a day. It feels good to accomplish something I set my mind to do. This one small change has brought me great satisfaction. It keeps me motivated and moving forward.
Grapeland Park
I love going to Grapeland Park in the early afternoons. I’ve been going there since I was young, and it has gone through many changes throughout the years. It is small, but it has a decent exercise course.
Grapeland is only two blocks away, making it super convenient for me to get there almost every day. It takes me less than 5 minutes to drive there. In the future, I hope to get a bicycle to get to the park instead of driving there.
I like that by going to the park I’m also getting some much-needed sun since I spend a lot of time indoors. I have found that my stress levels have also improved. Exposing myself to nature, seeing the trees and breathing in fresh air, has been very beneficial for my mental health.
I usually do about four laps around the park which is about two miles. As I do the laps, I also incorporate some body weight exercises.
There were a couple of days that I couldn’t make to the park. On those days, I worked out on my treadmill.
I bought the treadmill a few months ago, promising myself that I would actually use it this time. I’ve bought other exercise machines in the past, but they have just sat in a corner collecting dust and clutter. I was glad I gave it some use.
Week 3 Challenge: Reducing Vegan Processed Foods
Although I enjoy eating a veggie burger once in a while, I still strive to follow a whole foods vegan diet. One that is based on whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables in their most natural state.
This upcoming week I want to focus on reducing processed foods and make my vegan diet healthier. I plan to decrease my consumption of vegan mock meats, oils, bread, and pasta.
Recently I watched Dr. Doug Lisle’s talk on YouTube called How to Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind. I really enjoyed it. I remember reading his book The Pleasure Trap back in 2015 and found it interesting. I recommend it.
In the video, Dr. Lisle talks about how the key to weight loss is to eat less calorie dense foods. Reducing consumption of almost everything that comes in package results in weight loss.
Join This Week’s Challenge
I want to invite you to join this week’s challenge to reduce your intake of processed foods. No matter what kind of diet you follow, we can all benefit from eating whole plant foods.
For the next seven days, the challenge is to make one small change to your diet. Instead of having a sandwich for lunch, have some rice and beans. You could replace your morning boxed cereal with some overnight oats. Instead of snacking on a store-bought granola bar you could make them yourself from scratch or have an apple instead.
I have found the best approach to weight loss is to incorporate small changes into your life, little by little. The key is consistency. This is what the Weekly Challenge is all about. It’s a way to motivate myself and you to incorporate these small, but crucial changes.
Let me know in the comments below what kinds of processed foods you love to eat!
Thank you so much for reading!
Stay Strong, Rise Above
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