Healthy Vegan Challenge Goals

Veggies for a Healthy Vegan Challenge

I recently joined the Facebook group called the Healthy Vegan Challenge, which is hosted by the amazing blogger Carrie Forrest from Carrie on Vegan. The point of the Facebook group is to create a support network for those wanting to follow a whole food, plant-based diet. The group promotes 6-week challenges where you set up goals and are supported to obtain them through this network of like-minded individuals.

The most recent challenge started a week ago. I’ve been meaning to put my goals for the 6 weeks on the Facebook page, but realized they are kind of long-winded so I’m writing a blog post about it instead. You don’t have to be vegan to join the group, so feel free to request an invitation to be a member. The people on there are inspiring; they’ve already motivated me to be the best person I can be and to live a super healthy lifestyle. I’ve posted my goals below and I’ll write a follow-up post once the challenge is complete. I encourage you to share your goals for the future in my comment section or join the Facebook group!

Alison’s Goals for the Healthy Vegan Challenge

1. Read Eat to Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. My husband read it recently which helped him become a healthy vegan, stabilize his blood pressure and lose a considerable amount of weight. This book has been life-altering for my husband. He has been on 10 mg of Bystolic for his hypertension for 3+ years now and the doctor last told him that he’d be on that medicine for life. A life sentence of daily medication. He wasn’t ready to commit to that kind of jail time so we watched documentaries and read books on how to make a major change. Our research finally led us to Dr. Fuhrman’s book. Since he’s finished reading the book, he’s gone to the doctor who lowered him to 5 mg of the meds. If he has as low of blood pressure as he did this last visit in 4 weeks, he can come off of it! Amazing!! So, although I don’t have any health concerns I’m excited to read this book so I can gain more insight on how to cook and eat more whole foods, and live a healthy lifestyle. Carrie’s blog and philosophy on food stems from Dr. Fuhrman’s books, which is one of the reasons I love this Facebook group.
2. Stop comparing myself to others. Something I’ve done my whole life that I’m always trying to improve. Why can’t I run a 9 minute mile like so and so? Why aren’t I as skinny as so and so? Why aren’t I as put together and accomplished as so and so? These are questions that have plagued my mind at some time or another. It’s stupid and childish, and it needs to end. I’m me and no one else, and I should be OK with that. As Oscar Wilde once said, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” These are words that I want to abide by so I can become confident and strong, which leads me to my next goal.
3. Become strong. I started running again recently after a several month hiatus caused by a leg injury. I want to become a healthy, strong runner again. I also want to just shed some of this excess body fat to get to my optimal level of athleticism. I know I’m not overweight by any means, however it would be nice to strengthen my core and gain more muscle mass to become more powerful within my own body. This goal goes hand in hand with the next one…
4. Run 6 miles by the end of this challenge. I’ve gotten up to 4.5 miles again but I want to run a 10K by the end of this challenge. For someone who was training for half marathons for a year and a half, and participating in 2 half marathons in one year, it’s a shock to barely be able to run 3 miles. I need to work on my patience and understand I’m still healing from my injury. So, I think getting my mileage up to 6 miles by the end of this 6 weeks is challenging yet practical.
5. Help others as they inquire about veganism and living a healthy lifestyle. I’ve become impatient with others at times when they ask me where I get my protein. I get agitated that people don’t have the knowledge about the food they ingest on a daily basis. But I have to remind myself that I was there once. I’ve been that person asking questions about what the vegan is going to eat without eggs and bacon for breakfast. I hope I can enlighten others as I was at one time. I hope other people feel comfortable enough to approach me to ask for information they need to make their transformation.

So there you have it. My 5 goals for the next few weeks. I feel like I’ve already done a decent job this first week, but I’ll keep you all posted. Now, off to cook some kale!