2019 Update: See my Instagram for daily posts on my weight loss & body progress, food & recipes, and diet updates. See my Youtube channel for more detailed starch solution/diet updates and before & after photos!
See my Round Two of Starch Solution–a second month of daily food diaries!
Guidelines for my version of the Starch Solution:
- Center my meals on starch: potatoes, rice, beans, lentils, squash, bulgur, oats, corn, etc.
- Keep macros around 65-70% carbs, 15-20% protein, and 10-15% fat. (this generally requires protein powder and/or bars for me)
- Focus on whole foods: avoid flours; no oils
- Eat more vegetables (currently having small salads with lunch 3-4 days a week and a serving at dinner, but I’d like to get more)
- No limit on fresh fruits (starch solution guidelines say 4 or fewer servings, but I’m not a fan of that!)
Starting today, 9/15, I’m planning on posting my food diaries of the next 23 days!
Back when I started this blog I would post them everyday, but because I don’t have nearly as much time as I used to, I thought I could instead give you guys snapshots of what I eat every once in awhile. I’ll either do food diary posts that have a day or two each, or do a weekly post with what I ate each day that week.
I’ve been an ethical vegan for a long time now: vegetarian for the last 9 years, 95% vegan for 3 years, and 100% vegan for the last year. Since February, I’ve been dabbling in HCLF (high carb, low fat) veganism on and off, and have been doing pretty well with it since I got back to school three weeks ago. However, I have been eating a bit too much processed food, especially homemade chocolate chip cookies because of too many bakesales and potlucks! Thanks to that and the heaps of stress I’ve been under–applying to grad school while working in 2 labs, doing an honors thesis, and taking a full courseload–my skin hasn’t been too thrilled with me, and my gym performance seems to be suffering.
I’ll be visiting my boyfriend in three weeks, so until then, I’m going to try following Dr. McDougall’s Starch Solution principles more closely than I have been. Not only do I already love starches, but his premises make sense to me–and I’m a very cynical/scientific person, so it takes a persuasive argument to get me on board with something like that. I won’t be super strict as I’ll still be including protein bars, Beyond Meat chick’n strips, avocados, and flax seed here and there, but I’m interested to see if I feel and look better eating his way… and I wouldn’t mind losing a pound or two either!
I’m also hoping I can simplify my diet and meal planning, because I’m currently a bit addicted to variety. However, on the weekends I’ll probably bend the guidelines and have some flours in pancakes and whatnot, and experiment with new recipes.
Also, I won’t be counting calories during the day–I’m going to be eating intuitively–but I will write down what I eat so I can put it in Myfitnesspal at the end of the day and maybe post it here! I love data, but I hate planning my day around calories, so this compromise has been working for me.
Thanks for reading!
Miche, Ph.D. 
I have never felt better eating Starch Solution 🙂 great post and thank you for more ideas!
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So how are you finding the starch solution? It definitely made me feel good and satisfied, but like that lost I wrote described, it really excited my mind, I find that starches are valuable in resetting leptin , to get to lower body weight percentages, but I don’t think I could ever eat as many again as I was when I was mcdougaling.
Did you ever see the video where he talks about monkfruit diets, and how he has a peach tree outside his window? He said the only time he ever eats that much fruit is when it produces peaches, and that’s the closest thing to a mono diet he really recommends haha. Funny guy>.<
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I wish I could edit my message, I wanted to mention, when I was doing the starch solution my stress levels were much higher. If you see mcdougal, or any high carb vegan. They all seem sort of stressed out . Freelee, vegan gains, etc. They are extreme examples of psychotics but, I can say, I think it has to do with dopamine, GABA, serotonin, and insulin especially. Those hormones seem to all be really de-destabilized by continuous high carb feedings. I didn’t eat any carbs for three months, and the first time I tried a refeed on potatoes, I had an outbreak for the first time the next day.>.< interestingly.
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I’m so interested in this diet but need to learn more before taking the leap! Thanks for sharing your journey. ❤
http://www.greensandfries.com
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Thanks for the like on my vegan strawberry cheesecake post!
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Loved your post! Really like John McDougall, have been listening to him on YouTube. I do a high carb, low fat lifestyle myself, and have “really” limited my oil intake. No more oils in my salad dressings or stir-fry, not necessary really! I have to say, I feel cleaner inside!!! I eat lots of fruit, make a fruit salad every day! And when I do a lot of driving, which has happened a lot lately, I simply eat the lettuce leaves washed and plain, as Emily does on Bite Size Vegan. She’s awesome!! Lettuce has a lot of protein and nutrients! Thanks for your post, have a wicked day!! xo
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Good for you! Awesome! Also check out “Cronometer”, it’ll tell you exactly the nutrients you are getting. The fat, the protein (all amino acids), all the vitamins, etc. And you can just click on the percentage of say vitamin A, and it’ll tell you exactly where you got all your vit. A from. The cantaloupe, etc. Just write in your 4 apples, 2 bananas, etc, etc and watch how your fat, protein, etc. changes, it’s soooo cool! have fun!
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just reading this post again…. excited for you. I am an ethical vegan as well, will never go back to eating animal proteins (Animal proteins are so damaging to our bodies!), glad you found Dr. McDougall, I think he’s awesome! I have also gotten off oil, and feel better and have lost another couple of pounds. It’s amazing how much garbage we put into our bodies, thinking it’s good. I read a lot of labels and can’t believe how oil is in “everything”, it’s so disturbing. I rarely do processed foods, make everything from scratch. Except for when I bake, but I don’t bake with oil anymore either! Into the juices right now, so delicious!!!
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Hello! Just wondering how this went for you. Also, how many calories do you eat in a day as a vegan? I am worried that I am not eating enough, and I am so confused…
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