How To Return To Vegan Life, After Taking A Break…
Sometimes we fall off!
Here are some tips and affirmations to help you get back on the vegan wagon
Did you try going vegan, then abandon ship? Sometimes we fall off! It happens to the best of us: You’ve got a good healthy eating routine going then boom~someone brings doughnuts or pizza to the conference room and blows your whole spot up! Maybe life is lifeing, and you start leaning hard into those unhealthy snacks. Been there! It took me about 3 years (of rebounding) before I fully committed to a vegan lifestyle.
I remember the first time that I tried to go vegan…and failed. It sucked! I not only felt like I was letting myself down, but also my family down, even if they didn’t know it at the time. It was a season where I was juggling multiple jobs and cooking multiple meals at home, and it simply didn’t work at that time.
But I didn’t give up! After doing more research about veg life, making some fab life changes, I knew that the time was right to try again…and this time it stuck!
Affirmation:
When I nourish my body with life-giving foods, I feel alive!
Getting back on track with plant-based eating can be a wonderful way to show kindness to ourselves as busy moms. Plus, going vegan increases our energy, boosts our immune system, and improves our overall digestive health. Yes to all three! If you’re struggling to get back on the vegan wagon after a detour, or hopping on for the first time, try these tips:
Define your why: Vegan life isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle that comes with lots of benefits, AND oftentimes challenges you to think deeper about your choices-from what you eat to the products that you use. Keeping your why in tact is key. Reconnect with your reasons for choosing a vegan lifestyle and see if they hold up.
Get an Accountability Partner: Find someone who is just starting their journey and will help you along. Share your transition challenges and wins!
Get your meals in order: Find 2-3 easy-to-make vegan recipes, try them out with your family and put them in your weekly meal rotation. Add in more vegan meals as you move along. Vegan meal delivery services can also help on days when you’re tight on time!
Watch a Documentary: Still on the fence about vegan life? Try watching What the Health, Cowspiracy, The Game Changers, and Live to 100: Secrets of The Blue Zones (on Netflix). I promise you won’t look at things the same, and will likely be more hyped to make sustainable choices.
Prioritize Sleep: We can thank sleep deprivation for a lot of our faulty food choices, (when we’re tired it affects hunger related hormones, increasing cravings). When we sleep better, we’re more equipped to make more mindful food choices. Grab one of my lavender filled vegan sleep masks to maximize your rest/combat sleep interruptions from our plant-based wellness shop!
Affirmation:
I deserve to take the time to nourish myself.
BTW, here are some things to STOP doing to make the process smoother:
STOP Being Hard on Yourself: Did you go vegan for 30 days, then ditch it? It’s all good. Bury the shame and clap for your progress. Congratulate yourself for taking steps to make change. Don’t be afraid to start over again.
Stop trying to hack the system: Cutting out carbs, going on an oddball liquid diet, or skipping meals will only leave you feeling hungrier (and more irked). Fill up on whole, leafy, non-processed foods. Allow some treats, for the sake of being human :) Log your meals in a food journal for accountability.
Stop comparing yourself: To strangers on social media, to the pre-baby you, to the wedding you, to the college you. Just stop! Embrace the ‘Today You’ and thank her for getting you this far. Go Barbie!
Stop overcomplicating recipes. On average plant-based meals take 10-15 minutes less to make! Think plant protein, good carb + veggie. Keep it simple.
When all else fails~stop neglecting SSHM! (Sleep-sun-hydration-movement). Works wonders!
I found that the worst thing that I could do during my off season was beat myself up about it. As moms, we’re quick to play the self-shame game and promptly punish ourselves when we fall off track. If you’ve fallen off and find yourself piling on the guilt, stopppp!
There are simple tools to get on the good foot with clean, vegan eating. Affirmations are one of them. When paired with grace and solid action, affirmations can be transformative. They help us exercise neuroplasticity, allowing our brain to rewire our thoughts.
Affirmation:
I am thankful and thriving.
Here are 12 affirmations to support you in returning to clean/plant-based eating. Feel free to say a few of them out loud, whenever you need to reaffirm your commitment to plant-based eating:
I deserve to take the time to nourish myself.
When I nourish my body with life-giving foods, I feel alive!
When I drink water it clears my mind, hydrates my body and skin
I am glowing and growing.
When I eat plant-based foods, I am cleansing my body and filling it up with good energy.
Healing looks good on me. Healing feels good on me!
Plant-based life is an easy life.
I am grateful for the whole foods that I share with my family.
I am thankful and thriving.
I bless this food and my body with love.
My body vibrates good health. My food is healing me.
When I honor my body with plant based foods, I feel good. I feel God.
What helps you get back on track with clean or plant-based eating when you fall off?
Thanks for reading! For more resources for busy moms who want to lead healthier, plant-based lives: Follow me @getmommafied on Instagram, and subscribe to my bimonthly Mommafied Note.