Should I Become a Vegan?

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  • solskinnzombie
    solskinnzombie Posts: 122 Member
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    i know i made the switch to vegetarianism and have noticed very awesome changes in my energy levels, how i feel, etc. and i love knowing that something doesnt have to die in order for me eat. I wasnt too big on meat anyways. Vegan, on the other hand would be a tough one for me. I love me some cheese, eggs, and chocolate. which there are vegan alternatives for all, but I also dont want to sift through that many more ingredients. HAHA, sorry for the rant. Maybe try vegetarian first, and then go from there.
  • hollyeverhart
    hollyeverhart Posts: 397 Member
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    I don't think you should be vegan because of wanting to not gain weight back. Vegetarian is pretty easy, but I went vegan because of my love for animals not for the health benefit, to me vegan is a lifestyle not a diet. I don't wear products that test on/contain animals etc... Its a whole life change and it is hard. I feel much healthier now then when I ate meat/dairy/eggs but I don't think its for everybody. I eat very healthy & love pretty much all veggies, tofu, tempeh, etc. so I get plenty of protein still, probably more. You could always try out a vegetarian diet & see how you feel, but I think people normally go vegan because of their beliefs, not so much for weightloss.
  • rumpusparable
    rumpusparable Posts: 160
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    Another vegan checking in here. I was lacto-ovo for around 5 years then made the switch to vegan about 3 years ago.

    It's been great and actually really easy for me, once I got past the no-cheese thing and made the full transition (I swear, cheese is like crack, it took me years to stop eating cheese).

    You just need to focus on eating healthy, like any diet. You can eat horribly and totally unbalanced with any diet choice.
  • WendyKing1974
    WendyKing1974 Posts: 80 Member
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    After flip flopping on whether to become vegan/vegetarian or whatnot I decided this morning I'm going to be more of a flexitarian if I have to label myself anything.


    I dont hate meat .in fact I like it a lot HOWEVER my body does not and more often than not I get terrible stomach pains after eating a meal that includes meat.

    So I think I'm cutting it out of most of my way of eating but not completely. I try and eat mostly fish if i have to have something "meat" like and limit the meat to maybe once or twice a week. When i do eat meat I try and keep it as clean and lean as possible.


    So I think if I"m anything I'm a wannabe vegan with leanings towards ovo/lacto vegetarianism with bacon tendencies on a fish budget :)

    This is SO totally me! I have vegetarian leanings, but am not totally vegetarian or vegan. I went vegan for 1 week (for a friend's daughter's science project). Had some really awesome food. Lost about 7lbs. BUT, I'm finding that I can't do anything that 100% any food. I freak out and then that's all I want is that food, lol. So, we do Meatless Mondays and try to have 3-4 meatless dinners a week. There are many days that I eat no meat at all. But, if I have meat on a Monday, I'm not going to beat myself up over it either. We also very rarely eat red meat or pork (maybe once every 3-6mths) and whatever meat we DO eat is organic. A great book is The Veganist. She talks about how to "lean" toward a more vegetarian diet.
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
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    I've been vegetarian for 30 years and vegan off an on. I'm pretty solidly vegan now. I think it's the healthiest way to eat in the world.
  • hxcburrito
    hxcburrito Posts: 31
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    i dont know what kind of area your from, but to cut down on possible harsh criticism, you might want to say dietary vegan where im from, (a very outdoorsman state) a vegan will get harrased upon saything they are vegan. i would hate for someone to try this route, and quit due to the harassment

    and i didnt say all of this to be rude and discourrage anyone....... im actually trying to give a little advice
  • InnerFatGirl
    InnerFatGirl Posts: 2,687 Member
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    I don't think you should be vegan because of wanting to not gain weight back. Vegetarian is pretty easy, but I went vegan because of my love for animals not for the health benefit, to me vegan is a lifestyle not a diet. I don't wear products that test on/contain animals etc... Its a whole life change and it is hard. I feel much healthier now then when I ate meat/dairy/eggs but I don't think its for everybody. I eat very healthy & love pretty much all veggies, tofu, tempeh, etc. so I get plenty of protein still, probably more. You could always try out a vegetarian diet & see how you feel, but I think people normally go vegan because of their beliefs, not so much for weightloss.

    ^^^
  • Inebriated
    Inebriated Posts: 271
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    The reasons you stated for becoming vegan are flawed. If you just don't want to eat turkey anymore, congratulations on your decision. To stop eating because "it isn't 100% healthy" however is completely misguided.

    Like everything, it's fine in moderation. Guess what happens if you eat twice as many fruits and vegetables than you're supposed to. That's right.. you gain weight.

    Step back and figure out what you're trying to accomplish.
  • live2dream
    live2dream Posts: 614 Member
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    Eating a plant-based diet can be great for weight-loss- IF you eat all whole, unprocessed foods and lots of fruits and veggies. In that sense, it is an extremely healthy way of eating. The only way eating meat is even remotely healthy is if it's certified grass-fed, organic, or wild-caught, since factory-farming is horribly unhealthy and unnatural (something like 98% of the meat eaten in the U.S. is factory-farmed)

    Even if it's organic, nothing is guaranteed (a lot of the practices aren't strictly enforced). And it would have to be eaten in moderation. Animal fats clog arteries in humans - cholesterol can only be obtained from animal fat. Which is why heart disease is the #1 killer in our country. Why do carnivores like lions and tigers not get heart disease? Because their bodies know how to process it and they are meant to eat meat. If humans were meant to eat it, then why do we get clogged arteries and heart disease? It has been proven that heart disease can be reversed with a vegan diet (all the clogged arteries become clean)

    So what's healthier? You need to do your own research and do what feels best for you. I think some humans are more capable than others of processing animal products - some are more sensitive than others. We are all different. I feel if I could go out and kill an animal with my bare hands, skin it, and cook it, then I could eat animals (but I can't do that so I won't). Some people can do that without feeling bad. I would have to be starving in a desert with nothing else to eat to be able to do that. So like I said, we are all different and make our own choices.
  • MyFeistyEvolution
    MyFeistyEvolution Posts: 1,015 Member
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    don't you think you should become a vegan (or not) because of your ~own~ thoughts on the subject?

    This.
  • LovelyLifter
    LovelyLifter Posts: 560 Member
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    don't you think you should become a vegan (or not) because of your ~own~ thoughts on the subject?

    This.

    exactly?! Why do you care what the rest of us think....You aren't asking an opinion on our thoughts on being vegan you are asking if you should be which honestly needs to be your own decision
  • onedayillbeamilf
    onedayillbeamilf Posts: 966 Member
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    don't you think you should become a vegan (or not) because of your ~own~ thoughts on the subject?

    This.

    exactly?! Why do you care what the rest of us think....You aren't asking an opinion on our thoughts on being vegan you are asking if you should be which honestly needs to be your own decision

    This.
  • kandyjo
    kandyjo Posts: 4,648 Member
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    Why? Why do I read these posts in the forums.... It just irritates me and then I say something about the OP and get myself in trouble and it's a long, ugly ordeal....

    So... I'm not going to do it... I'm not going to say anything!!!!!!!! ..... else :wink:
  • PeaceLoveVeggies
    PeaceLoveVeggies Posts: 682 Member
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    A tip: Being vegetarian makes you FAT. Being vegan makes you thin.

    *FACE PALM*
  • jms3533
    jms3533 Posts: 316 Member
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    I have been approximately 90% vegan for the last four months, and the weight dropped off quite a bit. However, just this past week, I got really tired of eating just vegies, etc, and have started adding fish. Wow was that first bite last night of fish nirvana! I wasn't an (almost) vegan for anti-animal eating reasons...I was looking for a healthy way to get started on the weight loss, and after watchng Forks Over Knives documentary, I started my plant based diet. I need my greek yogurt, small portions of cheese, and now fish..or I'll go crazy. Just my two cents! :)
  • PayneAS
    PayneAS Posts: 669 Member
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    The online research is mixed. Some articles indicate that a vegan diet is the healthiest type of diet. But there is other lines of research that seem to claim that it is necessary to consume some animal products.

    What are your thoughts?

    We are omnivores not herbivores (or carnivores for that matter). Anyone trying to sell you the idea that we weren't meant to eat meat has their own agenda. However, if eating a diet void of animal products is what makes you happy then go for it. My sister is one and I'm happy for her. Anything not eaten in moderation has negative health effects. Ever heard of carotenemia?
  • ajlemaster
    ajlemaster Posts: 7
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    A small clarification on vegetarians...

    Pesco-Vegetarians do eat fish (and milk and eggs).
    Ovo-Lacto Vegetarians will not eat any meat (including fish) but will eat milk and eggs.

    I was an ovo-lacto for 10 years but recently (about 2 years ago) added fish into my diet.

    I will say this, becoming a vegetarian didn't make me "healthier" but did cut out unhealthy foods. I completely stopped eating fast food the day I decided to go completely balls to the wall vegetarian (only thing I really cut out was chicken because I didn't like anything else). Cutting out all and any fast food wasn't and isn't easy still, but I know it's a smart choice.

    The problem with switching up your diet is that sometimes you will substitute things you think are "unhealthy" like that big burger, for other things which can be even worse, like pasta. So watch yourself.

    Just my thoughts.
  • Jbarbo01
    Jbarbo01 Posts: 240 Member
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    Vegan diets are deficient in certain nutrients by nature, you have to take b12 and iron supplements on it. That said, you can find organic and humanely raised eggs so you can actually get all your nutrients. You don't need dairy to meet your nutritional needs but you do need b12 which is not found in anything but animal products (like eggs), and you have to eat a LOT of beans to get your iron as a vegan or take a supplement.

    Vegan diets arent healthy in themselves, diets based on whole foods are. There is a such a thing as a fat vegan, as cakes, cookies, potato chips, popcorn, sugar, pasta, all can be vegan but if you overeat that food you'll gain weight. Cutting out meat by itself wont usually make you lose weight, it didnt for me anyway. Is it healthier? The jury is still out as the way we treat and feed our animals isnt great, but eating a carb based diet isnt necessarily good either. Concentrate on the quality of food instead of quantity of food is how you'll maintain your weight loss.
  • Faye_Anderson
    Faye_Anderson Posts: 1,495 Member
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    For those who are not familiar with what the term vegan means -- it simply means a person who does not consume any animal products what so ever.

    So it's not someone from the same planet as Spock?? :laugh: :laugh: :noway:
  • Rhea30
    Rhea30 Posts: 625 Member
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    I would say it's a bad idea for anyone, even people opposed to eating animals for ethical reasons. If you're concerned about ethical treatment for animals, there are plenty of organic, humane local farms in most places that don't treat their livestock like...well, livestock. I personally tried doing a vegan diet, and although I was doing my best to get adequate proteins, vitamins, minerals, etc, I still felt sick, tired, and weak all the time. I couldn't do it for very long and I wouldn't recommend anyone try it honestly. It's not worth it.

    Now I just do what I can when I can and only buy organic or locally farmed meats / dairy. It's not always viable, but hey, I'm human and I do what I am financially capable of given my family's income. Being vegan is extremely hard for most people. If you have the money to buy only organic and only locally farmed / organic meat / dairy - you should do that instead I think. Much better for the animals and for your local farmers. :) And, much healthier for you!

    Just to clarify, there are plenty of vegans (in fact most who follow it based in its original premise) who don't eat animals for more than welfare reasons. Please don't assume that all who abstain from eating animals for ethical reasons do so only because of modern industrial farm animal production, though there are plenty of veg*ns who do. Some people believe it is wrong to consume or otherwise exploit animals for any reason.

    ^^^This. I hesitate to even post this because because I don't want to get in to some big veg*n debate- but some of us were vegetarians since before factory farming became a hip issue. I was first a vegetarian at 3y/o when I befriended a chicken at the farm down the road from my house, only to make the mental connection between my buddy chicken and dinner chicken. As most toddler's convictions go, it didn't last long, but when I was 11 I made the switch permanently.

    P.S.I think someone already alluded to this, but there's some really messed up stuff that goes on at "organic" dairy and meat farms. If you have ethical issues with meat/dairy, the organic seal means virtually nothing.

    It all depends who is caring for the animals. Factory farming or 'organic' farming doesn't mean anything if the people working there aren't doing things correctly. There are plenty of factory farms who treat their animals good and I'm sure organic farms as well and visa versa. Just depends on the individuals who are there and just as in any profession and in life in general you're going have some who aren't so nice and some who are.

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