Well, I did it. Thirty days came and went without a morsel of meat passing my lips. As I mentioned before, there were times when my will power was tested, but for the most part, it was easy.

I can’t really say I feel that different. My brother said he noticed a change in my skin but I’m not sure I see it. (Perhaps I actually washed my face that day….) I might be less bloated but again, not really sure. I think this experiment was more to see if I could do it. And I did.

Many have said to me, “I couldn’t do that.” To which I always reply, “You can do anything for 30 days.” Which is so true. In the grand scheme of things, 30 days is a blip on the radar.

That got me thinking, as a person who isn’t the best at fulfilling goals for herself, if I can just look at these hurdles in 30 day increments I could do anything!

Not eat candy for 30 days? Sure. Take a walk 4 times a week for 30 days? Easy. Train for the 2014 Winter Olympics for 30 days? Well….

Recently I got some health news that has me a bit shaken. I’m OK but not quite ready to talk about it here. (Although if you follow @princessmikkimo you’re in the know.) I’m sure in due time I’ll blog about it as this little corner of Cyber space has become such a cathartic outlet for me. But right now I need to get my legs underneath me and more information.

One thing I do know, I’ll definitely be using my new, “Just for 30 days…” mantra now and every 30 days for a long time to come.

As for the vegetarianism, I’m going to stick with it. Maybe not with as much vigor as before but if I have a choice between a meal with meat in it and one without, I’ll pick the one without.

Last night, for example, we actually walked through Chili’s doors again. This time, on their menu was now a vegetarian soup and the infamous Black Bean burger that wasn’t there last month. With a smile, I ordered the black bean burger and it was good.

It even tasted like a little bit like victory.

In between being so busy watching my laundry pile grow and ignoring Wordless Wednesday, I wanted to fill you in on my progress as a Herbivore. It’s been exactly a week and so far so good.

Sure there have been some tempting moments but for the most part, I haven’t missed meat. Being a vegetarian again is like riding a bike… except I’m eating not exercising.

One of the hardest times was last Friday when Matt, Ben and I were over at a friend’s house having pizza. They had a veggie one, (not just for me) one piled with meat and one with cheese. Without thinking I almost just grabbed a piece of sausage that had fallen onto the pizza box. (Because I’m classy like that. When would you like to have me over?) But amazingly I actually THOUGHT before I grabbed the cheesy gooey piece of meat and stopped myself.

The other near miss was my now this infamous trip to Chili’s last Saturday. Who knew there were so many defenders of those crazy peppers? I guess being vegetarian means I also have to be psychic and therefore know that Chili’s has a secret and invisible meat free menu.

Since my psychic powers weren’t working that day, I came close to saying, “Oh screw it!” and ordering the “Seasoned Ground Beef” tacos since everything else had chicken or beef as the main ingredient.  But once again, I showed restraint and thought for more than a nanosecond. I realized this gig is only for 30 days and for the love of a tomato, I can have SOME self control for 30 days.

Because honestly, that’s what this is really all about. Yes I want to see how I feel after 30 days of no meat but I also want to see if my will power can be stronger than that of a flea! I’m the girl who wakes up in the morning saying “No sugar today! No sir!” and then grab a doughnut on my way into work while saying “Eh, I’ll try again tomorrow.” So it feels good to have something I can actually stick to.

As far as how I feel after a week with nary a piece of animal flesh passing by my lips? I don’t think I’ve lost any weight since unfortunately Twix bars and Sour Cream & Onion potato chips are meat free, but I definitely feel less bloated and gassy. (It’s truly a wonder I was single for so long. Matt is a lucky lucky man)

For the past month or two I experienced a stomach ache in the morning. That is now gone. My nails seem to be stronger too but that could be my religious application of my “Green Tea nail strengthener” more than skipping the steak in my Chipotle taco.

I haven’t noticed a real difference in my skin. Unless you call the zit on the very tip of my nose an improvement. This sucker gives Rudolph a run for his money.

In addition, since I went to this meat-free lifestyle the “check engine” light came on in my car and I have a toothache. So really, who knows.

Regardless I’m charging ahead and celebrating the beginning of week two by chugging a big glass of V8 and swallowing my B-12 vitamin that’s so large it would make a Clydesdale gag. Bottoms up!

Wednesday night I stayed up to watch my girl Oprah. I have to get in as much O before she leaves me in 2011.

She was doing a show called Food 101 in which she talked about what America is really eating these days.  They discussed how horrible the animals are treated (some chickens NEVER see any light. Ever. In their whole little lives!) and how chickens, cows and pigs are raised in the US with so many antibiotics pumped into them they are in turn being pumped into us.

“A prime example of this is chicken—an animal Michael (Pollan) says has been re-engineered through breeding and diet to produce the breast meat consumers want. Compared to 50 years ago, chickens are now raised and slaughtered in half the time and grow twice as big.”

None of this is a secret to people like my brother and sister-in-law who have been vegans for years.  And I know I’ve heard this information myself before but the reminder last night really woke me up.

After Michael Pollan (a food expert featured in Food, Inc. and the author of “Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual”) Oprah had Alicia Silverstone talk about her vegan diet.  Don’t worry Mom and Dad, I’m not going vegan but just listening to Alicia got me thinking. She explained that after going vegan…

“she sleeps like a baby, doesn’t worry about her weight and has tons of energy. ‘I used to have all those white marks on my nails and they were very brittle, and now they’re so strong I cannot bend them,’ she says. ‘My eyes got really white, and I feel like I look less puffy.’

Strong nails and a less puffy face without having to take a magic pill?  SIGN ME UP!  I can’t possibly go vegan as I need milk, cheese and yogurt like Heidi Montag needs plastic surgery, but I am going to give up the meat. For 30 days.  And see how I feel.

Before I had Ben, I was a strict vegetarian for seven years.  No fish, chicken, or even chicken stock crossed my lips.  However, the minute Ben was more than just a twinkle in my eye, the caveman was ignited and I was dying for meat.

I was out to lunch with a friend to tell her I was pregnant when the waiter came up I said to my friend “I’m pregnant.” and to the waiter, “I’ll have the chicken tenders.”  She was more surprised that I ordered chicken than the fact that I was pregnant.  And single.

Therefore dear Internet, today begins my Vegetarian Journey, which lucky for you, you’ll be along for the ride.  If after 30 days I feel no different then I will eat, breathe and bathe in bacon for the next 30 days.  (I miss you already Bacon!)

However, if I feel healthier, less gassy (don’t pretend you don’t know what a good blue cheese burger does to you…) with better skin and more energy, I’ll be saying goodbye to the meat for good.

Damn you, Oprah. Between this and my pledge to never again text while driving, I’m turning into one healthy buzz kill.

So help me lady, if you air a show about how wine makes you grow another nose, well then bring on the extra Kleenex while I uncork my bottle of Chardonnay.