Ready, Set, GO!

Welcome to my journey/challenge on becoming vegan (at least for a month...)

So, why did I decide to give up ALL animal products as part of my New Year's?  Here is the run-down:

1) First & foremost, I want to drop a few (or a lot).  My thought process on this is that instead of driving myself crazy & focusing on counting calories, I will "trick" myself into something else to focus on.  Something much bigger.  Instead of starving, I will be eating- but eating healthier. Instead of reading food labels for calorie content, fat grams, & serving sizes, I will be scanning the ingredients making sure there are no hidden milk or egg ingredients. I am hoping that this shift of focus will get me through this, & the pounds will just drop off without me even realizing it! Yeah, that's right, just keep telling yourself that, Megan!  You can see my full rationale and goals here.  After 2 days in, I noticed I have bypassed alot of things that normally would have ended up in my mouth because I know they are made with either milk, butter, or eggs (like cookies!), which is going to be better for the end result.

2) Health reasons- I have been blessed with the gene of hypertension. Unfortunately, for me, even when I was in better shape, I still have required medication for management.  But, I have never tried this diet!  It would be absolutely awesome if one of the results from this endeavor would be I could either decrease or get off my meds (probably a long-shot, but I can still hope).  I also have a physical with my doctor in 1 month, where she will be checking my lipid levels.  Even though cholesterol is not an issue yet for me (thank goodness!), I still could stand to have some improvement in that area as well.  Plus, I am just curious to see if I will feel better.

3) Personal challenge & fascination- ok, I have never been a big beef eater, but occasionally I do like a big, fat, juicy filet. Even better with hot, melted butter sizzling on top... snap out of it!  (I haven't had any meat at all for 1 1/2 weeks at this point).  But, I do like seafood, chicken, cheese, ice cream, & I LOVE Starbuck's lattes... Once I make my mind up to do something, I am all or nothing.  That is why I decided to go "all the way" & shoot for vegan rather than vegetarian, & I will be very anal and comply, just mainly because I am stubborn.  I have also always been curious & interested in vegetarian/vegan eating, but it has never stuck very long.  While I was in graduate school, I often had many meatless meals, even buying & eating soy cheese, soy margarine, veggie burgers, & soy corndogs just for S & Gs.

4) Empathy for my patients- as an registered dietitian (RD), I have many patients that have food allergies, & absolutely cannot eat certain foods or ingredients. At least I am fortunate enough to not have this issue, & I am making this diet change by choice, but it will give me the understanding of the many challenges they face on a daily basis- from grocery shopping, cooking, & eating out.  By following a vegan diet, I will not be eating any foods that are derived from cow's milk/dairy products or eggs, which is similar to my patients that are allergic to these foods & cannot under any circumstances eat these foods or any ingredients derived from them.  This way, I can understand on a daily basis some of the challenges they face, & hopefully I will also learn some practical tips & information I can pass along to make their lives a little easier.  Plus, I will be personally trying many of the foods I have recommended as substitutes to them, & hopefully will get the "inside scoop" (ice cream on my brain again).

Yes, this will be a difficult journey for me, but hopefully one that will help me grow (but not in the waistline).

Why blog about my "vegan adventures"?  Accountability!  I figured if I write it down, & it is posted on the internet for anyone & everyone to see, that gives me no excuses to cheat or quit.

Please join me as I learn from personal experience!