The V word.

Happy Friday my blog-lovin' peeps!

In addition to the plethora of physical activity this week (running, gym time and Holly Perkins DVD workouts!), which I'm HELLA' proud of - I'm also still going strong as a vegetarian. 

Now, I'm not going to preach or try to convert anyone...that is something I stand behind.

In fact, my true belief is nearly any diet (meaning way of eating, not "going on a diet") when practiced with portion control and balance can be healthy. We all have different bodies that react differently to the components of a daily food diet - whether there is meat in it or not.

Today's post is simply to state some undeniable and factual differences I'm experiencing since becoming the "V" word, as I've come to call it. I continually catch myself giggling to the reactions of some when I share the news of my lifestyle change which kicked off on December 26th of last year.

So to expand further on some of my earlier posts about going veggie...here are some major differences that are either new developments or simply remaining consistent since I struck red meat, chicken, turkey and the like from my diet. Fish though, that one is staying for now!

1) C L A R I T Y - Holy macoroni! I'm not sure who turned on the lights in my head, but I have a serious vision of what I need to do to get where I want to go. I've always been someone that had the picture of what I wanted my life to be, but always lost steam when trying to plot out the map, so to speak. Or even if I got half way, I'd turn back. In the past couple weeks I seem to have a real understanding of "how" to make sh*t happen. In my first week of the new year, I was already published in our local RI Fit Magazine. And the roll I'm on continues...scheduled for a feature piece as well in March (more to come on that!).

2) Headaches/Migraines - So, I'm very superstitious and hate to even mention this because I fear I'll jinx it. In the past 10-12 days I have not needed even one of my "emergency" migraine pills. They are super duper strong and up until the very end of 2013, I was popping them like candy. Something that is VERY bad for me, but the migraines I suffer from are very intense. It is a different type of migraine that is actually set-off by the nerves in my face & sinuses, as well as the base of my skull. Excruciating is an understatement when I don't catch them in time. Well, although I've had some "achy" head pain, NO migraines. I have been able to just take a couple Excedrin and drink lots of water (and use lots of saline nose spray) to ward off anything getting intense. If the change in my diet is even slightly responsible for the lack of migraines, I will not be switching back to meat any time soon. One thing that IS worth mentioning, is I removed yogurt from my diet. I have read over and over again that yogurt is very bad for people with troubled sinuses. I cut out the yogurt at the same time as the meat so I can't honestly say if it was one or the other, or maybe combination of both that has helped the head pain.

3) Energy - Without a doubt, my energy levels are up. Now normally, my levels are pretty decent due to exercising and eating well...but take meat out of that equation and I feel like I could go on and on...IF I make sure to get all the nutrients/protein in my diet that day. Going vegetarian IS challenging especially if you already struggle to eat enough throughout a day (which is ME, hello!). In the same way however, it forces me to pay attention. Only 1 time since I started this little experiment did I get to the gym and feel like I was going to pass out. FAIL! Not the plant based diet's fault, just mine for not paying attention. Since then, all is well and I'm feeling like I have plenty of energy to sustain a solid workout or run.

4) Waking up early - I guess you could pair this with"energy" but my goal has always been to get up early to eat breakfast and/or go for a run before work. Although on occasion, when feeling super motivated, I would manage to drag myself out of bed...this is a whole new world now. I find myself waking up BEFORE my alarm which is set for 6:10am. When I open my eyes I'm not groggy, or "out of it" (something I was used to being apparently while trying to put on compression running pants and bras...NOT easy!). This week I got up at 6am four out of my five day work week. Three of those mornings I ran, one morning I simply got up and ate breakfast...WHAT?!?!? 

5) Digestive system woes a thing of the past! - I'm not going to go into great detail on this one. Major TMI! But I will tell you...my digestive system is moving right along in a way no fiber supplement could. Yes, still struggle with some bloating but it is starting to subside and get better. And that's a minor deterrent compared to how great it is to not feel like you are carrying a bag of bricks around in your belly.

Now, maybe all these new developments are coincidental. Maybe 2014 is just my year to kick the world's ass, including my own - but it just seems that as the weeks go by, new and unexpected things are happening like no migraines, early wake-ups and general clarity.

Is it "easy"? Well, depends on your definition. I'm not missing meat. At all. BUT it does present its challenges and hurdles. This is all still a learning process for me and we'll see where I end up by the end of this month. 

All I know is I'm half way in and it feels fantastic.

stay strong and eat your vegetables!
Rachel