I decided to try 10-14 days without meat and this is my account of the first seven.

Initial thoughts:

I am interested in observing the difference in my health, skin, mood and other bodily functions when not eating meat. Throughout my life I have had a love/hate relationship with meat. At this time I consume only chicken on a regular basis, sometimes consuming but not purchasing turkey or beef products.

Although my general meat consumption is fairly low, I feel as though meat is an absolute staple in my diet. I regularly consume soy and other meat-alternative products. Protein is my main source of energy; I anticipate to struggle to find enough non-meat sources of protein or to experience a decrease in energy levels.

I have read numerous accounts of vegan and other non-meat eaters expressing fluctuations in their skin and weight after steering away from meat. While I do not have poor skin, seeing a drastic improvement in my skin could be enough to interest me in a permanent switch to a meatless diet. However, if a weight fluctuation were to happen in such little time I would be deterred, forced to assess the reasoning. (Too little protein, less food, more food, too many carbs…)

Observations during meatless period:

Day one, I took a trip to the grocery store to stock up on veggies and meatless meats. Walking through the grocery store as an herbivore made me realize that I definitely would struggle to do this permanently; I hate vegetables. Somewhere throughout the week I also ended up at a health foods store. That was quite expensive but here's my haul!

Even though it was a little more pricey than my regular grocery store, I was able to score some amazing lemon zest hummus, homemade spinach pie and other goodies to snack on throughout the week.

Cooking meals:

I’ve tried to structure my meals with some kind of main protein source in each meal but let’s be real, how many times can you eat tofu in one week? When I think of tofu I think stir-fry or teriyaki sauce, and honestly, I’m really sick of stir fry’s.

Since I’m not eating meat, I’ve definitely been consuming more carbs and I dislike the way it feels. I feel forced to eat a heavy carb, like pasta or potatoes, which I normally wouldn’t, to fill me up.

Resisting temptations:

Not eating meat wasn’t a big deal most of the time, except when I stepped outside of my house. Eating out was very difficult, having to go largely out of my way to find something meat and eggless. My on campus Starbucks wasn’t offering any vegetarian options so I settled for sunflower oil popcorn in place of a meal.

I decided to go explore the food truck rally in downtown Tampa. Tampa’s pretty metro; they’ll have meatless options for all the trendy millennial vegans, right? Wrong. Basically the only non-meat options were grilled cheese and tikka masala fries; I ate both.

This week, my local Chick-Fil-A was offering 12 days of Christmas giveaways including everything from a chicken sandwich to nuggets. Who in their right mind would just keep driving when free nuggets are right there? I did. I won’t even lie; I slowed down my car, and stared at the drive through line drooling like I hadn’t eaten in days. I might have even gotten into the turn lane before vegetarian Rachel took the wheel and told me ‘no.’

Meals/snacks:

Crumbled tofu over Ramen, using a recipe for tofu from well plated.

Buffalo "chicken" wraps using Beyond Meat's vegan grilled chicken.

Curry rice noodles from Thai Kitchen with potatoes.

Non-dairy, quinoa mac & cheese.

Strawberry smoothie with vanilla yogurt and whey protein.

Stir fry with Ramen and teriyaki seasoned tofu.

Grilled cheese splurge with a minimalistic amount of cheese. (Don't judge me, it was a long week of mostly vegan eating, OK?)

Conclusions:

Meatless isn’t a healthier option if you’re replacing meat with unhealthy fillers. I found myself eating things like grilled cheese when I would have normally eaten something like a chicken skewer or BBQ. I couldn’t deal with being hungry and I didn’t have the time or patience to find a healthier alternative to meat. This last week I ate more noodles than I've eaten in the last two months and I'm all noodled out.

As per my predictions, I did feel heavier and more tired after consuming meals that were lower in protein than my body is use to. My stomach might feel a little chunkier, but that could also be attributed to my current lack of motivation for the gym.

Bottom line, would I permanently go meatless? No. I feel like finding a healthy, sustainable, long-term diet is better than eliminating meat. I do believe that Americans consume too much meat but I do not see myself making a permanent transition. In my opinion, more important than going meatless is fueling your body with the healthy and safe foods, including meat. Instead of eliminating meat, I'd like to focus my diet on non-processed foods that do not include any or as many additives and preservatives. That feels healthier to me.