Worth Fighting For

The 60-Day Vegetarian: Days 1 and 2

Hello guys! This is a little 60-Day project I’ve decided to do. I’m not obese or anything, but I’ve been trying to lose a few pounds and just plain be healthier, and so has my father. A few weeks ago, he took my brother and I to Outback for dinner. Usually after a big dinner, my father and I like to talk about ways to be healthier, and it was in this after-dinner talk that it occurred to him that the reasons for our (My father and I’s) struggles with weight (you know, having those pounds you just can’t seem to lose, then having that one bad year when you gain 20 lbs., etc.), probably come from our constant consumption of greasy and fattening red meat, so he said that we should both try to be vegetarians for 60 days. I agreed that I was willing to do so, and I began my vegetarian diet yesterday. 

Now, I won’t be afraid to admit that, as a die-hard carnivore who eats meat in almost every meal, the first day was hard. My mother had to take me to work with her, and since I hadn’t eaten at all that day (it was about 4:00 pm when she picked me up), I really wanted to drive through Wendy’s or Burger King. I wanted to say the usual “I’ll start tomorrow,” excuse, but I knew that if I waited ‘til tomorrow, I would put it off until Thursday, then Friday, then Saturday, then the next thing I know, it’ll have been weeks and I would still be counting on tomorrow. 

So, I didn’t eat until we got to the office, where they let me have some white rice from the fridge. That night I got home and, despite the temptation of the hearty meat-sauce ziti my mother made, I had a big salad and two slices of toast. 

I guess they’re right when they say “The first day is always the hardest.” 

Now it’s Day 2, and I’m already feeling the difference going on a non-meat diet makes. I feel cleaner (probably from the lack of fat and grease), and I also feel like I have much more energy than I usually do. I’m eating a delicious salad and plan on having some watermelon afterwards. My breakfast this morning was four slices of toast, and I’m going to make a nice fish dinner for my self. I have a feeling it’ll be a lot easier with each day, and I probably won’t even notice meat by the end of this.  Who knows? Maybe I’ll just stay vegetarian (it’s improbable, but possible)!

As for my dad…let’s just say he really likes my mother’s meat-sauce ziti. 

PS: If any of you have suggestions for how to make this project as successful as possible, please share! Send recipes if you like! Anything you think would be a good contribution. I like all fruits, cheeses, and most vegetables, and I love fish, so anything in those categories would be useful. Thanks for the support! :)