I have read lots of fitness magazines; the whole veganism thing was something I saw to be impossible around first. But my friend, Dora's love for reading anything fitness got me interested in seeing magic. I grew up in a family where we see protein as the most necessary as far as a balanced diet is concerned. My mom dare not cook without the use of meat and fish. Her low-budget food comes with only meat. The value we place on protein was so much that we got so addicted to eating meat. I hardly think I can pass a suya stand without stopping by to make a purchase for myself.
This kept happening till I met Dora in my final year at the university. Dora was the one that revived my zeal for flipping through magazines. She was also a fan of fitness and fashion. Her taste for good looks got the best of me, and I felt I needed to do all she was doing to stay fit. I decided to give it a try.
I joined her in the vegan journey. The start was not fun at all. It was like I was in another world, tasting food without any protein. No eating of chicken, barbecue, suya, and everything meat and fish. When I visited my uncle, they served me pepper soup and rice. I opened it, and the temptation to smash the meal was calling, but then I didn't want to spoil our fitness goal and go back to my old ways.
I told my uncle's wife I was going vegan, and she stared at me like I was speaking an unknown dialect. "Do you understand what that means? No eating of meat, chicken, eggs, and fish too." She shouted. I responded, letting her know I understood what that meant, and that was how she carried the food away laughing hilariously at me.
Eating out became something difficult in all restaurants. After two months of consistency with Dora, I noticed changes in my body, the light weight
I was happy, and I promised myself to continue. But my taste buds won't want to play along when I'm passing a suya stand, get the aroma of fish, or see someone eating an egg. I remember one time I entered a restaurant with my boyfriend, and I suffered trying to explain how I needed vegetable soup without any dairy products. She was staring at me like, Who can cook vegetable soup without meat?
The lady was advising I should taste it since it was just small goat meat she would put for me. I had to go for just something else. To avoid looking weird, I made cooking at home my hobby. I had to learn from Dora and started cooking with mostly veggies. The effort I made trying to cook vegetable soup at home without meat and fish was disastrous.
The truth remains, I do see myself falling back during festive periods when there are lots of delicious meat and chicken. The aroma is always inviting that I can't avoid. Breaking the rule is inevitable as far as Christmas and the New Year are involved. Coming to Bauchi, I have been trying to see how I will balance my vegan lifestyle, but my new roommate is a meat lover whose cooking with these proteins make it hard for me to eat on the same plate with her without eating the meat used. Answering if I can recommend this to someone, I will say yes, but my advice would be to try it and see if it's what one can cope with.