No-Meat January

In June of last year, Papa and I decided to jump on the no-meat bandwagon and omit it for just a few short weeks. I was trying SUPER hard to rid myself of the post-baby weight and he thought it'd be a good challenge for his mainly-carnivorous self. For close to seven weeks we stayed true to that diet and the results were surprising. WE FELT AMAZING. At that time, I was completely caffeine-free. No coffee, no soda, no energy drinks. Yet, I still felt as though I had downed eight cups before breakfast. My head was so light, my vision so clear and I was perky as all hell. From mid-June to early August, I had managed to drop fifteen pounds and fit into a size five bikini. (Yes, I said bikini----oy!) It truly was a wonderful (and easy!) diet to keep.

THAT IS, until my mother in law moved in. She needed a place to stay and we had an extra room available. BIGGEST MISTAKE EVER. (If you probably recall, she is the reason we decided to move in the first place!) Instead of paying rent, she found it her duty to buy food and make dinners, in her "natural Italian' way. And by natural Italian, I mean loaded with carbs, meat, breads and oils. Not to mention, she was a "bargain shopper". Only would she shop in bulk or in stores with super cheap, processed foods. Usually, that was Save-A-Lot or Winn-Dixie. (Both of which I find repulsive!) At first, my body reacted horribly to the change and I was getting sick all the time (and of course, my immediate reaction was a pregnancy scare, go figure!) But after a while, the sickness went away and I adapted to the fatty foods. Before settling in to Saint Augustine, after weeks and weeks of major depression, I realized I had racked up all of the pounds that I just took off and then some. And since then, I've been meat-eating and fighting off colds, pounds and caffeine-addiction. 

MORAL OF THE STORY: Meat and I need to break up. I'm so tired of feeling sick, groggy and weighed down. So, I've set a goal for myself. And that goal is to go meatless for the entire month of January. And if I can go 31 whole days without it, then try 2 months, then 3, then 4 and so on, until I can go the whole year. I know it might be hard at first, especially when I eat so late (due to my mostly 3-11 shifts at work!) and I don;t have the time to cook, but somehow I know I'll make it work. Somehow.

And the best part of this whole thing? Ever since Bop and I watched 'Forks Over Knives' and 'Food Inc.', he's been SO supportive of me. Even though he adores all things sausage, he's chosen to split away from it and even helped me google vegetarian meals and recipes. Honestly, that's the sweetest thing he could ever do for me. (Reason # 262622 why I married him: he goes along with ALL my crazy ideas/diets). 

So, here's to finishing 2012 at a whopping 120, size 3 bikini and all. Oh, and I'd prefer to have my abs back. You know, if I can manage that as well.

Love.