Christmas Eve

Wow, I feel like tonight is Christmas Eve.  I want to go to bed NOW so that when I wake up, I can eat meat again!  I may even skip my run - heck, I haven't run on a Saturday morning for a few weeks now, why break the cycle?  I am very excited.  I know that I have to take it slow so I don't end up making myself sick, but I'm still really looking forward to this.

It's not so much that I miss meat or dairy.  It really is just simpler.  I've obsessed about my meals for the last three weeks, it will be nice not to have to read every ingredient in what little prepackaged food I've eaten to make sure there are no traces of milk.  No driving ALLLLLL the way to Whole Foods because I am missing one key ingredient of a recipe.  I'll have a bit more freedom now.  Even though I'm going to try to stick with being vegan four days a week, if something comes up, if my original plan for dinner somehow gets messed up, I have the option to eat a meat or dairy product.

I feel like I've whined a lot since the beginning, but I'll outline some really positive things now.

- I am content with my decision to have the freedom to NOT be a vegan on the weekends.  I think it will make things easier.  Also, I think the fact that I want to stick with this diet even part time says a lot.

- I really like how I'm feeling.  I'm sure it's a combination of the diet and the fact that I'm back into a regular workout schedule now.

- I have found some recipes I really like.

- Drinking rice milk or almond milk will make things easier for my family, since Matt is lactose intolerant.  We have been buying regular milk and lactose-free milk up until this point.

- I feel like this challenge has helped me grow.  At times, I really struggled with willpower.  But, as time went on, it felt easier to get through cravings and temptations.  I know it's only been three weeks, but it does feel like a LOT longer!

- I've always been a picky eater.  Being forced to eat things I've never eaten before, or things I don't like, has made me more willing to try new foods.

- I'm proud that I started so hard-core with the raw diet, but at the same time, I'm glad that I cut back on the raw diet after the first week.  I feel much happier and fuller, but I will still incorporate some raw food recipes in my diet.  I really like the chocolate avocado dessert.

- I've lost FIVE pounds and 1.5 inches from my waist since January 1.  Woot!

This whole experiment really was a personal challenge for me.  I am glad that I proved to myself that I could stay 100% dedicated to something for three weeks, that I never cheated.  I wish I hadn't felt so whiny about it all, but it was a pretty extreme diet to embrace all at once.  And I am very proud that I stuck with it even when I was so miserable.  Sometimes I surprise myself at how dedicated I can be when I make up my mind.

I added pictures to the previous post to illustrate the mushrooms, so if you want to try out that recipe, make sure you check it out.

I hope you've enjoyed reading my posts.  I'm sure I'll continue to update as I find new recipes. 

Namarie!