By Rhonda Jones
Just got back from vacation so I am a little behind on writing. In my last column, I wrote about the Mary’s Mini eating plan and decided to try it for myself. I had heard that most of the participants in the ten day program lost about ten pounds. I only lost five pounds but I considered that to be a pretty positive thing as I did lose a little each day. I also added my cheese sauce that I make from oatmeal and some ranch dressing that I make. I do use a half cup of cashews in the ranch dressing so that may have slowed down the weight loss. Overall, I was pretty happy with losing five pounds in ten days. And, the plan is so easy to follow. I would recommend trying the Mary’s Mini to anyone wanting to start a plant based diet and also wanting to lose weight. Because of the simplicity of the plan and not ever having to be hungry, it makes it extremely easy to get started on a plant based program.
In order to lose weight we simply need to take in less calories than what we burn over the course of a day. It is as simple as that. Any diet that causes one to eat less calories will produce weight loss. So densely caloric foods will not help with weight loss unless they are drastically restricted. In most weight loss plans, that is the logic. Because oil and animal protein is rich in calories, then other foods have to be eliminated to bring the calorie count low enough to produce weight loss.
But when the diet consists primarily of nutrient rich, low calorie, low fat foods, much more food can be eaten and still maintain a substantial weight loss. In the case of Mary’s Mini, potatoes are normally the preferred starch. Their calorie count is minimal, about 100 calories for a medium size potato. They are packed with nutrients such as Folate, B6, Vitamin C and potassium and contain fiber but no cholesterol or fat. When eaten with non- starchy vegetables, the calorie count is really low but the nutrient count goes way up so lots of food can be consumed with only minimal calories and little to no fat or cholesterol. Adding non- fat condiments and salt substitutes keeps the fat intake low and calories low so this is why most people doing the Mary’s Mini can eat all the food they want and still lose a lot of weight.
Most highly restrictive diets can only be done for a short period and ten days is the suggested amount of time for the Mary’s Mini eating plan. But, could it safely be done longer? The answer is yes but I would suggest a few modifications. I really enjoyed the eating regimen but adding some rich protein sources would be a good idea for the long haul. I suggest one cup of beans a day and maybe a soy product either soy milk, edamame or tofu. Tempeh would also be a good source of protein. For long term, more protein is definitely needed. Some raw nuts would also be a good addition and I would vary the starch as well. Try millet, brown rice, quinoa even corn. Big salads are great for nutrition and weight loss and, with winter approaching some warm vegetable bean soup is perfect.
In conclusion, I really loved the simple eating plan with the Mary’s Mini and will do it again for sure. Simple food, easy prep and good nutrition.
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