7 Things I Learned My First Meat and Egg-Free Week
A little over a week ago, I stopped eating meat and eggs "cold turkey". I had already stopped eating dairy some time ago, and my body simply didn't want meat or eggs anymore either. Since then, it's been pretty smooth sailing and here are 7 things I've learned so far:
- Old habits die hard. I haven't missed consuming meat or eggs, but when I wanted to make a spinach pasta soup, I reached for the box of chicken broth. I caught myself before opening the box and eventually bought some veggie broth. It did make me realize I have to be very conscious of what ingredients I'm using to cook.
- More poops. I was never a big meat eater, and I have my fair share of veggies. Even so, going full vegan all of a sudden definitely increased my pooping frequency. The volume wasn't too different, and things settled down after a couple of days.
- Instant appetite control. Even though I was in full PMS mode the day I went cold turkey, I immediately notice the positive impact of not eating meat and dairy on my appetite. There were a couple of days when I was hungrier and ate more than usual, but I wasn't craving chips and sugar like I normally do.
- Meals take longer. We went out to lunch with my husband's family a few days ago. I ordered an edamame hummus that came with carrots and bread, and everyone else had pizza or hamburgers. They all finished well before me. This has been the case with other meals as well, if they're vegetable-heavy. One time, we all had spaghetti though and I was the first one done.
- Built-in portion control. This is related to #3 above, but slightly different. Before, I never understood what it felt like to stop eating before I was full. I regularly read that advice, but I didn't know how to implement it. With the way I'm eating now ... and maybe it's because it takes longer to chew and get the food down, I naturally feel the urge to wrap up the eating before I'm stuffed.
- People won't make a big deal if you don't. I only have my own experience to go by, but my husband's family is a very meat and potatoes crowd. They definitely noticed I wasn't eating meat and a couple of them asked me about it, but it really hasn't been a major topic of conversation. Maybe it's because I've positioned it as, I'm just not that into meat right now vs. I've gone vegan.
- This can work even though my husband and kids eat meat. I wasn't quite sure how things would shake out in terms of feeding my family. I wondered if I would have to cook two different meals every day. Some of our recurring meals I can convert to meat-free, and in other instances, I've told my husband he can request specific meals each week and I'll make them. For me, I'll make one or two giants pots of food each week and that should cover it.
That's all so far, it's going really well and beyond my expectations. I do hope to continue this way of eating in the same way I've eliminated alcohol and dairy. Will keep you posted!
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