“I love eating this way because I am not hungry ever!”

By: Tish Lambert

I have been overweight if not obese my whole life. I have been on a lot of different diets, including straight calorie restriction, Body For Life, and Atkins. I’ve also just tried eating a healthy diet (aka eating less junk food and less processed foods). I exercised regularly, biking 6-8 miles to and from schools I attended, played soccer, and was on Church sports teams.

By high school I was tired of the fad diets and just exercising wasn’t working. I remember researching the Word of Wisdom in high school. I wanted to stop doing everything man’s way and start doing it God’s way. I read it over and over. It was hard to understand all the components, like what does herb mean and what exactly is sparingly? How do I know what seasons everything grows in? So, I went back to calorie restriction/counting and trying to eat less processed food. I had success on a diet that balanced carbs and protein or meat, but I was hungry a lot, and my cheat days frequently extended to cheat weekends. I felt like that diet taught me to starve and binge.

In 2014, I stumbled upon Forks Over Knives on Netflix. It felt like the spirit was screaming, “THIS IS THE WORD OF WISDOM!” It felt like the Word of Wisdom explained with medical proof. I wanted to change right then, but my life was too crazy. In the next two years I ended up moving three times across the country, finishing one pregnancy, and starting another. I continued researching how to get nutrients like calcium, omega 3s & 6s, vitamin B12, and probiotics on a plant-based diet.

About 5 years ago, post-partum, I was obese. I needed to lose 50-60 lbs. I knew that being in the obese category meant my risk for every disease went up. I believed in the Word of Wisdom and Forks Over Knives, but I tried the ketogenic diet next as a vegetarian. I lost weight, but I was so hungry all the time, and I got sick of tofu, eggs, and cheese.

After reading The Forks Over Knives Plan, a 4-week transition program, I jumped into a whole food, plant-based or WOW way of eating sometime between July-October of 2016. I discovered I love eating this way because I am not hungry ever. I can eat as much as I want and as often as I want. My first indication that anything was happening was when my skirt fell off while I was walking around my house. I threw it out. I thought it was the elastic until I measured myself.

I didn’t take a before picture, my weight measurements, or the start date because I had done that with every other diet, and I had lost faith in diets. I wasn’t trying to lose weight. I wanted to just follow the Word of Wisdom and clear out a blood clot. We didn’t even own a scale. But here are the approximate changes I’ve experienced:

Weight loss: 75 lbs

Waist: down 16”

Hips: down 13”

A few months ago, my younger sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, and a few weeks ago I found out I have the same two genes. This is a huge motivator for more research, more adherence, and more gratefulness for the spirit pressing me to follow this way of eating. God gave me this precious, miraculous, self-healing body as a gift to me. I show my gratitude for it by how I treat it.

Some obstacles I’ve faced include:

• Lack of time to meal plan, make shopping lists, cook, and exercise in-between raising young children and occasionally being bedridden (pregnancy, breastfeeding, or injuries).
• Social pressure from unsupportive/combative family (primary and extended), teasing (family, church members, strangers), and having to explain myself in every situation.
• Figuring out what to eat. Thinking it was only salads and vegetables, not knowing any recipes, how to store and rotate produce, how to cook beans and batch cook, how to make the food taste good.
• Being watched and judged by others for my new body, having to hide part of my testimony (no one wants the details), and having others cook for me.

Here are some reasons why I continue:

• Spiritual changes. This is a way to worship God and show gratitude for my own body. I have more energy to serve others. I’m more open to revelation from God, have more in-depth insights to the scriptures, more passion for life, and a stronger testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet. I feel this in my bones, and I can eat this way with peace and calmness in my heart toward animals, plants, the planet, and starving children around the world.
• Physical changes. No more IBS, constipation, daily heartburn, nausea, stomach cramps, or cycling yeast infections. I have improved eye sight and need less sleep. I now have sustained weight loss of 50+ lbs for more than 3 years plus. Prevention and treatment for gout, more flexibility and quicker recovery time from runs/injuries. I have more energy to play with the kids.
• Family changes. The children now have a normal BMI (the oldest was obese). They make better choices because they know the difference in how they feel, and their taste buds have changed. They are not eating processed cereals, snacks, candy, etc. Even when we give them the choice to select vegan junk food, they often choose homemade treats, and they are happy to eat as much as they want and not feel sick! We all have better moods and improved dental health. My husband agrees with me philosophically and only rarely eats cheese, oil, or meat. This is huuuuge!
• Unexpected changes. Easier clean up in the kitchen, more understanding of the struggle of others, opportunities to help people transition, no more stress about being overweight, spending less time cooking, lower food bills, and weight loss not being dependent on exercise.

Reading the Word of Wisdom this year has been even more eye opening. I now understand that herb is an old word that means plants. In order to eat in season, I buy most of my produce at farmer’s markets. I also learned that produce eaten in its season bought at the farmer’s market contains up to 80% more nutrients and all of the beneficial enzymes are higher too. How wise it is to eat them in season! And now I understand sparingly to mean only eat animals if it will save your life because of the phrase in verse 13 that says, “and it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used…” It then goes on to say twice between verse 13 and 15 to only eat them in times of famine.

This new revelation, coupled with other scriptures from the Bible, has helped me understand the Word of Wisdom so much better. In the heading of the Joseph Smith translation of Genesis 9 it says, “Man is accountable for shedding the blood of animals and of men.” This hit me hard. I feel regret and remorse for all the animals that I have caused to be killed, and I have no desire to do that again. In verse 11 of JST Genesis 9 it says,

And surely, blood shall not be shed, only for meat, to save your lives; and the blood of every beast will I require at your hands.

So, now my understanding is to only eat meat when it is to save my life. This is the spirit that we are to eat animals in: with sorrow at the loss of their lives and profound gratitude that God has provided a way for us to live through famines. The story of Daniel was also pretty eye opening. He refused the king’s meat and alcohol for pulse instead, which I learned was grain mixed with vegetables. Daniel then enjoys all the same blessings promised in the Word of Wisdom.

My testimony of Joseph Smith as a prophet is now stronger. I know God is the same before, now, and always, so His requirements are the same.

Down about 30 lbs here, with my husband and three of our children.

Tish Lambert (36) lives in Olivehurst, California with her husband and 4 daughters (10, 6, 4, and 15 months) who they homeschool. She has a BA and enjoys writing and researching nutrition and trying new recipes for fun.