Why Every Model Should Be Vegan

A question I'm asked every day:

"How did you lose SO much weight?"

My response is always, "My vegan lifestyle!"

Then I listen to their response and they say, 

"I could never do that."

I guess my question is always, "why?"

Why can't you cut out meat, dairy, and eggs? Well yes, it is in a lot of foods, yet it's all the wrong types of food.

My philosophy has always been to cut carbs and hit the gym and maybe one day I'll look just like the Victorias Secret models. Yet, weeks past and I was stuck in the 140 weight range and saw little hope for my modeling career ever taking off.

I was rejected, continuously. Every day I thought I was doing the right thing, cutting carbs and doing cardio! Yet when those cheat days came, I wouldn't hesitate on a slice of pizza or maybe two.  One day, I finally was sick of seeing results then losing them so quickly. Nothing I did ever changed the way I looked dramatically.

When I finally made the leap to go vegan, I decided to go 100% plant based and cut out all animal by products from my diet. To say it was easy, is a lie. Is it easy now? Two years later, yes. Every lifestyle change is difficult, new rules and philosphy.

When I first made the switch I didn't lose weight immidiately. The results didn't come until a year after my transition. The photo below is what I looked like when I first went vegan. My skin immediately cleared up, yet my body was still carrying extra weight my agency hated. Weighing in at 147 pounds, I became self conscience and miserable. All my friends were tiny, and I felt as if I was stuck in a giant's body.

Months went by, and I still wasn't happy. I was eating anything labled as "vegan." The continuous reminder everyone going vegan should hear, is that not all foods that are vegan are good for you. Eating pasta daily, potatoes, vegan ice cream, oreos, the list goes on. I thought I'd see results from eating foods with no nutritional value. This is a huge misconception, most "health foods" that are processed and convenient are not good for you. When foods are processed this gives manufacturers space to put extra sodium and preservatives that most vegans are trying to avoid. This is something I unfortunately learned half way through my journey, but I am thankful I did.

I was still unhappy, I was still not confident. This triggered myself to think I needed a change. This was my turning point. Eating smaller proportions of nutrient dense foods and snacks made the most noticeable difference in my life. Trading processed vegan meatballs for fresh vegetables, guacomole for avocados and pasta with brown rice and quinoa. 

My weight began to drop dramatically, and I was feeling high off of my results. This became a game to see how well I could power myself. The gym became my bestfriend again, and cardio wasn't my enemy anymore. Becoming lean and getting the six pack I always craved felt like a dream! My agency was falling on my feet, and I felt on top of the world.

I was being asked daily what I was doing. Many tuned me out when I told them, because it is a lot of work and mantinence. The trick is to treat your vegan lifestyle as an allergy, and you will never crave those fatty foods again! Cooking your meals is a small price to pay to have a body you are comfortable in. The results continued and I was on cloud nine, kicking in at 118 pounds.

Finally, here I am now. Weighing 112-115 pounds depending on the day, I am finally happy. Being noticed by my dream agency was when I finally knew I did this. When models ask me how to achieve their dream body, I say to cut the animals out. They have nothing to do with the process of fueling your body with zero cholestreol, and dense nutrients.