Becoming Vegetarian

It was a personal decision.

The day I decided to become a lacto-ova vegetarian was a day of enlightenment. I will not bore you with stories, statistics and names of people that are vegetarians and how they did it but rather render and speak about my personal decision to become one. 

It is not as hard as one might think. Really!

One day, I just decided to just DO IT! And there is no turning back after that. I have oscillated and debated (not sure if I have the personal constitution aka guts to see this through) about it for months. I was thinking how I will miss meat, free range chicken and fresh fish. By golly, I come from a place that get fresh seafood, daily! I have access to the best shellfish and tropical fish. I have lived on fish alone for close to a year (2013). But the thought of becoming a vegetarian took some mental commitment. I am the type of person with my head squarely planted on my shoulder.

First, I was eating meat once a week and fish once a week too, mostly on Mondays (freshly caught) and free range chicken once a week as well (mostly on Wednesdays). And then I switched and ate only chicken or fish twice a week, for a month. I survived without the meat. Ha! It wasn't that bad. The less I ate of these meat products the less I craved them. I was weaning myself of it, one might say.

What I had and I should really emphasize and mention, is a great system of support. 

In Asia, though I was surrounded by meat lovers, they never insisted or commented on my choice to just eat fish and no meat whatsoever.

When I got the US, I gave myself a month to "indulge" my last cravings of meat. And then, I stopped. Pardon the pun, but I did it, cold turkey.

The conscious decision to cut meat, chicken and fish out of my daily diet - was a year in the making. One has to be ready for the gradual or in some cases drastic change; but I did it, just like that (in a snap of a finger, here!). There were no more cravings of meat. I see a hamburger and I no longer salivate. I see Mexican food and I am ok to order a dish without any form of meat products on it. I have been introduced to a better selection of food that are better for me. My commitment to take better care of my body was non-negotiable, and now is the beginning of my future health plan, not tomorrow but NOW.

Being vegetarian for me also meant giving up soda. Though I consume yogurt, butter and eggs, I do not eat ice cream. 

My skin has cleared up beautifully and I sleep better. I am resting very well and I get that deep sleep I remember only having as a little girl. I have cut back on do or die exercising just my yoga routine.

What I found out is that the world of vegetarianism and the selection of recipes are endless. I stepped into a whole new world. I am loving the exploring stage. The only investments I constantly make is with my time (and dedication).  In a country with endless supply of organic veggies, free range eggs and organic yogurt it has been easier than I thought. Going to the grocery requires a grocery list and I stick to it. I get grains and beans or egg for my source of protein. Tofu is my new best friend. Woohoo, for tofu! Produce and fruits are great for the digestive system. I get dried and fresh fruits to replace my cravings for sweets. I still get chocolates (rarely) but no more ice creams nor pies for me because I am also cutting back on my sugar intake. Less sugar, less calories.

Trader Joe's grocery avails me with soy based products. I love their brand of "soy-rizo". I tell you this thing tastes like chorizo but with no meat whatsoever. Now, how great is that?!  I buy cheese (lacto), kefir and yogurt (with 100 or less calories) for breakfast and then I make the best salads using bleu cheese and non-gluten dressing only. I load it up with carrot shavings, beansprouts, pumpkin seeds or dried cranberries. I also use pine nuts, at times. My guilty pleasure when I make these salads is a hard boiled egg. I mean the salad is a meal in itself. I also try to cutback on rice and bread consumption. If I want to eat bread I choose wheat based bread, non-gluten. 

I do not obsess about the food that I no longer consume. My appetite has diminished quite a bit and loving the benefits of it when it comes to weight loss. I drink my weight in water, daily. I read labels closely now. I did not want to go on a diet, I lost a lot of weight last year and I did not like how sickly looking I was. People thought I was ill or something. I got a lot of compliments about my extreme weight loss yet no one said anything about how gaunt I looked. And I saw it myself. I obsessed about exercising and counting every single morsel of food I put into my body, but I was still stuffing myself with unhealthy things. All in the name of loosing weight. That insanity had to stop! Yes, I was thin but I looked older and with wrinkly and dry skin! And really, who wants that? Being a certain smaller size does not guarantee healthy, and above anything else I wanted to be healthy, not just skinny. I wanted a change in lifestyle and that means starting with the nourishment that I put into my body. The fuel that gets into my body is clean and I like it. I felt more comfortable about who I am and what I am eating. Clears the cobwebs of my mind. I do not have to fight temptation when it comes to food because I am doing the right thing for me, in my own terms, my own way and pace and with my own moral reasons.

My love for food had dwindled to an all time low. Now I eat as much as I can (fruits and veggies) in the duration of a day but I make sure there are no processed meat involved.

I am not selling the idea of vegetarianism here. Please, do not get me wrong. What this post is about is a personal account of why I have gone this route. Hormonal changes in me have in a way been a big factor on why I am a vegetarian. Skin and hair health were also contributing factors. I wanted to have a goodnight sleep, every night.

If anything and for whatever it is worth, it is important to have the support of people around you. For me they can eat as much meat as they want but as much as I do not comment about what they eat, I expect them to respect my choice and accord me the same respect as I give them. Those that cheer you on is where you draw your strength. My "R" is so kind and loving in his support to this personal endeavor. We talk about why this is very good for me. Before I can love others, I am cognizant that I have to love myself and that entails taking very good care of myself. He has been a good grounding influence to me. He knows and compliments me along the way. Good words from him lifts my spirits, you know.

I am resolved to this change. And have found that this type of change can be a very, very good thing.

And I take it ..one day, another day at a time...