Welcome!
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Hi everyone! I have been 'vegan'/plant-based (I do eat honey, for my allergies) for a little over a year now, and was vegetarian for about a year and a half before that. I couldn't imagine ever going back to eating animal products now! I absolutely love it. I never, ever thought I would be vegan but now I can't stand the thought of eating dairy or eggs. I did some reading on the cruelty of the dairy industry, and learned in the process a lot about how unhealthy dairy is. Yuck.
I am back to MyFitnessPal after taking a brief break but I fell off the wagon and am looking to reach my goal.
When I was here before, I never joined any groups or reached out to the community, so I am hoping to change that this time around and maybe I won't fall off the wagon this time, hee hee.
Take care!0 -
Hello everyone!
I have been plant-based since November 1st of this year. I do not call myself vegan, because I eat honey and I have a leather wallet in my back pocket. I understand that both of these would be a big "no-no", so I try and be respectful.
I didn't come in from the ethical side, I came in because of health issues and concerns about my heart.
I've had a pretty awesome two months as I have lost 42lbs since my transition!
I've been able to intensify my workouts as my respiration is completely different now. I no longer snore at night (happened day 5) and my post workout recovery time has shrunk dramatically (think deeper sleep has a lot to do with this)
I'm a Forks Over Knives guy, so if anyone else is on a similar path, please add me!
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Welcome! By the way, what does "1/2" mean?0
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Started out at 401lbs. Will get to 200lbs. 1/2. 0
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im stephanie. been vegan for almost 7 years and im raising my 3 year old to be as well. hubby is vegan except for eating his fish and cheese, but not together haha. im in st. louis missouri and im lucky to work at whole foods market where i not only exclusively shop but that huge discount comes into play very well. thankfully all of my friends and family accept it and dont give me crap about it.0
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Happy New Year!
Most of my life I've been either vegetarian/vegan/fruitarian, but not wise about my food choices. The last couple of years my naturopath suggested I eat animal protein and very low carbs to help with Hashimoto's, a thyroid condition where the body attacks the thyroid gland. I've tried it, lost some weight only to gain it back, and hate eating eggs, fish, & poultry. It doesn't feel good, doesn't feel right, and the thought of what I'm doing makes me gag. Today I've decided to try a different approach -- going back to being as close to vegan as possible. This time I want to be smart about it. I found Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein Powder, which is a vegan, gluten free (I'm allergic to gluten), nut free (also allergic), low carb (because all the vegetables, grains and legumes are sprouted), raw protein source that I find actually really tasty. (Probably old hat to all of you). I'm adding a large variety of veggies, a bit of quinoa and legumes (to add to my fiber intake), and lower-sugar fruit. Already I feel so much better, mostly because I feel I'm honoring who I am as well as the planet, especially if I stick with organic foods. Intuitively, I feel that I'll be healthier in the long run, especially if I can keep my protein up, make sure I get B12, and get good exercise.
I'd really like to show my doctor that Hashimoto's can be addressed positively with a healthy, plant-based diet. Hope it works!
I'm happy to be a part of this group!0 -
Hi Stephanie - I work for Whole Foods also! That discount is excellent 0
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Hi everyone! I am a new vegan- as of Jan 1, 2012 but have been a vegetarian for much longer. I am a clear example that a vegetarian diet can still produce obesity. Cheese, dairy were my favourite fall backs. However, after watching and reading about nutrition and becoming aware of the fall backs of modern day farming- I decided to take the leap. When I look back over the last 30 days or so, I notice that most of my cooking and eating was slowing moving over into a vegan diet. I continue to educate myself on the best food choices available, and actually Forks over Knives is on my tv to watch today! ( I noticed a comment or 2 about that documentary)
I like the recipes I have come across on here and decided to join the group.0 -
Hi! I've been a vegan for a little over a year. I'm pretty strict. My new step is slowly cutting out processed sugar. I'm currently unemployed so it's making that a little more difficult. If money wasn't an option I would make all my own food and buy everything else at farmers' markets so I know where it all comes from. I was a vegetarian for years, off and on. One day I finally decided to just do it, "cold turkey" and just stopped eating cheese. It was an important step for me because I binged a lot on dairy foods (mexican foods more than anything) and cutting it out caused me to loose a lot of weight quickly. I still have a lot more to lose. Don't get me wrong, I'm a vegan for the animals and the environment, but the push was my desire to strip away my addiction.0
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My name is Brandie,I decide to join the 21 day kickstart for veganism.I am tired of feeling lousy all the time my doctor has told me I am on the cusp of being diabetic so we both decided this would be great for me.I am looking forward to some recipes and support.I dont get much with my family and friends.0
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Hi everyone! i've been vegetarian for 5 1/2 years and vegan since last april. I love it and feel so much better! I became vegetarian because of animal cruelty, and was able to cut out all other animal products last year!
I'm new to MFP and really like it so far. I think it will really help to have support from others.0 -
Hey all!
My name is Lindsey and I'm newly vegan. I was vegetarian for 8 years, fell off the wagon, and picked it up again vegan. I made the choice for my health and feel so much better when I follow a vegan diet. Unfortunately, I'm not completely strict yet. For example, at my Grandma's house I will still eat what she makes even if I would prefer not to out of respect for my family. I'm new to the MFP community, so I'm excited to learn from and share with all of you!0 -
Hello everyone! I am a vegetarian hoping to transition to vegan this year. I have cut out milk so far and I'm working on cheese right now. I would like the vegan lifestyle to better my health. It seems like so many of my family and friends have poor health and i hope to change that environment for myself and my daughters. The more i learn about factory farms the more the lifestyle change is becoming more about the animals too. I hope to get support and recipe ideas from the group.0
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im stephanie. vegan for 7 years and have a 3 year old that is vegan and had an entire vegan pregnancy. i love throwing everything together to make vegan versions of all my fav foods. i did it for the animals. after i saw what had really happened to them, and as naive as it sounds, i thought they euthanized the animals, like cats and dogs, and not do what they actually do to them. hubby explained and that was that. i work at whole foods market, and personally i am a food snob. haha. i only eat local items when i can, items that have no crap, artifical anything and words i cant pronounce. i love also helping people that are vegan find websites and items and recipes that help them make veganism a lot easier/healthier. nice to meet you all. the extended version of my earlier post. haha. and yes, whole foods discount is at least 20% off. the healthier you are, the more discount up to 30% off.0
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Hello everyone,
I became a vegan September of 2011 after watching the movie Forks Over Knives. I had already started eating a vegetarian diet so becoming a vegan was pretty easy. I did miss the ½ and ½ in my coffee though. Other than that, I love being a vegan.
When I became a vegan I was overweight by 50 to 60 pounds from several years of consuming too many calories. Many of those calories came from eating too many nuts, drinking a couple extra glasses of wine, and a miscellaneous asortment of other food.
I joined this website 1/9/12. I also joined LifeTime Fitness, a gym.0 -
Hi, I am Simone and I eat vegan (again) since Jan 2nd of this year. I've been vegetarian for the past two years for ethical reasons and I am trying to stick to vegan eating for good this time around. Last year I gave up after vacations which made it hard to stick to vegan food. Hopefully, I'll be able to pull it off for good this time around.
The biggest reason for the change has been my health. I am borderline obese and can not continue that way. Vegetarian diet was not weight friendly for me as most of my foods contained plenty of cheese.
Amazon suggested "The Get Healthy, Go Vegan" cookbook from Dr. Neil Barnard over a year ago and I decided to buy it and try it out. I was desperate for some change but did not have the self control to stick with eating less and/or more healthy.
I am always in need of encouragement, so a friend suggested MFP to me. I am not really into counting calories but I am now using this in addition to eating better to keep my motivation up.0 -
Hi, my name is Joanne and I have started to eat a Plant Based Diet also after reading Eat to Live and watching Forks over Knives.
I need to lower my cholestereol and I don't want to take any medications because I always have had side effects when taking them. I wish all of you good luck on reaching your goals!0 -
Hello, I'm from Pa, and have been trying to eat the vegetarian way since November 2011. I've faultered a bit here and there but I have a lot of weight to lose and my husband has weight and bad medical problems to overcome as well. Our biggest obsticle seems to be my husbands digestive system not taking to kindly to vegy staples such as onions ,any green vegys, melons cabbage and the like.
Even so he's willing to try and sees that fresh vegys are the healthiest way to go. anyway I'm constantly looking for very basic recipes that he can tolerate. My friend Sandy just joined this site and sent me an invite so here I am!10 -
I also watched" forks over knives", its an amazing movie!!0
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Hi everyone, I'm a greedy vegan based in the UK and have had an interesting journey to a vegan diet; in the late 1980's I turned vegetarian (decision based purely on animal welfare issues and a lack of access to either organic or free range meat) and then had probably 5 years of a worse diet than I had before due to a) my inability to cook and b) poor food choices - too much dairy/wheat etc and lack of exercise and as a result gained weight. In the 1990's I started to eat fish due to cravings but stopped eating fish last year. My diet has improved over those early years of vegetarianism as I am a keen cook and love finding new recipies. Last year a sea change started to occur to me, I stopped drinking milk and turned to soya, stopped buying 'processed' vegan foods and fell in love with my kitchen again. I feel so much better and have so much more energy following a vegan diet and now follow this 99% of the time. My fave cookbooks at the moment are VWAV and Veganomicon. I try to purchase as much as I can from local shops and markets. Some of you have mentioned the film 'Forks Over Knives', not sure this is out yet in the UK to rent - if anyone knows do let me know!
Wishing you all good health.0 -
Hello, everyone! I am full-fledged vegan as of 1/1/12 and loving it. I was vegetarian for a few months before that, but after reading about factory farming and also the health dangers of dairy products, I decided to go all the way.
I'm looking for some vegan MFP pals as the only vegan I know in "real life" is my mother, who is a huge inspiration to me. My challenges are that I want to lose 15-20 pounds, and that I slack off on keeping my food diary and end up eating too many pretzels, nuts and other snacky things. Fortunately, I do love almost every fruit and vegetable. I'm also beginning to enjoy a variety of beans and tofu.0 -
Hi Everyone,
I was a vegetarian for about 3yrs in college but eventually peer pressure and laziness sunk in and I fell off the wagon. About 3 months ago halfway through a (non-vegan) late' I came to my senses and went vegan. Its still a bit new so I'm hesitant to call myself vegan; also I tend to be vegan by intent and tend to find out after the fact that I've eaten something (usually with milk or hidden mayo). I guess I'm just taking it in stride and feeling great.
I joined this group looking for recipe ideas and support. I have a non-vegan partner who is 90% supportive (which I think is pretty lucky) but anyone who has advice about living in a mixed household I would welcome that too.
Nice to meet you all!
Gwendolyn0 -
Hey everyone, so here's my story. I'm 50 years old and was so frustrated with my weight and overall health that I decided to take care of myself once and for all. About 10 months ago I started working out 3-4 times per week and just watched my calories (1950 per day) and the weight started coming off. However in October of 2011, I stopped losing weight. I started working out more, but still the weight stayed the same. A friend of mine challenged me to try vegan for 10 days to "shock my system"... and I enjoyed it so much I stuck with it. I've been eating vegan now for 30 days and feel great - not to mention that I've started losing weight again. The toughest thing for me right now is finding restaurants with a good vegan menu. Any help in this area would be appreciated.0
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I went straight to veganism in April 2011 and have enjoyed it. I love the way I feel and have been enjoying the food I eat. My daughter even went vegan after some resistance. I told her she didn't have to go vegan, but she did have to try the food I cooked. She made the choice to be a vegan on her own and also likes they way she feels.0
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Hi my name is Jacquie and I'm from Hamilton, Ontario. I'm a wife and mother to 5 adorable children. I had entertained the idea of being a vegetarian since 1999 but I had received so much negative energy that I began to consume dairy, fish and chicken.
My light bulb moment came in August of 2011 when I had a cracked egg in a bowl on the counter. I was going to use it for baking that afternoon. My 3yr old was ever so still and quiet watching the cracked egg. Some time had passed and he was still quiet and watching this cracked egg. Now I was concerns because this boy does not do still nor quiet for very long. That was when I asked him son...what are you doing? His reply to was "I'm waiting for the baby chick". In that moment I witnessed his true innocence of our world and I had to do the right thing for our family.....I turned the whole family vegan overnight.
I stumbled across a documentary "earthlings" and I played it for the entire family to see after dinner. By the end everybody was on board even my husband and teenager daughter. That night I made a promise to them they will love my cooking better as a vegan than ever before. We have never looked back.0 -
My name is Leah, I'm 26, and I went vegan back in October for my health. I've been overweight for a good portion of my life (since puberty hit at age 10) and really ballooned in 2005 when I was pregnant with my daughter. I went from 175-ish to 250 pounds early in 2010 and I've struggled to get the weight off. I live near to my mom and stepfather who are definitely NOT supportive (I'll even go so far as to say that my mother is absolutely cuckoo but that's a rant for another day.) and they keep dropping off milk, cheese, and meat at my house :indifferent: which ends up in the back of my fridge until I throw it out or my daughter eats it. It'll be nice to have other vegans to talk to.
I joined MFP at the suggestion of a friend from another site. I was doing well last year and lost a fair amount of weight and even managed to participate in a run/walk 5k but I fell back off the wagon and gained some weight back. (Discovering Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World didn't help any.) I'd like to get down to a normal BMI for the first time since I was a kid and run a half marathon.0 -
Hi, my name is Sandy. I read Eat to Live years ago but didn't stick with the plan. I have always been on the chubby side without a lot of work and focus. I recently watched Forks Over Knives, read the Engine 2 Diet, and watched Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. I have been trying a non-strict vegan diet for a month or so, but now I am on a non-strict juice fast and juice is vegan, so here I am!0
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Hi all, I went lacto ovo vegetarian when I was 19 (20 years ago) purely for ethical reasons. I had said for all that time I would love to go vegan, but there is no way I could give up cheese. It was only when I joined www.veggieboards.com that I really opened my eyes to what goes on in the farming world. I changed to lacto vegetarian within a few days of joining and then last year went strict vegetarian for lent (so gave up dairy) and realised within a few days how easy it was to give things up when you passionately believe in your ethics, so I turned vegan. It will be a year next month and I have to say, it has been an absolute breeze and I love it!
I have a wife of 14 years who is an omnivore, an 11 year old son who is lacto ovo veggie and an 8 year old son who is pescetarian.0 -
Hi I'm a 27 year old vegan, living in Leeds West Yorkshire, england.
I have been vegan for 2yrs 2months, for ethical, health and happiness reasons.
The reason for my weight gain and my been here to lose weight is because I discovered Vegan baking and still eat far too many calories. My aim is to lose 27lbsin a healthy Vegan, friendly and compasionate way.0 -
Hi everyone! I recently went completely vegan 2 weeks ago and I've never felt better. I've always been what I would call a borderline vegetarian. I ate dairy and the occasional chicken or fish. Then my husband and I started throwing around the idea of becoming vegan, mostly for health reasons and a concern about how our food is manufactured these days. One day I was looking around for vegan recipes and came across a video about factory farming. An animal lover my whole life, that video motivates me like nothing else. I'd heard a little about the way the animals were treated, but ignorance is bliss right? My husband and I became vegan that day. The more we see and read about factory farming, genetically modified food, etc., the more we're convinced that a whole foods, plant based diet is the way to go. 0
