6 nights ago myself and my husband watched "The Best Speech You'll Ever Hear" and since then the last 5 days of my life I have embarked on a plant based diet. I haven't eaten any animal products at all, which is a stark contrast to what I was eating before with my 5 meals a day of protein, protein and more protein (in the form of meat, meat, meat). I was eating this way as I am preparing to do Tough Mudder on the 18th November, so I want to be as light as possible by then, and I thought that a change in eating habits and going plant based might make me gain a little weight initially, but for ethical reasons I decided I no longer want to eat animal products, and I'm hoping to make this a lifelong change.
Here are some things that happened in my first 5 days:
1. The Kitchen Has Become A Delightful Place Again...
I actually LOVE cooking, and trying new recipes, or cooking old favourite recipes. Going plant based has inspired me to look up new recipes to try, and really embrace the vegan saying of "let your fridge be a garden, not a morgue". My fridge is full of fruits and vegetables of every colour, and my cupboards are full of beans, lentils, and more beans, in every shape and size.
2. I veganized my first recipe...
...Which I was so proud of... Jamie Oliver's store cupboard lentil soup has been a favourite recipe in our household but instead of the bacon the recipe asks for, I added smoked paprika, chilli and sun-dried tomatoes, and the vegan version actually tastes even more delicious than the meaty version.
3. The Scales Are Moving...
After being on such a strict diet for Tough Mudder, where any little deviance from the diet would make the scale move up instead of down, and where I had become tired of not being allowed to eat any fruit at all...or any vegetables that weren't green... hashtag banana cravings! I really expected to gain weight in this first week. I have eaten carbs everyday! I have rice, loads of beans, I have had about 3-4 pieces of fruit a day... yet everyday when I get on the scale a few more grams are gone. In total over 5 days I have lost 1 kilo (2.2lb) and I am pretty shocked by that. And the most beautiful part is I'm not calorie restricting, and I'm eating a variety of different enjoyable foods...
4. We ate out at a restaurant...
We went out to a burger joint that we go to from time to time. If you're in Australia it's Grill'd which is advertised as having "healthy burgers". Usually, I would go for a beef burger with chips and sweet chilli mayo... but this time I had their Vegan burger and I got tomato relish instead of a dairy based dip. It was really enjoyable, and I didn't miss my usual order. Sydney has a few specifically vegan restaurants, so I am really looking forward to trying one of those in the future.
5. I binge watched a lot of vegan videos on Youtube
And when I say a lot... I mean A LOT. I feel like there is a lot that I can learn about eating a plant based diet and the vegan lifestyle and there are so many different people out there.
I have been loving watching vegan girls who drink protein shakes and lift weights, like Naturally Stefanie with her amazing Scottish accent...
...watching Sarah Nourse and her husband who went vegan overnight and are loving it:
...and watching awkward girl next door types like Unnatural Vegan with all of her knowledge and rationality about the vegan lifestyle
6. Despite my hours of binge watching of videos... I have still been a little confused.
Which supplements should I take? I think just B12 and calcium, right? Should I not drink Spirulina because it stops B12 from being absorbed? Should I put protein powder in my banana and avocado smoothie or have it without? Should I cook with coconut oil or olive oil? Do Australians use Cron-o-meter or do you find it annoying because it doesn't have Australian foods in it like myfitnesspal does?
In conclusion, I feel like these first 5 days have been awesome! I feel happy and positive, and really happy to be avoiding animal products and not supporting the meat and dairy industry with my dollars.
Life can be awesome...
CAUTION PEOPLE : I saw one youtube video where ex vegan confess that his health go down drasticly after a year on this deat. He understand that vitamin B12 leaving organism slowly and you can't then reviwe it's amount.
Hey @doelist. I am going to take B12 supplements, as should all vegans, so I'm not worried. thank you though
Great Job :) Sounds like the transition isn't too bad... I binge watch so many workout videos before you know it 2/3 hours have passed but I think I might need to watch some of the vegan ones you are watching and get some inspiration!! Keep up the good work you will do amazing at tough mudder with these results!!
thanks a lot Lauren, I really appreciate it!
nice post @hannahlicious, it's nice to hear that you stop animal products and start plant based that's great no doubt the use of green vegetables makes a kitchen looks like garden and a person also becomes much more active and fresh, i also love green veg and fruits they are full of vitamins, so stick with green vegetables and enjoy you time, have a very happy and cheerful week ahead, thanks for sharing
thanks a lot @adnanrabbani :) I appreciate your positive words!
Awesome work Hannah! I'm glad you're doing well. Like I said, veganism is not about a restriction if you're doing it right, which it looks like you are.
If you are worried about calcium, don't forget about all the plant based milks out there. You can always make smoothies!
If you have any questions, feel free to DM me as well. I will try to answer them as best I can.
thanks @choogirl! I definitely will DM you with some questions I have at some point soon :) I appreciate the advice!!
Ive had a tofu vegan chilli and was actually one of the best chillis i had ever eaten. Its amazing how good vegan recipes taste. Im not a vegan and was rather suprised how good it was.
Yeahhh I definitely agree, even when we were eating meat we always preferred eating veggie tacos with beans instead of ground beef... some veggie dishes are awesome... tofu vegan chilli sounds like a great idea, I will google a recipe for that :)
greenary is very healthy for every living being 😍
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Thank you for writing awesome content!
awww thank you so much @xyashu that is really sweet I appreciate it :)
Thats a very delicious looking. Thanks for sharing.
please upvote and follow me
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