How To Transition To A Pescatarian

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I know what you’re thinking, Ashlee, a pescatarian?! Let’s flashback to one afternoon in September 2018. We were at a restaurant for lunch, and I ordered chicken, rice, and beans. The food arrived, and I was ready to devour (as usual). Wait a minute, “Why the hell is my chicken just as big as my plate?!“, I stated. My husband cut into his chicken, and the middle was UN-freakin’-DONE!

At this point, it was above me. I’m not sure what steroids this chicken was on, but I wanted zero parts. Instead, I vowed to change my lifestyle.

Before my failed chicken experience, I watched the documentary What the Health. I knew I needed to make several changes and now was a perfect time.

Since eliminating chicken and turkey, the most rewarding feeling was seeing my body change and adjust to my new pescatarian lifestyle. Because after all, it’s not a diet it’s a lifestyle change.

Whoa, this sh*t isn’t easy

Changing your lifestyle doesn’t happen overnight. It takes lot of dedication and hard work. And to be completely transparent with you, I struggled. Having turkey bacon for breakfast was a must, but eventually, I realized if I’m going to do this, I’m doing it 100%.

There are two ways to transition. You can ease into it, or you can go all in. To make the transition easy for me, I eliminated all processed foods, chicken, and turkey immediately, except for turkey bacon. Weeks passed, and I finally replaced turkey bacon with mushrooms.

While making these substitutions, I researched what was healthy and unhealthy for my body. It’s best to educate yourself on what works best for your body. Also note, I am not a dietitian. If you have specific health concerns, please consult with your doctor.

Just commit

The first step to committing is changing your mind. Seriously, it’s all in your head. Once you realize you have the power to change your life by changing your mindset, anything is attainable. Examine your emotions and stop the negative self-talk. Now is the perfect time to speak positive affirmations and have a positive attitude to achieve your goals.

When it comes to creating goals, some of us fall into the trap of creating overly ambitious goals that we assume would be easy to accomplish. After about a week or two, we find ourselves back to our old habits, forgetting our goals and the reason we started in the first place. Is that you? 👀 

Determine why you want to change your lifestyle and have a plan. Setting short-term and long-term goals will help to keep you on track, as well as; having a support system. A little help from family and friends to hold you accountable can make a big difference.

Be creative

Be creative in the kitchen. Becoming a pescatarian isn’t the end of the world. You can still indulge and eat plant-based burgers and fries occasionally. Though it’s best to stay away from processed foods as much as possible, some people find it helps with the transition, so go for it! 

Remember to make substitutions. Some days you may get tired of eating fish. It’s essential to swap other protein sources in place of meat. In the beginning, I wasn’t eating enough protein. Instead, I would have more carbs in place of protein, and it was a hot ass mess (I stayed hungry 😫).

Recipes

Failing to plan is planning to fail. There were many nights I failed. Yes, my husband is a chef, but some nights I had to prepare dinner, and I was over it. We ate fish about two times a week. Whenever I would forget to plan my meals ahead of time, my go-to recipe was garbanzo bean tacos. This recipe easy and quick, but we ate it so much I don’t want to see any garbanzo beans anytime soon. 😅

Don’t sleep on Pinterest! Pinterest is bae, literally. It’s the secret weapon you never knew you needed. I gravitate to Pinterest for just about anything. Pinterest has numerous pescatarian and vegetarian recipe ideas. If you need help planning your meals, be sure to check here first.

Smaller waist, who this?

Listen, numbers don’t lie! I tried on a pair of jeans and noticed a few inches missing from my waist. Not only was I making healthier decisions for my body, but there were also mental changes. I felt less tired, which allowed me to focus more. Whenever I ate chicken and turkey, I always felt bloated and tired around lunchtime.

Committing to this lifestyle was challenging at first, but worth it in the end. There were many benefits like shedding a few inches off my waist, having clear skin, increased energy, and saving money on the grocery bill (yesss, coins).

If you’re thinking about transitioning to the pescatarian lifestyle, do it! I hope this post will help empower you to make healthier decisions that work best for you and your body. 💕

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