Slight shift in focus

This blog was intended to be a chronicle of my life as I went through a difficult time for me. I made it through that time and decided to keep the blog going, updating it infrequently while hoping to post more often. Rather than set an expectation that may or may not be met, I'm going to shift the focus of this blog slightly and post when I feel I have something interesting to say. Now, honestly, I would really like to post in a more timely manner, and the focus shift may help get me to be more regular with my posts.

So here's the focus shift: I've changed a large and important part of my lifestyle drastically in the last five months (although I started these changes last July) and I have seen my weight drop from 226 lbs. in July of 2009 to 192.5 lbs. as of last week. I'm still running and training for races, so the change isn't getting more exercise. The other way to lose weight is by changing how and/or what you eat. Portion control, calorie or carb counting, special diets, etc. all can drop weight, albeit temporarily unless you stick with the program or book you're following. Lifestyle and habit changes, however, last longer (hopefully for the rest of your life) and are easier, in my opinion.

I have made lifestyle and eating habit changes and since at least late March, I became a vegetarian with hopes of becoming vegan. I am almost there. I say almost, because I can't 100% guarantee that food I eat that I did not make myself is vegan. I try very hard to make sure and experience and learning will get me to the point I feel comfortable saying I'm vegan.

But why? Well, right now, I have 33.5 reasons why. I've lost weight without feeling weak, tired, or hungry for foods I used to eat (and eat a lot!). I don't miss meat or dairy products and as I learn more about what I should eat and what I can eat to be vegan, I find that I actually like most of the foods people think vegans eat. Yes, that means tofu, hummus, veggies, fruit, soy milk, almond milk, but I already liked these foods. I didn't have to make a huge adjustment. I'm re-learning how to cook and re-learning that cooking everything on high is not necessary or even a good idea! Now, as time goes on, I may embrace the other aspects of a vegan lifestyle, but right now, I know that I can eat well, lose weight, and feel good about myself. And that's just fine with me.

So, how does this change affect this blog? Well, the posts may be more oriented toward my journey to a full vegan lifestyle (or not), but I wanted to give context to why you may see posts that talk about good vegan recipes, creative ways to make tofu, or what seitan is and why I eat it (once I try it).