Hello February!

This month I am going Vegan or as Vegan as Possible! My job is offering a 10 week class on going low-fat vegan and I am taking advantage of it. I have been a long time vegetarian and I have flirted around with meat recently. As a vegetarian I was very unhealthy. I am a compulsive eater who is addicted to certain foods such as cheese, chocolate and ice cream. I relied all too often on grilled cheese sandwiches and cheese pizza during my vegetarian days. I came to the realization that to help aid me in managing my compulsive eating it might be necessary to activate the power to choose foods that are not addictive. I was struggling with the beginning stages of my Power to Choose Plan when I heard about this Vegan class. I am trying to cut back on cheese, chocolate and ice cream and Vegan’s do not eat these things, why not give it a try. For a brief time while I was a vegetarian I did remove diary from my diet. I thought I was lactose intolerant and for about six months I did not consume diary and I walked for an hour a day at-least 5 days a week. Something magical happened. I went from 215 LBS to 150 LBS during that time period. At that time I did not make the connection between my weight-loss and the absence of diary. I thought it was all about the walking! Later when trying to lose weight I tried to replicate my results by going on walking routine, my latest being my 2012-2013 walking efforts. At the end of the year I was heavier than when I started! The walking did not net me any weight-loss, however it did net me 10 points lower on my blood sugar, good blood pressure and low cholesterol, so it kept me in great health despite my size. Part of my Compulsive Eating disorder is food addiction. One of my strongest food addictions is too cheese, chocolate and ice cream. By embracing this Vegan diet I hope to find another tool in my tool box in managing my Compulsive Eating disorder. I do not know if my efforts will result in weight –loss, but it certainly can’t hurt matters. The Vegan classes start in April, but I have already begun to convert to the Vegan diet. My aim is simply to be as Vegan as Possible for me, and that means choosing Vegan options when they are available. I will not be nit picking every little thing for traces of egg’s and milk. I am not a Ethical Vegan, I do not abstain from using any animal products whatsoever, I am simply adopting a Vegan diet cutting meats, and most animal products when possible. The basic things are very clear and easy to cut and that is what I will focus on, not eating pork, beef, chicken, fish, egg’s and dairy products.

My basic meal plan is simple, lots of beans and rice, pasta and vegetable plates. I will work on my diet as I await the start of this Vegan class in April, where  I hope to learn more about the Vegan diet and new things to cook.

CLM