IM GOING VEGAN: day 22 ... JOURNEY COMPLETED

Today felt normal. No anticipation that it was the last day. I don't feel different.


TMI MOMENT!!

Except for the Lady in Red trying to creep upon my person. UGH

I'm confident that I lost inches, definitely in my belly. BUT weight... with lifting, I know I'm adding muscle & like I just said the Lady in Red is coming, so its going to fluctuate.

---

So over graduate school.

Meals:
banana, gluten free Oats & Honey granola

vegan bean soup, raw spinach, bean burger,

raw spinach/grape salad:
------sauteed brussels sprouts, onions, fried tofu, vegan chickn strips,- w/ olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette.
honey roasted peanuts
.5 miso soup packet

Water: 60 oz -- try to hit 90

No Workout. booooo. I know.




Will post my measurements/weight results tomorrow. I actually don't have a scale so I won't be able to weigh myself until I go to the gym.... so I might try for a true weigh-in later this weekend. I really need to update my VeganVlogs. lol eek

IM GOING VEGAN: day 21

one more day.

boom.

shaka. laka. laka.

boom.

Alright, so my day was quite dull. The husband was at work and instead of doing homework, I devoted my time to drinking tea and catching up on the shade filled Braxton Family Values. It's the only reality show that I watch consistently, since the Hills.

Today, on the advice of my friend, I took a rest day. It felt nice not to workout especially since I was feeling QUITE the lazy bum but as I saw my calories racking up, I wanted to hit the weights.

Is this going to be a problem?? lol

For the most part I took pictures of all my meals, the ones I didn't are listed below. ....

So yea the hubs and I watched the Grammy's and had a shady time. And totally mosh pitted to Kendrick Lamar & Imagine Dragons.

vegan nachos yummy 

WE GOT OUR LIVVVESSS!!!!

heyyyyy @ Beyonce for Drunk in Love.

vegan nuggets

Meals:
veggie chicken fingers, w/ bbq sauce
too much Merlot

Water:
90oz -- if you count it as tea.... idk lol

IM GOING VEGAN: day 20

My re-do was so much better. Had me refocused! 

So about this Vegan life. 

So quick recap. Woke up. Cleaned the house. note to self dust once a week. 

Water: 60 oz

Workout: Worked out with the hubby. Like an actual workout lol. Elliptical & than some Crossfit. He had me huffing but it felt good. So than I did some minor lifting for legs/arms. 

We ended the night, trying out a new Korean/Japanese restaurant. We grade it a C. I basically had to create my own dish, like who doesn't make Kimchi Jiggae and why was it so expensive??? yeesh! We like our old spot better, actually we just wanna be back in Korea. I would not be vegan there lol but if I were it wouldn't be as hard. They literally had like 3 vegan options... double yeesh 

Meals:
small red delicious apple

8 grapes
avocado cucumber sushi roll, peanut avocado sushi roll

kimchi jiggae w/ tofu & kimchi & white rice

2 glasses of merlot

I tried to do my homework... ugh it was a no go blah. 

Homemade VEGAN bean burgers recipe

So how do you get your protein?

For vegans or vegetarians this is a common question. My favorite protein thus far has been beans. Now of course it can leave you feeling bloated because it FILLS you up but its better than ridiculous snacking. IMO.

There are a ton of recipes, which I glanced at for a general idea but this was an original idea for me.

I bought a ton of dried (bagged) beans -pinto, black eyed, lima, kidney, black beans, etc-- I have a container and mixed them all together. So I truly don't know what beans I used, just that it was an assortment.

Official Recipe:

• let beans soak overnight
• next day boil the beans in your choice broth--I boiled the beans in chicken broth (gasp) but for a vegan lifestyle, you should definitely boil them in vegetable broth-- on a low-medium temperature. 
• The goal is soften up the beans. 
• Seasonings: i poured olive & sesame oil into the boil, added in curry/pepper/salt/garlic powder/onion powder/cumin into the boil 
• let the beans simmer. mine simmered for 2-3 hours. i just kept adding in more water
• Test the beans occasionally, you want them to start feeling softER
• Turn the burner off, leave the beans in the broth, and place in the fridge till the next day 

So this is where it gets complicated.......................... TRIAL & ERROR

Now remember I'm a practicing vegan so while I could have used EGG I had to use a substitute.


Flax Seed is an interesting concept. I highly encourage you to READ the instructions.

Don't follow my folly.

I have various batches of the beans.

1 batch included garri  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garri & flax seed
1 batch included yellow corn meal & flax seed
1 batch included garri, yellow corn meal, & flax seed

They all tasted fine you just have to understand the flax seed consistency ....

• In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork/spoon/ -- i didn't smash all the beans nor did I worry about them being flat
• Mix in (garri/corn meal) bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. 
• Stir the Flax seed mixture
• Divide mixture into patties.

Now again it gets a bit ...... weird

So remember I had issue with the flax seed consistency. So the cooking portion was trial & error.

watch the video on my instagram

• Heat the olive oil or cooking spray in a large skillet.
• If your flax seed mixture is correct, the patties should hold together ... 
• One option is to bake your patties at 350 in the oven, let them sit for about 10 minutes, than transfer them to the large skillet to make them crispiER

Now don't worry if your patties fall apart, they are STILL edible and you can use them later for a salad, frittata, burrito, etc. 

PLEASE NOTE:

I didn't add any additional seasonings to the patties. YOU can but I didn't. It wasn't needed. Especially since I added condiments for my burger. 

Burger Toppings:
raw collard greens, onions, tomato, soy cheese
srirracha sauce, bbq sauce, 
wheat bread (perhaps gluten free if you want to get adventurous)

Sides: 

Initially I wanted potatoes, but c'mon thats a lot of carbs. So some steamed green beans with garlic & salt did the trick!

NOMNOM. 

Hope my directions weren't too confusing. 

Let me know how it turns out :)

IM GOING VEGAN: day 20 (kinda)

Strong!

Focused!

Diligent!

Weak!

Last night, I fell, not to steak, shrimp, but to cheese.

Emotional eater am I. Sad/Nervous/Shock. Consume cheese did I.

As a vegetarian cheese is fine. For some Vegans its a cardinal sin.

Something unfortunate happened last night and it had me SHOOK! No one died but money will be paid to fix it. I am a decent driver... but I could be better..... it was horrid. Shame I feel. But I'm not letting it control me like last night.

Workout:
20 mins = 1 mile
30 mins - arms
30 mins - arms
= 927 calories burned

Water: 60oz -- need to buy a water purifier. Im feeling thirstier and drier. its not okay. and my face keeps peeling ugh.

Meals:
 2 bananas, 1 tbsp peanut butter
pre-workout drink
salad: raw baby spinach, pico de gallo, kimchi, parmesan garlic veggie wings

Ok so I went to a wine party after the unfortunate incident occurred. judge me if you shall but i consumed.....

Cubed cheeses
crackers
tortilla chips
chip dip
brie
sweet cashews
cheddar popcorn
and 3 glasses of wine...


So, my point is that I'm repeating day 20.

Gotta cleanse the cheese/dip out of my system and keep my life focused.

IM GOING VEGAN: day 19

I have a lot of thoughts so I'm not focused as much on food. I should be focusing on my THREEE graduate courses. But I received a great tip today about taking one of my courses online during the summer. I think this is an AWESOME idea!

Today I wokeup wanting steak and I didn't workout in the morning. We discovered that curtains in the bedroom would block out the sunlight.. so I woke up sooo late.

Meals:

Watermelon chunks
banana
bean burger, collard greens, sweet baby rays, 1 slice soy cheese, green beans
bean soup, grilled chick'n (soy), green beans,
Ginger Ale/Whiskey

Water: 60oz

Workout:
Legs -- 380 cals
Turbo Fire Sculpt 30

IM GOING VEGAN: day 18

OMG I'm like 4 days away from completing my 22 days vegan challenge!!!! aaahhhh

Still going strong. No meat cravings. No Chocolate cravings.. perhaps I should continue on for another 22 days??

So for my meals I've been obsessed with beans for the past few days, so I did something awesome and created my own bean burgers --recipe coming coon! it was quite delish!

I wasn't feeling motivated to workout today. I've been going strong with #nodaysoff but today I was like ... ummm so maybe I should have a "rest" day and just do yoga... nopers. I was feeling quite lazy and I have my goal of burning 500 calories (or more) per day. So around 8pm, I popped in Turbo Fire and it got me motivated. I burned 573 calories! woo-hoo ... #noexcuses Chalene Johnson pumps me up! I love her energy!

For some reason I think I should lower my food intake into 1340 instead of 1500... ugh I can't wait till my appointment so I can know my accurate calorie intake...

On another note. Is it weird that my "beachbody coach" no longer follows me (or contacts me) on ANY of the social media sites. Duped... much... nah, its outside of my control so I will just comment on it here and move on from my life.

Tomorrow I have an action packed evening so I need to get a workout out in the morning and one before my organization event.

Meals:
1/4 cup old fashion oatmeal w/ 1 tbsp peanutbutter
almonds
Bean soup
2 slices wheat bread, 3 bean burger patties w/ 2 slices soy cheese, raw collard greens, onions, sweet baby rays & whole green beans

Workout:
Turbo Fire
- sculpt 30
-core 20
- hiit 25

Water- 90oz in progress

I'm actually kinda hungry after my workout so maybe I'll snack on some grapes.

Oh yea I went grocery shopping and bought a LOT of leafy green veggies and less meat substitute products. fun times.

IM GOING VEGAN: day 17

I don't even remember what happened on Tuesday, so this is just a synopsis from MyFitnessPal lol oooopsie

Meals:

1 slice of wheat bread w/ peanutbutter
Tofu Miso Soybean Paste Soup
Bean Soup w/ Tortilla chips
honey roasted peanuts
gluten free cookies
air popped yellow popcorn

Workout:
Cardio -- stairmaster
Upper body- arms (trx & free weights) --
burned 672 calories

Water: I think 90oz

IM GOING VEGAN: day 14

Very good day. Started early with a 3 hour gym visit:

Workout: burned 1600 calories... wowzzzzeeerrrsss
1 mile treadmill
1 mile stairmaster
500 meters rowing
P90x- kenpo & ab ripper
TRX

Meals:
1 slice wheat bread, 2 tbsp peanut butter
2 vegan ribs, 1 cup cauliflower
Wildcat sushi w/tofu
Some pad thai w/tofu
Miso soup
3 shots

Water: 128oz woooohoooooo

Did some makeup shopping, trying to figure out this contouring & bought a dark lipstick - mahagony by nyc .. I'm loving it! This side pony is giving me totes Yonce!

Date night with the hubby. It was a long time coming and so much fun. Went to the K-States women basketball (they won) and we had some Wildcat spirit. Had tofu "sushi" & he had beef pho. Later we walked around the "ville" where all the college students hang & I had a firebomb (cinnamon & whiskey) it cleared up my cough for a few minutes.

IM GOING VEGAN: day 12

Just a regular ol day.

Took some nightquil for this dang couch so the hubs isn't up all night.

Planning to relax & catch up on my shows during my 4 day (of course ima burn those calories tho!)

Water: 60-80oz

Workout: t25 lower focus, trx legs

Meals:
Kale/blueberry/mango smoothie
Veggie chicken patties, .5 yam
Kimchi, rice, seaweed
2 mini bread rolls
1 martini

IM GOING VEGAN: day 11

Wowzers. Day 11, only 11 more to go!

Schools starting back next week, so I'm REALLY gonna have to buckle down and stay focused. Taking 3 graduate classes, president of a graduate student organization, working part-time, and being married... gotta do it!!!!

Today I woke up early didn't workout but had an eventful day. Been having a weirdish relationship with a friend, hopefully we've worked out the kinks.

Meals:
Banana
Soy chicken pot pie
.5 baked yam (drizzled w/ sesame oil, garlic/onion powder, salt, pepper)
2 soy chicken patties w/ srirracha sauce

I might snack on some gluten free cookies later... maybe hehe

Water: Have a new bottle that holds 30oz- so far I'm at 90oz yay

Workout- see picture :)

For the record , id rather listen to Harry Connick Jr vs JLo or Keith Urban. #idol

IM GOING VEGAN: day 10

Today was good. I'm still getting over being sick. Have a yucky cough.

Meals
Honey roasted peanuts
1 acorn squash (stuffed with kale/quinoa),
1 morning star triplet Burger, soy cheese
1 slice vegan meatloaf

Water: 40oz. This is HORRIBLE! !!! I need to atleast hit 80 before bed!

Workout: legs (quads/hams/calves) & spinning.  I'm feeling it in my legs. Spinning was a struggle. Thanks to the hubs for hitting the gym with me
:)

IM GOING VEGAN: day 9

No huge updates today. Seems super natural to be eating vegan. I actually don't mind it. I still want chocolate :)

Workout: p90x chest & biceps, t25 speed 2.0

Water-- 80 in progress - I really need to get a new camelback

Meals:
Kimchi & rice
Miso soup
Handful of Tortilla chips
1 burger griller, fried potatos, fried tofu - fried/baked in sesame oil
.5 acorn squash (stuffed with kale/quinoa), 1 chicken griller,
1 glass of wine

Currently I'm at about 700 calories so I think ill treat myself to another glass of wine & maybe snack on some popcorn :)

I'M GOING VEGAN: day 8

Today I felt so lazy. But I still got it in! Nothing much to report but for meals will focus more on veggies this upcoming week.

I need to find an egg substitute, if you have an suggestions let me know.

Workout- stairmaster, weight machines (quads, hams, triceps, chest), free weights -biceps = 852 calorie burn

Water; 64oz. Need to drink more!

Meals:
Left over potato soup
Honey roasted peanuts
Banana
5 ginger snap cookies
fried potatoes in sesame oil
Vegan burger-- 2 grillers, soy cheese, onions, soy Bacon, wheat bread

Be sure to follow me on Instagram @87pages #Eats87pages

IM GOING VEGAN: day 6

Today was a good day.

No work today so was able to accomplish a bit. Got 2 workouts in yay

Just got in from, girls night. Was fun just sitting and gabbing with the ladies.

But off to bed. Have some huge workout plans in the am :)

Meals:

1 tbsp peanut butter
Leftover tofu nachos x2
French fries
Gin/tonic

Water: 72oz

Workout: T25-- burned 561 calories

#Eats87pages

I'M GOING VEGAN: Day 5

Today was my best today by FAR since I've started this challenge. It's becoming a lot easier to modify my meals and supplement my snacks. Eating clean, can be quite filling.

Before I discuss my day. I just want to reflect on what I learned while eating abroad. I mean it is ThrowBackThursday hehe

Breakfast can be WHATEVER you want it to be. The first week in Korea, for breakfast my roommate served me rice, kimchi, and seaweed (nori). I was like "wheres the bacon" and she said we can have samgupsyal later tonight. LOL In Korea basically anything goes for Breakfast, soups, rice, kimchi, noodles, ramen, etc. I truly appreciate that I wasn't "restricted" to a particular food image when I woke in the morning.

As such since Day 2 of the challenge, I've been drinking soup every morning. Not a bowl but a small jar of soup, I preheat the water and pour the soup mixture in the jar, and I'm ready for the day.

It's refreshing and I'm not starved. Nor do I have to rush around to try and select a particular "American breakfast item"... because let's be real our breakfast typically involves breads, meats, eggs, cheese, milk, yogurt, butter, etc. I don't have time for that and I don't even like yogurt.

__

Meals:Instant Tofu Miso Soup Soybean Paste
Steamed White Rice, Homemade Potato Soup w/ 1 potato dumpling,and beefless tips
1 TBSP peanut butter
Veggie Crumbles, soy cheese, pico de gallo, tomato, black beans, steamed rice, fresh collard greens, and tortilla chips

Water: 64oz  -- working to hit 96 oz before I go to sleep

No Workout.

Finally, if you're looking for meat substitutes, this is what I have bought so far. 

I'M GOING VEGAN: Day 4

Today was a lot better. No fever & less sniffles, but a sore throat. Blah

Worked out today & got my cardio up. Woohoo.

If your in myfitnesspal be sure to add me @87pages & if you join the vegan challenge be sure to hashtag #Eats87pages so I can see your pics

:)

Check out my meals below.

I'M GOING VEGAN: Day 3

Woke up with a fever.
Listless. Out of it.
Made it to work.
Made it home.
Consumed 1200 calories. But soo tired.

Meals:
Tofu spinach miso soup
Honey roasted peanuts
Roasted brussels sprouts, rice, quinoa, 2 morning star grillers
1/4 cup collard greens, tofu chicken & morning star riblet

Water: 76oz In Progress

No workout.

Now calling it a night.