There comes a time (more often than not) when you will be tested with your commitment to a Vegan diet. Full disclosure – -unfortunately, this will never go away. It does, however get easier as you become mentally stronger. The goal is to know ahead of time how to avoid it or deal with it and not succumb to it. It’s the same with any other goal in life. Here are just a few that I deal with more times than I care to admit. I’ll go into more detail about each and how I combat Vegan Sabotagers in future posts.
- Poor Planning: This is number one for a reason. It just about applies to each subsequent sabotager/trigger. This of course pertains to your meals/meal preparation. Don’t let poor planning set you up for failure.
- Alcohol aka Kryptonite: When you consume too much of it at a social gathering, it may invoke the need to scope out the cheese tray. Know your limit. Mine is about 2 glasses of the red stuff.
- Nostalgia: These are childhood favorites you grew up enjoying. For me, this would include: Doritos, grilled cheese sandwiches, spaghetti loaded with Parmesan cheese, Caesar salad, etc. Are you starting to see a pattern here?
- My Kids: Bless their little hearts. They enjoy being little chefs and guilting you into a taste test of their latest non-Vegan gourmet.
- Parents and Grandparents: When you’re visiting the family, it’s hard to resist the tasty family classics you grew up on. So avoid #5 by avoiding #1.
- Skipping Meals: This is a no-no even for an omnivore. Sudden hunger is like a hurricane – – it’s quiet, then comes out of nowhere and strikes you.
- Too Much of a Time-lapse Between Meals: Snacks are our friends.
- Busy Mom Syndrome aka Motherhood: You’re so busy that you don’t even notice that you haven’t had a thing to eat, nor do you have time to cook for yourself because you are always taking care of everyone else. So, you also don’t notice that you just took a bite of the wasted chicken nugget that Junior left on his plate. Again, you can avoid #8 by avoiding #1. You can also click here and try these 30 Quick Meal Ideas.
- Stress, Stress, and more Stress: When you’re feeling like you are on the brink of imploding, you may slip-up. Do some yoga, take a nap, or do something fun to keep this one at bay.
- Sleep Deprivation: This has been known to cause overeating and poor food selection, according to some studies. When I’m sleepy and cranky, I am more likely to cheat. This affected me more in the very beginning of my transition. Now, if I’m sleep deprived, I end up carb-loading.
- Road Trips: Again with #1. Don’t get caught on the road with nothing to eat. It makes for a miserable car-ride. Keep the snacks in tow.
- Family Cook-outs: Hel-lo, #1.
- The Movie Theater: What’s a movie without popcorn? The aroma alone gets me gung-ho for the latest blockbuster. Newsflash – – traditional movie-theater popcorn is not Vegan. Although they may not add liquid butter, there is still that butter flavoring that comes on those mouthwatering kernels automatically. Sneak your own in, but you didn’t hear that from me.
- Sickness: When you’re sick, you just want anything that will stay down or make you feel remotely better. Hopefully that won’t be a can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup.
- Co-workers: These folks can sometimes be one of your biggest antagonists. If you stay persistent, they’ll see that you mean serious business when another cube-mate is celebrating with another birthday cake and you politely decline. They will eventually come to respect your choices.
Face it – –YOU, yes Y-O-U are your biggest sabotager, no one else.
So, click here and find success with my 12 Tips For Making a Vegan Transition and avoid getting “caught up.”
Who or what are your sabotagers/triggers?
