Quickly Learning by Mistakes

What a whirlwind of a few days I have had!  Thursday I had a doctor appointment.  After the appointment I went to visit friends.  I then went to Subway for a Veggie Sub.  I knew I had to be careful of what to eat.  I asked for the Honey Oat bread and had them hollow it out some.  I then filled it with lots of veggies including spinach.  I didn’t add cheese.  I did add oregano and red wine vinegar.  It was a filling sandwich.  Later that evening, I met my son and another girl friend for supper.  My son chose a Mexican restaurant.  I ordered from the vegetarian menu.  I was leery of the refried beans because I didn’t want the fat especially if they were fried in animal fat.  I ordered vegetable fajitas.  I ate 2 wraps with the warm veggies and the rice.  I did have some avocado but no sour cream.  I succumbed to the refried beans after taking off the melted cheese on top.  The amount equaled less than a ¼ cup.  I drank unsweet tea with lemon. 

 

Realizing I have a lot to learn and currently I am not a purist in the vegan world, I knew I didn’t eat right.  Even after 36+ hours of vegan eating, my body reacted to the high fat in the meal.  I know that I will have to make fresher choices without oil in the future.  After eating at the restaurant with my son, I went to his home to avoid the sleeting and dangerous driving conditions to go back home. 

 

Friday morning my carnivore son didn’t have any veggies nor fruits.  I had a good size glass of pure OJ that he thankfully had just bought.  Later, I met my son for lunch with his friend at a buffet restaurant.  I thought I was safe.  I had black eye peas and boiled pintos.  I didn’t see any meat source in the broth.  I had lima beans, carrots, corn, and cabbage. The green beans and collards had ham or bacon in them so I didn’t serve any.  I had a square of cornbread with my lunch.  For dessert I had fresh pineapple and cantaloupe. 

Still learning by my mistakes, I soon realized that I ate too much in volume and this time too many starchy items and sugar items.  The cornbread was very sweet, and the carrots were glazed and most likely had butter on them.  It didn’t take long for my digestive system to quickly get rid of its contents.  I was so sick on the way home.  I went to bed by 7pm.  I just sipped water as I woke up during the night with my stomach cramping but nothing was in it. 

I went to breakfast with a girl friend and her family this morning (Saturday).  I ordered blueberry pancakes, and some Greek home fries with tomatoes and onions.  They were a little oily but not a huge serving so I ate them.  I ate the middles of the pancakes first without syrup.  Then I once again succumbed to a wee bit of butter and syrup for some of the pancake ends.  I walked the shopping mall with them afterwards and then once again my body had to quickly get rid of the food…too much sugar, too much oil.   I have decided I need to get the book that goes with Forks over Knives that tells you how to eat wisely.

For lunch, I hit a home run with Kevin my husband, who by the way did way better than me and has kept to a vegan diet quite well.  I made him some roasted potatoes with very little chili pepper infused olive oil and garlic salt  w/parsley  (lightly salted), grilled asparagus on the George Foreman grill, and grilled veggie burgers with lightly sautéed onions and bell peppers.  I ate with him.  Since I was able to control the amount of oil, salt and no sugar, my digestive system didn’t cramp up nor dispose of its contents abnormally.   My victory was getting Kevin to try the veggie burgers and getting him to like them. 

My dilemma is eating out at restaurants with my non vegan friends.  I love salads but I can only eat so many of them without feeling the need for warm food.  Tonight I had another veggie sub as the guys all went shopping man-style this afternoon and evening. 

I have nothing too exciting to report today or share.  I am just jotting my eating journey down for accountability and maybe even get some advice.  I will say that feel better already in a strange way.  I have a sense of clarity and energy though not dramatic.   I will find out next week if I have lost any weight but even if I haven’t I definitely don’t feel as bloated as before removing meat and dairy from my diet. 

 

Hope you were able to get out and enjoy your Saturday.  The Carolinas were beautifully sunny today!  I did a lot of walking as I shopped for little things for our home.  You are Loved, acf