Dress: Tiger Print Sweater Dress from Express and Sunglasses are also from Express // Booties: Dolce Vita (old)
Pictures taken by Elle Marie
After surviving the “tis the season of giving,” you are soon confronted with “tis the season of restraint.” Enter New Year’s resolutions. They come in all ambitious forms and aspirations to create a better version of yourself. The pressure is magnified this year with the turning of a new decade.
I will be completely honest with you and share that I usually have zero resolutions. But after watching “What the Health,” on Netflix and hitting a weight plateau, it became very clear that this year I was going to change the way I approach food. I’ve always said that I could easily become a vegetarian I just never committed to it. So with a little over 20 days into the new year (and currently now 3 months in since I drafted this article) I can confirm that I have not had meat and I gave up another vice, Diet Coke. Update: Welp- with Kobe’s death and COVID-19 I’ve had to hit the fizz a few times.
I thought a lot about what category of eco/health conscious I wanted to fall under and the best choice for me is lacto ovo pescatarian. Because who wants to be just ONE thing, am I right? It’s like being that person with the overly complicated Starbucks order…that’s also me btw.
A lacto ovo pescatarian is someone who eats dairy products and fish. I just can’t give up eggs and go completely without any type of meat. So I am sticking to seafood. I am not too crazy about milk so making the switch to almond and oatmeal milk was not such a huge sacrifice. So what do I eat these days you ask? Tofu, plant based everything, quinoa, legumes, and lots of vegetables. I’ve been fortunate enough that every party I’ve been to since I’ve made this decision has had enough fruits and vegetable for me to veg out on.
What are the benefits of this lifestyle change? I’ve spoken to one more person who decided to go meatless and we can both agree on the following:
- Clearer skin
- Some weight loss. It’s not extreme. For me, the ability to see the numbers on the scale go down if even for 2 lbs is hugely satisfying.
- Increase in fiber intake. You can’t avoid fiber with all the good things you are now incorporating into your diet.
- I have better energy. I am not going to lie to you. I don’t have MORE energy I just have a better outlook on working out and getting out.
So, I get that “hmmmmm Ok, ok, ok” look when I tell people that I no longer consume red meat. Like I mentioned earlier, when I started on this journey I wasn’t sure how long I would keep the “I don’t eat meat gig” up but I am now going on three months (I’m amazed myself I’ve lasted this long) and I can say this: the less I think about what I am living without the easier it is to commit to living without it. And this can apply to all things in life.
