The Vegetarian Proposition

When you make the decision to commit to something, it truly can change your life.  It might be a drastic life changing event that shakes your very foundation.  But so often it is the smallest changes that can make the biggest difference.  This was one of those changes, and it has taught me a lesson that moving forward will make a gigantic difference if I remember to employ it.  Let me explain.

Last week, I threw out a challenge to all of the Biggest Loser Contestants at my church.  I could feel the lack of motivation building in them and in myself.  We needed something to help us make it through the last month and a half.  So, I challenged them to one last chance.  Me against all of them.  If any of them could beat me, I would put $100 on the line.  See what I mean about motivation.  I don't know of anyone who doesn't care to get an extra one hundred bucks, and I sure as heck don't want to lose it.  Challenge thrown...challenge accepted. 

In deciding my strategy, I decided two things.  First, I was going to run 6 days regardless of how much it hurt.  I would go slower, I wouldn't run as far, but I would run.  Second, I would eat a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet between Monday and Saturday.  The lacto-ovo part means I could eat dairy products and eggs.  It was my belief that if I stuck to these two things, then I would lose weight at a good pace.  Little did I know, I would learn something else as well.

The vegetarian thing is not that difficult if you know how to cook simple things.  I had eggs with toast and fruit, or oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar for breakfast.  There are tons of recipes online and I adapted a lentil stew, a veggie lasagna, and a baked ziti to work for several days of lunches and dinners.  Plus, I went out to eat several times, eating Subway veggie subs or Moe's tofu burritos.  For the most part the food was good, and I can't really think of a time during the entire week when I missed the meat.  But that isnt' the point.  I am not going to become a full on vegetarian any time soon.

What is the point then?  Simple, watching what I was eating, by not eating meat, made me subconsciously watch what I was eating in other areas.  For example, I didn't by candy bars I wanted when I was in the check out line.  For example, I ordered a small popcorn without butter when I was at the movies, rather than the large with butter and a bad of candy.  For example, I took a small bag of baked Lays rather than a large bag of regular ones.  The reduction in calories from these actions did way more to help than not eating meat. 

Here it is...when we start thinking about what we put in our stomachs, we start doing so completely even if we only mean to change one aspect of our diets.  If someone commits to giving up sugar, they will do that, but they will also start to make other healthy changes too because that was one of the goals of giving up sugar.  I find when I drink less soda, I crave salty food less.  So one affects the other. 

What am I going to try next?  I don't know, but I will try something because I want my brain constantly be analyzing my diet and helping me make better choices.  I hope you will try something like this as well.