Just so tired...

This medicine is still making me tired - but it's not as bad as last week, well, until today. I didn't sleep well last night. Woke up multiple times and finally fell fast asleep around 5 am just in time for me to sleep through my alarm again. Great.

Had my neurosurgeon appointment on Monday. It was really quick and kinda stupid for me to go... All he did was do a couple of "balance tests" I guess is what I'd call them, and told me that he's pretty sure that I just have a venous angioma (malformation). So, he says "because your so young" he'd like me get an angiogram done because it's the most definitive test to determine if it is truly JUST a malformation. If that's the case, I have to get a MRI every 6 months to monitor for hemorrhage. Blah. I'm really nervous about this test. It kinda creeps me out that they run a tube from the groin to the brain just to inject dye... but, if that's the worst to come, I guess I'm okay with that. I'm just waiting for the office to call me with the test date...

I did my fruit/veggie fast yesterday. I did have some chocolate soy milk though... but, she didn't say anything about what to drink! I assume it would have been best to only drink water. It wasn't bad - I ate as much fruit as I wanted and it was yummy :) I ran out of energy at the end of the day but I think it's more from the heat in the glass lab then my diet. I also bought a nice large wooden bowl from Target. It currently only has 2 apples and a pear in it, but I'll work on filling it tonight :) So, since I accomplished those two steps, it's time to move on!

And, to be vegan in 24 days...

Day 7

Start each day with a green smoothie.

Assignment: Make a green smoothie for breakfast, lunch or a snack today. Commit to having one green smoothie a day for the next seven days. It will become a habit you won't ever want to give up!

Guess I need to go grocery shopping again... I have some frozen fruit that I use to make smoothies. I'll have to grab some more and some fresh fruit too, along with something green - spinach or something. Glad I bought that magic bullet!!

Day 8

Eliminate poultry

Self-explanatory. And, already done :) 4 years ago!!

Day 9

Add a large salad every day

Assignment: From now on, eat one large salad every day. Start by getting yourself a large bowl that you love, if you don't already have one. then, make a new salad every day for the next 7 days. Discover salads as if for the first time, and make them different each day. In the future, you'll have a lot of ideas for making salads from this one week of experimenting!

Oh boy - at least I'm already planning a grocery trip! Added to list: more greens and salad goodies! Carrots, cabbage, beans... anything that looks interesting. Hmm, any suggestions?

Day 10

Read Diet for a New America

Assignment: Buy a copy of Diet for a New America, and read at least one chapter a day until you finish it. If financially feasible, buy a new or used copy rather than borrowing it from the library - you'll most certainly want to mark your copy up and keep it for further reference.

Funny. This is the book that made me decide to be vegetarian. Actually, I wanted to be vegan, but thought vegetarian was easier for me to transition to at the time. Thank you, Adam, for letting me borrow this book a little more than 4 years ago! I now own two copies. I bought one, then shortly after, received one as a gift. I figured it was about time to read it again, so here's my motivation to do so :)

Alright... I now have two assignments for this week - eat a salad everyday, and drink a green smoothie everyday. That's not too hard to handle. I'll also start reading. I kinda like this 3 days at once thing! Especially since I've already accomplished some of them :) And folks, I should be vegan in 20 days or less!! Next steps, another fruit/veg cleanse and the hardest of all, giving up cheese. Wish me luck!


**All assignments come from "Vegan in 30 Days: Get Healthy. Save the World." by Sarah Taylor

27 Days...

Ok, so... I didn't do the fruit and veggie thing today. I didn't feel well, and never made it to the grocery last night. However, I do plan on eating vegan today, and I'll do the fruit and veggie cleanse in a couple of days. I'm not skipping this step - just putting it aside for a few days.

I think this new medication is making me uber tired. I've slept through my alarm all week. Luckily I've woken up early enough everyday buy monday. I hope this side effect is only temporary...

Moving on...

Day 4

Eliminate red meat

Assignment: Eliminate all meat from your diet and your kitchen... ect, ect..

Been there, done that :) I've been red-meat-free for almost 5 years now. Check!

Day 5

Find Substitutes

Assignment: Go to the local health food store or the health food aisle in your local supermarket. Look for soy-bassed meat, cheese, and dairy substitutes. If someone is shopping in the same aisles, you may want to ask if they have any experience with the products, and what brangs they recomment. Buy at least one new substitue product that you have not tried before.

I have also done this many, many times. I actually tired a bread mix last night. I ate some this morning for breakfast :) (with a little peanut butter and homemade jam). So, I'm going to count that as a new substitute. I do need to go grocery shopping soon, so I'll try another new substitute then. I find that even going vegetarian I had to try many new things even to today. I think I'm going to try some nutritional yeast next... AND I want to try a recipie from my new cookbook - Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World! :)

Day 6

Get a beautiful fruit bowl and keep it filled

Assignment: If you don't already have on, buy a gorgeous fruit bowl that you just love seeing on your dining table or in your kitchen. Then fill it with your favotie fruits - and keep it filled!

This is what I'll do today! I don't really have a nice bowl, so, I'll go to Target and get one tonight - I love that store anyway. On the way home, I'll stop at the grocery and pick up some yummy fruits and veggies, and probably some nuts too. Then I should be set for at least next week.

Disclaimer: All assignments come from "Vegan in 30 Days: Get Healthy. Save the World." by Sarah Taylor

Vegan in...

29 Days...

Day 2

Assignment: Get online and research the vegan diet. Devote at least 30 minutes to learning about how different people define it, and what products are on the market that are vegan and not vegan.

As most of my friends and family know, I've spent hours devoted to this task in the past few years. I've gone way beyond 30 minutes. I have numerous vegan cook books (and a new one yesterday, thanks to Jeff!), and guides on how to be vegan. Dave even bought me a vegan cupcake book for Easter: Vegan cupcakes take over the world!! (I've been looking for it at Half Priced Books - they finally had it, and he bought it for me!). Even though I'm aware of what's out there, I still read almost daily about the vegan diet. I check forums, blogs and more. It never hurts to find another reason my diet is a good thing.

I'd say I've accomplished this task. :)

moving on... 28 days....

Day 3

Assignment: Eat only whole fruits and vegetables today, preferably raw, organic, and fresh from your grocer's produce section. Small amounts of condiments, like vinaigrette dressing, can be used to supplement your food.

This is going to be a little tough for me... I guess I'm going to the grocery store tonight!! Good thing I had nothing planned this evening. I'll be using it to prep fresh fruits and veggies for consumption tomorrow! I've already thrown it off for today, but maybe I'll try to only eat fruits and veggies for dinner. Tomorrow I think I can do Day 4, 5, and 6! I might just be vegan before I know it!

Vegan in 30 Days...

At least, that's the goal. I purchased a book by the very same title to help me on my journey. Actually, my resolution was to be vegan by my birthday - May 9th. If I follow the book exactly - it'll be after my birthday... but I figure, if it's the same month, and I can settle for that. I've already done some of the steps on my own, so I'm thinking I'll do more than one chapter on some days. Maybe I will be vegan by my birthday :)

So... here we go...

Day 1

Why do you want to be vegan?

I became vegetarian a little over 4 years ago after reading "Diet for a New American." When I made that decision, I thought I would be vegan shortly after. I never made the full transition.

Robbin's book enlightened me on the many cruel practices that go on in the meat and dairy industries. I became aware of all the chemicals and hormones that are in the foods most Americans eat daily, and the abuse that the majority of animals sustain in factory farming.

My first and foremost reason I am working to be vegan is to be eating the healthiest and most eco-friendly way I know how. I do not want to be responsible for the pain and suffering of any animal.

The first meat I gave up was beef - I have a strange compassion for cows. I love them. So, it sometimes seems strange to me that I still eat cheese. I vowed to never eat a cow again, yet I still allow them to be milked until raw, and I'm digesting all the chemicals and hormones that are passed through milk. I plan to change this. I want to break free of the addiction to cheese (really people, it's proven that cheese is addictive!). I'll suffer the runny nose and stuffiness that comes with detox. I'll feel better knowing that I'm not supporting the factory farms across the nation.

I've watched the videos - I cry. I wish I self-educated myself on where my food came from when I was younger. I think I would have given up meat a long time ago. Then again, maybe my body was trying to tell me something - I've never liked the taste of milk, ever since I was a kid. I'd drink it only with spaghetti, or in a bowl of cereal (only enough to wet the cereal, I never drank the milk left over). I started drinking soy milk about 3.5 years ago. Seriously - humans are the only animal that drinks milk after weaning, and we're the only ones that drink another animals milk. Does this seem natural? No. I also hate all the lies from the dairy industry. Yes, milk contains calcium. Can we absorb it? Not as much as you've been let to think.

A vegan diet just seems to make more sense everyday... I just have to break the habit. Then I'll be on to a healthier, skinnier, more-energetic me :)

Re-cap!

A quick summary of what has happened since last time:

The plan to start going to the gym has failed. I wasn't able to attend the first 'free' week of classes offered at the RPAC. Since my roommate had meningitis, I figured that it would be best not to risk spreading it to half of campus. (She is now back to 100% and in Columbus again!)Thankfully, no one else contracted it. However, my motivation to exercise went right out the window.

An update on my health: I went to the neurologist last week. He feels that my left-sided facial numbness is branching from migraines. He put me on a preventative medication that seems to be working to stop my daily headaches. I increased my dose, as instructed, on Monday and have had a hard time waking up to my alarm in the morning since. Hopefully, my body will get used to the medication and I won't be as tired as I am now. But, I figure being tired is better than constant headaches and not being able to feel half of my face. I still have to see the neurosurgeon on Monday to assess my malformation and get a plan of care. Fun.

I started classes a few weeks ago. They're taking up a lot more time than I expected. I have a self-explored career development class that is on Monday nights, and Intro to Glass Blowing - class is on Thursday nights and Saturdays from 9 - 3. I also have to go on Tuesdays for my 'blow slot' which is my only dedicated hot lab time. With some help from this new medication - I have absolutely no motivation to go. I have a lot of work ahead of me...

No such luck...

I finally got my call last night with my MRI results. I have a venous malformation. I'm not 100% sure what it means for me, but I am getting a referral to a neurologist and a neurosurgeon. We'll see what happens.

So, about the bad luck... I got a text message today informing me that one of my roommates has meningitis. She doesn't know which kind she has, and I can't get ahold of her to find out any information. Her mom picked her up Tuesday morning and she has been in Cincinnati since then which means I've only had 3 days maximum contact with her since she's been sick. And, it's hard to say when she actually developed meningitis. My doctor is giving me an antibiotic just in case but I am instructed to go to the ER if I have any symptoms. I don't.

I was planning on going to the gym tonight to try out the H2O challenge class. Now I'm not sure if I should... I asked the doctor and she said that I don't have to avoid contact with people, but I wonder if I should just to be safe. There's already an outbreak of bacterial meningitis on OSU campus, I don't really need to start something else if I have it.

Can I have something good happen to me this month, please?

First post...

So, this is the first official blog that I have seriously started. I had a xanga site once, but never stayed up to date on it. I decided to start a blog for a number of reasons. First, to chart my ups and downs in weight loss (hopefully more ups!). Second, I guess to follow my progress on finally making the steps to become vegan. My goal at New Years was to be vegan by my birthday - May 9th. I just realized how frickin' close that is! Finally, just to record the craziness that my life sometimes surrounds itself in. So - this blog is just going to be a mess of things :)

Currently, I'm waiting on a phone call from my doctors office. I had an MRI done on Monday and am running out of patience for the results. She assures me nothing significant is on the report, but I still want to know :-P But we keep playing phone tag... grrr...

Tonight is my first Intro to Glass Blowing class and I'm a little nervous... I haven't taken an art class in almost 3 years. Crazy talk. But, if I can pour bronze, I'm sure I can handle a little molten glass, right? So, I think it's just lecture tonight? And then I have the glass lab on Saturdays from 9am to 3pm. Talk about a long lab!!

Tomorrow, I plan on going to the gym finally. I went to the RPAC once so far... to play ping pong, lol. This week is free to try the classes they offer. I'm going to go and try it out, even though I'm going alone. The class I'm trying tomorrow is "H2O Challenge." Which means I need to shave my legs tonight (they currently look pretty scary!). I think I may head down to pick up a one piece swimsuit too. I hope to swim laps sometime in the near future and a two piece isn't the most forgiving thing when too much force is placed upon it. I don't want to start flashing people during class! And then since I can't take Saturday gym classes thanks to school, there is a kickboxing and indoor cycle class on Sunday that I think I'm going to try.

And now I'm blabbing on....