Hi NotAChick Ben. I think I can overlook the guy thing, but I'm still a newbie so I won't speak for anyone else.

Have you had beans yet? Might be a beans & salad dinner. I can't see how more steamed veggies would be harmful though.

I ate beans with my lunchtime salad. I think I overcooked them, since they were mushy.

I'm sitting down to my dinner now, and I can't help but feel strange gurglings and rumblings in my insides. I think I'll be able to do this, especially since tomorrow I shouldn't have the caffeine headache anymore.

Speaking of the caffeine headache... usually I get a more severe withdrawal headache when I haven't had caffeine. I wonder if all these nutrients I'm eating have diminished the symptoms.

Ben, Doesn't bother me your not a chick Welcome to the boards. Looks like you are off to a good start

JBrum1224- HI!! How is your day going?

Well I haven't eaten since lunch time. We have had the tummy flu going on in my home and tonight I became light headed and clamy. My tummy is not feeling well so I am passing on eating tonight. Don't want it to be a issue later. Hopefully, it is just a fluke and I feel better in the morning.

Well, it's the end of day one for me.

Dinner was a bit rough. I felt really full, but the taste of the steamed veggies and salad was not up to my expectations. Hopefully I will get used to the flavors of unsalted, unbuttered, unflavored veggies soon.

I think maybe my problem is that I'm overcooking everything. My red cabbage was a bit starchy, not crunchy. The kale was fine, but bitter (as I'm sure it's supposed to be). Does anyone know any tricks to using a bamboo steamer?

Thanks for the warm welcome.

Hey Jenset, hope you're feeling better today. I have read that when your body isn't working to digest food it is able to concentrate on healing itself. Maybe passing on dinner will give you the little boost to help kick that flu.

Ben, I know nothing about bamboo steamers, sorry, but unflavored veggies are a little sad. Maybe some Mrs. Dash type seasonings, they're salt-free and add loads of flavor. I saute most of my veggies. You can use a splash of veggie broth instead of oil to keep them from sticking and add some flavor. You could also try salt substitutes. They're made from potassium but taste similar to salt.

FYI, I am having kale & mustard greens for dinner tonight, I have been craving them for days. I saute mine in broth with loads of fresh garlic and crushed red peppers--sometimes some onions too.

Headaches! Headaches!

Here's a few things I'm withdrawing from that I think are causing the headaches:
-Caffeine
-Sugar
-Joy and happiness
-Ugh!

Just kidding about the last two. I'm sure I'll begin feeling better and more energetic soon.

I think I'll try adding Mrs. Dash to the steamed veggies tonight. I'm going to try to cook them a bit less so they're more crunchy and less soggy. One thing I have definitely learned already is that I HATE soggy cooked veggies.

What do you all think about eating an egg or two? What about Ezekiel sprouted bread (as the starch serving)? I want to be strict, but I also want to survive this thing long enough to fall in love with truly healthful eating.

I don't know off the top of my head where the book mentions this, but somewhere it states that you can have an egg white omlet once a week or maybe a couple times a month have some healthy fish. (And being a guy I think you will be fine with a small amount of very lean animal protein in the beginning while you establish this new way of eating.) but, obviously, keep an eye on it because technically the 6wks are supposed to be animal free I think.

Sorry I didn't get in here to post yesterday. I did great. Got all my meals in
The thing I didn't get in though was steamed veggies...I ate raw all day. I will try today.
My weigh ins are:
Day 1: 228
Day 2: 225.5**-2.5
Day 3: 224.5**-1.0

So 3.5 lb.s so far not bad I'll take it. I haven't noticed any chances yet. How long does that take? I actually think I can do this way of eating for the rest of my life. I am loving it so far

Ben - You are doing great

JBrum1224- your kale and mustard greens sound good

Going through today I have noticed that the pain I would get daily from diverticulitis is gone. Wonder if that is from this way of eating. So far today I have had a banana, apple and a nice salad. I need to get more water in. But off to a great start.

Ben - I don't know anything about the bamboo steamers. Sorry, no help there. Maybe you can google it and come up with something. How are you doing today?

Jenset, I think you're right about the new way of eating making you feel better. I think the high fiber content will do wonders. And 3.5 lbs in 3 days is a great start.

Unfortunately my greens last night were disappointing. Hubby had them ready when I got hime from work--so no complaints there---but he did mustard greens alone and the were overcooked. I think I like kale better so I'll try again soon.

JBrum - glad to hear you are feeling good too I am really enjoying this. I'm glad I found a site I can come to for support That was so nice of your hubby to make your veggies for you. Sorry they didn't turn out the best...but hey you didn't have to cook right..LOL

Ben -You haven't checked in yet today. How is it going?

Hey all. So, I must have been really foggy yesterday, because TODAY is day three for me!

So, guess what? I had a mild (but tolerable) headache all day today! Three days of headaches. But I admit that this is most likely because this change is really extreme for me. Sunday I was drinking coffee and eating eggs and bacon, and today I was drinking water and eating plums and oranges.

Jenset... thanks for your encouragement! Also, I think I've finally found the "sweet spot" for steaming veggies. It's only a minute difference between perfectly done and disgustingly soggy.
I did a double-take when I saw your numbers, since I started at 28 and was just at 25 (though in the 300s, not 200s). I realize a bunch of my weight is water, but that's okay since I feel a bit more freer, if that makes any sense.

JBrum... I still have local eggs (yum!) in my fridge, just in case. I haven't touched them yet, mostly because I like telling my friends that I'm 99.9% vegan! (1% fish oil capsules for omega 3s) My biggest challenge will be when I go back to the gym in a few days (once these darn headaches go away). I have whey protein powder, and I think I might take a scoop of this both before and after my workouts. If the dairy begins to make me feel bad, I will try eggs the next time.

Tonight I tried to bake some spaghetti squash, but I did something wrong, since the shreds were not moist and tasty. I didn't put any sauce on them, since I'm doing the strict version of the program. Think of the stuff that comes out of the paper shredder bin, and that's the taste and consistency of my spaghetti squash.

Last thing... my face flushed for about 20 minutes tonight. It had been at least 45 minutes since I ate, so I wonder what caused that reaction. Maybe it's not a bad reaction?

Have a great Thursday! You both (so far) are an inspiration to me to keep going with this. I'll check back tomorrow evening, as I have very busy workdays.

Ben- you are doing GREAT!! Keep working your plan I can't stand the taste of squash, not sure why, but YUCK...lol Hopefully, you will come up with something to keep it moist and tasty when cooking. I'm glad you found the right timing to cook your veggies That is always a plus. I know what you mean on the weight, I know mine is water too, but hey, it is less water that I am carrying around Got to like that

JBrum- I hope you have a great day today

I am starting to feel like a new person. I woke up this morning feeling energized. That hasn't happend oh since I was 25..lol Still loving this way of eating. Well I need to get my lunch and snacks around for today.

My weigh ins are:
Day 1: 228
Day 2: 225.5**-2.5
Day 3: 224.5**-1.0
Day 4: 223.5**-1.0

Ben & Jenset, Thank you both for checking in so frequently. That makes me do the same and forces me to stay on track so that I don't feel like a hipocrite. I did my 6 weeks in Feb/March 2010 and then started to move toward the 90% rule. Then I fell off the wagon and started to feel gross. So I restarted in January but overlooked my daily coffee and wine until this week. I've lost 2lbs so I know it makes a difference.

Ben, did you put water in the oven pan to steam the squash? I actually like it but I have heard from a lot of people that it varies greatly based on prep. Maybe a little vegan margerine and some other veggies mixed in?? They also make vegan protein powder, I don't know if it is all soy based, but I have seen it at netrition. As far as the flushing, did your face get really hot too? Mine does that occasionally but I haven't figured out the cause.

Jenset, I'm glad you're feel happy and healthy. Maybe by tomorrow morning you'll look like this.....

I will try water in the pan for the half of squash I have yet to cook. Thanks, JBrum.

Well, today I ate my fruit, veggies and beans. I craved more protein, though, so I put a bit of boiled egg on my salad. I have had a headache all day, with other aches and pains. My body needs more than I'm giving it. That's why I've decided to take the ideas of Dr. Fuhrman and combine them with the practical advice from a podcast I listen to, fat2fitradio.com. Fat2Fit advocates finding your BMR (the amount of calories you use if you were in a coma) and never eating below this amount. There's a BMR calculator on the website. The calculator calculates how many calories we need to eat at our GOAL weight, and-as long as it's not below our BMR--we eat this amount of calories. In time, our body will gradually lose the weight, safely and long-term.

I'm sorry to come and go so quickly, but I don't think my eating habits will be compatible to that of the strict E2L program, even though I will incorporate a lot of the concepts. Thanks, ladies, for your welcome and support, and I wish you the best of luck!!!

-Ben