the beginning of my journey, a few bumps in the road, and finally finding HappyHealthyVille

i already posted some of this in my lengthy little bio they asked for when i was creating this page, but i'll go ahead with it anyway. the beginning of my vegan life was not all greenbeans and sunflowerseeds. i had spent the first 20-something years of my life not only eating, but LOVING animal products. my all-time favorite entrees included meatloaf and marinated skirt-steak. a food order placed by my former self was usually followed up with a request for "extra cheese". i loved my animal flesh and by-products...because never in my entire existence had i stopped for even a moment to consider what exactly i was putting into my mouth. it NEARLY happened in my early twenties when a friend of mine went vegetarian, and after considering her motives for a millisecond i stopped myself and wouldn't allow my brain to process the idea that all the juicy and delicious chicken, pork, and red meat i loved so much was actually the rotting, decaying flesh of dead animals. i remember this same friend told me once that she was attempting to go vegan. "vegan?" i'd asked. she explained the diet, and i couldn't even begin to wrap my head around it. "but what's left? what can you eat?!" i just couldn't understand it...why would someone do that to themselves, and how could they possibly live like that?

i went on in my blissful ignorance, enjoying my hamburgers and chicken parmesan. i was only ever bothered at the thought of eating fish or seafood in general. the idea of eating those slippery, scaly little beings was completely gross to me. most people couldn't understand it, and one day my mother demanded an explanation. why wouldn't i eat fish? fish was so delicious. where had i come from? certainly not her womb, as she LOVED her fishy friends. she had to know what my problem was. so i told her about the slimy scales and how they bothered me. and how fish swim way down in the ocean and i don't know what goes on down there, so i didn't want to eat them. she laughed at me, and asked me whether i was aware of the disgusting, horrible conditions from which my steak came. i became upset, and i told her i did NOT know, and i never wanted to know - because i knew that if i ever truly considered what i was eating, or learned where and how it came from...i would never eat meat again.

...and then came "skinny bitch". it was february 2009. i'd been married for 9 months and was getting the married girl's soft belly and wider face. i hadn't even noticed it until i saw a photo at a friend's house and didn't recognize myself. i needed to loose weight, but i needed help giving up my nightly ice cream bowls. i was poking around the wedding planning forum i still visited on occasion, and i noticed a thread about what the girls were referring to as a weight-loss book. i read a few of the girls' comments, and most of them were hateful, complaining that the authors of the book were rude and and obnoxious and were too harsh with their insults of the overweight girl. i knew it was just what i needed, some tough love! i went out that day and purchased "skinny bitch". i had no idea what i was actually getting myself into.

it took me 2 days to read the book; not because it's a heavy read, i could've read it in one day...but i'd put it down the first day, once i realized what it was about. this was not a diet book - this was a lifestyle change. these foul-mouthed girls were about to tell me all of the things i never wanted to know or think about, regarding my favorite foods. should i read it? could i go on? i knew i would never be able to turn back and i wasn't sure i was ready. it took me only a day to decide...and i went for it.

after turning the last page, i knew i would never eat meat or poultry again. but i still wasn't convinced or grossed out by dairy. i figured i'd give it a shot anyway to see if it would really help me to loose weight.

2 months later, i was back to my original size, if not a little bit thinner. friends and family were noticing and asking me what i'd been doing. when i told people i was vegan, i got some interesting reactions. some were shocked and couldn't comprehend the vegan lifestyle. others expressed concern, telling me i wasn't getting enough nutrition. one friend was so impressed, she went vegan herself. but it didn't matter to me what anyone else said or thought; i was feeling better than i had in years. i had more energy, i was no longer tired all the time, and i was enjoying my food even more than i had before! i found i didn't miss meat at all. and while i did still have cravings for cheese, i decided i could do without it forever because it was worth it.

for the next year and half i ate vegan, but i didn't realize i wasn't being as healthy as i could be. i was spending so much time on making meat-and-dairy filled meals for my omnivorous husband, i didn't focus on my own meals and was eating mostly processed foods. but once my husband did a little research and decided to give up meat, i started trying vegan recipes and eating healthier and feeling even better.

being vegan has changed so much of my life. it eventually convinced my husband to give up meat, it has made me enjoy cooking even more, it makes me feel happier about my body and also because of the impact it has on the environment and so hopefully spares a few of my animal friend lives. but it's not all rainbows and sunshine; sometimes my lifestyle bothers others. i find people getting offended and defensive when i discuss my reasoning for being vegan. i get a lot of eye-rolls and extreme concern for my health. but more on all of this later.

for now, just know that i love being vegan and that i'm writing this blog for myself and for anyone else who might benefit from it. i plan to write about recipes i try, the joys i feel, and even the issues i face. whether you are a fellow veggie-head or not, i send this out to you with love, happiness, and i hope you enjoy reading it, as i know i'll enjoy writing.