Anyone do a plant based diet?

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Anyone do a plant based diet?

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No, but I'm not a loon that lives on the west coast.

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A plant based diet is better than the standard American diet, but it's not optimal for most people.

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I'm not really referencing this board, more so the OT, but I always get a kick out of people shitting on vegetarians/vegans over there while pounding bourbon and eating smothered cajun dishes.

I'm not an advocate of eliminating meat, mainly because I feel the benefits of eating meat outweigh the (controversial) risks. But the hypocrisy of looking down your nose at someone eating a plant based diet while you pump yourself with sugar and refined carbs is palpable.

I don’t. The wife (no pics) and I eat vegetarian dinners twice per week though. I have enjoyed learning to cook all different types of vegetables. Plus it’s good, especially when we can get fresh vegetables from the farmer’s market.

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If so I'd like to know pros and cons you've found or how you feel in regards to your old or "American" diet

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My answers are from a WFPB perspective. Pointing it out because some people conflate wfpb with vegan and it's not the same thing. A wfpb (whole-foods, plant-based) diet consists of whole or minimally refined plant based foods. No meat, dairy, oil, or added sugar or refined grains.

Pros- I was able to discontinue medications for diabetes and hypertension within 3 weeks of beginning diet.

- dropped from 216 lbs to 145 lbs in nine months without counting calories, carbs, or exercising (I started exercising around 6 months in). The benefits of returning to a healthy weight are obvious, well known, and too numerous to list.

- I'm able to maintain my weight effortlessly and without any kind of calorie tracking

- Energy level went through the roof. This one is hard to quantify because you're going to have more energy when you lose weight. Nevertheless, my energy levels have only increased, not decreased as someone mentioned earlier in the thread.

- Libido returned to at or near teenage levels. I don't think I need to explain but my wife is happier.

- It's pretty fricking cheap. I know the prevailing wisdom is that it's expensive to eat plant based, and I guess it is if you're switching from eating value menu shite or processed frozen shite but if you're already eating halfway decent meat and dairy then you'll most likely see your bill go down if you don't eat a bunch of super exotic fruit or something.

There's more but I'm already writing a book...

Cons - It's not for the casual eater or someone who wants or needs to spend a minimum amount of time on their diet. This can be a very healthy way to live but you have to do it correctly. There are lots of resources out there but you have to use them. It helps to have an interest in nutrition because you're going to be spending a lot of time (at first) studying.

- Depending on where you live it can be nearly impossible to eat out. You can get sides and a salad at most places, but even ignoring meat, the use of sugar, oil, butter, and cheese in restaurant food puts most of it off-limits.

- The transition process is difficult for most people. Too difficult for most. I think something like 1/3 of people make it less than a month and fewer than 10% manage a year. That's just for vegans who still eat junk food and fake meat. I'd guess the numbers for WFPB are even lower. One of my pet peeves is vegans proclaiming how easy it is to be vegan. The numbers show that's not true.

- Time consuming. You have to make most of your food so if you don't like to cook that's a drawback. Luckily I enjoy it but even then it can be tedious once in a while.

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I trIed it for maybe 3 months but I stayed hungry all the time.Another issue is I love to deer hunt and I didn’t want to quit or shoot deer and have to give them away.We eat primarily venison or occasional wild hog.

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That's the beauty of plant-based as opposed to vegan. My neighbor is a hunter and gives us elk once in a while which I happily eat. I also eat the fish when I go fishing. Once in a while I'll have oysters. But altogether that's maybe 5-10 meals a year.

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I really believe a vegetarian diet is the best

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Why?

I don’t. But I do intermittent fasting and literally eat the same rotation of meals virtually every week.

I do Salmon twice a week with brown rice and broccoli. The rest of the time I do Chicken, another vegetable and another carb. Usually sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and whatever vegetable I’m feeling that night.

I do try to limit my red meat a lot, but I’ve tried plant based and it just didn’t work for me, but I love my greens, salads, and vegetables. I cook almost everything at home.

I’m 5’8 155 and stay pretty lean. I commend those who do a strict plant based diet though!

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There is no real science based reason to believe a vegetarian diet is best for humans.

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you're attempting to reason with a 70 year old man who doesn't know what the enter key on a keyboard does. You're wasting your time.

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I do try to limit my red meat a lot

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Why?