Vegan Dry January Day 30: A Vegan in Downing Street

McDonalds. No friend of vegans.

I know! They let me in. You can't tell a vegan just by looking at their press pass, oh no. I'm writing this from Downing Street having worked with the pool camera team to catch cabinet arrivals. Now we are waiting in near-zero temperatures for the cabinet departures, which may take up to two hours as there are two consecutive cabinet meetings, political cabinet, and then cabinet proper (which takes place without civil servants). You don't get this kind of amazing insight into the political process in other vegan blogs, do you? No, because if you wanted that sort of thing, you'd be reading a political blog.

So far this morning I have had a couple of Trek bars and a soy americano. Once we were set up this morning, Ian the engineer offered to buy coffees from Downing Street's nearest take out, which, inevitably, is a McDonalds. I asked Ian to get me a soy americano. If there was no soy milk, I'd just have it black. Perhaps unsurprisingly, McDonalds isn't really interested in catering to the needs of vegans, and does not serve americanos with soy milk. The conditions I have to work in, ect ect...

Yesterday's exertions (an early for ITV News followed by a One Show sofa live) meant that despite consuming an entire bag of roasted cashews, I am still losing weight. I am now 11st 3lb which means I have lost 9lb since 2nd Jan. It is really difficult to put this down to either my reduced alcohol consumption, the veganalising or just the fact I have had to be so much more conscious of what I'm putting in my mouth.

It's certainly not down to exercise. Despite doing a lot of walking around London, I've only had time to go to the gym once this month.

I suspect it's a mixture of things. Alcohol in itself is calorific, alcohol also makes me hungry and so when I'm a bit tipsy I like to eat bad things. This month when I've had a drink (a bad thing in itself during a self-imposed Dry January) I've not eaten any bad things.

Also, vegan food fills you up. There's only so much veg you can eat before you really don't fancy any more.

What I suppose I am really saying is that a healthy diet with minimal alcohol and daily exercise can keep you reasonably trim. Who knew?! The trick is maintaining it after the inevitable switch back to animal products. As I mentioned in my last post, I'll try to stick to as much plant-based food as I can, simply because it seems to be in mine and the planet's best interests. But as I also said in my last post, Dry January can do one.

Vegan Vlog from Downing Street below or on youtube here. Tale of the tape and archive below that. Thanks for reading all this blethering rubbish by the way. Last Vegan Dry January post tomorrow.


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Weight: 11st 3.2lb

Exercise: 10 mins cycling, 30 mins walking

Food: 2 x trek bars, apple, 125g roasted, salted cashews (750 calories!)
Soy americano, black americano.

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Vegan Dry January Day 31: The Last Post
Vegan Dry January Day 30: A Vegan in Downing Street
Vegan Dry-ish January Day 29: Can't see what all the fuss is about
Days 26 to 28 are Nonblogged.
Vegan Dry January Day 25: Simon Amstell is a Vegan
Days 20 to 24 are Nonblogged. 
Vegan Dry January Day 19: Peer review
Vegan Dry January Day 18: Are you a vegan?
Vegan Dry January Day 17: Mmm... cashews.... 
Vegan Dry January Day 16: Taking Stock
Vegan Dry January Day 15: A relapse
Days 13 and 14 are Nonblogged. 
Vegan Dry January Day 12: There was no Day 11
There really wasn't a day 11
Vegan Dry January Day 10: Alcohol wobble
Vegan Dry January Day 9: Avoiding four meals a day
Vegan Dry January Day 8: Smeared Poo
Vegan Dry January Day 7: Separation Anxiety
Vegan Dry January Day 6: Wastelands of Admin
Vegan Dry January Day 5: Oatly is the tits
Vegan Dry January Day 4: Milk is everywhere
Vegan Dry January Day 3: I've lost my nuts
Vegan Dry January Day 2: This is going well
Vegan Dry January Day 1: Vegan Dry January is go