Healthy Thursday

Vegtember Week 2 Review

 

Well I hate to say it but I didn't stay vegetarian all week. Actually only this weekend did I slip up (just yesterday). I had a turkey sandwich and chicken noodle soup. Was it worth it? No. I did it because I had nothing else to eat and no money to go find something.

Besides that I have stuck to it. We went out to dinner Saturday night to Macaroni Grill and I was so good and ordered the Caprese Salad. Of course after dinner I wasn't as good...let's just leave it at that! lol  On Sunday I obviously wasn't feeling 100%...repercussions of Saturday night. I'm proud that I chose not to drink during the Bears game at least and I'm excited to get back on the streets this week with running and working out. I was so sore on Saturday! My inner thighs killed and it felt great! Reminded me that I would definitely rather be SORE than SORRY!

Frozen Vegan Options:

• Amy's Brand Frozen Meals
• Pizza
• Pot Pie
• Burrito
• Mac & Cheese
• Lasagna 

VegetarianTake Out Options:

• Moe's Southwest Grill (tofu burrito)
• Noodles and Company (no meat options)
• Macaroni Grill (caprese salad)
• Which Wich? (Veggie Patty, Artichoke Heart, Avocado options)

Healthy Thursday

Vegtember Week 1 Review

Protein Sources:
So I stuck to being vegan for a whole week! YAY me! :) I had a close call on Wednesday last week because I was offered a free Tall Carmel Macchiato with 2% milk and I was so tempted to drink it. My friend made a joke that Alanis Morisette could have sung about my dilemma and I think she was right! "Isn't it irnoic, dontya think. It's like free coffee, when you cant drink milk!" Yep, that was a tough one.

Otherwise I've done good! Tempeh is my favorite protein source! I love it! I'd almost prefer it to other protein sources like chicken and tuna. I enjoy seitan as well, but it's a bit chewier than I'm used to.

I tried tofu a few times last week. First I got a burrito from Moes Southwest Grill with tofu. That was alright but immediately I could distinguish the odd texture. Then I made Tofu at home. I tried to season it (let it sit for at least an hour!) but the taste and texture were still getting to me. THEN I tried an Amy's frozen burrito. It was alright. Tofu is something that will take some getting used to.

It made me realize, too, how challenging it is to get low calorie, high protein when you're vegan! Tempeh is kind of higher calorie, as is Seitan. Tofu is somewhat lower but also lacking in protein.

I wish I still had my Perfect Fit Protein which is raw and vegan but that is so expensive!

I am enjoying black beans, lentils, and quinoa as well but again, I feel the trade off (compared to chicken/tuna) is higher calories and less protein. Bummer!

How I feel:
I feel good. Not a whole lot different, but I feel okay. I think I'd feel a bit better if the weight were coming off like I expected - but alas, it never does!

Healthy Thursday

Today I'm weighing in at 157.2. :/ I'm hoping its still the bloating from my period. If not, well then I just have a few extra pounds to drop! I CAN DO IT! :)

September Goals

September Goals: 

• Reach 149 lbs
• Burn 500 calories a day working out, at least 5-6 days a week
• EAT NO MEAT. Minimal to no dairy. VEGTEMBER (Aug 26-Sept 23)
• Average 100 grams of protein every day
• Lose 1-1.5 lb per week 
• Week of Aug 25, Sept 1st, 8th, 15th, & 22nd = 6-7 lbs
•  Assess how cutting out meat & dairy is making me feel. 
• Motivation Monday posts

Day 1 Review:
M1: Weight Control Oatmeal
M2: Diced Pear
M3: Tempeh w/ rice, broccoli, kale
M4: Tempeh w/ green beans
M5: Burrito w/ tofu and no cheese

I probably should have skipped the burrito but I was kinda excited to try it with the tofu. :)

Vegtember Planning II

I decided to start vegtember a bit early! I had a bit of money to grab ingredients: lentils, tempeh, tofu, quinoa, etc. Im starting Monday August 26th. I will try to go all the way to October 1st, but my initial goal was 30 days so maybe only till September 23rd. We'll see how it pans out.
Here are the groceries I bought for this first week. :)
It's also going to be really important for me to learn how to pair foods to get a complete protein. Quinoa is great because its already a complete protein but in most cases, I will have to practice food pairing to get all my essentials. 

Grains + Nuts

Legumes + Seeds

Legumes + Grains

Legumes + Nuts = Complete Proteins

Beans + Brown Rice

Almonds + Asparagus

Vegtember Planning

I'm really low on income right now because my hours got cut by more than half for 3 weeks straight. I think I'll end up doing a lot of tempeh since its reasonably priced along with quinoa and maybe tofu. I will buy a ton of bags of frozen veggies and I think I might be cutting out dairy for the month as well. I think cutting out meat and dairy will have a really positive effect. I'm hoping to feel energized and healthier by the end of it.


For most days I'm planning (M1)oatmeal for breakfast, an (M2) apple for a snack, then (M3) tempeh with veggies with lunch, (M4) carrots for a snack, and (M5) tempeh with veggies for dinner.


I also found a few recipes I might try throughout the month. I'm so excited I'm tempted to start early. :P

Sneak Peak into Fall!

• Vegtember: Vegan/Vegetarian for all of September
• Yogtober: Join a yoga class for the month
• Newvember: try something new all month
• Detoxember: Juicing & detox focus all month

 ++ Yoga Friday!