All about the convenient vegan

I am a grandmother of one boy, mother of two women, companion of three cats. I have been a vegetarian for over 25 years and a vegan for over one. I admit to slipping now and then, eating ice cream or cheese, but much less so than when I first went vegan.

I am also a fat vegan. It is possible to be fat and also healthy and to some extent I am. I don't exercise enough, though. If I stayed with a simple regular exercise program I would call myself healthy at whatever weight, because when I exercise my blood pressure drops (it isn't high now but higher than I like), I am more flexible, I am happier. I don't have any life-threatening diseases, but I am susceptible to migraines and I have severe arthritis. If I exercised more both of these would cause me less difficulty. To me, that's health enough.

I like challenges, challenges I feel I can do, challenges that might make me healthier or better in some way. The month of vegan meals is a challenge for me, to document everything I eat in a month. Taking pictures is fun for me, and it will give me pause. Do I really want that cracker? Am I ready to see that carton of soy ice cream on this site? I see the challenge as a way to eat more healthily because I will eat more consciously and less emotionally. And I see it as a way to show the world what this vegan eats.

My first month: October 2008. BUT already I screwed up. I have no photos of my morning eating. I will move on from there, though.