Vacation + "That's crazy", "I could NEVER do that", "It's too bad you can't eat this (non-vegan food) because it is amazing", "You'll shoot your eye out kid!" comments + Non-Committal Habits = MARY THE QUITTER
Committing to anything hasn't always been my strong suit. Run, run, run. I would move, find a new job and stop seeing the flavor of the month multiple times in a year until one day I read a quote from a magazine that said, "Make a commitment to life, and it will make one back". It planted a seed and I knew the only way I could feel better about my chaotic life was to do things differently. That was when I changed my life, right? Nope. I daydreamed about being more stable like those around me...as I moved across the country, changed jobs and switched flavors a few more times. Until something finally snapped in me and I just stopped. The thought of that old me freaks me out, makes me think someone is going take away everything I've worked to change and destroy the art of staying put that I've been learning to channel, which has proven to be rewarding. Now, having something and someone to call my own, to claim a history and deep connection with sounds like the sexiest, most exciting thing on earth. You can't take adventure out of this girl, but a vacation rather than a complete upheaval of my life does the trick in the more restless times.
So here I am, asking myself, why the hell would I stop doing something (going vegan) that gave me more energy, made me feel happy and sexy, helped me break weight loss plateaus, cleared up my skin and made me feel part of something very significant? It's likely a combination of the naysayers (meaning most people), commitment issues (lots of temptation out there) and eating out.
I've decided to tell myself three things:
1) Self, there are naysayers in life no matter what you do so who cares if someone says you're crazy. You kind of are (in a good way, sweetie) so just love it and move on. You're an even cooler chick for being compassionate to yourself, to the animals and to the environment...even if it is not popular.
2) Self, you went years without committing to a human being and now find yourself happily cohabiting with someone whose happiness is important to you everyday. Would you cheat on him just because there were sexy boys at a party? No. So who cares if there are sexy meats and cheeses at a party, choose the veggies. Just like those sexy boys, the sexy meats and cheeses are good for a moment until you feel like crap and remember how perfect your wonderful veggies are for you! You don't feel like you miss out on those other boys, right? So you'll start feeling that way about meat and dairy!
3) Self, if you must eat out (which is inevitable in our culture), plan, damn it, plan! I don't care if you end up at a Brazilian steakhouse. Eat something deliciously vegan beforehand and get very friendly with that salad bar at the slaughterhouse, I mean the restaurant. Have a drink if you must, you wino!
So....TOMORROW (Not today silly...that's just crazy talk!) I will go back to my "Crazy Sexy Diet" book by the beloved Kris Carr and start with her "21-Day Adventure Cleanse". I've already been in the weaning phase for a few weeks where I work in some meals and days of going veg. On June 21st, if I weigh less, feel happy, energetic and confident then I am going to grow a set of conviction and make the commitment for real this time.
Here I come!
