1. I would like to know how you make the transition to a vegetarian diet.
Before I answer this, I KNOW this lifestyle is not for everyone! That being said, you'd be surprised at how much easier it is than you'd think. Personally, I have never enjoyed eating meat. You can ask my parents, I'm pretty sure it drove them crazy! As an adult I would eat chicken, some beef and that was about it. Even then, when I was asked by my insurance agency's life coach if I would consider giving up meat, I scoffed at her. It wasn't until last June when my husband and I were really analyzing our eating habits in light of the fact that I was making such big changes that we happened upon the documentary Forks Over Knives. It was that night, June 27, 2014, that my meat loving husband threw away all animal products we had in our house (except cheese--we love cheese!). After mourning the loss of the money we literally threw away, I was pretty happy about it. Navigating around meat in my diet has been a lifelong struggle for me. From that day forward we set out to make vegetarian meals. Honestly, in the beginning it looked a lot like side items on a plate without a main course. Stick through it, it gets better. Our staples are rice, beans, grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc. There are a lot of cook books out there that can help make the transition easier! My personal favorite it Thug Kitchen (*disclaimer*- It is full of foul language but the recipes are amazing!).
My husband and my children ate this way as well. Now, over a year later, while I still do not eat meat, they do occasionally but never at home. We just don't buy it. It's that simple.
Also, if you do plan to become vegetarian, get ready to field questions from well meaning friends and nosy strangers who are suddenly dietitians. "What about your protein?!?" "Have you had your iron checked?!" I'm not sure why they find this appropriate--after all, I bet they wouldn't take kindly to me asking how their cholesterol levels were doing ;-).
2. What shoes (brand and model) you use for Omnifit and running & do you use different ones for each activity?
My first ever running shoe was a Brooks Ghost 6. I love them! Soon after, I got a pair of Newton Gravity running shoes. Those have a learning curve. They have a piece on the bottom of the shoe that makes it so you don't run on your toes. I like them but would probably recommend Brooks before them. Look around your area for a specialty running shoe store. In our area it is, Love 2 Run. They have a machine to measure your arches, where you put the most pressure and they can check out your stride and make educated recommendations based off of that information.
I use my running shoes for both running and Omnifit. As a side note, I did just get Converses for weight lifting that I'm pretty excited to use! They are supposed to be great for keeping you close to the ground and stable because they don't have the air pockets that running shoes have.
3. How do you turn down free dessert?
This is hard! Sweets are my weakness. That being said, I'm also stubborn. I make short term goals to prove something to myself. Most recently I gave up all sweets (candy, cake, ice cream, cookies, pastries, etc) and at first I made a goal of one month. When I accomplished that, I lengthened the goal to three months (until my birthday). That works for me. Now that my birthday has passed, I'm finding it difficult to stay on track with them.
Someone asked me recently if I planned to reintroduce those things, but in moderation. Honestly, I can't do it in moderation, so no. I'll continue to make short term goals of not eating that stuff until it just isn't a thing any more.
4. How can you get the craving of sugar or sugary drinks from your brain?
In the beginning, I struggled with soda. I drank it every time I was near it. We eventually stopped buying it for the house but that didn't stop me from ordering it at restaurants or drinking it when offered by friends. Honestly, just like with sweets, I just had to stop. I tried to limit myself to one day a week when I knew I would be given free soda, Eventually that lead to me drinking it regularly again. Ultimately, I made it a goal to give up sugary drinks for a month. That was 7 months ago. Now it isn't a problem for me. Why not try to use Crystal Light, Mio, or real fruit to flavor your water? I constantly carry around a 32 ounce jug of water with me now but that was a big adjustment for me. Like with any dietary change, make little adjustments until you get to where you want to be.
5. I have children and a job, I don't have time to do what you do.
Yes you do. I have two children, we home-schooled the last two years, and I work 20-25 hours a week. Yes, you have time. There is never a time when I am not with my children or at work. The only gym I knew about at the time did not have childcare and with my husband working full time, the gym just wasn't an option in the beginning. Not to mention, I wasn't confident enough to go to the gym yet. I found a local walking trail that allowed me to take my kids and they would ride bikes or walk with me. This particular trail is a small circle and so they could play in the middle while I ran and I could still see them. Another trail I went, this wasn't possible so they learned really quickly to ride their bikes. I made it fun for them and guess what? On the mornings that Momma wasn't feeling it, they made me get up and go so they could have fun!
Now, I do have a gym membership but I only got it in January, over a year after I started this journey. I still workout with the kids 3 days a week but make it a point to communicate with my husband to ensure I get some gym time during the week. It isn't easy but it is worth it.
For those of you who work full time, I would try to carve out a window of time each day to get in your exercise. If that means doing it early before work or after you get out--make it happen!Are you a stay at home mom? If you have a local gym with childcare, utilize that! And don't forget, anyone can workout at home! I could have made a million excuses (and still could) but that wouldn't have gotten me to where I am today. Don't be your own biggest stumbling block.
So what questions do you have that are getting in the way of you getting started or keeping you from continuing to be the best you can be?
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