Project Vegformation

It's amazing how fast an idea can come together. Just yesterday, I decided to document my journey transitioning from a junk food vegetarian to a whole food plant based vegan, and now here I am writing! I tried lots of different domain names and finally settled on vegformation.com to link to this blog. I like that name. I see the big vision of it becoming a transformation community using the
vegetarian lifestyle. I like to dream big and believe that we should all dare to dream big! That's my theme for the year, DARE TO DREAM 2015.

My next step is to create a website and write an ebook to get subscribers. I want to help as many people as I can along the way. The only thing I picture "selling" is a book or two and being an
affiliate for products that are helping me make my vegformation. I just ordered an Excalibur dehydrator and can't wait to learn how to use it to make healthy snacks.

I also like the name because it will be easy to hashtag. #vegformation. I also need to create a Facebook page, set up my email, and twitter. I may have the Facebook page direct to my Twitter feed instead of creating a new Twitter account. I don't really want to change my Twitter name either, but I may if it becomes something of enough interest. This is how my mind always works when I get a new idea. The first thing I do is find a domain name, then start putting things in place to make it
happen.

Transforming my life and helping others get healthy and live their best life is something I'm truly passionate about. I believe God has led me on this path. I believe it's the reason I have been so overweight all my life and struggled so much to lose the weight. It seems to all be leading to this moment in time.

My only regret is that it didn't happen sooner so I could have enjoyed life more. I feel like I have sat on the sidelines of life for most of my life, observing instead of participating in life. It has still been a mostly beautiful journey simply because I choose to focus on the good things and let the bad things go, not let them have a grip on my soul. I have managed to do this through faith and writing.

Now, I believe it's time to make a transformation and I will do that by getting good information and surrounding myself with positive people who want to help me or join me on my journey. I see Vegformation becoming this safe haven for people who are looking to transform their life in a gentle way, one step at a time, in a supportive environment with resources in the form of people, places and things (thanks to Bruce Fowler and his daily vlog that reaffirms positives message every day
including the surround yourself with positive people, places, things concept) that will help us cut through the clutter and confusion that permeates the "diet" industry.

But, first I must walk my talk. I have at least a hundred reasons for doing this vegformation. I may write a post listing them all someday! Aside from wanting to get healthy myself and be an example to myself, my family and others, especially the over 50 crowd that it's never too late to transform your life, I have always wanted to make a positive difference in people's lives. It has been my mission for as long as I can remember. I believe Vegformation will fill this mission in ways I cannot yet imagine. I am excited to take the journey. I hope people who want to get healthy and who are curious about the whole food, plant-based lifestyle join me. I have a feeling that this idea has been a long time coming and will extend beyond the seven months I have committed to. We will see.

I like writing first thing in the morning when there are no distractions. It helps me stay focused. I still hear the TV in the background, but I can usually tune it out. I just heard someone on TV say people can sit at a computer and support their family. That is what I want to do, but I don't want to make money online by selling information about making money online, that just doesn't feel authentic to me. I have always steered away from doing that because I have always felt like God has something much bigger in mind for me to do. I know it involves writing and getting out of my comfort zone by sharing my vulnerabilities.

My weight has always been a vulnerability to me. I have always been self-conscious about it for as long as I can remember, even when I was a teenager and would love to now be the size I was when I was a teenager. I cannot wait for the day I say, "I haven't been this size since I was 18!" I was in a size 16 when I was 18 and weighed about 175 lbs. I think that's when I first started weighing myself.

I have thought a lot about the "weight" thing. I have gotten bogged down by that so many times on my weight loss and wellness journeys. I wasn't going to weigh in but twice during this vegformation challenge, but I think I may weigh in and measure once a month and it is what it is. I will also use other forms of measurement with the main ones being how much ENERGY I have and how my clothes fit me. Right now my energy is a 2, up from a 1 on a scale of 10 and most of my clothes are very snug, no wiggle room. Granted most of the clothes I'm wearing were donated to me after the
fire last August where I lost all my belongings, so it wasn't clothes I tried on to begin with, but it's still the size I'm in which is 24-26. I weighed in a couple days ago at 315.

I am not focused on "losing weight" with this challenge. I am focused on ENERGY! Energy is my word of the year. I always like to create a word of the year to focus on. It's sort of like when you get a new car and start seeing the same make and model everywhere. The word ENERGY is already showing up in places and ways I could not have imagined. Everything I do, I ask myself if it will make me have more energy or help energize others. If the answer is no, I don't do it. If the answer is yes, I want to do it consistently!

Words in past years have included FAITH, BELIEVE, TRANSFORMATION and CONSISTENCY. Consistency was my word last year and it was one of my toughest words to live up to. I felt like I was consistently inconsistent. But now I see I was consistent at a couple things, faith being one and this mission to transform my life being the other one. I didn't feel like I was making much progress in the moment, but now I see that a lot was happening on the inside to prepare me for this vegformation, this leap of faith.

I have so much to say on this topic. I can't wait to share what helps me on this journey. But, for now, I must focus on my other priority which is EXERCISE. I am committed to moving my body every day. Ideally, I would like to go for a walk if the weather permits. I ordered a coat online and once it arrives, I will start walking outside. I got one that is long and extra warm so I won't be using the "it's too cold to walk" excuse. The only time I will workout inside is when the walkway is covered in ice or if it is storming. In that case, I will just use an exercise DVD. I am using the mantra that Chef AJ and John Pierre reiterate in their 30 Day Unprocess Challenge DVD which is "Eat Your Greens and Move Your Body". That is what will drive my vegformation! I believe repetition is a vital key to transformation, especially if it is something short and catchy that you can repeat to yourself even after you hear it several times. "Surround yourself with positive resources in the form of people places and things" and "Eat your greens, move your body" is something I say to myself all the time in addition to hearing it over and over again. You have to do something simple like this to flip the mental switch on so your brain receptors can make the connections necessary for positive change and transformation.

"If you really want to find the time to do something, you will find the time to do it." I just heard Joyce Meyer say that on the TV playing in the background. She is talking about a 3030 Challenge to study the word of God for 30 minutes every day for 30 days. I think I'll make that part of my vegformation too.

Here I go, taking a leap of faith off of the cliff of mediocrity to soar with eagles in the clear sky of infinite possibilities. Will I fall to the ground for the gazillionth time or spread my wings and fly? Time will tell. Stay tuned!