Sticking to a lifestyle change. What is the secret?
I’ve struggled with weight my entire life. I was shopping with my mom for pretty plus clothing as a kid and she used to bribe me to lose weight with Guess jeans (the HOTTEST in the 80s).
In case you’re wondering…. yes, I still process that in my own therapy! I avoid clothes shopping as much as I can and feel like I have to “earn” things. The good news is that I don’t do that with my own children and I know my mom struggled with her own weight her entire life and likely did the best she could with me.
So, as you can imagine, if I have struggled with weight my entire life…. I have tried every diet under the sun. This is what I have learned:
They work until they don’t.
Perimenopause is not for the faint of heart either. I have found my midsection growing and my metabolism has seemed to completely slow to a halt. But I was trying to get comfortable with my body instead of working against it. I tried to eat healthy but I really have a strong sweet tooth and the fear of becoming a Diabetic like my mom.
So, about a month ago I watched a documentary about plant based eating. They took the angle of how it impacts your body, your libido, visceral body fat, mood, and overall health. But it also showed that the animal farming industry is a scary thing and unjust. First of all, there are animals and their lives are very difficult at best and cause a lot of us to get sick eating them. And consuming animal products causes a real toll on the environment. Also, there is targeted impact on people of color, those living near farms that are spraying animal blood and waste in the air they breathe and even on their homes, despite building their lives there first. It’s like the Bronx….. incinerators are in the very low income neighborhoods made up mostly of people of color. Why there? They are less likely to have resources to fight it moving into their area. But the upper west side would really economically hit the politicians fundraising efforts. They don’t want the pollution to make their kids sick or breathe in the harmful fumes, but why should they go to poorer neighborhood instead. Are those children’s lives less important? NO. People who are just trying to get by don’t have a lot of time or energy for activism when you’re trying to make enough money to even have a home or put food on the table.
God as my witness, that is what got me.
So I started a vegan diet immediately after I watched. I learned that even just one person can have a profound impact from taking animal products out of their diet. So here I am, a month later, still getting creative with veggies and dairy and meat alternatives with no stop in sight.
This is what I have found that has been successful for my new way of life….
Outcome and impact means everything to me. Feeling a part of something is important. I know that I am one person out of many who are choosing to make a difference by not eating animal products. Reminding myself of why I am doing this on a larger level has been super important. I try to watch and read as much as I can things that remind me why I made this choice.
Having a plan: Almost immediately after deciding to move to plant based eating, I reached out to friends who did the same. They shared their favorite vegan recipe sites and it turns out that one of them (HELLO Rainbow Plant Life!) has a weekly meal plan. It comes with several recipes that make enough for 4 servings and even has a grocery list that you check off as you go. It helps that the creator of the recipes is a genius. It’s some of the most flavorful food I’ve ever had. So much so, I don’t miss the meat… or cheese (and I really love cheese!). Also, because so many people have moved to plant based eating.. there are so many alternatives widely available. Plant based butter, cheese, and I can use chickpea water as a substitute in baking recipes for eggs). Vegan brownies are more delicious than non vegan ones. Don’t believe me? Try these!
Keep reminding yourself why you made the decision and make it fun. It’s important. Always keep yourself motivated. Try new recipes. It really helps that I love to cook, so being creative with new ingredients has been super fun. All kinds of flavors and textures are great to play with and keep me excited about playing and discovering.
So there it is, that’s my advice. If you want to change something, find a way to stay committed and interested in doing it. Find the angle you need to for it to make sense to keep.
