Advice for a new vegan?

floweryettobloom

Hi all! Hope your day is going a-ok so far.

I've recently taken the initiative to try a Vegan diet because even though I am usually a healthful person (and was actually vegetarian for around half a year last year), stressful sophomore year in college has been full of unhealthy snacks, late-night fast food, and vast amounts of caffeinated drinks. As a result, I am not feeling my best and feel groggy all the time.

I was wondering about some advice from your more experienced vegans out there?

1) What's the best way to tell other people if they do ask why I'm suddenly not eating meat or dairy?
( The amount of insensitive people is ridiculous: When I told friends I was going vegetarian, a few guys were like "Oh, you're not becoming one of THOSE girls are you? Don't tell me you're eating salads for the next month or so. Also, I told a girl today that I'm trying outing being vegan for awhile, and she just said "I could never do such a thing, I love food too much to go anorexic on you.)

2) What are the staples in your diet that you cannot live without?
( Currently, I've got plenty of fruits and vegetables. I find that sweet potatoes are delicious and filling, and I've got some tofu as well for a source of protein. But is there anything else that you guys like a lot that you would recommend to a new vegan? )

3) What do you eat when you go out?
( There's plenty of vegan restaurants, but if I go out with friends to a bar or something that doesn't offer special vegan options, what's the best thing to do? I'm sure no one enjoys spending $10 on a salad.)

4) What has been your experience with veganism and weight loss?

Thanks all

cwolfman13

You should probably do a lot of research on how to get proper nutrition without meat/poultry/fish/dairy/eggs/ect...you don't sound as if you actually know very much...being vegan doesn't mean you're auto "healthy"...in fact, it's far harder to actually get your proper nutrients if you don't know what you're doing. I'd suggest some major googling....maybe some books and other research. What you're giving up in RE to meat/poultry/fish/dairy/eggs, etc isn't "unhealthy' in and of itself...maybe you need to think about why you're actually doing what you're doing.

It can be a very healthy lifestyle, but you have to pay far more attention to what you're doing to actually get proper nutrients.

Mihani

If you are totally new to this I would suggest the PCRM 21 day vegan kickstart. I've done it a couple of times just because it is kind of fun, and there is a lot of good info and recipes. Website: http://support.pcrm.org/site/PageServer?pagename=21day_vegan_kickstart&JServSessionIda003=upegog3qg1.app234c

Also check out the websites for Engine 2, Forks Over Knives, Dr. MacDougall, Dr. Fuhrman. The must haves are beans, greens, veggies and fruit, whole grains, nuts and seeds. I lost 25 or 30 pounds within a couple of months of transitioning from vegetarian to vegan (I ate a lot of cheese when I was vegetarian), but have been struggling with my last 15 to 20 pounds for a long time now.

I've mastered the smile and nod when people talk about how unhealthy being vegan is. Nobody said anything about my health when I was obese and eating crap every day. I've found the main thing is just not to get defensive. It's your choice.

The eating out thing can be a pain, but most places are becoming more vegan friendly. If you don't see anything on the menu ask if they have anything they can put together for you. Sometimes salad is all you can get though.

Also there is a vegetarian group on mfp you can join. The people there would have a lot of great advice. Good luck!

daniellethevegan

Welcome to the wonderful world of being a vegan!

1) The best way to tell other people is to not tell other people until they ask. It's your business, and you'll always receive flack from others who may disagree with your lifestyle changes. On the contrary though, you will meet lots of people who are in awe of your decision and may even ask you for some health tips!

2) Lentils, lentils lentils. Lots and lots of beans. I live on quinoa. Please feel free to check out my diary, I'm 100% vegan and incorporate a lot of hot, filling, comfort type foods on a regular basis.

3) Restaurants can be tricky, that's for sure. Some you're just going to have to avoid altogether (Olive Garden, Applebees, Chilis, etc), but some are GREAT for vegans: Subway's Veggie Delite, Panera Bread's Veggie Soup in a bread bowl, Red Robin's Boca Burger, and PF Changs tofu dishes are my absolute favorites. Most restaurants are pretty accommodating for vegans if you need to hold the chicken and cheese on salads or ask for substitutions. Definitely do your homework, I Googled vegan restaurants and found an amazing website: http://www.veganeatingout.com/

4) I've lost 61 pounds in 6 months becoming a cold-turkey vegan overnight with exercise 3-4x a week. I will NEVER look back. For me now, it's not about the weight. I feel alive again. I felt just like you in the beginning when I weighed 233 pounds, now at 172 pounds, I feel better than I have in years!

Please feel free to message me if you have any more questions! That goes for all vegans, we are few and far between, so when I meet others I get super excited

-Danielle

daniellethevegan

You should probably do a lot of research on how to get proper nutrition without meat/poultry/fish/dairy/eggs/ect...you don't sound as if you actually know very much...being vegan doesn't mean you're auto "healthy"...in fact, it's far harder to actually get your proper nutrients if you don't know what you're doing. I'd suggest some major googling....maybe some books and other research. What you're giving up in RE to meat/poultry/fish/dairy/eggs, etc isn't "unhealthy' in and of itself...maybe you need to think about why you're actually doing what you're doing.

It can be a very healthy lifestyle, but you have to pay far more attention to what you're doing to actually get proper nutrients.

^ This, too. Really, really do your homework. Vitamin B12 & Vitamin D are found in animals primarily, so I have to take supplements. It's vital to a vegan's overall health to ensure you're getting adequate vitamins you're missing from animals. Definitely invest in those vitamins, do some research on how much you should be taking. Also, nutritional yeast is a vegans best friend, it's this yellow, powdered supplement found in health food stores. It's absolutely amazing in every way, I buy iy by the pound and put it in and on everything for an extra B12 and Manganese boost. Chia seeds, hemp seeds, and maca powder are also good vitamin booster.

kayleighlang5

Hi all! Hope your day is going a-ok so far.

I've recently taken the initiative to try a Vegan diet because even though I am usually a healthful person (and was actually vegetarian for around half a year last year), stressful sophomore year in college has been full of unhealthy snacks, late-night fast food, and vast amounts of caffeinated drinks. As a result, I am not feeling my best and feel groggy all the time.

I was wondering about some advice from your more experienced vegans out there?

1) What's the best way to tell other people if they do ask why I'm suddenly not eating meat or dairy?
( The amount of insensitive people is ridiculous: When I told friends I was going vegetarian, a few guys were like "Oh, you're not becoming one of THOSE girls are you? Don't tell me you're eating salads for the next month or so. Also, I told a girl today that I'm trying outing being vegan for awhile, and she just said "I could never do such a thing, I love food too much to go anorexic on you.)

2) What are the staples in your diet that you cannot live without?
( Currently, I've got plenty of fruits and vegetables. I find that sweet potatoes are delicious and filling, and I've got some tofu as well for a source of protein. But is there anything else that you guys like a lot that you would recommend to a new vegan? )

3) What do you eat when you go out?
( There's plenty of vegan restaurants, but if I go out with friends to a bar or something that doesn't offer special vegan options, what's the best thing to do? I'm sure no one enjoys spending $10 on a salad.)

4) What has been your experience with veganism and weight loss?

Thanks all

Hello there!

First of all, I'd like to congratulate you on going on this path of health (: Being vegan is tough, and it definitely took a lot of research in order to be done correctly, but you can do it! And you have several vegans out here who will support you without any judgement!

Although I'm no vegan expert, I'd like to share my experience with you that might answer your questions! You can take my advice with a grain of salt, of course, but my best advice for you is to do some trial and error on your part: no vegan is one and the same, so it's really up to you to know what you need more out of in your vegan diet! (For example, I need more iron in my diet as well as vitamin C)

Anyways, hopefully these might help as well!

1.) I think every vegan and vegetarian is going to have an issue with this. The best thing that I could tell you about this is to be calm and rational when talking to your friends about this: let them know why you want to go vegan, and assure them it's for you and not for them. I understand that there are some vegans out there who tend to be a little too headstrong about their lifestyle and push others into it as well. I would just constantly tell your family and friends that you're doing this for your health and you believe this is the right path. If they are still ignorant about that, simply know that you can't change how they feel and-- hopefully-- when they see a healthier and happier you, they won't be so prejudiced.

2.) I would definitely recommend Oreos for that sweet tooth! Sure, they're not healthy really, but they are vegan! It might help curb that sweet desire! Oh, and I always make sure to have some homemade trial mix for on the go too! I usually add granola, dried cranberries, banana chips, coconut chips, and almonds with it! The awesome thing about trial mix is that you can mix and match and do whatever you want! It's limitless!

I have a ton of other awesome recipe ideas too! If you want to message me, I'd be glad to share it with you (:

3.) It's a little more difficult with mainstream restaurants, maybe do a little bit of research before you go out to see if there are any options? I know it takes a little work but it'll definitely be worth it!

Also know that people tend to think of veganism as some sort of religion, but really-- it's okay to slip once in a while. For example, I try my best to stay as vegan as possible at restaurants, but if I get a bread roll, I'm not going to feel guilty. As long as you make an effort, it's fine! You're still trying to make healthy decisions and that's all that matters.

4.) My experience with veganism and weight loss is pretty good-- but it wasn't instant. It took me a while to lose the fifteen pounds that I did, but the best part about all of it was that I felt less groggy and a lot healthier-- but, I also did a lot of research too! I tried a vegan diet without knowing what to do and it ended horribly, actually. So I implore you to do some googling, read some books, and try out things for yourself! Understand your nutrient needs and where to get them, and I promise you will do so well!

If you need any support or any other advice, please let me know! Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it! I believe in you (:

jeannemarie333

magerum

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DinahCakes

When u get a negative reaction from guys, have you considered that this is a great way to weed out the riffraff? Not that HE would need to be vegan, but a guy who immediately condemns your food intake and puts u in a stereotypical box cuz it's easier than actually getting to know you sounds more than a little unsupportive and juvenile. You're in college, Girl. Do u hv time for guys that present themselves like that? Ok, my mom-face is showing now. The short-answer is probably what you're needing. If you aren't up for a long discussion, I would probably try your personal-version of "I hvnt been feeling so hot lately, and I thought I'd try eating more healthfully and see if I can improve it with the fuel I'm choosing to run on", or some kind of similarly worded "I'm experimenting with health. Don't be afraid of me" explanation. Maybe that helps more than my mom-face. Stay strong. U got this.

Sarauk2sf

You should probably do a lot of research on how to get proper nutrition without meat/poultry/fish/dairy/eggs/ect...you don't sound as if you actually know very much...being vegan doesn't mean you're auto "healthy"...in fact, it's far harder to actually get your proper nutrients if you don't know what you're doing. I'd suggest some major googling....maybe some books and other research. What you're giving up in RE to meat/poultry/fish/dairy/eggs, etc isn't "unhealthy' in and of itself...maybe you need to think about why you're actually doing what you're doing.

It can be a very healthy lifestyle, but you have to pay far more attention to what you're doing to actually get proper nutrients.

^^this.

You will need to be careful with you B12 intake specifically re micros. Nutritional yeast is a good source and is also a complete protein.

Check out the vegan groups on here, for example. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/45-happy-herbivores

You will probably get better advice there.

I am a vegetarian and when someone makes stupid comments about being one, I just deal with them the way I would any other stupid comment.

zorbaru

When u get a negative reaction from guys, have you considered that this is a great way to weed out the riffraff? Not that HE would need to be vegan, but a guy who immediately condemns your food intake and puts u in a stereotypical box cuz it's easier than actually getting to know you sounds more than a little unsupportive and juvenile..

this goes both ways also, dont go having a go at other people for eating meat in front of you etc. its this type of behavior that gives vegetarians and vegans a bad wrap.

Siansonea

So wait, you're going vegan because you think it's healthy? :huh:

Artificially restricting your diet to exclude an entire subgroup of nutrient sources your body evolved to utilize and having to bend over backwards to compensate for the lack of that nutrient source doesn't sound particularly "healthful" to me.

Kymmu

Well done on your choice to go vegan!
It takes dedication and research till you find your feet.
I have never looked back - all my blood work is very positive.
Don't be a junk food vegan - go for health and you will thrive.
Your body, the Earth and the animals will thank you.
Remember when you ate everything and no one cared about where you get your nutrients ( even if you weren't getting any) ?
Those days are over, so know where your nutrients come from - calcium , iron and protein mainly as you will be asked this over and over from well meaning and other folks too.
Take care and feel free to add me

_Zardoz_

So wait, you're going vegan because you think it's healthy? :huh:

Artificially restricting your diet to exclude an entire subgroup of nutrient sources your body evolved to utilize and having to bend over backwards to compensate for the lack of that nutrient source doesn't sound particularly "healthful" to me.

that's a hilarious post from someone who obviously has no clue about veganism. It really isn't as hard as people imply. The protein argument isn't an argument as you have to try very hard not to get enough protein. A vegan diet can be healthy or unhealthy like any other one' what you do find though is that vegans have made a concious choice, so know far more about their diet than most people. Vegan diets are generally lower calorie than animal based diets but you still have to be careful. I was and and still am fat vegan so being a vegan is no panacia for weight loss.

My main advice is don't preach to people. If they ask about your diet talk explain. In reality most puerile are more exciting than you think as long as you're not a preachy vegan. They are in fact more likely to ask you if they know you're not going to shove your choice down their throat. I'm a Vegan for ethical reasons and have been for way before mfp people ask about that of me because they know I respect their choices even if I disagree.

neanderthin

So wait, you're going vegan because you think it's healthy? :huh:

Artificially restricting your diet to exclude an entire subgroup of nutrient sources your body evolved to utilize and having to bend over backwards to compensate for the lack of that nutrient source doesn't sound particularly "healthful" to me.

that's a hilarious post from someone who obviously has no clue about veganism. It really isn't as hard as people imply. The protein argument isn't an argument as you have to try very hard not to get enough protein. A vegan diet can be healthy or unhealthy like any other one' what you do find though is that vegans have made a concious choice, so know far more about their diet than most people. Vegan diets are generally lower calorie than animal based diets but you still have to be careful. I was and and still am fat vegan so being a vegan is no panacia for weight loss.

My main advice is don't preach to people. If they ask about your diet talk explain. In reality most puerile are more exciting than you think as long as you're not a preachy vegan. They are in fact more likely to ask you if they know you're not going to shove your choice down their throat. I'm a Vegan for ethical reasons and have been for way before mfp people ask about that of me because they know I respect their choices even if I disagree.

lol.

emilynw10

I'm not vegan, but my son has dairy and egg allergies and we don't eat beef or pork, so we have quite a few vegan meals. It's not difficult to do. We go with predominately vegetables for meals, but always include a legume (beans, chickpeas, lentils...). Nuts and seeds are also pretty necessary, but my son also has nut allergies which is one of the main reasons we keep chicken and fish in our diet. For sweets, I usually bake something. It's pretty easy to find vegan cake recipes... or banana bread... mmmmmm.... There are about a million vegan cook books.

Good luck! If we could eat eggs I would go vegetarian in a heartbeat. Veganism doesn't really appeal to me though. For me, it's too restrictive to be sustainable.

rawstrongchick

1) I have crohn's so I have a lot of allergies which basically leaves me in the raw vegan camp. Naturally when out at a picnic, dinner party or restaurant the last thing I like doing is announcing to a room full of people I'm not intimately acquainted with that I have pooping issues (!) so I tend to just tell people that I have digestive issues. Gets a whole load of sceptical raised eyebrows, but hey why should I have to explain and justify my entire medical history and any relevant moral/ethic beliefs just because *some* people might struggle to understand my food choices.

2) Staples in my diet are fruit, veg and nuts as that is all I can eat. My advice would be to make sure that you try and eat a range of foods within the food groups. Many people talk about vegans having 'limited diets', and yes it's true that when you knock out food groups you limit you choices - BUT actually it's easily to eat a wider range of food IRL being a vegan than lots of non-vegans who tend to stick to the same old foods all the time.

3) Eating out wise, avoid junk/fast food type places and if in doubt call up first. I've found that if you telephone and explain when you are coming in and what you can/can't eat then most proper restaurants will bend over backwards to serve you up something suitable.

My one big tip is don't become a junk food vegan. It's so easy to end up eating nothing but bread, chips (or fries if your USA), home popped pop corn etc. I'm not saying that you shouldn't eat these foods, but make sure you keep them as part of a balanced out diet and not rely on them as your sole source of calories. Foods worth mentioning:

A) Quinoa and lentils are fabulous if your lucky enough to be able to digest them (pouting face on here), rice is excellent, you can get egg-free vegan pasta made of wheat, spelt, corn and rice too.

Protein wise don't rely on soy. Some people are lucky enough to be able to consume buckets of soy and feel fine, aside from my tummy issues I find the smallest amount of soy causes complete havoc with my hormones and I end up turning into a witch. If you get along with soy then save the soy for things like soya yogurts/tofu and stick with almond milk would be my advice.

C) Nuts are excellent, eat a wide range of types for maximum nutritions.

D) Coconut totally rocks my world, I use it in almost everything.

E) Cacao! You've not lived until you've had vegan chocolate torte! All that yummy cacao (which actually is reasonably high in protein) is excellent. I add in hemp powder to the one I make for extra protein too.

F) Already been mentioned by another poster but you can add nutritional yeast flakes to just about everything from vegan cheese sauce (mac and cheese vegan style!), to all sorts of soups and savouries.

bohdanko

Also check out the websites for Engine 2, Forks Over Knives, Dr. MacDougall, Dr. Fuhrman.

This. I'm not vegan right now but have researched it extensively and have friends who are. These resources (except I hadn't actually heard of Engine 2 - going to check that one out) are excellent. They have a lot of information on being sure to find the right balance for nutrition and some great information on being careful about processed vegan "fake" foods (soy alternative products for meat in particular).

Best of luck! I still think I will do this some day. I'm just not prepared to deal with whining teenagers and husband or cooking two meals at this stage of my life!

twixlepennie

If you are totally new to this I would suggest the PCRM 21 day vegan kickstart. I've done it a couple of times just because it is kind of fun, and there is a lot of good info and recipes. Website: http://support.pcrm.org/site/PageServer?pagename=21day_vegan_kickstart&JServSessionIda003=upegog3qg1.app234c

Also check out the websites for Engine 2, Forks Over Knives, Dr. MacDougall, Dr. Fuhrman. The must haves are beans, greens, veggies and fruit, whole grains, nuts and seeds. I lost 25 or 30 pounds within a couple of months of transitioning from vegetarian to vegan (I ate a lot of cheese when I was vegetarian), but have been struggling with my last 15 to 20 pounds for a long time now.

I've mastered the smile and nod when people talk about how unhealthy being vegan is. Nobody said anything about my health when I was obese and eating crap every day. I've found the main thing is just not to get defensive. It's your choice.

The eating out thing can be a pain, but most places are becoming more vegan friendly. If you don't see anything on the menu ask if they have anything they can put together for you. Sometimes salad is all you can get though.

Also there is a vegetarian group on mfp you can join. The people there would have a lot of great advice. Good luck!

Dr. Fuhrman actually admits that the research doesn't support a fully vegan diet as the only way to eat for good health. Instead he leans more towards a 90/10 approach, with 10% of your diet being open to meat and dairy etc. I've read all the books listed, plus many more, and the conclusion I came to was that a 100% vegan diet was just not necessary for optimal health. Instead I focus on a diet that's nutrient dense with lots of veggies, whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds etc and then I have other things like meat and dairy in moderation. Here's Dr. Fuhrman's food pyramid, which is a good visual-
http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/foodpyramid.aspx

And some info on why he concludes that a totally vegan diet isn't any more beneficial than a nutrient dense one that has meat and dairy included in small amounts-

http://www.drfuhrman.com/library/article5.aspx

"People often ask me whether it is absolutely necessary to follow a vegetarian diet. Let me stress this: Following a strict vegetarian diet is not as important as eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables."

"So the question is: can the total protection offered by increasing the nutritious foods - the high phytochemical/antioxidant (protective plant foods)-- to make ones diet produce-predominant be achieved, even if the diet is not totally vegetarian and includes some animal products? I think the answer is yes. In other words, you can achieve the benefits of a vegetarian diet, without being a vegetarian or a vegan, and the science available seems to support this."

If you're becoming a vegan for AR issues that's one thing, but to become a vegan because of the idea that it's the healthiest way to eat, just isn't backed by science at this time.

Siansonea

So wait, you're going vegan because you think it's healthy? :huh:

Artificially restricting your diet to exclude an entire subgroup of nutrient sources your body evolved to utilize and having to bend over backwards to compensate for the lack of that nutrient source doesn't sound particularly "healthful" to me.

that's a hilarious post from someone who obviously has no clue about veganism. It really isn't as hard as people imply. The protein argument isn't an argument as you have to try very hard not to get enough protein. A vegan diet can be healthy or unhealthy like any other one' what you do find though is that vegans have made a concious choice, so know far more about their diet than most people. Vegan diets are generally lower calorie than animal based diets but you still have to be careful. I was and and still am fat vegan so being a vegan is no panacia for weight loss.

My main advice is don't preach to people. If they ask about your diet talk explain. In reality most puerile are more exciting than you think* as long as you're not a preachy vegan. They are in fact more likely to ask you if they know you're not going to shove your choice down their throat. I'm a Vegan for ethical reasons** and have been for way before mfp people ask about that of me because they know I respect their choices even if I disagree.

* ???

** Well, aren't we superior to all the unethical people who eat the precious little animals! Animals eat each other too, you know that, right? Yeah, if you're going with the "not preachy" motif, then you might not want to label everyone who isn't a vegan "unethical". :huh:

dressagester

I am a vegan. You should only go vegan for ethical choices. As a "diet" you're just as likely to get fat as a non-vegan diet. Trust me - I'm an expert on being a fat, junk food loving vegan.

Examples of vegan treachery: Oreos, soda, a lot of booze, Chick-o-sticks (drooool), Entenmann's snack pies, chips, unfrosted pop tarts... I can go on and on.

SO - don't go vegan just because you think you'll lose weight. When you're pressed for time and you have to just grab something, you're MORE LIKELY to grab garbage. Unless you have ethical reasons for vegan you're better off eating a varied diet of moderation.

:flowerforyou:

emilynw10

So wait, you're going vegan because you think it's healthy? :huh:

Artificially restricting your diet to exclude an entire subgroup of nutrient sources your body evolved to utilize and having to bend over backwards to compensate for the lack of that nutrient source doesn't sound particularly "healthful" to me.

that's a hilarious post from someone who obviously has no clue about veganism. It really isn't as hard as people imply. The protein argument isn't an argument as you have to try very hard not to get enough protein. A vegan diet can be healthy or unhealthy like any other one' what you do find though is that vegans have made a concious choice, so know far more about their diet than most people. Vegan diets are generally lower calorie than animal based diets but you still have to be careful. I was and and still am fat vegan so being a vegan is no panacia for weight loss.

My main advice is don't preach to people. If they ask about your diet talk explain. In reality most puerile are more exciting than you think* as long as you're not a preachy vegan. They are in fact more likely to ask you if they know you're not going to shove your choice down their throat. I'm a Vegan for ethical reasons** and have been for way before mfp people ask about that of me because they know I respect their choices even if I disagree.

* ???

** Well, aren't we superior to all the unethical people who eat the precious little animals! Animals eat each other too, you know that, right? Yeah, if you're going with the "not preachy" motif, then you might not want to label everyone who isn't a vegan "unethical". :huh:

People aren't allowed to have differing opinions about what they feel is and is not ethical?

Xiaolongbao

I'm vegetarian not vegan but if anyone questions my choices I simply assure them that I enjoy killing animals with my bare hands, ripping them limb from limb - I just prefer not to eat their rotting flesh*.

That tends to end most conversations, especially if there's a household pet you can stare threateningly at as you say it.

In terms of health I agree with what many others have said. Don't expect that simply labeling yourself vegan will suddenly make you healthy. Plenty of horribly unhealthy food is vegan (french fries, oreos, potato chips...). If you want to go vegan I highly suggest some serious research first. Personally I do quite a bit of vegan cooking and I love the challenge (vegan quiche is my most recent discovery) but it does tend to take me more time and thought than even vegetarian cooking does.


*actually this is not true - I love eating dead animal but I refrain due to ethical concerns.

Siansonea

I am a vegan. You should only go vegan for ethical choices. As a "diet" you're just as likely to get fat as a non-vegan diet. Trust me - I'm an expert on being a fat, junk food loving vegan.

People aren't allowed to have differing opinions about what they feel is and is not ethical?

*actually this is not true - I love eating dead animal but I refrain due to ethical concerns.

Still not seeing why eating animals is unethical. Lots of animals eat other animals. It's kind of the whole setup of nature—one thing snacks on another thing. And why is eating animals "unethical", but eating plants is ethical? Why the arbitrary moratorium on Animalia? And what about bacteria, fungi, etc.?

Honestly, I'm so sick of the cloyingly sentimental "it has a face!" argument. :huh: You want to feel superior? Knock yourselves out, but labeling the rest of us "unethical" because we eat other animals? I got a problem with that.

cheetaprint23435676

Just tell them it's a personal choice. People always seem to want to discuss it over lunch or something, but that is the worst time. I field off the questions until we're all done eating...and of course, by then no one cares.

Peanut butter is something I absolutely could not live without! When I went vegan I hardly even liked it, but now I crave it straight out of the jar.

Everyone is so right about the b12 thing--you shouldn't play around with that because it is critical in every diet. Luckily, there are lots of vegan supplements!

Also, if you eat lots of different whole foods, you don't have to worry about getting enough protein. Good luck!:)

illuvatree

Wow, I hardly ever see posts about the vegan lifestyle on here! I'm a recently turned vegan. I wasn't even a vegetarian before this month, so it was a bit of a switch. And here's some of my "wisdom" ~

People who give you a hard time about it aren't worth talking to about it. There are going to be insensitive people about every dietary change. I think that as long as you're getting the right nutrients, no one has the right to judge you. And it's ridiculous that people automatically think that vegans just eat rabbit food. I work at a health food store, and guess what? They bake cupcakes, brownies, cookies, pies, etc. there. You can buy grains. You can eat Fakin' Bacon (or something similar. Though some meat substitutes are just vegetarian and not vegan -- look out for that!). Like you said, tofu. You can flavor tofu so differently between each batch that each flavor makes it seem like different food.

Sweet potatoes for sure! And pearl cous cous. I tend to make my own soup, and put veggies, sweet potatoes, pearl cous cous or pasta, etc. in it. If you want it creamy, coconut milk is great to add! I keep vegetable broth and crushed tomatoes (or puree) on hand for soup as well.

You have to look hard at the menu when you to go restaurants. Some restaurants (or diners) only have french fries as the vegan option. You CAN order salads, just ask not to have meat or cheese. Salad bars too. The other night at a diner, I got sautéed vegetables over lo mein. And last night I went out and got a veggie burger. You just have to really look, because a lot of restaurants don't have a "vegetarian" side of the menu, and even then, vegetarian doesn't mean vegan. And some menus don't put every single ingredient. A few weeks ago at a diner I ordered vegetables and pasta with wine sauce, and they put butter in the sauce, which was not on the menu. You can't really be the most particular person ever when you eat at restaurants, just be as careful as you can.

As far as weight loss, I hope it's helping me. I haven't weighed myself since the beginning of this month. But I do feel better about myself and what I eat, and honestly, I *personally* feel less gross inside now that I'm not eating meat and dairy (not saying this is everyone's experience, it's just mine).

Good luck to you! And feel free to add me/message if you want to talk about it!

illuvatree

I am a vegan. You should only go vegan for ethical choices. As a "diet" you're just as likely to get fat as a non-vegan diet. Trust me - I'm an expert on being a fat, junk food loving vegan.

People aren't allowed to have differing opinions about what they feel is and is not ethical?

*actually this is not true - I love eating dead animal but I refrain due to ethical concerns.

Still not seeing why eating animals is unethical. Lots of animals eat other animals. It's kind of the whole setup of nature—one thing snacks on another thing. And why is eating animals "unethical", but eating plants is ethical? Why the arbitrary moratorium on Animalia? And what about bacteria, fungi, etc.?

Honestly, I'm so sick of the cloyingly sentimental "it has a face!" argument. :huh: You want to feel superior? Knock yourselves out, but labeling the rest of us "unethical" because we eat other animals? I got a problem with that.

The thing is, a lot of it is about how animals are treated before they're killed. Animals who kill other animals in nature.... they stalk it, and then go in for the kill, usually putting the animal out of its misery pretty fast.

But the meat industry tends to torture animals or put them in harmful environments, or feed them pesticides *before* they're killed. It's not always about the fact that they're animals. It's about drawn out torture.

And let's not bring up plants. They can't feel pain, so it's a pointless argument.

(Sidenote: I'm vegan, but not for the ethics. I care about the animals, sure, but that's not the tipping point for me.)

illuvatree

So wait, you're going vegan because you think it's healthy? :huh:

Artificially restricting your diet to exclude an entire subgroup of nutrient sources your body evolved to utilize and having to bend over backwards to compensate for the lack of that nutrient source doesn't sound particularly "healthful" to me.

Do you mean protein? Because there are a lot of vegan sources for protein. A LOT of them.

illuvatree

I am a vegan. You should only go vegan for ethical choices. As a "diet" you're just as likely to get fat as a non-vegan diet. Trust me - I'm an expert on being a fat, junk food loving vegan.

Examples of vegan treachery: Oreos, soda, a lot of booze, Chick-o-sticks (drooool), Entenmann's snack pies, chips, unfrosted pop tarts... I can go on and on.

SO - don't go vegan just because you think you'll lose weight. When you're pressed for time and you have to just grab something, you're MORE LIKELY to grab garbage. Unless you have ethical reasons for vegan you're better off eating a varied diet of moderation.

:flowerforyou:

I think that's decent advice, but not necessarily true. It doesn't have to be about ethics. If you stock up on grains, veggies, fruits, tofu, other sources of protein, etc., you can be a vegan for diet and not just for ethics. I, for one, am trying to get past the hurdle of terrible cholesterol. But I'm definitely not going to go out and just eat french fries and cookies. I think that being a member of this site helps with that though (and who you surround yourself with -- I surround myself with healthy eaters and supportive people, or at least I try).

dellaquilaa

You should probably do a lot of research on how to get proper nutrition without meat/poultry/fish/dairy/eggs/ect...you don't sound as if you actually know very much...being vegan doesn't mean you're auto "healthy"...in fact, it's far harder to actually get your proper nutrients if you don't know what you're doing. I'd suggest some major googling....maybe some books and other research. What you're giving up in RE to meat/poultry/fish/dairy/eggs, etc isn't "unhealthy' in and of itself...maybe you need to think about why you're actually doing what you're doing.

It can be a very healthy lifestyle, but you have to pay far more attention to what you're doing to actually get proper nutrients.

^ This, too. Really, really do your homework. Vitamin B12 & Vitamin D are found in animals primarily, so I have to take supplements. It's vital to a vegan's overall health to ensure you're getting adequate vitamins you're missing from animals. Definitely invest in those vitamins, do some research on how much you should be taking. Also, nutritional yeast is a vegans best friend, it's this yellow, powdered supplement found in health food stores. It's absolutely amazing in every way, I buy iy by the pound and put it in and on everything for an extra B12 and Manganese boost. Chia seeds, hemp seeds, and maca powder are also good vitamin booster.

You do know that vitamin D isn't naturally found in animal products, right? They fortify them with it.

Siansonea

I am a vegan. You should only go vegan for ethical choices. As a "diet" you're just as likely to get fat as a non-vegan diet. Trust me - I'm an expert on being a fat, junk food loving vegan.

People aren't allowed to have differing opinions about what they feel is and is not ethical?

*actually this is not true - I love eating dead animal but I refrain due to ethical concerns.

Still not seeing why eating animals is unethical. Lots of animals eat other animals. It's kind of the whole setup of nature—one thing snacks on another thing. And why is eating animals "unethical", but eating plants is ethical? Why the arbitrary moratorium on Animalia? And what about bacteria, fungi, etc.?

Honestly, I'm so sick of the cloyingly sentimental "it has a face!" argument. :huh: You want to feel superior? Knock yourselves out, but labeling the rest of us "unethical" because we eat other animals? I got a problem with that.

The thing is, a lot of it is about how animals are treated before they're killed. Animals who kill other animals in nature.... they stalk it, and then go in for the kill, usually putting the animal out of its misery pretty fast.

But the meat industry tends to torture animals or put them in harmful environments, or feed them pesticides *before* they're killed. It's not always about the fact that they're animals. It's about drawn out torture.

That sounds like a good rationalization to eat 'free range' meat and eggs, but it doesn't really support veganism per se. And it really doesn't say anything about seafood. And nature is much more brutal than you think. Some predators lay their eggs inside live prey, which is then consumed alive by the hatchlings. It's a cruel, cruel world we live in. Don't take it up with me, I certainly wouldn't have set things up this way. If it was up to me, we'd all just photosynthesize everything and sing campfire songs all the livelong day. But I wasn't consulted when natural selection did that thing it does.

And let's not bring up plants. They can't feel pain, so it's a pointless argument.

Aw, poor little animals feel pain as they're killed and eaten. Cue violins. That's nature, honey. And who says plants don't feel pain? Just because you can't empathize with faceless plants doesn't mean they don't feel "pain" after a fashion. And do you kill bugs that come in your house? Do you spray insecticides in your garden, or introduce ladybugs or other predators to control the bug population? Or does your empathy only extend to Chordata, Vertebrata, or Mammalia?

(Sidenote: I'm vegan, but not for the ethics. I care about the animals, sure, but that's not the tipping point for me.)

What other "reasons" are there? Unless you're allergic to meat, I can't see why anyone would do this on purpose. :huh: It's not "healthier" by any means, and it's not a better diet for weight loss. So if you leave out maudlin sentimentality as well, it doesn't really leave much in the way of rationale. But I'm curious, so do tell.