I have been eating a vegetarian diet for the last 19 days, and incredibly I have not felt the anticipated stress, angst or difficulty I was expecting to experience at the onset of this challenge.

Here are some of the surprises and highlights I have experienced so far in this vegetarian journey:

• There is a lot more to eat than just salads!
• Being a vegetarian doesn’t automatically mean you are destined to eat healthy (you still have to watch the junk food, sugary desserts and carbs).
• Going out to eat is not the easiest thing to do, but there are some pretty easy dishes I have found I can default to at restaurants.
• I have a new found love for cheese! Without cheese I don’t know if I would have been able to do this.

I have 11 more days as part of this official challenge, and I honestly feel pretty confident.  I may even try to continue a mostly-plant based diet beyond Day 30.