When it comes to successful and sustainable weight loss, it’s essential to make good choices and pair them with a lot of discipline. We’re here today with an inspiring story about Shauné Hayes from Upper Marlboro, MD, who lost an impressive 100 pounds by incorporating certain “Power Foods” into her diet.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about Power Foods and Hayes’s motivational journey. And when you’re finished, be sure to check out Here’s How Much Water You Should Drink Every Day To Lose Weight.
What is the Power Foods Diet all about?
Before we delve into Hayes’s journey, it’s important to learn what the Power Foods Diet is all about. Dr. Neal Barnard, MD, FACC, discusses Hayes’s journey in his new book, The Power Foods Diet, which will debut in March 2024. He tells Eat This, Not That! that trying to shed unwanted pounds via calorie restriction can be challenging. Plus, it’s completely unsustainable.
“By Wednesday, you’re ready to eat the sofa,” Dr. Barnard says. “The process of restriction often leads to cravings and impulsive overeating. After the diet ends, the weight often comes back, sometimes beyond the starting point. For people who succeed at cutting calories long-term, the result is often reduced metabolism, which makes weight loss more frustrating.”
The benefit of the Power Foods Diet is all about the three key qualities in the Power Foods. They leave you feeling satisfied by consuming fewer calories, they detain calories in your digestive tract prior to absorption, and they boost your metabolism so you torch calories more quickly even hours after you finish a meal.
Enter Shauné Hayes, who embarked on the Power Foods Diet for her weight-loss journey.
Hayes, who weighed 278 pounds before her 100-pound weight loss, is not a novice when it comes to dieting. In fact, she’s been dieting since she was an adolescent.
“For years, I counted calories and restricted and weighed food,” Hayes tells us. “I also was dealing with several chronic health problems at the time, including hypertension, elevated cholesterol, prediabetes, arthritis, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. I began to fear that I’d never be able to enjoy the foods I love. I’d lose weight and it would come right back. Finally, in 2017, a health scare prompted my journey to a whole food, plant-based lifestyle.”
Hayes now weighs 178 pounds and says the quality of her life has majorly improved “just by fixing the food.”
What drew Hayes to the Power Foods Diet?
Hayes tells Eat This, Not That! her motive was all about the health benefits. “Once I began to rely on [the Power Foods] to build meals, I started noticing increased energy, alertness and focus, and improved digestion,” she explains. “These foods are nutrient-dense, low in calories, and high in protein and fiber. I felt satiated eating them. The more I incorporated these foods into my diet, the more my health problems started to dissipate.”
The six Power Foods that helped Hayes lose 100 pounds:
Six major Power Foods helped Hayes achieve weight loss: cinnamon, berries, oatmeal, lentils, beans, and leafy greens (such as kale, collards, and spinach). She consumes them daily to maintain her health and weight.
What are the go-to meals in a day in the life of Hayes?
Get ready for some healthy, tasty meal inspiration, all based on the Power Foods Diet, courtesy of Hayes. “A typical breakfast for me is steel-cut oats with cinnamon and blueberries or a berry smoothie with kale, spinach, and ginger,” she says. “For lunch, I often have a mixed green salad with tomatoes, colored bell peppers, and beans or lentils, topped with balsamic vinegar. For dinner, I love having a roasted meal of sweet potatoes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, shallots, and chickpeas. I top it with a garlic-mustard sauce made from roasted garlic blended with tahini, almond milk, Dijon mustard, and fresh thyme.” Yum!
Alexa Mellardo
Alexa is the Mind + Body Deputy Editor of Eat This, Not That!, overseeing the M+B channel and delivering compelling fitness, wellness, and self-care topics to readers. Read more about Alexa
