For the past year, I've been working out and trying to develop a normal gym habit. I've been setting fitness goals for myself and I can finally say I am at a point where I am content to where I am at. But there are still goals I have for myself.
However, to get to where I want to go I realized the gym can only do so much in aiding me in my fitness goals. As for most females, my lower abdomen has always been the home to my belly pooch. No matter how many lower ab workouts and cardio I did, the pooch was not giving way.
After doing research, I realized it's not just working out that is going to get you where you want to go because abs are sculpted in the gym, but they are made in the kitchen. Meaning, your diet plays just as big of a role in your abs as working out does. Being a college student, fried, milkshakes, sugar-filled coffee, panda express are in my daily diet.
It's hard to say no to those foods when you eat an unlimited diet. So one day, I decided to just go vegan for a day because it's a lot easier to say no to fats, sugars, and junk food when you eat that type of diet. And actually, it wasn't that bad.
For breakfast, I started my day with cold oats made with unsweetened coconut milk, topped with cinnamon, honey, and almond butter. It was my first time eating almond butter, and I do have to say...not a fan. But the honey helped with the flavor.
While I was at work, I treated myself to a light snack of fruit topped with tajin and by lunch, I was already satisfied with myself and my food choices. I felt good, I felt clean.
For lunch, I had fried rice made with onions, green, yellow, and red bell peppers with a side of avocado hummus and lentil chips. Not your typical combo, but I needed to get some protein in. By the time I finished lunch, I felt good, I did not feel tired, or groggy. I did have an annoying headache, but I will talk that up to not having caffeine that morning (I'm addicted, I know).
After I finished my classes, I was ready for dinner. I had a salad with romaine (praying the E-coli crisis has passed) as the base topped with quinoa, garbanzo beans, onions, tomatoes, corn, avocados with a vinaigrette dressing. It was delicious.
As for my drinks, I just drank regular water throughout the day; which living in Arizona is not a hard thing to do. Right around bedtime, I was feeling a little bit snacky, so I treated myself to a couple Oreos.
Though, I probably will never switch to being a vegan, let alone vegetarian. Going vegan for a day, helped me find how to make boring, healthy food fun and delicious. It helped me gain some good perspective in making healthier choices for myself when going through my normal day.
Since this experiment, I have made healthier choices for myself while including animal products in my diet and I have to say that I have so much more energy throughout the day and I feel better about myself. It's amazing what happens when you start cutting out junk food out of your diet.
