The Challenge

I took up “The Challenge” presented in The Engine 2 Diet by Rip Esselstyn several weeks back by going fat free vegan for 28 days, just to see how I felt by simply changing what I ate.  The challenge was actually more than just eating plant-based foods, it also included exercise and giving up things like coffee, sugar and white flour. 

Wondering exactly what does make a person feel better, in particular, me, I decided to modify the challenge a bit so I could zero in on which element of these radical changes has the biggest impact.  I was sure if I ate healthier and exercised, I’d feel better, so I split it up and just did the diet part first.

The book claimed that my cholesterol levels would decrease, so I had my blood checked before the challenge began and again five weeks later.  I know exercise decreases cholesterol levels, so I was careful not to do any that crazy stuff during those weeks.

I’m happy to report that, just on diet change alone, my cholesterol number dropped 50 points - from 228 to 178.  My body also happened to drop nine pounds in the process, which is no small miracle, and a very pleasant side benefit.

Surprisingly, eating just plant-based foods kept me plenty full, so I never went hungry nor felt deprived. I was amazed that sugar cravings never kicked in and the lack of caffeine never give me a headache.  I felt perfectly content, if not a bit smug, throughout my initial test. 

I’m cooking fat free vegan for my husband anyway, just to keep the man alive, since his arteries seem to clog up at the mere sight of fatty foods.  But for me, this was just a little scientific experiment to see what would happen if I stayed on his diet.

The hardest part of the whole challenge was eating out.  Even when we ordered things with no added oils, our wishes weren’t always met.  I’d say 95% of the time, I was true to the diet limitations, but the few times I had no control over it, I ate the food anyway.  I stayed away from all dairy, sweets, and animals though.  We were in Southern California for a week during this time period and were rewarded with several amazing vegan restaurant options.  What a treat.

I do feel more energetic than when I started, and I joked that the measurement I’d use to see if I felt “better” would be that I’d actually pick something up if I dropped it.  Since phase one ended, my son has constantly dropped things in front of me, just to see what I’d do.  I’m not sure if it’s the food I’m eating, or the fact there’s nine less pounds between me and the floor, but I certainly don’t hesitate to pick things up.

Now comes phase two of the challenge – to actually do some exercise while maintaining the diet.  Who knows what the future holds.