do i go vegan?
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hnic76
Posts: 22 Member
right now i’m already “vegetarian” (i wouldn’t say i’m full vegetarian bc maybe once a month i’ll have maybe a hamburger or chicken, but i eat completely vegetarian about 98% of the time) , last week i tested out a week going vegan and i was 50/50 - i liked that i had a little bit more restrictions and i managed to go a week without binging which is huge for me bc i’m i am a BIG binge eater, bc all the snacks i would binge on aren’t vegan, i felt better and i liked overall the idea of being vegan- there were a few cons i found- i was a bit more hungry and didn’t have as many options bc i couldn’t find any vegan meals i enjoyed bc i’m very picky so i ate a lot of the same stuff like vegan chicken nuggets and smoothies and the “diet” / “lifestyle” became a bit boring, i also really missed my cheese lol .. i just have seen a lot of different opinions on being vegan vs vegetarian- i’m just super torn and i just need some advice, i know in the end it is all up to me and how i feel but i would love to hear some opinions, do i go full vegan? and would going vegan truly improve my health as much as i hear people talk about it doing or is it just about the same as being vegetarian.. thanks in advance *edit: by benefits i’ve just heard a lot of people talk ab how being vegan improved their overall health and then there’s things like lower risk of heart disease and stuff like that*
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Replies
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You are not really a vegetarian so you are asking of you should not really be a vegan as well?23
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lmao ok if i need to be more clear- yes right now i’m not 100% vegetarian, but i’m thinking about going full vegan, i literally said full vegan not partially vegan? i’m just asking if the lifestyle is worth it and is as beneficial as everyone says. thanksDoubleUbea wrote: »You are not really a vegetarian so you are asking of you should not really be a vegan as well?
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What benefits are you expecting?
Vegan can be done healthy, but like other diets, it can also lead to nutritional imbalances. You need to be wise about it.
Veganism is about ethics.19 -
Veganism is not more healthy. There are lots of vegan foods with little nutritional value.
Eating a healthy diet (any of omnivorous, vegetarian, fully plant-based) is more healthy: Get enough protein, enough fats (many of them MUFAs/PUFAs), enough fiber, eat plenty of varied, colorful fruits and veggies for micronutrients. Any of those diets can go there.
There are a very, very few people who have some special situation (disease, genetic situation, food sensitivity/allergy) that makes a particular way of eating more effective for them personally. That could be low FODMAP, gluten free, plant-based, low carb, or lots of other things. But, for most of us, those complicated restrictions are unnecessary and unhelpful for weight loss or health.
I've been vegetarian (not vegan or fully plant-based) for 44 years. If I had it to do over again, I think it would've made life easier, pleasanter, and more healthful to have been an omnivore who rarely but occasionally ate meat. At the time I became vegetarian, at age 18, that probably would not have seemed extra-special enough.
Now vegetarianism is an ingrained habit.
As I understand it, oversimplifying somewhat, veganism is an ethical choice about behavior to animals. Simply eating no meats/fish is more accurately referred to as fully plant-based eating, or something of that nature. In my understanding, vegans typically eliminate other non-food products that exploit animals (leather is the most obvious) and often some foods (a common one is honey) that are not meat or fish, but involve exploiting animals.
Full plant-based eating requires one to be more meticulous about nutrition than either vegetarianism or omnivorism. Either plant-based or vegetarian eating are ever so slightly less socially and logistically convenient than omnivorous eating. What I mean is that as a vegetarian, let alone vegan/plant-based eater, it's more difficult to handle situations like travel in meat-centric cultures; deal politely with diverse foods at potluck meals; respond to home dinner invitations from your new (meat-eating) boss; and that sort of thing. It can even, at an extreme, limit your choices of potential life partner.
I always urge people not to adopt a vegetarian/vegan/fully plant-based way of eating unless they have ethical reasons for doing so. It's nutritionally slightly more difficult, it's socially slightly more difficult, and it isn't inherently more healthy. Why bother?
If I had it to do over, I'd be 18 again and probably equally silly, so likely to do the same extreme thing. If I knew then what I know now, I'd probably make a different choice. It's just that it's not a big enough deal at this point to bother eating meat: My coping skills are pretty refined by now.21 -
Being a vegan is an ethical lifestyle, it's not a diet.
Based on what you have written I would say don't bother, your motivation isn't for the ethical standpoint, it's for perceived potential health benefits.
You mention you like restrictions and you struggle with binge eating, I suggest rather than looking at a vegan diet you talk to a nutritionist or specialist.22 -
right now i’m already “vegetarian” (i wouldn’t say i’m full vegetarian bc maybe once a month i’ll have maybe a hamburger or chicken, but i eat completely vegetarian about 98% of the time) , last week i tested out a week going vegan and i was 50/50 - i liked that i had a little bit more restrictions and i managed to go a week without binging which is huge for me bc i’m i am a BIG binge eater, bc all the snacks i would binge on aren’t vegan, i felt better and i liked overall the idea of being vegan- there were a few cons i found- i was a bit more hungry and didn’t have as many options bc i couldn’t find any vegan meals i enjoyed bc i’m very picky so i ate a lot of the same stuff like vegan chicken nuggets and smoothies and the “diet” / “lifestyle” became a bit boring, i also really missed my cheese lol .. i just have seen a lot of different opinions on being vegan vs vegetarian- i’m just super torn and i just need some advice, i know in the end it is all up to me and how i feel but i would love to hear some opinions, do i go full vegan? and would going vegan truly improve my health as much as i hear people talk about it doing or is it just about the same as being vegetarian.. thanks in advance *edit: by benefits i’ve just heard a lot of people talk ab how being vegan improved their overall health and then there’s things like lower risk of heart disease and stuff like that*
Are you willing to give up all animal products? This includes never wearing leather, wool, or silk again. It means not using honey or beeswax ever again. It means making sure that none of your cosmetics with red use certain red dyes. If you can answer "Yes" to all of those questions you are ready to go vegan. If you cannot, you are better off being a vegetarian. Difference? Vegans USE no animal products in their lives. Vegetarians EAT no animal products.8 -
. Vegetarians EAT no animal products.
that isnt correct.
Vegetarians eat no meat or fish.
They do eat animal products like milk, honey, eggs, cheese.
a vegan eats no animal products - and yes, usually, makes other non animal choices that do not involve food - eg not wearing leather or wool.
But it is possible to be a vegan and still wear a woollen cardigan11 -
paperpudding wrote: ». Vegetarians EAT no animal products.
that isnt correct.
Vegetarians eat no meat or fish.
They do eat animal products like milk, honey, eggs, cheese.
a vegan eats no animal products - and yes, usually, makes other non animal choices that do not involve food - eg not wearing leather or wool.
But it is possible to be a vegan and still wear a woollen cardigan
Not according to the vegans and vegetarians I know. Vegetarians, by definition eat vegetable matter only. Some may self describe as ovo-lacto vegetarians (eat eggs and dairy) but that is not a true vegetarian. Vegetarians also have no problem with animal products like leather or with things like honey and caviar that are produced by animals. Vegans do. If it is produced by an animal, a vegan will not touch it.
Vegetarianism is how you eat. Veganism is how you live.18 -
paperpudding wrote: ». Vegetarians EAT no animal products.
that isnt correct.
Vegetarians eat no meat or fish.
They do eat animal products like milk, honey, eggs, cheese.
a vegan eats no animal products - and yes, usually, makes other non animal choices that do not involve food - eg not wearing leather or wool.
But it is possible to be a vegan and still wear a woollen cardigan
Not according to the vegans and vegetarians I know. Vegetarians, by definition eat vegetable matter only. Some may self describe as ovo-lacto vegetarians (eat eggs and dairy) but that is not a true vegetarian. Vegetarians also have no problem with animal products like leather or with things like honey and caviar that are produced by animals. Vegans do. If it is produced by an animal, a vegan will not touch it.
Vegetarianism is how you eat. Veganism is how you live.
Not the standard definition. Under the standard definition, ovo-lacto vegetarians are vegetarians.
Merriam Webster: a person who does not eat meat : someone whose diet consists wholly of vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, and sometimes eggs or dairy products.
Vegetarian Society: someone who lives on a diet of grains, pulses, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, fungi, algae, yeast and/or some other non-animal-based foods (e.g. salt) with, or without, dairy products, honey and/or eggs13 -
I just wanted to add, I know a fair amount of people who are what I personally would call vegan (someone who doesn't eat any animal products) or vegetarian because they can't digest or are allergic to various animal proteins. For them it is very much not an ethical and/or religious issue. I also know a handful of people who just flat out don't like meat (or perhaps more specifically, the meats they've tried) and other animal products.
As to the question at hand, being vegan isn't any more healthy than eating an omnivorous diet.4 -
You miss cheese because they line it with a chemical that's addicting. You won't miss it after awhile. Trust me.
It can seem like a vegan lifestyle is really restricting at first, but it's really not. It's new. It's drastically different. It can take awhile of experimenting before you find foods that you like. I'm always pro vegan. There isn't a need for us to eat meat or animal products. Especially dairy. There isn't anything healthy about putting another mammals hormones into your body that was made for baby calves. That's why some people see an improvement in their acne when they stop eating dairy - it's their hormones balancing out.
It's really easy to harm yourself with veganism if you don't know what you're doing. It's important for the diet to be varied. I would encourage you to experiment with the foods that you don't like and to see if there's a way to make them more appealing.
I don't want to make this comment too long. If you have any questions then feel free to ask me42 -
I personally like to take the smallest step that makes the biggest impact and not a step further when there are diminishing returns. Since you are planning to go vegan for dieting purposes and not because of a strong conviction, that's the assumption I will use for what I'm going to write next.
Do you enjoy your current way of eating? If so, you don't need to change it to lose weight.
Do you find that not eating the items you tend to binge on is easier than eating them in moderation? If so, why not just cut them out without having to cut out all the other non-vegan items you enjoy but don't binge on?
It's the best of both worlds.
If, however, you're doing this due to strong moral convictions, you'll find a way. If something is extremely important to you, the downsides become less and less important and the lack of variety (initially) is well worth it.
P.S: Vegans are not inherently healthier. It's just that they tend to be more health conscious in general so they look like they're statistically healthier. You can practice health-promoting behaviors regardless of the type of diet you choose. Be active, eat nutritious foods, don't be overweight, use sunscreen if you're planning to be out in the sun for long, be social, engage in some mental stimulation...etc. You don't need to be vegan to do any of that.12 -
If you are going to live on shakes and vegan nuggets then no I don't think you'll see any benefits over eating chicken nuggets and shakes.
Either diet sounds unhealthy to me.11 -
paperpudding wrote: ». Vegetarians EAT no animal products.
that isnt correct.
Vegetarians eat no meat or fish.
They do eat animal products like milk, honey, eggs, cheese.
a vegan eats no animal products - and yes, usually, makes other non animal choices that do not involve food - eg not wearing leather or wool.
But it is possible to be a vegan and still wear a woollen cardigan
Not according to the vegans and vegetarians I know. Vegetarians, by definition eat vegetable matter only. Some may self describe as ovo-lacto vegetarians (eat eggs and dairy) but that is not a true vegetarian. Vegetarians also have no problem with animal products like leather or with things like honey and caviar that are produced by animals. Vegans do. If it is produced by an animal, a vegan will not touch it.
Vegetarianism is how you eat. Veganism is how you live.
This is actually really variable. I'm a 25+ year vegetarian (lacto-ovo, never had anyone tell me I wasn't vegetarian), and my stance is 'nothing the animal dies for'. So that rules out leather, as well as animal by-products such as gelatine, food colourings derived from animals, etc. I know plenty of other vegetarians who share that stance.10 -
Healthy diets are balanced and varied. You can balance and vary diets in a number of ways.
But for health, you don't just need a healthy diet, you need a healthy relationship with food. That is taking care to eat a healthy diet, but also allowing oneself pleasure from eating, without feelings of guilt, shame or fear.
Health is about balance. You have to eat enough, but not too much over time. Eating regularly is good, because regular eating is a healthy way to apply limitations.
I would say you're a typical "flexitarian" (a term I hate; I also hate "plant based", but they're already established, so I must accept them).
I think your most urgent health issues would be the binge eating and your food restrictions (some due to pickyness, some to fear, which can overlap), which seem to drive eachother. You might also have mild deficiencies from eating a limited diet, which can explain sudden hunger and need for fast replenishment, which can manifest itself in "bingeing". When we have an urgent need, and we're stressed and scared, it's difficult to make a good decision. You need to work on how to be more relaxed and feel safe around food.
So I think your approach should be to include more foods, not cutting out more foods, and if you don't think you can just do that - to talk to a therapist.7 -
You miss cheese because they line it with a chemical that's addicting. You won't miss it after awhile. Trust me.
It can seem like a vegan lifestyle is really restricting at first, but it's really not. It's new. It's drastically different. It can take awhile of experimenting before you find foods that you like. I'm always pro vegan. There isn't a need for us to eat meat or animal products. Especially dairy. There isn't anything healthy about putting another mammals hormones into your body that was made for baby calves. That's why some people see an improvement in their acne when they stop eating dairy - it's their hormones balancing out.
It's really easy to harm yourself with veganism if you don't know what you're doing. It's important for the diet to be varied. I would encourage you to experiment with the foods that you don't like and to see if there's a way to make them more appealing.
I don't want to make this comment too long. If you have any questions then feel free to ask me
I know how you line a skirt or a dress, but how do you line cheese?!15 -
TavistockToad wrote: »You miss cheese because they line it with a chemical that's addicting. You won't miss it after awhile. Trust me.
It can seem like a vegan lifestyle is really restricting at first, but it's really not. It's new. It's drastically different. It can take awhile of experimenting before you find foods that you like. I'm always pro vegan. There isn't a need for us to eat meat or animal products. Especially dairy. There isn't anything healthy about putting another mammals hormones into your body that was made for baby calves. That's why some people see an improvement in their acne when they stop eating dairy - it's their hormones balancing out.
It's really easy to harm yourself with veganism if you don't know what you're doing. It's important for the diet to be varied. I would encourage you to experiment with the foods that you don't like and to see if there's a way to make them more appealing.
I don't want to make this comment too long. If you have any questions then feel free to ask me
I know how you line a skirt or a dress, but how do you line cheese?!
We make cheese every year at home. We buy special cheesecloth laced with heroin, or at least that's what I suspect because I can't stop eating it.31 -
Snort!amusedmonkey wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »You miss cheese because they line it with a chemical that's addicting. You won't miss it after awhile. Trust me.
It can seem like a vegan lifestyle is really restricting at first, but it's really not. It's new. It's drastically different. It can take awhile of experimenting before you find foods that you like. I'm always pro vegan. There isn't a need for us to eat meat or animal products. Especially dairy. There isn't anything healthy about putting another mammals hormones into your body that was made for baby calves. That's why some people see an improvement in their acne when they stop eating dairy - it's their hormones balancing out.
It's really easy to harm yourself with veganism if you don't know what you're doing. It's important for the diet to be varied. I would encourage you to experiment with the foods that you don't like and to see if there's a way to make them more appealing.
I don't want to make this comment too long. If you have any questions then feel free to ask me
I know how you line a skirt or a dress, but how do you line cheese?!
We make cheese every year at home. We buy special cheesecloth laced with heroin, or at least that's what I suspect because I can't stop eating it.3 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »You miss cheese because they line it with a chemical that's addicting. You won't miss it after awhile. Trust me.
It can seem like a vegan lifestyle is really restricting at first, but it's really not. It's new. It's drastically different. It can take awhile of experimenting before you find foods that you like. I'm always pro vegan. There isn't a need for us to eat meat or animal products. Especially dairy. There isn't anything healthy about putting another mammals hormones into your body that was made for baby calves. That's why some people see an improvement in their acne when they stop eating dairy - it's their hormones balancing out.
It's really easy to harm yourself with veganism if you don't know what you're doing. It's important for the diet to be varied. I would encourage you to experiment with the foods that you don't like and to see if there's a way to make them more appealing.
I don't want to make this comment too long. If you have any questions then feel free to ask me
I know how you line a skirt or a dress, but how do you line cheese?!
We make cheese every year at home. We buy special cheesecloth laced with heroin, or at least that's what I suspect because I can't stop eating it.
Are you buying it on the street corner out of Sid's trenchcoat?2 -
As many others here have said, veganism is an approach to life whereby you commit to putting the welfare of animals at the forefront of your agenda. Committing to vegetarianism or veganism must stem from a real belief and ethical standpoint. For example, I don't eat meat or gelatine products because I strongly disagree with meat farming. It took some time to get used to the change in lifestyle, but as time has gone on my beliefs have kept me stuck to it. I find myself making more and more ethical choices such as eating less cheese, not buying ugg products anymore, not buying leather, using plant based milks where possible etc. These choices all stem down to my personal beliefs and approach to life. Not once has any of these decisions been due to a concern for my health.
Certainly you can incorporate more plant based meals if you want to increase your fibre intake and get a wider variety of vitamins in to your diet. However, I would not recommend committing to a lifestyle you don't believe in as it just won't last.7
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