Yesterday marked the first day of my Vegan journey.
A little background: I had considered Veganism for quite some time, and even looked into it on a relatively regular basis, due to some stomach issues, and a theory from a doctor that I probably was lactose intolerant. At the time of that visit, I didn't have insurance so I opted not find out for sure, but it really got me thinking. I didn't know anything about food or how it effected the human body. At that time, as well, I didn't let it slip that I also drank excess amounts of soda, or that a bag of chips was something I would call a meal. I am sure the causes of my stomach issues was not limited to dairy. So, after that, I decided to ween myself off of soda. I want to say this was 2009-2010. With any curiosities, the internet is a wonderful source of information, and I started to develop an obsession with what I was putting in my system. So, one by one, I started eliminating what I felt was 'bad chemicals', starting with High Fructose Corn Syrup and artificial sweeteners. My coworkers at the time even sought me out as the resident 'health guru', and most people will believe anything if it would help them lose weight.
I wasn't interested in losing weight. I should make that clear right now. I just wanted to be healthy. I wanted to feel good. I wanted to be able to walk from point A to point B without being winded. And I've never been big. I've never exceeded 135lbs, and I'm a 5'5" female. I always felt that was a healthy weight, and although there were things about me that I didn't find perfect, I wasn't going to let that be the motivation behind my eating habits.
I had a bit of a downfall around 2011, when I got a job at a burger stand. The only healthy thing I was doing was walking to work, and drinking lots of water. That was probably when I peeked at 135lbs as well. Free food? Heck yes. But I rapidly felt more and more unhealthy every day that went by. And that very job started my caffeine addiction. I wanted change, but there were days where you wouldn't be able to leave the stand for hours and hours, and wouldn't be able to escape to eat something other than a burger or a pack of tater tots. We all suffered from greasy diets there.
After I left the burger stand, I moved out of my home state, and to Eugene, Oregon. The burgers had left a bad taste in my mouth, and gradually I began to balance out my food intake again, as well as slowly eliminating red meat. In the process, I unintentionally lost 25lbs, knocking me down to 110lbs, which was definitely not where I wanted to be. That was too light. But I wanted to become a vegetarian, because yet again, I was struggling with stomach pains, and I felt lethargic every time meat weaved back into my diet. So exercise became my only option, and I started to study ways to feel better again. Vegan kept popping up in my mind.
Before I decided to start this journey, I've been pretty conscious about what I've been preparing for. I started incorporating more vegetables and fruits, and I now drink about 3 liters of water a day, which has kept me feeling clean and energized. I also managed to gain 5lbs, and have been hovering over 115lbs fairly consistently. I work out quite a bit now, so I'm suspicious of that 5lbs being muscle, but I feel a little better knowing I'm on my way, hopefully, to a healthy weight. I am concerned, however, that I wont be able to keep on the pounds being a vegan, so if any readers out there could give me some tips, that would be wonderful!
So, yesterday, August 5th, was my first day at my vegan attempt. I woke up much later than I had meant to, and didn't have time to figure out a healthy breakfast before work, so I had to run into the local market and all I could find on the run was two soy yogurts and a banana, and of course I had to have my coffee, with a drizzle of soymilk. Not my favorite, but I was in a hurry. Because my shift is in the middle of the day, I ended up going with out lunch, which left me pretty drained, considering my breakfast was not very energizing, and I burned it off from my job being pretty demanding physically, and on my 50 minute walk home.
The night ended with an awesome Tofu Stirfry. While I did not make it myself (my boyfriend is the chef, not I), so I should have paid more attention, here was the problem, my boyfriend failed to inform me that the sauce he was using in it was oyster sauce. I wasn't upset at him about it, it was only my first day, but that really put me off to a bad start. I just finished the night with a 'there's always tomorrow.'
Today, I started my routine at 7am with a 40 minute run, 20 minute stretch and exercise, and a shower, then started to make my lunch. I know that sounds weird, but what I've come to learn about myself is that I'll only make food when I'm very, very hungry. If I eat breakfast, I probably would not be hungry again until dinner time, despite my body needing food for lunch, so if I make lunch before breakfast, and have it ready when I need it, I wont have to worry about it. I made a Sundried Tomato and Rice Burrito, which turned out fantastic, and moved onto a basic fruit bowl and some bread for breakfast. My intention was to have granola, but I didn't pay attention to what I was buying it it turned out to have whey in it. More food for my boyfriend, I guess. Haha. I accompanied my breakfast with my much needed coffee, and tried something a little new. I'm not a fan of soy milk so far, but being a cheap shopper, I bought it because the other milk replacements were a little too expensive. So, in hopes to cover up the flavor, when I put the coffee grounds into my coffee maker, I sprinkled lavender over the top. It turned out awesome!
Anyways, I'm not sure what my plan is for dinner, but I will report here tomorrow with what I've done!
Ta ta for now!
