Easter Weekend Dinner

Hey Everyone,

So, was I ever put up to the challenge this weekend!  There was so much chocolate within reach and I didn't eat any!  Also, Easter cookies were very tempting, yet I did not break!  I am kind of using this vegan thing as a form of control.  I am a very indulgent person, and can get carried away when it comes to food.

Okay, so it was Easter dinner today.  You are probably wondering what I ate.  Well, I found some great products by a company called Gardein.  They make this excellent stuffed "Turk'y" roll and it comes with its own gravy.  So I brought that with me tonight for dinner.  It only takes 25min in the oven.  So, no inconvenience to anyone.

 I also had potatoes, and turnip before anything was added to them.  I had butternut squash that was roasted with olive oil and spices.  Ingrid, my stepmom, made a separate vegan friendly stuffing and a quinoa salad.
Dinner was delicious!!

Hope you all had a Happy Easter!  Eat Well!!

A late MidMonth Update

Hey Everyone,
I have been very busy and neglecting my blog!  I know, not fair, so you are all very curious to know how things are going!
Okay, to start I thought I would share some stats.  I took measurements on April 15th, half way through the challenge but first lets recap!

Opening Stats: (taken from a previous blog post)
Okay so I thought that I would document some stats.
Current weight: 209.4lbs
Belly Button: 41.5"
Waist: 39"
Chest: 43"
Butt: 43"

As of April 15:
Current weight: 208.4lbs
Belly Button: 41"
Waist: 38.5"
Chest: 43"
Butt: 42.5"

So there is definitely a decrease in size.  I think it may have to do with a less sodium intake.  I am cooking virtually everything at home, so there is a lot less salt.  Less salt = less water retained!

I haven't had much time to read either, but still working my way through "Skinny Bastard".  I have just finished the Chapter about "Real Men EAT MEAT!"  It talks about the slaughter houses.  Just the thought of what these animals go through before they are murdered is so sad.

Here is a quote from the book, "Skinny Bastard" by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, that I really like.
"You are eating fear, grief, and rage.  You are eating suffering, horror and murder.  You are eating cruelty.  Real men eat meat?"

To be honest, I may stick with this vegan thing!  I have never felt better.  So much more energy, and I feel so good inside.  Also, no indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea, bloating, or digestive problems of any kind. Without getting too personal, my regular visits to the lavatory have been awesome.  Maybe there is something positive about this?  We are what we eat, right?  Fresh fruits and veggies, collecting the energy of the sun, and we are putting that sun energy into our bodies!

Lets talk about protein since I get asked this lots.

So I opened up google and found this:

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4771/10-Vegan-Sources-of-Protein.html

Taken from website:
So how do you get your protein? Here are 10 vegan sources to try on for size:

1. Veggies: Yep, good old greens will pack a protein punch. One cup of cooked spinach has about 7 grams of protein. The same serving of French beans has about 13 grams. Two cups of cooked kale? 5 grams. One cup of boiled peas? Nine grams. You get the idea.

2. Hemp. No, you don’t have to get high to get your protein. But toss 30 grams of hemp powder in your smoothie and get about 11 grams of protein – just like that.

3. Non-Dairy Milk. Got (soy) milk? A mere 1 cup of soy or almond milk can pack about 7-9 grams of protein. Eat with some fortified cereal and you’ve got a totally vegan-friendly breakfast.

4. Nut Butter. Eat up your peanut butter, almond butter and cashew butter. A couple of tablespoons of any one of these will get you 8 grams of protein.

5. Quinoa. I kinda think quinoa is God’s gift to vegans (and gluten-free peeps!), as it’s versatile, delicious and delivers about 9 grams of protein per cup.

6. Tofu. Four ounces of tofu will get you about 9 grams of protein. And at about 2 bucks a pop, it’s a cheap vegan’s BFF.

7. Lentils. With lentils, you can make rice dishes, veggie burgers, casseroles and more. One cup cooked delivers a whopping 18 grams of protein!

8. Beans. They really are the magical fruit. With one cup of pinto, kidney or black beans, you’ll get about 13-15 grams of protein, a full belly and heart-healthy fiber.

9. Tempeh. One cup of tempeh packs abour 30 grams of protein! That’s more than 5 eggs or a regular hamburger patty.

10. Sprouted-grain bread. Pack a sandwich with vegan sprouted-grain bread and you’ll get about 10 grams of protein in the bread alone.

So that's it for now.  I am hoping that maybe one day, you too would give this challenge a try.  I am learning so much, about food and myself.  I am learning self control.  I mean, there is milk chocolate in my house right now, and any of you who know me, would be shocked to hear, that I haven't touched it.

I Eat to LIVE, Not Live to EAT!

So I got a bit freaked out

Hey Everyone,

So I haven't really had much to blog about.  I honestly thought this was going to be a real challenge but to my surprise, it isn't at all.  In fact, I love being Vegan!  I feel so clean, light and not tired.  I did however, take a mouth full of whipped cream from Annie's hot chocolate without thinking and felt so dirty after!  Like I was raped by dairy!  LOL  I thought about making myself puke, but would have to take Annie into the bathroom with me, and she would then watch Daddy making himself throw up.  Probably not a good example to be showing your 5 year old daughter.

So last night I was thinking, what could I blog about.  Now I was hearing lots about this elusive vitamin B12, and decided to research it.  Now, when I do research on the net, I sometimes become a bit of a hypochondriac.

hy·po·chon·dri·ac
ˌhīpəˈkändrēˌak/Submit
noun
noun: hypochondriac; plural noun: hypochondriacs
1.  a person who is abnormally anxious about their health.
synonyms: valetudinarian, neurotic

Basically, you can become B12 deficient.

A deficiency of vitamin B12 can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency anemia. A mild deficiency may cause only mild, if any, symptoms. But if untreated, it may cause symptoms such as:

• weakness, tiredness, or light-headedness  
• rapid heartbeat and breathing
• pale skin
• sore tongue
• easy bruising or bleeding, including bleeding gums
• stomach upset and weight loss
• diarrhea or constipation

The problem is that people get B12 from mainly dairy and meat.  This lead me to another google search to find sources for Vegans.  You can take suppliments or get it from fortified vegan foods, such as almond or flax milk, and tofu products.  Basically, just read the nutritional guide.  Disaster averted!

Thanks again for reading, and yes I am really enjoying the life of a vegan.  I am starting to think that I may just do this for life.

Day One

Hey Everyone,

I wanted to write this blog last night but I decided for some unknown reason that buying a new shower curtain was far more important then writing my blog!

Okay so I thought that I would document some stats.
Current weight: 209.4lbs
Belly Button: 41.5"
Waist: 39"
Chest: 43"
Butt: 43"

Day One of being a vegan is complete!
I am not going to lie.  I am starting to feel fast food withdrawals.  Every time I drive by McDonalds, I get this feeling that I just want to eat a cheeseburger!  I really have to fight myself to say no!  What a crazy feeling!  I challenge you not to eat any fast food for a week!  You will then feel what I am feeling!

So today, I really didn't need to change much in my daily diet.  I had to leave the salmon out of my wrap.  Still ate my regular snacks that I normally pack.  For dinner, I had Tofurkey sundried tomato italian sausages, with spinach and baby carrots.  The sausage was okay.  I do feel satisfied, and my stomach doesn't feel heavy.  I kind of like that feeling.  When I ate meat before, I had a heavy sluggish feeling.  Now I feel lighter or cleaner.

My first grocery shop was about $20-30 more then what I normally spend.  I did have to buy a bit extra to rebuild my stock.  So I think that my next shop will not be as much.  Also, I think that I will be eating a lot more at home as to eating out.  So even if my grocery bill is a bit higher, my takeout spending will be a lot less.

So far its going really good.  I mean it's only been a day but I am very excited to achieve my goal and see the results of the experiment.

Thanks for reading and I appreciate any advice and/or support!