Learning through Change

I am learning everyday about myself. I have realized that I am a very loyal person and a very dedicated person. And when I put my mind to something, I usually can get it done. And I am realizing that I need to commit to myself, making myself better. I have started in this direction by indeed drastically changing my eating habits. Thanks to all the help of my husband and mother, I have actually transitioned into a mostly "vegan" lifestyle (I put "vegan" in quotes because it is a understandable term used for what i am trying to do, but I do not follow all the rules and do not commit fully enough to have the honor of calling myself a true vegan). I do occasioanlly eat fish but mostly have kept to a diet restricting any cheese or milk and no meat. It has been pretty insane. I am feeling a lot better already. And while I am not going to get into the dirty details, I can say that my body is showing me that this diet is much better for me.

Through this process I am finding that I am a researcher. I thought at first that I would be able to stick to very basic meals and food items that I ate before that were already "vegan". But... the longer I live this lifestyle, I am finding that I have an inner desire to be better at it! To be able to make meals that impress but are still within my restricted diet. I have done this by overloading my "holds" section at the library (I think i have about 10 more vegan recipe books to pick up tonight!) and just jumping into this face first.

Not only are my husband and I feeling better and more energized, we are also losing weight that has creeped up on us through our poor eating stages. Within the short time that I have changed my diet, I have dropped 10 pounds and I can feel it... I can feel myself fitting into clothes better but also, it has just made me feel lighter, happier, and healthier.

As I move through this change, I will be sharing my thoughts and possibly recipes that I have come across. But... I will not have a kitchen for another week, so thank you for being so patient!

Can you believe these are vegan!?

Source: thediva-dish.com via Shannon on Pinterest

Source: greatrecips.blogspot.com via Shannon on Pinterest

Source: foodgawker.com via Shannon on Pinterest