Hello! If you're here it's probably to find out more about my journey to go Vegan. Thank you for stopping by the Shoppe and hopefully you'll decide to stay for good. Yes, I've decided to "go Vegan". I'm not doing a challenge nor do I want to make the change for just a month. Literally, I want to convert to become a dietary Vegan. It's not for everyone and some may wonder why and what's the point so I will share MY reasons with you.
For the past few years I have been packing on weight like nobody's business. It has reached a point where I am no longer comfortable even attending certain events. Anxiety builds up when I know that I can't get away with wearing leggings or sweats somewhere. A lot of you may not understand or comprehend how a girl who is so "out there" on Social Media can feel this way but it's the truth. I'm not sitting around eating Burger King everyday wondering why I'm not a size 2. I've always considered myself to be quite a healthy eater. In fact, that has been my reason for not changing my diet for so long. Year after year I've told myself that my diet is great already so there's no need to change that. Well obviously that is NOT the case or else I would not have gained so much weight. (Yes, I've been to the doctor and have had multiple things checked including my thyroid) I have three children so people think I'm crazy when I share my desire to lose weight but truthfully I've gained 30+ pounds in just the last 3 years. At that point my youngest child was already 2 years old so my weight gain has nothing to do with birthing children. I've been a small person all my life at just 5"2. After the birth of each child, I would literally leave the hospital at a cute 115-120 pounds. LITERALLY. The weight gain has everything to do with my lifestyle. I may "think" that what I'm consuming is just fine but the facts say that ain't so.
After a little (well A LOT) of research, I've decided to do something different than my normal. Going Vegan isn't something that came to me overnight. In fact, I've been thinking about it since last year but always put it off because I couldn't give up steak, or I couldn't give up cheese. Recently, I was listening to a Periscope from Mattieologie and she said something that truly hit home... "I love a size 24 waist more than I love cheese". And, it was that simple! Somehow that one line put it all in perspective for me. If I truly want to be happy with my weight and body image then I need to love that more than I love any of these foods that are keeping me from reaching those goals.
So far I've spent a ridiculous amount on stocking my cabinets and fridge. One thing I keep reading and hearing is that preparation is key to the success of going Vegan. There really weren't too many items that I would not normally shop for but a few condiments like butter, mayo and coffee creamer that needed vegan substitutes. My kids said they would like to try being Vegan as well so I purchased some cookbooks to keep things interesting. If it were up to me, I could eat very basic meals and be SO satisfied and happy. For kids, this isn't going to cut it so I purchased two highly recommended cookbooks from Amazon, Eat Like You Give a F*ck by Thug Kitchen and But I Could Never go Vegan by Kristy Turner. I'm hoping to get the whole family on board but if they choose to still eat meat products, that's okay too.
The overall goal is to gain better eating habits and enter into a healthier lifestyle altogether all while losing weight hopefully. During this time I appreciate all advice and recommendations if you are Vegan or have tried being Vegan in the past. I am not here for the doubters and naysayers. Do you. I'll post an update sometime this week... Until then DEUCES!
XOXOMCS
My diet is mostly vegetarian/vegan but I am a pescatarian (eat fish and seafood). Condiments was tough for me along with not eating eggs, hence my back and forth. Any way, a great Mayo I found is Just Mayo. It tastes like actual mayo and not the typical vegan product which tastes like earth or tofu blended with soaked cashews. I hope this helps.
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