Eating More Plants Helped This Woman Lose 139 Pounds! How to Enjoy Your Own Plant-Based Weight Loss

We have good news for anyone who has tried countless diets, only to be disappointed by the lack of results. First for Women reader Esther Loveridge was in your same position, until she started adding more plants to her meals, an approach some people call eating on a “plant slant.” That’s right: A total body transformation may be easier and more natural than you ever imagined. In fact, research shows major weight loss and health benefits come from eating 30 different plants per week. Esther reveals, “Getting healthy can be so simple!” Keep reading to learn about Esther’s amazing 139-pound whole-foods plant-based weight loss success story, and how you can start your own plant powered eating plan today.

Plant-based success story: Esther lost 139 pounds and got off 5 medications 

In pain and grasping for answers, Esther Loveridge felt convinced that having a knee replacement surgery would help her in the long term. But her plan hit a roadblock when her doctor told her, “You need to lose 70 pounds before you can have this surgery.”

As a lifelong dieter, the Sacramento, California native wasn’t optimistic she could lose the weight on her own. But then a friend recommended adopting whole, plant-based foods into her diet. Esther admits, “At first, I counted calories, afraid to eat too much.” But following The McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss, Esther realized she could eat a plentiful amount of plants like oatmeal, sweet potatoes, beans, rice, vine-ripened tomatoes, squash and snap peas, all being effective for weight loss.

Esther’s success inspired more weight loss wins

It worked! By flooding her system with a multitude of plant sources, Esther shed a total of 17 belly inches — dropping from a clothing size of 26 to 6. She also reversed her prediabetes and got off five prescription medications. She even took weight off her painful knee joints, which was the reason she was told by a doctor to lose weight in the first place. She cheers, “This saved my life. I avoided double knee replacement.”

That’s not all: Esther’s husband Ben followed along in those plant-eating patterns, and he lost 70 pounds! Esther reports, “Ben no longer is on meds or his sleep apnea machine, simply by eliminating animals, dairy and oil from his diet.” She praises, “He is 78 and works in our yard every morning and goes to the gym as well. Lots of energy!”  

Today Esther says, ‘It’s never too late to start!’

“It is amazing what we can accomplish by eating plants,” says Esther. “I increased my energy and improved my gut biome through the ‘magic’ of following a whole-food, plant-based diet.” She says, “Getting healthy can be so simple. I didn’t even start until I was 72.”

Esther is now the author of From Donuts…to Potatoes: My 366 Day Journey on a Plant Based Diet. She also runs a Facebook wellness group called Esther’s Nutritional Journey, with 17,000+ members. And she’s maintained her weight for more than five years. She says, “This is the greatest maintenance program ever.” She cheers,  “I’m doing better than ever!”

Benefits to trying plant-based eating for yourself

There are endless health and lifestyle perks that come with eating more fruits and veggies. Here are just a few highlights…

• Improved gut health

Thanks to the fiber in plants, people often notice a dramatic improvement in gastrointestinal symptoms. They also build a stronger, healthier gut lining and gut microbiome.

• Decreased pain

Since plants are natural anti-inflammatory foods, people often feel diminished joint pain and body aches. And this can be life changing. Stephen Perrine, author of The Full-Body Fat Fix, says, “When you control your inflammation, you control your destiny.”

• Financial savings

Eating affordable plants like beans — instead of pricier items like meats — helps many grocery shoppers save money each week. Research shows you can save $500 a year by following a plant-based diet.

3 Ways to start plant-based protocols for yourself

1. Try the Full-Body Fat Fix plan, which recommends eating 30 different plants per week
2. Try a one-month elimination diet like Plant-Based Whole30 
3. Try The McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss, created by the beloved plant-based eating pioneer John McDougall, MD

Bonus plant-based health tip: Store produce in glass containers

Recent research reveals that microplastics from the environment are making their way into the human body and affecting our gut health. A Columbia University team publishing in the journal Proceedings of the National Society of Sciences identified a quarter of a million microplastic particles in a single container of bottled drinking water. “Accumulating microplastics in the body can also lead to inflammatory changes that contribute to weight gain,” says gut expert Vincent Pedre, MD, author of The GUTSmart Protocol. His advice to help protect yourself? Avoid plastic food storage containers. Instead: “Rewind the clock to the 1970s and go back to glass containers.”

Keep scrolling for more inspiring weight loss content!

Intermittent Fasting for Menopause Helps Women over 50 Lose Weight Effortlessly

Yogurt Diet Helped This Woman Shed 105 Pounds! Plus, Tips On How to Have Your Own Dairy Weight Loss Success Story

The Latest Dr. Barnard Diet Features Foods That Power Off Pounds: Beans, Berries and More