30 Day Vegan Challenge – Week 2

(This is almost a week late, life has been crazy!)

I’ve made it through the second week of vegan eating!

I’ve definitely had my ups and downs with my menu but overall the transition hasn’t been that difficult. Admittedly, I’ve slipped a couple times and had eggs, dairy and meat, but the large majority of my meals were completely vegan.

My biggest challenge has not been finding vegan foods that I enjoy; the biggest hurdle has been fighting the cravings. I (sadly) love junk food, chips, cookies, fast food, pizza, you name it, it has been part of my diet. Every time I get in my car, I have to fight the desire to stop and fill myself up with that junk. I know that might seem silly to some, you’re thinking, make the decision skip to unhealthy foods and stick to that decision, but for some reason my brain doesn’t work that way. It is a constant struggle.

Israeli couscous, red pepper, raw pistachios, shallots and tofu… pure deliciousness in a bowl

I want to conquer this, which is part of why I started the challenge. I’ve tried a million different methods and still I struggle. I don’t blame those other programs, the problem absolutely lies within me but I can’t seem to conquer my junk food fetish, while still eating it. Because of that I decided that cutting it out completely was the best decision.

Honestly, it has been going pretty well. Within the first week, I lost a ton of weight, my pants were fitting better and my rings were swirling around my finger again. It was likely all water weight, but it felt good to feel more comfortable in my skin. Then mid-way through the second week, the cravings were hitting me hard and I hit a bump and stumbled a bit. I didn’t let it stop me though, I got right back on track and am proud to admit that I am still following the vegan challenge.

I’m considering expanding the challenge a few days, for each of the days that I ate “off plan.” At this point it would an additional 4 days, tacked onto the end. I see no reason not to, so right here and now I am making the decision to continue on after the original 30. The original 30 would have ended on July 9th, but that instead will be expanded to July 13th.

You’re probably wondering how I’ve been feeling, whether I have felt more energy or if my mood has changed. I am more than happy to report that when I follow a vegan diet very strictly, I feel so much more energy. I don’t feel like I’m crashing mid-day or like my blood sugar is going haywire, I feel good! At this point, I don’t know whether that’s because of the vegan diet or just eating healthier, but either way, I am enjoying the additional bursts of energy.

What changes have you made to your diet lately?