I have a confession to make. Since becoming vegan, I have put on a little bit of weight. I think. Maybe. Honestly, I don't really know how much I weighed when I started, but I don't feel awesome right now.
Luckily, I guess, I am completely aware of why this has happened. Prior to becoming vegan, the last thing I would have spent my free time doing was baking. Cooking, yes, baking, no.
I have been forced to face the fact that, just because its vegan, doesn't mean it is good for you. I think I just get all excited to find some new vegan thing, or try some vegan cookie recipe to see how it compares, and feel like its "good" just because it is animal-free. Vegan doesn't have to equal healthy. I know how to eat better than I am, and I should be. So, I am saying farewell to baking for awhile. This also involves not eating sugar after 8 because I have a hard time falling asleep when I do.
Pretend the following pictures are a video montage set to "Bye Bye Love" (Simon & Garfunkel):
Well, if you know the song, that may be a little overly dramatic, but you get the point.
I have to add one other thing to this cutback. Peanut butter. I think I just ate half a jar. I don't care if its good fat...too much of a good thing does exist.
Just to be clear, I'm not giving up any and all sugar, just going on a baking hiatus, and not eating sugar after 8. I'm not even giving up baked goods made elsewhere, I am taking a break from making a batch of cookies, and then eating them all because they're there. This has actually been going on for a week or so, and its going pretty well.
Does everyone have a three day weekend? Most of the schools around me have a winter break, but we don't. I'm actually pretty happy about it, because it means I get to spend more time at this school. I went to my first student teaching seminar today, and after listening to some other people talk, I think that I got really lucky, and I'm not looking forward to leaving.
I hope to get some kind of cooking done on my day off...at the very least, I need to actually buy some food. My refrigerator is eerily empty...I think I can hear an echo in there!
I COMPLETELY agree!! Its so easy to go overboard on the sugar. I can't bake because I know I'll end up eating most of it myself! I try to keep sugar out of my apartment and save it for special occasions-like going out for vegan ice cream! It sounds like you have a good plan-swearing off any and all sugar usually just ends up in a binge. Glad to hear it is going well so far!! {I love stevia} And I have to stop myself from buying peanut butter. I can seriously finish a jar in two days. Having Peanut butter and sugar in the apartment is like opening Pandora's box. Best of luck!!!
ReplyDeleteAww, I'm sorry your not feeling your best. I too have to take a break from baking as I can go overboard. That's when I eat more natural sugars or just more savory meals.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck!
I think it's good to take a baking hiatus every now and again. These days, I try to freeze half (or more!) of my baked goods when they are nice and fresh so I'm not tempted to eat it all in one go. A little while at room temperature and they are as good as if they've just come out of the oven. It helps, I think, to cut cakes/breads into single serving sizes before freezing, to further remove some temptation!
ReplyDeleteYeah, it seems like vegan and dessert have become synonymous! Looking forward to seeing some savory items on your blog :)
ReplyDeletegood luck on this baking hiatus! you can do it. <3
ReplyDeletedon't worry, in the past month since i've been back at school i've almost finished 3 jars of peanut butter. i'm kinda disturbed at myself, but i figure, once i'm done with all three, i won't buy any pb for a while, and then maybe during finals i'll get another jar haha...4 for a semester's not too bad! lol but yeah i feel you
ReplyDeleteI have this same baking addiction. I've managed to cut down to baking only a couple of times a month and when I do I feed most of it to other people. Sadly taking the weight off is a whole lot harder than it was to put it on :(.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your baking and sugar hiatus!
Gina, so glad you're enjoying your student teaching and that you got placed in a good school. I know friends that have horrible student teaching experiments causing them to totally freak out about their career choice. Hopefully, you find a permanent job that you love just as much!
ReplyDeleteBye-bye baking...and nut butter. :( You're not going to cut out the PB all together, are you?
More power to ya, but I'm siding with the peanut butter. The extra padding is keeping me warm this winter! Ha!
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your baking hiatus! I'll be sure to eat more goodies to make up for it! LOL I don't know if I could give them up.... eat less, yes, but hubby likes his treats too much. :)
ReplyDeleteHa! You saw my post too, so you know I've got a problem as well. Mine isn't so much gorging after the treats are all made...but it's eating while I'm baking. Testing, sampling, licking the bowl, you know.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I outta take a break, but I still REALLY need to develop the dessert section of my cookbook...which is the only section I've been putting off for this very reason.
I also have a beer problem. When I start drinking beer, I can't stop. I think I had 5 last night and that's what, about 1,000 calories! Yea, I think I'm gonna work on that.
Good luck!
Okay, first off...I never said I was giving up treats! I just said I was taking a break from making them myself. In fact, my brother and I are going a road trip tomorrow...him to go to Sonic (?), me to go to a vegan bakery. Cake will be consumed...and it'll taste even better knowing that I won't regret it later because I ate an entire cake. That's all that I mean.
ReplyDeletePB...I'm not giving it up altogether, but it is too hard for me to have a jar of it in the house. They sell little squeezy packs at the store I go to, so I might get some of them. I still adore my PB, we just "need some space", haha.
Oh, and I would totally bake more if I had people to pawn it off on. I *could* bring stuff to school, but everyone I am friends with there is doing this Biggest Loser competition, and they'd be mad if I brought in baked goods all the time!! This is better for me anyway :)
All this being said, I am hoping for carrot cake tomorroe :D
good sweet lord...hehehe lots of sweet cuties there you've got alright!
ReplyDeleteeh don't know why i never gravitate towards sweet & sara products. one fine day i guess....