OK....so I was doing pretty good.  Then....my husband decided to quench his craving for Popeye's chicken.  I have to admit that this fast food place pushes all my buttons.... chicken, fried, spicy, red beans and rice, mashed potatoes and spicy gravy.  It is everything that KFC is not.  At least for me.  So, yes.....I accompanied him and ate WAY too much ....especially for a newly avowed so called "vegetarian".  I kept remembering all those things that PETA tells you about what hell the chickens are subjected to on their way to being slaughtered, but somehow, the Popeye's spicy crust was able to overcome these thoughts.  That's disgusting, I know....but true nonetheless. 

 I will admit, though, that in the back of my mind was the thought that since I knew I would have "slips", I might as well get the cravings over with so that I could continue on the righteous path.  (Renna's Pizza....can you hear me?).  Anyway, the joke was on me.  Either I had a really bad reaction to the fried food.....or the meal was contaminated in some way (not likely since my husband didn't have any bad reaction)....or I  had picked up a bug by being among the masses while shopping the previous two days with my daughter at places like Target and Wal-Mart.  Whatever, I was sick for about 3-4 days afterward.  Terrific stomach cramps, and other things I won't mention here.  After recovering enough to eat again, may I say that if I never see another piece of fried chicken, it will be too soon!  You know how when you're sick the last thing you ate is the last thing you ever want to eat?  That was me....except it reinforced my determination not to eat poultry/meat/fish. 

So here I am, 5 days past the onset of the "plague", and the only things I've been able to eat (since I've been able to eat) are grains, cereals, veggies and fruits...and not that much of anything.  I happened to step on the scale this afternoon (not morning when you're lighter) and lo and behold, I'd lost 8 1/2 pounds!  Granted it was a lousy way to lose (at least in the beginning), but let me repeat.....I'VE LOST 8 1/2 POUNDS!!  Holy Cow! (or Holy Tofu! to be correct).   Because I'm still not 100%....(maybe only about 90%), any craving of meat is just NOT there for me.  So today, when my husband and I went out to lunch ...at Mimi's Cafe....a real restaurant... I had many choices involving meat.  Luckily, Tuesday's Soup of the Day was Vegetarian Vegetable (lucky for me, huh?).  I had the soup and a Caesar salad with a sourdough roll and it was  a very enjoyable meal.  I also had a glass of Chardonnay and it didn't feel like I was making any concessions at all....it was just something that sounded ...and tasted...fantastic. 

I know there will be times when I'll be craving meat in some form or another...a taco...a pizza topping...a roast beef sandwich....but if I can just hold on to this feeling that I have right now....the absolute ...distaste...for meat....or at least the memory of the distaste....I'll be able to make it through.  I have a feeling that, like any bad habit, it will take 3 weeks to break that meat habit.  After that, I will just have to remind myself of the suffering that animals go through when they give their lives to satisfy some flesh craving of ours.  Hopefully, I can stay....in my mind....exactly where I am right now.  Here's hoping!