Why am I doing this?

I never thought I would or could do a blog. I have many friends who are doing this and are wonderful at it. I am doing this mainly to keep me focused on this "New Journey" I am attempting and to record my thoughts/feelings/reactions as I go.

It all started on Tuesday, the first day of the blizzard. Being trapped at home with the family was wonderful, but I decided to go have some me time. I went to my room and turned on the TV, I know a shock right? Oprah was on. I rarely get to watch it because I am never home by the time it comes on. The show was about the food industry, specifically the meat industry. She and her staff did a challenge about becoming Vegans for a week. She had the author of "Veganist" Kathy Fretson on. Did anybody else watch it?

Before she was on, there was a video about one of the meat plants. Supposedly, this is by far one of the cleanest and most humane plants. The reporter (can't remember her name) was allowed to follow as the cows went from farm to the shelves of the grocery stores. Don't get me wrong, I am not naive about how this process was done, just had never actually seen it.

After this video, they started talking about the challenge Oprah and her staffers took for a week. In hearing their stories and listening to Kathy Fretson, I have decided to try this. Not only to loose a few pounds, but to become healthier.

Okay so my resolve was set! I went on the website and printed out the grocery list and the 3 weeks worth of menus. I also went to Amazon and bought the book. Now being that I am very excited to start this journey and didn't want to wait for it to come in snail mail, I had it put on the Kindle. What an amazing book! Thank goodness school was cancelled today too! Some of the things she states are things I already knew, but interesting none the less. Of course I need to go to the grocery store to get the things I need to start this, but that will have to wait until we are allowed to come out of hibernation!

You may ask why I am going to do this? Well for starters, I am not a big fan of meat. I don't eat very much and when I do it is usually chicken. So cutting the meat out shouldn't be that hard. Now on the other hand - dairy- that's a different story! Kathy says in her book you don't have to jump into it all at once, you can cut things out as you go. Not me, if I am going to do this it is all the way or no way.

Another reason is for health reasons. I am a cancer survivor and want to stay that way! I have had a lot of medical issues in the last 6/7 years, mostly related to the treatments I had. High cholesterol and heart problems run in my family. I am currently taking medicine to reduce my cholesterol. It has helped, but I don't want to be dependent on medicine. I truly believe that your diet does affect your health/mood/life. I have known this for a long time, but for some reason it has really been nagging at me the last day or two. If I loose a few pounds while I am at it, then that is the icing on the cake :)

This will not be easy, I know. I don't expect my family to follow - they are the most pickiest eaters I have ever encountered. But I would like them to try some of the things - who knows they might like it! Not sure what I am going to do about going out or going on a vacation - I'll have to pass that bridge when I get to it.