Posted by: Denisha Jovon

If you’ve heard of the 22 Day Vegan Diet, then you’re keen on claims that veganism is the way to go to shed extra pounds in just a few weeks. Celebs, like Beyoncé & J.Lo swear by the program developed by their exercise physiologist, Marco Borges. Well, as you may have read in my previous blog I took on the challenge, not to drop weight, but to gain healthier eating habits. Instead of purchasing the official 22 Day Meal Plan, I opted to prepare my own vegan friendly meals! So, here’s the scoop on my 22 days of awesome.

Life In The Kitchen
This has surely been 22 days full of cooking. I’ve never cooked so much in my life! I found it a little challenging to find ways to stick to being vegan while grabbing a quick bite. Finding fast food items that comply with my diet has been nearly impossible! One could only eat but so many fries. I tried opting for garden (cheese-less) version of a salad from a chicken spot for lunch one day. It sounds perfect, right? Well, apparently bacon is also grown in a garden. Imagine my disappointment (I has to pick out all the bacon bits)! Fruit bowls and veggie/fruit smoothies have been my best friends as far as quickie foods go. I also found two awesome vegan recipe book that I love!

Learning to Love Tofu

Oh, tofu, tofu, tofu! I’m not a newbie to tofu by any means. I love miso soup, which usually comes with tiny squares of tofu in it. If you’ve never tried tofu before, the texture is quite soft. I’ve been using “extra firm” tofu in my meals in the place of meat. You really have to get used to it, but it’s not bad at all. It’s simple to cut, season and toss into any meal you’d like! There’s is a firmer type of tofu than the “extra firm” that I’ve been using, but I haven’t been able to find it in any store I’ve been to. The type of tofu I’ve been using comes in square dish with water in it to keep it from drying out, I suppose. I suspect that the other tofu (which doesn’t come packaged in water) has a texture much more similar to meat. So, if texture turns you away from eating certain things, you might want to try the latter. Also if the white blocks turn you off completely, there are fully seasoned tofu alternatives!

My 22 Day Gains
To those of you who may want to try this for weight loss purposes, I truly don’t think that dieting for 22 days is an adequate way to do so. I’ve been on a weight-loss/health journey for about 2 years. Though, I continue to lose inches, I can’t say that the past 22 days have been any more significant to my weight-loss, really.  I work out for roughly an 1hr & 30mins 4 to 5 days a week which is a major contributor to my results. Healthy weight-loss takes time and dedication. You must remain mindful of the things you put into you body; everything you take in has an effect.

So, to sum up my experience as a vegan, I absolutely love it. It really has helped me make smarter food choices. I have fun creating new dishes and deserts. I don’t feel heavy or bloated as often as I did before. 22 days wasn’t quite long enough for me, so, I think I’ll continue this vegan lifestyle and see where it take me!