Sunday, February 20, 2011

21-day Vegan Kickstart Update

I have been fully vegan, except for a few minor infractions, since January 1. I have lost a little over 10 pounds in weight and four inches off my waist. I am eating more than I used to eat. I have also been doing some exercise with my Wii, Wii Fit Plus and Wii EA Sports Active 2.

I was so used to counting calories with SparkPeople that it felt odd at first to stop counting. But I did. I continued to log my food for two weeks to see what my nutritional intake was like. After being convinced that I was getting good nutrition I stopped tracking nutrition too. I did add a daily multiple vitamin for good measure. It helps to have a multiple vitamin that includes 100% or your daily B12 vitamins. I had read it was hard to get B12 without a supplement.

Now I am freed to think about what types of food and not how much. My diet has four new food groups: legumes, grains, fruits, and vegetables. I have not tried too much of what I call "fake foods" which would be vegan foods made to look like non-vegan foods. Rather I have chosen to dive in and try some exciting new recipes.

I have been using recipes from the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart website and I purchased Appetite for Reduction, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. I also have searched for vegan recipes on SparkPeople and found an active group of vegans who use SparkPeople.

I pack my lunch and snacks for work and try to eat three times while at work: a morning snack, lunch, and an afternoon snack. I have really been enjoying the new recipes and even the challenge of eating out vegan. I attribute this to the primal urge to hunt for food. No more boring food. I am lovin' it. Take that McDonalds.

If you are interested in learning more about a vegan diet, check out the Vegan Starter Kit from PCRM.
Also check out Isa Moskowitz's website, Post Punk Kitchen.


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