For the love of __________?

I think at this time of year I seriously struggle with seasonal depression. I get crabby with my students, moodier, edgier and I'm just itching for sunshine and green plants and grass. When I find myself struggling I have a major tendency to overindulge in lots of 'naughty' food (think deep fried, greasy, more ingredients than you can pronounce, fatty, etc).

Normally, I would just blame it on PMS or give it some other lame excuse. However, I am slowly learning that at this time of year (not spring, not winter, just a slushy, messy gross nasty in-between time that is rarely warm in Wisconsin) every year, I feel the same way. I want to get away with my boyfriend for spring break, but it still feels far away. I want to lose weight to get away for spring break and look decent (by my standards not society's) in a swim suit. I want to feel more in touch with my body.

Well, I'm back to stress eating and overindulging right now. However, I'm finding that with not eating meat, my indulgences are slightly less severe. My binge eating isn't on things that cause my arteries to swell shut or curse me. Yes, I still find myself eating the last chip of the bag wondering how that happened and where the entire bag went, BUT it's happening less frequently and I'm finding I have a little more self-control than I used to.

In general, I'm eating less processed food than before (though certainly not completely out of my diet yet). When I'm dying for a greasy burger that's quick and easy, I have a meatless black bean patty. My favorite being Gardenburger's Black Bean Chipotle burgers. That variety and 4 others are all vegan. I also loved Moringstar's Buffalo Wing Veggie Wings. That's one thing that I often crave, but have to quickly remind myself of the grossly maltreated chickens as well as the disgusting genetically modified and growth hormones I'd be ingesting.

What it comes down to for me, is being thankful that slowly, very very slowly, I'm transitioning from being 'that girl' (or guy) who just shovels food into her mouth without thinking about it or even stopping to figure out if I'm truly hungry. So yes, I am still a binger at times. Most definitely.

I've become more conscious of cheese products and am trying to slowly wean myself from dairy. Though I really have to tell you, growing up in Wisconsin and being able to give up cheese is definitely a huge undertaking, especially when your mother and grandparents were dairy farmers themselves. However, if T. Colin Campbell can give it all up and show us the light, I can slowly bring myself to get there, right? I won't completely promise that right now, but I will say I'm working on it.

Everyday I need to remind myself of the following:
I am doing this for the love animals, ALL animals.
I am doing this for the love of the planet.
I am doing this for the love of my health.
I am doing this for the love of feeling more in control of my food binges.
I am doing this for the love of setting what I feel is a good example.
I am doing this for the love of really really really good food that is cruelty free.

So, figure out what you love, and go for it! Take baby steps and try to get there with us. Don't follow this guy's lead.