The truth is, sometimes being a vegan is tough. Yes, it’s my choice, but sticking to it isn’t always easy, and I’m no angel. I’m not too proud to share with you some less than vegan things I do.

I don’t cook anymore

Don’t get me wrong, I love to cook. I used to spend hours in the kitchen preparing meals, but then no one in my family wanted to eat what I made. I’d have a fridge full of amazing prepared, vegan food that I couldn’t eat by myself. I got tired of doing so much prep just to wind up throwing it away because it went bad before I could finish it. To be perfectly honest, my life is so hectic at this point, I don’t even spend the time I should planning my own meals. My dream would be to have a personal chef to prepare dishes exactly as I need them. I look forward to the day when I have a bigger support network in my business so that I can go back to the things I love, like cooking.

I’m so over preparing food for my family

My family isn’t vegan, and I’m totally fine with that. I believe that some people really need meat in their diet and my husband is one of them. Animal protein just works better for him. Just not for me. I would make these elaborate vegan meals for my family, and then find Wes eating something afterward to get the protein he needed. So, I had to start making three different meals for one dinner – one with meat for my husband and stepdaughter, one for myself and one for my five year old, whose diet is completely different than the rest of the family, with her main staples being mostly carbs. I just wish that we could all eat the same thing sometimes, but that’s not going to happen, so we have to look for better solutions.

Sometimes, the kid wins

Madeline is an omnivore and addicted to sugar, despite how hard I work to feed her healthy food. When she travels with me, I will pack a bag full of healthy snacks for her. I’ll ask her a million times before we get on the plane if she’s hungry, and then three minutes before we’re supposed to get on the plane, she’ll have a meltdown because she’s hungry. And I give in and get her something that’s easy instead of what has already been packed away.

I sometimes resort to eating potato chips for dinner

I don’t think this only applies to vegans, but as a health coach, I’m totally calling myself out for admitting that sometimes a bag of chips is what I eat for dinner. Sometimes, my day just gets so out of hand and busy that I realize I have nothing prepared for dinner and I’m too frustrated to take the time to prepare an entire meal for myself. Sometimes, I’ll have a big meal at lunch (the healthier way to eat, by the way) and won’t be hungry for a regular meal at dinner time, but will feel like I need to eat something before it gets too late. Then it’s either picking up take out or chips. Chips are just the easiest.

Stuff happens – we all have bad days, times when it’s just not possible to follow our own rules. The key is to make those days the exception.

Just accept the bad days and then let them go and get back to what’s most important – taking care of yourself. @hayleyhobson (Click to Tweet!)

Got a confession you’d like to share about your vegan or vegetarian lifestyle? Share it here or on my Facebook page.

XO Hayley

Hayley Hobson is an author, speaker, business coach, yogi, Pilates instructor, and holistic nutritional expert based in Boulder, CO. Her unique and intelligent style promotes strengthening while softening—empowering her clients to heal not only their physical bodies but their hearts and minds as well. To learn more about her nutritional courses, events, and custom programs, visit hayleyhobson.com or follow her on Facebook or Twitter.

Image courtesy of Gratisography.