Just vegging out this year

Hi,

So since I am kinda incapacitated (see BPPV post) I thought I'd write a blog post that I have been meaning to write for a few weeks.

I have decided to stop eating meat.  Now before you get all crazy (for which ever side you are on) let me explain. (I know all my veggie/vegan friends are cheering and my crazy carnivores are all WHAT?  No meats? You crazy?)

So I have not eaten meat since about Dec. 29th, the exception being some egg rolls that may have had pork in them but Lupe and I couldn't tell, and some bacon that was mixed into something I ordered the other night & I was not going to pick it all out, that would have been silly, too time consuming, and well, really, REALLY annoying.

I am not sure what happened, but I am just not interested in eating meat.  I don't know if it was a combination of things - a few meals out where the meat was less than inspiring, or delicious, or if it was watching entrails spool out of an unidentified animal carcass and across my windshield as buzzards flew off when when drove by their feast on our way to Lubbock on Christmas Eve.  In any case, I am just not feeling meaty.

So, I decided not to eat meat.  Does this mean I am calling myself a vegetarian? No, not really.  Does this mean I will NEVER eat meat again? No, maybe not.  So, what does this mean?

Well, I am not eating meat for two very selfish, I mean, wholly self-centered, reasons:

• Not eating meat makes it really difficult to eat fast food/eat in my car, unless I want to eat A LOT of bean burritos. Ha!

This comes out of the nasty habit I have picked up while in grad school of not eating/going too long without eating/running late/being in class until late then driving to the nearest fast food joint and stuffing in a number-whatever, no tomatoes, large fries, and a Coke. I packed on many pounds from eating sometimes 3 meals a day that came in a bag, from a window, hurriedly scarfed in a car on my way to/from campus.  

Not eating meat makes that scenario almost impossible.  Most drive-thru fast food is meat: hamburgers, fried chicken, tacos...  I know there are other non-meat options as some fast food joints, but have you ever tried to eat a salad, or baked potato, in the car while driving?  I have not, but I also don't want to.

•  Not eating meat is forcing me to add more fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, etc. into my diet.

As you can imagine, eating the majority of your meals in your car does not include much in the way of leafy greens! By cutting out meats, it forces me to incorporate more of all not-meats into my meals.  I actually love most fruit & veg, so this is a good thing.

I hadn't mentioned this before because I don't want it to be a "thing."  I am not making any kind of "statement" about meat-eating.  I am simply doing something that I feel is good for me.  I have had conversations with people about dieting and "giving up" stuff and meat is an easy thing to "give up." It is jsut one thing (as a category).  I still have plenty of options to get my protein.  I am not giving up dairy or eggs and I am loving nuts (shut it, dirty girts), and other protein sources (shut it!).  I also know I am not going to "give up" sugar or carbs... that just ain't happening. Meat is easy for me to cut out of my life, plain and simple.

I have also been posting pics of what I eat most lunches & dinners on my Facebook page.  It keeps me on track, makes me a little proud, and inspires others to break out of their boring-old-salad routine in the process.  Maybe I'll start posting them here, too.