Still going strong...

I have not updated for quite some time. I was working full time while working on my graduate degree. I was exhausted most of the time so blogging was the last of my concerns. 

At some point, I gained several pounds back and they have stuck around. I recently completed my grad degree so I am getting back into this blogging and documenting my journey. 

I have done surprisingly well and have not had the urge to go back to dairy.  I do not miss cheese at all which has been the biggest surprise. 

I have been taking pictures of my food and have posted many pictures to my Joy and Vegetables facebook page as well as my new Instagram account and also on Twitter. 

Eventually, I would like to start writing Yelp reviews about my experiences. 

In the meantime, I am going to post updates at least once a week.  I'd love to start losing weight again so I need to get serious about being more active and eating more fresh foods.

So busy!

I have pictures to post but I have been sick and very, very tired. Between subbing and working on my school work, I am EXHAUSTED. Add in a sinus infection and you have a zombie.

I am still doing well on my plant-based diet. It really has been so much easier than I thought it would be. I was one of those "I loooooove cheese!!!" people so I thought I would be craving it like crazy. Not the case. I don't even want the vegan cheese.

Hubby is still enjoying his dairy but I can tell he is not enjoying it like he used to.

I LOVE the vegan raviolis I found at Whole Foods. So happy to have an easy go-to for the busy days (aka almost every day).

In the previous post I included a picture of some purchases. The tofurky pizzas were for my hubby. He loved the italian sausage pizza. The cheese pizza is still in the freezer.

LOVE Amy's meals. So many to choose from. So many delicious options.

I am down 8 lbs now. I want to keep this going. Maybe I can drop at least 10 more by next month. We shall see.

Vegan goodies

31 days down and going strong.

I've enjoyed finding new treats. More about these later.

Planning

I have been doing well on this vegan diet. It is going MUCH better than I thought it would. The Reese's pb cups my husband bought have been staring at me but I've stayed strong. :-)

I lost momentum and have not been using as much fresh produce as I did the first two weeks.

Today I wasn't feeling very well and haven't had much of an appetite.

Fruit salad has been an easy go-to for when I don't feel like preparing anything and/or I don't have an appetite. In fact, I am about to go get some watermelon now.

I need to plan better - I think that is the key.

Pizza. It's What's for Dinner.

I picked up an Amy's pizza today. Not just any pizza but the VEGAN Margherita pizza with Daiya Cheeze. 

I was not sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. The pizza had the wonderful flavor of the other Amy's pizzas that I have loved.

What was missing was a weird flavor from the Daiya Shreds. I had a bad experience (tasted horrible) with a cheese alternative years ago - I am still paranoid when trying non-dairy cheeses. Daiya comes through!


I added some Daiya Pepperjack and Red Pepper Flakes


I am a happy camper!

Need names for my dishes

I keep making different dishes using whatever we happen to have on hand. DH said I should name them so he can request them again later. :-p

This is one I made last week.

Started with green pepper, onion, and broccoli stalks


Kept the tops aside to add in later


Added carrots, celery, and jalapeño


Prepared some gardein Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick'n


Added broccoli tops, kale, chopped clementines, and clementine juice


Almost ready


Topped with the chick'n


It was delicious. I didn't cook the veggies for very long so they were still crunchy.

Day 19

19 days into my vegan diet and so far it is going great.

I meant to post more often but between subbing and school work, I've been sidetracked.

I've impressed myself with my motivation and willpower so far. I've packed healthy lunches and snacks for when I am away. It really helps!

Down 6 lbs so far. I was hoping for 10 but I will take 6. I hope I can meet my goal of 25lbs by the middle of March.

One challenge was going to eat with my parents. We went to Bahama Breeze. I usually get a Grilled Portabella & Veggie sandwich but I was not sure how the bread was made and it usually comes with cheese so I went for something else.

I asked the waitress about the White Bean Hummus. She actually went to the manager and the manager came to the table with the list of ingredients. I was slightly embarrassed but impressed at the same time. I thought it was nice of them to care to that extent (rather than a quick yes or no answer).

I ended up eating the White Bean Hummus with fresh veggie sticks, a tomato salad (tomatoes and balsamic vinegar), and some fresh salsa. It was delicious.

Today has been an off day for me. Not feeling very well - tired and sluggish. I still managed to make dinner for us. It was great - very starchy but great.


Veggies, Quinoa & Wild Rice, and raw walnuts.


I made Chipotle Lime Crispy Fingers for DH. He loved it!


I have had no urge to eat non-vegan food. I am very happy and excited.