Becoming Plant-Based | Week 1

Well, it's been about a week since we decided to become vegan.

Give or take a few days, I guess.

I don't know...I've never been very good at dates.

But I digress!

The point is...we've just begun our journey to becoming vegan...

How are we doing?

Are we cheating?

Did we give up?

Well, folks, let me tell you...we're still at it. We're trying hard not to label ourselves because with labels comes a lot of judgment and finger-pointing. "Oh, you eat honey? I thought you were vegan!" "Your kids ate a candy bar? THAT'S NOT VEGAN!!! GAHHHH!!"

You know what craziness I'm talking about.

That's the kind of crap and drama we are trying to avoid.

Because we're not trying to make a point, really...we're just trying to become more aware of our food choices...making healthier food choices...and trying to be ethical with our choices.

Ellen Fisher (find her amazing channel on YouTube under Mango Island Mamma) once said that if you're just going vegan for your health, you're probably going to be swayed to go back to your old eating habits very easily. Especially if you're in relatively good health. But when you're doing it for the animals, to stop the abuse and their suffering, your chances of sticking to it are much greater.

And she's right.

Because that is playing a big factor in my sticking to my goals.

I really. really. REALLY want ice cream.

And that nasty cheese sauce from Taco Bell.

The health implications really don't mean jack to me right now. But just thinking about some poor cow being abused and neglected on a factory farm is helping me stick to my guns.

We have been 100% vegetarian for a week or two now.

Maybe 3?

Oh. Wait. That's a lie. Well, we didn't realize that the sauce at the Chinese restaurant last weekend MIGHT have had chicken/beef broth in it...my research and questions came up with conflicting answers. We THOUGHT it was vegan...so that counts for something, right?

In the last week, we have had no cheese. No sour cream. No ice cream or yogurt.

No meat, chicken or seafood.

But we have had honey.

(raw local)

And my kids are eating tiny little chocolate squares (no bigger than 1"x1") that came in their Advent calendars.

We are also trying to keep processed foods to a minimum.

This is turning into a daunting adventure...it really is.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to go 100% vegan.

I'm trying but it's hard.

Even if I'm doing it for the animals AND my kids' health.

I just don't know.

I really want cheese and ice cream.

I cried last night because I was craving ice cream so badly.

How pathetic is that?

But I am trying so hard.

And that has to count for something, I hope.

So far, what's been working really well for me, is my being prepared and having lots of fresh clementines on hand (anyone following my 100 Healthy Days posts on IG knows my current obsession with those sweet little gems) for snacking on and having my vegan dinner ingredients in my fridge/pantry and ready to go when it's dinner time. 

Oh! And eating early dinners has been awesome! Seriously. we started eating dinner at around 3 or 4 pm and I'm loving it! I'll have clementines or grapes, juices and smoothies up until then...but around 3 or 4 is when I find that we are the most hungry. So we eat dinner. If we get hungry later, we have lots of fresh fruits and veggies on-hand to snack on.

My husband said that he's lost about 8 pounds so far! I'm down about 5 pounds.

We are overweight and so weight loss is very important for our health right now. Diabetes, cancer and kidney issues run in my family. I don't want to be carrying around extra weight, clogged arteries or anything that can increase my chances of getting these diseases.

I'm also noticing that my depression seems to be going away!

Are any of you living a plant-based lifestyle? Any advice for this family of newbies??