Vegan Panda

8.08.2010

Weight Loss

Weight.

Let's talk about it.

I am somewhere between 5'10 and 5'11.

When I was 16 and in gymnastics, my weight stayed around 150. I was in GREAT shape.

I have NEVER been skinny. I have always had an athletic build.

That will never change. I don't want it to.

My first pregnancy...

By the time I was ready to give birth, I weighed around 190.

After I had him, I leveled out at 172 and my weight stayed the same until my second pregnancy...

My second pregnancy...

By the time I was ready to give birth, I weighed around 222.

After I had her, I leveled out at 186 and my weight stayed the same.

Despite exercise, and many different dieting techniques.

Cutting calories, taking Stackers, etc.

None of which made me feel good. Some did help me lose some weight, but I was hungry and irritable.

And the second I stopped doing it, the weight came back. I figured I was probably just meant to weigh 186-199 lbs. That was my new body. My Dr. however felt differently. He said he wanted to see me lose the 10-15lbs and weigh in at around 170. I left his office and cried, because I couldn't believe he told me I was fat. (Not his words, but that's what I heard.) I spent the following year working out vigorously, without fail. I ate healthier, I was more active - ... but I wasn't losing the weight. I still wanted, craved, needed a lot of junk food, and I still felt like I wasn't able to eat enough to satisfy my hunger. I assumed my stomach needed to shrink, and I was overeating and eventually it would even out.

Then I started reading all the books about health and nutrition that led me down the path I am currently on. I am still not active, but I do not work out like crazy like I used to. I still eat A LOT, but I follow the vegan food pyramid. And my weight has steadily came off. I now weight 170.

Today I went to the mall because I had to pick up some new pants. Literally. My old pants were falling off, and I was tired of wearing my husband's belt to keep them on. I previously owned (and sometimes barely managed to fit in) size 12 all the way to 14 and a few size 15. (Yes ladies, some brands carry size 15 pants. It is odd to find a pant labeled with an odd number.) So I went to the store today and I grabbed a size 10 and a size 12 pant. (A few times before I thought I lost weight and went down a jean size, but really I had stretched out my pants I already owned and I was still in the same size I bought before I stretched them out and gained weight.) I tried on the size 10 and realized they were loose. I tried not to get excited as I went to grab a few size 8s and made my way to the dressing room. I started to pull them up, assuming they would be tight around my thighs and I would have to struggle to zip them. If I even could.

I didn't struggle...

They slid on perfectly, and are even a little loose around my waist. Not so loose that I need a smaller size, but loose enough I can function and move and breathe... I am a size 8. I literally jumped around in the fitting room and immediately text my Mom, & a few of my close friends. So now I'm posting a few pics from today. Because I want to look back at these pics and remember how proud of myself I was. I want to keep the feeling present tense, and some days it's harder to do than others.

So here is my reminder...

Be proud of yourself.

It's not easy, it requires a lot of work, research, commitment and focus.

But it is worth it.

8.07.2010

I heart sushi.

SUSHI!

California Rolls modified to be vegan friendly ;)

[[Avocado, cucumber, carrot]]

Then we also decided to make a guacamole roll...

[[Avocado, heirloom tomatoes, white onion]]

BOTH rolls were insanely good.

He's a BIG fan of sushi!

And since I had the ingredients anyway....

I love guacamole.

8.05.2010

What's for dinner?

And a pot of pinto beans on the stove inside.

Mmmmmm.

Talk to you all tomorrow.

xoxoxox

Cashew fruit.... juice.... can that be right?

That's what I wondered as I glanced across the shelf. I picked up the container and it definitely said cashew fruit. It also explains on the container, for people like myself... "Did you know that a cashew is NOT just a nut? It's a fruit!" The cashew fruit has two parts - the fruit and the nut. Cashew fruit may help calm the stomach, soothe the throat, and promote healthy skin.

At this point, I figure... why not? So I got one. It has a strange taste, but not bad. I'll get another one this weekend when I run back to the store. After I tried it, I started reading the packaging.

"Cashew Fruit is a nutritious beverage with a fresh, light, and naturally sweet, tropical flavor. It is a rich source of Vitamin C. O.N.E.™Cashew Fruit contains important nutrients including beta-carotene, Vitamins B1, B2, B3, calcium and iron. One cashew fruit contains more Vitamin C than an orange, with less acidity.

Cashew Fruit

http://www.onenaturalexperience.com

Vegan friendly, comfort food. I'm a former Taco Bell junkie.

After looking through websites of ways to make fast food vegan friendly, if it's possible.

Which I found out it is! That sure makes a lot of things easier when we're out and about.

Granted, we rarely eat fast food. It is always nice to know that it is still an option in some cases.

Anyway - along the way I read that you can substitute beans for meat at Taco Bell, which led to another lengthy process of deciding whether or not the refried beans at Taco Bell are made with animal lard, etc. I'm not going to go through all of that here, I'm getting off topic.

What I DO want to share is this... because it's wonderful.

First things first:

Guacamole

I make mine using: avocados, lime, white onion, serrano peppers, heirloom tomatoes
cumin, smoked black peppercorn, and salt.

In the taco shell layer refried beans, guacamole, baby arugula, diced heirloom tomatoes and diced onion.

Trust me... it's ridiculously good.