I looked into the mirror; I completely despised myself.
I ran my fingers over my stomach wanting it to be flatter. I wrapped my thumb and index finger around my wrist praying that they would meet. I under ate as I felt like I wasn’t good enough, but this always led to me overeating as I began to lose control. I struggled to find that middle ground that everyone seemed to be in. I developed strange habits around food which controlled how and what I ate. Avoiding situations where I would have to eat in front of people often left to self-isolation and late-night binges.
For many years I saw food solely as a set of numbers instead of fuel to nourish my body and mind.
So, what changed?
Well, it definitely wasn’t that I just woke up one day and thought “you know what, I should just eat whatever I want”. I slowly began to reflect on my eating habits. Moving into my third year at university, I was so daunted at the fact that I had to get through the most difficult year of my undergraduate experience. I needed to do this for myself and start living life without constant food guilt. Food had controlled my life for too long.
At this moment, I decided to cut out meat. I wanted to become vegetarian for a while however, my past attempts have failed as I was still restricting, and I used it as an excuse to eat a lower calorie option. Now in my fourth year of university, I adventured into the plant-based community.
Last year I created an Instagram food blog @robyneatsvegan. I was very apprehensive to begin with, I associated the plant-based community, like many others, as ‘preachy’ and ‘trying to force their lifestyle onto everyone else’. To my surprise I was welcomed with open arms. I was able to surround myself (virtually) with like-minded people who were on similar journeys to me. I am pretty bad at cooking, but the act of sharing recipes and inspiration has really helped me gain a more positive attitude towards food. I love discussing new products and the best way to cook them. Also, having an Instagram feed full of cake is always a bonus.
The most important thing to keep in mind however is that veganism isn’t a sustainable lifestyle for everyone. There are a multiplicity of reasons why a plant-based lifestyle may not be for you, and that’s okay. Ensuring that you are able to eat what makes your body feel good is crucial for both physical and mental health and a drastic change to your diet needs to be carefully thought out.
Being veggie for a year and now being vegan for just over a month, I’ve got a few pieces of advice to share:
Don’t worry about eating ‘clean’ and staying away from processed or ‘fake meat’ substitutes. Yes, ‘fake meat’ substitutes can get pretty pricey which can be difficult on a student budget but adding one or two alternatives in your shopping trolley each week doesn’t create too much of a dent.
Get advice from people who have been doing this for much longer than you have. Ask for recipes or for products that taste the closest to the real thing. When you make something that doesn’t taste quite right, ask for opinions on how to improve your dishes. Don’t be afraid to try new things. I have eaten so many different alternatives and to be honest, I absolutely hated quite a few of them. If you’re not enjoying something, put it down and eat something you know you like.
Try to veganise the food you already like. If you hate mushrooms, don’t force yourself to cook with them if a recipe calls for them. Trying ingredients cooked in different ways can change your opinion on them but if you couldn’t stand them before trying a plant-based diet the likelihood is you’ll still dislike them when you cut out animal products.
Writer:
Robyn (she/her) is a 22 year old 4th year student at the University of Kent. Currently studying Linguistics and Journalism.
Follow her on Instagram: @robyneatsvegan and Twitter: @robyn_thornton_
Editors Note: Munya Mwaijumba
This piece radiates positivity whilst also highlighting the dangers and issues that surround eating disorders and negative attitudes towards food in general. I love how Robyn has Included a list of advice that encourages healthy eating, valuable information as well as ensuring that readers can understand that their personal journey with healthy eating is going to be different to others. The topic of body dysmorphia is also touched upon well. Sharing her personal experience is encouraging and shows that young girls who struggle with this issue a lot can know that they aren’t alone.
Have a story to share? Visit the Contact Us section of the website or DM us on Instagram: @platform_publications . Want to get in touch with one of our editors? DM @itsmunyaxx on Instagram to get connected!
Comments