One of the things I feel has made me successful with starting out vegan, was planning out all my meals for the week. If you have a cookbook or a website you follow, choosing a few meals for the week is the best plan! It helps reduce the thought of cheating, because you already have all the food you were planning on cooking for the rest of the week. If you have a busy schedule where it is hard for you to cook during the week, they have options for freezer friendly or you can cook one big meal for the week and have different kinds of salads in between to change it up a bit.
My schedule fluctuates, having to work 10-hour shifts minimum with crazy hours going from 2-12 to waking up and doing a 9-7 also having a 5-year-old I am dealing with can get quite crazy. My boyfriend helps me out a lot, so if there is a day where I do not have time to come home and cook, he will pick up something simple and quick that we can eat for dinner. I am not the biggest fan of salads. I enjoy all the toppings to put on it but eating leaves can get old for me quick. We do simple easy dishes on days where we do not have time to plan. We will share these in our blog as we make them. Some of these meals include just having baked potatoes with some good toppings, such as: guacamole, salsa, vegan sour cream, and chives. Vegan stir-fry with veggies and stir fry noodles. Mexican tacos or tostadas which are simple and delicious vegan choices. They are so many different options to choose from.
Whatever you are dealing with in life, these are some easy ways to change your diet and not have to worry about non-healthy eating. It is possible for anyone who is ready and willing to make the change. I was the last person who I thought this would be possible for, and now I am almost to my target weight which is 130. Just from eating the right foods I was able to make it happen, and I believe it is possible for everyone.
-Katie