Back to vegan, but scared

iamcallieu
iamcallieu Posts: 17 Member
edited November 13 in Motivation and Support
Hi all, looking for support within the vegan community here. I was vegetarian vegan for years with the support of a homeopath. I was in the best health of my life, feeling amazing (and at a healthy weight) when I got pregnant with my 3rd child. Having moved away from my homeopath, I began eating meat again during my pregnancy, then a naturopath put me on a low carb, high fat diet about a year ago. I've been in and out if keto for a year and though I have lost much of my weight, I've felt HORRIBLE for an entire year. Exhausted, constantly thirsty abs my hormones are a MESS.

Most of my MFPals are part of the keto/LCHF/Paleo community and I feel very cornered. I know they'll judge me when they see I'm returning to my vegan lifestyle. And I must admit, I'm SCARED, because of all of the info (brainwashing) about carb cycling/how bad fruit is for me/grain fear etc from this past year. I really need some support, y'all
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Replies

  • falalaholly
    falalaholly Posts: 27 Member
    i am 100% here to support you! I am (mostly... lol) on a vegan diet.. and ONLY for health reasons... literally.. go a week without dairy and see how you feel haha... but not only am i vegan.. (or vegetarian? not sure..) i still eat eggs and occasionally i eat fish.. i dont eat any dairy and the only grain i eat is quinoa and the occasional rice noodle recipe.

    as for the previous post ^^^ you DONT need "animal one in proper proportions"... there are soo many things out there you could be eating than gross processed meat.. you can get get it from tofu, soft tofu you can put in sauces and shakes/smoothies, firm tofu you can cook just like any animal meat.. you can also get protein from beans (white beans, black beans are the best), peas, spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc. .. so many choices.

    you are free to view my diary any time you want.. again.. nobodys perfect so some days i miss, some days i cheat horribly haha but for the most of my days i'm eating vegetarian/vegan.

    feel free to add me for support!
  • iamcallieu
    iamcallieu Posts: 17 Member
    Thanks all, I'm not scared to return to my previous vegan lifestyle - I'm more scared of the backlash that I know I'm going to get. The keto community can be a brutal place; but I'm definitely ready to feel good again!! I'm also ready to eat some fruit again!!
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    Barring some nonsensical (ie: unnecessary/unsupervised VLCD) dietary plan - eat however you want. Anyone has a problem with it? F'em.
  • arabianhorselover
    arabianhorselover Posts: 1,488 Member
    JaneN2016 wrote: »
    Hi!

    I am 100% full vegan (yes, even down to clothes and bath products) Like the person above said, you need to stop letting people put you on diets and eat what is right for you! If eating plant-based is the best you have ever felt then go back to it. A bowl of rice isn't going to kill you :-)

    My diary is open, so if you want some vegan ideas feel free to add me!

    It doesn't look like your diary is open?
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    iamcallieu wrote: »
    Thanks all, I'm not scared to return to my previous vegan lifestyle - I'm more scared of the backlash that I know I'm going to get. The keto community can be a brutal place; but I'm definitely ready to feel good again!! I'm also ready to eat some fruit again!!

    Why let others dictate your food choices? If people are fanatical about their way of eating as being the one true way... walk away. There are multiple "right" solutions based primarily on personal choice and culture.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    jofjltncb6 wrote: »
    hmilly wrote: »
    i am 100% here to support you! I am (mostly... lol) on a vegan diet.. and ONLY for health reasons... literally.. go a week without dairy and see how you feel haha... but not only am i vegan.. (or vegetarian? not sure..) i still eat eggs and occasionally i eat fish.. i dont eat any dairy and the only grain i eat is quinoa and the occasional rice noodle recipe.

    as for the previous post ^^^ you DONT need "animal one in proper proportions"... there are soo many things out there you could be eating than gross processed meat.. you can get get it from tofu, soft tofu you can put in sauces and shakes/smoothies, firm tofu you can cook just like any animal meat.. you can also get protein from beans (white beans, black beans are the best), peas, spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc. .. so many choices.

    you are free to view my diary any time you want.. again.. nobodys perfect so some days i miss, some days i cheat horribly haha but for the most of my days i'm eating vegetarian/vegan.

    feel free to add me for support!

    I think we can safely mark that open item as closed now.

    You are not vegan. Or even vegetarian.

    If she self-identifies as vegan why are you so hegemonic with your definitions?
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Cutaway_Collar wrote: »
    But when it comes to religion, you can be pro-choice, have pre-marital sex and still call yourself christian/catholic, right?

    Veganism is an ethical position on animal exploitation. Christianity is a set of religious beliefs. I'm not seeing the connection.
  • TheCrawlingChaos
    TheCrawlingChaos Posts: 462 Member
    edited June 2016
    Cutaway_Collar wrote: »
    But when it comes to religion, you can be pro-choice, have pre-marital sex and still call yourself christian/catholic, right?

    That is a false analogy. Religion not the same thing. Nobody has an agreed upon definition of the relgion down ro that level in your example, and if they do, then those people would most definitely say that people of opposing opinions on those topis are not fit for the label.

    I would argue that there are not defined definitions for those religions, at least not at that level. There are plenty of denominations that split the base of the population among all those lines though I'm sure.. If you want to boil it down you might be able to do that and say that in order to be christian you'd need to believe in God and Jesus. So I wouldn't be able to say "I'm Christian but I don't believe in god. Or jesus. And I dont follow the moral teachings of the bible." That would be ridiculous.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    iamcallieu wrote: »
    Thanks all, I'm not scared to return to my previous vegan lifestyle - I'm more scared of the backlash that I know I'm going to get. The keto community can be a brutal place; but I'm definitely ready to feel good again!! I'm also ready to eat some fruit again!!

    Are these MFP friends that you are concerned about. If so, unfriend them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
  • gothchiq
    gothchiq Posts: 4,590 Member
    What privilege? That's goofy. :p Accuracy =/= "privilege."

    Anyway, if this keto community is going to be butts to you, may I postulate that it is not going to be a healthy community to hang out in. I know there are vegan communities where you may find like minded people.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Cutaway_Collar wrote: »
    I know one doesn't equate to the other, but the common theme is the bigotry behind the proponents and their followers. And the constant need to pontificate/codify a certain belief system.

    If the vegans you have met have a constant need to pontificate, I suggest you meet some new vegans. There are many of us who aren't that interested in pontificating. I'll answer questions when asked, but most people I know aren't even aware that I'm vegan or only know it because they have noticed what I'm eating (in group settings) and asked me directly about it.

    As far as vegan bigotry, I'm not sure what you're referring to. Most vegans have been non-vegans and have loved ones who are non-vegan. My husband, stepfather, siblings, and most of my friends aren't vegan. I love and cherish them all. I'm not some rare bird -- most of the vegans I have met have cherished non-vegans in their lives.
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
    TheCrawlingChaos wrote: »
    EvgeniZyntx wrote: »
    jofjltncb6 wrote: »
    hmilly wrote: »
    i am 100% here to support you! I am (mostly... lol) on a vegan diet.. and ONLY for health reasons... literally.. go a week without dairy and see how you feel haha... but not only am i vegan.. (or vegetarian? not sure..) i still eat eggs and occasionally i eat fish.. i dont eat any dairy and the only grain i eat is quinoa and the occasional rice noodle recipe.

    as for the previous post ^^^ you DONT need "animal one in proper proportions"... there are soo many things out there you could be eating than gross processed meat.. you can get get it from tofu, soft tofu you can put in sauces and shakes/smoothies, firm tofu you can cook just like any animal meat.. you can also get protein from beans (white beans, black beans are the best), peas, spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc. .. so many choices.

    you are free to view my diary any time you want.. again.. nobodys perfect so some days i miss, some days i cheat horribly haha but for the most of my days i'm eating vegetarian/vegan.

    feel free to add me for support!

    I think we can safely mark that open item as closed now.

    You are not vegan. Or even vegetarian.

    If she self-identifies as vegan why are you so hegemonic with your definitions?

    I'm not sure that makes sense. It doesn't matter what you identify as, that doesnt change the factual reality. I can identify as an astronaut/ninja/trillionaire movie star but that doesn't mean I am any of those things in reality.

    If the agreed upon definition of vegan is one who abstains from the use of animal products, then i don't think you can use animal products and say you're still a vegan. That is not what the word means.

    598113.jpg?b64lines=IERvbid0IGNvbW1pdCB5b3VyIGhhdGUKIGNyaW1lcyBoZXJlLg==
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    EvgeniZyntx wrote: »
    TheCrawlingChaos wrote: »
    EvgeniZyntx wrote: »
    jofjltncb6 wrote: »
    hmilly wrote: »
    i am 100% here to support you! I am (mostly... lol) on a vegan diet.. and ONLY for health reasons... literally.. go a week without dairy and see how you feel haha... but not only am i vegan.. (or vegetarian? not sure..) i still eat eggs and occasionally i eat fish.. i dont eat any dairy and the only grain i eat is quinoa and the occasional rice noodle recipe.

    as for the previous post ^^^ you DONT need "animal one in proper proportions"... there are soo many things out there you could be eating than gross processed meat.. you can get get it from tofu, soft tofu you can put in sauces and shakes/smoothies, firm tofu you can cook just like any animal meat.. you can also get protein from beans (white beans, black beans are the best), peas, spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc. .. so many choices.

    you are free to view my diary any time you want.. again.. nobodys perfect so some days i miss, some days i cheat horribly haha but for the most of my days i'm eating vegetarian/vegan.

    feel free to add me for support!

    I think we can safely mark that open item as closed now.

    You are not vegan. Or even vegetarian.

    If she self-identifies as vegan why are you so hegemonic with your definitions?

    I'm not sure that makes sense. It doesn't matter what you identify as, that doesnt change the factual reality. I can identify as an astronaut/ninja/trillionaire movie star but that doesn't mean I am any of those things in reality.

    If the agreed upon definition of vegan is one who abstains from the use of animal products, then i don't think you can use animal products and say you're still a vegan. That is not what the word means.

    If you identified as a ninja, I wouldn't want to squash your dreams.

    The agreed upon definition of words is fluid and veganism is a spectrum. Clearly people here want to be strict about it but how does her self-identity as a vegan harm you? Do you think she is going to eat your chicken? She already said she only occasionally eats eggs. Your chicken and your identity as a non-vegan remain safe.

    Check your omnivore privilege.

    From a vegan perspective, the "problem" with people who consume animal products identifying as vegan is that it can make it seems as if the animals exploited for those products "don't count." If one eats eggs and fish but also claims to have a stance against unnecessary animal exploitation, there is a discrepancy there to be explored. But it sounds like this person isn't an ethical vegan (s/he says it is only for health reasons), but on a mostly plant-based diet.

    The other, lesser, issue is that when people say they are vegan but consume eggs and fish (or whatever animal products), they can make it more difficult for vegans to navigate the world. I've had people assume that I eat fish or eggs or honey or dairy because they know "vegans" who have done so. But this is a pretty selfish concern, more of an annoyance than anything else.

  • christenwypy
    christenwypy Posts: 336 Member
    I am trying to make this change too. I don't want to fully say I will but so far so good. I'm reading The Lean and making small changes as I go.
  • sjohnny
    sjohnny Posts: 56,142 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Cutaway_Collar wrote: »
    I know one doesn't equate to the other, but the common theme is the bigotry behind the proponents and their followers. And the constant need to pontificate/codify a certain belief system.

    If the vegans you have met have a constant need to pontificate, I suggest you meet some new vegans. There are many of us who aren't that interested in pontificating. I'll answer questions when asked, but most people I know aren't even aware that I'm vegan or only know it because they have noticed what I'm eating (in group settings) and asked me directly about it.

    As far as vegan bigotry, I'm not sure what you're referring to. Most vegans have been non-vegans and have loved ones who are non-vegan. My husband, stepfather, siblings, and most of my friends aren't vegan. I love and cherish them all. I'm not some rare bird -- most of the vegans I have met have cherished non-vegans in their lives.

    I've never understood this. If, as a vegan, you believe that it is unethical and murderous to exploit, kill, and/or consume other living things then how can you tolerate associating with people who are basically on the same level as serial killers?
  • TheCrawlingChaos
    TheCrawlingChaos Posts: 462 Member
    EvgeniZyntx wrote: »
    TheCrawlingChaos wrote: »
    EvgeniZyntx wrote: »
    jofjltncb6 wrote: »
    hmilly wrote: »
    i am 100% here to support you! I am (mostly... lol) on a vegan diet.. and ONLY for health reasons... literally.. go a week without dairy and see how you feel haha... but not only am i vegan.. (or vegetarian? not sure..) i still eat eggs and occasionally i eat fish.. i dont eat any dairy and the only grain i eat is quinoa and the occasional rice noodle recipe.

    as for the previous post ^^^ you DONT need "animal one in proper proportions"... there are soo many things out there you could be eating than gross processed meat.. you can get get it from tofu, soft tofu you can put in sauces and shakes/smoothies, firm tofu you can cook just like any animal meat.. you can also get protein from beans (white beans, black beans are the best), peas, spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc. .. so many choices.

    you are free to view my diary any time you want.. again.. nobodys perfect so some days i miss, some days i cheat horribly haha but for the most of my days i'm eating vegetarian/vegan.

    feel free to add me for support!

    I think we can safely mark that open item as closed now.

    You are not vegan. Or even vegetarian.

    If she self-identifies as vegan why are you so hegemonic with your definitions?

    I'm not sure that makes sense. It doesn't matter what you identify as, that doesnt change the factual reality. I can identify as an astronaut/ninja/trillionaire movie star but that doesn't mean I am any of those things in reality.

    If the agreed upon definition of vegan is one who abstains from the use of animal products, then i don't think you can use animal products and say you're still a vegan. That is not what the word means.

    If you identified as a ninja, I wouldn't want to squash your dreams.

    The agreed upon definition of words is fluid and veganism is a spectrum. Clearly people here want to be strict about it but how does her self-identity as a vegan harm you? Do you think she is going to eat your chicken? She already said she only occasionally eats eggs. Your chicken and your identity as a non-vegan remain safe.

    Check your omnivore privilege.

    Ooooh. SJW territory here. Logic doesn't hold sway, I see. You're right whatever someone wants to believe privately doesn't affect me. But that doesn't change reality. Someone pointing out a factual statement shouldn't trigger you and get you upset.

    You can consider veganism a spectrum, but I have never seen a definition that says "we totes hate animal suffering, but we can sometimes eat eggs and fish."

    It's not about "dreams." I can't say "well being a doctor is a spectrum, so I'm going to forego all that medical training and open up a practice."

    Assuming the privilege remark was not in jest, I don't think I this conversation can go anywhere of use. I'll see myself out. When you're ready to come out of your safe space with the cupcakes and puppy videos, we can chat.
  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
    EvgeniZyntx wrote: »
    jofjltncb6 wrote: »
    hmilly wrote: »
    i am 100% here to support you! I am (mostly... lol) on a vegan diet.. and ONLY for health reasons... literally.. go a week without dairy and see how you feel haha... but not only am i vegan.. (or vegetarian? not sure..) i still eat eggs and occasionally i eat fish.. i dont eat any dairy and the only grain i eat is quinoa and the occasional rice noodle recipe.

    as for the previous post ^^^ you DONT need "animal one in proper proportions"... there are soo many things out there you could be eating than gross processed meat.. you can get get it from tofu, soft tofu you can put in sauces and shakes/smoothies, firm tofu you can cook just like any animal meat.. you can also get protein from beans (white beans, black beans are the best), peas, spinach, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc. .. so many choices.

    you are free to view my diary any time you want.. again.. nobodys perfect so some days i miss, some days i cheat horribly haha but for the most of my days i'm eating vegetarian/vegan.

    feel free to add me for support!

    I think we can safely mark that open item as closed now.

    You are not vegan. Or even vegetarian.

    If she self-identifies as vegan why are you so hegemonic with your definitions?

    Honestly, I don't think she self identified as vegan as much as she just wasn't sure what the right word for her mostly plant diet was. She literally said "not sure", so I don't think we are trying to rob her of her identity as much as clarify a word definition she wasn't sure about.

    hmilly, if you are looking for a shorthand to describe your diet so people will understand what you eat without you having to explain it, your diet would be considered pescetarian :)
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    sjohnny wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    Cutaway_Collar wrote: »
    I know one doesn't equate to the other, but the common theme is the bigotry behind the proponents and their followers. And the constant need to pontificate/codify a certain belief system.

    If the vegans you have met have a constant need to pontificate, I suggest you meet some new vegans. There are many of us who aren't that interested in pontificating. I'll answer questions when asked, but most people I know aren't even aware that I'm vegan or only know it because they have noticed what I'm eating (in group settings) and asked me directly about it.

    As far as vegan bigotry, I'm not sure what you're referring to. Most vegans have been non-vegans and have loved ones who are non-vegan. My husband, stepfather, siblings, and most of my friends aren't vegan. I love and cherish them all. I'm not some rare bird -- most of the vegans I have met have cherished non-vegans in their lives.

    I've never understood this. If, as a vegan, you believe that it is unethical and murderous to exploit, kill, and/or consume other living things then how can you tolerate associating with people who are basically on the same level as serial killers?

    Looking at history shows us that many people who are consistently exercise goodness and kindness have "blindspots" in their compassion and/or empathy, groups which are exempted from the ethical guidelines they use when interacting with others. How do I know that I don't have some myself, ones that I won't feel regretful for in the future or will seem very clear to future generations but are now not visible to me?

    I don't think non-vegans are the equivalent of serial killers, I don't think they are on the same level.

    Is it always easy to spend so much time with non-vegans? No, there are sometimes challenges. But all interpersonal relationships have challenges. I have friends and siblings who disagree with some of *my* ethical choices and demonstrate for me how to nurture friendship and love even across great differences. For an example, my husband and I have great political differences -- he thinks I support policies that can hurt people and make the world a worse place. But we talk about it, try to understand the other's POV. I don't think he thinks his life would be better if he never associated with people like me. I know my life wouldn't be better if I never associated with people like him.
  • Escloflowne
    Escloflowne Posts: 2,038 Member
    jofjltncb6 wrote: »
    iamcallieu wrote: »
    Thanks all, I'm not scared to return to my previous vegan lifestyle - I'm more scared of the backlash that I know I'm going to get. The keto community can be a brutal place; but I'm definitely ready to feel good again!! I'm also ready to eat some fruit again!!

    How would the keto community even know unless you told them???

    I mean, can't you just become a vegan without telling...

    ...uh...

    ....wait.

    Never mind.

    Just eat how you want.

    And stop randomly taking the advice of homeopaths.

    capn-jack-sparrow-farewell.gif
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