Success is a habit, and we are what we do repedetly. Yes, I read all of these quotes on Pinterest and they were just what I needed to start writing about habit forming process.
Audio verzija na srpskom jeziku
When I first started with Vegan For A Month challenge I went vegan and sugar free. First week was a bit chaotic and 70% of food I consumed up to that point was off the list. Walking into the store and reading labels was a must. You might assume that most of the groceries have added sugar, and it was not easy, but I was super motivated and above all happy to put additional effort and time in order to stay disciplined and in balance. At that point documenting process was neccessary so I can show other people, willing to follow my lead, how they can do it themselves.
Somewhere along going down vegan road I read about 66 days (roughly two months in average) - period during which one forms a habit through repetative behavioral patterns. If you decide to go vegan, stick to your decision and go 66 days streight off animal products (or any unwanted impuls). It takes on average that period of time to make one’s actions automatic. During two months I was researching, shopping, cooking, trying, failing, tasting, eating everything. On repeat.
Some time after these two months I was feeling more comfortable knowing what I would snack or cook, I started bringing decisions faster, I knew what is out there in a store to buy or fastfood around the corner (not meny). I didn’t have to think as much as before, given that I am lazy like everybody else and I don’t like to think — when I don’t have to. This is exactely process of forming habit, so you setup an environment to make your milestone reachable. It’s just one way to make this challenge structured.
On the flipside, as a problem solver (and maker) I tend to analyse and structure everything — from jars to abstract thoughts. I find great value in time management and meaningful ‘whatever I am doing’. There is plenty on my plate each day so I have to plan ahead, be proactive and use time wisely. I advice the same to you. If for whatever reason you want to go vegan, do it, just stick to your decosion and keep in mind that timeframe is flexible. Each one of us has different nature & nurture and it might take us different time to form a new habit through repetition.
Power of habit forming process
Let’s say you are aware of the fact that plant-based diet is good for your health (some will disagree, but we can go deeper into this topic in some other post), or you are aware of reasons to go vegan for the ethical ones (animal rights, carbon footprint, eco-balance…). In front of you is a social norm that is usually big obsticle — norm itself dictates what you have learned so far through conditioning (ex. you must eat meat or you will get sick). Depending on your attitude (you do not follow norms or you tend to deconstruct them and think those words through — and this is a big one, ’cause honestly — if you just don’t want to give up your standpoint no metter how clear and unbiased fact you might be presented with, you will fail instantly) — you might be able to easily skip social norm and follow your intention to go vegan. You change your behaviour over time (let’s say you decided to go vegan for a month or two), over time this behaviour becomes automatic, you developed a rutine! It is estimated that after 66 days you will form a habit — a good one! You closed the loop. Now you don’t have to go into constant reasoning what and how to do (what to eat for breakfast, what to cook, which grocaries are vegan…), so you shrink down the process of thinking and ruminating and this is what usually makes you avoid or give up dieting (or any other impulse control you are training yourself to). Long story short — you made your life easier. Like your mama and papa did to you while growing up. Apply this mechanism to any other cue, and you will find this process easy, rewarding and comfortable, without constant reasoning for pros and cons.
Now, there are other ways to make yourself sick of meat and animal products, if you are visual type like me you might disgust yourself and voila! It also explans why I tend to cook food that looks good, not only tastes good :) However, if you are like me — visual type and you just can’t stomach brutal scenes of killing and slothering animals like they are wood, not conscious beings, you might realy go up and read paragraph about forming habit over and over until you understand it. But some effort has to be made.
I gave you one recipe how to get rid of bad habits or how to form new ones. Now comes second one — pumpkin soup! Nothing dead inside, just pure veggies and a special combo of spices. I promise you will enjoy colours, scents and aroma. Move that lazy ass and go make yourself a comforting food to suite your vegan soul. And greets, of course, to all of the old school, hard core uber vegans out there who give us example that we can do the same! Thank you.
Ingredients:
one small or half of medium sized pumpkin / 3 carrots (can be substituted with potato)/ 3 potatos* / 1.5 cup of water / salt / pepper / oil* (I go with 3 tps of olive oil) / 2 gloves of garlic / one small peace of ginger / curcuma / parsley
*Excluding optional ingredients — oli — will give you good HCLF ( High Carbon Low Fat) pumpkin soup
Sastojci:
jedna manja ili 1/2 bundeve srednje veličine / 3 šargarepe (može se zameniti krompirom) / 3 krompira* / 1.5 čaša vode / so / biber / ulje (ja stavim 3 kašike maslinovog) / dva čena belog luka / malo parče đumbira / kurkuma / peršun
*Isključivanjem opcionih sastojaka — ulja — dobija se dobar HCLF potaž od bundeve
Know how:
1.Peel veggies and cut them into medium sized cubes
2. Put veggies into the pot with water and let boil
3. Veggies are well cooked when you can go through them easily with fork
4. Pour out half of the water and let remaining liquid with veggies cool a bit
5. Blend together spices, garlic and oil. Add salt to taste. Transfer this spicy pasta into the pot with veggies and blend until smooth (if you have blender, you can blend it altogether). Soup is more creamy with potatoes.
6. Compliment this tasty, yellow magic with some pita bread and ajvar. Enjoy!
Priprema:
1.Očistiti povrće i iseći na kocke srednje veličine
2. Staviti povrće u šerpu sa vodom da se kuva
3. Povrće je dobro kuvano kada može lako da se probode viljuškom
4. Prosuti polovinu vode iz šerpe, ostatak tečnosti i povrće ostaviti da se prohladi
5. Izblendati zajedno ulje, beli luk i začine. Posoliti po ukusu. Dodati ovu začinjenu pastu povrću u šerpi i zajedno dobro ispasirati (ukoliko je blender dostupan, može se blendati i u njemu). Potaž je kremastiji ako ima krompira.
6. Uz potaž služiti pita hleb (libanski hleb) i ajvar. Uživajte!
This is my ultimate recipe for you — observe and self-reflect. Look at yourself and play around with possibilities of mind. Embrace transformative changes, and enjoy your vegan mojo! Btw, you can follow mine on a new facebook page or instagram.
