I have been steadily losing weight over the past weeks. I've lost 8 lbs total. I'm sure much of that can be attributed to my mostly vegetarian diet, but I'm not sure I have been getting enough calories. I've been so busy the past couple weeks, that it's hard to find time to eat and sometimes I am so tired at night or have a headache, that I just go to bed without eating a proper dinner. So, I am trying to make sure I eat enough during the day and get enough calories in, especially since I'm nursing a baby.
I have been meatless for about a month and a half now (though it feels much longer), except I did have a little meat Thanksgiving week and I will probably have a little bit Christmas week, but other than the holidays, I am completely meat free and plan on staying that way indefinitely. While I want to eventually adopt a mostly vegan diet, I am still having some dairy at this point. It is just where I am comfortable right now and is very do-able. Now I see why many vegans were vegetarians for a long time before going vegan. Allowing myself to have some dairy if I feel like it, keeps me from feeling too restricted and just giving up on the whole thing and going back to my former diet. I am still trying to eat a lot of fruit/veggies, but it's been hard with things being busier lately and I need to do a better job of being prepared. My favorite meal that I've been having for lunch almost daily, is a salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, corn, and BBQ chickpeas. It's so delicious! I'm amazed that I have been able to resist even the most tempting meat dishes that I cook for the rest of the family. It really hasn't been that hard to give up meat, I just don't dwell on it. I don't have to go through any tug of war in my mind or feel any temptation to eat any of the meat I cook for the rest of the family, so that is very helpful. I don't really feel like I'm missing out on anything. The other night, I made one of the family favorites, Italian Sausage soup. The only difference I made to veganize it for myself, was I cooked the meat separately and used veggie broth, instead of chicken broth. It already has kidney beans, pasta, and veggies in it, so no need to add any extra protein to it. Dh even surprised me by saying he wouldn't mind if it didn't have meat in it.
Anyways, though I haven't been eating meat, I have been eating some sugary processed food here and there, so I guess I've just been working it off with all my constant running around. We are about to start making cookies, chex mix, etc. though, so I'm pretty sure that will mess things up. I can't resist cookies. If they are in the house, I will eat them.
_________________ Mom to Christian (13), Saphira (10), Xavier (5), and Adrian (2).
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