Still Vegan and not exercising

Photo is from 2006 in Atlanta, Georgia (King Memorial).

I'm not sure what it means, but I have basically stopped exercising since I became vegan. I did a 12 mile bike ride the very next day, but that was it. I have no desire to go to the gym. I want to start jogging, but I can't jog in neighborhoods. I'm terrified of stray dogs. So, I must find a track. Perhaps I will do that this weekend.

Oh well, it doesn't really matter because I have taken the first step towards my first Triathlon. I joined a club, Raise the Bar, in Kent, WA. They start beginner swim lessons in October. They have runs during the week and weekends. So, despite my own lack of desire to hit the gym, I have joined the elite.

The world of eating as a vegan is fine. I have less desire to eat out, as most restaurants are a hassle. It is amazing how little I know about food preparation. Why are eggs and cheese in everything? Life would be easier as a vegetarian, but I wouldn't have lost any weight. I can see why there are fat vegetarians. Most veggie meals in restaurant include a generous helping of cheese. I suppose the chefs are trying to make up for the reduced animal protein. Yuck!

Oh yes, today I purchased a superfood supplement, Barleans Greens. Despite my plant based life, I am not really eating that many green vegetables. So, I'm going to start the day with a green drink.

In addition, today I tried my first meat replacement meal. I purchased BBQ Tempeh at Greenfresh Market in Renton, WA. It was okay. The baby seemed to like it. I wasn't blown away by the taste, but the texture was fine.

2 weeks into my vegan journey

Okay, so it's been two weeks and I'm still going strong. Actually, this has become much easier. I've discovered two restaurants in my neighborhood with vegan options. One is a vietnamese restaurant which was pretty good. This was my first attempt at eating vietnamese food and I enjoyed it. The restaurant is Cafe Hue in the pioneer square neighborhood.

As I learn more about veganism, I keep running into raw foodist. This seems very interesting, but it is something to ponder and to incorporate more raw food or green smoothies/juice into my diet. I doubt that I will be going high raw in the near future. : )

I have lost some weight, but not enough to put on smaller sizes. One pair of pants that did not fit several weeks ago did fit this week.

Our Labor Day Video

This is a short compilation of a few good pictures. We enjoyed an extended weekend in Seaside Oregon, which is great for children. We rented electric cars and explored sections of Seaside that were knew to us. We enjoyed watching the surfers on the south end of the beach.

1 week into my vegan journey

It's been a week and I feel great. I was able to adhere to a full vegan diet for all of my meals. I went to the Puyallup Fair this weekend and I was very worried. I smelled hot dogs and saw a sign for BBQ and I had a momentary craving.

What I've learned in the last week is that I go crazy worrying about about how food is prepared or I can make the best choices in the situation that I am in. For example, I enjoyed curly fries. I can't be sure that they weren't cooked in the same hot oil as an animal product, but I made the best choice for me. In addition, my anxiety was reduced because several of the vendors had
veggie burgers. I held the cheese and mayo and added grilled onion. It was great.

I am not sure if I've lost weight, but my evacuation system seems to be very regular. I didn't weigh myself before last week, but I'll know in another week or two by the fit of my clothes. I will say that one pair of jeans seems looser, but it could be wishful thinking.

My weight loss plan will be guided, I hope, by this book I ordered McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss
In addition, I noted on another site that raw food diets were a great way to shed a few pounds. I will save that for another month, as I am still learning about eating as a vegan. I have found quite a few products that are vegan, so I am learning that it is easy to eat processed foods as a vegan, which is not the route to a fast weight loss.

Becoming a Vegan . . .

Wow, a lot has changed in the last couple of weeks. I've been preparing for a new fitness mode. New running shoes from The Balanced Athlete in Kent, WA. The owner is great. He watched me walk on a treadmill and I noted that I walk like a duck. My feet are flat and pronate. Fun! I also learned that I have been buying my workout shoes a size too small, which apparently accounts for my feet feeling like sleeping bricks on the elliptical machine.

I purchased a polar heart rate monitor and really realized just how out of shape I really am. It's okay . . . I'm on the path to real changes.

BUT the super huge change in my life occurred this week on Sunday - September 2nd. I adopted a vegan lifestyle for the next 30 days. I am guessing that it was the ridiculous book, Skinny Bitch, that did me in. I read Fast Food Nation a few months ago. I saw Super Size Me years ago. So, I imagine that it all just caught up with me.

In addition, I am lactose intolerant and I have Crohn's Disease, which has been causing me a little trouble recently. This was another reason to adopt a better diet.


4th DAY COMPLETED. I am very happy that it has been four days and I've made very few mistakes. I had a bite of mashed potatoes today. As I placed it on my plate, I realized that it is prepared with milk and butter. I had a bite and it was really bad. Yeah!

I've headaches (off and on) for the last two days. I'm guessing that this is my body's send-off to the missing animal products from my diet. I've read that it can take up to two weeks to get beyond the diet aspects of this lifestyle.

I ordered Becoming Vegan to help me with the transition. More to come.

The picture is from Seaside, Oregon during labor day weekend. Fun.