About 4 years ago I decided that I needed to lose some weight… a lot of weight actually. I weighed 180 pounds and the ideal weight for my body size is about 130 pounds. I tried many different weight loss formula shakes and meal plans but nothing worked for me. After many months of trying and not seeing any results I decided to take some advice from a close friend of mine who had managed to lose a lot of weight and keep it off.

I became a vegetarian and only ate mostly USDA certified organic foods (about 90% of my diet). At first it was a little odd, not eating many things I was used to, but after a while I started noticing the weight just drifting away and I had a lot more energy than ever! I was paying a little bit more for food than I was used to, but wow was I seeing results!

It’s now 4 years later and I’m still a vegetarian and still eating organics and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. I lost 55 pounds (I’m 125 pounds now) and all I had to do was start eating better. It’s also nice that I now find myself trying all sorts of interesting ethnic foods that I never had any interest in before, this whole experience has really opened up a whole new world of food options for me.

So to sum it up, the secret to weight loss isn’t some magic pill or nutrition shake. All you have to do is eat better foods (eat as much as you like too!) and you will lose weight. Don’t starve yourself, don’t give up chocolate or ice cream, just eat vegetarian and eat organic and you will see the results you want.

-Matt

During the summer of 2004, I lost around 13 lbs. I went from 130 to 117, at my lowest. Although 130 may not sound like alot, I’m 5′3. I altered my lifestyle pretty drastically. I became vegetarian: no fish, meat, gelatin. I also started exercising on a daily basis, mainly Tae Bo. Every night, after work and dinner, I would do about 45 min to an hour of Tae Bo. If I was too sleepy, I made sure to wake up a little earlier the next morning to exercise.

The good thing about the Tae Bo collection is that if you aren’t up to an hour’s workout, you can choose to do the 20 or 30 or 45 minute workout instead. Working out definitely gave me more energy. Before I started Tae Bo, I was a little drained from going vegetarian cold turkey – wasn’t properly advised in what I should eat at the time.

I began to see the results in three to four weeks. However, I could feel the results in less than two weeks, specifically in my sides. In about a month, I went from a size 6/8 to a 2/4. My waist was definitely trimmer, my arms were toner, and my legs were more slender. I stopped doing Tae Bo consistently after a year and a half, when I took up fencing. That helps to keep the fat off too. I have gained some weight though from muscle, but no one can tell appearance wise. I am still a vegetarian and have learned to eat healthier. I now yo-yo from 123 to 125.

When I’m not fencing, like during the summer, I’ll either put in a Tae Bo video or do some cardio, such as running or the gym. I haven’t run enough to see much of a difference, but I feel greater energy when I run than when I Tae Bo. Tae Bo videos are real easy to find. I bought a pack of four videos at Walmart. I’ve also seen them at Target. You can always get them from Billy Blanks’ webpage or Amazon.com if all else fails.

If you want to become a healthy vegetarian, your body will thank you. Though chips and cookies are “vegetarian friendly,” they don’t count.

-Kristan