Sounds silly but I am going to do something that gives me joy, real joy, every day in January. I don't mean things I like doing that I do daily anyway. I mean something that actually makes me positively happy.
I did it a couple of years ago and the effect on my general well being was amazing.
Dry January for me, and stopping chocolate and crisps (the latter my go to snack). Attempted to give up one thing each month in 2019 (including using the lift at work - am on 6th floor), but only managed until July; hope to make it further this year.
Good luck @Wilma believe me, you can do it (and then wonder after what all the fuss was about)
Thanks, doing okay so far. Been using a vape for when the cravings are too much but I'm trying to avoid the trap of exchanging smoking for vaping and to give up completely.
Have friends staying until the 5th but will attempt dry-January (or what remains of it!) after that.
Have done it previously and it’s actually fairly easy, in reality I would happily not drink from today.
Really want to try and cut down on the amount of meat I eat generally, maybe by doing one or two nights a week veggie/vegan so will be interested to see how others are getting on with Veganuary.
Anyone have a good vegan shopping list and website for recipes?
@Dazzler21 I primarily use four YouTube channels for inspiration - Bosh, the Happy Pear, Avant Garde Vegan and Rachel Ama (it helps that she is so cute). You’ll find enough suggestions on those to keep you going.
As for a shopping list I always make sure I have some nutritional yeast ( for its oomami cheesiness) in the cupboard but apart from that I don’t really make any special purchases. Staples in my pantry include tinned beans of all varieties (I can never be arsed to soak dried beans), rice (again, for convenience I just use microwaveable packets), coconut milk, tofu (something I have grown to love, you just have to learn how to prepare it right), dried pasta, maple syrup (it seems to be used in a lot of vegan recipes), tinned jack fruit, almond/oat milk and a variety of vegetables and fruits as standard. One tip is to keep your spice rack stocked up, you’ll employ a lot of them if you cook from scratch.
Processed foods for convenience are becoming more and more available (Sainsbury’s stock a wide range) so you’ll be able to satisfy your burger and sausage pangs. If you can find any Naked Glory sausages then snap them up, they are incredible but otherwise Linda McCartneys range is good (although not all items are vegan), Meatless Farm Co make nice burgers and mince. Birds Eye do a nice vegan meatball (their sausages are ok too). Violife cheese is ok but I’m not a massive fan of it melted. Applewoods smoked vegan cheese though is awesome, I just wish they could master a mature cheddar one. Greggs new vegan steak bake is supposed to be pretty good but I haven’t sampled one yet and if all else fails you can always opt for a beef and tomato Pot Noodle!
Can only speak for myself but when I finally went all plant based it reinvigorated my love for cooking, helped me appreciate food all over again.
One thing I will say is even if you think you have your nutritional bases covered it’s always worth taking a B12 supplement.
Feel free to get in touch if you want any advice, I’m no expert but I like to think I know a bit about the plant based lifestyle by now.
@AddickUpNorth - You're so right about tofu, I absolutely hated it in England, boring, bland and basically rubbish, however since moving to China I have come to absolutely love the stuff, in almost all varieties, the stinkier the better! If you can find a vegan version of Mapa doufu, I'd highly recommend it.
I feel the hardest thing will be the removal of Dairy. Soured cream and cheese are the only ones I regularly have in Fajita's, pasta sauces etc...
I think I can probably survive beyond January on a mostly vegetarian diet, probably one meat meal a week for enjoyment...
I think it depends on your motivation. Mine started as health but the more I learned about the ethics of dairy, the more determined I was to cut it out. Taste vs life, and all that....
Dry January for me. Did it last year, and it wasn't too difficult. Though my neighbour has just given me a load of beers for feeding their cats. Shall have to wait.
Sorted out breakfasts, used to eat total junk from the train station/walk to work. We are talking parties, bacon sandwiches, maccys etc... Now I've changed jobs and there's nothing edible on my route to work, I can eat my lovely porridge, banana and oat milk. Mmm.
Just need to sort out lunches, and not blow money eating like a hog. Chicken wrap and Jamaican patty perhaps not the best start!
I'm going to try and have a little run at no meat and no bread and see how it goes.
Just had a jacket potato & 5 bean chilli (named i believe as it only included 5 beans). My boy left a sauage and rasher of bacon on his plate and for the first time in my life i resisted hoovering it up.
I found that my kids actually finishing their food these days has been a relief to my waistline
Point of order for dry January... Do low alcohol (<0.5%) count as alcoholic drinks?
I read that they don't. It was in an article about drinking sufficient water, and it said that such beers can count towards correct hydration levels. The Dry January website seems to support that view too, although they are leaving it up to individuals rather than issuing a judgement.
Bit wary myself. I have always felt that it's important for me not to go to a pub at all this month, especially out here where the beers look so beautiful. I remember being on an ad shoot in Germany during a dry Jan and we were in bars there and I kept saying wistfully "look at those foaming pints". The creative guys thought it was hilarious.
I had such a bad hangover yesterday that the only way I could cope was to have a couple of beers...so that didn't get off to a good start.
Finally made it to two days without alcohol for the first time in about 3 months or more...obsessively going on the scales twice a day "oh no! I'm 3 pounds heavier, what the fuck is going on?"
I had such a bad hangover yesterday that the only way I could cope was to have a couple of beers...so that didn't get off to a good start.
Finally made it to two days without alcohol for the first time in about 3 months or more...obsessively going on the scales twice a day "oh no! I'm 3 pounds heavier, what the fuck is going on?"
Well done on the alcohol.
never weigh more frequently than once a week, in a similar time scenario. It can become obsessive and you body can fluctuate a fair bit.
I had such a bad hangover yesterday that the only way I could cope was to have a couple of beers...so that didn't get off to a good start.
Finally made it to two days without alcohol for the first time in about 3 months or more...obsessively going on the scales twice a day "oh no! I'm 3 pounds heavier, what the fuck is going on?"
Well done on the alcohol.
never weigh more frequently than once a week, in a similar time scenario. It can become obsessive and you body can fluctuate a fair bit.
You're right, but I am obsessive....:) I know this but I still go to the scales and expect immediate results...Last time I stopped for five weeks and lost a stone without really trying any other healthy stuff at all.
Comments
@Dazzler21 I primarily use four YouTube channels for inspiration - Bosh, the Happy Pear, Avant Garde Vegan and Rachel Ama (it helps that she is so cute). You’ll find enough suggestions on those to keep you going.
As for a shopping list I always make sure I have some nutritional yeast ( for its oomami cheesiness) in the cupboard but apart from that I don’t really make any special purchases. Staples in my pantry include tinned beans of all varieties (I can never be arsed to soak dried beans), rice (again, for convenience I just use microwaveable packets), coconut milk, tofu (something I have grown to love, you just have to learn how to prepare it right), dried pasta, maple syrup (it seems to be used in a lot of vegan recipes), tinned jack fruit, almond/oat milk and a variety of vegetables and fruits as standard. One tip is to keep your spice rack stocked up, you’ll employ a lot of them if you cook from scratch.
Processed foods for convenience are becoming more and more available (Sainsbury’s stock a wide range) so you’ll be able to satisfy your burger and sausage pangs. If you can find any Naked Glory sausages then snap them up, they are incredible but otherwise Linda McCartneys range is good (although not all items are vegan), Meatless Farm Co make nice burgers and mince. Birds Eye do a nice vegan meatball (their sausages are ok too). Violife cheese is ok but I’m not a massive fan of it melted. Applewoods smoked vegan cheese though is awesome, I just wish they could master a mature cheddar one. Greggs new vegan steak bake is supposed to be pretty good but I haven’t sampled one yet and if all else fails you can always opt for a beef and tomato Pot Noodle!
Can only speak for myself but when I finally went all plant based it reinvigorated my love for cooking, helped me appreciate food all over again.
One thing I will say is even if you think you have your nutritional bases covered it’s always worth taking a B12 supplement.
Feel free to get in touch if you want any advice, I’m no expert but I like to think I know a bit about the plant based lifestyle by now.
https://youtu.be/z7yBerP7WlE
I think I can probably survive beyond January on a mostly vegetarian diet, probably one meat meal a week for enjoyment...
Good luck anyway!
Oops, I mean:
I'm giving up. Drinking for a month.
Sorted out breakfasts, used to eat total junk from the train station/walk to work. We are talking parties, bacon sandwiches, maccys etc... Now I've changed jobs and there's nothing edible on my route to work, I can eat my lovely porridge, banana and oat milk. Mmm.
Just need to sort out lunches, and not blow money eating like a hog. Chicken wrap and Jamaican patty perhaps not the best start!
Bit wary myself. I have always felt that it's important for me not to go to a pub at all this month, especially out here where the beers look so beautiful. I remember being on an ad shoot in Germany during a dry Jan and we were in bars there and I kept saying wistfully "look at those foaming pints". The creative guys thought it was hilarious.
never weigh more frequently than once a week, in a similar time scenario. It can become obsessive and you body can fluctuate a fair bit.