I haven't tried it yet myself but there is a vegan cheese substitute. I'm sure there is someone here that can tell you about it (they use some kind of yeast.)

Instead of oatmeal, try occaisonally making your own trail mix using 2 or 3 kinds of nuts, some seeds (I use pumpkin) and a dried fruit (I use dried cranberries but you could use raisins). A handful one to three times a day. Although I have found it difficult to find reasonably priced bulk nuts and seeds here in Michigan but when I'm in Nevada or Texas, Sprouts has a good selection.

I agree. I eat as little fat as I can and sugar also. In a month, my liver profile was normal and my Cardiologist said no Lipitor for you. I had told him before I had not been on any drugs to control cholesterol. Throw the Lipitor in the garbage. The other that affected my also was Seroquel for anxiety. I am normal no no high liver and Doctor said I don't want to see an LDL of 91. I want to see 57. It was 57, lol. Watch any new meds and check side effects also, But I do eat a low fat low sugar diet.I lost the 12 pounds I gained. I am very careful about weight gain.

@BettyColeman the seroquel will pack on the pounds, that's for sure! It gives you an insatiable sweet tooth.

@BettyColeman I am sorry, but Seroquel is a chemical lobotomy and is being used off-label if used for anxiety. It is known for massive weight gains, cataracts, and even worse, worse than addiction, your body becomes dependent on it. If you simply stop, you can die. It causes diabetes, metabolic disorders, as you know obesity,

It is based on the marketing myth, created by Eli Lilly to sell Prozac. The absurd concept of various mental disorders are caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. There is zero scientific evidence to support this. None.

If you have a disease, there are scientific tests, blood tests, evidence-based science.

Chemical imbalances in the brain are not science. We have no way to measure neurotransmitters in the brain. None. As far as we know, the only chemical imbalances in the brain are the ones created by psychiatric drugs.

Basically, they muck around with your neurotransmitters, and the brain and neuro issues do not like. In the case of stimulants, they destroy dendrites in the synapses.

Serequel was the most prescribed drug in America, because it created a patient for life. It was an unholy alliance between psychiatrists and big pharma, all about money.

Most of the prescriptions were Off Label, for sleep and anxiety, neither of which have been approved by the FDA for those conditions, or subject to clinical trials.

With the metabolic effects, massive weight gains and diabetes, it can take decades off ones life and lower the quality of one's life. Weight gain causes all kinds of problems, including a poor lipid profile, depression, social stigma, a strain on the body's connective tissues and skelatol systems, for a start, permanent termors, and a host of problems I have not listed.

If you want something safe for anxiety, use cannabis. But realize, feeling like depression and anxiety are normal human conditions, and people do get over them and heal. Studies of people on psychiatric drugs do not get better.

Here is a great video by the leading Psychiatrist in the country, Dr. Peter Breggins, who personally ended lobotomies, is working to end shock treatment and ending the use of these snake oil psychiatric medicines that make big pharma rich.

"Do you have a chemical imbalance."

I agree.

@Bob4Health wow how interesting.

Counselling and group work really helped me with my issues along with mindfulness to help with overthinking.

I now have valerian next to my bed in case I need to sleep, but haven't used it yet.

The drug I was given by the Psychiatrists has a proven 1 in 5 chance of Parkinsons, (plus weight gain which makes me feel rubbish).

They didn't want to give me counselling; but since I've had it and got to the heart of the issues that I was suppressing it's been nearly 2 years that I've not been seriously ill.

@BettyColeman, @Bob4Health Seroquel can have a devastatingly debilitating effect: It can render you completely intoxicated. This happened to me and two other people of a very small sample, but the psychiatrist was doing a study on it and was being paid not to notice. She accused each of us of using illicit drugs and would not listen. I remember once dragging myself into the kitchen and trying to make a PBJ. I was practically prone on the floor and blacking out. It was a terrible mess the next day. Another time, and he always teases me about this, I was on the phone with my best friend. I said "Tigger just got up off of my pajamas and walked away." Another time I was at my mom's house for Thanksgiving and in the middle of the night I dragged myself upstairs and into the kitchen and ate the entire pumpkin pie. It would sometimes affect me in the daytime when I hadn't just taken it. Twice I forgot how to walk in the middle of a busy avenue in Manhattan and had to be grabbed by strangers so I did not get killed. Once I was going out by myself and was in the subway when I started to become intoxicated. I begged someone for their seat and know I was babbling. I made it to the show I was going to, and spent the entire time covering a page with scribbles to tell a stranger there was $20 in my pocket and please take me home. Just in case I passed out in the subway. I don't even know how I got home, but there was nothing intelligible on the paper.

For people like me, that effect is life threateningly dangerous. A friend of mine would take it and simply be impossible to wake up for about ten hours. She had an infant daughter and would simply have slept through any tragedy in the world.

I contacted the FDA about it but their process is for physicians. God forbid anyone listen to feedback from the actual consumers of the drug!

@LionMousePudding Yeah, they had just put me on it and I rapidly went from 121 to 131.I would nt say I am obsessed, but I have watch my weight since a teen.Fresh organic fruit is good. Watermelon is great and so low calories. Stevia is a generations old. It is a plant that is sweet. You can sprinkle a little on your fruit. It has a great sugar taste, no calories, you can calculate and cook with it. Also some of the breads have extra fat/sugar. I watch my breads. You can get great noodles today made out of rice, or zucchini, Vegan is a whole different world, where you substitute whats good for you and throw out the bad. I like gluten free. Rice pudding, no sugar is low in calories, add some blueberries, strawberries, whatever. /if you want some more sugar, a little Stevia. I learn more everyday. Watching medication interaction is very important too. All my points they watch returned to normal, especially when they put you on Lipitor, which also raised my cholesterol and my liver. They kept telling me in liver profile I had higher enzymes. They took me off Lipitor and my profile went normal. I stay away from foods with lots of oils. There are many great oils on the market today. When you start making changes but once you start changing, you find you would rather eat that way. You just feel better.

No falafel? Dang! Sigh

My late partner know how to make vegan Falafel. The eggs are the problem and by sprouting the Garbanzos and using the cooking liquid as an egg replacer you can cut the cholesterol. Also, there are many things you can use instead of eggs and soaking Chia seeds is another good thing.

@JackPedigo I use ground flax seed and water one to three ratio . Allow to sit for ten minutes. Makes a great binder.

@Sunsetworshiper got a recipe?

@confidentrealm Thanks for the numbers. That will help me in the future.

I like falafel too. Almost everyone is on an anti cheese kick. I jut love cheese, but few are low in fat.

i also don't count calories, but I have trained my self to leave the table by 5 PM. no snacks later.

yeah great for you good work.

@BettyColeman Thanks, but my recovery has not felt like work, but it does take more time than my patience can endure without complaint. My self image is fragile, a hang over from child abuse, and being fat for a lifetime hasn't helped. I'm determined to break the fat barrier. When I got out of basic training I weighed 170 lbs, I want that weight again, and I want to dance.

@EdEarl I had a serious heart attack in 1992. I fondly call it the year of the heart. I think it was a very humbling experience. I was 44 and I smoked. The doctor said keep smoking and you will die young. They took my cigarettes and put a patch on me. I was in ICU jail for 2 weeks. I went through 4 heart caths, 2 angioplasty's, and one bypass on my birthday September 22 1992. Out of some troubles, something always blossoms. I quit smoking. I can't stand them now.

@EdEarl I want to see you get those wishes. Lose the weight and dance! Dancing is good for weight loss also. Sending you lots of healling energy!