Sunday, July 15, 2012

The life and times...

...of a fake vegetarian.

That's right folks. I have a confession to make. I have been pretending to be a vegetarian for two months now. Let me explain.

This has been a slow progression for me. I made the choice to learn a few things about the factory farming industry. With this knowledge came less and less of a desire to eat meat. It just kind of started to gross me out when I would eat it. This is a big deal people. Like a REALLY big deal. Never in my life has it been easy for me to voluntarily turn away any kind of food. That's pretty much how I knew I should probably just give it a go. So give it a go I have.

I also feel the need to discuss another aspect about eating that is and isn't related to the not eating meat. With this progression of fake vegetarianism into my life came more and more of a desire to break the cycle. I grew up Southern. Fried, fried, and fried when it came to many meats and vegetables at times too. Southern food is comfort food. That's just what it is. And by God there is a time and place for all that goodness and comfort. Unfortunately, I inherited the Bateman way of eating. This means there was no form of moderation for me when it came to food. Batemans know how to cook up a storm. In fact, I'm convinced my dad and my uncle missed their calling when they went into the jewelry business. I bet if the Food Network had been even a blip on their radar back when they were looking for a way to make a living they would have been up there with the likes of the Iron Chefs. No lie. I'm not calling anyone out here, but there's no denying that cooking amazing food goes hand in hand with eating it. And eat it we do.

As I started feeling less fond of meat I also got the notion that I needed some big changes. I grew up playing sports, but the notion of exercise just for the healthy sake of exercising wasn't really a part of my life. Back then, the sports made up for that. Then I became an adult and organized sports got shoved out by jobs and then babies.

Being a parent opens your eyes really wide to the example you are every. second. of. every. single. day. I do not strive to be perfect, but I feel like maybe if I start now my kids will grow up loving being active. Don't get me wrong. I want them to love to eat too! But, I want the choices of what they eat to matter much more than they mattered to me growing up.

Enter fake vegetarianism! And the long term goal of doing a sprint triathlon. What's the point of being a vegetarian if you are a fake one you ask? Well, I went the first month only eating meat once. It wasn't hard at all. However, there are situations that make it tough. Or, there are just times when I do feel the urge to eat a piece of steak or have my favorite soup that happens to have chicken in it. I know myself well enough to know that if I go all or nothing I fail. I told myself going into this that if I really wanted meat at some point I would just have it. As long as I keep myself on track as much as possible I'm okay with that. This has been really successful for me. Lila already refuses most proteins unless I sneak them in, and Evie eats EVERYTHING. Seth has been more than supportive while also letting me know he is not a fan of tofu. I appreciate his perspective and his honesty. As far as the triathlon goes I have been talking about doing it for forever now. It's probably about time I just start training already.

There you have it. It's highly possible I will go back to eating meat. Or I may never go back. I'm not roping myself into a commitment. I am making the choice to be much healthier. Between NGD and the fruits and vegetables I need to eat before they go bad I am never at a loss for something to eat! I also have a new love for things like beans, quinoa, and lentils.

Every day something about being a parent makes me a better person. I want to be the kind of example they can be proud of and learn good habits from. Here's to making strides in that direction. Happy Monday ya'll!

4 comments:

  1. Very interesting. I've toyed with going vegetarian here and there. I was mostly vegan while we were trying to figure out why my breast milk was making Ella's tummy upset.

    I'm at the point where I think my diet needs a major overhaul but I'm just not sure what it should look like. We have friends who went the Paleo route for health reasons and had great results.

    Do you feel better physically from eating less meat or more so from a moral standard?

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  2. I love you and your honesty!

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  3. Honestly Meghan, I wish I could say moral reasons play a part. For me it's just never been about that. I guess I feel like not contributing to horrible animal treatment is an added bonus. I am more freaked out by what is in the meat based on what the animals are fed and the conditions in which they live. And even that isn't as huge a part of it! I know there are a million things that enter my world every day that aren't good for me. This is just one thing that has stuck in my head I guess. I will say I do feel better in some ways. After I eat a meal I almost never feel sluggish. I do feel that meat can contribute to feeling weighed down. What I struggle with is carbs. I do really well in the fruits and veggies department, but I eat too many carbs sometimes to fill in the gap. While quinoa and lentils are high in protein they are still very high in carbs. So I still want to find a way to feel satisfied while not filling in with carbs. That is by far the hardest part. It's a really good thing I love vegetables (more than fruit usually)!

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  4. Hey! Since you have a new love for lentils I thought I'd share one of my favorite lentil recipes. It's super easy and my family loves it. http://caloriecount.about.com/lentil-rice-pilaf-cucumber-sauce-recipe-r160716

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