So how is everyone? I hope we are all going strong and kicking some butt! I am new to the LFRV lifestyle and my goal is that by the end of summer I will be 90-100% LFRV. Seeing its summer it will make it a little easier to transition. so here is my story as short as I could make it. Also don't be shy to share yours :D

I was brought up eating meat and ate a lot of  bad carbs through foods such as pasta, breads etc. I LOVED my fruits and veggies growing up and was always picky about my meats. everything had to be chicken or else I wouldn't eat it. I ate somewhat  "healthy" most of the time. Fast forward a few years and on my sweet 16 I was tipping more than 200lbs! (I am only 5 foot 5 and have been since I was 11 I am now 23.) About a week or so after my birthday I saw a video on Peta.com called "Meet your Meat." I was devastated to the point where I could not eat anything for about 3 days in fear that I would  unknowingly be eating meat. I told my parents that I wanted to become vegan, they told no and said things like "Where are you going to get protein?" and "If we are buying your groceries you will still eat eggs and dairy so you can get enough protein!" So I did, I became a Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian.I lost a lot of weight but still felt horrible and highly emotional. Pretty much I saw myself as a fat slob that no matter what I did I could never lose weight and be healthy. so began the terrible 5 years of binge, starve, binge, purge workout like a mad women! I did lose some weight...along with my hair and my sanity! I would pass out almost every other day and started becoming so secretive that I couldn't trust anyone and felt like everyone was out to get me! NOT something I ever want to go back to EVER! So while I was a Lacto-ovo I was also destroying my body trying to be perfect from a vain person's outlook. I eventually met my boyfriend who for the 1st time made me feel perfect. I was so happy and relaxed that I had no problem stuffing my face with pasta and fast food and apparently gaining close to 20 lb in the 1st 3 months. "it's just love weight" everyone told me. No its not its unhealthy eating and a slow death trap! We began to eat A LOT better and working out 5 days a week. Our only bad food was sushi, I never had Sushi in my life and my boyfriend wanted to share the experience with me. After hemming and hawing I decided to try it at least once before I died. It easily became my favorite dish and is going to be the hardest thing to give up.(By the way while writing this I just woke up and hungry, talking about it is making me hungry! Time for a mango or 2.) so the 1st time having sushi was my 1st time eating meat within 7 years! ( another major factor why I ate it was because I was diagnosed with a genetic clotting disorder called Factor V Laden, my mom was also diagnosed with the same disorder after her stroke at a young 40 years old. So because I was "sick" I thought "will maybe if I eat meat I'll  get "stronger" and be able to fight this disorder.  warped thinking I know! On that desperate answer I became a Pescatarian and felt TERRIBLE.( on a side note when i ate meat I would get the flu and colds constantly when I stopped eating meat it went away completly!  6 months after eating fish I got the flu a for the 1st time in 7 years, I thought I was going to die and to be honest my fear of how weak and sick i was made me wake up and start eating better for health and being aware of how poorly I was treating my body.) About a year later being a eater of fish (haha),  me and my boyfriend are now both about 1 to 2 months into being Vegans. (me a littler easier than him seeing I was already a Vegetarian He has never given up meat and is still having some difficulties.) But anyway we are slowly working our way into a Raw Vegan lifestyle and I would love to find more people on this site who can help support me as much as I want to support them on this wonderful journey.

Thank you for reading my story. Hope to hear back from you all soon best of luck!

Peace and Love

Amanda Lee

(hopefully my attachment work the chick on the left is me on my sweet 16 the hottie next to me is my Older sister <3)

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