Also knows as “lbs” or “pounds”. I know many of you are dying to know if we have both lost weight. The answer is yes. At the start of our 3rd official week eating vegan, we both have lost 5 lbs or “El Bees” as Aleta calls it. The first week, the bees pretty much melted away at the rate of .5 per day. This slowed a bit the second week, down to 1 bee. Considering we are both getting our daily intake of protein and hitting the gym regularly, we should be on track to gradually taper off a couple more, but nothing too drastic. I have read multiple articles (you can google) in which people experience moderate weigh loss or even gain weight.

Being a vegan does not warrant eating whatever you want. You can easily consume 2000 – 2500 calories a day as a vegan and if not careful, most of those calories can come from carbs (too much rice and pasta) or fat (soy cheese/milk/ice cream, too much oils). Unquestionably, however, is the lower saturated fat and cholesterol. It is very difficult to load yourself on saturated fat as a vegan and next to impossible to find anything with cholesterol. You may not lose weight, but your heart, stomach, liver, and kidneys will thank you for it later.

The recommended daily allowance for cholesterol is 300 mg. My cholesterol level has historically hovered between 220 and 340 with LDL topping out around 150 – 170 sometimes. When I watch my cholesterol for 3 months, it usually drops to 200. In 2007, my doctor put me on Lipitor. For grins, I decided to see what kind of effect it would have on me. Between the medicine and the diet, my cholesterol level dropped to 170. That has been the best it has been since I have been tracking it. Historically when I watch my cholesterol, I limit my daily intake to 200 mg or so. Since I have been eating vegan, I have been eating less than 10 mg a day. That is rather drastic to say the least.

I want to see what kind of effect this will have after a couple months. In order to measure the effect, I scheduled an appointment with my doctor. The office receptionist immediately asked me if I wanted my doctor to renew my Lipitor prescription. I politely informed her that I was not on Lipitor and was making some dietary changes to prevent taking it. Kinda confused, she scheduled my appointment. This does not surprise me. This kind of “give you medicine to cope with disease” approach is what Aleta and I are used to in her quest for wellness. No cures and lots of coping.

My doctor was pleasantly surprised about my goals and supported them fully. She was so excited that she ordered extended blood work and scheduled me for a full physical in September. She even made the comment that so few of her patients ever want to fix the problem. They simply want the medicines that perpetuate their poor dietary choices.

Stay tuned for the results…