A Month in Retrospect

Tomorrow will mark one month since I've been living a vegan lifestyle.  I want to reflect on what I've found this past month.  I thought I would be saying how hard this has been for me and it's been only by this well of  focus and determination I've been able to get through this.  But that is not the case at all.  I've said it before that I knew with every fiber of my being that I needed to do this.  I felt that my health was declining, not in any big detectable way (other than the obesity) but in small measurable steps like blood pressure increases and heart burn and an overall feeling of toxicity.  I fought becoming vegan and put it off and even as I planned on doing it, I didn't expect me to be able to do it or even WANT to do it.  I focused on my old "favorites"  and really noticed how my body felt after eating and did it taste as good as I thought it would?  The 1st day was a little difficult, if nothing else because I was not used to cooking vegan.  It didn't take but a couple of days before the energy started to jump up.  Tomorrow I will weigh in, but I have lost so much fat off my stomach it's amazing.  Everything is better, mood, energy, ability to listen to my body, focus, patience...  even my sex life (ah, you guys came this far with me, you can handle it!!!).  I could go on for a while.  I feel great.  It's amazing how much more positively I look at the world now.  I do not miss meat.  I rarely have cravings for my old foods anymore and if I do, they pass quickly.  I only wish i would have done this years ago.  But I don't dwell on that.  Things happen the way they are supposed to and my time is now.  My husband and I talked and he agreed to having me make vegan meals for all of us.  I told him it's killing me to feed them, the people I love, food that I find toxic that I won't eat anymore.  I'm not asking them to change over night, but at least for dinners.  I have to be a teacher to my children so they may have a healthier, longer life.  I can do this now.  I feel way more comfortable in my vegan skin.  I was a little self involved this month; I kinda had to be.  But I feel my vegan Kung Fu powers flowing and can now multitask again.  I still have ups and downs.  I can still have eater moments or days, but it's so much more controllable now.  I've learned to tell the difference between a need and a craving.  I am in tune with my body once more.  I am eating to live not living to eat!!  I thought I had something wrong with me, that I couldn't stop eating.  I couldn't tell I was full until I was about to puke.  (Tess suggested this, but I had already thought) I think that the foods I used to eat were so empty of real nutrition that my body kept wanting more and I kept giving it the wrong things.  I am not a scientist, I have not the info. to defend against an argument.  I only know what I feel and what I see in the mirror.  That's good enough for me and apparently my family.  Let's do stats:

Hunger: appropriate
Mood:  Happy
Cravings: None
Health: Ass kicking good!!!

I read an article many months ago about the kid from California who was the youngest to sail around the world by himself.  I was amazed by his outlook on life and his plans for himself in non- conventional ways.  He said: "Do something hard".  His message was don't sleep  walk through life.  Challenge yourself, dream.  I've always kept that in the back of my head and the desire to do that, something hard.  I finally am doing it.  I completely changed my lifestyle.  I am doing something that is challenging me and making me a better, stronger person.  It feels good.  I now pass that gauntlet to you my friends:  Do something hard.  Whatever it may be.  You will love yourself a little bit more and maybe even surprise yourself.  Good night everyone, keep dreaming =)

Danielle