My mother was a yogi and a vegan before I was born. At that time there wasn’t much research around plant based proteins, so in order to ensure I was getting all the nutrients I needed she cooked me eggs.

As I grew older family and peer pressure got to me, so I started eating meat and dairy. I didn’t understand then how these foods affected how I felt. For several years I had a “normal” American diet.

It wasn’t until I was in my mid 30’s that I removed dairy from my diet. I was getting vertigo regularly and recognized this was a contributing factor. Once my girls were living on their own, I found I would naturally not eat meat. Since this was my foundation, it was easy to fall back on. I never really craved meat and just didn’t add it to my meals very often. I still ate fish and eggs.

For the better part of the past 15 years I have eaten this way. From time to time I would enjoy a bite or two of a bbq brisket or bacon something or other. However, it was rarely a meal. I really didn’t enjoy how I felt after eating meat and usually avoided it.

Until I went on a keto diet. In 2017 I started a desk job where I was tethered to the phone. It was also a very emotionally exhausting job, so I found after my shift I was a vegetable. I didn’t move during the day and I was too tired to move in the evening. I gained a lot of weight as a result. I tried juicing, going gluten free & vegan…nothing helped. Even when I was motivated to get 3 mile walks in 3-5 days a week, I wasn’t seeing a change. So, I decided to give keto a try. Not eating meat or dairy was a challenge on this diet. I still avoided dairy as vertigo is not fun. However, it just became easier to add meat. Mostly fish while cooking for myself at home. When going out to eat I would eat red meat or chicken to break the monotony. After a year on this diet I was VERY happy to have lost the majority of what was gained. Once I got to a comfortable weight, I decided to go back to my preferred way of eating….vegetarian with fish and eggs, and no dairy. (Unfortunately, due to a injury last year before the cold weather, holidays, and festival, I gained it back and am on that weight loss train again. SO frustrating!)

I don’t feel good when I eat meat. This is my primary reason for cutting it out of my diet. Recently, I decided to hire a personal trainer in hopes of turning myself around. One of the benefits of her program is a meal plan. This was exciting as I began eating recipes I normally do not. I get stuck eating the same healthy things mostly due to my lack of meals planning. I just want to make something quick and easy and not mess around with making a meal too often. I also kinda hate leftovers. When she originally sent the plan it was gluten-free and vegan. This was unintentional on her part. However, I was excited about eating new things and discovered after two weeks of eating this way, I liked how I felt. It was a nice change.

The past few weeks, I have gone back to my normal smoothie, salad, fish and egg diet mostly because of lack of time. (Two festivals to help plan, prep, and attend). There isn’t anything wrong about how I eat other than I feel better with cutting a few things out. I have been wanting to clear my fridge of the produce and eggs before going back to exploring the provided meal plan. I love my roasted vegetables but the current provided recipes don’t include them. Yes, I could modify….but that just takes more effort then I want to spend. Sounds silly, I know. Lol.

Working with a coach has been fabulous! However, I have found that I still get in my own way when it comes to having the motivation to “move more”. I eat super healthy (most of the time), and don’t consume too many calories. I just don’t get the movement I need to get to a healthy weight. Also, it has been about a year since I have felt strong, which I really miss.

Now that I recognize the difference I feel with an alternative diet, I am ready to get back to it. I get bored with food easy, and need quick prep or I won’t do it. Also, as I am focused on living a chemical free lifestyle, I recognize how polluted store bought plant based meat and dairy alternatives are, which is annoying.

“My body is a temple and I will only allow things in that serve my highest good.” This is great in principle….the reality is that this is really hard and takes a lot of dedication and focus. Remembering to love myself enough to say no, is super difficult most of the time. So, I keep this as my goal and highest vision for myself. I want to be the best version of me. Always.

I say all of this to help me stay focused and accountable. Soon I will be enjoying a camping trip with my family and will most likely be eating some things I shouldn’t. My goal upon returning is to find some quick prep vegan cookbooks to help give me the variety I need to stay the course. I’m looking forward to finding some recipes for chem free alternatives to meat and dairy. Store bought substitutions won’t do.

Any and all suggestions are welcome. Also hit me up for an evening walk. I need more movement in my life and find it difficult to self initiate this for some reason.