Calories??

I've received a few emails asking about the calories so felt I should explain it more here. First of all I'm a vegan for ethical reasons, I don't want anyone thinking as I post the calories that I went vegan just to lose weight. Not that there is anything wrong with that, the more the merrier! It's just that the ethical side is very important to me....and as you can tell by what I eat I'm clearly not a "health vegan" ;-)

I started counting calories a few years after my son was born. I was vegetarian at the time and put on quite a bit of weight during the pregnancy and even more afterwards. When he was about 3 in 2005 I finally put my mind to it and lost 76 pounds, yup, told you I packed it on!! I did this through lots of walking but also by simply counting my calories so I knew exactly how much I was eating and burning off.

Once I reached my goal weight I continued to count the calories as I simply like to know and I actually don't mind doing it, in fact, I enjoy it (not like most people then!) Plus, as someone who cooks and bakes a lot and clearly loves food I can easily eat at a weight gaining level so it helps keep me in check :-)

I easily stayed at around my goal weight for years, while vegetarian and then while vegan but I then had a bad lupus flare up which meant my medication got increased. A medication that can and does cause increased appetite. I then slowly started putting a bit more on and I've spent most of last year losing that, 25 pounds to be precise, as the medication has since been dropped again. I am however always on this medication so again, counting helps me control that.

When I started this blog I was in the middle of wanting to lose the last 5 pounds and that's why the calories at the start of the blog are low. When I'm trying to lose weight I aim for around 1500 calories a day, or 1200 a day if I'm in a rush, lol. If I'm at my goal weight I eat around 1800 - 2000, as that's what I aim for to maintain my weight.

I'm personally much happier at my goal weight and feel I am healthier this way which is of great benefit to my lupus.

I also like to post the calories as I find with vegan eating that when you list everything you've had in a day like I do here it can look like you've had a LOT of food but in fact your calories are very reasonable - one of the many joys and bonuses of being vegan! So I feel it helps put it all into perspective :-)