Day 2...

I finally decided to follow through and go back to being a vegetarian. I was never much of a meat eater, but I was a vegetarian a couple of years ago with the thought that I would improve my eating habits and health before DeeJ and I would have children. But I really didn't put enough effort into it by trying new things. It was always pasta, soy, and tofu so I not only got tired of it quickly, but started losing weight to the point of being unhealthy. My vegetarian lifestyle was put on hold right around the time I was diagnosed with Endometriosis. I went back to meat, especially burgers, because it was my comfort food. It made me feel better in spite of everything that was going on with my body and us having to put our plans on hold. Even with having a really good burger (and I've had plenty!), it's been in the back of my mind to go back to my vegetarian diet. I was going to start last month, but I didn't want to treat it like a New Year Resolution; it should be much more than that. So, I started yesterday and even though it's still early, so far so good!

The first thing I'm doing differently is talking to others that are vegetarians. The more recipes and varieties I have, the better. So far, I got a really great recipe for sweet potato soup and spinach and butternut squash lasagna. I also got a recommendation for a cookbook that I plan to buy this weekend. The next thing I'm doing differently is making more of an effort to cook outside of my comfort zone. Whether it's cooking with or without meat, I really want to start preparing foods in different ways. For example, when I make pork chops for DeeJ, it's always broiled. Or when I make chicken, it's either baked or breaded then baked. You get the idea. It's time for me to try frying things or cooking with different spices. I think as long as I follow through with those changes, I should be able to keep this up for longer than 2 years.