Go look at the date of the very first post i did on here. A while ago. And guess how long I stuck with it? A very short 4 months. Since then, I have put on the pounds, experienced, exhaustion, fatigue, binge eating, meal skipping, sweets-packing. I never changed my life. I just created a "diet". All my thoughts were spot on. Just poorly executed.
The saturday of Thanksgiving, i had the pleasure of spending the afternoon with a close family friend. I'm pretty sure we covered all the conversation bases that day and I'm guessing that she never imagined her quick mention of her new vegan lifestyle would change me within 48 hours.
Following her visit, Matt (husband) and I decided to watch the same documentaries she watched and felt inspired by:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/279734/forks-over-knives
http://www.hulu.com/watch/289122/fat-sick-and-nearly-dead
This decision (and it was a pretty big one for us) didn't come with any hesitation or resistance. Type 1 & 2 Diabetes, heart disease, colon cancer, and more have taken the lives of a few family members. I have living relatives that have had numerous warnings from doctors. And we all share the common job of struggling with our weight and the discipline needed to do something about it. I knew immediately that not only I could benefit from this change, but that my parents could turn their lives around with it as well. Within two days i had researched recipes for 1 week's worth of meals, cleared the pantry, shopped for all the fresh ingredients we were going to need and set aside some time for Matt and I to begin prepping food for the week.
The menu for week one was (I'll post recipes):
Steel-cut oats for breakfast
Bananas, apples, grapes, and pears for snacks
Leftover dinners for lunch
4 options for dinner:
Butternut Squash soup
Loaded veggie pasta
Stuffed Acorn Squash
Chickpeas & lentils in salsa
And...
Homemade popcorn and hot tea for evening snack if we were hungry.
The food was incredibly satisfying.
Breads were completely cut from our diet (until we can learn to make the right choices). Sweets were gone for that first week. Dining out wasn't an option. I was so worried I would miss all these things. And you know what? I didn't miss a thing. I went a whole week and had no cravings. The biggest change i noticed: my body's reaction to hungry. I used to have this horrible breakdown in my body when I got hungry. I would skip the hunger pangs and go straight to weak and dizzy. Most days I would have to sit, or stop for food immediately, or leave the grocery store for a moment to eat a banana, or I'd binge thinking it would make me better. I was irritable. And I was out of control with my eating habits.
But all of that is gone. And it's only week 2.
Here's what I'm trying to say here. We're going on a week and a half since beginning our new life. We're feeling better than ever. Energy is up. Weight is already down. Hunger is under control. We don't need anyone's permission or opinions. I have no intention of pushing my beliefs on anyone. I will happily share, but there will be no judgement placed on the meat-eaters of the world. Now...if you're eating fast food more than NEVER....i might have to speak up:) But seriously. This blog isn't for the doubters. My actions and results will speak for themselves. I'm blogging for the interested folks. The friends that have said they'd love to give it a go and need help with recipes, tips, and planning. And, quite frankly, for myself. I need something to look back on. A way to track my progress. And an archive of the amazing recipes I get to play with!
If you care, stick around as I post tons of recipes, tons of photos, lots of tips and resources, and new adventures. We're giving a garden a try this spring, so we'll be sure to share:)
So, thanks, Anne for sharing a little piece of your life with me that one unseasonably warm saturday. You may have saved mine.
Lets eat!
LB
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