A study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that about 65% of dieters return to their pre-dieting weight within three years, and up to 95% of people who lose weight through dieting regain it within five years. The reason why most people fail at diets is because we tend to take an all-or-nothing approach when it comes to taking on a new diet. While it may feel easy at first, it does become harder overtime as the initial motivation starts to die off. That’s why in this episode of the Darin Olien show, we explore adopting a plant-based diet as we would look at starting a new habit.   I’m joined by Toni Okamoto to discuss this topic of plant-based diets. We also discuss the double-edged sword of modern-day food — it’s ultra cheap, ultra-convenient, and ultra quick. But it’s also ultra-processed. While it may seem cheap to order fast food off the dollar menu, it comes out to a lot more money for a family to eat out than it would eat a homemade meal, especially over time.    Plus, we dive into the simple, small healthy swaps we can start to make that will eventually build up over time into a new pantry and ultimately the best practices for making the switch to a plant-based diet easier.    Toni Okamoto is a prominent author, speaker, and vegan lifestyle expert. She is the founder of Plant-Based on a Budget, a website that offers practical and affordable vegan recipes and resources. Toni's work has been featured in various media outlets, including Forbes, Reader's Digest, and NBC News. She is the author of several books, including "Plant-Based on a Budget," "The Friendly Vegan Cookbook," and "The Super Easy Vegan Slow Cooker Cookbook.”   Toni's journey towards a vegan lifestyle began in 2010 when she started eliminating animal products from her diet for ethical reasons. However, she found that many vegan options were expensive and time-consuming to prepare. To help others who were facing similar challenges, she started Plant-Based on a Budget in 2012 as a resource for affordable vegan meal planning.     What we discuss:   06:11: How dependent are we on our systems? 12:16: How did Toni’s dad impact her life? 17:09: Why did Toni start eating a plant-based diet? 21:12: What did Toni’s budget look like at first? 23:57: What differences did Toni feel from adopting this new diet? 26:18: How does Toni experience food sharing? 27:40: What’s the biggest obstacle to eating healthy? 35:11: How can you get started if you feel overwhelmed? 40:22: What is Tori’s philosophy for food prep? 45:50: What does Tori enjoy cooking right now? 50:50: How can you eat well and live well? 56:53: How to deal with people who question your choices?     Find more from Darin:   Website: https://darinolien.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Darinolien/ Book: https://darinolien.com/fatal-conveniences-book/ Down to Earth: https://darinolien.com/down-to-earth/     Find more from Toni:   Website: https://www.toniokamoto.com/ Instagram: @plantbasedonabudget Book: Plant-Based on a Budget   More links:   Shop SafeSleeve and use code DARIN10 to save 10% on your purchase. Shop Therasage and use code DARIN to save 15% on your purchase.