I’m going vegan for two weeks, and one thought is on my mind: cheese is everywhere! In frozen food, in sandwiches, sprinkled on salads…

You never realize how much cheese you’re eating until you stop eating animal products altogether. And for my fellow pear shapes out there, cheese is the worst food for us because it really does go straight to our thighs due to its high fat and sodium content.

Which leads me to: going vegan may be the answer to your weight loss woes.

WHY YOU SHOULD GO VEGAN

1. You’ll break your plateau. How do you break weight loss plateaus? By changing what you’re doing now. Going vegan is definitely a change, and it is a common solution for those wishing to lose more weight.
2. You won’t have to count calories. As long as you don’t make chips and soda your main food groups, you won’t have to count calories. Think about it: no dairy, eggs, or cheese means you can’t eat brownies, chocolate, cake, pudding, ice cream, movie popcorn, cookies… etc. etc. Your junk food options become severely limited, and you will be forced to healthy options such as soy milk smoothies, minestrone soup, and other great vegan combinations. The weight will practically come off by itself now all those fatty/sugary foods are off limits.
3. You will be able to resist temptation. Why? Because now you have a cause. A challenge. “I can’t eat that cheesy garlic bread because I’m a vegan” is much more effective than “…because I’m eating healthy.” I am so concerned about not breaking my vegan streak (four days and counting!!) that resisting the pudding/fatty cheese/fudge in my fridge is easy. Being able to say, “I’m vegan” represents such a huge accomplishment, it’s as if we’re wearing badges of honor. We want to earn that title the healthy way.
4. You’ll feel better. Since I started this vegan adventure, my energy level is through the roof! I feel refreshed and recharged and just… lighter. Silly? Maybe. But my morning coffee wore off hours ago, and I’m still going like the energizer bunny! (As if my incessant use of exclamation marks didn’t tip you off already.) Forget fasting and cleansing, just go vegan for two weeks!
5. You get more creative with your meals. Apple salads. Green smoothies. Homemade oatmeal with cinnamon and banana slices. I’ve never been more motivated to find tasty, healthy alternatives than now.

HOW TO GO VEGAN

FacePlantProject.com is my other vegan/vegetarian/plant based diet blog. All your questions can be answered there! Here’s some resources to get your started:

• My favorite actress is a vegan! What does she eat on set?
• Quick and Easy Vegan Recipes.
• What are the different types of vegetarianism?
• What are the health benefits of going vegan?