Weight Goal Reached!

I have great news! I hadn't weighed myself in a few weeks, but had been getting so many comments on how thin I am looking, and have noticed a difference in the fit of my clothes. So, I decided it must be time to check the scale again. To my surprise, not only have I reached my goal, but I lost a pound more than my goal! So my body mass index is now at a normal, healthy level. I feel better than I have in years. I have energy I didn't have a year ago, and now can wear clothing in a size I hadn't worn in years and years.

I am happier with the food I am eating now than I have ever been in my life. I don't feel deprived of anything, as I have not been on a diet, in the weight-loss definition of diet. What I did was change my way of eating; it is a permanent change. I am amazed because I lost a significant amount of weight (at least 45 pounds), while eating all of the foods I love.

I think a lot of times diet is defined in negative terms: in terms of what a person doesn't eat. This is especially true when you are a vegetarian. I am a vegetarian, so I DON'T eat meat. But it doesn't really stress all of the great things I DO eat.

So here is a summary of what I DO eat:

breads
whole grains
nuts and seeds
tofu and tempeh
legumes/beans
eggs
whole milk
cheese
yogurt
coconut milk
butter
vegetables
sea vegetables
herbs and spices
fruits
oils (mainly olive oil, walnut oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil and flaxseed oil)
desserts that have nutrition and are sweetened with agave nectar, maple syrup, maple sugar or date sugar
coffee
tea
salt

Basically I eat food that is natural, whole, organic when feasible, grown locally when possible, and in season when possible. I choose the best possible food available to me within my budget, based on how I want to live.