An HCLF vegan diet emphasises eating as many filling, plant-based carbs as you want, and I loved the freedom of that. And although I had tons of energy and felt really happy and vibrant, I just didn't feel satisfied — physically or emotionally.
I ate so many fresh salads, veggie- and grain-packed soups, smoothies, bowls of oatmeal, and more bananas than I care to share, but I didn't like that I felt hungry every few hours. Not eating enough fat was the reason registered dietitian Leslie Langevin, MS, author of The Anti-Inflammatory Kitchen Cookbook, said I was so hungry all the time.
I was also really sad to miss out on eating the fats I love, such as avocado toast, seeds on my salads, spoonfuls of nut butter, and foods made with flour and sugar like homemade vegan cookies (I love to bake!).
While eating a more whole, plant-based diet definitely made me feel good, I won't be continuing this HCLF vegan diet. What I will be doing is balancing out my macros a little more than I was, eating slightly fewer fats, upping my complex carbs, and still making room for homemade vegan pizza or cookies — a moderate-carb, moderate-fat vegan diet.
I'm so glad I did this little eating experiment. It's good to change things up every once in a while to make sure what you're doing is working for you. It was eye-opening to see what a huge part of my diet fats were, and how eating more carbs can make me feel better and increase my performance at the gym. And although I didn't get leaner, I feel like this new way of eating already has had such a positive impact on my lifestyle that I don't even care!