Want to Change Your Eating Habits? Challenge Yourself to Eat Vegan for a Week
If you’re lacking energy and feeling less than healthy, it’s likely that your diet has been less than spectacular lately. One great way to slingshot your way back to feeling vital is with a healthier diet. If you can hang in there for a mere 7 days, you might decide to stick with it permanently.
In this case, we’re talking about a vegan diet, which means no meat, eggs, or dairy products. That might sound challenging, but many people eat that way and swear by it.
To give yourself the best chance for success, consider the following tips:
- If possible, get all non-conforming foods out of the house. If you live with others, you’ll need to either get everyone on board or be strong enough to say no to the foods you commonly eat.
- Try to get your favorite foods out of the house. All personal trainers know that anything in the house will eventually get eaten.
- Be public about your intentions. Let your friends, family, and co-workers know about the week you have planned to go vegan. It’s harder to quit when you know that everyone else is watching you.
- Take one day at a time. If you commonly turn to ice cream during stressful times, it will be challenging to stay on this diet. A change in diet is almost always challenging.
- If you’re really struggling, resolve to finish out the day and tell yourself you can quit tomorrow. Tomorrow, do the same thing all over again.
- Embrace the experience. Eating in a new way for a week isn’t a bad thing. It’s fun. It’s an experiment. It’s a way to experience something new.
- Try to have fun with this new way of eating and notice all the emotions and tendencies that pop up along the journey.
- It’s a great chance to learn something about yourself.
- Do some shopping and cooking beforehand. Avoid getting into a situation where you’re hungry with nothing to eat. Always have something “vegan-friendly” on hand for those times you feel hungry.
- Keep the recipes simple if you’re not a big fan of cooking. Just like with any other type of cuisine, there are complicated recipes and there are simple recipes. If you aren’t fond of cooking, avoid torturing yourself.
- Eat out. There’s no reason you have to stay in and slave away in the kitchen. Most restaurants have vegan options. Enjoy yourself and go out on the town.
- Eat the vegan versions of foods you love. There are vegan versions of many popular foods. In fact, there are such things as vegan pizza and vegan burgers. They’re not exactly the same, but they’re close.
- Spend a little time each day reminding yourself about the benefits of a vegan lifestyle. There are many websites and books available that highlight the benefits of a vegan diet.
- Turn it into a social activity. Get your family and friends to try it with you. It makes your vegan challenge more memorable and fun. It also greatly increases the likelihood of success. There are even communities online that you can join for support and friendship.
- Reward yourself. Changing a diet is challenging. If you able to last the entire week on the vegan diet, reward yourself with something fun.
Try a vegan diet for just a week. Then you’ll be in the position to know if you want to continue or return to your old way of eating. Either way, you’ll be feeling better after giving your body this healthful break.
And for those on the go, remember there are many food delivery services that offer vegan options so check them out if you live a more “heat and go” lifestyle. Remember it’s all up to you but your body will definitely appreciate it.
