A Fat Girl’s Guide To Going Vegan With Tips!

I have been a plant based vegan for several months. Embarking on this journey was probably one of the best things I have ever done in my life. I absolutely love taking care of my health.  I enjoy and have a newfound appreciation for cooking, and a new compassion for all living things.

Many people on social media noticed that I had an immediate weight loss when I went vegan. I have loss a total of 40 pounds in just four months, and it just keeps coming off. In addition, to that many of my followers wanted to know if I had any tips, because they have considered going vegan, but have no idea where to start, what to eat, and what veganism is really all about.

I’ll be honest, I initially went vegan for health reasons! Let me say that again, I INITIALLY WENT VEGAN FOR HEALTH REASONS!! I wasn’t interested in weight loss nor did I want to lose weight. Physically I was confident in my skin, however my body was weak, my health was slowly deteriorating, and my immune system was in need of some serious rebuilding.  I began researching  veganism and it began to appeal to me. I was an immediate fan of this movement, and I wanted to be part of a community who demonstrates love for all things including people and animals. In addition, I wanted to learn to love foods that were beneficial for my health.

So whether you’re going vegan for better health, weight loss, or for the environment, I have some tips to help you on your vegan journey

Tip # 1 Transition
Veganism is not a race. I transitioned for about 30 days. I did not want to go cold turkey because I knew I wouldn’t fully commit to this lifestyle, so I transitioned slowly. I first began cutting out dairy, red meat, turkey, and pork. I only consumed eggs, chicken, fish, and seafood three or four days out of the week, but I consumed very little  because I wanted eat more plant based foods in my diet.

Tip #2 Plan Ahead
One of the biggest keys to a successful transition, is to plan your meals ahead. Good-bye to the days where you can just grab anything to eat and go. Since I went vegan, I plan my breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Make sure you always have perishable and nonperishable foods available. I often stock up on legumes, pastas, tomato sauces, and nuts!

Tip #3 Try New Foods
Have you ever walked down the aisle at the supermarket and wanted to try a vegetable or a fruit that you’ve never eaten before? That was me! I decided to start adding some new foods in my diet and learned that their is a variety of fruits and vegetables to try, like okra, broccolini, bok choy, brussel sprouts, zucchini, and the list goes on! So, if I never went vegan, I  probably wouldn’t  have tried something new!

Tip #4 Patience
The fact that you even considered veganism is commendable. However, if you have been eating meat for your entire life like I did, please be patient with your body. Your body is now in the process of healing itself from  all of the toxic food that you have been consuming, so please give your body time to adjust to your new lifestyle.

Since many of you have expressed an interest in my vegan journey, I have decided to hold a vegan challenge for the month of January.  It started on January 1, 2018 and I’m excited to announce that I have 90 participants for my first challenge. If you didn’t have the opportunity to join this first challenge. I hope to hold another one this year.