Fat Man No More, One Year Vegan
Me? Meat-free? Could it be? Indeed.
You see, my wife Sharon Discorfano is an animal advocate, law student, and all-around awesome partner. Though she’s been practicing a veg-diet for longer than I’ve known her, she was patient with me — no doubt because of how my other awesome qualities overshadowed this flaw — she never forced the issue. That said, the constant stream of information from the various animal-rights/advocacy organizations made an impact. And last year, around this time, I’d finally seen one suffering animal too many; I could no longer reconcile loving animals so much and then participating in their suffering.
In February of 2010, I decided to take the plunge and give up meat. At the time, I had given up most processed foods, junk food, refined sugars, etc., in an effort to lose weight — I was weighing in at around 288 pounds; and though I’d lost about 20 pounds already and felt better at 268, I still didn’t feel great! I felt as though I really needed a lifestyle change to alter my relationship with food, to change the way I felt about food. This was my headspace when I opened the mailbox, grabbed the pile of correspondence, and found an envelope with that image of a pig crammed into a gestation crate. One the other side of the envelope, a picture of a a downed cow and a fork-lift operator cruelly tormenting this horrified cow, clearly exhausted and resigned to its fate. That was it! I’d had enough. I’d been wrestling with that inner voice for long enough: I needed a change, and all signs pointed to giving up meat.
[caption id=”attachment_548" align=”alignleft” width=”258" caption=”Formerly nearly 300lbs, now ~180lbs”]
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So there I was, precariously perched on the precipice of a new lifestyle and a new life. I was fat and tired, and now I decided not to eat any of my favorite comfort foods. Pepperoni pizza, cheeseburgers, sub sandwiches with salami and provolone, smoked salmon — all among favorites. February 17th began the Lent season and, although I’m not Catholic, I decided that I would start with giving up meat for the 40 days of Lent. Surely I could try out this new plan and see how it went, right? Just to raise the stakes of the game a bit, I also decided that I would stop salting my food. I really wanted to get back to basics and reconnect with food in a healthier and more fulfilling way.
I will interject here that having a partner that is already on the path probably makes a huge difference. I’ve spoken with some folks that have struggled with the bi-diet household… and it can be really tough. Sharon was a huge source of inspiration and, as I will share, we’ve had a ton of fun since I’ve made the changes! To all of you living with others, however, remember this: what finally got me over the hump was time, not pressure.
Luckily, since Sharon already was eating a veg diet, most of our shared meals were vegan (though I often added cheese topping to mine). This made it really easy for me on the dinner front; the real challenge would be meals outside the home. For breakfast, I gave up the usual egg sandwich for hot oatmeal with raisins and cranberries. Occasionally, I would add a bit of granola for texture but, for the most part, it was dried fruit and hot oats to start the day. For lunch, I chose to go the raw salad route, which, for me, is a real challenge because I’m allergic to a number of raw vegetables. Due to my food allergies, I had, for years, avoided salads because they didn’t make me feel well. Because I was committed to the change at this point, however, I experimented with different combinations until I found something that worked. And I discovered there was a salad I could eat! Raw spinach, carrots, garbanzo beans, wax peppers, and a few silvered almonds with low-fat ranch dressing. Eureka!
When I first started eating this way, I admit that it wasn’t the most exciting or palate-pleasing diet, to say the least. In the beginning, I found the oatmeal somewhat bland and the smell of bacon in the company cafe enticing. However, after about a week, I’d already begun to notice a change and that motivated me. First, breakfast seemed more sustaining that it had in years. I wasn’t getting mid-morning hunger pangs and my energy level felt really consistent. In addition, I’d begun really noticing the flavor of the oatmeal; it was no longer bland, it seemed almost creamy. My salads had me salivating as well. Maybe it was the tangy wax peppers or the perfect textures of the food combination — whatever the reason — I was hooked!
Easter marks the end of Lent and is typically a holiday morning out with my fantastic in-laws. We head to a local Easter morning event complete with an impossibly vast buffet. My eating experiment had run its course and, here we were, 40 days later. I was feeling a tremendous improvement: I’d lost another 30 pounds and people had really begun to notice a change in my body and in my energy level. Folks were telling me I looked younger and happier. I sure felt both! I was making a spiritually whole and morally sound decision with every bite of food. I felt better than I had in years. I was losing weight, and the thought of the animals I had spared from suffering as a result of my day to day choices was a huge motivator. Sharon later told me that she’d expected my experiment to come to an end on Easter. Although she was certain much had changed, she had no expectations that I would continue on a meat-free path. But I did. And, not only that: I felt that day that I wanted to solidify my commitment and take the next step: eliminate eggs and dairy. I would eliminate entirely my consumption or use of animal products.
So many people have said to me, “I could never give up cheese,” or, “I love meat.” To those people I always say, “That’s what I used to say.” But I can truly tell you that I have never — not once — looked back, because of the feeling I have knowing how my choices make a difference. I live every single day without placing the burden of my need to survive on a creature that can’t speak for itself. My decisions leave animals off the table. I am choosing to live each day harmoniously. I can look at a cow and feel only appreciation, no guilt. It is simply liberating.
Nearly a year later, I have completely transformed my day-to-day existence. I have lost 100 pounds, and I am a vegan cooking whiz in the kitchen. Sharon and I have made recipes from some of the best vegan cookbooks out there nearly two or three times a week since last April and, in doing so, we’ve connected on a whole new level. There is something so amazing about carving out the time to enjoy cruelty-free sustenance. I sleep more soundly, which I love; I’ve stopped snoring, which Sharon loves. I’ve lost 100 pounds, and I look 10 years younger. I love getting moving now and I’ve even taken up things I never thought I would, like skiing!
I can tell you that it wasn’t all that easy — not at the beginning. But it’s all about results, and the results were there quickly. I felt better about myself, my choices, and my impact almost immediately. And I’m enjoying my food more than I ever have before.
