I’ve been super busy. I started working as a hostess at a vegan restaurant here in town. My diet is a lot better but I’m still working on it. one day i’ll get back into this.
this past month…
Let me back up.
It’s not just this past month.
It’s been this entire year. One struggle after another.
It’s hard to focus on food or health or exercise when I’m:
- moving into my own apartment
- starting a new relationship
- being kicked out of my friend group
- losing my best friend (my pet iguana) of the past 5 years
- losing my job
- losing two cars to blown head gaskets (in the span of one weekend)
- losing my grandfather
- moving in with a roommate
- ending said relationship after almost a year
i’ve honestly had such a low point this year. i’ve been struggling in self awareness and the inability to figure out my calling. as a result i decided not to waste any more time in school. i’m in a standstill, in almost all ways imaginable when it comes to my life.
But i went through some situations this past week and i’m realizing nothing will change except me. I need to pull myself out of this, so that’s what I’m going to do.
back into school, committing to my part time job, volunteering, healthy eating, etc. etc.
I’m ready to be functional again.
Day 16- Another photo of myself.
I’m feeling pretty good about myself lately. The boy I’d been dating for the past year told me Wednesday that he couldn’t be reliable to stay faithful much longer in our long distance relationship. So we ended things, possibly temporary, possibly for good.
But it has made me pause for thought, and I’m just happy. Of course I have some struggles with that, but I’m getting hours at my new job and they are complimenting and praising me. The day this picture was taken (thursday) a gentleman held open a door for me, continued on his way then turned around to chase me down in the parking lot and tell me he thought I was beautiful and he’d like to take me out. This is the first time a stranger has ever done anything like this, and I definitely feel radiant lately.
I wasn’t able to go shopping at all since my last post. I ended up working a lot more than I thought I would and have been surviving off random meals thanks to my roommate.
Hopefulllllyyy i can go tomorrow.
I’m creating a weekly menu for so that I can hold myself accountable. I am going shopping tomorrow and I’m excited for this reason.
I dramatically cut out dairy. I don’t generally have a lot of dairy as it is, but I generally add cheese to everything. I’ve given up dairy several times and consistently go back to it, so now I’m just cutting back. I am done with eggs after I use up my last two for egg salad. It’s not that I am aiming for vegan per say, but I am once again sickened by eating eggs, and I just know that cheese isn’t healthy for me. Although I know these things are produced in inhuman ways, it’s hard to break life long addictions and I’ll be proud of the steps I can make instead of be ashamed I’m not making bigger steps.
As for the raw food aspect, although I would love love love to return to that, my budget is simply not heavy enough to withstand that lifestyle. When I was on raw foods, I was spending close to 300 dollars a month on groceries to keep me satisfied. I just got my first paycheck from this new job, and it’s barely two hundred dollars. I’m not used to seeing numbers that low. For the last year I worked 40+ hours a week at nine dollars an hour. A dollar lower and never knowing how many hours I’ll get at this brand new store takes its toll on every part of my life, and the health/food aspect is definitely taking an ass kicking. But I am going to try very hard to get a good mixture of fresh fruits and veggies with substantial heavy foods such as various grains, legumes, soups and other things to keep me well nourished.
Along with the weekly menus, I will post my exact grocery list and cost. Some of the things below I already have (oatmeal, apples, pasta, various others.)
Saturday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal with apple pieces, cinnamon and agave.
Lunch: Soyyogurtberry smoothie.
Snack: 1/2 sandwich with plentiful veggies, a banana.
Dinner: PIta with pesto bread, feta cheese, spinach, red onion and tomato.
Sunday:
Breakfast: Avocado spread over toast, tomato slices and vegan sausage patty.
Lunch: Egg salad sandwich (Food process boiled egg with yogurt, celery and green onion). Add spices, top with greens, pickles tomatoes and red onions.
Snack: Dates with cashew butter and agave.
Snack: Carrots.
Dinner: Spring salad with boca chicken.
Snack (for overnight shift at work): Various nuts and granola
Monday:
Breakfast: Smoothie: Soymilk, Presoaked dates, bananas, and vegan chocolate.
Snack: Apple slices with agave and cinnamon.
Lunch: Salad: CornORblackeyedpeas with greens, spices, avocado, tomato and onions.
Snack: Banana cookies (banana slices with nut butter and agave in between them, like little deliciously healthy oreos)!
Dinner: Lentil stew in vegetable broth with carrots, celery, onions and spices.
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Orange and kiwi juice.
Snack: Banana, grapes.
Lunch: Mango, kiwi, cucumber juice.
Snack: Apple and celery.
Dinner: Green smoothie!
Wednesday:
Breakfast: Banana slices with berries in soymilk sweetened with agave.
Snack: Nuts, carrots.
Lunch: Salad- spring greens with berries and raisins.
Snack: Cucumber, tomato and onion marinated in oil.
Dinner: Pasta sauce in spices and oils.
Thursday:
Morning shift of work, just tea and water.
Lunch: Sandwich, veggies upon veggies with provolone cheese, pretzels.
Snack: Various veggies that I’m low on.. either stand alone of as salad.
Dinner: Peas with onions, corn, and tomatoes.
Friday:
This day will basically consist of all my veggies and greens that I’m low on.
i’ve been sick all day.
I made my own sweet tea (green, with agave nectar… so not quite the southern sweet tea i’m used to).
This panera Mediterranean Veggie sandwich is the only thing I’ve really eaten today.
It was good though.
I made this salad for our Mother’s Day barbecue! Endive, cucumber, bell pepper, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, salt/pepper, mint, cilantro, and olive oil. It was nice to have a side dish there that I KNEW was healthy.
I’m not a fan of salads, but this looks delicious!
