Progress Not Perfection

Holy cow! I only have 10 days left of my month as vegan, I cannot believe it! It has been surprisingly easy to keep up with. The changes that I've seen in my body the past few weeks have been amazing to me and I feel so great! I didn't think I would notice such a difference and I definitely see myself sticking with it. The only times I really had issues was when I was hungover and craving a greasy cheeseburger, or yesterday when I drove past Casa di Pizza, my favorite place for pizza and wings. But alas, I made it through.

I have tried awesome new recipes with some of my friends over the past few weeks and they've been so delicious! We've done vegan pizza, vegan pad thai, chocolate covered strawberries among other recipes that I've tried on my own. I would definitely continue to eat this recipes even after the month is over.

I've avoided dining out for the most part in the past 20 days which has been difficult for me since I'm always running around and unless I bring meals with me from breakfast until dinner, I won't make it through the day without stopping somewhere. One extremely frustrating thing I've run into is going to a coffee shop, restaurant, etc., and the employees working don't know what is in the food that they're giving out. If i ask whether you have vegan products or if the products contain milk or egg, I would hope you know or could point me in the direction of where I could get that information (or maybe that's just who's been spoiled with Wegmans my whole life). Online forums have been a huge help in this department as many people have struggled in my position before me and have thankfully posted about the vegan options of many restaurants online.

As much as I would like to think that I truly ate 100% vegan the past 20 days, I'm sure there were things that I ate that I wasn't aware of that weren't vegan but it all comes with the territory I think. But I know I've definitely made progress and that's all I can ask for in this learning process.

And for those of you who are still not convinced of the lifestyle I have chose, please read the following:

#1 for my own health, #2 for the environment

On another note...There is nothing quite like a good run. The feeling of setting a goal for yourself and getting up and meeting that goal feels awesome. I've come a long way already, I think, in my half marathon training and I'm excited to continue training. However, I've found myself super bored on the treadmill (the day has finally come). I know of others (Kari & Mariya) who have said they can't run on a treadmill because it gets boring and its not the same AND NOW I TOTALLY GET IT! I enjoy running outside so much more and have so much more success on my runs when they're done outside. Now if Buffalo would get out of the single digits already, my runs outside would be absolutely perfect.

Wish Me Luck...

Last night, I did my weekly shopping so that I could prep today. I always do one big shopping trip and prep day once a week but this time everything was vegan friendly. I did a lot of research this past week on what can eat and what fits my diet plan. 

This whole transition didn't go without a minor freak out. I knew this was going to be hard, but as the days went on leading down to when I start, I got more nervous about me not being able to do it. It was funny talking to people about my decision and listening to what they had to say. Many said that they would never be able to do it and wished me luck. Something I noticed as I reflected on these conversations is that I've already made sacrifices, I have had to come to terms with the fact that food doesn't control my life and life is about so much more than what I'll be eating for lunch or some craving that I'm having. Of course this mindset hasn't come without a few set backs. But at the end of the day, I still went shopping and decided to go ahead with the plan. 

I spent $98, WAY more than I had budgeted, granted I bought some school supplies and expensive spices for a recipe. I bought my organic fruits and vegetables for the week, I also had some from last week that I hadn't used up. I only bought one packet of hemp protein because I wanted to make sure I liked it before investing in a whole pack. I also bought Raw Revolution protein bars, they're pretty tasty but have a lot of sugar in them so hopefully I can find something different, suggestions are welcome! I'm trying daiya mozzerella non-dairy cheese, I'm definitely interested to see how this will taste! 

My most interesting purchase was a Chia Pod, vanilla flavored. It was fairly pricey ($3.49 for one) so it better be good! 

I'm headed to the gym and then I will be doing my prepping for week one of vegan! Wish me luck! 

Vegan Challenge

Today I finally got around to watching a documentary that I've been meaning to watch for the past few months, Forks Over Knives. The documentary talks about many of the diseases caused by the current diet of many people in the Western Hemisphere and the benefits of eating a plant-based diet. I wanted to watch this documentary because I am very interested in the food industry. The impact that food has on our lives in general is astonishing and I have been educating myself more and more on the correct nutrition for our bodies. 

Last April was when I started my diet with my trainer but for me, it's more than just a diet. I have realized how much my lifestyle has changed when it comes to food in the months that have followed and now I feel that I can take it to the next level. I have a true love for the environment and minimizing the impact that I leave behind on this earth. I feel that by following a more plant-based diet, I can not only live a healthier life but also reduce my impact on the environment.

Over the next week, I plan on doing more research on veganism and develop a diet that I should be following. My current diet already consists of many plants but relies heavily on animal proteins and dairy products. I have already begun doing research on slowly ridding dairy from my diet. I only drink almond milk, or soy when almond is not available, and have recently transitioned to dairy free cheese but I know a lot more improvements can be made. I think the hardest part will be the veer away from eggs and greek yogurt. I rely on these two items for easy meals and snacks frequently!

Since I've already done my grocery shopping for this week with meat and fish in mind, I will officially begin my four week challenge next week when I do my grocery shopping. I wouldn't even consider the items on this weeks "menu" for me to be terrible, being organic turkey on 9 grain chia seed wraps with hummus, or portobello mushroom caps with bruschetta with lots of organic kale and organic romaine, that's why this week will be my research/transition week. In the little bit of spare time that I have, I will continue to look up recipes and dietary information and still stick to my trainers diet plan, just substituting animal protein with plant-based proteins. 

My 4 Week Challenge will begin on Saturday February 8th until Saturday March 8th. From there, I will reflect on the past four weeks, see where the struggles were and determine if this is a lifestyle that I will be able to actively continue. Along with this challenge, I will be continuing another challenge of not drinking any alcohol. This has been EXTREMELY DIFFICULT for me but I can happily say that I have gone 18 days without an alcoholic beverage. This makes it sound like I used to be a chronic drinker, which I wasn't, but I definitely used to go out a lot and have 4-5 drinks, if not more, or hang out with the girls and have a few glasses of wine. 

I am super excited for the next few weeks and to see where this journey takes me! I'm always looking for feedback, comments & motivation so help me along the way!

The Forks Over Knives documentary is available on Netflix.

Quarter Life Crisis

The Quarter Life Crisis... I've seen multiple friends go through it and stress over it, I just never thought I would have to go through it, or at least not any time soon. But here I am, about to start my last semester of college on Monday and freaking out about what I will be doing when I graduate. Of course there's graduate school or the option to go straight into the work force or find something else that will help me prolong my time before I have to go into the "real world." 

I've been going through my options for months. I would love to do Environmental Law and go to law school but right now, it's not an immediate option. I still plan on pursuing this within the next year or two but I need to find an immediate option ASAP. 

I know I'm not the only person in the position of having a sub-par GPA and little to no experience in my field. We should start a support group or something.Yes, I can get a full-time job when I graduate. But I don't want just any job. I love the environmental field and I want to pursue my career within it. 

So for now, I will be completing my internship and my last semester of school and applying to jobs like crazy. And jobs all around the country because I am definitely not opposed to relocating. I'll also be talking to everyone I've ever met to see if they know or know someone who knows a person in my field that can help me obtain a job. 

For tonight, this was my view. Sitting in a small, distraction-free bookstore/coffee shop, Burlingham Books in the town of Perry, NY, right outside of Letchworth State Park, and applying for jobs. I'm hoping with all this work and research, something will eventually fall into place for me. And I'm sure it will.

"Some people succeed because they are destined to, but most people succeed because they are determined to." - Henry van Dyke

[name inspired by my good friend Rachel's blog at navigatingquarterlife.wordpress.com]

Notice my West Seneca West mug. Clearly I am in denial about the fact that it's been nearly 4 years since graduation.

Monday Motivation

Monday mornings are always hard after a long weekend and a lack of sleep. I would be lying if I didn't say I woke up to go to my trainer and was looking for any excuse to go back to bed. A text from a friend and the video below were the only things that got me going towards a successful day. I was also able to do my grocery shopping today for the week! Waking up early definitely has it's benefits. 

If you have a few minutes, watch the whole video. I watched it a few times before it really sunk in. And the man in the video isn't terrible to look at either!

Today was also the first day of training for the Buffalo Marathon! I still have to complete my training for today but rest assured, it will get done! 

Here's to a great week!

2014 Goals

2013 was a great year for me. I learned so much about myself, what made me happy and what I was passionate about. I grew in my studies and fell more in love with the environment. And I moved ahead at my job. I also gained a lot of new friends and had a lot of great experiences. I'm so happy with how 2013 worked out and I want to continue moving forward with the happy life that I have found. Below are just a few dates in 2013 that are important to me & that will help explain where I began:

February 17th, 2013: I participated in my first environmental activist rally and realized how important it was for me to be a steward of the Earth.
April 25th, 2013: I began my fitness journey with my trainer. Since then, I have lost 50 lbs and have completely changed my lifestyle. Living a healthy life is a happy life for me and I'm never going back to how I used to be. 
April 26th, 2013: I turned 21! The birthday that most of us look forward to for years & it was wonderful. 
May 11th, 2013: I ran my first 5K in Baltimore!

2014 is bound to be a great year as well. I am graduating, first and foremost, in May this year. I am also starting an internship where I'll be able to get a wide variety of experience in the Western New York environmental field. I also want to continue my fitness journey and finally reach my goal weight. Along with that, I will be working towards not only eating "healthy" but eating a more organic and natural diet, while on a student budget of course. Below are my goals so far for 2014, I will be sure to update them moving forward:

1. Participate in my first half marathon in May
2. Lose 20lbs by SPRING BREAK! in March
3. Reach my goal weight of 135
4. Attend yoga at least once a week to keep a clear mind and soul

If you had asked me a year ago if I could run a mile, I would tell you no way in hell. In 2013, I participated in 4 races and I want to keep going. Over the next few months, I will be training to do my first half marathon in May. I seriously cannot believe it. Since losing weight, I have become more confident and more adventurous in my life and I have been so happy doing that. I want to continue to push my limits and see how far I can go.

Here's to a great year!

Staying Positive

Being positive can sometimes suck. I give credit to those few people in my life who are always positive 100% of the time. It is exhausting. Part of my New Years resolution was to not take life, people, actions so seriously so I can stress less and focus more on my goals. Everyone says you have to get rid of the negative in your life to help you be more positive. But what happens when those negatives are good friends or people you can't avoid? Do you then try to turn those negatives into positives somehow? I think I need to focus on that to keep my head clear. People always do things you don't like and that you can avoid and I need to learn how to cope.

At this point of my single life, I am a very selfish person. I'm very aware of this and I honestly don't see anything wrong with it. I have my best interests in mind and my mind on my goals in life. Now that doesn't mean I don't still care about my friends and family, it’s just that my main life is focused upon myself. I just don't want to have to deal with those negative people bringing me down or those who keep me from reaching my goals, only because it would make my life a hell of a lot easier.

One goal for the next month will be to be more positive in life by dealing with those negatives. Hopefully facing the negatives can help me become more positive. 

I will be posting my goals. You can follow me on my journey and support me. But at this stage in my life, I'm not going to let anyone or anything hold me back.