I’m going Vegan for August. This is partly due to ethical concerns but also because I am trying to explore healthy options that work for me. About twice a week I try to report back with any observations I have picked up about the process.
Day 7 “Hello? is there anybody out there?”
To my certain knowledge, I don’t know any Vegans personally. (I would love to be proven wrong) I have several family members who don’t eat meat and a couple friends who don’t eat red meat. But actual Vegans? None. I’m not even a technical Vegan myself more like a Vegan tourist. There are a couple of foods in the meat and dairy family I feel confident enough to say I don’t plan on going back to, once the 30 days are gone. As far as staying Vegan I am not sure yet. Which leads me to…
Day 8 “Me and Mrs. Jones”
I’m sure the term “Jonesing” to describe craving or wanting something is passe and shows my age. But I always liked the expression. But regardless of what it is called my sojourn into Veganland has been pretty much craving free. Today someone had some cooked chicken, and my tummy rumbled a bit but nothing major. It’s so unnoticeable I have to remind myself I’m doing Vegan because I’m not really missing meat and Dairy at all. Not even Cheese which is like an enormous trigger food.
Day 9 “Goin off the rails on a crazy train”
Not only am I not really hungry for meat and Dairy I am less famished altogether. I am hoping it is because I am getting the nutrition I need. I am still counting my calories which are around 1400-1600 per day so I am definitely not starving. I am not getting the crazy cravings when I come home at midnight from a stressful nights work like I used to. I am grateful for that. Overall, I feel less manic.
Day 10 “I like to move it, move it”
Maybe TMI but eating Vegan sure does keep you moving, you know, down there. Both in frequency and content. Alright, enough said about that. But it’s probably the fiber talkin.
Day 10 “Money talks, it says goodbye”
So is being a vegan more expensive than being an omnivore? I can only speak from my limited experience but the answer is an unqualified yes and no. You can buy meat that is pretty expensive by the pound compared to beans, but fresh veggies are expensive out of season. If I can lose weight and help my BP and cholesterol by eating Vegan then I will say thousands in potential medical bills. So there’s that. So far though the bills don’t seem higher.
Day 11 BYOF (bring your own food)
I wasn’t doing the Vegan thing last month, but in July I did go out to eat at a family reunion up in Iowa. I remember thinking that if I was a vegetarian I would have been out of luck let alone Vegan. Eating out can be tricky. So far this month I haven’t eaten out, but I have my Android handy in case I do. But for work, I have a packed lunch. I am very lucky to have supportive housemates who are keeping the fridge (relatively) Vegan-friendly.
Day 12 “Pump up the volume”
While I am still keeping a loose total of calories, I am loving the increased volume that comes with eating foods that are pretty low in calories. I am also surprised that some foods like oatmeal, for example, seem to have a high satiety level, meaning I am not hungry right away. Air popped popcorn is another snack that seems to hit the spot for me as well.
Day 13 “Substitute for love”
A friend of mine brought some Cashew Ice cream. It was nondairy and actual didn’t taste like eating paper. For every Meat and Dairy, I am learning that there seems to be an alternative. Eating Vegan hasn’t mean denial so far. But be careful. Not trying to plug one of my other posts, but check out the post I did on foods that aren’t vegan. A lot of manufacturers are sneaky so you have to read up and research, but if you’re careful you can find a suitable Vegan substitute for anything.
