Happy Tuesday loves. Hope your week is off to a great start 😀
I abstained from posting yesterday because:
a) I was running around getting all of the last minute legal crap paperwork finished before my big move (2 more days!!), thereby leaving me with little time to come up with a coherent post, and
b) I loved all of the comments you guys left on my last post, and really wanted to think about them some more while I was making a decision on the whole meat thing.
So, did I make a decision? Well, yes and no – there were a lot of valid points raised for both sides! A lot of people, it seems, have had similar experiences with feeling constantly unsatisfied when following a vegetarian diet; feelings that subsided with the reintroduction of meat. Others argue that a plant based diet can provide the body with everything it needs, as long as proper care and attention is given.
Fair enough. But who’s right?
Both sides are. Herbivore. Omnivore. Carnivore. There is no perfect way to eat, and diets (as in the kind of food you eat) aren’t a one-size-fits-all kind of deal. Different things work for different people, and the most important thing is doing what works for you as an individual.
So here’s my plan.
A few people suggested that I try increasing my consumption of beans, nuts, fats, and other nutrient dense foods as a first step, as I’ve been eating sweeter, snackier, breakfast-type foods lately, and my body might just be wanting something a bit more substantial.
Alright, I can do that… at least until Saturday.
Why Saturday?
Because Saturday is farmer’s market day, and if I’m going to eat meat, I want to get it from local organic sources where I can actually talk to the farmer to see how the animal was fed/treated. Although perhaps not entirely motivated by ethics, my decision to follow a vegetarian diet was influenced by a love for animals, and I’d like to be as humane as I possibly can.
Sooooo that leaves me with a few days to experiment, and what better time to start than the present…
Instead of having my beloved bowl of eggy bananafied oats with AB and pudding for breakfast, I opted for overnighters made with Greek yogurt, coconut milk, and a banana. Blueberries, almond slivers, and ground flax were added in the morning. Tasty, but I’m still not the biggest fan of overnight oats.
Lunch was also a deviation from the norm…
No cereal messes or protein smoothies. Instead, I threw some rice into a skillet and mixed in a whole egg. When that was done, I added chickpeas and a glob of hummus, and had the whole mess alongside some steamed broccoli. Ketchup was obviously a must as well.
No cereal for lunch meant that I had to satisfy my craving later on in the day…
[Greek yogurt, blueberries, banana, Puffins, Kashi Honey Sunshine, almond butter]
… but not for dinner. Dinner was slightly more “grown up”…
[Pumpkin chili Mexican scramble – salsa – avocado – cottage cheese]
And there we have it. Day 1 done.
Did I notice any differences? Eh. Not really. Granted, it’s only been one day so I’m not going to jump to any conclusions, but I will let you in on a little secret. Whether I see any changes or not, I’m still going to give meat a shot. Why? Because I feel as though it’s important for me to make the decision on whether I want to include meat in my diet or not with a clear head. See, when I originally gave it up, my ED strongly influenced my choice. Now that it’s no longer an issue, and my vegetarian diet is largely habitual, I want to reassess the actual reasons behind my choice.
If I don’t like it, then I don’t have to keep eating it, simple as that. But if I do enjoy it and it does make me feel better, then I’ll be reintroducing it back into my diet. Some people may not agree with my reasoning, and I’m perfectly okay with that – I don’t always agree with everything that everyone else does either. But I do respect their decisions, and all I ask is that the same degree of courtesy be shown to me.
See you guys tomorrow for WIAW! 😀
. – . – . – .
Do you enjoy experimenting with your diet?
Is there anything that you’re currently trying out?
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I see that you top your oatmeal with pudding a lot, and I was just wondering what kind you used? or if you made it yourself? It looks delish, and I wanted to try(: thanks!
i go through periods of craving meat (like chicken sausage), but usually try to balance it out with eggs, tempeh, fish, etc. I know that craving is there for a reason so i just go with it. I think its good to experiment. SOmetimes are bodies are just trying to tell us what we are lacking, ya know? Love the rice and chickpeas with eggs. Good call!
I think that is a perfect compromise, and leaving yourself open to whatever feels right in the future is absolutely the right thing to do in my opinion 🙂
Have a great one!
Scott
I have been vegetarian and vegan…for now I am happily an omnivore
I’m trying to eat a source of healthy fat at every meal. I don’t really feel any different but boy is it tasty!!! 🙂 I was vegetarian because of my ED but then I realized that I love meat too much to give it up. Many people though feel better when they don’t eat it, and they’re them and I’m me, so that’s great! You could just try some meat, and not commit to quitting vegetarianism or anything.
I made the definitive decision to give up meat a while back and haven’t regretted my decision once. I eat fish now and then but very rarely. Congrats on making a decision that is right for you. If I decide to eat meat again then it’s no big deal. We are all different and need different things to satisfy our diets. I think it’s fab that you are listening to your body.
well your meals looks amazing and honestly girl GOOD FOR YOU deciding to go back to meat! that is awesomeee that you are able to realize why you gave it up and that now you are ready for it to come back! way to go girl<3
It is weird, I have desires to add tuna into my diet a lot, but I realized that that desire is actually disordered. Tuna = low cal. But ya, I have to work on my diet and figuring out what works for me.
It is really hard for me because everyone knows I am vegan, so if I ever did go back to vegetarianism, it wold be..hard. Maybe something to think about for college-my new start in life.
Though the idea of drinking milk will always gross me out, almond milk all the way.
Though, I have always wanted to try goat milk.
I think you are doing the right thing here! Not because Im all for meat or anything, but because Im all for listening to your own body and doing mindful choices! And as you say, you became veg when your ED was running your life! And that is really a decision you should make, not ED!
And also, as I wrote the other day; no need to be veg if you dont want to! Im so happy that you are following your heart! You are my hero, girl 😉
And Im so excited to hear about how you will feel with some meat back in your life!
Cant wait for your WIAW!
Love you <3
Experimenting with my diet drives me CRAZY!! I hate thinking about what im going to eat next. Right now Im trying to eat every 3 hours and eat real foods!!! I hopeful it will help me take control over my bingeing. Its scary to eat so many fats and see the scale climb more as my body adjust. Good for you though, its always good to listen to YOUR bodys needs 🙂
Well I’m glad you tried everyone’s suggestions first AND that if you do eat meat, it will be from a good source. I think finding what works for you means you HAVE to experiment, so good for you, lady!
This is so awesome, and I agree 10000%!! While I think some people can easily thrive on a veggie/vegan diet, others don’t, and there’s nothing wrong with that! And I LOVE that you are gonna source the meat from happy places! That is so awesome of you!!!
I LOVE my diet at the moment, and it is working for me! Don’t wanna change a thing! 😀
Good idea with the meat trying! Especially if it was initially ED influenced, you want to get away from that horrible time as mchas possible and all decisions influenced by it.
I really cba to experiment with my diet, i just eat what I crave, if I tried eliminating dairy or something I’d probably just go and stuff myself with ice cream the next day! I think the more varied your diet the better and have so much respect for you for allowing your body to try adapting to new things. Btw, I really hope you do like meat because you are probably the one girl who can make it look attractive with your photos! 😛
EEeee big hugs to you girly! You have definitely thought out your plan carefully and that just shows how serious you are about your health now which is just amazing 🙂 And what is also amazing is that you are now strong enough to be able to ‘experiment’ and not worry about it and see it as a challenge and quite exciting maybe? I know that in the depths of an ED, experimentation is a no-goer so this just proves how you’re in such a positive place now 🙂
I think for me, going vegan was the biggest experiment with my diet. It took me a lot of time looking into it and research before I did it and I’m still using it as an experiment really, but so far it has got me to a place where I can finally say that I am healthy. I don’t know whether it will be forever, and I might end up finding myself experimenting more in the future now that I’m healthier physically and mentally 🙂
i really enjoy changing up the types of foods i’m eating, but i tend to get into phases. right now i’m trying to eat more fish! i absolutely love it, it’s easy to make and very healthy. i usually try to stick to a more vegetarian diet, but i do have meat at least 3 times a week for some of my meals ’cause it’s just too good! but i think you’re absolutely right, there’s not perfect way to eat. i hope you find your own personal way soon 🙂
You’ve got to do what works best for you and makes you feel good! I’m sorry to hear you’re feeling a bit off :[ I think experimenting with your diet is great as it lets you see what works and doesn’t work for you. Good luck and I hope you feel better soon!
Good call on the farmer’s market idea. They have the best meat. I love that my local market has when I like to think are really kind environments for pigs n’ cows.
I think that what you are doing is awesome! It’s a good idea to probably not introduce meat right away to see if that does make a difference, but I also think it’s great that you are willing to give meat a try again! You are absolutely right that everyone is different and we all need different types of foods to fuel our bodies best :). Can’t believe you move SO SOON! So exciting!!
One more day! Woohoo! So excited for you!!
I think experimenting with foods is what makes eating fun. For the most part, I know what I like and eat it over and over again. But whenever I introduce a new food, my taste buds perk up and I find that I feel more satisfied. I try to maintain the philosophy that life is short; why not step out of my comfort zone from time to time? The worst thing that can happen is that I don’t like the new food, and I return to what I love the next meal.
I’ll be doing lots of experimenting with meal timing the next few weeks. Today I start my internship, which means much much crazier mornings, packed lunches, and less time to prepare dinner. I’ve had a pretty leisurely schedule the past two years, which has allowed me make a hot breakfast every morning and eat whatever I want mid-day. I’m a bit nervous about how my body and cravings will respond to the new schedule, and I’m not sure when/if/how I’ll eat while I’m at the office. I’m sure it will involve lots of trial and error, a grumbly tummy from time to time etc. etc. But that’s okay. I *will* figure it out!
Happy Wednesday, love! xoxo
This sounds like a good plan! It looks like you’ve really thought things out and are doing what is best for you. I’m anxious to see what you think of meat when you try it again!
I’m honestly not the biggest fan of overnight oats made with yogurt either – you should try the vegan version! It tastes a lot more like “normal” oatmeal.
Great post like always! 🙂
Im trying out some new recipes right now 🙂
I think you are doing the absolute right thing, especially if your original decision could have been made because of ED motivations. I also think you are spot on with us all being different, as I said in my comment to your last post I really believe that different people have different needs. Although I’m ‘mostly’ vegan (I hate labels!) I’ve always maintained that I would eat ethically sourced diary and eggs again if I was really craving them (I know that I won’t crave meat again, I was never a huge fan of it before anyway and mostly ate it cause I thought it was good protein!) but up until now I haven’t. Looking forward to hearing about how you get on!
I’m most a silent follower but I really loved your last two posts. Personally, my newfound ability to experiment with food is one of the things I’m most proud of because it shows that I can be more flexible about my diet (what I eat, not how much I eat). I did feel a little defensive for you (haha too much empathy – I know) about your “tasty cereal treats”…There’s nothing wrong with eating something you love. In fact, there’s something insanely right about listening to your body wants! Cereal isn’t a “treat”.
Hehe no, cereal definitely isn’t a treat… it can be an addictive and delicious meal 😉 I kind of miss having it for lunch or dinner, so it most definitely won’t be disappearing completely, just for a little while so I can try different things.
I think its great youre doing this for yourself.
Being a vegan I honestly dont think I could bring myself to eat animal products again, not yet anyway. Who knows, maybe one day I will change my mind just like you. But right now the thought of consuming them again makes me feel ill. A large reason I’m vegan is because I’m so against the treatment of animals and I find drinking milk from another species kinda creepy. But you know, thats me, that my personal views.
And even though you have been given so much different advice I’m glad to see youre going your own way.
Good luck though, I hope you find something that works in the end 🙂
Have you ever added protein powder to your oats? I do and find them so much more filling that greek yogurt. I was veggie, but started introducing fish and first and then chicken.
I’ve tried adding protein powder to oats and didn’t find that it made much of a difference… that’s why I usually go with egg whites when I’m cooking them 🙂
SOunds like a great plan–> we can all sit here and tell you what works for us but like you said there’s no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to fuelling our bodies! You’ll only know after trying out for yourself !
Good luck with your meal experiments. I hope you find what works for you.
I’ve been playing around recently with my diet in hopes of finding something to solve my ongoing IBS issues. I haven’t reached any super definite conclusions yet, but I feel like I’m making progress and that’s what’s important.
You “more-protein-y” meals look amazing! I was trying to add up more protein to my diet in August. I hoped it would solve my “hunger-issues”, but it just didn´t work. I enjoy experiments as long as they are woth something (at least some fun :).
Whatever you want to do is your choice. It shouldn’t be ours.