Hello! My name is Jojo! I've been using mfp for a few weeks but I am just now logging on my computer for the first time. I'm so glad there is a vegan group here! Ummmmm... I dont really know what to say about myself. I go to college and have been vegan for almost 2 years. Prior to that I was a vegetarian for almost 5 years. I love Ethiopian and soul food. Andddddd I just ordered veganomicon in the mail and I cant wait to cook every single dish in it! Add me! :-)

Hi, just joined today. Wannabe vegan. I eat vegan but then I relapse. I enjoy meat but I'm also disgusted by it. Is there any help for me? My heart is vegan but my taste buds are like rebellious, disobedient children. I joined MFP because I need to lose LOTS of weight. Looking for friends and support.

Hello fellow veggies/vegans!

I'm Jane, I'm 25 and I've been vegetarian for about 8 years and I've just started the transition to full veganism; I'm very excited! I hope to have completely transitioned by June (I'm taking it slow cos I don't want to shock my system, eliminating foods gradually!) I already eat 90% vegan but I'm not making good choices and my weight has been creeping up over the last few months - I'm 161lbs trying to get down to 153lbs as my first goal and I'm just calorie counting, attempting to keep around 1500 cals a day and get a bit of walking in too!
Looking forward to being part of this group!

Hello Fellow Vegans!!!
2 Months vegan and going strong!
I was wondering if there is anyone out there with insight on certain things are not clearly not vegan.
Like for example White Domino Sugar uses Bovine bone char to purify and bleach the sugar.
I couldnt believe when I found that out.
I was also curious about honey some people who are vegan use it some don't. I personally don't so sound off!!:glasses:

Hi, I'm Sarah. In August of 2010 I was a fast food eating, meat hating carnivore. I literally would get a sandwich and take out the meat, or go to the store and buy milk and eggs just to have them sit in my fridge. So when I started looking into being a vegetarian I learned about veganism and a whole new world opened up to me! I was so scared to tell my family and friends, but they all have been simply wonderful and accepting in my choice. My co-workers particularly enjoy when I make meals and bring them in to them at work!

Hello MFP'ers!

Over the course of the rest of the year my family will be transitioning into a full fledged Vegan diet beginning in January 2013 and I need some advice.

What I am looking for is favorite recipes, resources and tips on how to get started on the road to full fledged Veganism. I'm in information gathering mode and the more I can learn, the better!

While my reasons behind this decision are personal, (if you'd like to discuss this more, feel free to PM me) I'd love to hear from other Vegans out there about their journey also!

Would also love to connect with some of you Vegan MFP'ers as friends so that we can share with one another and support each other in our individual fitness journies! Feel free to add me should you feel compelled to do so!

And thanks in advance for any advice, tips, recipes and resources that you might be able to refer me to!

Be well,
Charlotte

Hello Team Vegan,

My name is Michele, I am new to the group and new to myfitnesspal.com. I'm an art education grad student and I became a vegan Janurary 1, 2012, almost 1 year! I went cold turkey (no pun intended) after watching the Forks Over Knives documentary. So glad I watched it, I have never felt better and never enjoyed food more.

MAD

Hello, I'm Kate. I am a new vegan convert after watching Forks Over Knives. I had been flirting with vegetarianism, but still eating fish and eggs. Now, I'm full-vegan and loving it! Like many of you have stated, I have so much more energy! It's amazing the things I get done in the evenings now instead of falling asleep in front of the TV or with a book. I've got so many projects going, my husband wonders if I'm on speed! I am fully convinced this is the right way for me to eat. I've had issues with dairy products for years, and so many allergies. I think going to plant-based eating will be the best thing for my digestive and immunity systems. I'm always looking for good recipes, so please share!

Hello all!

I'm a recently new face to the vegan world but have opened my arms and my heart more than I ever could before because of this life style. The look, smell of meat that I once loved makes me crinkle my nose.

Two weeks before I tied the knot to the love of my life in October 2012 we found a video online that showed us what happens not only to the animals but happens to our body because of animal protein and dairy. That's when we said enough is enough. Each day we have tried new things, at first, it was hard...of course it was hard...but as time goes on it's a regular habit of ours and I can't phantom going back to eating an animal.

We actually apologized to his cousin, vegan for 7 years now, that we didn't listen to her sooner and didn't take the blinders off our eyes sooner.

Baking is my biggest love and I have found many recipes that have made my husband a happy camper. I'm willing to get advice from veterans of the vegan lifestyle and always looking for good documentaries or books to read...if you have any, please, let me know!

Hello all you beautiful Vegans :-)

I have been a Vegan since November 2011, and it was the best decision I have ever made. I did not start slowly and I was not a vegetarian when I started, I just did it 100% and have not turned back. My reasons for becoming a Vegan started when I thought I was having a heart attack and had to go the ER.:ohwell: Talk about a wake up call, I had just become a Grandma for the first time, and the thought of not getting to see my Grandson grow up was NOT an option. I have tried every diet out there and always fell right back into my old habits, and that was because I was obsessed with food. So now I have found a healthy way of being obsessed with food..I am a VEGAN...and it works :happy: Thank God!!!! The weight is coming off slowly but at least its coming off ..so far I have lost a little over 50 lbs :bigsmile: yaaaay. Anyway, I am very excited to get to know some fellow Vegans so I am very happy I found this group.:flowerforyou:

Dawn here. On and off veg lacto ovo, then dropped the lacto, This all started when I was in my late 20's. Back and forth on (yikes) hamburgers. Raised two kids veggie and they have remained that way as adults. I am now 61. Over the summer explored Raw Vegan which was a lot of fun!

But then with fall and then winter, I returned to 50% ??? Cooked. I cld totally go raw vegan in a warm climate though!

I just joined yesterday. Had a great, healthy food day. There are still things I need to drop. but generally I feel I am right with the earth and her spirit, Gaia!

Oh, spend all my time with Vegan horses too.

Tomorrow I am going to the gym if I have to drag myself by my curly hair, kicking and screaming. I love it once I am there. Perhaps a Soy Latte will be my reward?

Luv,
dawn

Hi,I have been totally vegan for a few years and yes you have to be careful of the hidden things.
Anything with gelatine in it is not vegan as it is made up of horse and bovine hooves.Look for agar agar instead.Good luck.I didn't transition when I went vegan.Just straight to it and feel the best I have ever felt.I do eat a variety of good whole food.If anyone wants to friend me feel free.

Hello All,
I am a brand new Vegan, a baby vegan as it were, and I have made this decision based on my current state of poor health, and the fact that I can no longer ignore the benefits of a vegan diet, but also the downfalls of not choosing to change the way I eat and treat my body and the environment.
I am 40 years old, morbidly obese, and my life "was" (as of a week ago) pretty much over. I was gaining weight, chronically overeating, and eating nothing with any nutritional value. I have IBD, sleep apnea, SOB, knee problems, abdominal hernias, a permanent ileostomy, depression, anxiety, PTSD, carpal tunnel in both wrists, and am practically immobile. I haven't left my apartment in 2 months because It is too difficult to get in and out of my car and my belly hits the steering wheel. This is not living, this is waiting to die.
I have tried every diet I know of, had consultation for gastric surgery, and am seeing a Bariatric specialist MD who believes I have ADHD. Because of my bowel disease and the twists and turns of the herniation I have, I CANNOT eat most raw fruits and vegetables. It is hard to be on any diet when you can't eat the "free foods".
I have slowly been considering my relationship to meat, dairy, eggs, and animal products. I saw the documentaries including Super-Size Me, Food Inc., Hungry for Change, and Sick, Fat, and Nearly Dead. Then I caught something on the evening news that disturbed me greatly, it was a hidden video of a pig farm where they were handling these small helpless piglets, and without stating what most of you already know, I was sickened. I also always thought that Kosher meat was somehow better, after watching Vegucated, then PETA's "If all slaughterhouses had glass walls", and finally Earthlings. There was simply no way I could ever put any of that crap into my body ever again.
I realize the reason I was eating so much, such mass quantities of garbage food was because my body is craving nutrients that it is not getting. Not only that, all my food was processed and washed down with copious amounts of diet soda and artificially sweetened mix drinks. I was not drinking any water.
Now, I don't smoke, drink, or drug, but I have been addicted to crap (and I now know that it is not entirely my fault). I am lucky in that I have normal blood pressure and no diabetes in my family history, but I am approaching early signs for Type-2 Diabetes. I am not living, and it is time for all that to change. I want the second half of my life to be better than the first. I deserve this.
I am reading tons, and I have been juicing and tracking my intake, cleared out all the crap and filled the cupboards with the most nutrient dense and cleansing foods I can.
I may have to puree or cook some veggies to eat them, but there is so much I can eat it is unbelievable. I am almost a week in and I feel fantastic, I have lost a lot of the swelling in my legs, I am sleeping better, I love the food, love the fresh juice (who knew beets and lemons made for awesome). I feel somehow 'brighter', less hungry, I am eating correct portions, I am kicking myself for not doing this sooner.
This is my choice, no one told me to go VEGAN, but I don't think I could even look at meat, dairy, or eggs again, I am just not interested. To top it all off, I am a nurse, yep, I take care of others and help them find health for a living. I know better, I knew better, and now I will do better.
I'd love to have anyone interested add me as a pal, if you have any of the same hurdles to overcome, if you are a nurse too, if you are a new vegan, if you identify at all with my story.
With a compassionate soul,
Ketsy

Hi everyone,

I've been vegetarian for about 9 years, and have been using milk substitutes like soya and almond milk for about 4 years and do not eat eggs if I can help it. I really enjoy cheese though, but have decided that enough is enough and that I want to go fully vegan now. I watched earthlings a little while back and seeing how being a vegetarian doesn't stop cruelty and slaughter has made me really want to give up animal products entirely.
I still have some non-vegan items in my cupboard and fridge which I'm going to use up as I think to waste them would be even worse than eating them, and my boyfriend doesn't eat cheese so he wont be eating them either.

So from now on I am not going to buy any animal products. I need support though as I can be quite lazy so I need to make sure I keep a balanced diet and don't end up eating the same things all of the time.

Thinking about becoming vegan!! Getting a lot of information/recipes. Or at least majority of the time. The hubby is a meat eater!!! I want to live a healthier lifestyle...