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| Forums: April 2011 Kickstart Forum: Feeling restricted today. | |||
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| craudi
Joined: 04/04/11 Location: Indiana Posts: 6 |
Feeling restricted today. Posted Monday, April 11, 2011 at 10:45 PM Today I am feeling really restricted and deprived as a vegan. I have not had a taste for anything "good" for me. I had french fries at lunch and a bowl full of apple slices. And for dinner I had the same old pasta I get everyday pretty much. My job is one where a meal plan is part of my salary, so I really can't afford to not use the meals from it. And yes, there is a salad bar available, but I've REALLY not been feeling salad lately. If I am craving it, it's because I want creamy dressing and croutons! Haha! I'm really proud of myself for making it 8 days! I went vegan for about 5 maybe a month ago, and felt great...I know I want this to be my lifestyle, but I'm having a weak day. I made some chocolate (vegan) peanut butter no-bake cookies tonight to kind of get that creamy craving taken care of. But I'm wanting melty cheese...like mozzarella sticks! Noo! I've had the craving, and I've had the chance to eat them today, but I've resisted and I'm very happy about that. I'm just venting mostly...but also hoping for a bit of encouragement too. :\ |
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| SpongeBobFishpants
Joined: 04/03/11 Posts: 86 |
RE: Feeling restricted today. Posted Monday, April 11, 2011 at 10:57 PM When I get that craving for melty cheesy calorific goodness I get myself down to the grocery store and pick up Amy's Macaroni and Cheeze. It's not particularly healthy but it IS vegan and I find if I allow myself to own my own cravings, recognize that they don't own me, and give myself permission to acknowledge that this is a journey and I don't have to be perfect... well, the cravings usually ease off and I'm back on my way. Hang in there and focus on what you accomplished then get up and try again. |
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mollyhorn
 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 582 |
RE: Feeling restricted today. Posted Monday, April 11, 2011 at 10:57 PM You came to the right place! It sounds like your heart is in the right place, but the effort of being vegan is getting to you. I can understand completely. When I was learning how to be vegan, there were MANY times when I felt like there was nothing I could eat, and many meals were all I ate was lettuce or an apple, because I didn't know how to feed myself! Fortunately, I started reading some good websites (VegNews, VegWeb, VeganatHeart, FatFreeVegan.com), and started learning how to cook, and therefore felt a lot better about what I was eating. What are some of the choices available to you at work? I'll bet that together, we can come up with some great vegan meals that aren't just apples and french fries. (Aside from being unsatisfying, you're not getting essential nutrients from a diet like that, so I'd be worried about your health in the long term if you continue to eat that way. Vegans do NOT have to eat salad all the time! In the mean time, here are a couple of really helpful links: Molly Horn |
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| craudi
Joined: 04/04/11 Location: Indiana Posts: 6 |
RE: Feeling restricted today. Posted Monday, April 11, 2011 at 11:56 PM Thanks for your responses. I live and work at a residential high school associated with a university, so I'm on a university meal plan. I have plenty of options, and have done well to navigate my way through them since starting this journey. I absolutely love to cook, and have veganized a TON of recipes already. It's just been a low day. No time or motivation to cook. Plenty of ingredients, but needing to save what I can for my time off (when I can cook and not HAVE to use my meal...it's hard to explain really...) and while I'm normally just cooking for myself and sometimes my boyfriend too, I've got too many of the SAME veggies left and have lost the motivation (today) to get creative with the same flavors all over again. I appreciate the links for sure. I especially love finding new vegan food blogs (or any food blog really, for inspiration) and having a blast in the kitchen with them. But again, money spent on groceries when my meals are provided for me is something I'm truly trying to cut down on. :\ A word about fake cheese and nutritional yeast. I have a ton of nutritional yeast in my kitchen. I was so excited to try cooking with it, but I made a recipe for queso dip from The Happy Herbivore cookbook and was SOOOOOO disappointed! I haven't touched the stuff since! I'm sure I'll give it a try again sometime soon, but since then I've avoided it and it's been living on the very top shelf of my kitchen cabinet! Fake cheese, well, I'm willing to try it, but I honestly know that it will not taste the same or feel the same. Plus, weird ingredients tend to freak me out. I've grown up as such a foodie (from a generally foodie family) that textures and especially tastes can truly ruin a meal for me. Man, I sound so picky, negative, and whiny! But it's all true I guess! I love food. I respect food. Real food. That's why I made this transition from semi-vegetarian to vegan. Plus, health reasons are a big motivator as well. Thanks so so much for the responses. It's nice to know I can throw anything out there and get the support I want and need. Today just has been a weak day, but I'm sure things will get better! |
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| Susan Levin
Joined: 12/26/09 Posts: 1191 |
RE: Feeling restricted today. Posted Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 7:08 AM Oh boy. Who can't relate?! I know exactly how you feel, friend. My cravings were never for cheese but ice cream. There is a hump to get over, and there is no denying that. I suggest you talk to your food service workers. Perhaps they would be open to making some new HEALTHFUL dishes. PCRM has recipes fit for large scale kitchen use. I'm happy to send that to someone. You may like this research article that was just published. It verifies that food does affect the brain the way drugs do, so it's no surprise breaking bad food habits is challenging. Some Foods Have Drug-Like Effects on the Brain Some foods elicit reactions in the brain similar to those caused by recreational drugs, according to a new study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Researchers examined magnetic resonance images of 48 healthy women who tasted chocolate milkshakes, finding that reaction patterns in the anterior cingulate cortex, medial orbitofrontal cortex, and amygdala were similar in response to foods as to drugs. Gearhardt AN, Yokum S, Orr PT, Stice E, Corbin WR, Brownell KD. Neural correlates of food addiction. Arch Gen Psychiatry. Published ahead of print April 4, 2011. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.32. Susan Levin, MS, RD |
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| Bugsmom
Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2069 |
RE: Feeling restricted today. Posted Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 8:22 AM If you can't change the foods (that is, if what the cafeteria serves is what they serve), can you mix up little portable spice packets to add so that the result is different - curry is different than chili which is different than Thai and so on. For instance, last night, hubby took some brown rice, black beans, white beans, raisins, craisins, and cumin and created a tasty dish very different from just about anything else, a kind of sweet spicy result with some creaminess from the rice and a bit of toothsomeness from the beans. --Deb R |
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| chickadee
Joined: 01/12/11 Location: North Eastern Ontario, Canada Posts: 52 |
RE: Feeling restricted today. Posted Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 9:03 AM I think cheese is the one thing I really missed when I became vegan, I now eat a lot of nutritional yeast, it makes delicious cheese sauces. And I usually keep a mix in the frig (I got the recipe out of "Idiot's guide to Vegan cooking") and I just add a bit of soy milk to it and I can make a quick meal similar to Kraft Dinner. or sauces for veggies etc. |
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| cherokee925
Joined: 04/04/11 Posts: 39 |
RE: Feeling restricted today. Posted Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 9:10 AM I am 9 day into the vegan kickstart program and yesterday it started for me I was craving a cheeseburger and I must say there feeling is there today too. I have to push past these cravings especially when I see how great my blood sugar levels and blood pressure is doing. I have done some research and there are plenty of vegan websites out there with great recipes I think it is a matter of trying new things and remember where you want to be a month from now. My goal is to get the weight off and come off my medicine. Hang in there it will get better. http://bettyvshelena.wordpress.com/
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| peacefirevegan
Joined: 03/01/11 Location: CANADA Posts: 48 |
RE: Feeling restricted today. Posted Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 11:28 AM Hi Craudi - one suggestion would be to use artichokes as a creamy substitute for things - try an artichoke dip yummy! I also miss cheese - and nutritional yeast IS wonderful you need to play around with it. Good luck today, tomorrow and the next..... - one day at a time Love, Live, Laugh |
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| Bugsmom
Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2069 |
RE: Feeling restricted today. Posted Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 11:45 AM cherokee925 wrote: I am 9 day into the vegan kickstart program and yesterday it started for me I was craving a cheeseburger and I must say there feeling is there today too. I have to push past these cravings especially when I see how great my blood sugar levels and blood pressure is doing. Something that helps me is to sort out what it is about a particular craving that I want - is it the snoky flavor? the texture? the juiciness? is it the condiment combo that goes with it? the bun? cheese? etc. Then I look for ways to deal with that specifically - for instance, tonight we're having black bean patties with homemade pickles and homemade whole wheat bagels (instead of buns - tip we picked up a while back... bean patties NEED a sturdy platform, pumpernickel, rye, bagels, etc - regular whole wheat or multigrain buns just don't give enough texture/chewiness and it all gets a little muddled in texture once you start chewing) --Deb R |
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| DianeJ
Joined: 01/01/10 Posts: 134 |
RE: Feeling restricted today. Posted Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 1:12 PM Yeah, I agree with Bugsmom. Try to figure out what you want. I must say that my problem, which really is inexcusable, is not finding or making the foods, I LOVE vegan food, and I am one of those that literally craves salad, many days a huge salad with beans, nuts, dried fruit, chopped apple, romaine, veggies, avo, etc is my dinner. I deviate out of convenience, i.e. my daughter stopping for pizza after grandson's ball game, I did not plan ahead, we're all starving, so I eat the cheese pizza. But truly, I have not found anything that cannot be duplicated vegan, at least for my taste. And a favorite, when I am just wanting "normal" comfort food, is a good veggie burger on Rudy's organic hamburger buns, cole-slaw, and baked potato fries with ketchup. If I have time, some good ole southern baked beans with that is good. |
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| Bugsmom
Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2069 |
RE: Feeling restricted today. Posted Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 1:16 PM Bugsmom wrote: Something that helps me is to sort out what it is about a particular craving that I want - is it the snoky flavor? --Deb R "snoky"??? oy! that should say "smoky" --Deb R |
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| Bugsmom
Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2069 |
RE: Feeling restricted today. Posted Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 1:23 PM Oh, also, I look for little "indulgences" here and there. For example, I put Ghirardelli semi sweet chocolate chips on my Cheerios or in oatmeal - they're vegan (I read the label, no milk fat or milk powder) and it doesn't take a lot to feel satisfied with that rich chocolate taste and texture. We've also got a recipe for a non-soy chocolate pudding (uses corn starch as a thickener) that is virtually identical in taste and texture to the cooked box packets. It's not an everyday thing, but it's great to have fairly quick and easy ways to hit the craving/feeling limited days. A quick and tasty snack that seems almost decadent is to get some canned pumpkin (the solid pack, not the pie mix), add your own spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc) and a dash of agave for sweet (or maple syrup or molasses). Spread on a good quality graham cracker (watch the ingredients) and it's like a slice of pumpkin pie in seconds with no cream or egg added! If you use soy, mix the pumpkin with some tofu cream cheese for a pumpkin cheese cake texture. It's still vegan, low fat (the only fat is whatever they put into the tofu cream cheese), and rich, creamy, yummy. --Deb R |
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| DianeJ
Joined: 01/01/10 Posts: 134 |
RE: Feeling restricted today. Posted Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 1:36 PM Oh my, I'm having a lightbulb moment over your pumpkin idea, Bugsmom. I love pumpkin and have an awesome vegan pump.pie recipe that uses soaked cashews as a base, with the "cream cheese" and pumpkin, but has too much sugar to make on a regular basis.( You put it in a graham crust, bake, then chill and it is to die for.) I'm thinking of trying something similar, maybe with agave, or even some Truvia, and spreading on the graham crackers....... hmmmmm! |
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| Bugsmom
Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2069 |
RE: Feeling restricted today. Posted Tuesday, April 12, 2011 at 1:44 PM DianeJ wrote: Oh my, I'm having a lightbulb moment over your pumpkin idea, Bugsmom. I love pumpkin and have an awesome vegan pump.pie recipe that uses soaked cashews as a base, with the "cream cheese" and pumpkin, but has too much sugar to make on a regular basis.( You put it in a graham crust, bake, then chill and it is to die for.) I'm thinking of trying something similar, maybe with agave, or even some Truvia, and spreading on the graham crackers....... hmmmmm! We started making this way before veg*n when my son was too little to tolerate the hour plus it takes to mix and bake a regular pumpkin pie. So, I'd scoop out a little of the pumpkin before mixing anything into it, and make him his little "super secret shortcut pumpkin pies" - it was "our secret" Does your recipe use tofu cream cheese or cashew cream for the base (I wasn't sure in your sentence)? We LOVE pumpkin pie and finding good vegan alternates is critical for pumpkin season. If it's rich and cheesecake-y that's even better - but we don't do tofu. --Deb R |
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| kiwi
Joined: 01/03/11 Location: New Zealand Posts: 405 |
RE: Feeling restricted today. Posted Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at 7:44 AM cherokee925 wrote: I am 9 day into the vegan kickstart program and yesterday it started for me I was craving a cheeseburger and I must say there feeling is there today too. In another post last week someone mentioned the word burger and I felt like one ever since. So on the weekend I found a recipe for home made vegan burger patties and made a dozen. I had one for dinner and put the rest in the freezer. I didn't have any buger buns in the house so lightly toasted 2 pieces of wholemeal bread, layered the burger pattie, tomato, lettuce and a little garlic hummus between the toast and there was a great burger. It totally satisfied me without any guilt. I had another burger last night when I didn't want to cook after getting home late. Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food - Hippocrates. |
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| craudi
Joined: 04/04/11 Location: Indiana Posts: 6 |
RE: Feeling restricted today. Posted Thursday, April 14, 2011 at 11:58 PM Just made some "cheesy" orzo. I made up the recipe myself...and it's delicious! I even tested the waters with nutritional yeast again! I just need to use a little at a time I think. And I bought tofutti mozzarella slices yesterday and melted one in my orzo. It's not the same, but it's close. I think I could eat it in things, but not all the time...which is better anyways! Okay, just an update. Feeling good on day 11! |
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