This year I decided to go vegetarian for the first three months of the year. I’m not doing it to lose weight, and my family is still eating the same as before. I have had some stomach troubles for almost over a year, and I thought that changing my diet to lacto-ovo vegetarian might just help me out.

I stuck to it, and I really am feeling so much better. Here’s a little overview of the last three months.

January: I’m Hungry, my stomach hurts, and I am sick of washing dishes!

When I told my family that I was going back to vegetarianism, they wern’t too excited about it. This is my third stint with vegetarianism, and my hubby wanted to know if I was still going to cook. If anything I was going to cook more than ever. I made family favorites for the meat eaters, and made different dishes for me.

I’ll be honest, the first two weeks were ROUGH! I was hungry all the time, and my stomach wasn’t quite used to all of the ‘ahem “new fiber” that I was consuming. I also had a pretty evil migraine during the second week of the mass veggie intake, and hello nausea, I couldn’t eat a thing. I really questioned rather (or not) I had made a good decision.

By week two, I added in Greek Yogurt, and daily probiotics to help.

I adapted some favorite meals to fit with the vegetarianism, and I went straight to the internet to find some new recipes.

Before I knew it, I made it through the first month, and my stomach had adjusted a bit. I wasn’t as hungry, and I had already noticed that my palette was changing. I wasn’t really craving sweets, but going more towards savory and spicy. My family was o.k. with it too, once they realized that they didn’t have to join me.

February: Lent, Birthday’s, and savings

Month two. I was enjoying cooking new recipes, eating fresh veggies, and staying under budget when I went to the grocery store.

O.k. so one of my favorite things is to stock up on beans, rice, and edamame. I can get all of my proteins for under $5.00, and I’m set for the month.

Also the freezer is my friend. Sundays I usually make a big dinner for my family. At the same time I made a batch of soup, pasta salad, or roast some veggies. I portion everything into little dishes, and off to the freezer. Then I have lunch, and quick dinners for the week.

Did I mention that I love soup, oh and my family doesn’t. Now I can make a big batch for me, and it freezes well too. This batch of Barley Vegetable was really tasty.

When it was time for Lent, I decided to give up Dr Pepper and Crunchy Cheetos. I still made a birthday cake for myself though.

By the end of the second month, the extra dish washing wasn’t bothering me as much as before. I was also learning to make some flipping deliciously tasty dishes.

Gooey Grilled Cheese on Homemade Wheat Bread

Hello Homemade Hummus

Going through the second month was easier. I was no longer experiencing tummy troubles, but I sure did miss Dr Pepper.

March: I’m going to make it, What’s that feeling in my head, and good-bye heartburn

March arrived, and I was going to make it! I was having a blast trying out new recipes, and still seeing some serious savings in the grocery budget. My family also was a little more on board, I even got the kids to try a few new dishes, and my hubby said that he was proud of me for sticking to my goal.

I have to admit, it was getting really easy to stay with the veggie change, and the homemade food was tasty. The lighter dishes had helped my heartburn disappear.

So about a week into March was when I realized that my head wasn’t hurting. I didn’t have any bad reactions to giving up on soda, and I wasn’t getting the weekly migraines. Usually I can get a migraine from sunlight, weather, noise, lack of sleep, and stress, and none of those had happened. I was pretty shocked…I have had troubles with migraines since I was ten, so a few months off was fantastic.

Another thing that I started noticing was just how much our food waste had diminished. I was using up all of the fresh foods first, and sneaking in a lot of fruits and veggies into my family meals. I also made meats stretch by making smaller meals for the family. That again really helped with the grocery budget.

April: Four months going strong, Hello Easter!, and dairy?

So I’m starting my fourth month, and I’m thinking of becoming a vegan for the Summer. I’m lactose intolerant, and I also have an egg allergy. I picked lacto-ovo vegetarianism so I could still bake and enjoy dairy. I have to use lactose free products, or take Lactaid any time that I eat dairy. It really has me thinking, do I really need dairy, if I’m allergic to it…

Also I broke down and am back on the Dr Pepper train, I did make it the forty days and nights, but realized that it was easier to give up meat than it was Dr Pepper.

So what did I learn through this little experiment? Let’s start with the bad, the strange, and wrap it up with the surprisingly good.

The bad, seriously that first month was tough. My stomach really wasn’t cooperating, and I was seriously hungry. But I adjusted my schedule, ate fresh fruits and nuts when I was really hungry, and my stomach did eventually adjust to the extra fiber.

Another bad, meat/chicken/pork/fish/even eggs really grosses me out now. Just the smell of them raw or cooking turns my stomach, but I still cook them for my family. I just leave the room and take a deep breath when I’m feeling a bit wonky.

The strange. I crave the occasional drink. I’ve never been much of a drinker, and beer always grossed me out. Month two into this experiment, and I was thinking that a beer with bean burritos seemed like a good idea. I also learned how to make a tasty gin and tonic, and have one or two of those a week. I have no idea just why it is, but it is what it is.

I also had to eliminate all fried foods from my diet. The oil just rips me apart, and the stomachache just isn’t worth it.

The surprisingly good… My hair is thicker, shinier, and my nails are growing like crazy. I’ve also lost ten pounds, and my heartburn/acid reflux problems have disappeared. My migraines have lessened (I still get the hormonal ones), and that is just awesome!

So like I said before I’m thinking about going vegan for the Summer months, and see if I can feel even better. I’ve been really pleased with the changes so far, and like I said earlier I’m much happier in the kitchen.