Looking to go Vegan and feeling a bit overwhelmed!

Hornsby

Being vegan is a moral choice. If you are vegan you don't buy leather, or any other animal product or biproduct. If you just want to eat a plant based diet, then do that...but you're not vegan.

buzz28camaro

thankyou4thevenom wrote: »

buzz28camaro wrote: »

sault_girl wrote: »

buzz28camaro wrote: »

nsa352 wrote: »

Hi, going vegan doesn't always mean loosing weight. There are people who gain weight on vegan diet. Also veganism is too extreme.

Nothing extreme about realizing most of the developed world lives in such a way to where choosing cruelty free food choices at the grocery store and restaurants is a viable option and adjusting your purchasing habits accordingly.

There is also nothing morally superior about it.

The animals we eat probably have much better food, housing, and healthcare than the human beings who pick the bananas.

No one is talking about moral superiority except you, but what would you call it if your two options are either reducing suffering in the world or increasing it and you choose the former?

Actually while no one in that string did it was brought up by perfectpounds.

Also your point is moot. Both lifestyles cause massive amounts of environmental damage and contribute to human suffering. Not only that but if everyone was to go vegan there would be many farmed species that would be eradicated because they're no longer useful to big business.

That's fine with me. Your argument is it's better to keep animals from extinction so we can keep killing them?

janejellyroll

HStheBusyBee wrote: »

I feel like I have opened a can of worms here! (probably not the most appropriate phrase in conversation about vegans!)

Thank you everyone for all of your advice. My personal reason for wanting to go vegan is more for health reasons than the moral aspect. I personally am not a massive fan of the taste of meat and it doesn't particular agree with my digestive system. I'm also struggling with feeling lethargic and bloated all the time. I'm also lactose intolerant so I very rarely consume any dairy products. I will definitely be letting my son try the vegan food I make but I won't be stopping him eat meat as he loves it and at 4, I don't feel that he is old enough to make a conscious decision about it yet especially with seeing his dad still eat meat.

At this point, I am still trying to educate myself about how this will work for me long term so like I said before any tips or advice are really appreciated.

OP, it sounds like you're more interested in a plant-based diet than you are in veganism. Lots of vegan resources focus on the diet, so they may also be of use to you. I suggest veganhealth.org for information about how to meet your nutritional needs on a plant-based diet. If you prefer books, "Vegan for Life" by Jack Norris and Virginia Messina is a fantastic resource.

Pinterest is a great source for plant-based recipes!

HStheBusyBee

Hornsby wrote: »

Being vegan is a moral choice. If you are vegan you don't buy leather, or any other animal product or biproduct. If you just want to eat a plant based diet, than do that...but you're not vegan.

Oops! My mistake. My understanding was that a plant based diet doesn't necessarily mean no meat or animal by products. It some cases it can be excluded entirely and in others it can just be kept to a minimum.

Hornsby

If you only eat a plant based diet, then it would be no animal I would think.

janejellyroll

HStheBusyBee wrote: »

Hornsby wrote: »

Being vegan is a moral choice. If you are vegan you don't buy leather, or any other animal product or biproduct. If you just want to eat a plant based diet, than do that...but you're not vegan.

Oops! My mistake. My understanding was that a plant based diet doesn't necessarily mean no meat or animal by products. It some cases it can be excluded entirely and in others it can just be kept to a minimum.

A "plant-based diet" typically refers to a diet that has eliminated foods from animals. The person adopting it may be vegan (that is, they may choose to eliminate animal exploitation in non-food areas as well) or they may be okay with other forms of animal exploitation and are choosing the diet for other purposes (like the perceived health benefits).

Sometimes people who identify as "plant-based" will sometimes eat animal foods (just like a person who has adopted a Paleo diet for health/weight loss may have pizza as a treat). Because "plant-based" is a diet and not an ethical stance, there isn't really a hard-and-fast rule on how often someone can "break" it and still call themselves plant-based.

DaddieCat

janejellyroll wrote: »

HStheBusyBee wrote: »

I feel like I have opened a can of worms here! (probably not the most appropriate phrase in conversation about vegans!)

Thank you everyone for all of your advice. My personal reason for wanting to go vegan is more for health reasons than the moral aspect. I personally am not a massive fan of the taste of meat and it doesn't particular agree with my digestive system. I'm also struggling with feeling lethargic and bloated all the time. I'm also lactose intolerant so I very rarely consume any dairy products. I will definitely be letting my son try the vegan food I make but I won't be stopping him eat meat as he loves it and at 4, I don't feel that he is old enough to make a conscious decision about it yet especially with seeing his dad still eat meat.

At this point, I am still trying to educate myself about how this will work for me long term so like I said before any tips or advice are really appreciated.

OP, it sounds like you're more interested in a plant-based diet than you are in veganism. Lots of vegan resources focus on the diet, so they may also be of use to you. I suggest veganhealth.org for information about how to meet your nutritional needs on a plant-based diet. If you prefer books, "Vegan for Life" by Jack Norris and Virginia Messina is a fantastic resource.

Pinterest is a great source for plant-based recipes!

I second the veganhealth.org suggestion and tend to give this site as a resource to any baby vegans or plant based dieters that I've taken under my wing.

It's a great resource as I'm absolutely certain @janejellyroll knows. We tend to see eye to eye, although I'm not as nice.

Tofuli

Feel free to friend me! Vegan for around 2 and half years and veggie for many many before that. I post a lot of vegan recipes and finds as others said though, vegan doesn't equal weight gain. I gained weight in my first year after also moving out from my parents at the same time which meant I got to choose my own meals. I also discovered vegan baking. I do also think its easier to lose weight and maintain on a vegan diet, I haven't struggled at all to lose weight and stick to my calorie limit since joining my fitness pal because I get to eat so many fruits and veggies! I am in maintenance now and actually struggling to eat enough because I feel so full!