Vegan - Am I off my Rocker?

Because it is more than likely that no more than two people read this blog, I’m going to air my thoughts on my most recent conversion. If anyone does read it, feel free to let me know if I’m off my rocker.


So I think I understand why people decide to go vegan and I think I might try the same.

This is could be huge change for me, just ask Lisa. I’ve always been one of those people who complained about not having enough meat on the dinner table. Just for reference, when we first got married, we used a one .lb block of ground beef for dinner in spaghetti, tacos, or you name the casserole. Now that we house six people, we still use a one .lb block of ground beef. I used to complain habitually about how, “a man needs more meat” and would even make suggestions by occasionally coming home with a few steaks (somewhat like a man coming home from a deer hunt).

You are probably saying, “here goes Ezra again”, but honestly, I think I have good reason. As I’ve upped my exercise routine with longer miles, faster tempos, and increased frequency, I tend to listen to my body more often.

Figure it out, if I’m about to go ride a bike for two hours, I have to manage what I eat for several hours before so I don’t have a brick in my stomach. Then while I ride, the last thing I want is to see that big hill and realize the energy isn’t there to get up it. Even worse, sometimes I ride out in the sticks or through the middle of town. If things start to,… um, “flow” either way, then I’ve got to act fast or it won’t be pretty. Then what about that next scheduled workout? Something has to give me some juice and let me go again.

Call it the pains of doing triathlons, but I love the way a good workout makes me feel for days afterward, so of course, I want to push myself again, and again, and again…What? You can’t find AJ and when was the last time I saw her? er, uh, yesterday? j/k

Of all the foods I’ve stashed in my bag for lunch, nothing quite does it like nuts, fruits, vegetables. My kids regularly tease me that I eat “nuts and berries” for lunch and on more than one occasion a sly little fox (Natalie) has slipped a peanut butter sandwich into my lunch bag. But the more I eat grains or meat, the more I feel like just sitting down and watching TV. They both still taste great and fill me up, but sometimes I wonder if my recovery after a meal really should be as long as my recovery have a 6 mile run on a hot day.

One could ask, “Is it a weight thing?” No, not really. If you have seen me lately, it certainly isn’t about weight. You can still count my ribs and my body fat is lower than ever, so if anything I’m concerned about being that skinny guy at work who everyone thinks has a disease. I’ve tried to gain muscle (or fat), but apparently it just isn’t my thing.

Can you really eat fruits and vegetables all day and not be hungry? To be honest, I can’t sit down to a fully compostable meal of twigs, but I can pick at fruits and veggies all day and stay perfectly content. Twenty minutes after I throw down some wheat thins or a ham sandwich I get that bloated, stuffy feeling that says, “relax, you’ve worked hard and need a break, how about some chips?” Wheat intolerance? Not likely, I’ve even tried just a few slices of any given meat. It all does the same.

So if do become a full blown granola, I’ll still eat my dairy, take a multivitamin, and grab a bite of the occasional whatever, but don’t be surprised if you see me microwaving an occasional sweet potato at the office during lunch.

And by the way, don’t even get me started on sugar. When I stop by the candy bowl at someone’s desk around 3:00, the rest of my day is ruined because all I can think about is eating more sugar or chocolate. The addicting habit of an afternoon candy bar has almost ruined me more than once.

(And yes Lisa, this fad will more than likely pass sometime as well.)