I know the drill, and have been down this road a million times before. My attempts to lose weight spanned my entire life. When I was just 10 years old I went to Lean-Line with my family. I'm dating myself with that one! Over the years I've also done liquid diets, slim fast, South Beach..the list goes on and on. Surgery was never a consideration for me because, while I know many who have had great success with it, I never felt in my heart it was for me. My stomach isn't what caused me to get to this point, my brain is, so I saw no point in getting gastric bypass if my brain was still "broken".
There was no great epiphany. There was no sweeping resolve that this was FINALLY going to be the time. Honestly, my drive was not even to lose weight, it was to start doing more to be healthy. Of course I knew making healthier choices would result in weight loss, but I didn't own a scale so at the start I had no way to keep track of that, which was a good and bad thing. I also knew that I could not sustain sudden, drastic changes, and I was seeking sustainability. So the changes were small, but critically important at the beginning.
First, was making sure the main thing I drank was water. No more sodas or other sugar laden drinks. Next, I cut down on processed foods and prepared more whole food meals. The third of those more important first steps was...steps. Moving more. Going for walks even if it wasn't a fast or far walk. It got easier each time.
My lifestyle changes continued and expanded throughout the summer of 2015. I felt better, stronger, moving was easier, and I had a drive to move more, to dive further into these changes. On August 13, 2015 I decided to eat more meatless meals starting that day. I haven't eaten meat since, and have no intention to do so ever. Again, my motivation was not weight loss. This time it wasn't even necessarily health related. I have long wanted to be a vegetarian because of my compassion for animals, but I lacked the resources to fully commit. Meaning, I didn't know what to eat. I ate salad, vegetables - of which I didn't like many, and tofu scared me(still not a fan). That was not sustainable for me. When I first tried to become a vegetarian many many moons ago in my early 20's there was no internet on which to find endless recipes, tips, and support. Once again, I am really dating myself! November and December of 2015 were months I spent as a conflicted vegetarian until I finally stopped eating dairy and eggs as well in January, 2016. I would say I am 99% vegan, which I'm sure I'll take some heat for. I explained it this way to someone recently: "I am a vegetarian with strong vegan tendencies. But a vegetarian dish works". This generally applies only if I am at someone's home/out and have no vegan option. I also use honey, local honey. Preferably raw local honey.
So one year and 85 pounds later, here were are! After all that backstory, I will tell you this blog, much like my journey this last year, is not primarily about weight loss. While I've lost a lot of weight, I still have a long way to go, but again I don't want to dwell on that. More importantly, I've gained something much greater. I've discovered a serious passion for vegan foods and healthier lifestyle habits. When I hear someone talking about vegan foods/plant-based eating I get so excited and want to share the fantastically delicious recipes I have tried. Starting this blog has long been on my mind because sharing this passion for plant-based foods and healthy habits with others makes me so happy!
Now that the intro is out of the way, there will be recipe posts on the way! Thanks for reading!
Lisa
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