I Ate NO Junk Food for 30 days. This is what happened.

[@mattzilla331]

Nice. I am currently doing this. I originally went vegan and on the mcdougall diet about 10 years ago for health. Lost 50 pounds in 9 months and felt fantastic. Then I started venturing into the vegan processed foods and gained about 30 back plus some health problems like Heartburn. I been eating pretty clean again since February-ish and down 15 pounds. What you put in your body really does make a difference.

[@NoEggCraig]

Yeah especially if you go overboard. But good for you getting back on track!

[@SandraOranje]

Hi Craig. I basicly did the same in August 2023, and I'm still doing it. I gained much more energy, and to this day, I've lost over 40 pounds and dropped two sizes in clothing. Everything I eat is whole grain, no more white bread, crackers, noodles, pasta, or rice. I even found a restaurant that offers meals you can adjust to your own needs. Whole grain noodles or rice, with as many veggies to your liking and choice. My grocery list totally changed. I buy lots of veggies, fruits, beans, yogurt, and no more candy. I have not eaten chocolate since 2023. I found a healthier replacement for it. If I crave the taste of chocolate, I eat a high protein chocolate pudding. It tastes like chocolate, but it has nothing to do with chocolate. No sugar, low in fats, and it ads to my needed proteins. I don't want to change back. I'm so used to this now. Do I have cravings, yes, of course. Every once in a while, you can give into that, but just a small portion. That also helps not giving up on the changes I've made in my life. Just keep the whole grain things on your list, and it will already make a difference without giving up on everything. Glad to see you gave it a chance, but you've made it extremely hard for yourself. 😉😁❤

[@NoEggCraig]

Good for you! That's awesome! And yes I did Nightmare mode when I should have done just kinda difficult mode 😂

[@byronmurphy1977]

Great job Sandra.

[@toppinzr3743]

One can buy chocolate artificial flavor, too. It's pretty good. I get that and other artificial flavors from a company called Deiman. That allows me to enjoy a lot of flavors of foods I can't eat bc of allergies.

[@MrNioMoon]

I found this to be an informative and inspirational video. Kudos to you, Craig! 😁

[@NoEggCraig]

Thanks Antonio!

[@kirstenrissling879]

Self -control is so rewarding! Good for you! You're earning that pride in yourself! 🙌

[@NoEggCraig]

Thanks!

[@thatgirlinokc3975]

Good to know it can be done. Really glad I don’t have to do it! Moderating what I eat works for me. Restrictive diets can be a slippery slope for people with eating disorders.

[@NoEggCraig]

I agree, I much prefer just eating mostly healthy most of the time

[@coffeemug3009]

I'm on a WFPB too, with no sugar, white flour and oil too. But I'm enjoying the diet more. I think the key is cooking. Understanding flavours while still keeping with healthy food rules. I substitute refined sugar with dates and sweet fruits. Not using oil is easy by cooking lots of stews, soups and Asian stirfrys (using water as lubricant). Which is also good for batch cooking & meal prep. I also use Nori, rice paper, lattuce & homemade lentil/oat/chickpea tortilla for wraps. Being Asian, I eat rice almost everyday. But I also eat boiled or roasted potatoes, especially sweet potatoes for my carbs. The key is always the seasonings with a variety of herbs, spices and aromatics. I streamlined my morning by eating oats with fresh fruits and chia seeds. I make smoothies too. I cut dinner altogether by intermittent fasting, it helps me to rest my stomach at night. By the way, I follow a mix of Starch Solution (by Dr John Mcdougall) and raw vegan diet. The diet encourages you to eat until full with food that are not calorie-dense & are at its nutritional peak (for raw fruits and vegetables). I no longer crave any of those junk food.

[@NoEggCraig]

Sounds like you found something that really works for you!

[@coffeemug3009]

@@NoEggCraig having said that, I think it is also important to leave 10-20% of my diet with some wiggle room for other food. I do occasionally snack or eat out with friends or feast during the holidays, and i make my diet less strict. To me, that is probably more sustainable. Most diet fail because many people make it too hard to follow and beat themselves up when they ended up binging.

[@sowmindful1501]

Now I’m glad you did it for a month, but I personally don’t think that’s enough time to really notice much of a difference - especially when it comes to letting your taste buds neuroadapt away from processed sugar. It usually takes anywhere from 2-4 months for that to happen. In the first month, your dopamine receptors were most definitely still craving sweets. I recently fell into the trap of having some refined sugar in my diet, and it most definitely changed my taste preference, and even had me craving nicotine again, which is bizarre since I’ve been nicotine free since Christmas 2022, with no cravings, until I reintroduced refined sugar - now that I’m back off the refined sugars, the cravings suuuuuuuuck.

[@ima7333]

You can allow yourself a small slice of birthday cake on people’s birthdays. You could also cut oil whenever you cook at home. That way you could eat whatever you want when you dine out.

[@NoEggCraig]

Exactly! I agree, that's what I'm planning on doing going forward now that the challenge is over

[@ima7333]

@@NoEggCraig maybe for the next challenge you should do Dr McDougall diet for a month. I lasted for a whole year before falling off the wagon and it took me just a week to get back on. Personally i found the oil free is super challenging when dining out & in social setting but manageable.

[@NoEggCraig]

@@ima7333 yeah oil free is even harder than sugar free because it's in everything. Even things you wouldn't expect!

[@skyebrock7406]

I always wondered how old you are. I turn 32 in August! Been following your channel a while as I became vegan early 2017, but I stopped late 2020. You have a wonderful family.

[@NoEggCraig]

Thanks!

[@harpo2304]

Very fun video, Craig! Thanks for sharing

[@NoEggCraig]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@sowmindful1501]

Good job, Craig! I’ve been avoiding oil for almost 5 years now, and it’s something I never want to intentionally add back into my diet - I just feel so much better eating whole plant foods.

[@NoEggCraig]

Good for you finding what works!

[@sowmindful1501]

@@NoEggCraig Thanks, and likewise. I wanna be the healthiest Vegan I can be for as long as I can be.

[@ajvintage9579]

Great and funny video Craig! I wonder what your before and after blood labs would have looked like? The best point I learned was that eating Whole Foods reduces your grocery expenses. And I agree eliminating all convenience foods is not worth it in the long run. Thanks for sharing!

[@NoEggCraig]

Yeah me too to see if anything changed significantly on the inside

[@PippiLong1]

I give you lots of credit for having the power to do the challenge. I find the older I get, I have troubles keeping on the food challenges for just a couple of days. I did notice that when I avoided sugar for a week, my cravings for sugar diminished. However once I added sugar, the cravings were back full fold. Great Video!

[@NoEggCraig]

It's like opening the flood gates!

[@firstlast-js5yw]

I have been recently diagnosed with an incurable rare disease. I was reading Dr Esselstyn’s book and decided to cut out oils! This is an interesting video, thank you for your honesty!

[@NoEggCraig]

Thanks! Good luck with your autoimmune disease journey!

[@susanvolanth9315]

Kudos I gave up sweets went heavy on grapes, never stopped craving sugar/candy. Eat candy everyday now. I learned moderation is the key for me.

[@NoEggCraig]

Grapes: nature's candy

[@Intuitivelygifted]

It can take time to notice a difference. I’ve been eating 50% raw fruits and vegetables for a month and don’t notice a big difference but I remember when I used to do 90% raw vegan I would feel euphoric and higher than drugs with lots more energy and other benefits but it takes time.

[@NoEggCraig]

Interesting, I was 100% raw vegan for almost a year and never felt like that 😂

[@Intuitivelygifted]

@@NoEggCraig Were you keeping it very low fat? A lot of nuts and seeds didn’t make me feel good. Also It took me years to get to that level. You keep feeling better and better until your mind explodes lol

[@NoEggCraig]

@@Intuitivelygifted Yes, I was following 80/10/10. I definitely felt good, but just not like euphoric or something

[@ajvintage9579]

I suspect that euphoric feeling is from being in a kind of fasting state due to not enough calories.

[@Intuitivelygifted]

@@ajvintage9579 I was eating 3000 calories a day

[@daniellevine6131]

Love the honesty and cool challenge. I might do no oil, no sugar one month over the summer. I agree that social gatherings are the most difficult part. Love to see you back on youtube! I'm going to Costa Rica over the summer hope its as good as your trip was!

[@NoEggCraig]

Yeah over the summer should be even easier and more enjoyable with a bunch of seasonal fresh fruit! And I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun in Costa Rica!

[@kmm129]

I remember your past struggles. Craig- you rock (& roll.)

[@NoEggCraig]

Thank you!

[@jooshivegan]

You went back in hard with that slab of cake. 😂

[@NoEggCraig]

My friend cut everyone MASSIVE slices 😂

[@jooshivegan]

They didn’t want leftovers I guess. 😂 The video made me laugh. Thanks!

[@lyndsiecollis]

As a fellow upstate New Yorker, I could tell you were from upstate before you specifically mentioned it. 😂 Just discovered your videos, subbed!😊

[@NoEggCraig]

Welcome! I swear we don't have accents though 😂 how could you tell?

[@gm7304]

Dude I'm Gregg the Egg. 4.5 years whole foods. You totally Rock! This video gets a 10 Thank You. Great job.

[@NoEggCraig]

Haha thanks so much man!

[@MissChristineMusic]

Libraries, ftw!

[@NoEggCraig]

Absolutely!

[@missyvanwinkle9247]

I would *love* to have you do a deep dive into your food budget!! I'm only vegetarian so I eat dairy & eggs, and I couldn't spend $450 if I tried. I started a budget 6-8 years ago and just took a wild stab at how much for groceries & household sundries: $200-$225. But last summer I decided to "cash stuff" and spend only cash from an envelope in my wallet. What a surprise! On average, I'm somewhere around $125-$150. Of course you're fueling a larger, younger body so I get that, but I'd still love to have you spend a show going over what your food budget buys just so I could "look under the hood" and compare.

[@NoEggCraig]

It was definitely protein bars and unnecessary protein drinks, plus $300 at restaurants haha plus sometimes I have to buy expensive specialty items for recipe videos or make a kinda expensive recipe multiple times. Once for the video and once again for the thumbnail because I forgot to take it the first time 😂😭

[@mycousinscamper]

Thanks for making this video! Curious if you noticed any physique changes (guessing not since it wasn’t mentioned), and since your energy was the same guessing no change in performance at the gym? Really curious about these two things as they may relate to me. Thanks so much :)

[@NoEggCraig]

I actually had an unrelated shoulder injury at the time so could only do cardio and legs 🙃

[@mycousinscamper]

@@NoEggCraig Awww bummer, been there and that is no fun

[@NoEggCraig]

@@mycousinscamper but after some PT I'm back to lifting more and workouts are going great!

[@maddieadams75]

Interesting that you didn’t feel better or worse. Thanks for sharing ❤ I don’t consume much sugar. I do notice I usually do feel very good after eating Candy.

[@NoEggCraig]

You do feel very good? For like 15 minutes before you crash? 😂 Or was that a typo?

[@abouttime837]

Going no sugar when your parents own a candy store is like reverse willy wonka it’s a little funny

[@NoEggCraig]

It kinda is 😂

[@lindamcneil711]

Eating whole food is super essential… we mostly eliminated many processed foods, including breads, sugars… No sugar… great. No oil… your body needs fats… it is what transfers fat soluble vitamins and minerals. Additionally, your nerves and heart needs healthy fats. So it really depends on what type oils you are eating, sed oils, manufactured oils are damaging to your body, natural fats like coconut oil, olive oil, lard, butter… these are good for the body, oils with omega 3 are better. If you are vegan, I would focus getting more mushrooms, nutriental yeast, sprouts, nuts and seeds like chia,quinoa, and other things like that. Nuts and seeds do well for quick snack attacks. I keep a small bag in my purse. We also do a lot of whole fruits, apples, peaches, and berries. The gas is a change issue. Dates have more allulose and needs to go slowly. I would not give them up. To be honest, I was vegetarian/vegan for a while, and found it was really protein that I needed for energy. I do best with about 100 gms of protein a day, minimum.

[@MsVNG]

Next time you do a challenge, a what you eat in a week check-ins with food ideas would be helpful to see how you survived or overcame any obstacles.

[@NoEggCraig]

I think the reason it sucked so much for me was because I was being so lazy with the cooking 😂 you don't wanna see the meals I was eating. It was literally rice, beans, TVP and salsa for like 2/3 meals a day which is really my own doing haha. But yes if I was more ambitious with the cooking I think what you said would have certainly added to the video.

[@pennylynch913]

I'd like to try this too Craig. 😅 eating out gets addictive and expensive! Fast food used to be cheap! Not anymore!

[@NoEggCraig]

Haha yeah it's good to take a break every once in a while

[@chipnewkie4307]

Hey Craig thanks for the video…just curious about those exotic fruits and which ones if any were worth the price to try?

[@NoEggCraig]

I got a lot of tomato and lemon type things, those weren't worth it haha, the dragon fruit was definitely good though. It wasn't included in this box, but my favorite exotic fruit is cherimoya

[@Tmh-523]

Curious about which brand(s) of protein bars were the ones that you were missing so much?

[@NoEggCraig]

I love the No Cow ones! Especially the peanut butter cup one. Some of them are kind of Hit or Miss but usually the chocolate covered ones are really good. The taste is definitely good but what I like the most is just the convenience of it. So really any protein bar will supply that haha

[@terrynhemken5635]

When you switched to vegan to combat your autoimmune disease was there like certain vegan foods that you did you not include certain foods because they are inflammatory? I have stage 3 RA and a bunch of other issues effecting my bones, joints, lungs, heart, constant headaches, numbness, and severe muscle weakness. I’m to the point where I need help standing, climbing stairs, and need a walker to help me with walking. I’ve been put on prednisone, folic acid and methotrexate which all have nasty side effects. I just want to cure myself from this disease before I end up in a wheelchair and need to be on oxygen and on a bunch of nasty pain medication. What books and resources helped you to make the switch and cure your autoimmune disease?

[@NoEggCraig]

So when I initially went vegan I went raw vegan. I don't personally think that that is necessary, but if I were in your position I would probably read How Not To Die and The Starch Solution. Forks Over Knives is also a good documentary. I haven't read it, but My mom also read The Autoimmune Epidemic and told me that was a good resource. I would also check out NutritionFacts.org here on KZbin. It's a website as well as a KZbin channel. That should be a good starting point for you!

[@molleh3180]

Great video friend. I really need to try something similar. Planning is the hardest part

[@NoEggCraig]

It really is! If you do try something like this, I definitely recommend something slightly easier 😂 I went too hard for no extra benefit lol

[@Jen-wq3jj]

Mango and chili power is so good.

[@NoEggCraig]

That sounds good!

[@trinivegan7649]

That looks like Miami Fruit 🧐. But anyway, I love that you did this challenge. It’s good to take a break every once in a while. I have event after event, but I snuck in a sugar free week. I’d eventually like to try it for a month. I also want to challenge myself to eating from the farmers market only. You did great. I love mangos. 🥭

[@NoEggCraig]

Being social and going to events definitely makes it the hardest!

[@laurastephenson2516]

Hi Craig. You know yourself. My suggestion. Is if you can eat a little junk food without going crazy, in social situations, eat some good food before you get there, then nosh on your favorite junk food. When you only eat these things occasionally, your health goals will stay more on track

[@NoEggCraig]

When I'm being haved that's exactly what I do haha

[@katieflennery7662]

Great idea to try a month of 1 change. I wouldn’t do the extreme, give up everything. 😄

[@NoEggCraig]

Yeah if I did this again I wouldn't do it as extreme either 😂

[@byronmurphy1977]

I stopped buying oil, sugar and salt a few years ago, it's already in almost everything.

[@NoEggCraig]

It really is!

[@harshnayak2066]

Aye imagine doing this challenge during vegandale :D

[@NoEggCraig]

You can always buy water there 😂

[@miketaylor7305]

Hi 🥚craig...a family candy shop...omg. Good for you eating better ..also get yourself a glucose monitor very affordable WalMart... great tool for you& your family it will change your life..

[@NoEggCraig]

Thanks Mike!

[@MrNioMoon]

Hey, Craig! 😄

[@NoEggCraig]

Hey Antonio!

[@orreng]

Through the process of elimination….ha!

[@NoEggCraig]

Got emmm!

[@michaellyon9220]

Craig, are you averse to using the microwave?

[@NoEggCraig]

Nope

[@SparkyOne549]

I’m gluten free not by choice, can’t eat any foods with nickel in it ( which is a ton of foods like fruit and veg anything chocolate) and no restaurant’s. I can’t gain any weight and I’m 98lbs. It’s a curse.

[@NoEggCraig]

Interesting, I've never heard of a nickel allergy before 🤔

[@SparkyOne549]

@@NoEggCraig Systemic Nickel Allergy. A nickel skin allergy is common but not as common as a systemic nickel allergy.

[@DevlinJosephDanielle]

Eating right, no sex, no friends, no job, all had me depressed and overthinking..

[@NoEggCraig]

Yeah that does sound like it sucks haha

[@jessbennett828]

Hey Craig, I just wanted you to know that I will be torturing myself with the one vegan meal a day and fruit salad with cinnamon and nuts as my snack for this entire year except for vacation in the summer. This is because I am finally approaching what is agreed on as "average weight," but definitely want to be actually thin for my drivers' license renewal picture next year. Yup, I have to get that renewed for April 30, 2025 for a 10 year renewal. In CT, we also have to get extra verification starting next year to be able to fly within (yes, within not outside of) the United States, so I have to be the thinnest and healthiest I can be for all that. I just wanted to remind you again that the thing that jump-started my vegan diet was finding the one herb I DO feel physically and mentally different over called andrographis or kalmegh. I was cured of every lingering problem I had after first curing paralysis and seizures with milk thistle. I now and forever have the andrographis, milk thistle, myrrh, galangal and cinnamon every day and cannot achieve happiness at all without it. Anyway, if you ever decide to marry anyone like me who probably looks too similar to your family, she would actually agree to let you get as fat as you want since she'll be fat again with her pregnancies either way, but is still raising the kids with the herbs and healthy diet. So, you have my info in email. I will look forward to more videos.

[@kimlapchysnki485]

Hi, I’m type 2 diabetes, I have to be healthy. Plus I like being healthy, once in a while I’ll have a cake or something sweetie but not all the time.

[@NoEggCraig]

Yeah that's what I've found works best for me too haha

[@Mialuvsveggies]

Luckily, I am very fortunate to not have a sweet tooth.... set a bowl of chips & guac in front of me, well, all bets are off

[@NoEggCraig]

We all have our weaknesses...and mine is both 😂

[@theothermrs.randle3416]

🥰🥰

[@greenemerald5701]

Eva jam is junk food

[@rturney6376]

There is this guy Andrew Bartzis, the Galactic Historian. I think 💭 he is Greek too? 😂🤔. He talks about a lot of different, crazy 😮stuff. But, I love 💕 to see your channel dive into natural healing ❤️‍🩹 modalities like cranial sacral therapy, reiki (I am a reiki master), healing ❤️‍🩹 tanks, scalar energy (animals just get it - 😅 my dog 🐶 had cancer and loved it 🥰. Western Health care is ridiculously expensive 😢and these natural modalities are exploding 🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤. I also have a Chinese herbalist that I see. He believes a little animal products are needs. 🤷‍♀️ Anyway, I am not as video savvy or public as you. ❤🎉😊❤🎉😊

[@rturney6376]

This is a really great 👍 video. ❤❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 You are young and have a lot of years ahead of you. You don’t realize that your food habits catch up with you. Your body starts to break down because of all the crap 💩 you ate in your 20’s. I think 💭 it is important to simplify your life the way you did. - Remind yourself that we are addicted 😢to food in this country. We add junk food to social gatherings- not needed! Parents reward kids with a donut - wrong 😑 message. I think 💭 you will find that you can’t 😮go completely back to your old ways of doing things. Coffee ☕️ shops have become so capitalistic, materialism. Good 👍 for you 🎉going to a library where you can think 💭 better 😊. We should be eating less and not in every activity. Libraries are great 👍!!! We are programmed to spend money 💴 and I am so proud 😅of you for at least challenging 😥 yourself!!! ❤🎉🎉🎉 I am in my 50’s and do long food fast. Things will get harder in the economy and people will “suffer” because they think 💭 they must have/ need junk food. You could live on lemon 🍋 water for 2 months if you had to. It’s just good 👍 😊for you to realize what is a necessity and what is not 😮before you are forced to. Besides, like you said, it allows you to spend money and energy where it is more needed for you. This challenge have been easier in Summer months 😂🎉with fresh fruit. 🍉

[@jiro4559]

Talk to dietologist

[@NoEggCraig]

Haha will do