Why I'm Going Back to Vegetarianism

I've done my research, and pleaded the case for veganism for the last nine months. And while it has been rewarding mentally and emotionally, it has  been extremely challenging for some other reasons.

• Veganism is expensive
• It requires a lot of meal preparation and time
• If you don't enjoy cooking, it gets monotonous
• Regardless of whether you hit your protein intake or not, your carbohydrates are very difficult to control

I like being vegan and I truly stand for all of the ethical beliefs it entails. However, I have reached a point where I have difficulty getting in all of my protein without going overboard on my carbohydrates which is making it difficult to keep my weight down where it needs to be. Is it doable? Yes, absolutely. However, I don't like cooking, I'm not willing to spend $15.00 a meal at Whole Foods for premade items and frankly, I don't have the time it takes to prepare these meals even if I did enjoy being in the kitchen.

I want to make it a point that it is very possible to live a vegan lifestyle and still meet your nutrient needs, I truly believe this. However, I, personally, am not going to be doing a good job of that anytime soon. I simply cannot put in the discipline, time and energy it takes at this point in my life.  I still envision myself making some vegan substitutions such as almond milk instead of regular milk for example, but I plan to start including some eggs, cheese, whey protein and vegetarian meats back into my diet.

I have been a vegetarian for eight years now and do not ever see myself straying away from the lifestyle. However, I think veganism for me, at this point, is just not doable. With my current lifestyle, I need to be able to grab things on the go and cannot constantly exceed my calorie and carbohydrate intake in order to get in all the protein I need as an athlete who is not going to be out of the gym anytime soon. There are plenty of vegan sources of protein, but they either require more time/money to prepare, or are high in carbohydrates and/or calories.  

The best thing I will take away from my experience as a veganism as far as diet goes- is the importance of plants in every single meal. Plant based foods are so powerful, and they truly can be used as medicine to both prevent and cure disease. I plan to continue to try and revolve my meals around plants, while adding some lean vegetarian proteins back into the mix. Compassion is still very important to me and making conscious decisions in my lifestyle is still a priority, and I truly believe it always will be.