I made one of my 2017 resolutions to try veganism for the month of January. Now it’s been over one month and I actually don’t have plans of stopping. Check out what I learned below!
1. It was really freaking easy for me.
Ok, I think there are a few things I need to disclaim before I dive in:
- I would call the diet I’m describing 97% vegan. I’ll explain later.
- I already LOVE fruits and vegetables.
- I haven’t eaten red meat in about 10 years.
With all of that said, I was still in shock of how easy this transition was for me. I really thought that cutting poultry, dairy and eggs out of my diet would require a huge overhaul of my life but it TOTALLY wasn’t.
I’m not naive; I’m sure there will be difficult moments. So far, though, I’ve barely had any. I also haven’t felt deprived for a moment, but that might be because 3 separate people got me vegan cupcakes/donuts/cookies for my birthday. Whoops.
2. Carb City
In January, I ate far too many carbs. When you don’t plan ahead, carbs like bread, potatoes, rice and crackers can be your only option. I found that when I didn’t plan ahead or went to a restaurant that didn’t have options, I was forced into eating starches and carbs.
Since then, I’ve been making an effort to plan ahead more and avoid restaurants that have so few options.
3. Δ=0
I feel like everyone’s burning question for me was if I feel really different or lost any weight. Well, here it is: I pretty much feel the same. And guess what? My weight didn’t change, either. While I am trying to slim down for my wedding, I’ll take a “maintain” month over a gain every time. Plus, I think it has a lot to do with the aforementioned learning!
4. Airports suck
I traveled twice this month and learned that airports offer virtually ZERO vegan options. Even vegetable sandwiches had cheese melted on them. While I was good at packing snacks, I was SOL when I craved a meal. When in doubt, Sabra hummus packs will suffice.
5. I ate out a lot
Ok, here’s what I mean by calling myself 97% vegan.
I had a lot of celebrations/client meetings in the month of January that required me to go out to eat. While I made sure to order things that didn’t have meat, eggs or dairy, I wasn’t always hyper vigilant. A lot of the time, I was in a big group and didn’t feel like making a fuss. To my knowledge, the things I ate didn’t have dairy or eggs baked in, but there was a hand full of times I’m not certain about.
With that said, here are some things I ate out (at non-vegan restaurants):
Thai Restaurants: Pad Thai: tofu + no egg (+ extra vegetables)
Japanese Restaurants: Vegetable sushi rolls, edamame, miso soup, salad
Greek Restaurants: Falafel and hummus, lentil soup
Italian Restaurants: Pasta with vegetables
American Restaurants: Beet salad, veggie burgers, hummus and veggies, guac and chips, sweet potato fries, sides of veggies
Bonus– I went to an art fair in Florida! I ate corn on the cob (without butter) and a fruit smoothie
This vegan butternut squash pizza is from True Food Kitchen and it’s TO. DIE. FOR.
6. The pride is real
As I mentioned, people keep asking me if I feel really different. I wish I could report on all of these dramatic changes, but the real difference is that I feel SUPER proud. I am a lot prouder than I thought I’d be.
Over the last month or so, I have eaten and cooked so many creative and delicious dishes. I have made things that even my Ron-Swanson-Like-Fiance said were amazing. I love showing people that “vegan” isn’t synonymous with “gross,” and that making small changes could help you reduce your intake of animal-based proteins.
Best of all, it gives me peace knowing that nothing died for *me* this month. No death has entered my body and as hippy-dippy as that sounds, it really lifts my spirits. I’m not sure I will do this forever, but I really am enjoying it.
Jenny says
This is so bad ass!! Here’s to hoping this is the first month of many ?
Audrey says
I love all of this, T! I’m proud of you too!
Elizabeth Berns says
I have never seen your blog before, came across it through a vegan group. I would like to say a few things… 1.) WELL DONE!!! You took the first step. So many people think it will be too hard, but it actually isn’t that hard at all! 2.) I really, really hope you stick with it! There are so many reasons for choosing vegan, and there aren’t any good reasons to not eat vegan! Vegan & plant based foods are healthier, vegans don’t have the same fear of heart attacks that meat eaters do. It’s a healthier lifestyle, for the most part (there are vegan junk foods and yep, I occasionally indulge!) Think of the animals you’ve saved in a month’s time. We a vegan version of basically every dish and cuisine in existence, why make animals go through a life of misery and terrifying death when there are so many humane choices? 3.) You are helping the planet to heal. Animal agriculture is the largest contributor to climate change of any other issue.
I’ve only been vegan for a little over a year and I didn’t make the change until I was 40 years old. It’s never too late, and it’s never as hard as people think it will be. You’ll feel better body, mind and spirit. Vegans eat without violence. <3
Thank you, from the animals too. 🙂
Liz Traines says
Love this!!! Go T 🙂 You should watch this documentary… might be extra motivation to keep going if you like it… http://www.getvegucated.com/
Lauren Schwartzwald says
Love this post Taryn! Xo
Sana Irshad says
love your blog!! so inspiring 🙂