Day ___...No Meat!

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I was suppose to write a thirty (30) day review but was in between trying to figure out whether I wanted to continue or call it quits. Well, it has been sixty (60) days with no meat, and I feel great!

I’ve been asked some of the same questions during this process, so I wanted to share (a few):

Why did you stop eating meat, was it to lose weight for the wedding?

“Yes and no. I stopped eating meat to kick off my weight loss goal. The plan was for 30 days, a way to give my organs a rest from the process of digesting meat. It was also a way to help me make better food choices. The wedding was a motivation but the idea was to make it a life altering changes.

Is your fiancé participating?

“The only participation I get is: “wow babe you did good, I’m proud of you, now can you hand me the blue cheese for my hot wings?”. He’s a meat lover, I wasn’t expecting him to join. Though he jokes around about it, he is aware of my decision and tries to help in other ways. For example, he will contact a restaurant before we go out to ensure they have adequate choices for me to choose from.

Was it easy to follow through?

“Yes, because I rarely ate red meat prior to this, I would eat poultry from time to time. However, the first 30 days was the hardest, I had meat cravings, which was crazy because I barely ate meat before. After the first 30 days I became more disciplined, I don’t have the urge to eat it when I see it.”

Do you plan to continue after the wedding?

“Well, the plan is to make it a lifestyle not a phase.”

Have you lost weight?
“No, the minute I stopped eating meat the second my sweet tooth spiked up, I baked dessert every weekend during this process (smile). I’m sure if I was working out I would have noticed a difference.”

Cons from this process:

•   It’s expensive, have you seen the price of produce or veggie meat.
•  Busy schedule sometimes require fast food; fast food…umm not many choices, fries! (Not a fan of fast food but at times a 5-piece nugget went a long way until my next meal.)
• Careful monitoring to ensure I get all my nutrients.
• It’s expensive, just in case you missed it the first time.

Benefits from this process:

• I don't feel sluggish.
• It's easier for me to make healthier food choices.
• I am more disciplined.
• More conscious of what I put in my body (aside from sweets :-)
• Increased interest in fighting against animal cruelty.
• Helping the environment
• Increased my creativity for recipes.
• Started a new his/her diet blog (cooking for a vegetarian and a meat-lover in one kitchen).

I was hoping I would be able to add clearer skin to the list above but it has been counteracted by my stress level.

I really enjoy the feeling of not being a prisoner to particular types of foods. I am currently researching more on vegetarianism and have fallen within the debate of what a vegetarian diet should consist. For now I am a Pescetarian because I eat fish from time to time (at least once a week).  

There is so much more I can share but will leave for a later post (don’t want this to be a 3 page post :-). I will keep you posted on my progress and findings.

One thing is for sure, I am not quite quipped to become VEGAN! At least not now!


If you are vegetarian/vegan, how was  your transition?