Vegetarian and feeling great

Goat Cheesecake at Mistral in Princeton, NJ

I’m 2 months into being a vegetarian (still eating eggs and dairy) and feeling great! I started noticing positive effects about 2.5 weeks in.

Positives

1. I have more energy overall. I’m light on my feet and its easier to get up in the morning.

2. I never feel sluggish, though I still get tired. Those afternoon dips are much less severe.

3. My bowel movements are quicker and cleaner.

4. I have a lot less indigestion (i.e. farting)

5. I’m a lot less bloated around my stomach and arms which makes me look more sculpted.

Things that surprised me about becoming a vegetarian

1. It took literally only 1 week of meal planning adjustments to get the hang of it.

2. Vegetarians have a lot of choices.

3. My gym recovery was slower than usual but I quickly fixed that by adding protein shakes back in to the mix.

4. I’m eating a lot more raw greens then I used to.

5. I don’t miss meat itself but more the flavors and texture (bbq, cajun)

6. I’m eating a lot more variety and exploring different recipes.

I feel really motivated with a vegetarian diet particularly because my abs are starting to come back. Working a desk job is fighting an uphill battle against stomach flab. I haven’t dramatically increased my workouts or changed fitness routines, so its nice to see vegetarianism playing a significant role in the success.

A lot of you requested my diet. Sorry to disappoint you but I don’t have a strict diet. I hate that word with a passion. I think diets are stupid, they don’t work long term and do more mental and physical damage than good. I’ve been on a lot of different diets ranging from intermittent starvation to counting calories. Bottom line is that I love food so much and love having choices. I eat cookies and chocolate every week and love a good bowl of pasta. I’ve never felt better about my body. I think Weight Watchers is good. Nothing is off limits but it teaches you how much and when to eat certain foods, although the point system can be annoying.

Why not go on a live-it? You know, the balanced lifestyle and food choices you make daily that lead to long term health and vitality? From my experience, learning about your body from the inside out plays a huge role in your success. Most of us know that binge drinking, fried foods and bacon can make us fat but what about the other choices we think are healthy? Here are some tips that have helped me learn about what makes me fat and what makes me feel full and fit:

Food Routine and Tips

1. Keep your food choices alkaline. I’ve noticed, the more acidic my urine, the more heavy and bloated I am. Buy a pH strip and test your urine to know how alkaline it is. Some alkaline foods are most fruits and veggies, tofu, soybeans, some nuts and legumes.

2. Go for quality foods. Indulge in higher quality foods that you enjoy. Why would I have Hershey’s corn syrup and high fructose infused crappy chocolate when I can enjoy royally rich Lindt truffles (still use white sugar but its a step up)? By being a food quality snob, it helps me resist and select indulgences.

3. Do not drink soda. Drink fruit juices occasionally.

4. Eat a big fat breakfast that is high in protein and complex carbs. I eat pasta with eggs, vegetable rice with eggs, yogurt protein smoothies, waffles with almond butter.

5. Do not eat only salad for lunch. You will be hungry later and over eat when you body is least able to burn calories.

6. Drink all the coffee and tea you want just make sure its sugar free.

7. Cook with less salt. Use other spices and flavors that don’t have sodium.

8. I sometimes fall into emotional or binge eating. One way to prevent that is to do the apple test. Ask yourself, am I really hungry? If so, let me eat this apple. 9 times out of 10 you are not hungry. Drink some water and jam to music, its much more satisfying.

9. Cook your favorite indulgences. Cookie monster? Brownie binger? I found baking my favorite indulgences forces me to eat with my eyes which helps me eat less.

This is my typical lunch. It costs $5 from Open Kitchen on Wall St. I also added 2 microwavable veggie patties from Garden Burger found in the freezer aisle of most grocery stores. This bowl has got 1/2 a serving of pasta, kale in drenched in dressing (which I hate so I put plain mesclun leaves under it to soak up some of the fatty dressing) and beans with avocado and jalapenos (delicious).

I know you asked for fitness routines. I’ll get those to you all shortly!