Saturday, May 5, 2012

Best diet I never meant to have . . .

I might get a little flack from some of my friends for this. I'm not saying that you have to be thin to be a Vegan or that you should become a Vegan with the expressed purpose of becoming thin, but wow is losing weight a side effect.

Growing up I was very thin. Extremely thin. Then I had three kids, and then I got very sick. I gained weight. Lost weight. Gained weight. Went on every diet. Counted calories. Exercised obsessively. There is this weird thing you do when you are on a diet, you justify. I could have Whataburger Patty Melts on Saturday because Saturday was "Cheat day." I factored in a Pepsi for Breakfast into my calories. No wonder I eventually fell off the wagon.

Then I found Vegan. I have lost 31 pounds. I eat what I want, when I want. I have yet to count a calorie. I haven't changed my routine (which means I haven't added in any exercise; although I want to). And I don't want to have a "Cheat Day" or make sure I can fit in a soda for breakfast. Notwithstanding crying in a Walmart candy bar aisle, I haven't wanted to eat anything that isn't vegan. And even when that happened, it was a momentary glitch.

A few days ago I was at my mom's house, and she made cherry cheescake. I love cherry cheescake. I wasn't sure how I was going to react to seeing everyone eating it. I thought I might tear up. I thought I might break down and lick the plate. But as soon as I saw it, I didn't even want to try it. I realized that my whole way of thinking and eating had changed.

And the side effect is that I have lost weight. Something that I have wanted for a long time, and it just naturally happened. Of course, I keep saying that veganism is a triad: health, environment, and animals. The meeting of all three makes this the easiest diet to stick to and it makes your morals feel so good.

But the best news about this diet I never meant to have is that my husband decided it just may be the best diet he never meant to have too. (And since he committed to veganism just two weeks ago, he is down 12 pounds).



You read that right! My husband has made the transition. He is a changed man. As you all know, I have been struggling with how to help him make the change. He kept saying he was committed, but he was still eating meat and dairy every day. Then being the ripe tomato paid off. I just kept on trucking. I just kept giving him examples of why he should convert. I kept cooking him vegan meals, and I kept encouraging him. I told him that I would be here with support when he wanted it.

Well his biggest stumbling block is lunch. He likes to eat lunch out. No matter what he says, he likes to eat his lunch out. I was trying to make him a vegan lunch every day, but he wouldn't eat it, and he would go out and eat anyway. So, I kept telling him about how you could eat Subway --Vegan. So, I took him to Subway and bought him a Vegan sub. He liked it. Just like me, he says he doesn't even miss the meat and cheese. 

Then we went on a trip to Austin, TX to visit a friend of mine (we took pictures with the giant cow on that trip), and she and her family wanted to eat at Cracker Barrel. Not an easy feat as a Vegan, but it can be done. Robert, on the other hand, had a meat platter. He was SO sick afterward. He said, "maybe I really shouldn't have eaten meat. I just don't know if I can eat meat anymore." Then he went on a business trip to Memphis. When he got home, he confessed that he ate Subway the entire time. Of course, he can eat other things, but he is a creature of habit. I will have to teach him how to eat at other restaurants. But he said he is a vegan now too.

That means four out of five of us are converts. Just my lovely 13-year-old daughter is a hold out. She eats breakfast and dinner as a vegan. It is just lunch that is the problem for her too. I'm having a little bit more of a problem finding a lunch solution for a stubborn middle schooler who refuses to bring her lunch and her school has NO vegan options. I am hoping over the summer she eats vegan everyday and the deal is sealed with her as well. 

I guess the lesson is by setting a good vegan example, we can rub off on those we love. And sometimes when you do the right thing, the unintended side effects are really awesome!

2 comments:

Crystal Gable said...

Very, very happy! So glad to have met you both. Longview is a better place because your family moved here.

Wellman Group said...

Thanks so much Crystal. We are so happy we met you too!