Successes of Going Vegan (Approx. 2 Weeks Solid)

I’m so happy to report I’ve been consistent in sticking to my vegan lifestyle, and especially the RawTill4 principles. Since I’ve been solid with it, I thought I should share some of the amazing things I’ve experienced because of it.

Here are some things I’ve noticed:
1. My energy is much higher and lasts throughout the day.
2. My attitudes/emotions are so calm and patient (not that I wasn’t before, but even more so!).
3. Acne scarring honestly seems to be getting better, though improvements on the actual acne still need to happen.
4. When I eat tons of fruit, smoothies, and some extra water, I NEVER have to worry about becoming dehydrated. Remember: The way to tell is the colour of your pee! Clear is best!
5. Digestion, not a problem. I’m getting in so much fiber from the natural fruits and veggies. I grew up with bad digestion problems, so this is amazing!
6. My strength/endurance in the gym has not been affected negatively, but rather they have increased! Mind you, my consistency lately of getting to the gym has not been good, so that needs to be worked on too.
7. I’m not starving… ever! I eat as much fruit as I want, and as much vegan cooked foods (preferably more starches and veggies) in the evening. I’ve never been this satisfied before!
8. I never feel bad about what I eat. I can feel that it’s healthy. No more upset stomachs or anything. (As long as you combine food properly!)
9. My house smells like fruit. Not the going bad kind. No wasting food anymore around here!
10. I don’t have cravings. I really wondered about the cravings thing… but honestly, when you’re full of sweet fruit, you crave NOTHING. Even going to the movies, I don’t want any of the concession stuff. My husband has cookies and things in the house, and I don’t want any of it. I use to make cookie dough by the bowl just to eat it, but not a chance anymore. This is the hugest blessing… I can’t even begin to express what it’s like for food not to have that power over you!
11. I have the satisfaction of knowing I’m eating things I should be eating. I try to be as organic as possible, and the less chemicals, the less animal fat, animal stress, decomposing flesh, etc… is not going in my mouth! I’m getting first hand nutrients from the earth, and I’m not killing animals to try to get as many second-hand nutrients to satiate my body. There is a definite feel-good feeling with this!
12. Most restaurants have some sort of vegan offering or substitutions. I never have to feel left out when joining people for supper!

This lifestyle is awesome. Honestly, try it for a month and see the difference it makes for you! If you’re curious about what exactly I typically eat? Then check out my post entitled, “Now That I’ve Got It – A Typical Vegan Day“.

Back on Track

I have to admit, I have taken a long break from tracking my food. I didn’t always make the best food decisions, didn’t always eat as often as I should, and though I made sure I made choices with protein in them, I didn’t always aim to have the most protein either.

I also haven’t been going to the gym for about a month between being sick and hurting my rib. I basically “quit” my everyday life for a bit of time.

Normally it would bother me as I reached a higher weight and then somehow stayed there (my own fault). But the fact I was maintaining was also a sort of good thing as my weight was not continuing to rise. I chose to look at it as somewhat of a healing phase as well. I needed to rest and not stress about lack of gym time.

My clothes don’t fit the way they used to. Obviously I’ve gained some size. But instead of that causing my world to crash, I decided to focus on how I felt otherwise. In fact, a pair of dress pants that used to be too big for me now look awesome on me (as much as I don’t encourage that type of transformation).

But after all this, and really not wanting to go back to the task of tracking, I’m back. I’ve set my calories at 2000 (I’ll explain reasons why later). My protein is set at 0.8 per pound of bodyweight. And this is my first day back to tracking.

My workouts (I’ve done 3 so far), are modified in such a way that allows my rib muscle to still heal and yet lightly work at the same time. What I’ve noticed is that mainly and PUSH motion is what aggravates it the most so I avoid those. But a lot of things I thought I’d have to go super light weight in, I’m actually as strong, if not stronger. The month off from the gym honestly did nothing in hindering my strength progress.

Sometimes it’s all about listening to your body. Do I wish I controlled what I ate a little more? Yeah, I probably do. But I’m not going to let that ruin my happiness and motivation for the future. So I’m back to working out, and I’m back to eating properly. Let’s see how this goes!