Power is a State of Mind: veganuary

Showing posts with label veganuary. Show all posts

Sunday, 1 February 2026

Veganuary ‘26 Review

Veganuary 2026 has concluded. The month of veganism – my second attempt in 2 years – was not quite the success I’d hoped for when I started out on the 1st of this month.

Weight loss was one goal. I started at 80.5kg after Christmas’ excess, and after dieting – not just following the recipes but cutting back on bread and porridge too – I came down to 73.0. This loss can partly be attributed to a moment of distraction and not checking the ingredients on a pack of vegan sausages, which included my nemesis, mushrooms, which floored me in work and had me sleeping – and fasting - for days. I had them for breakfast and by 10am I had to go home.

Furthermore, a lot of vegan pre-prepared meals aren’t even that healthy. There are a lot of red symbols indicating high fats and sugars, certainly in Aldi’s products.

Another goal was to beat a few personal bests in chinups and dips, and running. I achieved none. I was getting there with these, but I was still nowhere near the records. Some people swear by veganism for fitness. It didn’t work for me.

I managed a few recipes, although not as many as I’d have liked. They’ll appear here over the weeks. I find a lot of vegan recipes quite bland, and not as filling. How dedicated vegans manage, I don’t know. I uploaded one Meetup to vegan restaurant Hinterland, which went down well with a mostly new group of people in Manchester Nightlife. I’d have ran more but the weather is abysmal in northern England in January.

I did misstep at one point, eating some cereal with almond milk. All vegan, until you take into account it was Aldi Honey Nut Cornflakes, and honey is basically bee puke, so not technically vegan.

Once midnight passed, though…

I’ve done Veganuary twice now. I really miss the restaurant deals in Manchester, and all the meat-based food available at cut-price, so I think it would be better to mix in more vegan meals throughout the year than do a full on vegan project.

There are other monthly challenges to undertake. Stay tuned for that...

Sunday, 25 January 2026

Blu-Rays and Bars

"I spent my whole life trying not to be careless. Women and children can be careless. But not men." - Vito Corleone, The Godfather.

January, like December, is a predictably expensive month. Most of the year I try to be as efficient as possible with money, but December, well, we know how expensive that is, and January I allow myself to spend a bit in the sales. Hence, I bought a new PC and a new Blu-Ray player. A friend of mine from college days donated these:

I’d forgotten it was that long ago when he’d got in touch. What a gesture. The other day I watched the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy back to back and worked out the whole time. Exhausting, but fun. Great picture quality. Still a fat bastard despite Veganuary. I’d been holding off buying this David Cronenberg box set too:

Manchester is still battling the economic blues: not only had we lost Raft bar in Spinningfields a while back, but Banyan have also upped and left that area of Manchester. There’s still a branch in The Corn Exchange. Meetup groups like WeRoad and GetSocial used Banyan a lot over the years.

Saturday, 24 January 2026

Green Peas Kachori

I really should have hammered the vegan recipes a little more this month, as was my plan for Vegaunary, a month long vegan challenge. But here we are.

From Rukmini Iyer’s India Express: Green Peas Kachori, small parcels of spicy peas fried in a dough wrap. I trawled 3 supermarkets for chapatti flour, finding it in the big Tesco. I don’t own a potato masher – drawers are full enough. Spatula did the trick. I wasn’t supposed to dry the peas after rinsing – jumped ahead a little there. Took me an hour and a half instead of 70 mins. Not bad.

As for the food: tasty, with a kick.

Wednesday, 14 January 2026

Journal Club: New Year, Old Me

‘NEW YEAR OLD ME’ is written in block caps on the flip chart at the back of the vegan alcohol free bar Hinterland in the Northern Quarter. It’s the evening of the 7th of January. I've replicated the event on Manc Mates Meetup group although I'm not sure if any attendees from the site are here. The rules are established:

CONFIDENTIALITY

MOVE FORWARD STEP BACK

SPEAK FROM I NOT WE

BE KIND

NO NEED TO FIX

EVERYTHING IS AN INVITATION

The first prompt on the board:

I’M HERE BECAUSE

We’re given a few minutes for automatic writing. I come up with this:

I’m here because I find the free writing exercises help me to put thoughts into words immediately, without dithering about how best to say it. Also, I love the food. Famished once again. I’m here 20 minutes late because I went to a gym class and forgot a t shirt, and someone kept waffling at me in the changing rooms and I’m too fucking polite to cut them off. Why do I attract these people?!

The group organiser Fi tells us of the book ‘Wintering’ by Katherine May, detailing ‘times when we must retreat to care for and repair ourselves. May thoughtfully shows us how to come through these times with the wisdom of knowing that, like the seasons, our winters and summers are the ebb and flow of life.’ We find ourselves to be in ‘summer,’ going out socialising, or in ‘winter,’ wanting to shut ourselves off socially.

The next prompt is to pick one of the following and free-write:

REFLECTIONS ON 2025

I AM PROUD OF MYSELF FOR

I FELT MOST ALIVE WHEN

I’m most proud of myself for standing up for myself. Running a Meetup group requires resolve and confidence. In the last 12 months, I’ve had to send people out of bars, throw people out of Meetup groups digitally, teach people the problems of Zionism (or at least 1 massively drunk group member) and defend my own reputation over a particularly nasty Reddit thread. I’ve tried to be a good colleague, Meetup host, friend and relative. I think I’ve done a good job, despite what some others have thought. I’ve dealt with all of this while dealing with a feeling that I’m being stabbed in the heart. It hasn’t been enough.

Next up we moved onto RESOLUTIONS. The flipchart read:

What am I lacking?

How can I transform?

Pressure

Shame

Comparison

Self Criticism

Succeed / fail

INTENTIONS

Rooted in relationships with ourselves

Shapes out conditions

Directional

Flexible

Values-based

Not outcome focused

Fi describes how, on Solstice (21st last month) she would write her intentions on separate slips of paper, burn all but one without knowing which, and the one she’s left with she uses as her challenge for the year.

Next up on the board, a series of words:

ENOUGH

REST

BELONGING

FOCUS

BOUNDARIES

GROUNDING

SPACE

PATIENCE

MOVEMENT

LAUGHTER

CLARITY

FRIENDSHIP

PLAY/FUN

ENERGY

Below that, some prompts to which we can incorporate what’s above

1) IF I BRING MORE ____ TO 2026 MY LIFE WOULD

2) GET CREATIVE – PICK 3 WORDS, WRITE A POEM

3) DOODLE / DRAW

I come up with this poem:

The space between a quiet cafe and a rave

A hospital maternity unit and a grave

A city centre and a satellite town

No time for rest if you’re travelling down

What would be best, for the time you have left?

Feeling dismayed, in pain or bereft?

The organiser hits the gong at this point, and she told us of a ‘Create and Play’ themed event happening next month, involving collage and Lego.

The final flipchart page features 2 prompts to take away if we like:

THIS YEAR I’D LIKE TO NURTURE

SOMETHING I WANT TO MAKE MORE ROOM FOR

Journal club returns 4th February.

Sunday, 11 January 2026

Hinterland / Matt and Phred's Meetup

Bad news for rock fans this week: Manchester’s Hard Rock Cafe closed. Is it temporary or permanent? We’re waiting for updates.

It was my intention to take my dad one day to show him Jimi Hendrix’s guitar and clothes, which were mounted on the walls, along with an array of other rock paraphernalia. Just didn’t get around to it.

As it’s Dry January and Veganuary, I ran a meetup Saturday night to vegan alcohol-free cafe Hinterland. I didn’t expect it to be particularly popular in a group called Manchester Nightlife, but 9 RSVPd and most of them showed up.

Food went down well. After this we scooted to nearby jazz club Matt and Phreds where Gypsies of Bohemia were playing, who I’d seen there a decade or so ago. They’re good.

I think I’d met one of the meetup attendees before, but otherwise we were all new. But you’re going to draw in different people when you’re planning a vegan restaurant trip as opposed to a Spinningfields bar crawl. Hope I see them again.

Monday, 5 January 2026

Come to Flight Club and Hinterland this week

No quiet January this time: the first full week of the year I’ve already got 3 meetups lined up.

Wednesday night: Hinterland’s monthly journal club returns for a night of writing prompts. I’ve put that on Manc Mates meetup to see if anyone there has the writing bug.

GetSocial hosts a games night in darts venue Flight Club, promising:

🎯 4 hours of unlimited interactive Darts across 3 Oches

🍸 Private area booked just for us

🎉 A night packed with games, great vibes & amazing people

Thursday, 7-11pm. There’s a WhatsApp group for the Meetup group too. Find it on the site.

As Dry January and Veganuary are in full swing, I figured an ideal meetup would be to Hinterland again, this time for vegan food and alcohol free drinks. Saturday night from 7pm we’re doing things a little different to other Manchester Nightlife meetups. There are 4 of us so far. Make it 5!

Sunday, 4 January 2026

New Year meetup in Rewind

Here we are. 2026. After a year and a half of running meetups… I had no one to go out with on New Years Eve. I didn’t get anything booked in with my own groups. What a clusterfuck.

GetSocial Meetup group ran a night in Rewind, so I got a ticket on the door at 9:30pm and found a few familiar faces, at least 4 of which I made a conscious effort to swerve. I’m pretty sure they did the same thing. Lookalikes on the night included Republican strategist Steve Bannon, Claes Bang (Filnjor off The Northman), Michael Sheen (Frost in Frost/Nixon), Karl off Die Hard (Alexander Godunov) and a gay version of Goose off Top Gun (Anthony Edwards). All fairly predictable. 75% guys. Cheesy pop. Polite chat with this person and that. Left not long after 12.

A lot of these middle-of-the-road meetups would do much better if they had a bit more structure: things happening, maybe a raffle, a limbo challenge or a dance-off or something. It needs to be more than just ‘people in a room.’

I also thought maybe the organisers could put up some topic signs like ‘music,’ fitness,’ ‘films,’ etc. that way if you’re into a particular thing, go hover around that sign and the likelihood is someone will want to talk to you about your interests.

At least my meetups are held in places where a lot of people would say, ‘no, actually, that’s not my thing.’ That way you can narrow down the people you’d get on with best.

Veganuary holding steady. Trying different culinary things. Got an immediate headache Friday night after a vegan curry and have done no exercise all weekend. Probably dehydrated. Was fine by the middle of Saturday.

Wednesday, 31 December 2025

Veganuary 2026

January is less than 12 hours away and Veganuary begins at midnight: one month of veganism. No meat or dairy products.

I did this last year, resulting in some fitness gains. I’ve probably eaten more veg over the rest of 2025 than in any other year since moving out in 2010 too, so it seems to have had an effect on me.

This time, I’m doing Veganuary again but will also cut down on the grains: the bread, the porridge. The emphasis will be on vegetables and recipes. I currently weigh 80.5kg, way too much. 72.2 is the goal. A few 5km runs, pump and circuit classes, vegan recipes and soups should set me in good stead. Furthermore, I’m going to set up the chinup bar again and see if I can beat some old records: 170 dips, 20 underhand chinups, 23 overhand chinups. I also want to try a few vegan restaurants, so expect meetups held in that kind of place. As the emphasis is health and fitness, I’ll be doing dry January too. No alcohol for a month.

You know who else is doing Veganuary? Private Joker from Full Metal Jacket, or Matthew Modine!

Tuesday, 5 August 2025

Before 43 Review

It’s that time of year again. I turned 43 recently. A year ago, I set out some goals for the year. How did I do?

1) Get 1000 members in Manchester Nightlife

Well, that didn’t happen. Running Meetup groups is a real test of will: some people who join will become good friends, some will generally be good people but you won’t know them that well, some you’ll meet once and never see again, some will attend regularly but cause enough problems for you to block them from the group, and some will – instead of having a conversation with you - go onto Reddit and drag your name through the mud. It’s a rollercoaster. Still, the group has a 4.6 out of 5 star rating on Meetup. Can’t be that bad. I had 200 a year ago, I’ve now got over 580. We’ve had some great nights out, and I have a plethora of other ideas that I want to do.

2) See more of Scandinavia

I travelled to Copenhagen in April last year. Great holiday. I’ve been meaning to try another Scandi capital but I’m only just putting these plans in place now. Looks like Stockholm could be on the cards soon.

3) A third Viking project

I’m in the middle of this now, watching tons of Viking dramas on Netflix and working out loads. Steadily getting back to old PBs, and setting some new ones. I’m cooking a lot of Viking recipes, with varying results. This will end when I’ve exhausted Netflix’s Viking content. Still to watch: 2 more seasons of Vikings Valhalla, 1 season of Vinland Saga, and the Last Kingdom movie, Seven Kings Must Die. Throughout this, I’m doing a ton of chin-ups. I must mix more gym sessions in too. The beard is coming on, though.

4) See other parts of the world

This hasn’t really happened. I’ve been to Tenerife for a second time, and am likely to go back next year.

5) Teeline for a month again

Didn’t get around to focussing on shorthand this year. I need to, though, as I look back over my notes sometimes and they’re utter gibberish. I have improved, though, every time I’ve tried to learn it.

6) Learn Nunchucks

This I focussed on for a month in March, developing some competence. Good fun.

7) Excess Month Again

I didn’t manage to pencil off a month for living my life to excess. I planned to involve a load of food, drugs and alcohol, and regular blogging, but I just didn’t get around to it. Too much dieting. So an attempt to channel my inner Hunter S Thompson will have to wait. I had tried this in 2017.

8) Veganuary

I did go vegan successfully for the month of January. Interesting experience of shopping, cooking and working out. I’m planning to do it again next year, but even stricter, limiting bread and porridge, and focussing on the veg. The aim: hit fitness and weight goals.

9) Touch type for a month again

This didn’t happen. Will try again this coming 12 months. I’ve been trying this on and off since 2014. Sure would help in work and with blogging.

10) Get back into the 30” suit trousers again

I did manage this at the end of June. I was hoping to have done it in time for a holiday in late May, but better late than never. Predictably, I piled a lot of it back on. With this Viking thing, I’m steadily taking it off again. 78.1 is a long way off 72.2kg, but here we are.

So. 3 out of 10. Oh well. It was fun.

Sunday, 2 February 2025

Veganuary: Complete!

I love a good monthly challenge. In January I had a go at Veganuary, a month of veganism. No meat, fish, or dairy products. The aims:

• get down to 72.2kg and fit back into my suit trousers

• beat overhand chin-up record • beat underhand chin-up record

• beat dips record

• beat my record for my local 5.4km running route I started the month at 79kg.

After a month of following vegan recipes, I ended at 73.4. If I’d have just eaten a little less bread, maybe I’d have hit the target. A little less fruit. A little more water. I dunno.

Anyway, it’s over and I’ve already treated myself to some non-vegan food. Feels good. I worked on the above targets. At the start of the month I tried each of the exercises and made notes of my achievements that time, then spent the month improving on them and trying to get closer to the PBs. I was getting somewhere, but just didn’t get close enough.

That said, I’ve had bags of energy and sleep has been reasonably okay. The gym classes I’ve done have gone well, and I’ve felt strong and always had enough gas in the tank, so to speak. I attend a local pump class, in which we load up a bar with weights and do a lot of squats, lunges, bench press and bent over rows in time to music. I can load the bar stupidly heavy now – 3 5kg places plus a 2.5kg plate at each end of the bar for the squat track. I’m the strongest member of the class now.

I tried a few vegan alternatives. Instead of drinking chocolate and cow’s milk, I had cocoa and oat milk. Grim. Tesco’s coconut milk was nice as a drink. Their soya yoghurt tasted like shit. Alpro’s coconut yoghurt didn’t hit the mark.

Lots of potato and sweet potato made the month more enjoyable. The naan breads and ketchup may have cost me my weight target, though. I have a backlog of vegan recipe reviews, ready to be uploaded on upcoming Saturdays. They were interesting meals, but not favourites.

And this is what Veganuary has been like: okay. Not exciting. Some of the recipes I followed – in Rukmini Iyer’s The Green Roasting Tin – were pleasant enough, but not that fulfilling. I just love meat. It’s my downfall. I probably won’t go full vegan again, but I will try to throw in a vegan recipe every now and then.

Yesterday - 1st February – Veganuary was over. I had a halloumi wrap and a ton of B&M chocolate. Then I got drunk, as I’d also partook in Dry January too. No point doing Veganuary for health reasons if you’re drinking too. Staying off alcohol wasn’t anywhere near as hard as avoiding meat, fish and dairy. But even that wasn’t so difficult once you got into the swing of it.

I’m glad a gave it a shot. You should too.

Monday, 27 January 2025

Last Week of Veganuary

5 more days of vegan food. Tons of recipes to go up on the blog.

TV / movie actor Tait Fletcher like my pic of him.

It’s about time I got the ball rolling again with Meetup events. I’ve revived the long-neglected Manchester Psychology Social Group for another night of vegan food and psych chat. On Wednesday night we’re meeting in Hinterland for some Wholesome Junkies grub and discussions on books, courses, confidence building, mental health and all other things psychology. I particularly want to ask the group their thoughts on something from my past, that I’ve mentioned in the discussions tab on the meetup page.

Things are moving forward with Social Prescribing, who are helping me with finding social groups, employment, and the benefits system. I have another appointment on Thursday.

Saturday night, 1st February: Veganuary is over. It’s time for food. I’ve set up a meetup with Manchester Nightlife to try out Mackie Mayor, the food hall in the Northern Quarter offering food from independent outlets of many cultures and a huge dining space. I’m looking forward to some solid meat and alcohol, 2 things I’ve had none of in the last month. We’re starting with cocktails in Stray bar at 7pm. Get involved!

Meetup isn’t the only platform bringing communities together. A Meetup friend of mine introduced me to Manchester_Social, a group on the platform Reddit. It’s ‘a community for Mancunians that want to meet new people, attend events with new faces & build fresh connections with others residing in Greater Manchester.’ I joined last night, and have followed a link to a WhatsApp group chat. I’ve answered a few preliminary questions, as per their rules, and I’ve joined a few different chat topics: ‘Books, Poems and Everything Lit,’ ‘General Chat’ and ‘Event Suggestions.’ There are plenty of others. I’m hoping we’ll start meeting face to face soon.

Looking forward to a steak, more than anything.

Sunday, 19 January 2025

Veganuary Home Stretch

2/3rds through Veganuary. Going strong. Weight steadily coming off.

Spoke to Gabby Dawn Allen off Love Island All Stars about anatomy and fashion. Accept the cringe.

I met her in the Freda Funk launch in Manchester 2018.

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