1 more day!

So..... I have one more day?? I kind of want some meat, but I'm not craving it. I think it will still be a while before I have some meat. And when I do, it won't be very much. My doctor told me yesterday that I should still have some lean animal protein every now and then. I plan on doing that, but I believe you really can go your entire life not ever having meat or dairy. I have been doing so much research on the Vegan subject and have come to the conclusion that Meat and dairy are the cause of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and various other illnesses. And can be a factor in cancer. Meat isn't sounding too great. We think we need meat and dairy because the meat and dairy industries have been telling us for a century that we have to have it. Most of the research done has been paid for by the meat and dairy industries. Makes me wonder. I've also been reading that a diet high in green veggies and brightly colored fruits is just as effective as a diet high in meat and dairy. It all just seems confusing. But, I guess as long as I keep everything in moderation and eat as healthy as possible and cut out the bad stuff, I should do just fine. I've already lost 5 pounds, evidence enough for me that eating nothing but fruits and veggies (and some whole grains & pastas) is good for you. My body is as energetic as when I was in high school. It's a great feeling!

So this morning I woke up to rain! Big shock. I really needed to get my exercise in, so I turned on the tv, went to my cable's OnDemand and turned on a 10 minute cardio workout. I'm now really trying to throw in more cardio with my walking and biking. And I then spent 2 hours scrubbing my kitchen and dining room. After a good lunch, I spent another hour scrubbing both bathrooms. I think I got my workout in for the day! Now I'm going to blow off all those calories I burned and have a 1/2 of a Vegan Chocolate Cupcake! It's Saturday night, and I'm splurging!! Only 1 more day!! YAY!

48 Hours

That's right......48 hours!!! How did this happen so quick??

I had my doctors appointment today, and have lost 5 pounds!!! My scale is right! I did get high praises from my doctor. She said to continue with this healthy eating lifestyle, but still add a little bit of animal protein every now and then to keep up the protein. I don't know if I completely believe in that, but I planned on doing meat every now and then anyways, so it was good to hear. She also recommended that I carry 5lb weights as I walk to get my muscle strength up and help me shed weight faster. I had thought of that, just haven't gotten around to buying any. I will have my blood work done next week since I have to fast first. I should know by the end of next week what my levels are at. From what the doctor saw of me and felt, she said everything looks good. It's great to hear! What a relief! Now the last hurdle is the blood work. I did notice that my BMI has gone down 2 points. It needs to go down about 4 more points to be in the healthy range.

Since I had some time for the doctors visit, I got to enjoy a lunch to myself! I treated myself to Japanese food, Avocado Rolls, Vegetable Tempura, Miso Soup, Salad, Brown Rice and Green Tea. It was so yummy! And all completely VEGAN!!

I think next week I will make a nice chicken dinner with fresh veggies to celebrate. I just have to go get myself a free-range, humanely raised chicken!

Weight: 175lbs
Breakfast: Muesli & Hempmilk
Snack: Best Smoothie EVER!
Lunch: See Above
Dinner: Broiled Tofu with Panko Breadcrumbs, Couscous Blend and Salad with Red Onion & Avocado and Balsamic Dressing.

Until Next time......

72 Hours and Counting!

So, it's 3 more days and the challenge is over. I have fully rocked this challenge and feeling great! I have a new feeling of full and my energy level is way more than I could have imagined. I have been going on my scale for the past 4 days and now it's saying 174!! My scale might still be wrong, but I have a doctor's appointment in the morning, so we'll see what that one says. I feel like I have lost weight. Monday morning I walked 1 mile. Wednesday, I rode the bike, towing Lorelai, 3 miles. And today, I pushed the stroller with Lorelai in it for 2 miles. And last week we had some nice days, so Lorelai and I went on bike rides every day for 4 days. I'm really trying to pump up the exercise. Now I have the energy for it!

People have been asking me what I'm going to do after this month. My plan seems confusing and weird, but it seems like it will work for me. I will be a vegetarian-ish. I will probably only eat meat on occasion and will not eat anything with cow's milk in it. If I do go to a party or somebody's house and there is meat and dairy, I won't be rude and refuse. It's just not in me. But at home, no more. If I eat eggs, it will be from a good source, like straight from a humane farm. And I'm still doing research on how humane Goat & Sheep Milk products are. I'll decide on it from there. I know, it sounds kinda complicated. Little to No Meat, and No Cow's Milk Products. Sweet and as simple as I can get it! Veggies, Fruit, Nuts & Seeds are my new food groups!

Monday and Tuesday, I did the semi-cleanse. Fresh fruits & veggies, no coffee and a semi-filling dinner. I just can't stand to go to bed hungry. On Wednesday, I broke it and went back to my normal Veganess. Just lightening up. I also discovered Muesli! It's a cereal with oats, barley, rice puffs, dates, raisins, dried apples and cinnamon. I have a small bowl with Hempmilk in the morning. It's very yummy. I don't know why I haven't found this stuff earlier. Lorelai loves it. But she prefers cow's milk. I gave her a sippy cup of hempmilk this morning and she started drinking it and I asked her if it was good, and Lorelai said, "It's Weird!" LOL! Too funny. But Ryan won't give up Cow's Milk either, so I still will have to buy it. No biggie, I don't miss it.

Weight: 174lbs
Breakfast: Muesli
Lunch: Leftover Pesto Gluten-Free Pasta with Tofu
Snack: Apple & Dried Cranberries
Dinner: Leftover Blanched Kale & Red Swiss Chard with Citrus Garlic Sauce, Basmati Rice with Carrots wrapped in a tortilla with peanut butter

Until next time.....

A Semi-Cleanse

This morning I started a new routine. My 2 year old alarm clock always goes off about 7:30am. I woke up not feeling very hungry (odd for me), so I had a cup of warm water with a slice of lemon. This aids in digestion and should be drunk first thing in the morning before breakfast. While I enjoyed my warm glass of lemon water, Lorelai had egg & toast. Then we did our stretches, loaded up my bundled kiddo in the stroller, and went for a 30min brisk walk around the block. I came back and felt great! So for breakfast I had a smoothie. I call it the best smoothie ever. It's a mix of strawberries (this time of year I get them frozen), a banana, 1 cup of Hempmilk & 1/2 cup of Nana's All Naturals Granola and a scoop of GreenFood Powder. It smells and looks weird, but it tastes great! For a snack, I had an apple. For lunch, a salad with Avocado, Green Onion, and Balsamic Dressing. For an afternoon snack, I had a cup of Tropical Green Tea and roasted Pumpkin & hemp seeds. But, for dinner, I had Gluten-Free Penne Pasta with Crisped Tofu Strips and Sauteed Shallots & Garlic. I threw in homemade Pesto Sauce. It turned out great! I probably should have had a salad with dinner, but at night, I need a little something heavy. That's why I called it a Semi-Cleanse. I don't know if I have it in me to do a full cleanse.

This morning I went on the scale for the first time in 2 days. I weighed 176! After doing the 30min walk, I took a shower. Before getting in the shower, I weighed myself again and it said 174! WTF??? I have no idea if it's my scale or what! I'll try again first thing in the morning and see what it says.

I hope to do this new routine every day for the remainder of the Vegan Month. I WANT to lose weight and feel good. I felt great today and didn't have my normal cup of coffee! Tomorrow may be another story!


Until next time.......

Been a while

Yes, I know it's been a few days. Sorry for the delay. But I'm having some issues......I'm not really losing any weight! That was the point of this diet. I have a feeling I might know what it is. When I ate meat, I felt a heavy full that lasted a while. When I eat wholesome foods, I get a different full feeling that is not as heavy, so I'm eating more in order to feel that heavy full. My brain and stomach have not adjusted. Also, I have a lot of that yucky food stuck in my body from my past and I just have to do a cleanse. In the past 3 weeks, I feel more energy and I feel light. Not as heavy as before. But I weigh the same. When I go to my internal doctor's visit on Friday, that will be something I'll have to talk to her about.

Weight: 178
Breakfast: Blueberry/Strawberry Oatmeal
Lunch: Leftover Vegan Shepherd's Pie in a Flour Tortilla
Snack: Roasted Pumpkin Seeds & Hemp Seeds, and Kiwi
Dinner: Homemade Veggie Burgers with Guacamole, Veganaise on Sprouted Wheat Bun. Organic Garlic & Onion Fries with Flyin' Ryan's BBQ Sauce and Salad with Balsamic Dressing. (This dinner was a Sunday night Splurge!)
Desert: 2 Small Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies with Hempmilk

Until next time........

Day 17

Wow, how did it get to be 17 full days?? I'm over halfway there and still going strong. Yes, I do sometimes miss meat and dairy, but I know that this is supposed to be a challenge I need to do. Since the weather has been so nice this week, Lorelai and I have gone on a bike ride every day. It's been so nice to get good exercise and enjoy the sun. That kinda helps me feel better. Then today, I started working the soil for my spring/summer garden. There are 2 patches of dirt in my back yard and one is set aside for Fall/Winter Veggies and the other for Spring/Summer. The patches are not huge, but big enough to do 5 different kinds of veggies. The spring/summer side is in bad shape. I bought a bag of soil with worm castings in it. The worm castings work as a natural fertilizer. We already have a few worms in the dirt, but this adds more yummyness to the dirt. I should be ready to plant the seeds in 2 weeks. I like to start with seeds and see my work unfold instead of heading to the store and buying one partially grown. It kinda takes the fun out of it for me. But I do buy already started plants every now and then. I'm still debating what I want to grow this year. My tomatoes did really well last year, so I might do 2 different kinds, and maybe some strawberries. There is a Seed Bank in Petaluma that will be a field trip for Lorelai and I in a few weeks. I've heard it's amazing!

I am also reading a book called, The Face on Your Plate, by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson. This book is about a guy who was raised Vegetarian/Vegan/Macrobiotic his whole life and is now questioning the whole idea. He did a lot of research on everything from agriculture to animals. There is an excerpt I HAVE to share with you. I don't want to sound preachy, but it is about Veganism, so I feel it must be shared.
"Going Vegan saves on average 2,000 animals over a person's lifetime. This is hardly trivial. By the time a dozen or so friends are influenced by your change, you are saving a large number of lives..........Eating meat is like driving a huge SUV. A vegetarian diet is like driving a mid-sized car or a reasonable sedan; and eating a Vegan diet (no dairy, no eggs) is like riding a bicycle or walking. If we want to fight the warming trend (global warming), we need to walk away from SUVs and an SUV-style diet."
Funny, I drive an SUV, and am Vegan. I must equal myself out!

Thanks for listening. And thanks for supporting me! Have a wonderful night!

Chooseveg.com

I just found this awesome website called "chooseveg.com" It is a website completely devoted to vegetarians & vegans with not only yummy recipes, but tips and information. I love it! I have to share this bit of info I found on their website, just to put things into perspective.....

"Becoming vegetarian is one of the most important and effective actions you can take to ease the strain on our Earth’s limited resources, protect the planet from pollution, prevent global warming, and save countless species from extinction.

According to Dr. David Brubaker, PhD, at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for a Livable Future, “The way that we breed animals for food is a threat to the planet. It pollutes our environment while consuming huge amounts of water, grain, petroleum, pesticides and drugs. The results are disastrous.”

As the Sierra Club put it in their 2002 report on animal factories, “environmental violations by the meat industry add up to a rap sheet longer than War and Peace.""

Pretty crazy! This is all I have to share today, I'm off to enjoy the beautiful winter weather and take Lorelai on a bike ride to Whole Foods to get my ingredients for these new recipes.

Until Next time......

Simple Food

My main goal for this month is going Vegan, but also, to find out that wholesome foods are really good. By partaking in this adventure, I am finding recipes I would have never thought to find had I never done this. It's amazing! Tonight, I had Vegan Spinach Ravioli with Sweet Potato Sauce and a salad. Simple, easy, and tasty! Not what I had expected. My body is really changing and I am feeling like I have more energy. And I'm only down to 1 cup of coffee a day.

I know a lot of you would have a hard time doing this. And some of you could never imagine a day without dairy or meat. But I ask of you to just do one day a week of Vegan and see what happens. Before this, Ryan and I did one dinner Vegetarian and one dinner of Vegan every week to save on meat. But it was also fun and we felt good. If you do this, please let me know what you thought, or if you need any ideas. I've got plenty now.

Weight: 178lbs
Breakfast: Apple/Cinnamon Oatmeal
Snack: Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Sandos
Lunch: Veggie Burger with Avocado & Vegannaise, Kiwi & Sweet Potato Chips
Dinner: Vegan Ravioli with Sweet Potato Sauce and salad with Apples & Balsamic Dressing
No Dessert on Weekdays!

Until Next Time.......

Happy Valentine's Day

Hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day! Ryan, Lorelai and I headed up north to Cloverdale for the Citrus Fair. Vegan food at a Fair?? I found a noodle booth that had stir-fry noodles with veggies in it. For fair food, it wasn't too bad. I did stay away from the deep fried Zucchini! But I'm sure with noodles & veggies, it still wasn't that good for me! For dinner, I pumped myself full of Organic Swiss Chard (minus with snails! - you know it's organic when you find snails!), yellow curry and sauteed Tempeh over Pad Thai Noodles. And I splurged on dessert (because it's Valentine's Day) and had homemade Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie. Yum!

So I know I missed yesterday because it was such an intensely busy day! But Ryan and I went on our date night and we ended up going to a Thai Restaurant in Sonoma. Thai is very Vegan because they normally cook with Coconut Milk and use a lot of veggies and spices. I had Spring Rolls with veggies and Yellow Curry with Carrots, Onions, Potatoes & Tofu over Brown Rice. I left very full and very happy! We had a great date!

I am really starting to miss meat! I wanted to cave in today at the fair, but I held strong! This is taking all my willpower, but I'm feeling good right now and want to continue. I have a doctor's appt Friday Feb 26th to check all my levels. Of course that was the closest they could get, but I'll get my body checked at the end and see how well my body is holding up. Should be interesting to compare my blood levels from 2 years ago when I had Lorelai to now.

I'm wiped and really wanted to update you all. I'm going to go spend time with my wonderful, adorable husband! Good night to all!

Losing Weight

So in the first week, I lost 2 pounds. This week, I have lost nothing! For a couple of days, I started filling up on junk food (still Vegan) and pasta. This was not a wise choice. Also, I'm a dessert-aholic! I love my dessert at night. This is not good when losing weight. So I'm taking another pact for the month. Dessert only on the weekends! I'm never going to lose this weight by eating unhealthy every night! Now I'll have to see if this works.

I'm in the middle of watching a movie, but thought I had to share that. We are watching Michael Jackson's last movie, This Is It. Not bad. He was an interesting character.

Weight: 178lbs
Breakfast: Blueberry, Strawberry Oatmeal
Snack: Peanut Butter in a Graham Cracker and my GreenFood Powder with Pomegranate Juice
Lunch: Leftover Vegan Enchiladas with Avocado
Snack: Cashews with Dried Cranberries and a Soy Decaf Mocha
Dinner: Vegan Potato Soup with Quinoa Salad (Onions, Quinoa, Mint, Cucumber and Lemon/Olive Oil Dressing) over Butter Lettuce

Until Next Time.........

Being Kind to My Body

So I'm learning the hard way that as I'm transforming my diet, I cannot slip! The last couple of days, I have had a little bit more sugary things than I should have and less greens than normal. At the Farmer's Market in San Rafael, I started to feel light-headed and almost passed out. And at lunch with Ryan and Lorelai, I got a cramp in my chest. Both are not a good sign. So this afternoon, I had a smoothie with GreenFood Powder and for dinner I had Kale & Bean Soup with Chickpea Flatbread. I found out today that Chickpeas have the most protein and Iron in them and can help with Anemia. I don't think I am full-blown anemic, but my body might be telling me that I'm getting close. So I'll be making sure to eat a lot more greens and fruit and I plan on making an appt with my doc for next week and getting A LOT of blood work! I really need to watch my levels so that my body doesn't freak out too much to the point where I injure myself. If I had passed out at the Farmer's Market today with Lorelai climbing in the car, that would have been ugly! Not something I want to deal with. So I'm watching things a little more closely from now on.

Other than this, nothing very exciting to report. I'm staying Vegan for the full 28 days, no matter what I encounter! I'm doing too good to break apart now!

Vegan for Valentine's Time

I was asked today by my wonderful father-in-law if I was going to stop being Vegan for Valentine's Day. My answer....No way! I'm going to attempt it! Anyone have any ideas?? Anywhere in Sonoma County or Marin County that has great Vegetarian/Vegan Food?? Ryan and I are always willing to try something new. But knowing my hubby, he'll want a burger or something BBQ'd! I'm up for any suggestions.

Today, I got in some great exercise. I had to return a movie to Blockbuster a mile away, so I got Lorelai in the stroller and walked kinda fast there and on the way back, stopped at a park to let Lorelai run around and I joined her on the play structure. By the time I got home from walking a total of 2 1/4 miles, I was sweating and exhausted! But it felt great. More of that and the wholesome food and the weight should just fall right off by the end of the month. I'm not looking to lose all 40 pounds by the end of the month, but this is a jumpstart to that. Hopefully by Lorelai's birthday, I should have lost most of it, if not all. That might be my new goal. But I won't be full Vegan all the way until her birthday, just February. I'll make meat & dairy a special occasion. Just another challenge for me.

Breakfast: Leftover Blueberry Oatmeal
Snack: Banana
Lunch: Carrot, Leek, Tomato Pasta with Tofu White Sauce
Snack: Best Smoothie Ever
Dinner: Homemade Veggie Burger with Vegannaise (Vegan Mayo), salad with balsamic dressing, apple & homemade croutons, and unsweetened organic applesauce.
Dessert: 1 Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie & Hempmilk

Exploring Recipes

I tried a very difficult dish today called Mediterranean Socca. Socca is a Provencal-Style Flatbread made from Garbanzo Bean Flour. I made that from scratch which was more sitting around and letting it set & cook than anything. After it cooked I cut it in 3 inch squares and used it to layer with marinara sauce, White Bean puree and sauteed Leeks and Swiss Chard. It turned out so good, Ryan devoured an entire plate! He had no idea it was Vegan.

I love that my recipe list has grown over the past week and a half. I keep finding really great Vegan recipes! It's kind of fun. It's sad to think my life has come to this, but it's a great new pleasure in my life. And it makes me feel good. Can't complain about that!

Weight: 178lbs
Breakfast: Berry Oatmeal
Snack: Best Smoothie Ever
Lunch: Leftover Kale & Bean Soup & Pumpkin Paratha with Mint Chutney
Snack: Apple & Peanut butter
Dinner: Socca
Dessert: 1 Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie

The Label Whore

So I found out today that I really have to watch labels. As I was pouring Organic Enchilada Sauce on my Mexican Vegan Casserole, I got around to reading the label and the very last ingredient was chicken broth! It's the last one, so that means there isn't very much, but in order to go completely Vegan, there can't be that crap in my food! And after having the Vegan Mexican Casserole, I found out that the yummy corn tortillas made at the local Tortilleria have traces of lard in them. Damn! Can't I enjoy my tortillas? So now I really have to start paying attention.

Other than that, things are the same as the day before. Still staying Vegan for 20 more days. After that, I plan on staying mostly Vegan. I will probably save meat and dairy for "special" occasions. I'm losing weight and feeling pretty good, so this must be a good thing.

Weight: 178lbs
Breakfast: Blueberry & Strawberry Oatmeal with Cinnamon & Maple Syrup
Snack: Apple & Peanut Butter
Lunch: Leftover Kale & Bean Soup with Vegan Cornbread Muffins
Dinner: Vegan Mexican Casserole, Guacamole, Cabbage Salad
Dessert: 1 Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie & Hempmilk

One full week!!!

Woohoo! I've made it a week! And my true test to Veganess was a Superbowl Party! Flyin' Ryan's Rockin Ribs, Hot wings & Carne Asada! All of which are my favorites. I made veggie burgers and brought it with me and made a cabbage salad with a honey/oil dressing and a macaroni salad with Veganaise. Thank goodness there are products out there that help substitute the real thing. Veganaise is the perfect substitute for Mayonnaise and I can't tell the difference! I even made Vegan Chocolate Chip cookies which turned out pretty good considering they had no butter or eggs in them. Not quite the real thing, but close enough. Yes, being Vegan is not as convenient, but the reward is so much better. My health is really making a great turnaround! I'm wiped out and need to go to bed. Goodnight all! Sorry there isn't much today, I just can't seem to keep my eyes open!

Day 6

Meat is seeming really good right now. But I have lost 2 pounds already and know it's for the best. Tomorrow is a true test. We are attending a Superbowl Party equipped with BBQ Meat. I know I'll want to take a taste, especially while I'm eating my Vegan goodies. It will take a lot of will power, but I know I can get through it. Being with friends is more important than food.

Speaking of food, I enjoyed half of a wonderful Vegan brownie from Whole Foods for dessert after putting my darling daughter to bed. My husband is off for the night with his friends, so I am enjoying some peace. It's wonderful with him around, but some nights, I like "me" time.

Weight: 178lbs

Breakfast: Blueberry Oatmeal (Big Shock!)
Snack: Apple & Peanut Butter Sandwiches
Lunch: Leftover Veggie & Potato Yellow Curry and rice with Pumpkin Paratha and Mint Chutney
Dinner: Vegan Bean Cassoulet with Brown Rice and a dinner roll
Dessert: See Above

Until next time........

Day 5

Wow, almost a week and I've finally been teased! I made dinner and decided to broil some chicken with BBQ Sauce for the other members of my household. That was hard! I had to cut it up for Lorelai and watch her eat it. A little bit of torture on my part, but I made it through! I'm feeling great and getting in so many vitamins through delicious food! I've survived almost a week. I might just be able to do a month.....or more.

Breakfast: Blueberry Oatmeal with Cinnamon & Maple Syrup
Snack: Best Smoothie Ever! Strawberries, Banana, Green Food Powder, Hempmilk & Nana's Granola.
Lunch: Leftover Quinoa w/Swiss Chard & Shallots. Pumpkin Paratha with Mint Chutney
Snack: Graham Crackers with Peanut Butter and Dried Cranberries.
Dinner: Pasta Primavera with Vegan Cream Sauce, Carrots, Leeks & Tomatoes. Green Salad w/Avocado and Balsamic Dressing.
Dessert: Vegan Organic Mint Chip Ice Cream



Until Next Time..........

Day 4

Today was remarkably better. I feel awesome and am not missing meat or dairy very much! I also lost 1 pound! In only 3 days! I'm not doing any vigorous exercising, but making a point to do a good amount of walking in a day. It's kind of hard to do when it's pouring down rain. But it's also not good for the body to lose weight extremely fast, so I'm just going about this one day at a time. Not bad so far. And I feel great! When my body is full, it's not a heavy full, it's a good full. My body is satisfied. Today, my wonderful mother asked me, "What the F**K do you eat??" Here is my menu for today. Vegan never tasted so good!

Breakfast: Blueberry Oatmeal w/cinnamon & maple syrup
Lunch: Leftover Kale & Bean Soup w/cornbread muffins, vegan butter & honey
Snack: Pita Chips & Homemade Guacamole
Dinner: Vegetable Curry w/Broccoli, Carrots & Potatoes and Rice. Salad w/Balsamic Salad.


Until next time.........

Surviving Day 3

Sorry I missed a day! So far, I'm doing ok. Staying strong. I woke up feeling like a cold was coming on, congested, sore throat and heavy eyes. It might be a cold, but I did some reading today, and apparently, it might be my body detoxing. What? You say? Along with becoming a Vegan for a month, I am also researching Veganism. Today I went to Amazon.com and read a blurb from Alicia Silverstone's new book, The Kind Diet and in there was a paragraph on what your body goes through. According to research, when you detox your body, one of the symptoms is congestion. Hm! I'm almost convinced. But the reading I am doing is putting a whole new perspective on the idea of becoming Vegan. I believe a lot of what I'm reading because a lot of the information is from doctors & professors who spend their days researching this exact thing. I read some of The Kind Diet and The Face on Your Plate and both state that the human body is not designed to consume animal byproducts. Animal meat is filled with bad fats and sits in our bodies making us feel heavy & full. Cows are injected with hormones and sperm to always be pregnant so that they always produce milk. After about 12 pregnancies, they are slaughtered. When they produce a girl, that cow has the same life as her mom. When they have a boy, he is tied up and not allowed to walk and then slaughtered for veal. So by supporting the milk industry, you are supporting the veal industry. Sick huh?? I'm in no way trying to convert anyone into the Vegan lifestyle, but a lot of light has been shown on me and it's freaky. I feel I have to share it.

On a lighter note, I'm eating great, having more energy (despite the congestion), and staying Vegan! The hardest part of it all is making every tummy in our house happy. Ryan is NOT converting at all! Lorelai is doing great and eats most of the things I make. I let her have milk in the mornings, eggs at breakfast, and daddy let her have chicken. After reading what I did (see above), I feel awful giving my child meat & dairy. The Eastern Cultures don't believe in Milk and they tend to live the longest, so maybe never having cow's milk again is not a bad thing. I have 25 more days to think this through, a lot of time to make up my mind. I kinda crave meat & dairy, but I think of what I read and it helps me stop myself. My willpower is kicking in big time!

Weight: 180lbs
Breakfast: Blueberry Oatmeal with Maple Syrup & Cinnamon, Coffee w/Hempmilk & choc syrup
Lunch: PB&J Sandwich on Whole Wheat Bread, Organic Apple & Organic Banana
Snack: Best Smoothie EVER! Frozen Strawberries, Banana, Hempmilk, scoop of Greenfood Powder & 1/4 cup of Nana's Granola! I felt full until 6pm!!
Dinner: Salad w/balsamic dressing & apple, Kale & White Bean Soup, Molasses Cornbread w/Vegan Butter & Honey. Sparkling water w/juice from a blood orange.
Dessert: Rice Dream Mint Ice Cream Cookie (VEGAN!)

Until tomorrow.......

Day 1

I survived day 1! This was a lot harder than I thought. No matter how much I ate, I was always hungry! The first week is going to be rough, but if I get through this, I can go the whole month. It's like training my body for a marathon. One step at a time.

Weight: 180lbs
Breakfast: Oatmeal with Blueberries, Maple Syrup & Cinnamon. Coffee with Vanilla Hempmilk and a touch of chocolate syrup.
Lunch: Tofu with LoMein Noodles & Kale
Snack: Homemade Hummus with Spinach Bolani & Vegan Crackers (Mary's Crackers)
Dinner: Vegetable Pasta, Pasta Tomato Sauce, Tempeh. Salad with homemade Balsamic dressing & apple. Baguette Bread dipped in salad dressing.
Dessert: Rice Dream Mint Ice Cream Cookie. Yes, it's Vegan!

Hoping tomorrow is easier. I have a job interview at 11am with Planet Organics in Sonoma as a secretary. Wish me luck!