Veganism began popping up all over the internet for me in 2013. I had read about it but at the time I didn't really take it seriously. Food is food right? Wrong. 

I have struggled with food and fitness for a long time. I had grown up in a family where animal based protein was the hero of all the meals and an active lifestyle wasn't promoted. Now I'm not saying I couldn't have been involved in sports, but I chose not to and no one questioned my sedentary lifestyle.

 
In high school I got involved in a fitness study where I was required to go to the gym and meet a trainer four times a week. For a whole year, four days a week, I was in the gym, on a treadmill. My eating habits didn't change, so my body didn't either. I lost some weight but I still did not feel amazing. As soon as the year long requirement was up, I immediately stopped going to the gym.

After I moved out on my own when I was 16 I discovered the freedom of choosing what I had for every meal and boy did I indulge. I would often not eat all day then spend all evening binge eating everything I was craving, not really knowing that my body was crying out for nutrients. 
From 2011 to 2016 I had a terrible on/off relationship with the gym and would spend my days binge eating all the while staring a myself in the mirror and telling myself I was fine. I pretended it was okay because no one said anything to me, I still fit into the same size clothes I did in high school (well, squeezed in). To me, everything was fine. I had convinced myself that the life I was living was okay. 

Then I had my reality check. In the spring of 2016, I was getting ready to graduate from university and got my grad photos done. A few weeks later, they showed up in the mail. I opened them up and was horrified. It took me a few seconds to realize that the person staring back at me, was in fact, me. I knew something needed to change when I told my proud parents that despite graduating, they would not be getting grad photos. I was too embarrassed to order them.

Hence, my health journey began. I started by doing my research, I followed YouTubers, consulted Google, and eventually stumbled upon veganism. I watched all the documentaries, videos, and read as many articles as I could. I decided that this was right for me.
In January 2017, I jumped in. I started by cutting out dairy for a month. I knew that was where I needed to start because, despite all the food I ate, dairy was my downfall. At the same time I started going to the local YMCA, I started with running every day for 20-30 minutes and that would be my workout. In that first month, I lost 5 pounds.

A month later, I cut out the rest of the animal based products in my diet. A month after that, I learned about counting macros and discovered weight training. I began meal prepping and combining weights with cardio. 

By July I had lost 20 pounds, and despite not seeing the difference myself, many people in my life began commenting on the changes. 
In August I realized that veganism and fitness not only was helping me lose weight but it had cleared up my skin, my hair was softer, I was less tired, my depression had gotten easier to maintain, and so much more. It also made me think about what I was putting into and on my body, the lives - human and animal - that my choices impacted, then environment. It went from being about weight loss to being about all the lifestyle choices I had ever and will ever make. It made me more confident, conscious, and alive than I have ever been, and it only continues to make my life better. 

This is my journey so far, and if you stick around, you can join me and start your own journey.