Day 14

I guess that makes it two weeks huh? Well the vegan thing didn't last that's for sure, the vegetarian thing most definitely did for now. I'm pretty grossed out by meat and have found so many great substitutes I'll stick with it. I'll also stick with the whole eating ridiculously healthy thing too, at least until summer. What I really need to work on is my working out. I'm super broke, not saving a dime and spending it all on healthy food: translation: I don't have a gym member ship. I try to run out side but it's been raining about 4 out of 7 days a week since I started this. Grrr...How do I get motivated to get back in shape? With my eating habits it just learning about the food industry and the effects the food has on my body.
I think I need to find something that isn't running. Or I guess it can be running once a week and then I need to mix it up, but how? I can ride my bike...um, that's all I've got. I really want to take a hot yoga class. It's a 90 minute yoga class that is in a room that is kept a temperature of 95-100. So you sweat like crazy. That would be a good compliment to my hatred of running I guess, something I enjoy? Okay I just talked myself into. I looked it up and there is a place here down by the plaza that offers it everyday at 6:30 pm which is perfect and I can sign up of a 30 dollars for 30 days unlimited classes package as a first time member. Sweet. I guess I'm off to by a yoga mat...I'd hate to share with other sweaty peeps.

12 and 13

Time is none existent so I'm running behind! I totally cheated! I didn't feel good on Wednesday so I ate out of convenience, mac and cheese. Dan already had it made and man was it good! So I kind of went crazy that day and also ate a cheese quesidilla....aaaahhh! It was wonderful. All these veggies are hurting my tummy. I'm going to start eating cheese again because it gives me a few more options and did I mention this is EXPENSIVE!? I've spent more on groceries for the last two weeks than I would have for a whole month, easy, and I still have two more weeks until I get paid. So poop.

Day 10 and 11

Well I'm throwing the white flag in for some white cheese. I made some lasagna with whole wheat noodles, veggie ground beef, homemade sauce made with crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce and fake ricotta made out of tofu. However I searched could not find vegan mozzarella. Yes I could have searched harder but to be honest I am so not impressed with vegan cheese. I'll try the soy cheese but I'm just straight admitting defeat! Try giving up cheese, it's impossible. Life isn't worth living with out cheese if you ask me.

Last night we went to a gymnastics place with Dan's school to celebrate this semester being over and it was so much fun! There was a big foam pit you could swing into and lots of trampolines. They had it catered by by panda express so I grazed on some fried rice. Other wise everything the past couple days have been about the same. Hard.

Day 9

I learned an interesting fact today. Vegans live 10 years longer than their meat eating friends. Well, that doesn't mean much to me, if I make it to 90 I'm not going to want to live to 100. God knows what the world will be like then and if I'll even be able to even wipe my own butt! But thanks for the fun fact.

Yesterday I nearly made a Taco Bell run. I slept in and had a normal lazy Sunday and didn't really eat that much, and fairly well at that. Then Dan tells me he is going to fill in for a friends volleyball team that is one man short. The second he's out the the door I start thinking (and my stomach starts yelling) "I should go get T-Bell. I want it soooo bad. No one would ever know!" It was like an after school say no to drugs commercial. Like there was an angel and devil on each shoulder coaxing me either way. Then it started getting weird, like high school weird. I started thinking "well what would I do with the wrapper so he doesn't see it? Will he smell it on my breath? What if he asks me what I want for dinner we he gets home? Should I lie and say I'm not hungry?" It was very reminiscent of high school when you knew your parents were going to check your breath when you got home. In the end I decided a life of secrecy wasn't for me and didn't go, but man was it close. Dan later came home with a beautiful bag of T-bell and that was when I called it a night and went to bed.

Day 8

I'm starting to really suck at this. I went to visit my cousin Mandy in Gardner Kansas and when dinner time rolled around I had to eat something! She is a toothpick and lives off cookie dough, however she did have some Morning Star "chicken" nuggets in her freezer, they were made out of veggies but also included milk and eggs because they were fried. So I met the vegetarian standard but not vegan or healthy. Then I indulged in a few glasses of wine.

Dan and I went running yesterday and it was painful. Every time I stopped to walk Dan started yelling "keep going! don't stop! you can do it!" All I wanted to do in that moment was punch him in the face but I'm glad he did it cause he pushed me to do 2 miles and then today when I went running I was able to run a full mile with out stopping! I haven't been able to do that in years! Now I just need to keep pushing myself everyday and I'll be ready for the next 5k in no time!

I wish our apartment let us had a grill. Not that we could afford one even if we could have it but I would love to grill out some veggies. I had some grilled zucchini last night that was amazing!

Day 7

I cheated today on accident...sort of. I had bought an Amy's Southwest Burrito because on the package it said it had corn, beans and potatoes. As I was in the checkout line I notice on the ingredients list it had cheese! So I asked Dan to go put it back for me but we were already in line so he said "Just get it, I'll eat it." So that yummy burrito has been sitting in my fridge tempting me. Well Friday morning I was running really late for school (surprise surprise) and I didn't have time to make something so I just grabbed the burrito! I thought "What the hey, it's Friday!" It was super yummy! Then for dinner I had my last gardenburger with avocado, but also since it was Friday and I was staying up so late (we watched a documentary on the Galapagos Islands) I got hungry again and ended up making tomato soup. It had milk in it! Who stinkin knew?! It was an all around cheat of a day but it was Friday and still pretty healthy so I'm not beating myself up about it. I did skip happy hour with my co-workers to go play golf so I guess it's a trade off.

Speaking of documentaries we've been watching a lot lately. We watched two recently about the brutal slaughterings of sharks and dolphins. One was called Sharkwater and it was excellent and one was called The Cove and I highly recommend the latter. OH MY GOSH. Crazy sad, I cried through both of them. We've also been watching Life the new documentary on I think discovery. It's not nearly as good as Planet Earth or Blue Plant but good.
To bad I can't just spend my days being an activist for the oceans and environment, being the change the world needs, and get paid for it. I have a big mouth, I could do it.

Day 6

I'm really waiting for the mental part of this to kick in. I actually feel crazier, last night I had a dream about cheese and sour cream. Literally. It was just a plate of it and I was just staring trying not to eat it. Weird?

I went running again as well, it was even easier. It's so nice out that I'm actually enjoying it!
I'm loving these Garndenburgers, and now I know why...they have cheese in them. It's such a small amount though that I didn't notice until today, I look at the box and sure enough I was right. However it's only 100 calories a patty so it can't be that bad. I ate the last one today and I'll try to look at the ingredients better next time. I've been having fruit for breakfast and it's surprising how filling it really is.

Woot woot for the weekend!

Day 5

Which just so happens to be Cinco de Mayo! I had lots of fruit, the leftover potato scramble, and then my Mentor asked if we could have our last meeting at On the Boarder. The most impressive thing I have ever done is not eat cheese dip and meat at the mexican restaurant. Other than chinese, it maybe my favorite meal. I stuck with chips and salsa and just the veggies out of Dan's fajita. :(
I did indulge in a few Dos Equis. But it was Cinco de Mayo so it doesn't even count!! I've been snacking on Edemame, it's so good! If you put enough salt it's just like it's from a japanese restaurant. I believe I'm going to attempt to make sushi tonight, wish me luck!

*I would like to note I already feel so much better. It's easier to wake up in the morning, I have more energy through out the day, it's easier to fall asleep at night, and I just all around feel healthier. I also feel hungrier. I guess that's the catch 22...

Day 4

No Oreos were injured last night during grocery shopping and none were purchased.

I had the same 'ol I've mentioned before, except today I made a delicious veggie sausage and potato scramble with tomatoes and onions. Yum! I did have some pretzels which is a not part of the plan but I had less than a handful so it doesn't really count right? That's what I thought...

Day 3

Okay it's getting rough...I want chips and dip!! And Mexican Food!!! It's teacher appreciation week and everyone in the building is showing their love with FOOD!
Yesterday was alright, for breakfast I had a pear and toast with organic peanut butter (which is really oily by the way!). For lunch I had the same garden burger combo with avocado. Not as satisfying at work where you can't toast the bread and the microwave doesn't get your food quite hot enough. For dinner I had fajita burritos with brown rice, green and red bell peppers, onion and tofu. With out cheese and salsa it pretty much made me want to vom. The leftovers for lunch had the same effect. But I stuck it out.
I went running yesterday (outside)! I can hardly walk today though because I'm so used to my treadmill. Snacks were once again fruits and a TON of tea. However, unfortunately I was informed Oreos are vegan. I'm going to the grocery store, good thing Dan is coming with me to guard the Oreos!

Day 2

So I've decided to post about the previous day the day after because I could most definitely get up in the middle of the night and binge on potato chips and french onion dip (because yes it's still in the house...) so:
Day 2 was just as easy. Still missed the caffeine but it was better! I drank my body weight in iced organic decaf green tea though.
For breakfast I had organic peanut butter pows with rice milk, very refreshing! Then I had a garden burger (soooo good) with avocado and vegenaise. For snack I had almonds, grapes, and a banana.
Dan got Chinese and I couldn't resist having one bite of veggie fried rice, but in my defense the bite was heavy in broccoli and the only no no with fried rice is that it's probably cooked in fish sauce :(
AND who knew fortune cookies had egg in them?! Gosh darn it! I was tempted but resisted.

It rained for about 10 minutes yesterday and that was enough to convince me I probably shouldn't go running...what if it rained again you know? Lame excuse but I wasn't quite ready. However, Dan and I did take a long walk around the neighborhood and that was way more lovely.

Day 1

Day one was actually yesterday but I didn't have time to write so...here we go.

It was easy! But it's always easy the first day when your determination is so high. I went to whole food and bought all the ingredients I need for the next two weeks. I already have almost all meals planned out. I thought it would be more expensive than in was, it really wasn't that bad.

I had a veggie sandwich on whole wheat bread (no cheese or dressings) for breakfast/lunch. I had grapes and bananas as a snack, then I had a avacado and vegan cheese sandwich for dinner. They even have veganaise (mayo)!

However, I did have to sit next to Kristin while she enjoyed a fat burger with bacon. It smelled good but the thought and sight repulsed me. It's a liberating feeling to know you can eat whatever you want, that it's a choice. Thinking of food that way has helped me make better choices.

Oh, and did I mention I'm also not drinking alcohol or caffeine? If you didn't think I was crazy yet, I'm sure you do now. My name is Ashlynne, and I'm a addicted to caffeine. In its every form. I love it. I have had headaches the last two days with out it, but they say it gets easier...

Going vegan (for two weeks)

I eat about as well as a 5 year old. Actually, they probably eat a little bit better than I do because their parents are still there to force a couple veggies in their mouth cleverly hidden below a chicken nugget or something much tastier. I however love chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, pizza and things of that nature. I've been trying to eat healthier by adding salads, however I end up using creamy dressing and adding some friend chicken so that defeats the purpose. So I tried eating plain 'ol chicken breast...gross. If I touch the meat when it's raw and then cook it, I have yet to be able to eat it. So here's what I am doing....

Giving it all up cold turkey (no pun intended). Meat, sugars, dairy, CRAP! I have given up meat in the past but that just increased the consumption of cheese pizza and mac and cheese. So that's out too. They say "You are what you eat". Well, having read multiple books and watched many a documentaries on the food industry, and that is a frightening statement. I'm not here to preach about the inhumane slaughtering practices but I will say if you have a second do your own research. Cows are hit in the head to "stun" them before they're hung by their feet and throats slit. It's in a huge warehouse full of hundreds of cows so it's usually mass chaos. Before they are completely dead they begin skinning them. Pigs are dipped in 140 degree water to burn of the hair before the process begins. And chickens...well, let's just say you can only imagine if cows and pigs are protected under the "inhumane slaughtering law" and treated like that, chickens and turkeys are not protected...I'm not even going to gross you out. So imagine now how those animals are feeling: fear, rage, anxiety, their blood pressure rises. So if I am what I eat...how does that effect me?

So that's the question I want to answer, is it all just a bunch of hype? Will I really feel the difference? A healthy body is a healthy mind....and that's what I'm looking for.

**Side effects may include sudden dreading of the hair, increased hemp wearing and loss of your razor. Please consult a doctor if you feel like buying Birkenstocks.