Why I am transitioning to a vegan lifestyle!

Why I am transitioning to a vegan lifestyle!

Recently I have made the choice to become vegan and while this choice is recent the foundation has been built my entire life. Before I was born my mother was not a big meat eater and my father had been told to adapt a healthier lifestyle at this point they cut out all red meat. When I was born my family wasn't consuming any red meat (just chicken, turkey and fish) and they never gave it to me. Incidentally I have never consumed red-meat in my entire life. I had no desire to try it because it was completely foreign to me. At 14 years old I went away to summer camp at a farm many of the counselors there were vegan/vegetarian and I got involved with that group and learned a ton about animal rights. About 2 weeks into camp I dedicated myself to being a vegetarian and when I went back home after the summer my mom was not happy. At 14 years old it is really hard to get your family to support a major diet/lifestyle change. Me and my mothers compromise was I would still eat fish but it was still a battle. Anther challenge at 14 is money so my diet consisted of a ton of pasta and bread the best options I could get my hands on. While I was passionate about my lifestyle I was not educated enough until the past year.

For the sake of keeping my 11 year journey short and sweet, we're gonna to flash forward to January of this year (2014). My goal for 2014 was to be vegan just for one year with the ultimate hope it would last forever.  I had hopes of being vegan  since I was 14 and finally felt educated and secure enough to make this change. At the same time I found a job at a gym working at there smoothie bar, with that came a free gym membership. Through out my life I had been moderately active mostly cardio (running, swimming) and pilates. At the gym I absolutely fell in love with lifting, it made me feel strong and it was my outlet for all the bad things. In the gym environment I was constantly told I needed to up my protein to think about my marcos and my goals. By March of this year I had given up being vegan and loaded up on protein (eggs, yogurt, whey powder etc.). I was seeing results but I was not feeling 100% and I was defiantly on the yo-yo diet train. I was not happy or enjoying my lifestyle. At this time I was so close to eating meat again for the first time in 10years thinking I was failing because I couldnt get 50%protein. Before I jumped back to meat I decided to do one last round of research on a vegan life. 

At this point a good friend sent me Freelee the Banana Girl's YouTube page and something in what she was saying just clicked to me. There was this light bulb moment of just eat plants, how could I ever think eating fruit carbs was bad for me and why was I so dependent on processed harmful junk to keep me alive when plants having been doing that for hundreds of years. I sat watching Freelee and Fully Raw Kristina for hours one night and everything just clicked, I can be this strong healthy person I want while still holding on to my beliefs. While I am not currently at the point of being fully raw or 80/10/10, I can say I feel confident in my choice of being vegan and a strong women. 

I think every person has the right to make the choice of what is right for there body and there lifestyle. If you are truly passionate about being vegan then research it educate yourself and make sure you are staying healthy. Being in tune with how your body feels, track your calories and make sure you are eating enough to thrive. As someone who has never consumed red meat I have gotten  blood work done nearly yearly forever, I have been iron deficient once when I first became vegetarian and was eating no plants and never have been again. I also had a vitamin D deficiency as a direct result of my pregnancy but with supplementing I had a healthy pregnancy and child, my vitamin D deficiency went away within weeks of birth. I have never been overweight or had any health problems and I defiantly attribute this to my lifestyle.This life is possible and one I am so passionate about. I can't wait to spend my life in the fitness industry helping people in whatever there goals are.