Eating plants and only plants.: We don't miss meat (but we do miss cheese!)

We were talking at dinner. Maya asked me "Do you miss eating meat?" I thought this might be a trick question, so I paused for a moment and considered. Thousands of meat meals passed in front of my eyes. I began to feel that feeling of comfort when the gooey saturated fat would slide down my gullet. Then I realized that it wasn't comfort I was feeling but a subtle nausea.

"No", I answered. "I don't." And I didn't. I'm blown away by the fact that my old craving for saturated fat has faded away. Well, mostly. I still have a soft spot for peanuts. Thank goodness, they're legal on this plan. I often have a very small ramekin (about 1oz) of peanuts in the evening. THAT'S the fat sensation I love. It's my Homer Simpson moment, except without the doughnuts .... "Mmmmmmmmm, peanuts"

Turns out Maya misses cheese. Yeah, I can see that. Homemade pizza night just doesn't sound viable when made with Vegan Mozzarella. I miss mayonnaise. So we've agreed that, after 18 weeks of the strict Eat to Live eating plan, we're going to have a monthly or bi-monthly cheese night. Maybe it'll be pizza or (my idea) a night out at a swell French restaurant where they bring a plate of cheese for the final course.

The mayo jones is actually readily overcome using something called Silken Tofu. This very smooth tofu is easily whipped in the food processor to make a dressing base very close in consistency and taste to mayonnaise. Tonight I used it along with a little ketchup, horseradish and Dijon mustard to make a very palatable 1000 Island dressing. When you're eating two enormous salads a day, sometimes you just gotta have a creamy dressing to make you feel like a human being and not a ruminant.

Lost another pound today. I can't believe I can eat such yummy food and still lose weight. Tonight's dinner: SALAD w/ 1000 Island, sauteed beet greens with balsamic vinegar, homemade chili beans