Ready for an unexpected twist in this month’s fitness journey progress report? I won’t keep you hanging … I’ll get right to it. Despite my acceptance that old dogs can learn new tricks, even I didn’t see this coming. For the past three weeks now, The Husband and I have become vegans (mostly). We’re newbies at this so it’s understandable that we might have missed a step or two.
Being that this post was intended to be a status update on the fitness journey I started last June, I’m chagrinned to once again report that not much progress was made in the last month. Other than the unexpected twist, the details of which I’ll get to shortly. Working for most of the first two weeks this month along with concerns about Omicron kept me from getting to the gym. I have no good excuse for not logging more than just a few cardio walks in my neighborhood other than just a lack of motivation. Fortunately, my weight has stayed fairly steady so there’s that. But there’s this whole vegan thing to share.
How did it begin? Well, it was a day that had started out like any other day in early January might have for a retired couple during a pandemic. We slept until our bodies were rested, showered and dressed, had breakfast. Taking photos for an upcoming blog post was the most pressing thing that “we” needed to accomplish. I needed the photos, he’s the photographer, hence it was a task “we” need to do. After that was done and we were back at home, I settled in at my computer to upload those photos. As that was happening, I glanced at a few of the emails from the previous couple of days that I hadn’t yet had a chance to read.
That was when I came across Wendy’s short missive on her Five Pearls for that week. Pearl three was a recommendation for a documentary on Netflix that she described as being about the evils of the fast-food industry. Well, later that evening after The Husband and I had enjoyed the last of that week’s recorded shows and we were about to look for something else to watch, I remembered Wendy’s suggestion and queued it up for us to view.
Holy cow! The film we watched was What The Health. More than just an exposé on the fast-food industry, it’s an investigative documentary that “exposes the collusion and corruption in government and big business that is costing us trillions of healthcare dollars, and keeping us sick”. The ways in which pharmaceutical companies, agribusiness, and processed animal food companies put profits before the nation’s health, especially in the most vulnerable communities, were laid out in this film. Being that we didn’t know anything about the film before watching it, The Husband and I were a bit skeptical once we realized the path it was taking in promoting a plant-based lifestyle.
However, by the end of the film, we were both so awakened to the benefits of following a plant-based lifestyle that we looked at each and said, “want to give it a try?”. Being of retirement age, we’re both keen to ensure that we stay in good health. My only ongoing health issues are low bone density and a bit of GERD. The Husband, however, does take meds for high blood pressure. And we both weigh about 40 pounds more than we should. Our curiosity was piqued about the health benefits we might get from following a plant-based diet.
We’ve tended to eat in a conventionally healthy manner with a diet consisting mostly of freshly prepared foods. More leaner proteins than not, a variety of fresh fruits and steamed/roasted vegetables, low fat/high nutrient starches, moderate amounts of dairy. We don’t buy much in the way of frozen foods or frequent fast-food restaurants. Neither of us drinks soda nor do we drink any other sugary beverages. The Husband does enjoy having a glass of wine or a beer with dinner but I’m just a “few sips” kind of gal. If a change was to be made, eliminating animal proteins would be a likely one to make.
Our daughter has a milk protein allergy and for a while had opted to become a pescatarian. Even so, we’d never dabbled much into plant-based proteins which we’ve found to be a bit of a challenge as we adapt to this new way of eating. I’ve been doing a lot more of the cooking and I found recipes for a Butternut Squash Chili, a Vegan Mushroom Risotto, and a Veggie Pot Pie that were all quite yummy. We’ve eaten out as well. Our first venture out was just us and we went to The Habit for their veggie burger. With our non-Vegan friends, we’ve gone to both a Chinese restaurant and a Thai restaurant.
The Husband and I had initially agreed to stick with plant-based for two weeks which we did quite faithfully. On day 15, The Husband had gotten up before I did, had had his breakfast, and had left the house before I did. I was certain that he’d probably eaten one of his breakfast sandwiches but there was no wrapper in the trash so I sent him a text asking if he’d “broken his vegan fast”. He told me that he hadn’t so neither did I. Now, there’s a whole lot more to the story but that’ll have to wait for another time.
Outfit details: Cardigan, Ann Taylor Factory (old); Cropped flares, Nine West (last year); Sneakers, Ryka (last year)
Let’s Wrap This Up
Now, onto the Fine-Whatever link-up. My featured blogger from last week’s link-up post is Amy who shared her styling ideas for Pantone’s color of the year, Very Peri. Amy is a lifestyle blogger who writes about fashion, travel, gardening, home decor, and much more.
That’s my fitness journey status report for month 7. This post is part of a recurring series published at about this point each month as I track my progress for becoming fitter and losing weight. Do you have any helpful tips you can share or resources that you’ve used in your own fitness journey?
Stay well and let’s keep in touch! Subscribe, tweet, follow, friend, pin … all options are available. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
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Note: This is an unsponsored post; however, some or all of the links to clothing items are associated with an affiliate program where I earned a few cents for each click.
Photos: MMPerez
36 Comments
Going to have to check out those recipes! We eat vegan twice a week and several times for weeks at a time during the year with church so I am also interesting some new vegan recipes to my repertoire!
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
Mireille, I really like trying new recipes so I was glad that I had success with these for vegan dishes.
I can’t eat any fast food because of allergies Rena. I would be the size of a house if I could! I’ve just started Yoga and I’m enjoying that. I put on over a stone in lockdown xx
Laurie, one of the positives to come from the pandemic is that I no longer buy from typical drive-thru fast food places. And we’ve been eating so much more at home which has been healthier as well.
This is a really great post. Thanks for sharing.
https://www.bauchlefashion.com/2022/01/how-to-get-fashion-editors-office-style.html?m=1
It never hurts to take on new healthful practices!
I’m glad that you liked what I wrote, Heather.
Rena, I love following your fitness journey. We eat vegan or vegetarian a lot, but my husband does not thrive on a totally meat-free diet. He tried it once for three months and lost a bunch of weight (and he had none to lose!). I, on the other hand, do well on it. You two will have fun figuring it all out!
Jean, you are so kind and I appreciate your support. I’m not sure how much longer my husband is going to stick with being solely plant-based although I plan to but with an occasional bit of egg and cheese. Even so, this little adventure has opened our eyes to looking at food sources differently.
Good luck with your health ventures!
Thank you, Lauren.
How interesting! I’m not sure if I’ll ever be vegetarian or vegan, but I’m definitely interested in cooking with more plant based proteins. I need to watch that documentary!
Laura, that film is a real eye-opener for sure. I don’t think that I’ll be strictly vegan going forward but I definitely will be leaning away from animal-protein-heavy meals.
I love your writing. You’ve got me excited for the next instalment!
Oh Gail, you shouldn’t encourage me so. LOL
In the past year, I’ve been moving toward a plant-based diet. My doctor is happy with my test results — lower cholesterol numbers. Kudos to you and the husband for embracing a vegan diet!
Thanks for hosting the link-up.
Carol
http://www.scribblingboomer.com
Carol, it’s been years since my cholesterol levels have been tested but I have seen some small improvements in other aspects of my health. While I don’t think that we’ll be fully plant-based going forward, this experiment has expanded our view of what a healthy meal should look like.
I’m not sure I could ever go completely vegan. But, your recipes sound like a good start! After losing 20 pounds at the beginning of the pandemic to gaining it all back once vaccines appeared (anxiety-induced eating), I’m now back on the Weight Watchers wagon which always works for me. I just need to stay on the wagon instead of hopping off for a time!
Thanks for the link up!
https://marshainthemiddle.com
Marsha, I don’t think that we’ll stick to being strictly vegan but I do plan to vastly limit my intake of animal proteins. I feel so much better without it.
Oh wow, Rena, good for you guys for making the healthy change! Any changes in diet are really hard to stick to but once you do it for a week or two, I think it becomes much easier. I have trouble watching documentaries about the food we eat though because some of it is so repulsive that I might stop eating altogether if I know too much! I love this green cardigan on you, by the way. Super cute outfit!
Shelbee
Shelbee, I hear you on the trouble of watching documentaries about the food industry. We thought the film was about the fast-food industry which probably wouldn’t have much new info that we didn’t know already. What really got us with this film was that the perspective wasn’t so much about the animals or the nastiness of the processing, the focus was on the health impacts of ingesting animal protein.
That green cardigan is lovely on you! What a nice piece 🙂 It’s good you are finding it easy to stick to your vegan challenge! I do try have vegetarian now and then but I love cheese and chocolate so I don’t think I could ever be vegan, haha! In saying that though my current favourite go-to chocolate is a dairy free vegan one that’s delicious!
Mica, this cardigan has been languishing in my closet for the longest time. And as for giving up cheese and chocolate, I’m totally there with you. There is no good non-dairy cheese substitute although I plan to eat it sparingly. I was concerned about missing ice cream but I’ve found a couple made with almond milk that are quite good.
My husband and I became vegans last year and we haven’t once regretted it. In fact, we find the food much more delicious than before. I’ve found so many amazing recipes online, and we’ve been to several fantastic vegan restaurants in Lisbon in recent weeks. I hope you find it works for you both in the long run!
Hugs
Suzy xx
Suzy, your post about vegan donuts was an influencing factor for me to give plant-based a try. We even have a bakery nearby that offers fresh-baked vegan pastries that are delicious but you have to get there early in the morning before they sell out for the day.
That sounds like an eye opening documentary! That’s awesome that you are sticking to the vegan diet! We try to eat more plant based foods but I don’t think we will ever go vegetarian or vegan.
Jill – Doused in Pink
Jill, we just passed the four-week mark and I’m honestly surprised that we’ve stuck to it this long. My husband says that he’s just about done with it (he’s ready for a steak) but I plan to continue being mostly plant-based.
Hi Rena
Those recipes sound delicious. We mostly eat fish and some chicken. I love vegetarian dishes though Hubby made a mushroom risotto for and we had our friend over who was vegan. Best wishes on your endeavors!
Jess, it’s a new perspective on how vegetables and grains can be the star of the meal instead of steak or chicken.
Welcome to the club! Dan & I are plant-based since August. The thing that instigated us was the book, Healthy At Last by Eric Adams (who is now the mayor of NY City). He reversed his diabetes with a plant-based diet. While neither Dan nor I are diabetic, we both would like to preserve or improve our health. Dan has lost weight on the diet. (We are still trying to get my thyroid meds right, so my weight is all over the place.) I seldom miss meat. And alleviating dairy seemed to help the fibromyalgia a bit.
We cook with lots of frozen veggies (none with sauces, etc). We have read that because veggies are usually frozen near the site they were picked, they actually retain more nutrients than those the fresh ones that make long journeys. We have found restaurants often have at least some vegetarian options. For us, it appears this change is here to stay. If you decide to keep on with the diet, you will need to add a B12 supplement because that comes only from meat sources, according to Dan’s doctor.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
Thanks for the welcome, Michelle. I did start to take a multi-vitamin, one that includes B-12.
P.S. I love your top!
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
I will be interested to see if you notice any health benefits. I eat very little meat but I know protein is important so do eat chicken twice a week and fish twice a week. I might take a little of whatever other meat we are having but I love vegetarian. I would find vegan difficult though.
Hilda, I agree that being fully vegan is a challenge and probably not one that I would stick with exclusively. Health benefits so far are minor but I do feel better digestively, IYKWIM 😉
Ohhh! I want to watch this, maybe tonight! Thank you for sharing! I went mostly vegetarian over a year ago and I’ve noticed a lot of beneficial health changes! I will never go back! I do eat meat occasionally (mainly if we go out to dinner somewhere nice, but I’ll usually go for the scallops!) and I will have dairy or eggs, but sparingly. I really like unsweetened almond milk, tho!! I’m excited you’ve decided to continue the journey!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
Carrie, I hope that you enjoyed the movie. It’s taken a while for my body to adjust so I’m only just now feeling some of the beneficial changes. I’ve started to sparingly add back eggs and occasionally cheese. Fingers crossed that I can make being primarily plant-based an ongoing way of life.