Going vegan has been a piece of (dairy-free) cake!
Am I strong enough to change my life and fight against my instincts?
At the end of every year, we are inclined to create a list of resolutions to better improve our lives and by the middle of January we throw these life changes aside and regress back to old habits. In my past, I have committed myself to a cutting out sweets/chocolate and cake, exercise more and lose weight. Well I'm still living with a sweet tooth and haven't seen the inside of a gym since the original Sugababes reformed and am carrying round an unnecessary spare tyre aka the ‘Barley Belly’.
In November, David and I talked about changing our diet to improve our health. We had already cut out dairy - well, we only drink plant-based milk. We still had cow’s milk in our diet in the form of butter and chocolate, we also ate eggs. I suggested we go vegetarian and David countered that with going vegan. My heart stopped and I felt panicked. It all sounded like too much hard work and I didn’t think I would be able to cope with such a change. I instantly stated that it would be too difficult and that perhaps David could.
On reflection sometime later I got thinking about my behaviour and attitude to change, would going vegan be too difficult. That's one thing I've noticed about me, I shy away from personal challenges so easy, I have such little self-belief sometimes that I cringe thinking about it. How do you know if you’ll succeed if you don’t try! Excuses exhausted I watched some vegan inspired Netflix documentaries on my commute home and then I saw a poster for Veganuary - this was my lightbulb moment.
When I heard about Veganuary I thought that I could challenge myself to commit to one month and then become vegetarian as discussed back in December. Knowing this weakness in me I told everyone at work and all my friends that I'd be taking part in the month so that I couldn’t admit to failure.
I'd like to add here, that I decided to start the non meat eating diet in January as I wanted to say goodbye to meat properly. My last turkey Christmas dinner, a dirty bucket of KFC, square sausage (Scottish delicacy) and a steak worthy of my 'last supper' – we had that on NYE at Hawksmoor, Commercial Street.
I've realised early on that being vegan means you have to be organised, especially when you work long hours and don't have any vegan friendly providers like Veggie Pret near your work. The convenience of eating quickly is taken away from you but it is a small price to pay. Meals planned for the week ahead David and I opted for a soup, a curry and a chilli made with black beans.
On January 1st we walked around our local supermarket and inspected the products of what we were buying and it was an educational experience – Whey, which is a by-product of cow’s milk is added to so many brands of bread to 'bulk it out'.
Recipes in hand, forty-five minutes and £100 later we were all stocked up and ready for the day ahead of cooking. Four our first supper I made a Parsnip and Chilli soup; when making soup I like to add a small handful of rice at the start, allowing it to soften in the stock so it becomes creamy after going under the hand blender.
For dinners and ‘packed lunches’ we alternated between the black bean chilli and the chickpea curry. I even managed to turn some left over Parsnip soup into a sweet potato stew.
Eating at home would be fine, it’s being at work stuck in suburban West London and feeling the need to eat to fill the void of a 9-5. In the past I am ashamed to admit I would eat large breakfast at work of sausages and hash browns, eat meal deals with a share bag of chocolates for lunch. Have a chocolate bar on the way home (as a treat … treat for what I now ask!) I have faced facts, I am an over eater who needs to stop. My health is at risk and I feel uncomfortable in all my clothes.
One of my triggers for depression is my wardrobe and photos of me and my large belly. I am calling time on it all now, 2018 is the year of change, and although I haven’t lost any actual weight (as if I would after one week) I leave the first week feeling lighter and in control.
My top tips for the first week:
1. Throw out any non-vegan food before starting. Be rid of the temptation
2. Allow yourself treats if you want them*
3. Read labels on all items before putting into your shopping bag
4. If a restaurant doesn’t cater for you, go somewhere that does
5. Don’t be embarrassed or feel you need to explain yourself. It’s 2018 FFS!
6. Don’t be judgemental about others food choices
*More things are vegan than you think. Oreos, Veggie Percy Pigs from M&S and Co-Op doughnuts.