We just got back from an amazing weekend in Long Beach Island with my family. Fourth of July was filled with lots of family, fun, wine, beach, ocean, and BAD FOOD. I probably consumed about 4 lbs. of cheese, along with another 2 lb. of meat, including burgers! (I rarely eat red meat). I felt so sick on Tuesday, I decided we needed to change. Soooo, I have made the decision to cut out dairy (mostly), meat (all red meat, MOST chicken), and see how I feel. I have already bought almond milk and Earth Balance vegan butter. Oh, and Gardein Chicken strips! I already feel better!
Day 1 - Not such a success. I had a lunch date with my good friend and we ended up at a favorite restaurant I hadn't been to in years...Old Man Rafferty's. I ordered tomato basil soup and a caesar salad. No meat, yay! But, yeah...there's dairy. The soup even came with these ridiculously tiny and adorable grilled cheeses. Oh well. Dinner was completely meatless and dairy free! (Dan did have some chicken)
Day 2 - I started the day by making corn muffins with almond milk! (I did use an egg, until I have finished those...then I will buy egg replacer). No need to waste! I also had my coffee with the almond milk, and a spoonful of REAL sugar. Another thing I am cutting out of my life is artificial sweeteners. I use sweet'n'low like it's my job. Gross.
Lunch was at Cheesecake Factory with my sister-in-law...another fail (although delicious and fun)...BUT I ordered my salad with no cheese! Dinner was also meatless and dairy-free - roasted potatoes & carrots! Yum!
So now, it's Day 3. I am going to go all the way today! It will be easier when not eating lunch or dinner out at a restaurant. Once I get the hang of it, I think I'll be fine. I'm excited to make a positive change...and I'm pretty excited to possibly shed a few more pounds of baby weight while I'm at it!
4 comments:
This is great, Lisa! Not easily done either, as I can attest to since I've tried & failed. We'll work on it at the shore next week, too.
Hi Lisa, congratulations on moving toward a plant-based diet! I hope that as you remove more meat and dairy from your life, you will feel the physical, mental and emotional benefits.
I initially looked into becoming lacto-ovo-vegetarian for health reasons and had done it twice before and failed (once for a week, and the second time for a month), but as I looked into it more and more, I found not only more health reasons but a lot of ethical reasons that really resounded with me and compelled me to become vegan, and it's for the ethical reasons that on my third try I became vegan and have stayed on track for 6 months (I don't think I personally could have stayed on this path only armed with health motivation). If you want to learn more about all the benefits of becoming vegan (and the harm of meat and dairy on you, the animals, and the environment) I recommend these sources:
http://www.compassionatecooks.com/podcast.htm (she even has a podcast episode called "Life Beyond Cheese")
"Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer
"Slaughterhouse" by Gail Eisnitz
www.earthlings.com
Thanks for the links! I am going to check them out. So far, so good but it's only been a week! I need all the support and motivation I can get!
Thanks for the links! I am going to check them out. So far, so good but it's only been a week! I need all the support and motivation I can get!
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