I am back!!!

Hello. I am back again. Thank you all for keeping up with me. I am starting over once again, but I will have you know that while I am starting over I have not at all totally reverted to the 'old Joe I used to know', but I am still enjoying the great benefits of a vegan lifestyle even after my hiatus. I did not rush into sustaining myself on a diet of sausages and bacon either. But my surgery, times the day before Thanksgiving was a setback, and there was no end to the folks who were hard pressed to advise me that I needed the protein from animals to give me the recovery I needed.

I was scared. The surgery and the following weeks of recovery gave me so much anxiety and fear concerning the prospects of not making a full recovery. I exercised when I could. I tried to eat healthy. But all in all I can forgive myself and move on since I needed to convince myself as to why I went vegan in the first place. In the end I did a good job of being convinced. Veganism is the better lifestyle, and I can put this holiday season with confidence knowing that I can and will be a vegan again.

I actually recovered from my surgery in less than two months instead of three months as originally anticipated. I am back into Taebo Kickboxing again. However, on the first day of the year I had a horrible sinus infection, and that lasted three weeks. It was a cruel way of extending the rest I needed to fully recover from my surgery I suppose. But now it is over, and I am ready to get back into the swing of things.

The veganism I followed prior to my surgery was a program of self denial -- the path of greatest resistance I suppose. But I will enjoy veganism now more abundantly. I'll focus less on the weight losing game and more on the overall picture of my physical and mental health. If I want to lose more of the weight, I should just do an extra hour on the elliptical trainer. I will lose the weight both fast and steady. I will do it naturally, and not by following some crazy lemonade cleanse that I was too embarrassed to talk about. No, I will eat healthy and I will eat well. And I will incorporate more raw foods into my diet too.

I look forward to sharing this journey with all of you. Hope to hear from you as well.