I've now not eaten meat for 6 days, and I'm feeling,...well,... just as I usually feel (if not slightly better). As I still live at home, it was difficult not to let my parents know pretty soon that I had decided to change my diet, with questions like "Why don't you want chicken?" and "Why are you eating that for?". I got the whole "But we are supposed to eat meat" thing, and to be honest, the whole spiel I used to use. Then it got to "But what about steak, sausages, chicken?!?!" which then evolved into "But how are you going to get enough iron being anaemic?" (I may still be slightly anaemic, but I'm definitely not as bad as I was in my mid teens- where my haemoglobin levels were so low, they didn't show up on my blood test). My family even had bets on whether I would cave and have a steak when I went out for food at 'Beefeater' (I didn't, I had a mushroom risotto, which was tasty!)
I've done my research about iron levels in vegetarian friendly foods, and as long as I make sure to get enough Vitamin C in my diet (it helps with iron absorption), then I'm good to go.
*Random health fact* Did you know that pumpkin seeds have around 4.2mg of iron in every ounce, whereas lean sirloin only has 2.9mg in about three ounces! That's amazing!
I think I was around three days into my new diet when I told my boyfriend about it and he has now decided to join me. Whilst he was over this weekend, we enjoyed a spicy brown lentil and carrot soup (more like a stew, as I'd made it super stodgy), which I thoroughly enjoyed, and also made a tofu curry, which was good too. He also tried some Quorn chicken nuggets at home (his brother's girlfriend is a hardcore veggie!) which he liked too, but I'm still a bit dubious about those products, as I've tried them in the past and really not liked them, so possibly leaving those to try once I've tried everything I've never tried before.
Haven't really experienced any cravings for any foods I can't have, although my boyfriend was completely bummed out when he realised all the sweets he had to give up! (he has a big sweet tooth).
As for how my body looks and feels, I think I may have lost a little weight actually, my stomach is still a little fatty, but it does feel different, maybe I've lost about a pound or something? I will weight myself properly after around 3 weeks of being vegetarian, I know roughly how much I weighted beforehand, so it would be interesting to see if I do loose weight in that amount of time, and exactly how much.
I've also noticed that my stomach doesn't feel heavy after meals. I think the biggest change I've seen is in my energy levels. I've been going to bed nearly two hours later than I normally do, and not because I'm particularly tired, but just because it is late! It may just be a fluke, but it maybe due to the lack of stodgy, heavy meals.
My mother was very concerned that I couldn't eat the Hunters Chicken she was preparing for our Sunday dinner, but she did try some uncooked tofu, AND she didn't make too much of a face. Not sure if she was trying it out of curiosity, or whether she was trying it to see how 'boring' my meals are going to be for the next five or so weeks!
Sunday, 31 August 2014
Tuesday, 26 August 2014
Bye Bye Meat.....
I have been toying with the idea of becoming a vegetarian for quite a while now (around 8 months) and after a very meat laden bank holiday weekend, (and feeling rather unhealthy from it) I've finally committed to the idea and putting it into practice.So, it's the 26th of August 2014, and as of today, I will not have any meat within my diet. I intend to start my vegetarian diet on the basis of a six week challenge, as I don't want to fall short if I feel like this diet has to be forever.
I guess the want to not eat meat started when I was studying for my Masters Degree. One of my lecturers was vegan, and she educated us somewhat into how eating meat was bad for the environment (i.e., more animals means more greenhouse gasses being produced, that the larger animals, such as cattle, required more food to sustain themselves than humans, etc), and it got me thinking. It then got to the point where I would go to the supermarkets, see the whole cuts of meats, like legs and whole chickens, and it would make me think: "That is an animal that was walking around and alive not too long ago" and I didn't like that thought.
I think it has taken me so long to actually put a concious effort into trying a vegetarian diet because I didn't know the facts. I didn't realise the amount of foods that I already eat that are a good source of protein (Beans, Nuts, Eggs etc) as well as a lot of foods I already eat containing enough iron for me too (Cereals, Spinach, Hummus etc). Thinking about it, the biggest thing that was in the way of me trying a meat-free diet is the taste of meat. Gosh, do I like meat. Whenever I go out to a restaurant that has reasonably priced steak, then that is what I will order, without fail. However, when steak isn't an option, within the last 6 months or so, I have chosen the vegetarian option on the menu more often than not, so I can't see that restaurant dining will be too difficult for me to manage.
From about 6 months ago, I decided not to eat meat during the week for my lunchtime meals, switching out ham for cheese, or not having it at all. I would however still eat meat as and when on the weekends, partly due to others cooking for me, partly due to it being the weekend, and that's for pigging out!
I've not told anyone within my family, or friends that I am doing this yet (in case I fall at the first hurdle) but I've managed to get out out of having Sheppard's Pie tonight by saying that I didn't really fancy it, but with a Chicken Curry planned later on this week, I can't really get out of that with "I don't like it", as it's one of the meals I look forward to, so I'll need to think of a plan by then!
So, this whole blog is just pretty much a little insight into how I'm coping with a meat-free diet over the next six weeks, how others react to my decision (I know my family will think I'm losing my mind), what sorts of things I'm eating when others around me are eating meat, and whether I feel as if the absence of meat is doing me good, mentally and physically, or whether it does the complete opposite!
I guess the want to not eat meat started when I was studying for my Masters Degree. One of my lecturers was vegan, and she educated us somewhat into how eating meat was bad for the environment (i.e., more animals means more greenhouse gasses being produced, that the larger animals, such as cattle, required more food to sustain themselves than humans, etc), and it got me thinking. It then got to the point where I would go to the supermarkets, see the whole cuts of meats, like legs and whole chickens, and it would make me think: "That is an animal that was walking around and alive not too long ago" and I didn't like that thought.
I think it has taken me so long to actually put a concious effort into trying a vegetarian diet because I didn't know the facts. I didn't realise the amount of foods that I already eat that are a good source of protein (Beans, Nuts, Eggs etc) as well as a lot of foods I already eat containing enough iron for me too (Cereals, Spinach, Hummus etc). Thinking about it, the biggest thing that was in the way of me trying a meat-free diet is the taste of meat. Gosh, do I like meat. Whenever I go out to a restaurant that has reasonably priced steak, then that is what I will order, without fail. However, when steak isn't an option, within the last 6 months or so, I have chosen the vegetarian option on the menu more often than not, so I can't see that restaurant dining will be too difficult for me to manage.
From about 6 months ago, I decided not to eat meat during the week for my lunchtime meals, switching out ham for cheese, or not having it at all. I would however still eat meat as and when on the weekends, partly due to others cooking for me, partly due to it being the weekend, and that's for pigging out!
I've not told anyone within my family, or friends that I am doing this yet (in case I fall at the first hurdle) but I've managed to get out out of having Sheppard's Pie tonight by saying that I didn't really fancy it, but with a Chicken Curry planned later on this week, I can't really get out of that with "I don't like it", as it's one of the meals I look forward to, so I'll need to think of a plan by then!
So, this whole blog is just pretty much a little insight into how I'm coping with a meat-free diet over the next six weeks, how others react to my decision (I know my family will think I'm losing my mind), what sorts of things I'm eating when others around me are eating meat, and whether I feel as if the absence of meat is doing me good, mentally and physically, or whether it does the complete opposite!
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