Monday, August 27, 2012

Going Vegan: Week 1.


I've been eating vegan for 7 days now and this is my first little weekly update.
I've never been a milk drinker or an egg fanatic, 
but I do love ice cream and I was used to eating it every single night before bed
(which probably didn't help with the 9 cavities I had at my last dentist appointment).
I expected to be experiencing serious ice cream withdrawal pains.
Surprisingly, I'm not. I splurged on a bit of coconut milk ice cream twice this week,
and that stuff was DELICIOUS. Maybe even better than dairy ice cream. 
But it's pretty expensive for one itty bitty carton, 
so it will definitely be relegated to the "once in awhile" 
category during my 30 day vegan challenge.
The biggest challenge this week:
Making sure I get enough protein each day.
I keep track of every little morsel that goes into my mouth 
and I count both calories and grams of protein. 
For my height (5 foot 1 inch), weight (psh, like I'm sharing that) 
and activity level (I work out at a moderate/hard rate 1 hour per day), 
I need about 46 grams of protein daily. 
To hit that, I have to make sure I have protein with every single meal, snacks included. 
Thinking outside the box for my protein sources and trying to keep them varied has been
both fun and challenging, and it has really made me focus on using food as fuel,
not as a source of pleasure. 
The biggest pro this week:
I feel more satiated and less hungry throughout the day.
I think this has a lot to do with being more conscious of what I'm putting into my body.
Protein keeps your appetite down, and to get enough protein I have to make sure
I'm noshing on foods that are high in all sorts of good nutrients and healthy fats. 
What I'm missing most:
The little things.  
I miss Ranch dressing. I miss Cool Whip. I miss Miracle Whip. 
I miss my normal coffee flavoring (it had milk chocolate in it). 
Oh, yeah, and I miss chocolate. Ahhh, chocolate. 
My Menu: 
(from last Wednesday)
Breakfast: 1/2 grapefruit, 1 bowl of Vegan oatmeal (recipe here), 
2 cups coffee with nondairy creamer
Lunch: Morningstar BBQ "Rib". 1 cup watermelon. 1 cup baby carrots. 
Afternoon snack: 1 ounce pumpkin seeds 
Dinner: Large lettuce/spinach salad with green peppers, onions, carrots & 1/2 cup black beans
with FF Italian dressing. 1/2 cup spicy seasoned couscous. 1 cup broccoli.
Evening snacks: 1 Tbsp peanut butter
1 nectarine, 5 strawberries, 1/4 cup blueberries

15 comments:

  1. You go girl!!! I dont think I could ever go vegan but I admire the people that do because that is some hard work!! Glad things are going well so far!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. When I think vegan, I think fruits and veggies mostly but this menu actually looks really good! Good for you making it 7 days :) Heather

    ReplyDelete
  3. I used to be vegan, for nearly 3 years I lived the vegan life... and I tell you what, it was great! I eventually added eggs and cheeses back into my diet and for another 2 years I was a vegetarian.

    When I ate that clean I felt so good. Now that I eat meat again I feel very "bleh" and going vegetarian/vegan is something I am slowly doing... just by subtly introducing more veggie based meals.

    Good luck to you, once you pass week 2 you are going to feel amazing and, for me at least, thats when I stopped missing the "bad" foods I was used to eating.

    xoxo Teresa
    www.delightfullydarling.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am glad you feel so good! :)
    And there is vegan version of ranch dressing!For example Annie's Homegrown Cowgirl Ranch Dressing. It's a pretty good alternative! And there are many types of vegan chocolate, for example chocolate made with rice milk.
    I hope you can find something good! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. So I totally needed to read this today as a vegan diet has been on my mind lately. I love how you are updating and sharing your menu!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wow! Thanks for sharing your menu.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Congrats on your one week accomplishment! Sounds like your doing good. I would have a hard time with no ice cream!
    Carlee
    Almost Endearing

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for sharing your menu! Its interesting that you feel less hungry on a more restricted diet.. but you know.. I felt no hungry while on my juice cleanse. I think it has to do with getting all the proper nuitrients your body needs. I don't get that when I eat chips and salsa and crap for breakfast lunch and dinner.

    ReplyDelete
  9. chocolate would be the biggest thing for me to give up, oh that and cheese, yum cheese!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I've toyed with the idea of going vegan once in a while, so it's super interesting seeing it laid out like this. I can't wait to follow along!

    -Alyssa
    The Glossy Life

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am not vegan but I am seriously lactose intolerant/have Crohn's disease so I eat a lot of vegan foods. Coconut milk ice cream is TO DIE FOR. Oh gosh. I was actually going to suggest it before I read the bit about you splurging on it :)

    glad you're feeling better and such! I love leading a healthy lifestyle. It makes me feel so much better in the inside and outside :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm finding that coconut ANYTHING is better than cow's milk stuff. I am becoming a fanatic!! And cooking with coconut oil-THE BEST stuff ever!

    ReplyDelete
  13. How long are you doing the vegan thing? Are you just trying it out...or do you want to make it permanent?

    I've always been so impressed by people who can cut meat AND dairy from their diets.

    You go girl!

    ReplyDelete
  14. doing well so far! What have you found to be the best source of protein for you?

    ReplyDelete

This is the part where you tell the pups how cute they are.
...but seriously, thank you so much for stopping by and for your wonderful comment! I read them all and try to respond as often as I can. We hope you visit again soon :)