Vegan Week

 

 

"Kelsey, you are looking great!" 
                                      
                                       ..."Oh thanks, I recently lost weight."

"No I have seen you since you lost the weight but
you are just looking really good today!"

That was a part of a conversation I had at the library with a friend this week.  Could it be because I went vegan??  I don't know but I have been feeling AMAZING lately.  Somehow my head feels clearer.  I was even brave enough to take the kids to the library, the post office and the store by myself.  The librarian commented on how it had been so long since she has seen us.  Could it be that this vegan lifestyle is helping me in many areas of my life.  Jack said to me today, "how have we not tried this sooner?" 

He has been doing great too.  I am once again blown away by the support that my husband gives me.  I get a notion in my head and tell him about it and before I even finish explaining my thoughts he is onboard and ready to help.  He has always been that way though.  Whether I told him I wanted to do cloth diapers and teach the kids sign language or said we were spending one of his vacation weeks biking all the way to Washington D.C. he always asks "when do we start?"

In this week alone Jack has lost over 4 pounds even though he didn't stick to his workout schedule.  Being vegan for him has different obstacles than for me.  I am at home all day and cook all of my own meals.  If I want or don't want something I make it happen.  But for him he has business dinners and company luncheons with meals provided.  He said that being vegan at a restaurant is either extremely easy, because you only have one option, or impossible.  Often times even the "steamed" veggies are soaking in butter and sprinkled with cheese.  We didn't beat ourselves up about it though.  He still ate the vegetables after attempting to pick of the parmesan and I still ate a Luna bar that said "may contain traces of milk."

I learned this week that being a vegan is not hard.  I was expecting something completely different.  I imagined myself eating meals of only side dishes and being hungry all of the time.  That wasn't the case and if I felt hungry I ate.  It was freeing to not have to count the calories or weigh 3 oz of chicken breast.  I ate whatever I wanted as long as it didn't contain any animal products and I made sure I stopped eating when I felt gently full.

Arm yourself with a repertoire of new plant based recipes and you will be surprised with how much you enjoy it.  My friend told me that it is a common misconception for people to think that being a vegan is limiting when in fact many people limit their diet more by eating meat because they fall into a rut of eating the same meals every week.

Just because being vegan may not be the lifestyle that you grew up with does not mean that you can't adopt the lifestyle now.  I am so thankful that Shakeology has to vegan flavors too.  I knew that I could start my day off with the nutrients that I needed to have the energy to get through my workout and not need coffee.  Do I think that I am going to go vegan forever?  ...probably not.  I am such an all-star couponer that I have a freezers worth of turkey burgers and chicken breast.  I plan on making 1 to 2 meals a week that contain meat.  I am open and happy to have a plant based option and I couldn't be happier with how I feel. 

If you want to make a lifestyle change but need help with the proper food choices I can help you.  Join my next challenge group starting on July 29th and I will help you make the necessary changes to start your fitness and wellness journey on the right foot.

Email me for more information.

some of my vegan meals this week: