Going Vegetarian for 30 Days

Welcome to Bailey’s Magical Lifestyle Blog~~

The wind has a chill in it, pumpkin spice is everywhere, and another challenge has come and gone. Fall is in full swing.

Last month was crazy busy, (Read Here) being busy plus the cold weather caused my good eating habits go right out the window. That is where this month’s 30 Day Challenge enters the equation.

For the next 30 Days I am going to cut meat out of my diet, and for additional fun I am going to do a 3 Day Water Fast at the start of the month. (Please kill me now.)

If anyone joins me in this Challenge, talk to your doctor first. It is always better safe than sorry, I have spent the last two weeks getting prepared for the fasting in this Challenge. Any rapid change in diet can have major side effects, so be smart and have fun. You’ve been warned.

Let’s do this!!

Day 1:

I am going to wait until tomorrow to start my Water Fast due to the first day of the month falling on a Wednesday. Everything I have read says that the first couple days are the most difficult and I wanted them to fall on the weekend. (Working while starving is the worst.) So, tomorrow on Thursday, I will have my last meal.

I did start my vegetarian diet today, for lunch I had a delicious quinoa wrap with black beans and a side of fruit. Check it:

Couldn’t be happier.

Before hitting the gym I ate a banana and after a workout I had a cup of potato soup.

I have been minimizing my food intake over the last couple weeks to prepare for my Water Fast so I didn’t want to eat anything heavy.

I also weighed myself today.

I want to explain this part of the challenge. I will occasionally check my weight and document the number, in no way am I doing this challenge for weight reasons. I am super happy with my weight and I strongly believe that weight has no correlation with beauty. Every single human is stunningly gorgeous.

I am documenting my weight because I am interested in how much it will fluctuate over the course of the challenge. That’s it.

Just wanted to make that clear.

My Weight: 155.4lbs

Fat Percentage: 13.6%

Day 2:

On a cold rainy day my Fast began.

I woke up this morning made a cup of coffee and rushed out the door for work. At 11:30am it was time for my last meal. I wanted to keep my meal light so I decided on getting a veggie burrito, with rice and beans as a side. I also had a couple glasses of unsweetened ice tea to quench my thirst. I finished my meal shortly after noon…

Now I have to make it to Day 5 with no food. I am only allowed to have water, tea, and coffee. I have spent the last two weeks getting accustomed to drinking 3 liters of water a day, staying hydrated is the most important thing!

I made it until this evening before I started to feel hungry, I made a pot of green tea and am chewing on a wooden spoon as I write. (It seems to help distract me.)

So far so good.

Day 3:

Slept terrible last night. I kept waking up tossing and turning, my stomach is really upset with me. When morning arrived, I felt much better.

I made a cup of mushroom coffee and got ready for work. If you aren’t drinking Four Sigmatic shame on you, it will change your life!

***incoming sales pitch***

Invented by a team of friendly, healthy-living, enthusiasts in the forests of Finland, Four Sigmatic has taken the world by storm! I prefer the Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee with Cordyceps. It gives me the energy I need to make it through the day!

(Buy Here)

***end sales pitch***

Seriously, the stuff is great.

I made it until noon, at the 24 hour period, before I started to get ridiculously hungry. I drank a liter of water for lunch and a small cup of coffee. (Wow, that sounds really sad.)

Once I finished work I took a 15 minute nap to gain some energy, I woke up feeling refreshed and took a small walk to my favorite coffee shop. As I sit here writing I don’t notice being hungry as much as I did earlier today, I do keep getting a weird wave of energy and heat that rushes through my body; I’m going to keep my eye on this. I ordered a cup of tea to drink while I write.

Day 4:

Sleep was a little easier today. I did have a pretty hard time getting out of bed though, it felt like I had lost the energy to move. I had a minor headache and my stomach felt queasy, so I drank a couple glasses of water and made a cup of coffee. I normally head to the gym on Saturday mornings, but intense exercise while fasting is really dangerous, instead I went for a two hour walk.

Since I knew I was going for a walk I added two tablespoons of coconut oil to my coffee before taking off. While I walked I brought with me a liter of water that I added a little Himalayan Salt to, to help with leg cramps and my headache.

The walk helped speed up my progress towards ketosis so my hunger pangs slowly started to disappear.

Day 5:

At 73 hours and 25 minutes (A little more then 3 days) I broke my fast.

I wanted to go with something light so I chose an avocado, onion, tomato, and lettuce sandwich. It was like heaven between two slices of bread.

I learned a lot about myself, and how I see food, during this fast. By the end of the day on Saturday I no longer felt physically hungry, but mentally I still wanted food more then anything else. I treat food like a reward in my life and I normally don’t allow myself to eat until I finish whatever task I set for myself, so not getting to eat caused me to get really depressed and physically drained. By Sunday morning I hardly had the ability to get out of bed so I figured it was time for food.

About an hour after eating my energy levels shot through the roof! I felt like I could accomplish absolutely anything. I really enjoyed/hated doing this fast. I would recommend it for people that want to challenge themselves, I truly thought it was going to be much easier then it turned out to be. I’ve never viewed myself as being a big “food” person and I thought I could give it up with no problem. My body disagreed.

All in all this fast taught me one thing: I love Food.

Day 6:

For today’s entry I want to talk about something I have come to love. Quest Bars.

These guys are awesome. Good for you, great taste, and packed full of protein, they are worth every penny!

Damn, how come I keep doing Sales Pitches in this Challenge? #ripbillymays

Day 7:

Today I realized how easily it can be to accidentally slip, fortunately, I caught myself before I did. Allow me to explain my situation.

I was out at a bar, (surprise, surprise) and my friend ordered some potato wedges for the table. We all started chatting, drinking, and having a good time, before I knew it I instinctively started to grab a potato wedge covered in bacon. I managed to stop myself before I took a bite but it really startled me, I never noticed how much meat I consumed from random encounters just like this one.

I need to keep my guard up.

Day 8:

Even though it doesn’t really have anything to do with vegetarian eating; I was speaking with a friend earlier today, and they said they have the hardest time drinking the recommended amount of water each day. Anyone who knows me can agree, drinking enough water has never been an issue for me. We started talking about the water fast I did over the weekend and I shared with him how I made sure I drank three liters of water each day.

These guys are my sidekicks. I keep them with me at all times, the giant cylinder on the left holds 2 liters of water and the cup on the right holds 1 liter. I fill them both up in the morning and toss them in my car, as I drive around I just keep on drinking.

Both are Stainless-Steel and heavily insulated so the water stays cold all day. I purchased them at Target for under $30 dollars. #targethaseverything

Plus, they look super cool.

Day 9:

Nashville continues to amaze me. This city is very accommodating to a vegetarian lifestyle. Any restaurant I go to has plenty of veggie options that are mouth watering delicious, it’s starting to spoil me.

I had to drive about an hour south of the city today, and I thought I could just choose a restaurant at random to find food, like I can in the city. I was sorely disappointed. Everything on the menu had meat with it, I needed to order a Chicken Burrito and ask the waitress to substitute my chicken for avocado. She kinda gave me sass and asked a lot of questions.

It was a little awkward.

Day 10:

I have found true love in bananas, peanut butter, and honey. Sliced bananas with melted peanut butter poured over them and topped with honey, it has quickly become my favorite snack.

That is all.

Day 11:

One of the more difficult parts of this challenge is going over to a friends place for food. I am not a picky eater. Typical I will eat anything you put on a plate in front of me, and I would thank you for it.

It kills me when someone offers me food with meat in it, and I have to decline the meal. Seeing the look in their eyes, the pain, causes a portion of my soul to die. I do everything in my power to not cause a scene but sometimes it can’t be avoided. I normally politely decline the food but every now and again someone forces it out of you.

Then, as soon as I say I am not eating meat at least one person will barrage me with questions or they start acting like I have completely altered their image of me. The whole situation is uncomfortable.

Anyone else have this issue?

Day 12:

My roommate made some outstanding vegetable curry today.

It’s Day 12 and I haven’t felt the need to eat meat at all! And I have found a bunch of alternatives for meat products that I prefer over the real thing!

I am loving this month’s challenge!

Day 13:

I’ve noticed a major change in my skin complexion since I have cut out meat. I’m not 100% on if it is a placebo effect or not, but I just tend to be “glowing”. (In a manly way)

I feel lighter and healthier than ever before plus, I don’t know how to say it without sounding conceited, I feel more attractive. I have no way of testing this to know for sure if it is true, although I have been getting a lot more attention for the ladies.

If that is not a perk I don’t know what is.

Day 14:

I am hooked on Veggie Burgers. I am not sure if I can ever go back to a beef hamburger at this point. Look at this beauty!

Completely veggie patty, topped with jalapeños, lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and pepper jack cheese. Served with sweet potato waffle fries and a dill pickle. Good Lord, please kill me now so I can die happy!

I have always been a lover of burgers, but most places serve really greasy hamburgers. And I know, I know, a lot of people prefer a fatty burger, however, I just can’t get into them. I want a lean burger! Going Veggie solves this dilemma and leaves me a very happy man.

Day 15:

At half way through this Challenge I couldn’t be happier. It is pretty rare that I get a craving to eat meat, I mainly only miss fish. I give a tremendous shout out to Nashville for all the different options they have for vegetarian food here. It is a little annoying when I leave the city trying to find good vegetarian food other then a salad. (Lame)

My Weight: 153.2lbs

Fat Percentage: 13.4%

Day 16:

At the start of this month I had to change my post-workout protein drink, due to the fact that the protein powder I was drinking had fish in it.

I settled on Optimum Nutrition 100% Gold Standard Casein Powder.

Casein makes up 80% of the protein in cow’s milk, and is also a byproduct of the cheese-making process. Unfortunately, it is not an option for vegans.

Sad day.

Day 17:

Typically, I eat Mexican food several times a week. Since I have started a vegetarian diet this number has greatly diminished and been replaced with Mediterranean food.

I still love Mexican cuisine as much as a Father loves his first born son, but even after several attempts, I’m unable to find a vegetarian option at a Mexican restaurant that is truly delicious. With Mediterranean I have so many options I almost lose control.

In no way am I saying there are no vegetarian options at a Mexican restaurant, and it might vary depending on your location, it’s just that here in Middle Tennessee your options are limited.

Veggie Gyros, Falafel Platers, Hummus and Pita, a Mediterranean diet is unstoppable when paired with a vegetarian diet.

That’s all I’m saying.

Day 18:

I have started to enter the Tofu universe.

When it was time to stop for lunch I decided to hit up an Asian Market with a restaurant attached to it. They had a lunch menu but it only contained options with meat, I politely asked my sever if they had any meatless entrees for the lunch special. He told me I could choose to go Tofu.

I have gone Tofu before this Challenge on several different occasions, I’ve never completely fallen in love with it. I have had a lot of people tell me how much Tofu can “taste just like meat” and I have always disagreed. Going Tofu doesn’t have a bad taste, and I could learn to enjoy it, but I don’t think I could ever confuse it with meat. Maybe somewhere in the world a chef exists that can make Tofu taste, and have the same texture, as chicken; I have yet to experience that pleasure.

Day 19:

Pretty uneventful day, just had a couple Quest Bars and a cup of coffee for lunch.

Day 20:

I found an incredible pasta brand.

Simply Legumes. Even though regular pasta is vegetarian, I discovered this brand and wanted to share it with you guys. It only has one ingredient, Red Lentils. Packed full of protein and not a lot of calories, the entire box only has 650. It has a strange texture, picture spaghetti squash, but the taste was incredible.

Smothered them with meatless marinara sauce, I ate the entire box, I have no regrets.

Day 21:

I watched Forks Over Knives due to a recommendation from a friend. It was a powerful film that looked into the heath benefits of living a plant-based diet. They believe that a lot of diseases that plague most of humanity can be prevented by a simple change of diet.

If you have Netflix, and an open mind, I would recommend checking it out!

Day 22:

Can I just say, beans are amazing. If it wasn’t for them there’s no way I would have made it this far. Practically every meal I eat has one form of beans or another.

I made a very easy a delicious snack yesterday. While working late into the night I got a little hungry, I tore apart my apartment looking for food and found a can of black beans. I tossed a handful of rice into my rice cooker and heated up my beans, I drained a lot of the fluid out of them once they got to the ideal temperature. Tossed them into a bowl, a few quick dashes of hot sauce, and mixed my rice in with the beans.

Only took me 10 minutes to make, I was able to get back to work quickly with a full stomach.

Day 23:

Thanksgiving day.

I have feared it’s arrival.

I had to be mindful and keep a straight head to navigate through all the different meat products that filled the table. One foolish scoop of food and all our hard work will have been for nothing!

Luckily, I have an open minded family so I didn’t have to get into any arguments with anyone. (Only a couple off hand comments about how vegetarianism leads to communism, but is that Thanksgiving tradition?)

I kept as quite as possible about not eating meat and no one really noticed, all in all it went much better then expected.

Food coma time.

Day 24:

I awoke from my food coma in a daze. Went for a quick run and ate a falafel platter at my favorite Mediterranean restaurant.

I am getting the hang of this.

Day 25:

I’ve started to keep bags of clementines around at all times. I am now helplessly addicted to them.

May the Gods show mercy on my soul.

Day 26:

Encountered a strange predicament today.

I went out on a date a couple days ago with a lady that I met last week, we have been talking since. We arrived at the restaurant and she ordered a dish with chicken as the main focus of the entree. I, with out making a big deal, ordered a vegetarian entree that featured quinoa. She asked if I was a vegetarian, and rather then explain how I am just doing it for the month, I just answered yes; I thought it would be a fun experiment. She asked a couple questions about it and we changed the subject. The rest of the date went well.

I haven’t heard from her since. Now, it could be that I freaked her out because I got into a heated debate about how the Antichrist might just be misunderstood, or it could have been that damn quinoa. I got curious about this and did a little research on what you can order to increase your odds of a second date, turns out it is fried chicken.

I blame the quinoa.

Day 27:

Had an uneventful day. Stay posted.

Day 28:

I’m a little upset. Two days away from finishing this challenge and I just now find out Jersey Mike’s has a Veggie Wrap, and it is surprisingly tasty. It slipped my mind to get a photo of the wrap and looking online all I could find were stock photos. I felt like the stock photos were a little impersonal, so I found a photo of myself on the internet and added the wraps to the photo.

You’re welcome.

Day 29:

One…More…..Day…..

Day 30:

It’s here! Last day of the challenge!

I’m happy with how the last 30 Days have gone, it was a great experience and I am proud to say I’ve made it. With all the vegetarian options out there, it’s a shame we don’t have a more plant-based diet. In no way would I ever tell someone how to eat, we can all make our own choices, but I feel we can all agree a little less meat is never a bad thing.

I found the true story of going Vegetarian is dealing with all the social drama that comes along with it. I hated people always needing to express their opinions on the matter. I quickly found out why Vegetarians and Vegans have such a close knit community, it’s hard to be the only veggie eater in your life.

My Weight: 153.2

Fat Percentage: 12.9%

Very little change in my weight.

I recommend everyone doing this challenge at least once in their life. There’s no telling what you might discover, and a change in diet is always an exciting adventure! What could it hurt?

Until next time!

Bailey’s Magical Lifestyle Blog~~