Over Two Weeks!

So, this is going great. I've held fast to my vegetarianism for over two weeks. I went to see my dad yesterday and I weighed myself. I've already lost ten pounds, so I'm really glad about that. I also got to eat at Hu Hot again, only to see that three sauces use fish and shellfish--luckily none of the ones that I ever use.

This morning, my mom bought Steven and I some food to eat until we can go shopping in another two days or so. She actually did really well! I was surprised that anything she got was actually okay for me to eat! I ended up telling her that we didn't need anything, but she brought up a simple salad dressing with iceberg lettuce, Boca burgers, and Boca chicken patties. It was great. So We made burgers and salads for lunch! Tonight is boxed pasta salad. Yum!

The Problems + Update

I've already been running into a few of the problems that I expected. My dad, whom I do not live with, is cool with everyone. However, my mom, whom I DO live with, is not exactly the best person to be with right now. Whenever she's eating(it's always meat), she asks if I want any. Not to mention, my mom does this almost every time she eats! I hope that this will straighten out and she'll stop asking, soon. It's getting on my nerves. I will not eat it.
My mom is one of those people who have to eat meat, apparently. She says there's no food in the house, when there obviously is, I suggest her an idea, but she rejects it. "That's not food!" She says. I ask her why it isn't, and her answer is always, "Food is meat!" It's kind of disgusting.
I'm always having to rewash the things she has washed, because there is still meat residue and I can smell it and feel it when I run my finger over the pans and bowls. It's grossing me out, and driving me mad. I don't know why she can't just properly wash things and scrub them well before putting them in the draws. I've already confronted her on this, and nothing has changed.

On a brighter note, I've been researching and looking through so much. Whenever I see meat, cooked or not, I feel a little bit sick. Just the thought of me eating it again is becoming so unappealing. I've also been complimented on loosing some weight, lately. That makes me feel great because I know that I'm getting healthier.

Steven bought me Subway, in which I had one on 9-grain bread, american cheese, lettuce, spinach, olives, with some oregano and black pepper. It was delicious. Having a Subway across the street from where I am currently living is kind of a blessing. It's an easy vegetarian meal that happens to be really good tasting. However, I have decided that I really like spinach. It's leafy and it's green, not to mention great for you!

Steven and I are going to go shopping in the next week, so I want to post pictures of some of the dishes we make, the recipes, and we'll see where it goes from there. I've been living off of a few little things that we could manage until then, but now we will have a constant flow of beautiful green food to eat.

I graduate from high school on June 2. It will be in Madison, Wisconsin, which is a two and a half hour drive from where I am. I attend an online school, so that would explain my long drive. I talked my mom into allowing me to choose a place for us all the eat out, and I have my mind between two vegetarian restaurants in the Madison area. Is it a good idea to be taken there with everyone else who isn't vegetarian?

Day 7: The Week Is Over

I've finished my first week or being vegetarian! I'm very proud of myself and my confidence that I can do this has been raised. I'm so glad that animals will no longer be killed for my personal consumption. I'm glad that I can do this for both myself and for the tortured and abused animals in the world who would have to die just to feed me. I will never be a part of that in which society partakes in so easily.

My dad gave me money to take my boyfriend and I out to Hu Hot. Whether you are a vegetarian, vegan, or carnivore, I think that you may love this place. You go up to tables full of things to put together, such at meat, noodle, vegetables, and then the sauces. It's an all you can eat joint, which is pretty cool. If you are anywhere near a Hu Hot, I would recommend that you give it a try! It's been my favorite restaurant for years. I'm glad that becoming vegetarian would still permit me to eat here. (:
I ate two plates while I was there. The first was a type of noodles, mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, parsley, baby corn, pea pods, and broccoli. My second plate was really sweet since I put a little bit of the three noodle types, mandarin oranges, pineapple, and a bit of parsley and cabbage.

I am completely in love with this as a lifestyle. I would encourage anyone else to give vegetarianism a try--even for a week. It's a wonderful experience, not to mention you'll probably get to be a little bit healthier.

I was also hoping that I could find a way to meet other vegetarians or vegans to make like-minded friends whom live around me. Anyone have any good ideas on how to meet these kind of people?

Day 4: New Favorites.

Hey everyone!

I've found a new snack that I'm in love with. Sunflowers seeds are delicious. I can't get enough! That's always nice since it's a bit of protein for me. (; I've never really tried them before now, actually! I'd recommend them if you haven't tried them. You can also get the outside of the seed flavored.

I've kept meals today really simple. Breakfast consisted of cereal and orange juice. Lunch was just sunflower seeds and a bite or two of fudge. Dinner is being made just as I type. It is simple spaghetti noodles that I'm just going to cover in a little bit of butter and salt for taste. I'm a huge fan of pasta. I guess that's a good part about being vegetarian.

Although, as another day gets added, my body is already feeling so much better. I feel lighter and freer than I had before this diet change. I'm pleased with it. It feels a lot better to be like this.

After a few days of being vegetarian, my mom isn't really too accepting. She said, "You never used to do things like this." and similar phrases. Although, I did speak with my dad today, who was pretty cool with it. He's taking me out to a vegetarian-friendly restaurant this weekend.

In case anyone wanted to know, I found a beautiful website that helps to find vegetarian and vegan restaurants! Just put in a location and search! There a vegetarian friendly restaurant near me, and a vegan restaurant across town. I thought people would find this cool.
http://www.happycow.net/

What is your favorite vegetarian snack?

Day 3: Still Doing Great.

I'm starting to feel better in general since I dropped meat. It does feel a little bit better. Once a full week had passed, I'm excited to see how great I feel! Not to mention, I'm looking around for foods I can eat in my house until we can go shopping. For breakfast there was Maple and Honey oatmeal. And lunch is herb and butter rice with green beans. (: Delicious!

I decided that I like being vegetarian. This isn't even hard to do, yet. It makes me so hopeful that I can do this. I really want to thank everyone for being so supportive. This blog was meant to encourage me to go through with it, as well as give the thoughts of someone who is become vegetarian. You are all wonderful people for the support and knowledge. I really love to hear from anyone who is a vegetarian of vegan now. If anyone has anything they'd like to give me for advice, I'd love to hear it!


I've also decided what animal products I would want to take out of my diet whenever I get the chance to thoroughly go shopping. Anything else that I should maybe think about watching out for?

Ambergris – From whale intestines.

Animal Fat – Carcass fat.

Animal Oil – Carcass oil?

Aspic – Savory jelly derived from meat or fish.

Blood – From any slaughtered animal.

Bone Char – Animal bone ash.

Bone Meal – Crushed of ground animal bones.

Cerebrosides – Fatty acids and sugars found in the covering of nerves.

Cetyl Palmitate – [see spermaceti]

Collagen – Fibrous protein in vertebrates. Usually from animal tissue.

Gelatin – Protein obtained by boiling skin, tendons, ligament, and/or bones in water.

Glycerides – [see glycerin]

Glycerin – A byproduct of soap manufacture (normally uses animal fat).

Glycerol – [see glycerin]

Glyceryls – [see glycerin]

Glycreth-26 – [see glycerin]

Lactic Acid – Found in blood and muscle tissue.

Lard – Fat from hog abdomens.

Lipase – Enzyme from stomachs and tongue glands of calves, kids, and lambs.

Monoglycerides – [see glycerin]

Pepsin – Enzyme from a pig’s stomach.

Rennet – An enzyme taken from the stomach of a newly killed calf.

Rennin – [see rennet]

Spermaceti – Waxy oil derived from the sperm whale’s head or dolphins.

Sperm Oil – [see spermaceti]

Stearamide – [see Stearic acid]

Steramine – [see Stearic acid]

Stearates -[see Stearic acid]

Stearic Acid – Fat from cows, sheep, and from dogs, cat euthanized in animal shelters.

Stearic Hydrazide – [see Stearic acid]

Stearone – [see Stearic acid]

Stearoxytrimethylsilane – [see Stearic acid]

Stearyl Lactylic Acid - [see Stearic acid]

Suet – Usually made from animal fat.

Tallow – Rendered beef fat.

Tallow Acid – [see tallow]

Tallow Amide – [see tallow]

Tallow Amine – [see tallow]

Twlloweth-6 – [see tallow]

Tallow Fatty Alcohol – [see tallow]

Tallow Glycerides – [see tallow]

Tallow Imidazoline – [see tallow]

Whey – By-product of the cheese-process. Contains rennet.

Day 2: Eating Out

Well, I ended up being taken out to eat with a friend. We went to Denny's. At this moment, I haven't wanted to cut out milk or eggs because this transition would be a tad bit easier that way. I got a glass of water and a veggie-cheese omelet. It wasn't bad, but it's wasn't the greatest. However, I did get my first taste of a mushroom. I kind of liked it!

Eating out with people was always a fear of vegetarianism for me. My friend mocked a little bit and said that she could never do it, but that's her choice. I'm not going to force anyone to eat the way I want to eat.
This hurdle has been avoided. (: I think I'm going to make mashed potato's and cream corn for dinner. It's one of Steven's favorite meals, and I'm pretty cool with it.

I am also making a list of animal products that I don't want to have in my diet. I'll end up posting it once I'm confident that it's a decent list. So, probably in a day or two, I'd assume.

Have a great Monday!