The Veggie Lovers Diet

Being vegetarian has been pretty easy.  It makes food choices so much easier because it eliminates about half of the items on the menu.  I have to plan out more meals and be more creative to make things that are filling and provide protein but don't involve meat.  Because I grow up as a vegetarian I knew all to well about Garden Burgers....... I hated them.   You know those commericals where the restaurant is serving cardboard food?  Well I would have rather had a cardboard salad then eat a Garden Burger.  So as you can imagine I was nervous to give them another shot.  I probably looked at all the different kinds in the freezer at the store for half hour before bringing myself to put one in the cart.  When I finally made it I was really really pleasantly surprised at the leaps and bounds they have made in the taste, texture, and color of the Garden Burger.  Now I'm hooked.  I have had the rib lets, spicy chicken, ground meat, and of course the garden patty.  It just makes things that much easier! Poor Sam has been such a good sport and has eaten the new experimental food that I've been making and hasn't ever said anything bad about it.  

I've been talking to him more about becoming a vegetarian with me....  I'm not making any head way with that.  I was going to try not to mention this in this entry but it just keeps coming up on the page. I read another chapter of the "Skinny Bitch"  book last night, which unfortunately reduced me to tears and horrifying dreams about murder.  There was a part where they said they knew it was going to be hard to read but to please read it anyway because these are things that are happening and we need to be aware of.  While I agree that we should educate ourselves....  I couldn't finish it.  But I also cried like a baby for a solid 20 minutes in Marley and Me.  So because I can't stand to think about the evil things I read last night for a minute longer all I'm going to say is that it all comes down to supply and demand.  I'm only one person but I can make a difference!  

There are a few things that I haven't cut out of my diet that I've been struggling with, dairy and fish.... Any thoughts?  I could live without fish if I felt like it was hurting my body with the chemicals that they feed the fish and the processing, like other meats, was inhumane (even though I just discovered the joy of sushi).  But I love dairy products!  I don't know if I'm ready to make the jump into a Vegan lifestyle.  Like I said before taking the meat out of the diet was easy!  Its just one ingredient in a recipe but no animal products takes away eggs, cheese, yogurt, milk, ICECREAM, and makes going out to a restaurant nearly impossible.  So I'm torn.  Let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions or information. 

I have noticed some changes since I stopped eating meat!  My skin looks great!  The color is different then it was before.  My moods are better in general!  I have more energy and I wake up earlier.  I feel good and I feel happy!  I'm sure the continued exercises and calorie counting don't hurt much either!