This is my story of how I went from looking pregnant to having a flat belly in a few months. I didn’t have to exercise, I just made one major change in my diet.

There are some unhealthful fats that are in cheese, meats, and eggs that tend to get put into storage by the body. There are various ways that people store fat; their abdomen, thighs, and overall body. By making one dietary change, it’s possible to have much of this disappear even if you use some fat or olive oil a little bit.

Getting a Flat Belly in a Few Months

I became convinced that all disease comes from the animals, so I totally eliminated all animal products and animal ingredients from my diet. You can read the whole story at this link.

Prior to this discovery, I used to say “a little is OK.” I figured in my Mormon religion that the word “sparingly” meant a little of something from an animal everyday and week.

I liked the animal products and that was my rationalization to have it more often than I truly believed or interpreted from my reading of the Word of Wisdom.

Anyway, I was really motivated and excited to try the vegan diet for health and religious reasons. I eliminated all my cheating here and there. I became really picky about ingredients.

But, I picked up a bad habit of including the vice of sugar and white flour. Normally, I tried to eat a high-fiber diet and avoid sugar, but now, I had to have something evil to maintain my sanity.

I started having chocolate, but it had to be dark chocolate without milkfat or milk. I allowed myself to have the candies that were vegan too. Then, I found some hard rolls in my local grocery store at Lin’s that had no animal ingredients. And, I also found some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies there that qualified as vegan.

We had a really tight budget, so at home I was grinding wheat and making whole wheat breads. I cooked up brown rice, potatoes, and bean dishes. I spent a lot of time reading, trying new recipes, and using our food storage.

When I went to the store, I got some fruits and vegetables and came home feeling rich that I had $20 to spend. I was doing a total vegan diet and much to my surprise, my tummy went flat, I didn’t get colds or flus anymore, and I had a new energy as never before to want to exercise.  Normally, I’m a sedentary person.

I’ve always been at my ideal weight, even though my tummy can fluctuate between looking kind of pregnant or being flat. I’m a slow eater, I don’t eat as much as the average person, and I’ve always preferred a high-fiber diet.

Eating the sugar and white flour goodies didn’t seem to affect my health. But, it did give me cavities. It was a lot of fun at first, however, after visiting the dentist and paying for dental work, I was more careful for a few years.

Getting a Pop Belly Again

Some major trials happened in my life. And, I found it hard to really care about my life that much anymore.

Sometimes, decisions that your teenagers make can be disappointing. Then, there are the usual marriage challenges and financial problems that everyone faces now and then. And, it can also be hard when you include someone as a partner in a business venture and then have that go bad.

My kids brought animal products and junk food in the house. The foods were extremely tempting, especially since I’d gone without them for so long. I started cheating with the diet here and there, a little bit then a little bit more.

When you open the door to dietary cheating, it seems to just keep getting a little wider over time. And, you can see from this cooking video that I have a pop belly again. It doesn’t help that I also wore the worst pink sweater that naturally pokes out in the wrong places.

Getting Motivated and Picking Up the Pieces

My older kids are doing better as they are getting their lives in order, and loving the Lord and the scriptures. My husband and I have learned a lot, having taken many marriage classes, watched marriage videos from the library and thrift store, and read books by Dr. Laura and other authors.

The Chinese word for “trial” is “door of opportunity”.

I actually enjoy working now. I’ve adjusted to my new life and don’t cry anymore when I’m learning new computer stuff at school like I did at first. And, I try to not think about a certain past friend.

I do what I can to keep myself motivated and turn to the Lord in stressful times. Reading the Book of Mormon is really helpful, I have been greatly inspired by many parts; Ether 12 and  Moroni 7.  Alma 37:36-37 is one of my favorites:

36 Yea, and ^acry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy ^bdoings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy ^cthoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

37 ^aCounsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for ^bgood; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the ^cmorning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

Wow, these scriptures are only a few of many very inspirational parts of a book that I really love and depend on daily.

It’s easy to get a flat belly and look a little better by doing the  vegan diet 100% again.  Animal fats that are abundant in any animal product tend to pack on the body over time. “The fat you eat is the fat you wear.” (Dr. McDougall says that in his Maximum Weight Loss book.)

Sadness and disappointments in life can make it hard to hang in there sometimes. But, with the Lord and some personal effort, things will get better.