My first day as a vegetarian...

materialsgirl

materialsgirl

Cathlete
So I've been reading Eat To Live and decided that I do not need or want to eat meat anymore. I didn't eat a lot of meat to begin with, but I did enjoy chicken and the occasional burger or steak. I'm on my 2nd day as a vegetarian and it's not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. I really don't miss meat at all. I have also been going without dairy - and I do miss my skim milk, but I bought some soy milk to use instead. I think cheese will be hard to part with - I have always loved cheese. When I was making my salad at the salad bar today, I just instinctively reached for the scooper in the cheese bowl. And then I realized what I was doing and dropped it like it was a dead animal or something! LOL! I guess it takes time to get used to these changes. :)

I feel really good though! It is TTOM for me and usually I am headachy and crampy and irritable, but not this time. I feel absolutely great - cannot even tell Aunt Flo is visiting. ;) And, I know this is probably in my head, but my pants feel looser today. The scale said I was 1.5 lbs lighter this morning versus yesterday morning, but I'm not sure I believe it. :p Could just be fluctuations due to TTOM.

Anyway, I am really liking the vegetarian way. Now... does anyone know what I should do with the package of tofu that I bought yesterday?? ;)
 
Do you really think that's all due to not having meat for 2 days? I go for days without meat sometimes and don't notice any difference at all.

I would really miss beef. I just love it.
 
Emily -

I've been "playing" with the idea of going vegetarian for awhile now. I'll go a few days without animal meat and then maybe eat some fish. I haven't eaten much chicken at all and haven't missed it much. I never ate steak but did eat burgers but those just don't appeal to me much anymore. I've switched to soy milk but I can't bear to part with cheese! It's really not as hard as I thought it was going to be. There are a lot of good, vegetarian, tasty choices in the organic section of the grocery store that I'm filling my pantry and freezer with these days. And I also feel soooo much better. I haven't had intestinal issues, ZERO headaches, little bloating during TTOM, fewer mood swings, pants fitting looser, etc.

However, I'm sure I won't lose the large amount of weight that some of his patients lose in a month and I'm not sure I agree with him on the ideal weight....it seems much too low. But I just FEEL healthier and that's enough for me.

I'd love to hear recipes with tofu, too. I've had some tofu dishes in the cafeteria at work that have been very good!!


Angie
 
Donna, No I don't think it's just from eliminating meat. I've also eliminated sweets, and have drastically increased my intake of vegetables. I think it's the combination of these things.
 
I should just get that book. I've also been playing with the idea for awhile now. I go back and forth. I'm not a big meat eater so that wouldn't really be a problem. It's dairy that I would have a hard time parting with, although I'm sure I'm lactose intolerant!! From what I hear about this book though, I'd really want to make that transition if I read it.
Brandi
 
Brandi - I am not even finished with this book yet and I, of all people, am about ready to go totally vegan! This coming from someone who grew up on meat and potatoes topped with loads of cheese and a big tall glass of milk. ;) A few years ago, if you would have asked me if I could be a vegetarian, I probably would have said "What? Are you kidding? Vegetarians are crazy!" More recently, I have begun to see value in a more plant-based diet and have been eating less and less meat - mostly chicken. After reading this book, it was not difficult for me to decide to give up all meat. If you are toying with the idea, this book will probably push you over the edge. I really recommend it - it's a very good read. I got the e-book version for like $10.
 
I just found this in my yahoo email inbox:

Banana-Berry Smoothie


3 Servings

This basic smoothie is a good way to use silken tofu. It is loaded with potassium and antioxidants.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Start to finish: 25 minutes

Ingridients:
1 ripe medium banana, peeled and sliced
1 1/4 cups orange juice
1 cup frozen blueberries or raspberries
1/2 cup silken tofu
2 ice cubes, crushed
1 Tbsp. sugar, or to taste

Instructions
In a blender, combine all ingredients; blend until smooth and frothy. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information:

Per serving:
145 calories
2 g total fat (0 g sat)
0 mg cholesterol
31 g carbohydrate
4 g protein
3 g fiber
5 mg sodium
 
Emily,
How does the e-book version work? I was on his website and Amazon.com yesterday contemplating this, but I don't want to have to download anything (work computer). I gave my computer to my mom so I could do it there.
Brandi:)
 
Wow, thanks for the recipe information guys! I appreciate it!

"Dark side"... hee hee! Well, a few years ago I might have thought this was the dark side. But now, you might say, I've seen the light! ;)

Lunacat - are you vegan or do you include dairy in your diet? I'm still contemplating whether or not I could completely omit dairy. So many of the foods I love contain eggs, butter, milk, yogurt, etc. I mean, no butter or eggs pretty much eliminates cookies and that is a very very sad prospect for me! ;)
 
Brandi - I actually downloaded the e-book from Amazon.com, rather than Dr. Fuhrman's website because he only offers it in a PC-compatible format. I use a Mac at home, so I could get it in PDF format from Amazon.com, which works on every platform. All you need for that is Adobe Reader, which is pretty standard on just about every computer.
 
I am not a vegan. I have been a vegan during various periods of my vegetarianism, usually 6-9 months at a time. But I'm weak and tend to bow to the lure of Gruyere and extra sharp cheddar.

During my vegan periods, I'm soooo much healthier. My skin clears up as does my naturally phlegmy voice. I slim down quickly and have more energy. Also, I am fairly lactose intolerant, so my cheese-free times are also blissfully gas-and-bowel-rumbling-free.

As for eggs, I could really take them or leave them. There are plenty of ways to bake without them and still wind up with delicious goodies. The book I recommended to you has an excellent egg and dairy free version of banana bread that I use even when I'm eating eggs. Omelettes, on the other hand, well they're pretty much out if you give up the eggs. :D
 
I will definitely check out that book you recommended! Dairy free baked goods??? I didn't know there was such a thing! :D

Yes, cheddar is one of my good friends... don't know if I could ever say goodbye to cheddar forever. :9
 
I'm glad that your choice is going so well for you Emily! I've been trying to be vegan for a few months now and except for the occasional chocolate have been pretty successful. Although, I would like to add that the Toffuti Chocolate bar (though high in sugar) actually does taste like milk chocolate and is way better than soy ice cream that always ends up tasting fake to me.
My favorite way to prepare tofu right now is to slice a serving from the block very thin and make either sweet or savory tofu "chips." Sprinkled with a little garlic salt/onion powder and broil for about 7 minutes per side (spray your pan first they will stick). When they reach desired crispiness remove and enjoy. Can be added to salad/stirfries or eaten alone. You can also add a little transfat free margarine spread and some finely minced garlic, throw them back in to bake at 400 for another 5-7 minutes and have garlic bread. No carb, low-cal, high protein, and delicious.
For the "sweet" I broil the slices plain and when they come out I add a little transfat free spread and sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon (right now I'm doing powdered stevia+cinnamon) and make cinnamon "toast." They also make great toppers for peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and fruit when prepared in this manner.
I would like to add that I buy the Nasoya Light Firm Tofu which only has 40 calories per serving, is fortified with graet stuff, and is delicious. I've been eating tofu a long time and can't really tell the difference b/n this and the regular stuff. It's only $1.77 at my local Walmart.
Also, this method of prep is even easier in a convection oven if you happen to have one. No flipping or watching required
:9
Mattea
 
WOW Emily...I don't think I could do it. I don't eat red meat but I do eat fish and chicken. I also like my yogurt and skim milk and cottage cheese. Best of luck to you.

Terri
 
Wow - Mattea, Thanks! Tofu Chips - sounds pretty tasty, actually! And I DO have a convection oven - so double bonus! :)

The tofu I bought is firm or extra-firm, but I can't remember the brand. I don't think it was Light - I looked for a light tofu, but didn't find any (was shopping at Kroger - but I'll try Walmart next time!).

So wait... I understand why milk chocolate would not be vegan. But what about dark chocolate? I'm a dark chocolate fiend... although I have not had any this month thanks to Shelley's No-Sweets Plan of DEATH. ;)
 
Yes, I know I was going to sign up, but then realized how horrified I would be to have to admit to be the first to cheatx( Plus, the 5th of this month is my birthday so I'd just get started breaking the sugar habit and then have re/break myself--doesn't sound like fun. Maybe I'll start on Monday after my birthday, or after all the cake is gone?
It really depends on the chocolate, you have to read, read, read every label b/c manufacturers love to put in dairy/egg of some kind into just about everything. Almost as much as they love the high fructose corn syrup;-) I think the higher the cocoa percentage the lower the chances of it having a milk product, but just glace at the label and make sure you know what everything is, b/c often what doesn't seem like milk might be
http://www.calgaryallergy.ca/Articles/foodlabelsmilk.htm
Here's a great link that lets you know how to better interpret the labels.
HTH,
Mattea
 
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