the beginning

OK, this is a personal blog...I do need to say that up front ;-) It is not associated with my friends, colleagues or work in general...it is my story...the one where I decided to go vegan for 2 months...and the results of that decision...

AND IT BEGINS...

So a few weeks ago I went to a weekend workshop with a friend on how to 'grow your own food' offered by a local greenhouse...it was great...and at the workshop I met several folks, including Pam, and in conversation asked about the unusual 'snacks' for the workshop, which included brown rice crispy cookies and a muti-nut bar that was delicious. I was told about the cleanse, and that these recipes were from that process...

THE MEETING...

So kindly, Pam, sent me the cleanse invitation...well Monday night April 26th I went to the first meeting of the new cleanse group and was amazed by the turnout...Sydney, NS is a small city with fewer than 45,000...(well smaller than I am used to ;-) so when I saw 150+ folk at the meeting it was a surprise...of those, about 75 of us were new...the rest had done the cleanse at least once in the past...some more than once....

Well she warned us ;-) first it would be an intense detox of all the chemicals and such that we have added to our bodies, and second, once we did this we'd never be able to forget the knowledge and that would affect what we did in the future even if we did not remain 'vegan' ;-) She did say she was not trying to make anyone vegan or vegetarian, just aware of the food issues that are making some of us sick, and some of us heavy and for some both...

What I liked most was she was a product of the cleanse (her own weight loss of 65 lbs was mentioned) and it was free and without commitment...no fees, no `special elixirs` ;-) just change the food you eat...for 2 months...cook not order in...organic not sprayed or GM foods...think about what you were doing not mindlessly eating without thought...

Hummmmmmmm...what an idea...and one I was ready for!!!

ME...

I am a 52 year old women who has always battled some weight issues...and by some I mean a lot...I have been `normal` weight (that is about 140lbs only once in my life and that was in my 20s after losing the 60lbs I had put on over my four years at university)....yes I am a stress eater...not to mention my love of working online (which I have done for 22+ years)....so sitting on my ``assets`` comes naturally!!!

In the early 2000s...I did lose 125 lbs and it has remained off (with an odd slip here and there)...but I have never been able to lose the rest...;-) Trust me, I love my body so I am not looking to be a skinny woman...I love my curves...but I do want to stop carrying around my extra weight...so another 100lbs would not be missed ;-) I am actually very proud of that loss, as it was the first time in my life where the weight did not go back on!!! and more!!! And it happened mostly as I was in a very hard place in my life...finishing my PhD, moving to another Province, new job AND a divorce! Never do things easily, I always say!!! ;-)

And I am lucky...outside of sleep apnea which went from severe to moderate with the last weight loss, I have and maintain normal BP, sugars, cholesterol and such...I have never let my weight stop me from having friends, lovers, work or life!!!

But I was ready for something...and this came along at just the right moment....