My top reasons (not in any particular order)
1) My husband is a couch potato cowboy and is meat and potatos all the way. He is overweight, has high blood pressure and high cholesterol, but would rather treat it with meds. He was on McD's for one summer and miracles happened to his health, but he says everything all tastes the same to him and he wants to enjoy his food. My mother is living with us and is in between stages 5 and 6 of Alzheimer's. She is also a country gal, is 83, and thinks you have to have meat in order to be healthy. No changing her at this point. I say all that to say
no support at home makes life difficult when meal time comes. I end up making three different meals sometimes (my mom has had a recent hospital stay for diverticulitis), which leads to reason no. 2
2) I get tired of cooking so much and am apparently not a good cook (see reason 1
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3) I live in a rural area in east Texas and some of the better whole grain and "unusual" foods are not available. I have to be prudent to plan shopping trips to town.
3) It's hard when we go out to eat, because finding a place that works for all of us is difficult, and I'm the one who usually loses out. It typically means a buffet, and I have to really be "on my game" not to be tempted, especially by the dessert section. Food prep by these places is rarely fat-free, even with the cooked veggies. I usually see some kind of mystery meat buried in there somewhere.
4) I have a mental disturbance of some kind. When I'm prudent about staying on the plan, I feel great, have more energy, better sense of well being, and certainly more positive mentally. But I get to the point where I just HAVE to have ice cream...or chips. Then, it spirals down from there. I think it's self sabotage. Why, oh why???!!! You'd think a "normal" person would LIKE feeling great!
5) When I'm gone all day, I never think to take some healthy snacks, and when I hit the door I grab the easiest thing I can find to snack on until I can get a meal cooked.
6) I am sometimes plagued with the "Oh, one hamburger won't kill me!" lie. Yes, it can. Because it's never just "one hamburger." There is always the "next" hamburger that won't kill me.
7) I feel like a freak and don't like telling people I'm a vegan. I feel like I'm a major inconvenience to friends and family when I visit. I end up telling them not to worry about it because I know they have no clue how to or desire to accommodate.
It's a whole lot of work, and I'm stricken with bouts of laziness. (What's with my "8" that it keeps turning into a face with glasses??)
9) Not being healthy is a whole lot easier and even promoted in our country.
10) I'm not creative enough to create a variety of meals that are eye-pleasing and appealing and it eventually gets boring.