Chef AJ Shares 7 Secrets to Losing Weight on a Plant-Based Diet

Chef AJ, the popular vegan chef, has been eating a plant-based diet for 43 years. Perhaps what she is most known for is using this healthy lifestyle approach to shed over 100 pounds, and help others feel their healthiest too. On Tuesday night, Chef AJ partnered with Forks Over Knives to host a webinar entitled: "7 Habits to Lose Weight and Finally Keep It Off For Good with Chef AJ." Within minutes the webinar reached its capacity, but if you missed it, we've written up the salient points, and are sharing the link here.

In a segment lasting just over an hour, Chef AJ breaks down her best tips for sustainable weight loss while eating plant-based, to a capped audience of thousands of viewers. You can see the full replay below, or visit this link to learn more.

Below are 7 of Chef AJ's key habits for continued weight loss success, which includes no counting calories, no portion control, no excessive exercise, no pills, and no procedures. These are just bits and pieces of the incredible webinar that lasted for over an hour, so be sure to check out the full video above for more in-depth advice and tips for healthy weight loss.

"Simply doesn't mean boring. I'm not saying that you have to eat broccoli and sweet potatoes every day for the rest of your life. By eating simply, what I'm talking about is limiting variety per meal. How many out here watching eat 30 different breakfasts, lunches, dinners? Most people find their favorites and repeat them over and over, and that seems to work beautifully for weight loss and management. Also, it's a very simple way to eat, and makes the food prep easier."

"Now people say, 'Oh, I can't eat starch, I can't eat carbs, carbs make you fat!' Well, if they're processed and refined carbs, like sugar, flour, and alcohol, then you're absolutely right. But these unrefined complex carbs found in nature in their whole form–potatoes, sweet potatoes, amaranth, quinoa, millet, oats, corn–these foods are extremely low in calorie density, ... compared to animal products. Most people can eat these as much as they want, as often as they want."

"Now that doesn't mean you can never eat at a restaurant again. I was a restaurant chef in LA for many years, so I know what goes into a restaurant meal. Restaurants use more sugar, fat, and salt than you would ever use at home."

"This is going to be a very individual thing, and it's important to know yourself. I have been saying since day one: Do the least restrictive diet that you can do, that will give you the results you want. For some people, including some foods, even in small amounts, derails their success."

"I say movement instead of exercise because nobody likes the 'e' word... You can't outrun your mouth, you can't outrun your knife and folk. You can't just exercise on a bad diet and hope for good results, but exercise can certainly supercharge a good diet."

"I always batch cook and I always have healthy food ready. Because willpower depletes not only as the day goes on, but every time you make a decision. We're forced to make a food decision over 200 times a day. So don't leave your success to chance. Have healthy food ready, because if all you have is healthy food and it's prepared, I promise you you'll eat it. Because preparation always trumps motivation."

"The cleaner of the environment you can create, the easier time you'll have. I always say that the more you're environment is clean, the more likely you are to be lean. So if you're living with people who refuse to support you on your health journey, maybe you can separate your food, get a separate refrigerator or cabinet, sometimes even one with a lock for their non-compliant food so that you don't always have to see it and be triggered by it. Explain to them that they can eat any way they want, but this year you're really making an effort to work on your health."

For more tips from Chef AJ, Check out her 5 Tips for the Plant-Based Home Cook.  And if you prefer a low-fat, high-carb diet be sure to read How Chef AJ Lost 100 Pounds and Kept It Off, on a Diet that Is the Opposite of Keto.