For instance, I have one cheat meal a week, and I was so excited to go to Chipotle because I could get a vegetarian bowl, and have BEANS! But I found out the beans are cooked with bacon. I was very appreciative of the workers to point it out to me, but I was also disappointed. Because of my strenuous workout routine...I was really looking forward to some extra protein in my meal, so I got cheese. I felt like a quitter, but I am not going to dwell on it.
I have been hungry. Really, really hungry, and struggling with my calorie count, because the vegan proteins are so high in calories, and making up for it with fruits/veggies make me hungry just about every hour. I have to plan more snacks to help curb hunger pangs. Next week I'll be better prepared.
I'm also having a hard time being a "clean eater" and eating all the processed vegan proteins. Unless I have dried beans and legumes that I prepare myself, I am really at a loss for what else to eat that isn't "processed". I have had all my nutrition dead on for so long, that now I have to branch out. A challenge.
My first attempt at a vegan meal was whole grain pasta, with tofurky italian sausage ,spinach, tomato, and I melted tofutti garlic and chives cream cheese in my noodles. I used a small plate so it looked like more. This is only 3/4c noodles, and half of a tofurky link. Total score taste-wise, it tasted like the real deal..... but the calories, and processed food part, worried me. Turned out, my noodles contained egg whites....another loss.
For dessert I had tofutti chocolate "ice cream" and a sliced strawberry. The ice cream was just the same taste-wise as real ice cream, and the same calorie wise too. The calories scared me. I'd been having Arctic Zero ice cream, which contains whey...so it is not vegan. The calories in that are amazing!
In the end, for a week, I accomplished a lot. I'll get there eventually. I'm going to allow myself the ability to fail from time to time, because I'm going to try to do this meal by meal. Small accomplishments! I may have had cheese this week, and egg whites in my noodles, but I didn't have an animal protein for 12 out of my 15 meals for this short amount of time. I consider that a win!
In other news, I joined my gyms new bootcamp program, which is an hour of high energy athletic interval training. My first class, I was picked out of the 6 girls as "boot camp buddy of the day". (You pair up in two's)
When I was announced winner he said it was, because of my perfect, controlled form, and my refusal to give up. (the instructor spends a lot of 1:1 time with you in the smaller classes, and offers you "modifications" in case you are tired and I never took one single modification, I pushed thru)
Sure, my prize was just a small toy soldier. But I was recognized in front of the group and this little guy made me feel Strong!
I'm going to take all my little accomplishments as they come.
5 comments:
Chipotle's black beans are vegan. I'm glad that they told you about the pinto beans though. They don't always do that (or they don't know).
Tofu and Tempeh are relatively low-processed food and full of protein. You're not avoiding soy are you? I have a couple recipes for both on my blog.
Also, seitan, wheat meat, is also not too processed (you can make it yourself, too, there are a lot of recipes out there. I just discovered Sweet Earth brand. Their traditional version has nothing but the wheat gluten, soy sauce and seasonings, and it tastes great. You can use seitan just like you use meat, so it makes it pretty easy to veganize your own recipes. (I have some seitan recipes on the blog too)
Going vegan is a process. Don't sweat it too much if you feel like you're using a little too much processed food. You will get the hang of it, and it gets easier.
I wrote a post a couple years ago titled, "Dear Jessica, On Becoming Vegan." I wrote it when a friend of mine was making the transition. Search for it, it has some useful info and links.
Good luck. You know that I am happy to help in any way I can.
Just wanted to share this because I was talking about seitan, tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo, and this recipe popped up in my Reader: http://veganamericanprincess.com/vegan-recipes-for-cinco-de-mayo/
Apparently I'm going to blast you with links after this post ;-).
This might make you smile: http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/most-annoying-things-about-being-vegan
I've been on a mission to try and find alternative to cheese & (although not vegan) I found a great vegetarian option that tastes sooooo good. "Go Veggie!" and comes in American, Mozzarella & Pepper Jack. It's a small step in trying to work towards cutting dairy out of my diet too.
debbie: I didn't know that, I usually don't go for black beans, so when they said the pinto were not vegaterian, I assumed they both weren't. this makes me happy! I'm not avoiding soy at all, I am embracing it. I even got my starbucks vegan on saturday using soy, and I really couldn't taste a difference, that was a bonus! I appreciate all your advice, and all the help you have already given me! you are the only person I "know" that is vegan. So, I'll be hasselling you for more knowledge along the way! Thank you for all your help!
OBM: i'll def look into this! I tried daiya which is "OK"...but I'm loving that tofutti cream cheese to make a "sauce" for rice or noodles, or anything that need a "creamy" sauce. I am kind of in love with it after only a week!
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