Happy Monday, beauties! I must admit that it was slightly difficult getting myself up early this morning – but I have my eye on the prize: graduation in less than two months! Home stretch! Honestly, I am buried in school work (think midterms, projects and papers galore) but I’m trying not to stress out because it only makes things worse.
Workout
This morning’s workout was a doozy! Friday’s StairMaster session with Cait reignited by love/hate relationship with the cardio machine. In my humble opinion, the StairMaster is the hardest of all cardio equipment – especially on the interval setting. I challenged myself with 25 minutes of intervals at 110 steps/min. Thirty seconds into the workout, I began to sweat like a mad woman!
Following my intense sweat session, I took some inspiration from Tone It Up and created by own lean abs pyramid. It looked like this:
Do this. You will LOVE it!
Breakfast was the usual Vega chocolate protein pudding oats. I enjoyed them with some fresh strawberries and my morning cup of black coffee. So good! After my first two classes, I had an hour-long break so my friend Sherri and I headed to the dining commons for some lunch.
Lunch
On the menu today was something I almost squealed over: broccoli pesto quinoa! Yes puh-lease. I scooped out a small portion of the quinoa and fixed myself a big salad of arugula, tomatoes, broccoli, cooked carrots, purple cabbage and balsamiv vinegar.
I finished every last bite and felt so satisfied. Side note: I have come to the personal conclusion that hummus is the best food-related invention ever. I could eat it every day and never get sick of it. Oh, wait – I already do… 
Dinner
After my final class, I came back to my dorm to get a couple hours of work done before meeting my friend Kristen for dinner at the dining commons. Tonight’s meal was pretty outstanding!
Clockwise: cumin-braised anasaki beans, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted broccoli (I topped it with a little tabbouleh) and braised red cabbage with sliced apples. Oh my word! It was so good that I didn’t want it to end.
Disassociating Veganism From My Eating Disorder
I’ve received a few emails from readers lately regarding the other side of veganism – the slide I don’t often write about. Being an optimist, I tend to focus on the positve aspects of my vegan lifestyle: increased energy, the myriad of health benefits and the amount of animals I’m helping to save. But there is another side – one that is inevitable when you choose a “path less traveled,” and that is dealing with criticism.
When one chooses to become vegan, one inherently chooses to become a victim of criticism. If one chooses to adopt a vegan lifestyle after battling an eating disorder (as I did), the criticism and backlash multiples tenfold. I did my best to handle it with grace (didn’t always happen) and a smile on my face (also didn’t always happen).
(Source)
Doing My Research
Parents, friends, doctors and nutritionists questioned me – and I had to be prepared to respond in an intelligent and respectful manner. In other words, I had to back up my decision with cold, hard evidence. When I expressed interest and passion in adopting a vegan lifestyle, many of my friends and family members were weary of my decision. Many thought I was adopting veganism as means of keeping myself from gaining weight – sort of like an extension of my eating disorder. The reality is, for the first time in my life, I felt like veganism was saving me from my eating disorder because I was choosing a lifestyle that was trying to choose me all along.
Growing up, I ate meat because I thought I had to – not because I liked it or wanted to eat it. When I started to explore vegetarianism and veganism, I realized that I didn’t need to eat meat at all. I did my research. Not only had I researched the foods that contained macronutrients, vitamins and minerals that are “in question” (i.e. protein, calcium and iron) but they were from credible, science-based sources. (Click here for a bunch of my go-to’s.) When I responded with such knowledge, people were less likely to backfire and more likely to engage in intelligent conversation. Of course, some people still criticized and/or bashed my decision but that comes with the territory. We simply have to be prepared for that sort of dilemma. The key is knowing your stuff and being secure with it.
Be Patient
Some people simply don’t understand the nature of your lifestyle choices. For me, it was really difficult to get others to disassociate veganism from my eating disorder. In the media, veganism is often touted as a means of losing weight. I tried to explain to my family members and friends that veganism is more nutrient dense and gives you loads of energy – both of which were my primary motives for transitioning. I focused on the clean eating aspect – eating in a way that my body was meant to eat: healthfully and happily! Sometimes, you have to accept defeat and take solace in the fact that you are doing what is best for you. Some of my friends still don’t understand my decision and some still think it is an extension of my eating disorder – but that is their issue – not mine! I am happy, strong and healthy. That’s all that matters!
Take this morning, for example….sweaty, strong and happy!
All You Need Is Love
If going vegan taught me anything, it is compassion. In no way am I trying to be pretentious or “high and mighty” but I truly believe that I would not be as compassionate if it weren’t for veganism. With that in mind, it is important to ask for your loved ones’ compassion. It is very difficult to make a transition without your loved ones’ support. For me, it was a lot easier because people wanted to see me get healthy and strong, not weak and sick like I was with my eating disorder. For that reason, my parents were totally on-board with my decision. They did everything they possibly could to help me! Speak out and tell them how important this is to you and how much you believe in doing this for your health and for the love of animals. Suggest doing a Meatless Monday meal with the family or trying a new vegetarian restaurant one weekend.
Over the past four years, I have gradually become a nutrition and health expert for those around me. They see how happy, strong and energetic I am. I like to call it “The Vegan Ripple Effect.” We don’t need to preach left and right. After seeing the positive aspects of your lifestyle, people will come to you for advice and help. This, my friends, has been the most rewarding experience. To come full circle – from the girl who was too weak to stand…to the girl who can do push-ups for two minutes straight (that’s right! ) says it all. Ultimately, we need to do what makes us thrive. If we follow that path, the rest will come – like everything – with time.
Stay lovely,
Heather
Question of the Day: Have you ever received backlash from your family for your food choices? How do you / did you deal with it?
Awesome post!! Re: hummus, greatest food invention, I agree with my whole heart and belly.
I’ve had mixed reviews from friends and family. My mom actually went vegetarian and my brother now drinks smoothies for breakfast (instead of coffee and cigarettes…more work to do there!). But the *older generation* i.e. grandparents have been super curious and sometimes skeptical. Also completely resistant to tofu, which I’ll never understand! Sometimes people automatically go into offended mode because being around a health-conscious vegan makes them feel guilty or criticized, and that takes some practice to handle. But like you said, it’s their problem, not yours! Most people are genuinely curious and it’s so fun to get to share all that I’ve learned since going vegan with them!
I’m so glad we share the same adoration for hummus. It’s just too amazing, huh? I totally agree with you – the older generation is very hesitant to accept veganism. But, to your point, all we can do is keep on keepin’ on! <3
Love this post! Being vegetarian growing up was 100% out of the question. I would get in trouble if I didn’t want to eat my meat and wasn’t allowed to leave the table. Often I would start to chew a piece and then get up to use the “washroom” and spit it out in the toilet. This behaviour started as a child. I was the young kid still chewing that last piece of steak as my mom was giving me my evening bath. I just did NOT like it!
Now that I am an adult and in my own household, they are more supportive. My dad doesn’t make snide comments and he notices that I still eat big healthy portions of everything else, and my mom is absolutely wonderful about preparing falafel or beans or something else in lieu of the meat. It’s fantastic. She wants to branch out into vegetarianism herself, but my father is still resistant. He’s come a LONG way though, and I think a more vegetarian lifestyle may be in the future for them!
My boyfriend and friends are also really supportive. I am so lucky to have friends around me that make sure that we eat at a place that I can go to and they never question me about it. I’ve had instances meeting new people where they get their guard up and act bitchy about it, but once they get to know me and realize I’m not one of “those vegans” who pushes people, they lighten up and get interested instead of defensive.
Love this post!
This entire comment gave me butterflies – the good, excitement-filled kind! Totally warms my heart. You’re so wonderful, Michelle!
Great post…I can relate!
Thanks, Malinda!
Just recently stumbled upon your blog, and I love this post. Your thoughts on veganism are awesome and very similar to my own. I eat 95% vegan, and I definitely experience a LOT of criticism, skepticism, and a lot of other -isms from family and friends. But over the past few years, a lot of the former naysayers have realized that I’m thriving and I’m much healthier than I was when I ate meat — so I’ve become a resource for a few acquaintances looking to venture into veganism. I think it’s about staying positive and letting people come to you. You hit the nail on the head.
I’m so happy you can relate, Kim! The ripple effect really is amazing – and you’re obviously a shining example of that!
great post girl! education is everything!
Oh my god you would not believe how a applicable this is to me right now! At this very moment I have it coming at me from every angle, even in work and the criticism has made me question my choice to go vegan. I’m still working through recovery but I’ve never made such inroads as I have since becoming vegan. Great post!
Thanks for positing this Heather.
I completely empathize with the difficulties one is faced with as a vegan from those around who do not understand the place where the choice of veganism comes from. I often receive critical feedback on my dietary choices, whether voiced directly or implied in subtle comments about needing to “eat some real (aka meat) food.” I often feel I am being judged as having an eating disorder because I am 1) a vegan and 2) of a slim build (I also lost some weight due to having Coeliac’s disease, but people would much rather believe it was because I have a “limited” vegan diet. In fact it is the opposite. The vegan diet is what has helped me feel the best since my diagnosis and I believe it is a strong healing tool.
I also feel I have become a more compassionate person through becoming vegan. I have been a vegetarian since age 3, however going that step further to veganism has really developed my self awareness and relationship to others and the world in a positive way.
Great post. I love that you’ve proven to people how healthful a vegan diet can be through your own example! You go girl
When I went Vegetarian about 5 yrs ago. My family and friends gave me grief about it and I got called “Tree Hugger” a LOT. Also, people thought for some reason that I thought I was better than everyone else. I have no idea where that came from. And my doctor was like, “Well I don’t agree with that lifestyle, you should add Red beef into your diet” Regardless I remained steadfast in my decision. Now it’s a friendly joke. I’ll be out with friends and they’ll be like, “glad Calvin came! Now there’s more meat for us!”
Oh my gosh I love this post! I have never been a big meat eater and when I came to college I adopted a vegetarian diet. People were constantly making comments, poking fun at me, and making judgements and eventually I broke down and started to eat meat again. 8 months later I started to reevaluate why I was eating meat and if it was the right decision for me. After watching Forks Over Knives I had officially made my decision to switch back over to a veggie diet
I have no plans on going back! I know it’s the right decision for me because I feel so much better without it! The real test is when I go home for spring break next week – my family is full of meat lovers so I will need to stand my ground! Thank you for the tips in this post!
I love that Isa quote! I just threatened to get it tattooed on me.
Jasmin Singer of Our Hen House once said something that really made sense to me about EDs and veganism: when she became vegan she realized that eating and food wasn’t about her. It was about something bigger.
(This was on the podcast where they talked to Gena Hamshaw about veganism and ED recovery.)
This sentiment really struck me. Food *is* about something bigger than just us. And that’s a good thing.
Oh goodness lady, what fab eats! Those beans from dinner look to die for and the pesto quinoa from lunch – ah, jeal!
Glad I’ve reignited your love affair (also hate affair) with the Stair Master. I agree, hardest cardio machine at the gym! I did 30 minutes of intervals on there this morning, level 16, and was dying. But felt so great after!
You are probably the least pretentious vegan I have ever met. At no point during the time I’ve spent with you in person have you EVER made me feel “awkward” for mentioning eating dairy or meat in front of you. I love that about you! I’m sure you’ve been criticized before – I myself get looks when I don’t have any meat in a meal, like when I put beans in my lunch salad beasts. I LOVE BEANS but it’s easy for my close friends and family to assume I’m skipping out on meat for other less healthy reasons. I just try to hold my head high and eat what I want to eat, because that is the path that is healthiest for me mentally to follow.
Great post <3
I love this post! The whole ‘vegan-ism could be looked at as an extension of my eating disorder’ mentality had never even crossed my mind, so this was really interesting to read! Plus I did a (shorter) post similar to this on my blog the other day, about how if you follow your heart everything else will fall into place. Never doubt yourself, you know what’s best.
Usually people are pretty okay with my decision to eat a plant-based diet, but I can sense frustration in my mom’s voice (sometimes not so subtly) at times. I just try to be positive and make it not a big deal. I think eating a vegan diet has improved my energy, I’ve PRd at two running distances (including a 20 minute marathon PR), and I still eat yummy, delicious food. People will always question decisions that are different than ours, so we just need to continue to practice patience.
Amen, Heather! Patience is key and, luckily, our lifestyle has taught us the beauty of patience every day. You’re awesome!
Oh my gosh I totally relate! I did a similar post on my blog a while back. While I’m not vegan or even vegetarian, I do eat mostly “healthy” foods and I’m currently training for a half-marathon. People question my food choices and attitude towards fitness just because of my past. It’s really annoying, but I just kind of brush it off now. I know that I’m doing exactly what is right for my mind and body, and that’s all that matters.
It’s so great that you can brush it off, Jamie! That is the key to happiness. As long as we are doing what is right for us and we are not denying ourselves, it’s impossible to be anything BUT happy!
My parents think I’m a nut for the way I eat. Whatever. I eat real, whole foods. Get over it.
AMEN. Well said.
Hey sweetie, I have actually been thinking this a lot – “Does Heather get emails asking about her intake?” Stuff like that. I am glad you shared this with us today and I just want you to know how much of an inspiration you are to me!
RIGHT BACK ATCHA, FRIEND! Love you. <3
Thanks for this post. I became vegetarian about a year before developing my eating disorder and have now decided to go vegan, 5 years after my recovery from a15 year battle. Never once did I consider my vegetarianism a form of restriction. I did not like meat, just like I don’t like beets. Never did I desire to eat these foods and not allow myself. Interestingly, there seems to be flack in general for veg/anism. I remember my dad saying ” you’re vegetarian and you smoke, as if I should be such a hippocrite (and thus why not eat meat?) ugh now I can say I am an ex-smoker, recovered anorexic and on my way to being a healthy vegan (perhaps even trainer, chef or nutritionist?) the future shall see. I only know I am moving toward veganism and health not illness.
Wow, Amanda! You have overcome so much – in large part, thanks to veganis and plant-based eating. You should be so proud of everything you’ve accomplished. Amazing.
[...] the Love of Kale: Dissassociating my Veganism from my Eating Disorder: I have mentioned Heather/her blog on here a few times already, but I must say, her blog is one of [...]
Amen!! I totally hear you on getting criticism! I did my research before going vegan 3 years ago (however, the last year only vegetarian) and I got so much CRAP about all the “nutrients” I won’t be getting because I’m not drinking milk and eating meat.
I’m glad I’m not the only one who struggles to be patient while explaining “No… It is actually possible to get protein (the biggest one!) without eating meat.” For the record – I near 100 grams protein a day – most of that being vegan. Ugh!
You’re totally not alone, Karen! It can get frustrating, but I think remembering that other people simply don’t know and viewing that as an opportunity has significantly helped me.
It’s like a fun challenge. If we’re patient and kind in our delivery, people are more receptive and more likely to think twice – and that’s what it’s all about: spreading that love!
[...] Sooo, I put a few days food into sparkpeople to see how I’m doing and I found that I eat half my daily requirement of protein. This was a bit of a surprise to me as my bloodwork has always been stellar. I have never had any problems with my B12 or iron or any other vitamin or mineral, so I thought I was doing fine. I never checked during my eating disorder days, but I have recovered from those effects after 5 years recovered. I will do no further into that topic at the moment except to say it is not related to my veg/anism. (I have commented on this great post) [...]
I don’t know to do a proper track back but I mention this post in http://amethystjean.wordpress.com/2012/03/22/better-caesar-salad/
Heather,
Thanks for writing this post! I had the opposite experience – I recently decided to quit my vegan diet because I noticed red flags I associated with my past eating disorder. I wrote about it here: http://www.meghaneatslocal.com/2012/03/meghan-post-veghan.html
Thanks!
Meghan
Hi Meghan, I’m so proud of you for following your heart and listening to your body. Veganism isn’t right for everyone. Good for you, love!
[...] Source [...]
I have never read your blog before, but I’d like to add something:
I feel like becoming vegan SAVED me and helped me recover from my eating disorder. I was vegetarian well before my disordered thoughts began and my eating disorder took over my mind, and started transitioning to a vegan diet when I first was told my body was in “starvation mode.” Eventually I somehow was able to focus on the positives of a vegan diet- I began to view food as a positive, rather than a negative. My coping mechanism for problems in my life was no longer just “eat as little as possible,” it was “focus on the positives of a vegan diet.” I felt like by eating a vegan diet, I was helping animals and therefore actually doing something right. People criticize my vegan diet all the time, but I just can’t tell them that it saved me. Not many people know about my ED, hence the “Anon” name. But I just thought I’d like the internet community to know that this is possible.
I admire your bravery, honesty, and candid comment. You are intelligent, strong, and beautiful my dear! xoxo
It’s not the vegan that’s the eating disorder, it’s the person. I’m one of those people that DID hide behind veganism to maintain my anorexia/bulimia. That was years ago. Just remember that eating disorders are so subversive. Mine came back every time that I least expected it. It’s been over 20 years for me now. I’m exploring veganism again now, hoping it helps me to neutralize, to bring my values, my spirit, and my health in a balance that I have never had. Eating 3 square meals a day on a vegan diet, without purging or overexercising, is a healthy, spiritually sound lifestyle. You’re right about patience in this post… giving our loved ones time to believe us. But as survivors of eating disorders we must also have patience with ourselves. We can binge on vegan food. We can purge vegan food. We can eat only lettuce.
My goal in renewing my vegan vows is to take the lessons I’ve learned about what food is, what it does, and what I need, and translate them into a life of health and love. Sprout salad with steamed kale and crumbled Ryvita sesame crackers, quinoa, and Goddess dressing- Amy’s California burger on Ezekiel bread with avocado and salsa, sprouted corn tortilla toasted with hummus and arugula.
I try not to eat hummus every day. In fact, when I buy it, I may eat the whole thing. I find, as the survivor of an eating disorder, that preparing my food is much more helpful to teach my body and my brain the balance I need to keep.
For the love of hummus. Great post.
So I’m creeping on all your old posts, and I love this one! Its an idea I’ve been toying with, and I’ve brought up with my mom, much to her dismay. But aside from veganism, its been hard to convince my Dad, friends, and especially grandparents that eating the way I do now–which is much cleaner, nutritious, and healthy than in my ED and throughout my whole life, is actually me being recovered, not me wrapping myself further into a relationship with ED.
I so appreciate your guidance, girl. XOXO