Science-based Tips on Weight loss, Fitness, Health, and Nutrition from a Ph.D. Scientist
I’m back in action, with a diet update for you! In the video, I show you my weight loss from a high carb diet (starch solution) versus my new diet. Plus, what my new diet is & why I LOVED being high carb but it isn’t my current way of eating.
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Hey guys! Long time, no text posts. Sorry about that–I’ve just been really into making videos lately, and unfortunately I only have so much time between my honors thesis and finishing up my last semester at Berkeley. But I am so, so appreciative of you guys’ support on my fledgling little Youtube channel! ❤
Now back to the blog: I’ve noticed that my Starch Solution experiment from September 2015 is still getting quite a bit of attention, and because the point of this blog is to help people discover the joys of veganism (and the weight loss/health benefits of high carb, low fat veganism), I thought I’d do another little month-long experiment for you guys!
During that initial Starch Solution round, I was transitioning into full-on HCLF (high carb low fat), so I ate quite a bit of fat compared to a lot of high carbers out there–around 30 grams, or 15-20% of my calories. This time, I’m thinking of doing a hybrid of Starch Solution and Maximum Weight Loss (aka MWL, Starch Solution in “hardcore mode”), where I’ll try to do around 75-80% carbs, 15% protein, and 5-10% fat if my body is okay with it. The higher protein is because I lift weights and I feel like a little extra could help with strength/muscle building, although society’s obsession with protein is totally overblown. I haven’t been counting my calories or macros since the last round so I don’t know how much fat I’ve been eating lately, but it’s probably around 10% these days and I still eat along the lines of the Starch Solution. But I will starting counting my macros again for you guys, because I feel like it’s much more informative that way!
The reason I’m calling it a hybrid of Starch Solution and MWL is because I’m planning on eating lots of vegetables and not eating many overt fats (MWL), but I will still be eating as much flour and sugar and fruit (normal Starch Solution) as I please. Oh, and I will be getting fat-filled vegan cinnamon rolls and/or gourmet “meaty” sandwiches once or twice during this because it’s my last month in Berkeley and therefore my last month of having access to Cinnaholic and The Butcher’s Son (AMAZING vegan places), and I’d like to enjoy them while I can. Hooray for moderation!
Now the short summary version for those of you who prefer not to read walls of text! 😉
And of course, because I’m sure a lot of people are interested in this for weight loss on the Starch Solution, my starting weight is 121.5lbs today. I could stand to lose some fat because I’d like to have more muscle definition (I’ve gained 13lbs of muscle this past year! 😀 ), but my body is not especially interested in getting lighter–so if I do lose anything on the scale, it’d be pretty amazing progress for me!
Thanks for reading!
Miche
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!
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. 