The First 3 Days are the Hardest

Almost one month ago, I started eating a plant-based, whole food diet. Meat has never been my food of choice (I do, however, love me some seafood!), so I decided to give vegetarianism a try. I actually decided to give up meat, oil, and limit my gluten intake. I even stopped eating dairy! So I did end up going vegan. 

Over the course of the past three weeks, I ate NO meat. I had dairy a few times. We had conferences this week and I ate the delicious vegetarian food provided for me at school. The vegetarian lasagna I ate had a little cheese in it. I felt okay afterwards, but I realized that dairy does something strange to my stomach. With conferences, I ended up ordering pizza one night too after being too tired to cook one day. That did not go over well with my stomach. Then I realized, why can't I order cheese-less pizza?!? I used to eat pizza without cheese when I was a teenager. I don't know why I did that; I just liked it better ;)

My delicious, cheese-less pizza

I have also limited my sugar intake. The sugar I eat is mostly from fresh fruit. I also occasionally snack on some delicious gluten-free cookies when I feel a sweet craving coming on. I also would like to completely cut dairy out of my diet. The only reason I ate it a few times the past few weeks was because of convenience. I do not plan of doing that any more. I'll see how it goes.

I have been vegetarian/vegan for a little over one month. And let me tell you, it wasn't easy. The first three days were the hardest. After the second day of eating plant-based food, I was starving, cranky, and in a piss-poor mood. I realized that I wasn't eating enough. Eating a bunch of veggies without meat or dairy was not filling to me because I was not eating big enough portions. I had to change the way I ate. It was a lot of trial and error, and it was hard! I felt hungry, cranky, and light-headed for most of the first week. That made me want to give up even more. But by the end of the first week, I had only one migraine that half of a pill took away. I was amazed!

The long and the short of it: I'm seriously in! And I'm in for the long haul. I LOVE the way I feel. I feel lighter, I have more energy, and my brain feels more focused. I honestly don't come home and fall asleep as soon as my butt hits the couch. Honestly, I ate healthily before I started eating vegan, but cutting out meat, dairy, and gluten (most days) has really helped me!

Here are a few of the delicious recipes I've been making over the past few weeks:

Strawberry and Mango "Nice" Cream

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos

Curried Chickpeas, Mushrooms, and Kale

One of my new favorites! I got this idea from the Engine 2 Diet. Shredded wheat (no sugar), All Bran (no sugar), and gluten free Chex with lots of fruit and almond milk.

Roasted Beet and Butternut Squash Salad with Pears and Walnuts

If you'd like to follow my Pinterest Board "Whole Food, Plant-Based," click here. I am continuously adding more and more vegan friendly recipes. Some of the recipes contain dairy, but I have gotten really good at modifying yummy recipes I find :)

Have you ever tried to cut something out of your diet? 

Lots of love <3 Holly