Why am I shamed for being vegan?
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Good come backs! usually im not so quick with them and I usually just get upset and hold it in ....ill have to remember some of these, youre right about just giving it right back though so then they'll usually back off...0
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Vegan since Sept 2011.
I had a few friends react badly, too. I don't go around telling people I'm vegan and many people who are around me daily haven't even caught on. I won't even tell people who visit my house or I invite for dinner. People just don't seem to notice if the spread is nice enough.
When people do find out, and they start asking questions, I'm simply ask them first, "Do you really want to talk about this? Because I find that food is right up there with religion and politics. I don't feel like ruining my day with an argument I've already had 50 times." That usually weeds out most. If they keep at it and start arguing I'll say, "Look, you're not telling me anything I haven't already heard or anything I haven't already researched for myself. Alright?"
Now, there are people who like to poke jabs at it for fun once in awhile, so I'll poke right back. For example, we have a garden at work. A big squash was brought in. Girl says to me, "Look Agustin, something for you to eat!" and I retorted, "Yeah, I'll eat it. God knows you won't unless it's covered in glaze and sprinkles."
Give as good as I get. But I never give first. I hate pain-in-the-*kitten* vegans, too.
Good come backs! usually im not so quick with them and I usually just get upset and hold it in ....ill have to remember some of these, youre right about just giving it right back though so then they'll usually back off...0 -
You are definitely not alone. I'm very low-key about it and it still offends people and makes them angry. I try to tell myself it's about them and not about me, but it's hard when people go off about what you choose to eat (the usual context in which it comes up.)
Vegan since 2006.0 -
Yeah, you aren't alone. I've been eating a plant based diet for a year now and I've run in several races, 2 half marathons and a full since giving up meat and working on my first marathon next year since deciding to eat vegan and recently while eating out with some friends I had one who is about as big around as he is tall trying to convince me that I need to eat more steak. Ummm...yeah, OK. LOL!
For me I'm not preachy about it either, I tend to keep it to myself and only tell people about my dietary habits when necessary, partially because I don't want to hear why eating plant based is so "wrong" and "awful" and "weird".0 -
My husband and I just decided in February to become vegans and the hostility and/or being made fun of is surprising. At least we are older so outright meanness from strangers is rare. We are not preachy or even do it for moral reasons. We just decided it would be a healthy way of living. AND we love food, so the commitment is still shaky.
I was at my doctors office and when I mentioned we had switched to vegan the receptionist snorted and then rolled her eyes in an extremely 12-year-old-mean-girl style. Very unbecoming in a 50ish woman. So I said, yeah, we were thinking instead about the five day diet where you eat 2 days of as much cabbage as you want, nothing else, 2 days of only ice cream, as much as you want and one day of juice only diet with a coffee enema. She SERIOUSLY asked me if I thought that would work. I made up the most disgusting, unhealthy thing I could think of, and she took that more seriously than a healthy meatless, dairy-less life choice of eating. I can only SMH at the ignorance.0 -
That's hilarious! It reminds me of when I was losing weight after having my son. One of my husband's friends kept asking me what my secret was and was always super disappointed that it was counting calories and exercising. I don't know why people would rather alternate days of eating cabbage and ice cream than just eat a healthy diet!0
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I've dealt with this kind of stuff for years. I totally know what you're going through.
I'll tell you what two things made all the difference for me:
1. "Your body keeps an accurate record no matter what you say you eat."
People wanted to criticize me for what I was doing, but all I had to do was take off my shirt, show how strong and lean I was, compete against them, explain to them how healthy I was and how I never get sick, how much weight I had lost, etc. and they had nothing to say.
2. The second thing was really knowing my stuff. Once I had a solid philosophy of nutrition as well as the research and common sense to back up what I was talking about, once again, it shut them down.
A big part of keeping your friends is to present yourself in such a way as to not be confrontational or demeaning in any way. Show them evidence when they ask for it, but most of all--live a life that they want to emulate...pretty soon they will be knocking on your door;)0 -
Oh man, I completely feel your pain. I went vegetarian in middle school and I got everything from kids pretending their hamburgers were mooing at me (how this was supposed to make the case for eating them, I still don't know) to being the only person of my race at a barbecue and having a bunch of kids look at me with absolute incredulousness and ask, "White people don't eat any meat????" to the meaner ones who would try to trick me into eating meat, throw Slim Jims at me, or ask the incredibly original questions like, "Fine, but what about animal crackers?" I can't imagine how much worse it would have been if I were completely vegan!
Being older is pretty great because now I live in a fairly hipster neighborhood, so I get the apologists more that the antagonizers. I still hate it when people say stuff like, "oh I did that once but I didn't get enough ______" (<~~~insert protein, iron, ect. stereotype there.)
Stay strong!
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I eat about 90% vegan and have been veggie for 22.5 years. I used to just put up and shut up with the taunts and jibes and name calling... but over the years I have lost patience for it. Now I answer back (politely but firmly) and remove people from my friend circles if they can't accept my way of life. In particular I have unfriended/blocked acquaintances on social media - I don't need them or their bad attitudes.
You have all the friends you need on here :-)0 -
I totally agree with your statement regarding people's rationalizations or apologies at the mere mention of vegetarianism. I have been vegetarian for 20 years leaning more vegan the last 5. I love seeing the muscle development I have had in in the last 6 months on a mostly vegan diet. I can't wait to see the next 6 months as I start lifting heavy weights (nrol4w) and show you don't need to eat animals to be healthy and strong. In general I try to be pretty diplomatic though to meat eaters. I think they are good peeps generally, but probably think they'd live off carrots and twigs if they didn't eat meat.Basically, people who challenge what has been set out and accepted by society as "this is the truth because we say so just accept it and don't question it" make the people who are not strong enough to challenge that uncomfortable.
In my experience (as a 20-something year old vegan with a generally very liberal, intelligent social circle), people don't shame so much as become apologists. Apologize for eating meat in front of me, apologize because they could never give up cheese, insist they don't eat steak "that often", etc. I think it's interesting, because the fact that they feel the need to apologize makes me think they really do realize, on some level, what they're doing is wrong.0 -
Great to see a personal trainer on here who is veg*n!!! Bravo0
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Wow. I am kinda surprised you are getting so much push back. My family is used to me being weird so they all act like they think it is just a phase that I am going through. (sigh) Last Easter my sister actually asked me if I could just not be vegan for one day.
I too spend hours cooking for special occasions and have family members rave about my recipes.
I haven't really had that many negative reactions. There are only a few that come to mind. One time I had someone tell me that only animal protein can cross the the blood-brain barrier and that I would suffer intellectually from abstaining from animal products. All I could do was give him a WTF look. I was flabbergasted.
I also had a trainer once that asked me where I got my protein from. I just stared at him with an "are you kidding me" expression. I eat more protein now than I ever did when I was an omni.
My doctor didn't even have anything negative to say about it.0 -
I've been one 8 1/2 years and people around me, thankfully, just thought I was weird. They already thought that so it wasn't out of the ordinary. Here's my philosophy. I always tell people, don't judge me and shove your beliefs down my throat and I won't do the same. I could also pull out my proof and such about why I believe veganism is for your best interest, but I don't. I have told some people it's very disrespectful to talk to people like that no matter how wrong you think they are. I've also told these people why do you care, it doesn't effect you. Some people will never change and we just have to accept that. Focus on what good you are doing for yourself, your family, and the environment and animals. The worst was when I was pregnant and people thought I was a horrible mother to be because I didn't plan on eating meat through my pregnancy. Thankfully I was polite and told them my pregnancy was none of their business. I work at Whole Foods Market and could name 5 people that had healthy children, one had four, that had vegan moms and dads. I have friends that kid me, like one friend is always like, would you like, nevermind you can't and smiles. It's a long running joke from the time we met and that was 8 years ago so most people understand. Also, my 4 year old is overly active, haha, never has been sick except one time in his 4 years, tall and thin like his daddy, and loves vegetables and fruits more than pizza, ice cream, or french fries. Hang in there. Feel free to friend me.0
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PS-My 4 year olds pediatrician is a vegetarian and she has vegan children come in all the time. She never questions his food as long as I tell her he's getting lots of vegetables and fruits, thats all she asks about, and is proud of us for raising a child that loves them more than other childhood foods. I've been told by people that it could affect my seizures too. My neurologist said, and i quote, thats a bunch of bull**** and if they want me to talk to them personally, you know my number. I love her. If doctors don't care, then tell them that they shouldn't.0
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You are TOTALLY not weird, but I, too, have noticed there is a bit of a stigma associated with the vegan lifestyle. Just the other day I went out to lunch with some of my coworkers and was introduced to one of their sons (I believe he was trying to hook me up with him since he was my age).
Everyone at the table ordered deep fried meat, french fries with sodas of some sort while I ordered a veggie plate of green bean, black-eyed peas, carrots and corn with a glass of water. Upon questioning I simply said that I try not to eat meat or dairy. One of my coworkers asked "So you're vegan, right?", and I agreed.
Immediately the guy I had been introduced to explodes with, "OH! You're one of THOSE!", to which I couldn't help but scoff at. Really? You're clearly over 300 pounds and you're going to judge what I eat? I didn't say a thing about his double order of french fries and chicken-fried steak, and I respect his choice to feed himself whatever he wants, so I would HOPE that he could show me the same courtesy.
Well anyway, you are definitely not alone. Keep at it, y'all!
-Becca0
