5 Day Veg - An Update

Last week I stared longingly at a malasada.

Last weekend I struggled to not gorge on meat and cakes.

Last Monday, I salivated over the thought of beef jerky.

Last night I ordered a veggie burger for the very first time. It was so difficult I could barely get the words out.

I hope I last...

Veg Diet - 1 Week In

Ok so far this diet is not fun. It's been a struggle to cut meat, dairy, meat, butter, and meat out of my diet. I've mostly been eating salads, veggie tacos, pasta, and fruits. I was concerned that cutting meat out of meals would leave me starving but I haven't been overly hungry. But I don't really feel all that satisfied either. After a large salad or a few veggie tacos I won't feel full but I just feel tired of eating. I wonder if that's what it's like to be “content” after a meal?

It's not like eating veggies itself has been rough, it's more like I just miss eating meat. Kind of like how you might miss going on a daily run, or miss solving a morning crossword puzzle. There aren't any cravings for it, it's just that meals aren't the same.

There were a few challenges in the week. First was the snack table at work. Several bags of chips appeared along with a bag of fun-sized strawberry flavored 3-Musketeers. They looked really good. But when I checked the ingredients the chips contained cheese and the 3-Musketeers contained butter. Both were not part of the veg diet.

Next was the pizza somebody at work brought for lunch. It smelled so good. I caught myself basking in the aroma of it as I slowly walked by. It was pepperoni and cheese. So good...

Then Friday came, which was Valentines Day. Somebody brought in ice cream to work and set up an ice cream bar. Dairy, couldn't have any of it. Then the poi malasadas showed up (I love those things) with banana cream pie and some kind of blueberry cream pie. All likely made with butter. Had to pass on all of them. So I stayed at my desk and snacked on almonds. Just one more day and I can have some of that...

I slipped up at Starbucks. Feeling hungry from a long day at work I browsed for a sandwich to eat. All of them had meat except for the spinach, tomato, pesto, and mozzarella. I got it, ate it, then later realized I ate cheese. Dang it! Gotta remember all animal products are off limits Monday-Friday.

Real quick, thanks to those who sent words of encouragement and veggie recipes. I'll be trying some of them out in the coming week.

5-Day Veg Diet - Giving it a Shot

In my never-ending quest to be healthier I've recently learned about the overwhelming health benefits to having a plant-based diet. Plant-based? Is that like some kind of vegan thing? Yep! Basically, eat plants, fruits, whole grains, and avoid anything that comes from an animal. That means no meat, no dairy, none of the things that I really enjoy eating and taste really good. Man, that sounds rough...

Being honest with myself there's no way I could have a completely plant-based diet. I love pizza and steak too much to give it up. Then I heard about this 5-Day Veg thing. Maintain a plant-based eating routine for 5 days of the week and eat like normal the other 2 days. Okay that doesn't sound as bad. I can give this one a shot. But still, it's gonna be rough...

It began last Wednesday, and I'll be honest I felt sad on Tuesday night while chopping up a salad for lunch the next day. Never thought I'd miss a turkey sandwich so much. But my greatest challenge was yet to come: dinner.

What do I eat at night? Another salad? I don't think so! I had to surf online for some veggie dishes that were within my skill to prepare. I ended up cooking a mix of potatoes, kale, garlic, onions, and quinoa served over brown rice. Sounds disgustingly healthy. It tastes not too bad after using some seasonings. It's tolerable. I guess...

The plan is to try this 5-Day Veg thing for one month. Plant-based eating Monday through Friday, and go back to my normal diet on the weekends. I'm curious to see what changes come out of it. If my weight changes, my attitude toward eating changes, my ability to cook, energy levels. I'm even curious to see how it affects my budget. I'll be blogging about all of these and more over the next month. Please follow along, I'll need the help and encouragement.