Now Vegan- and Loving It!

A few weeks ago, I finally made the decision to return to veganism.  I pretty much always knew I'd make the switch back eventually; just like with my weight loss, it was a matter of being ready to commit to and accept a healthy lifestyle.

Now it seems that veganism is becoming all the rage.  I've been reading about 'power vegans'-  Yikes! who would have thought there would be talk of power vegans!   Yup- hamburger inhaling Bill Clinton has joined the vegan club, as have Steve Wynn, Mort Zuckerman, and - Mike Tyson!  (Hmm.. I'm not sure how I feel about being a member of their club...)

[Check out this arcticle about power vegans in BusinessWeek.]

Bestselling books are pushing veganism.   Little did I know when I picked up "Skinny Bitch" that the authors' agenda was to push a vegan diet.  There I was, laughing my head off for the first half of the book, when all of sudden-  Bam! -  the book turned into a serious manifesto of why veganism is the only sane diet to follow.

I've got another best seller, "The China Study," sitting at my elbow.  I haven't started reading it yet, but with endorsements by two authors (Dean Ornish, and John Robbins) whose books, years ago, originally led me to become a vegan, I'm pretty sure I'll find it a good read.

It was neither the desire to be a member of a power club, nor the need to be trendy, that led me to return to veganism.   As I wrote in my previous post, my return seemed like a natural extension of my decision to lead a healthy lifestyle.   At first I thought I'd eat vegan 2 or 3 days a week, but at the end of the second week I realized that I hadn't eaten any dairy or eggs, and I hadn't even noticed.   What I did notice was I was sleeping better and feeling more energetic.  I'd have been foolish not to make the switch.

Now, three weeks later, people are commenting on the rosy glow in my cheeks, I'm noticing the bounce in my step, and the weight keeps rolling off.   I'm eight months into my diet, and it looks like I'll lose 10 pounds this month.   Pretty darn good, especially since I've been eating about a grocery bag full of food each day:  a quart of strawberries, 2 or 3 persimmons, several peppers, bread, apples, a bowl or two of soup...

I'm not a fanatic- you won't find me freaking out if something I eat turns out to have a touch of egg or dairy.  But I'm really enjoying my new appreciation for how good fresh fruits and vegetables taste (I absolutely crave them), and I'm amazed at how great I feel. 

A year ago, I never would have believed that I would voluntarily give up eating my beloved hard, sharp cheese and deep, dark chocolate.  Now, I openly and honestly say that not only do I not miss them, but I can easily imagine living the rest of my life without eating them again.

(Note: Vegans do eat chocolate.  I've eliminated it from my diet for weight loss and other reasons.)