SiNa94

People here never know how to drive in the snow because we don't get enough for them to learn. I saw one guy spin his truck almost all the way around... Anyways... I got 5 miles in today. One 2 mile session to go get some Soy Delicious from the store... and then another 3 miles after I ate it to walk it off. Okay... so I shared with 4 other people (the joys of living in the dorms)... but it sounded like a good excuse for getting a few more miles in. I wonder how many people knew they were eating a vegan treat?

If experience shows that dogs thrive on vegan diets, I don't see what the problem is in that arena. If it were their choice they would either starve or eat what you provided in most cases. Even if there were enough trash or small animals for one dog to eat... once everyone decides that their dogs should have a choice... there would just be too much competition. Why feel bad about feeding them a healthy diet? Would you feel bad rationing a childs sweets and making sure they ate their veggies? And maybe it's just because I grew up in rural and suburban areas where my cats were able to come and go as they please... but they always brought me bits and pieces left over from the birds and rodents they'd eaten. Animals eat each other... that's just a fact of life. Unlike humans, they only kill what they need. If you can put a cat in an environment where they can catch everything they need, or supplement their diet with vegan food, I don't see what the problem is. Of course, I no longer have any pets (they were, unfortunately, left at my father's house... and I haven't seen my father in almost 2 years) and I was not vegan at the time, so they were not fed vegan diets. As far as keeping pets as a vegan goes... it's definitely a tricky little conundrum. I know the majority of the pets I've had have either been adopted from shelters (the last cat I adopted was less than 24 hours away from being euthanized) or were strays that were taken in. I think there's definitely something noble in giving those animals a second chance. Of course, I've also always lived in a setting where animals could come and go as they pleased (in to get out of the cold, out to bask in the sun, etc.). I think the protective nature animals have toward their humans is a testament to the powerful relationship a human and their companion animal can share. I had one cat that would always follow me to school when I was younger to "make sure I got there alright" (at least that's what I'd like to think). And there are always stories of dogs saving people, etc. Besides... I think we're missing something here when we say we should just let animals run loose and "live naturally" instead of caging them up in houses. We keep ourselves caged up in houses don't we? Don't we enjoy the warmth, shelter, and security that a house provides (for the most part)? I don't see anyone here saying that we should "allow" humans to live a natural life outside facing the elements without clothing or shelter. Companion animals want to enjoy the same comforts we have. When my cats wanted in, they came in. When they wanted out, they went out. That isn't a choice they would have had if they were living a "natural life". Some animals are mistreated. But, for the most part they seem happy to play the part of "pet". Even if they are only happy to see you because you feed them... they are obviously making a choice to sacrifice any "freedom" they could have had in order to obtain the nourishment and affection you provide... just as we do, or should, sacrifice our time and energy to make the relationship mutually beneficial. My two cents...

Another 4.5 or so miles today... kinda dangerous with the roads as slick as they are. People don't know how to drive...

6 miles yesterday... broken up into three 2-mile sessions... in 3-5 inches of snow. I need better winter clothing...

Okay... 2 or 3 miles yesterday, between 3.5 and 4 miles the day before that... and I went on a trip into Portland the day before that, but I don't know how far I ended up walking while I was up there. We'll see what I manage today... it's really cold... and it's got me wishing I was gaining weight. I need the blubber to keep me warm...

5 miles today... 1 before class and 4 after dinner (that was the nearest credit union... so no getting out of that one). And obviously I never hit submit, because I meant to send this last night.

Another 3 miles today, still haven't been timing it. That 7 mile day was a result of finding a walking partner. I had already walked 2 miles earlier that day... then asked this vegetarian girl that always gets this giddy smile on her face every time our eyes meet if she wanted to go for a "stroll". We're both so competitive and stubborn that it was 5 miles later before we finally decided to call it quits. Yesterday I managed to prove that I have the energy to run, but not the lung capacity. I ran about a quarter of a mile out of the 3 miles I travelled yesterday... and was extremely winded. If I wasn't so competitive, I might have paced myself and done alright...

Somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 miles yesterday and another 3 or so today.

Got in another 2 miles or so yesterday. I need to plan out a longer route... although it was raining last night, so I didn't really want to stay out any longer than absolutely necessary.

About 2.5 miles today. And now I know that a walk around the main part of campus is almost exactly a mile, so until I get bored with that, I won't have to figure out how far I'm walking... just have to keep track of the number of times I go around campus.

Well... I'll have to chalk up the previous two days as an operational loss. Or as rest days. I managed to get in about two miles today. Didn't time it. Hoping to get back on track... these short days are just killing me... it's hard to get motivated when it gets dark so early. Hopefully I'll have better news tomorrow.

Yeah, I agree that there are people that I wouldn't like to have information about how to make bombs, etc. It's really not as black and white as I wish it was. It would be nice if we could put all potentially dangerous information in a box with a label that says "Open in case of apocalyptic situation in which all the people that already rightfully knew this information die". Not going to happen though. My philosophies do tend to ignore the fact that humans aren't perfect though. Do I think that people should have access to bomb recipes? Yes. But, at the same time, I know there are people that I don't trust to not apply that knowledge. I don't think I personally could keep them away from that knowledge against their will, but I appreciate that someone else is willing to do that for me. A bomb example is a little extreme though. I would never encourage the use of explosives nor would I feel good about having that kind of information in the hands of a dangerous person (though it happens everyday). It's more the contradiction that gets me riled. The U.S. constitution says that U.S. citizens have the right to say whatever they want. But if you step into a public school, for instance, the first thing they do is say "You can't say this, and this, and this." Or they control how you say it. I think the people here would be a little upset if they were told they could only wear fur and leather. That would prevent us from spreading the message of veganism. I'm not an extremist of any sort. I respect modesty and humility, and people that can keep a civil tongue, and the list goes on. I just think that censorship is unfair because it shows a lack of faith in the people, and maybe rigthly so. When it's used to keep one person from offending another or when it blatantly says "I don't trust you"... that's when I have a problem. I would rather that an individual proves to me that they didn't have a right to a certain piece of information or the ability to say something than everyone losing those rights because of some potential. I don't know if any of you have read Peter Singer's How Are We To Live? (Animal Liberation would probably hit a little closer to home), but in it he explains why the best society is one in which everyone is given a fair chance to do the right thing and once they try to take advantage of how nice everyone else is being you exclude that person from the society. Cheats can't win if they only have themselves to take advantage of. It's called the tit for tat strategy... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tit_for_tat I can be a cynic at times... but I really wish there was more faith in humanity. I try my best to prove that we deserve that chance... I'm willing to accept other people's faults and hope they would do the same of mine... but the "trying" is the important part. And like I said... the restrictions placed on us really aren't that harsh. It's the thought that they easily could be that's bothersome. If the internet were censored, we might not be having this conversation right now.

That's a problem... but I'm even more worried about censorship in it's most blatant form. Countries like China already censor the internet a lot. And here in the U.S., the government already has the television, radio, and newspapers... telling them what they can and can't say. They might not be the harshest restrictions... but they're restrictions none-the-less. Maybe a reporter shouldn't announce where troops are stationed in the middle of a heated war. But whatever happened to the first amendment? I don't think a government should be able to use one person's right to life as the basis for stripping another person of their right to speak freely. A person should definitely consider how their actions will effect other people... but that shouldn't be imposed on them by the government. How long before the FCC gets ahold of the internet? I might not use the information on a site called HOW TO BUILD AND ATOMIC BOMB, but I think I have every right to read it for kicks. And what would happen if all the people with some really specialized knowledge died? We'd have to retrace all of those steps again if that information wasn't freely available... o_0 Sorry... freedom of speech and information are things that really bug me. The first amendment is a joke. It's been "improved" too much.

Good luck my Pastafarian friend.

-Continue to lose weight -Get down under the 200 lb. mark (coming from almost 300 lbs. ) -Work my way up to a consistent 5-7 miles of walking a day (more of a problem with time management and dedication than actual ability) -Start running... if I lose enough weight that it doesn't feel weird anymore... -And I might start working on my upper body this year... I need to do it, I just have to get out of my comfort zone. And seriously, I'd be just happy putting this off if I can accomplish all of my other goals.

After having to carry a 40-pound pack around for 20 something miles up and down hills... I can tell you that you'd rather have a tighter fit... as long as it isn't interfering with your breathing. The V-Max looks like it would fit about like a framed backpack would (with the exception of the extra strap around your waist on the backpacks). I'm no expert, but I think the V-Max would probably be preferable. Something that would feel more like a part of your body than something that you're "just carrying around". My two cents...

Yeah... I know squashes, peppers, tomatoes, etc. are technically fruits... but they usually end up in the veggie category and are treated as veggies as far as preparation and the like go. Just wanted your take on it, since you seem to be doing great with whatever you're doing. And seriously... those are the "veggies" I prefer anyways... I'm not a fan of all the roots and tubers and leaves and whatnot... I just eat them like I'm told.

Wow! What an inspiration! I know I enjoy hiking/distance walking because it feels natural to me... and you can actually get out and see things. There's a certain amount of freedom to it. And I know if (hopefully when) I go raw, I'd probably have to go fruitarian, just because I prefer fruits over veggies by a lot. Right now I'm stuck on a meal plan at school though... I have a choice between apples, oranges, and bananas (at 80 cents a piece ). My breakfast usually consists of only raw fruit though... it's a start. Quick question though: How is "fruit" defined? Like, a cucumber is the "fruit" of the plant... but on a fruitarian diet, would it be considered vegetable? Or a fruit?

Good luck!

Wow... just tried it and could hardly taste the greens (didn't have as much applesauce as I thought I had though). Even better than the tang solution I'd come up with pre-veganism. Thanks!

Thanks... I'll give that I try. I've got a whole jar of applesauce and nothing better to use it for anyways...

Thanks! I've grown really fond of it. I don't think there's any freer feeling in the world. You can go just about anywhere the other modes of transportation can keep you from, there's no dependence on vehicles or fuel (and the amount of money that goes into those), and you can really take in the world in a way that you can't do from a vehicle. I'm lucky that both at home and on campus that I'm close enough to stores that I can do all the shopping that I have to do (which really isn't all that much) on foot. As for my exercise routine today... I was going to make the 6.4 mile trek to Goodwill and back to see about finding some books (I love Yahoo! maps... I can plan an exact route and get the mileage )... but I decided to take a different approach today. Somebody (don't remember who off the top of my head) suggested carrying a pack to work on my back in hopes of strengthening it up and eliminating my poor posture. Since this is something that will mimick the longer treks I'll be taking by foot, it seemed like a good solution (on top of other work I'll do when I get back to campus and can work in the gym). I put two 15 pound weights and some clothes in a backpack and wore it around for about 2 1/2 hours. I didn't want to make a 6.4 mile trip with the extra weight, so I did another half an hour on the stair stepper with the pack on today. Boring, as usual, but I'll live. I definitely feel like I'm sitting and standing straighter now. I liken it to a baseball player taking practice swings with multiple bats or with a doughnut on the bat; after being forced to straighten my back out with extra weight on it it's a lot less hassle when I take the extra weight off. I'll wear it for a while tomorrow and then think about whether I want to continue packing it around on campus or if I'd just rather go to the gym and do all my back work there. On the downside... I've gained four pounds. I've been working a little bit more vigorously the last 2 or 3 days, but I don't think I could have gained that much muscle. However, the 3 weeks that I've been home I haven't been hidrating like I should have been (or eating or sleeping or exercising well for that matter). I hidrate better on the days that I do at least some sort of physical activity... so it might be from all of the water I've consumed in the last few days. I'm not too worried about it and expect it to drop off again after I get back to campus and can concentrate on exercising more and can stock up on raw veggies at the all-you-can-eat salad bar.

Well... the multi-vitamin that I take is the Garden of Life Living Multi Mens Formula. It has two antioxidant blends. But they're caplets rather than a powder. I also have their Super Greens powder... but it's really hard to choke down and doesn't mix well (maybe in a blender). I used to take it with Tang... but that's obviously not vegan, since it has an orangutan on the front of the can. I got the two of those when I got worried about not getting enough variety of whole foods at the cafeteria on campus.

I read somewhere that muscles are more are more receptive to nutrients and/or protein immediately after a workout... or something along those lines. Obviously you have to replace electrolytes after a workout, but that's not what it was talking about. Should I be taking my multi-vitamin (all six of them :shocked:) immediately after I work out?

Well... I screwed around today until it was dark outside (not that it takes much, since it gets dark so early). I decided to just do half an hour on my stair stepper since that way it would both be warm and well lit. On the plus side, the last time I'd used the stair stepper was before summer (it's just so boring, and with it being in my garage I would have died from heat exhaustion). Before I would have been able to go about 20 minutes at the same pace and even then I'd be breathing hard and drenched in sweat. I've come a long way... today I barely broke a sweat (which probably means I should have either picked up the pace or gone for a longer amount of time). I also did a set of dumbbell rows as Kathryn suggested to work on my weak upper back. Working with dumbbells feels weird to me though, so I'm going to wait until I get back to campus and then I might wander over to the gym and see what kind of machines they have.