Newest research suggests it only takes 14 days to make a habit...another 7 days to practice...and 30 days to break a habit.
I'm on day number 23 of my journey...it's official...it would now take me 30 days to break by new lifestyle!
Have a said I'm happy? (Sarcasm). I'm happy. Really happy. I feel more like me than I've felt in awhile....or maybe its not that, but just that I feel like a final piece to the authentic me is more in place now. Anyway, I'm happy.
I'm still perfecting the amounts and types of food to consume. I've been doing a little research on the vegetarian food pyramid and feel more confident now about the whole thing. I don't want to fight, but I also want to be in the know about nutrition so I have something to say to those that question the health aspects (you know what they say about those that protest too much...).
Not much else to say tonight other than I am continuing to experiment with cooking vegan or vegetarian. I will have to post pics soon of some of the dishes. I have 4 days off work coming up so I will be cooking up a storm...although for 4th of July that will also contain some meat for the omnivores in my life (with lots of veggie options should they care to join me!)My new recipes will take some time to perfect as well...but they are "a work of heart." (I stole that from a judge on SYTYCD, but it was too cute not to use).
Later gators...
6.29.2010
6.26.2010
Traveling Veg
This past week I was sent to Houston to present at a conference (as requested by my boss). It was kinda a big deal because it was to 500 people and through a big foundation that funds mental health programs. It went well!
This trip was my first travel being veg. I made sure to take some snacks with me just in case. Because of limited time we ended up eating at the airport and hotel, neither of which had great options since for me I am limiting dairy as well. I did manage to get a pesto pasta with veggies that was good and another restaurant I had potatoes and green beans (which ended up being really good!). Few options, but it all worked out well. I also managed to navigate the ordering pizza with my hubby last night by getting bread sticks and marinara sauce. And that was OK with me!
I am finding the people around me seem to worry more about this than me. I have the mindset that because this is something I want to continue, each experience is just a lesson. Green beans may not seem like a great meal to others, but I enjoyed them and the company I was in. It was one meal in the rest of my life that can be enjoyed for what it is....even without meat and dairy :) Sure, dining at a place with more veg options would be great, but not every place I go will be that and I didn't feel upset about it!
I visited another new store (new for me) and was able to buy nutritional yeast. I've been seeing some interesting recipes to try with it so I am excited to have found it! I'm going to venture into the "faux cheese" world. I will post how it turns out!
This trip was my first travel being veg. I made sure to take some snacks with me just in case. Because of limited time we ended up eating at the airport and hotel, neither of which had great options since for me I am limiting dairy as well. I did manage to get a pesto pasta with veggies that was good and another restaurant I had potatoes and green beans (which ended up being really good!). Few options, but it all worked out well. I also managed to navigate the ordering pizza with my hubby last night by getting bread sticks and marinara sauce. And that was OK with me!
I am finding the people around me seem to worry more about this than me. I have the mindset that because this is something I want to continue, each experience is just a lesson. Green beans may not seem like a great meal to others, but I enjoyed them and the company I was in. It was one meal in the rest of my life that can be enjoyed for what it is....even without meat and dairy :) Sure, dining at a place with more veg options would be great, but not every place I go will be that and I didn't feel upset about it!
I visited another new store (new for me) and was able to buy nutritional yeast. I've been seeing some interesting recipes to try with it so I am excited to have found it! I'm going to venture into the "faux cheese" world. I will post how it turns out!
6.22.2010
"Where's my friend?"
The person I was dreading telling the most was a friend of mine. I had a knot in my stomach when we decided to have dinner the other day along with our spouses. As we were being waited on for drinks and the question of appetizers was brought up, I had to drop the first bomb...giving up almost all dairy...she let out a gasp...then the second bomb a few minutes later....no meat...no fish...
Let's make a long boring story short and just say half the meal was about my food choices, or in her mind my lack of food choices. She said "its so sad. are you sad?" And I said I was in a grieving process over dairy but was OK. Then she dropped the bomb...that she was sad about all the things I will never cook again for her. "What about protein?" "You'll be anemic!" etc etc etc...
Tonight, a few days later, she calls and says "where did my friend go? First the dairy, then meat, then...: She feels I have disappeared. I said "maybe you didn't know me that well then. I'm still here!" She replied she liked the person she knew. I said she didn't have to give up that idea of me even if that's not the real me. She laughed.
It's a process...but I am still doing well and feeling good. I'm tracking my nutrition carefully so I can prove to people this is truly healthy. I get enough protein and iron just fine! I do need to find supplement for B complex and D...but I was low on those eating meat too!
No APB needed...I'm here...I've been here all along...I just feel more authentic now.
Let's make a long boring story short and just say half the meal was about my food choices, or in her mind my lack of food choices. She said "its so sad. are you sad?" And I said I was in a grieving process over dairy but was OK. Then she dropped the bomb...that she was sad about all the things I will never cook again for her. "What about protein?" "You'll be anemic!" etc etc etc...
Tonight, a few days later, she calls and says "where did my friend go? First the dairy, then meat, then...: She feels I have disappeared. I said "maybe you didn't know me that well then. I'm still here!" She replied she liked the person she knew. I said she didn't have to give up that idea of me even if that's not the real me. She laughed.
It's a process...but I am still doing well and feeling good. I'm tracking my nutrition carefully so I can prove to people this is truly healthy. I get enough protein and iron just fine! I do need to find supplement for B complex and D...but I was low on those eating meat too!
No APB needed...I'm here...I've been here all along...I just feel more authentic now.
6.15.2010
On to day 10...
Tomorrow will mark my 10th day on this journey. I feel strange, but I really feel proud of me! Even though I am stressed at work, not getting enough sleep, dealing with allergies...I still feel like I have more energy. A major revelation has been the fact my body does not like dairy. After a week with little we ordered a veggie pizza with cheese...not a good idea! Talk about stomach pains. I think I realize that, maybe the last few years at least, I had just gotten used to feeling bad because I was constantly on dairy. So I have another reason why this is worth it. I'm not avoiding all dairy, but really limiting it and being aware of what products it is hidden in.
I also thought I would have terrible cravings. I admit I've had the occasional thought about meat...but mostly in thinking about soup with meat broths (veggie beef, chicken noodle). But other than that, I am pretty fiber-fied so not too much as been a temptation! I'm hoping to try a thai restaurant in my area that has a decent vegetarian menu (and I heard some vegan too) this weekend.
Other than that its been smooth sailing...I think the next hurdle will be traveling next week for work....and then after that is July 4th with family coming over. I will be grilling all sorts of things, including meat for extended family. Just hoping I can add in some nice veggie offerings that people will try and enjoy as well.
Until later...
I also thought I would have terrible cravings. I admit I've had the occasional thought about meat...but mostly in thinking about soup with meat broths (veggie beef, chicken noodle). But other than that, I am pretty fiber-fied so not too much as been a temptation! I'm hoping to try a thai restaurant in my area that has a decent vegetarian menu (and I heard some vegan too) this weekend.
Other than that its been smooth sailing...I think the next hurdle will be traveling next week for work....and then after that is July 4th with family coming over. I will be grilling all sorts of things, including meat for extended family. Just hoping I can add in some nice veggie offerings that people will try and enjoy as well.
Until later...
6.12.2010
trust the process
I just completed a 2 day retreat for reflective practice. Half of the time was discussing information about development (as human beings, children in particular) but the other half was mostly people telling their stories and making sense of it within the developmental model we were looking at. The theme always came back to this: trust the process.
Trusting the process, when I google it , is related to words about "change" "counseling" "now" "intention" "growth" "spirituality" "manifesting" and "letting go"
Although my decision to be vegetarian has many reasons, I cannot deny the presence of spiritual growth as a core factor. Will eating vegetables bring me closer to God? I don't think its what I am eating, but more so what's been eating me...not living in the present moment of who I visualize to be. I feel like not being conscious of what I eat is directly related to not being very conscious at all. I say that because I am a junk food/fast food junkie. But this week, although not without any temptation, has been relatively easy to eat well. I think this is because I am actually THINKING about and ENJOYING the food I eat.
It's not the vegetables, it's the process, the commitment to consciousness, that I seek. I have been so nervous about it but I'm going to trust the process and know that this growth will come from the many little moments of actually being present in my life. It's about throwing yourself into each moment without attaching to the potential outcome. Much to think about.
Trusting the process, when I google it , is related to words about "change" "counseling" "now" "intention" "growth" "spirituality" "manifesting" and "letting go"
Although my decision to be vegetarian has many reasons, I cannot deny the presence of spiritual growth as a core factor. Will eating vegetables bring me closer to God? I don't think its what I am eating, but more so what's been eating me...not living in the present moment of who I visualize to be. I feel like not being conscious of what I eat is directly related to not being very conscious at all. I say that because I am a junk food/fast food junkie. But this week, although not without any temptation, has been relatively easy to eat well. I think this is because I am actually THINKING about and ENJOYING the food I eat.
It's not the vegetables, it's the process, the commitment to consciousness, that I seek. I have been so nervous about it but I'm going to trust the process and know that this growth will come from the many little moments of actually being present in my life. It's about throwing yourself into each moment without attaching to the potential outcome. Much to think about.
6.10.2010
Day 4
Today’s surprises:
1.) Vegetarian options are present at a lot of restaurants, but you pay a premium to get them…and in the future I may just need to order a meat sandwich sans the meat!
2.) People may be curious about why I’m trying to make this change, but I’m OK with that.
3.) I feel good. I don’t feel as bloated and I wasn’t as tired this afternoon as I usually am. I am feeling really full because of all the fiber I’m eating!
4.) There are some great vegetarian/vegan restaurants in the metroplex I’d like to try
Yesterday I was feeling some grief over the loss of meat culture. Today I am feeling good. I’ve had some yummy food and have continued to read and learn about what I’m getting myself into. Overall I've been sticking to a veg diet but 75% of my food/meals are dairy/egg free as well. I found some eggplant veggie burgers that are more moist than regular soy burgers (brand is Dominex). I mentioned on my FB page that I had bought the eggplant burgers which opened the conversation about turning veg. It felt good to at least have some folks know.
Alright, I've been sleeping well too and am ready to hit the hay....more later...
1.) Vegetarian options are present at a lot of restaurants, but you pay a premium to get them…and in the future I may just need to order a meat sandwich sans the meat!
2.) People may be curious about why I’m trying to make this change, but I’m OK with that.
3.) I feel good. I don’t feel as bloated and I wasn’t as tired this afternoon as I usually am. I am feeling really full because of all the fiber I’m eating!
4.) There are some great vegetarian/vegan restaurants in the metroplex I’d like to try
Yesterday I was feeling some grief over the loss of meat culture. Today I am feeling good. I’ve had some yummy food and have continued to read and learn about what I’m getting myself into. Overall I've been sticking to a veg diet but 75% of my food/meals are dairy/egg free as well. I found some eggplant veggie burgers that are more moist than regular soy burgers (brand is Dominex). I mentioned on my FB page that I had bought the eggplant burgers which opened the conversation about turning veg. It felt good to at least have some folks know.
Alright, I've been sleeping well too and am ready to hit the hay....more later...
6.09.2010
Greener Pastures
Where do you start a journey that changes everything?
Thinking about being a vegetarian has never been far from my mind in the past few years. One summer in college I went vegetarian just to try it and see if I could. It was no problem and I didn’t even really miss meat. But when fall classes resumed, I went back to meat. For me, a Midwestern girl who was raised on a dairy farm, meat is the show stopper at every supper, church event, summer festival, funeral, wedding…it is the way of life. It’s my culture.
I’ve recently been reading and watching documentaries on the meat industry. Some of the information is not new for me. I’ve just been ignoring the reality of it. I like meat. I have fond memories of meat. I can hear, taste, smell, and feel the preparation of my mom’s homemade chicken soup I’ve made so many times, a roast, hamburgers on the grill, fish freshly caught and fried by my grandparents. So many memories are tied up in the meat I have eaten. And I haven’t, in all honesty, been troubled by the thought of where it came from.
Although I live in a metroplex now, I’m no city slicker. I helped butcher rabbits I raised as a child. I helped feed and care for the steer that went to the local butcher shop. I milked cows, harvested vegetables from the garden, watched my mom bake homemade bread. I’ve grown up around “the circle of life” and although some may think of as a hardening of heart lifestyle, to be able to take the life of an animal, for me and my family, it was an appreciation of sorts. Disagree as some may, we cared for, respected, and loved the animals. We watched them be born and grow (we even popped popcorn to watch the birth of a calf and squealed with happiness to see the baby born). In eating them, we realized the sacrifice paid for our dinner and nothing was wasted when they were slaughtered. We traded beef for pork from the neighbor, bought local eggs from the farmer down the road. We used the manure to fertilize and create life that was then fed to animals, free of antibiotics, hormones. Our animals were out in the pasture chewing cud as we played in the field and loved on them. We were organic before it was cool.
This is the place I go, the frame of thought, when I eat meat. My happy place. But I know that the processing and even raising of most animals now, especially the ones I purchase from large discount grocers, do not come from this place of reference that I hold dear. But I think, like most people, I’d rather not think about it. I’d rather not think about the system at all or the toxins I am probably ingesting. In the past month there has been a stirring in me. Then I watched “Food, Inc.” and was able to pinpoint what that stirring was and what I needed to do. I told my husband and sister “I think I want to be a vegetarian” and added “at least most of the time.”
So here goes nothing (or something). I am excited, conflicted, and nervous about my move away from meat. Those memories I attach to food are so vivid and warm. How will people respond? Do I tell them? Can I be “undercover” for awhile until I figure out where/how I fit into this new reality? I can already hear the questions and comments and see the careful eye ready to point out missteps along my way. I’m not sure I am against eating meat, is that OK? Good lord, I live in Texas. I could face an onslaught of angry stares...and I’m just thinking about the people that know and love me!
But this is where I am. I’ve been meat free for 3 days. I am at a cross roads of sorts because I know that for me, the idea that I cannot control the way an animal is raised, handled, respected (and the toxins I may be ingesting), means I can’t stomach the politics of meat anymore. But I wonder, how will fit in with this new meat free existence in my meat filled culture? How I will navigate the world of social events, dining out, and even cooking for my husband, who is supportive and will “try it” but still eat meat? Will I be accepted by the new culture? I have a few people in my life that are vegetarian that I may need to reach out to, but will that put added pressure on me as well? I’m just not sure.
So, where do I start a journey that may change everything? I guess right here. Today. Wish me luck.
Thinking about being a vegetarian has never been far from my mind in the past few years. One summer in college I went vegetarian just to try it and see if I could. It was no problem and I didn’t even really miss meat. But when fall classes resumed, I went back to meat. For me, a Midwestern girl who was raised on a dairy farm, meat is the show stopper at every supper, church event, summer festival, funeral, wedding…it is the way of life. It’s my culture.
I’ve recently been reading and watching documentaries on the meat industry. Some of the information is not new for me. I’ve just been ignoring the reality of it. I like meat. I have fond memories of meat. I can hear, taste, smell, and feel the preparation of my mom’s homemade chicken soup I’ve made so many times, a roast, hamburgers on the grill, fish freshly caught and fried by my grandparents. So many memories are tied up in the meat I have eaten. And I haven’t, in all honesty, been troubled by the thought of where it came from.
Although I live in a metroplex now, I’m no city slicker. I helped butcher rabbits I raised as a child. I helped feed and care for the steer that went to the local butcher shop. I milked cows, harvested vegetables from the garden, watched my mom bake homemade bread. I’ve grown up around “the circle of life” and although some may think of as a hardening of heart lifestyle, to be able to take the life of an animal, for me and my family, it was an appreciation of sorts. Disagree as some may, we cared for, respected, and loved the animals. We watched them be born and grow (we even popped popcorn to watch the birth of a calf and squealed with happiness to see the baby born). In eating them, we realized the sacrifice paid for our dinner and nothing was wasted when they were slaughtered. We traded beef for pork from the neighbor, bought local eggs from the farmer down the road. We used the manure to fertilize and create life that was then fed to animals, free of antibiotics, hormones. Our animals were out in the pasture chewing cud as we played in the field and loved on them. We were organic before it was cool.
This is the place I go, the frame of thought, when I eat meat. My happy place. But I know that the processing and even raising of most animals now, especially the ones I purchase from large discount grocers, do not come from this place of reference that I hold dear. But I think, like most people, I’d rather not think about it. I’d rather not think about the system at all or the toxins I am probably ingesting. In the past month there has been a stirring in me. Then I watched “Food, Inc.” and was able to pinpoint what that stirring was and what I needed to do. I told my husband and sister “I think I want to be a vegetarian” and added “at least most of the time.”
So here goes nothing (or something). I am excited, conflicted, and nervous about my move away from meat. Those memories I attach to food are so vivid and warm. How will people respond? Do I tell them? Can I be “undercover” for awhile until I figure out where/how I fit into this new reality? I can already hear the questions and comments and see the careful eye ready to point out missteps along my way. I’m not sure I am against eating meat, is that OK? Good lord, I live in Texas. I could face an onslaught of angry stares...and I’m just thinking about the people that know and love me!
But this is where I am. I’ve been meat free for 3 days. I am at a cross roads of sorts because I know that for me, the idea that I cannot control the way an animal is raised, handled, respected (and the toxins I may be ingesting), means I can’t stomach the politics of meat anymore. But I wonder, how will fit in with this new meat free existence in my meat filled culture? How I will navigate the world of social events, dining out, and even cooking for my husband, who is supportive and will “try it” but still eat meat? Will I be accepted by the new culture? I have a few people in my life that are vegetarian that I may need to reach out to, but will that put added pressure on me as well? I’m just not sure.
So, where do I start a journey that may change everything? I guess right here. Today. Wish me luck.
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