Billboard Does Me A Solid and Joins Beyonce 22-Days Vegan Challenge: Day-by-Day Diary

On Day 1, I went to a New Kids on the Block concert. My friend ordered a beer. I ordered a water. And I realized, this is how it’s going to be for the next 21 days. Maybe I’ll survive. Fingers crossed.

I woke up on the first day of the challenge filled with optimism. I worked out. I drank a ton of water, I ate my first meal. But then the caffeine craving hit. The biggest problem for me right now is the lack of Diet Coke. I know we’re allowed to “cheat” with a cup of coffee every day. But I’ve never been a coffee drinker, and I survive on diet soda. (Honestly, that’s part of the reason I’m doing this. To kick my “four cans of Diet Coke a day” habit.)

I still haven’t taken my “before” photos. But I lost 1.4 pounds. Hopefully that continues. And I’ll keep fighting my caffeine headaches and see what’s next on the menu.

Erika Ramirez:
Goal: To cleanse and lessen my migraines.
What I ate: Chocolate banana breakfast delight (pretty much a vegan brownie) for breakfast, creamy cauliflower and spinach pasta for lunch, and Peruvian lentil pilaf for dinner.
Favorite: Chocolate banana breakfast delight
Least favorite: Peruvian lentil pilaf
How Beyoncé Do I Feel? [Insert here the poop emoji]

I don’t think I can do this. I mean, I know it’s only been one day but, I don’t think I can do this. More so, I don’t think I can not eat all the garbage I love. You know, like what I had for my last meal (on the night before I started the diet): Cinnamon toast crunch, whole milk, chocolate chocolate chip cookies, and a Mexican coca-cola. I kept, and will keep, reminding myself that I’m doing this in hopes that a healthier diet lessens my bi-weekly migraines, or at least lessens the pain.

Also, I’m very tired, very early; probably because I don’t have caffeine, sugar and artificial flavoring running through my blood streams. I went to sleep at 10PM… 10PM! I’m not going to have any friends by the end of this challenge. And, I woke up at 4AM wanting sweets. I should’ve thrown away the left overs of my last meal, because that’s all I wanted to dig into at 4AM, especially those chocolate chocolate chip cookies. If there’s one thing I learned from day one is that I think what will be tough, for me at least, is curving cravings and avoiding sweets. It’s day two, and I wanted to throw someone’s apple pie on the ground this morning because I couldn’t have any.