Week 5 Update - Numbers Driven

For those following along, I've completed 5 weeks of a vegan diet.

Workouts:  5 CrossFit classes.
Percent vegan diet: 100%
Weight: Minus 14 lbs since May 7.
Mood: Good.



For now, it's all about the numbers.  This picture speaks loudly to me.  That's my A1C and estimated average glucose sliding down into the normal range. I'm no longer diagnosed as "pre-diabetic".  Can I get an Amen and a Hallelujah?  Believe me, I shouted them when I read the results.

More numbers:  Two. That's how many pairs of shorts I had to buy because my old ones were falling off.  Eight. The stairs I nimbly stepped down with no difficulty whatsoever after sitting through a full-length movie. And finally...One. One little baby girl that will be coming into the world with a healthier and happier grandma. I'm thrilled to be working toward being the strongest and most active grandmother I can possibly be. Can't wait to meet her and to start building our own adventures.

I don't want to overdue the updates so this is the last weekly one.  I'll let y'all know in a month or two how I'm doing.  In the meantime, thanks for all your support and I encourage you to take whatever steps you need in order to be the healthiest YOU possible. 

Week 4 Recap

For those following along, I've completed 4 weeks of a vegan diet.

Workouts:  5 CrossFit classes.
Percent vegan diet: 100%
Weight: Minus 12 lbs since May 7.
Mood: Good.

This was a good week. This is becoming more routine and less of an effort.

I've had a few discussions with friends and acquaintances about the "why" of my dietary changes. I'm struggling a little with the word "vegan" because I'm not living a vegan lifestyle in other ways. I still carry a leather bag. I haven't researched my cosmetics. I'm using "plant-based" more and more to describe my eating choices.  It feels more honest, overall. Perhaps it's just semantics and perhaps I have more time on my hands to think about semantics. Basically, I'm experimenting with this diet to see if my health improves. It's all about me.  I left the vegan descriptor in my introduction above because I have adhered 100%...it might be nice to use a little honey now and then, though.

Time.  My free time has changed in a couple of major ways.  I spend more time prepping and cooking meals now.  Those brussels sprouts aren't going to shred themselves and I've found that pre-cooking and storing in the fridge tends to cause some foods to degrade a little.  Some things are tastier if I prepare them right before I'm going to eat them.  I spend more time consuming my meals. There's a lot of chewing to be done when the plate is full of plant material. I spend LESS time snacking on the sofa in front of the television.  I'm simply not as hungry as I was a couple months ago.  On days I go to the gym, I'm able to sleep a precious 15 minutes extra because I stopped having pre-workout snacks. (My go-to a couple months ago was half a peanut butter sandwich.)  I'm not starving when I get home from the gym even though I'm going 12 plus hours without eating. Finally,  I'm spending less time at the grocery store. I hit the produce department and a couple aisles for grains/nuts, and I'm out of there.  I'm no longer browsing the aisles of the grocer like I'm on an entertaining shopping expedition.

So the question is, what to do with all this time?  I've been thinking of taking up knitting again. I'm also browsing travel sites to dream about my next big adventure.

I'm looking forward to seeing my physician later this week. I'll let you know how my bloodwork turns out. As good as I feel, I expect to see improvement in my labs.

Thanks again for all your kind words of encouragement.  Your support is highly appreciated.