How I Will Do It: Part Time Vegan

I detest diets. I hate counting calories, I hate depriving myself of foods that I love, I hate keeping track of "points". This is why traditional diets don't work for me. I've done Weight Watchers a few times, and I lose a little weight and manage to maintain for a while, but inevitably, the weight creeps back on because I hate keeping track of what I eat. And, sure you can eat whatever you want on Weight Watchers, but you have to watch your portions. Sorry, but if I want a donut, I want the whole thing--I don't want to eat a quarter of it because eating the whole thing will take up my entire day's worth of points.

This is why Bittman's plan appealed to me. You can eat whatever you want to and you can eat how much you want to...for supper. His plan is simple--become a part time vegan. This means no dairy and no animal products before supper. Eat as many plants as possible. Make legumes a big part of life. Also, Bittman omits refined carbs, junk food, and alcohol before supper as well. Eat whole grains instead of refined carbs. Snack on fruit or nuts or olives. Rely on seasonings. Then, at supper time, he eats what he feels like eating. This could mean a big fat steak or a bowl of pasta or some pizza...whatever works. And he lost weight in the process.

This is a plan I can get behind. It's easy...there is no calorie counting or point tracking. All that I need to ensure is that I steer clear the "forbidden foods" until around 6:00pm each day, and luckily, Bittman includes lots of easy and delicious vegan recipes in his book. Then, at supper time, I can have what I want to have. This eliminates the other part of dieting that I hate--feeling deprived. This sounds more like a lifestyle change to me than a "diet".

And a lifestyle change it will be. Aaron has been a part time vegan for a few months now, and it has extended into our family life. Even though Aaron can essentially eat what he wants to for supper, he chooses to apply many of Bittman's suggestions into that meal as well. As a family, we eat leaner meats and whole grains and more plants than ever before. We shop differently. We cook differently. We are planting a garden and we joined a local CSA to ensure that the veggies and fruits keep coming. And, as a result of all this, we eat differently. Aaron has already lost a considerable amount of weight by making these changes, and starting Monday, I will become a part time vegan as well.