Change of Lifestyle (AKA I've Gone Crazy.)

Sep
2010
14

posted by on Life

22 comments

cheese

The crazy must be visiting me this month because not only did I join a gym, but I decided to…well. I’m just going to lay it out there for you.

I’m going Vegan for a month.

I was inspired by Kyla‘s foray into Veganism earlier this year and wanted to try it for myself. I’ve finally decided to take that leap into being healthy, even purchasing the Vegan Yum Yum cookbook she recommended on her blog. Granted, she went from Vegetarianism (is that a word? WordPress thinks not) to Veganism while I am pretty carnivorous. It’s not so much the MEAT that is the problem, as I basically stick to fish right now anyway, it’s the DAIRY that is the problem. I’m addicted to it. Milk. Cheese. Cream. Chocolate. AND OH GOD, THE CHEESE. I mean, Hi, I make Tres Leches Cake. THREE MILK CAKE.

It’ll be an interesting challenge to see if I can edit out the things I’ve been craving most lately. To see if I can gather up the willpower that I don’t seem to have much of and keep the cravings at bay while getting healthier. I’ve already made the switch to soy milk and as long as I can keep the candy in the drawer at work and not in my mouth, I should be okay. The cheese will be another battle but I’m taking it on.

You heard me people, I’m going to defeat cheese.

(At the very moment I wrote that, a vision of goat cheese entered my brain and I was lost for a few seconds in a day dream of creamy white goodness. TWSS? Ahem. Serious sidenote here, I swear.)

See? I HAVE A PROBLEM. They say admitting it is the first step. I’ve taken a step, people.

So I’m going Vegan, if only for a month.

If you see me staring at a block of cheese with tears rolling down my face, just steer me in the direction of a nice piece of fruit. It will not comfort me at all, but at least you got me away from the cheese.

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  • http://www.dcprincessq.com DC Princess

    I’ve made vegan dishes/desserts but there’s no way I could give up feta.

    Nope.

    Good luck! :)

    • http://www.ashalah.com Ashalah

      Oh, Feta. I’m going to miss that…

  • http://tuesdaysborrower.blogspot.com Wonju Wife

    Oh, good luck lady! I have given up a lot of dairy (mostly cheeses because you just can’t find the real thing around these parts), but I still have to have that daily iced caramel macchiato, which is mostly milk! If I could give up my daily coffee, I think vegan wouldn’t be too terribly tough, seeing as I live in the land of tofu! I think you can do it!!!

    • http://www.ashalah.com Ashalah

      I don’t think I could ever live in Korea. No cheese?! Although, if I moved there for a month it wouldn’t be so hard to go Vegan!

  • http://nicolemariesays.com NicoleMarieSays

    Trying this has crossed my mind, but I’m terribly lazy when it comes to food! Or maybe it’s just impulsive. I’m a terrible meal planner.

    But I’m both intrigued and impressed!

    Good luck!

    • http://www.ashalah.com Ashalah

      I’m a horrible meal planner too but I’ve been talking to Lacey (perksofbeingajap.com) and she does meal planning and has some great advice :)

  • http://www.neverniche.com Clare

    Be sure to report back how it goes! I’m mostly vegan but I can’t help the occasional cheese/butter/ice cream indulgence. I have a lot more energy / less stomach problems than before.

    • http://www.ashalah.com Ashalah

      I will definitely be writing updates on it! I like the sound of more energy and less stomach problems :) (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had spoiled milk and felt like death. One day I’ll learn what spoiled milk smells like)

  • http://lindsaysweeting.com Lindsay

    What an awesome thing to do! You should try the “Skinny Bitch in the Kitch” book of recipes (the book that preceded it, “Skinny Bitch”, is not a bad read, either) for some “cheesy” vegan dishes! I tried to go vegan…it lasted about two days, when I realized that I love grilled cheese and ice cream entirely too much. I’ll be thinking dairy-free thoughts for you; good luck!

    • http://www.ashalah.com Ashalah

      I have been wanting to read Skinny Bitch for a while now, didn’t know there was a cookbook too! I will have to check that out. I like the sound of “cheesy” vegan dishes.

  • http://ashleyasaurora.com AshleyD

    I am so impressed! I don’t know if I could ever give up cheese. Good luck!! Keep us updated!

  • http://eisrandom.blogspot.com Liz

    I couldn’t give up cheese. I try to eat it in everything and wouldn’t even know what to do with myself for a month. But more power to you.

    • http://www.ashalah.com Ashalah

      That’s pretty much my problem right now, I eat cheese with everything and I need to stop that! It’s going to be so hard to give it up. I could fail, but I’m determined!

  • http://samdotcom.wordpress.com samdotcom

    Ah, good luck! So interested to hear how this goes! :)

  • http://phampants.wordpress.com phampants

    Done it in April, kinda, and it’s not really that hard. I miss it honestly, but I missed cheese more.

  • http://www.angelanoelle.com Angela Noelle

    Yes, cheese is pretty much the only thing that makes dieting bearable, so I don’t think I could give it up. But good luck to you!! I’ll be interested to hear if you’re still craving it at the end of the month.

  • http://www.jaime2pointoh.com SillyJaime | Jaime 2.0

    I’ve never gone Vegan, but I was a vegetarian for a few years when I was a teenager. I don’t NOT eat meat anymore, but I eat a whole lot LESS than I used to. Even though I’ve never really eaten too much meat to begin with.

  • lisa

    Good luck! I use to have vegan Thursdays but then it interfered with my Thursday night happy hour of margaritas with queso. Hard to have queso on a vegan day. Here’s a tip though. Bulgar wheat. It is surpisingly filling and uber healthy with protein and fiber…maybe I’ll go back to vegan Thursdays since Norway doesn’t know true queso anyway.

  • lisa

    Oh! Something else. You should read Becoming Vegetarian.

    http://www.amazon.com/New-Becoming-Vegetarian-Essential-Healthy/dp/1570671443/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1284574909&sr=8-1

    It’s really aimed at eventually going vegan. Good tips and information to transform your diet in a healthy manner. Also, it has some recipes at the end.

    And here are two other cookbooks that will help you out if you plan to stick to it.

    Vegan Soul Kitchen – some of the recipes are time consuming and some call for ingredients like agave nectar, but overall, it’s pretty good.

    http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Soul-Kitchen-Creative-African-American/dp/0738212288/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1284574980&sr=1-1

    Moosewood Simple Suppers – is not so much vegan, but if you go vegetarian or pescetarian, you will not go wrong with this book…

    http://www.amazon.com/Moosewood-Restaurant-Simple-Suppers-Weeknight/dp/0609609122/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1284575041&sr=1-1

    And another tip…we found that most recipes that call for slab of meat, are just as tasty if not better with a portobello mushroom. Mushroom piccata! Mushroom parmesan! You still get the heft, but not the meat.

  • http://heidirenee.blogspot.com Heidi Renée

    That’s awesome! I’ve been 99% vegan since 2004 and 100% vegetarian since high school. Once you get over the initial cheese cravings, you don’t want it anymore. Anyway, there are vegan substitutes for just about everything. Meat, cheese, ice cream… everything. Daiya cheese is supposed to be the best vegan cheese ever. I haven’t had it yet, but my friends and coworkers rave about it.

  • http://doniree.com Doniree

    You are much stronger than I am! I try to limit my “processed cheese” so like, the blocks of cheddar and stuff. It’s tastier to go artisan, but pricier. You can do it! Try my “Veggie Shreds” – they totally worked in my tomato-cauliflower sauce!

  • http://walkingwithnora.com nora

    um.

    you’re a trooper.

    and maybe a little crazy ;) (kidding)

    I love cheese. Too much.

    Keep us posted!