As a New Year’s resolution, my roommate Sarah decided instead of heading on over to the gym just like everyone else, she was going to go a step further and go vegetarian! We were all a little skeptical of this new goal because we know how much Sarah loves her sweets, but we believed in her. Now, here’s her first month broken down step by step!
First Week: Sarah explained to me how for the first week, she felt super “clean”, and less sluggish than usual. Before this week, Sarah’s meals would almost one-hundred percent contain some kind of meat. While feeling restricted by many of the campus dining options, there were alternatives such as veggie burgers and potatoes. Despite her fresh start, many believed she couldn’t possibly stick to her new diet but being the person Sarah is, she was determined to prove us all wrong.
Second Week: By the second week, Sarah was more comfortable in her new routine. She felt that she slept much better at night, but felt super hungry towards the end of the night, which led her to find herself snacking on either granola bars or crackers more than usual. She continued to search for alternatives for protein, so she turned to omelets and spinach-based foods. This week, Sarah began to add more exercise to her daily regime, which also helped boost her newly noticed weight loss.
Third Week: By the third week, she found that it was hard to find more (non-bland) options for dining. This was probably the worst week so far as she was craving chicken especially. Being surrounded by campus food only made it that much worse. To stay on top of her newfound lifestyle, she consistently told herself that what she was doing was not only good for her individual health but also in favor of animals everywhere.
Fourth Week: As the last week of the month was upon Sarah, she had come to the conclusion that her health was rising in a positive manner. She tells me that she found herself eating less throughout the day and working out more. While this week had proved the most rewarding in ways such as mental health as well as physical, Sarah’s vegetarian journey was definitely not over!
[Photos courtesy of healthandlovepage.com and positivemed.com]