Vegetarian Challenge - Day 1

Have you ever thought about the food you eat? I mean really thought about where it comes from and what processes it goes through before it hits your table? A while back I was introduced to the video "Forks Over Knives" and it really made me think. And start paying more attention to what I was putting in my mouth.

Fast forward to mid-July and an innocent suggestion from my boyfriend..."how about we try to do 100% vegetarian for the month of August?" I must admit at first I was a bit anxious. No meat at all? For a whole month? Gasp. But then I really thought about it. Around the first of the year we had changed our diet (noun, not verb) to a more whole foods, vegetable-based meal plan. And since that change we have both lost weight and felt better overall. Our taste buds have changed and we actually enjoy food more in it's basic, non-processed forms now. So...why not try to go further with the plan? I was already limiting my meat intake. I'd say I was already about 70ish% vegetarian so how hard would it really be?



Day 1: Friday. A co-worker brought in breakfast. From McDonald's. Sausage biscuits. Oh yes. This may be a long month. And I may be explaining why I am doing this "vegetarian thing" a lot.

I ate a donut and enjoyed my cappuccino.

Same coworker cooked lunch for everyone. Chicken and noodles. I had toasted PB&J with popcorn chips. It was actually really good and I didn't feel like I was missing out on the lunch. Food in our office is a social event so I will just focus on enjoying the time with my friends while sticking with my commitment. Shouldn't be that hard, right?


Dinner was a trip to Applebee's with my boyfriend. A quick peek at the menu revealed what I already suspected...no vegetarian offerings. So, time to be creative. No meat but we had already decided at this stage not to eliminate fish or seafood. This would mean we weren't "pure" vegetarians but that really wasn't our goal so we are okay with this. And besides, I like fish! Shrimp Scampi and a salad. Delicious!

Survived day 1 with fewer challenges than expected and overall felt really good. On Fridays I tend to consume more sugar than any other day so I may need to focus on balancing that a bit better. I did notice that my chicken and noodle eatin' coworkers were yawning and very sleepy in the afternoon. I felt great with plenty of energy. Success!!