The Start of Something...

I have been wanting to write about this topic for quite awhile now.  There has been a shift in me, maybe unnoticeable to some.  I finally feel free to stand up for myself and the way I want to eat.  There have been many obstacles I've had to face, which is why it took me more than 2 years to finally make the change.  A lot of the people in my life have been a force against my healthy eating, but ultimately, the change had to come from me.  I had to be prepared.  I have to be mentally ready for it.  

There was a lot of guilt for awhile.  Well, for years.  Mike loves to cook, and he loves to share what he cooks with others.  But the majority of his meals have always been meat based.  Loads of fat and dairy.  So, the issue with that was with me. Not him.  I had to learn to put myself first for a change and do what was right for me.  He isn't heartbroken like I thought.  He doesn't resent me for eating plant based.  It was in my head.  Hurdle #1....  conquered!

 Please understand...  my motivation in sharing this journey is not to persuade anyone to go vegan.  There are enough people out there doing that.  And everyone has their own journey to follow in their own time.  I'd like to share this because there are so things stacked against us when we're trying to eat healthier, and earth and animal friendly.  There is misleading information everywhere!  If I can help anyone make their transition easier by sharing my path, I will have done what I set out to do.  But please, if this does not interest you, I will not be offended if you opt out of reading this humble little blog.  

I do have to say, I do have a few things going for me that made at least my decision to go plant based easier.  One is that I never limit myself by saying things like "I can never give up coffee" or "I just couldn't live without cheese".  I guess it's that little rebel in me, but I have never cut myself off from a challenge by thinking that way.  Maybe my positivity has always won, but saying I could never do something is negative to the extreme, if you ask me.  I just don't give myself limits.  You cannot imagine the doors that open when you say yes to things.  (Reasonable things, anyway). 

 As it turns out, I didn't even give up coffee this time.   I didn't give up sugar either.  There are bigger fish to fry.  (Using that term ironically, of course, lol).

So, as I need to go on with day 23 of my plant based journey, I will end this here.  Please leave comments if this interests you.  Even if you are thinking of eating more vegetables for health, or eating to help the planet, let me know.  It will help me to stay focused.

Anonymous negative comments are not productive, so if you are inclined to leave them, go write your own blog instead!  

Thank you for reading!  Now go outside and play!

Cilantro growing in the weeds!

Beans growing in the weeds!

Kale growing in the... notice a pattern?  Could I be a lazy gardener?  :)

It's the little things...

I think it is so true that when something is rare, or rarely happens, it is more cherished and sought after.  That is exactly how I feel about this whole food thing I'm going through.  If I get nothing else out of this journey, at least I know that I made a small difference in the way I feel about the things that come so easily to me.  It's about the small things.  

Only weeks ago, when I ate anything and everything I wanted, it was just that, eating.  Now that I have been away from that state for two weeks, I feel like I appreciate the things I have had so much more.  Now the simple thought of coffee in the morning has so much more joy in it.  I have allowed myself coffee the last couple of days because I feel like I've learned from this. And I've earned it.  But it isn't the same cup of coffee I had before.  It's much more.  

Not that I didn't appreciate things before.  I did.  I didn't come from a family with money and I certainly don't have money now.  It was never a priority for me.  I have more than I could ever want, but I appreciate what I have and that makes all the difference.  So to be able to coerce myself to eat twigs and bland berries for a few weeks, eventually a year, I have an ever greater appreciation for the things I have in great abundance around me.

When I drink coffee now, I need less because I am so much more satisfied with it.  I find that I don't just drink it down as a way of staying awake or waking up, I'm actually enjoying it much more.  Instead of saying, "Jeez, I need coffee", I'm saying, "yay, I get to have coffee!" 

 It's only temporary though, to have a little coffee.  Just as a reward.  I think the thought that I can cheat once in awhile really helps me to keep going.  Dealing with the psychological let-down that I can never have certain things for a year is quite depressing. 

I think if we could do that with more things in our lives, be more satisfied with the little things, we would be much happier people.  Instead of having to have the kitchen gutted and redone every 5 years to make our fickle selves happy, wouldn't it be great if a pretty utensil holder would make us just as happy.  50% of the stuff in landfills in the United States is building materials.

It's the little things.

Oh, and guess what...  I'm down a jean size!