It has now been over four months since my friend first suggested this radical idea; an experiment to take a hard-core carnivore and make him a vegan for six months to see the effects on weight loss, and improved health. It has also been over four months since I said, “That’s crazy! I would never do that!”
Well, it has been six weeks since that November morning when I woke up to a new lifestyle. In those six weeks I have lost 27 pounds, and have seen my cholesterol plummet from 300 to 208 - all because I chose a plant-based, vegan diet, void of all animal products.
Now that I am well on my way to this new lifestyle I want to share with you who my friend is behind this radical endeavor - Heather Mills. Heather has been a vegan long before it became fashionable. She is quite evangelical about the vegan lifestyle, and literally put her money where her mouth is. She bought a vegan wholesale food company; donated $1 MM worth of vegan food to Hunts Point, The Bronx; she opened a free fast food vegan place for families of The Bronx; and she opened a vegan restaurant in Brighton, England called VBites. And, all the vegan food I am eating is her company, VBites.
I remember my cocksure attitude one evening leaning against the bar in P.J. Clarke's some months ago while Heather discussed with me the benefits of a dairy and meat free diet with laser-like purpose. I just rolled my eyes, and ordered another martini. I knew how to lose weight, and how to eat healthier. And I also knew there was more than one way. However, looking back, as I entered my 30's,and as weeks turned into months, and months, years I really had nothing to show for myself from this past decade. I knew how to lose weight, so why didn't I engage in healthy eating and drinking these past 3,650 days?
Since I am an all or nothing guy, Heather's idea began to grow on me. Why? Because the effort required to severely cut back on meat, and cheese, and drinking, and exercising more was just not doing it for me. That requires moderation. I don't like moderation.
So, it started to make sense, in a perverse way, that the only way I was going to start a diet and stick to it is if it was a complete lifestyle change. I couldn't change a little, I had to change everything. If everyone changed their diet a little, more plant-based food, they would see the great benefits - however, for me personally, I am incapable of "a little." I decided I would be "all in." And I am thrilled I did!
I am very appreciative to Heather and VBites for providing me with the vegan food during this journey.
Six weeks will turn into six months soon enough, and then, well, who knows -- but I do love skipping belt notches! Oh, and that whole lessening a chance of a heart attack thing is pretty cool too!
5 comments:
I guess when it's all over you will be going on a promotional tour telling the U.S. how great being a vegan is and we won't see you tipping a bottle at P&W anymore???
Well the results have been great, and being a vegan is not bad. There are a myriad ways to lose weight and they are all variations on eating healthfully, and excercising. I chose vegan as a challange from Heather, and because I knew I had to do something radical and take the moderation angle out entirely.
When this is all over I will be more disciplined, and you will certainly find me tipping back a few at the Pig 'n' Whistle! But, instead of 10 beers for every dozen chicken wings I consume, I will eat and drink like a civilized gentleman. A beer, a whisky, and a vegan wrap!
The more I read your blog, the more I think...I need to try vegan!
Ha ha!! I was going to tell you that the great British vegan stalwart Heather Mills had pointed to your vegan blog on Twitter, but you obviously already know that!
Yes, Emma, cat's out of the bag, Heather was the instigator for this Vegan Quest of mine!
Post a Comment