Back in 2005, the boy and I went vegan for a week. I’ll link to that week’s worth of posts at the end of this one, in case you want to reminisce with me. Lately, I’ve been feeling the need to drop a few (40, for example) pounds. Trust me, there’s nothing like seeing yourself on television weekly to make a person go, “Whoa! I’m HUGE.” The scale confirmed it and before you argue with me, know this: you can hide a LOT of sins on an almost-six-feet frame.
Tuesday, I read this article in Newsweek and it got me to thinking about my dieting failures and realized that I was more successful with sticking to a really restrictive diet, so on Wednesday, I went vegan again. I’m on day five as I write this, and, as I remembered, it really isn’t that bad or difficult. What it does force one to do, is really think about what one is going to eat. Being really conscious about what you’re consuming is, I think, overall a really healthy approach.
Why vegan? Why not just vegetarian? I was allergic to dairy products as a kid, and even though I outgrew it, I have to avoid certain cheeses to this day. Removing dairy from my diet is a good thing — for me — and I’m very consciously replacing the calcium with supplements and other foods with high calcium content. As far as eggs go, it’s easy to eliminate them and I’m not concerned about consuming something that might contain egg.
Since my version of veganism doesn’t come from any moral conviction, I don’t mind continuing to cook meat and fish for my family (my husband is a confirmed meatatarian). I also don’t agree that honey is a restricted item for a vegan diet (some other vegans agree). For the record, my daughter and husband think I’m crazy for doing this, but that’s OK, it’s my choice.
I’m lucky that I live in a rather vegetarian-friendly community and resources for veganism abound. I’ve long been fond of Eat Air – A Vegan Food Log written by two fellow Charlottesville residents. Yes, living on a restricted diet is weird, and I feel a bit self-conscious about it as I order a side of vegetables as my entree at a resaurant, but soup and salad is a great meal that you can get just about anywhere (although, sometimes it’s tough to get a soup that’s vegan).
So what am I eating? Lots of steamed veggies, rice, soy milk, veggie cakes, fruit, marinated grilled tofu and noodles, peanut butter and whole-grain bread, vegetable and tomato soups and salads. Last night I had whole grain pasta with marinara, a salad and a slice of homemade French apple tart for dessert. Not a bad way to “diet,” eh?
I’ll let you know how it’s going, as one friend commented, becoming more pasty and yellow (not that I think I WILL just so you know).
The First Vegan Experiment linked below:
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Thanks for sharing. This is really interesting as I’ve been considering this myself and wondering how difficult it might be. The pasty yellow? Ugh. I have not heard of that one until now. Thanks for sharing.
Almonds! Must eat almonds and other nuts! They are a great source of protein and very filling.