Thinking of going vegan

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Replies

  • TheGimp
    TheGimp Posts: 15 Member
    If you're on the fence at all, one option is to sort of go part-time vegan. I've been trying that more myself. Essentially, I try to have meat as little as possible, but I don't rule it out. I try to eat fish twice per week, but I don't bother with red meat any more. If I don't see something I like, I'll allow myself to eat chicken. I have only been eating pork if the boyfriend makes it, which is once every month and a half.

    For the nay-sayers, I get it, I'm not really vegan, but it would be a method that can help a lot of meat eaters. I started with only Meatless Mondays, and then it's grown from there.

    On protein, ever since I discovered Sweet Lupini Beans, protein is easier than ever to get into a meal. Granted, making them is a huge effort (5 days of repeated rinsing), so I make a lot in advance and freeze them, but I only have to add 1 - 2 ounces to a meal to add in the necessary protein that what I'm eating doesn't have. I'm pretty much set now for the next few months of meals with the beans I've already prepped.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    edited November 2017
    TenderBlender667 wrote: »
    As a former vegan, I didn't find it very difficult to find alternatives to protein rich foods, but I also became iron deficient despite taking an iron supplement. The problem with plant based (non-heme) iron, is that it's not as readily absorbed by the body as animal based (heme) iron. Another issue that may come up is DHA and EPA fatty acid deficiency because most people have a difficult time converting plant based omega 3's (ALA) to their active form (DHA and EPA). Your best bet is to take an algae based omega 3 fatty acid and double your iron intake from plant based sources. Try to include lots of variety as well. I found myself eating beans, hummus and quinoa almost everyday and I got so sick of it, I've grown to dislike those foods. Try to avoid processed vegan foods too; just because it's vegan, doesn't mean it's healthy. I made this mistake at the beginning and ate too many oreos, french fries and other junk and my health definitely showed it. I eat vegan most days, but I do like to have a few eggs or some bison once or twice a week.

    Ya, I can relate to your burning out on foods - I lived in vegetarian yoga retreat centers from 2001 - 2004 and to this day cannot stand the thought of tofu, which was a staple. Took about 10 years for me to be able to eat oatmeal again, and only rolled oats "cooked" in yogurt, not regular cooked oatmeal.

    Now I'm curious as to why I never burn out on meat.
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
    ahrengirl wrote: »
    I went vegan at New Year’s and I haven’t looked back. I was constantly catching colds (2-3 x year) that developed into sinus infections with 2+ month long lingering coughs. I was known as the girl who was always sick.

    I was traveling a lot and eating whatever I felt like. I now focus on building my immune system through eating a balanced vegan diet. Knock on wood, I’ve made it 10+ months without a cold still traveling 3 weeks a month. This is big. This time also includes a stint with my husband suffering from the stomach flu (highly contagious).

    I dropped 30 pounds. It would be more if drank more water and less beer. My cholesterol dropped by 50 pts and my triglycerides cut almost in half. I am running another panel soon to monitor my lipids as well as iron and B12.

    You can track your macros. There is some much good information out there in eating a healthy vegan diet. The main thing is to not feel like you “can’t” have some thing but rather you “choose” not to eat certain items. It’s your power.

    I just ran into an older couple who choose to go vegan after he was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He is now cancer free and feeling the best he has in a long time. They’ve been vegan for 4 years.

    I hope you are not suggesting the man's bladder cancer was cured by eating a vegan diet.
  • nickssweetheart
    nickssweetheart Posts: 874 Member
    People burn out on meat all the time. I know when I was a meat eater weight loss diets seemed like an endless stream of chicken. If I had eaten one more chicken breast I would probably have started clucking.

    It's not foods people burn out on, I think. I think it's restrictions. We don't like feeling like we have no options.

    I love oatmeal, but every so often I have to mix it up with a tofu scramble, a smoothie, or some fried potatoes. This morning I wanted soup, so I had soup. Even my oatmeal isn't always the same: my go-to is with apple, cinnamon, and walnuts, but I also make it with pumpkin or berries, or if I am extra hungry, with peanut butter and banana. Sometimes I throw in nutritional yeast and raisins, for a savory-sweet combo that I really like.

    There's an endless variety of plant foods, and it's pretty easy not to burn out. On balance, I think I eat more creatively now than I ever have in my life.
  • 3bambi3
    3bambi3 Posts: 1,650 Member
    nickssweetheart wrote: »
    People burn out on meat all the time. I know when I was a meat eater weight loss diets seemed like an endless stream of chicken. If I had eaten one more chicken breast I would probably have started clucking.

    It's not foods people burn out on, I think. I think it's restrictions. We don't like feeling like we have no options.

    I love oatmeal, but every so often I have to mix it up with a tofu scramble, a smoothie, or some fried potatoes. This morning I wanted soup, so I had soup. Even my oatmeal isn't always the same: my go-to is with apple, cinnamon, and walnuts, but I also make it with pumpkin or berries, or if I am extra hungry, with peanut butter and banana. Sometimes I throw in nutritional yeast and raisins, for a savory-sweet combo that I really like.

    There's an endless variety of plant foods, and it's pretty easy not to burn out. On balance, I think I eat more creatively now than I ever have in my life.

    I don't see how eating meat means you can't have a varied diet. In fact, by including more foods in your diet you are creating more chances for variety than without.
  • nickssweetheart
    nickssweetheart Posts: 874 Member
    You are portraying me as saying something I didn't say.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    mooretamara56 wrote: »
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    Or... Just eat and not say anything! The way eat doesn't need a name, just eat the foods you think will help you achieve your goals, whatever they happen to be :)

    That’s a good point. I’ve really struggled with how to explain my eating in real life. If people ask how I lost weight I usually just say I’m running every day and I’m trying to eat healthy. If people ask me point blank if I’m vegan, I’ll just laugh and say, “Well, not really, I’m wearing leather flip flops.” I don’t really know what to say. I’ve heard ethical vegans get mad when nutrition vegans call themselves vegan.

    And I’ve heard paleo people call themselves plant based, even though they still eat plenty of meat. So I give up. That’s why I usually just say I’m trying to eat healthy. If they want details I’ll add that I’m eating lots of vegetables and avoiding animal products and junk food.

    That hurts my head.

    Also, when I describe my diet, I just say I "eat all the food" but I control quantity through calorie counting. It shocks people when they find that I kept off 50 lbs for 5 years and running by doing it.

    Cake ist a flour based food. Doesn't mean it's only flour. So I can understand calling a diet that's mostly plants "plant based".
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    nickssweetheart wrote: »
    Speaking as an ethical vegan, I don't get offended when plant-based folks use "vegan" to describe their diets. It's an easy shorthand for describing your dietary limitations to others. If you don't eat meat, dairy or eggs, describing yourself as vegan seems perfectly reasonable to me.

    Now if someone said they were "vegan" and then ate a steak I might call the vegan police on them. ;)

    I will say that while by and large I feel much better and have lost weight more easily since going vegan, it's not a magic cure all. I still get colds, and a big part of the weightloss is probably that being vegan really cuts down on "impulse" eating. I can't just grab a chocolate bar at the gas station when I'm filling my tank, for example.

    I also think people eating fewer animals and more plants is awesome, whatever stage they're at. Part-time, most of the time, whatever you can do will be good for the planet, good for the animals, and good for your health.

    Another perspective from an ethical vegan: I am not offended when people use "vegan" to describe a policy of avoiding animal products in foods but engaging in other forms of animal exploitation, but it does concern me because it can send the message that animals that are exploited for fashion, entertainment, health & beauty products, etc somehow matter less than animals used for food.

    As veganism has a specific meaning (an objection to animal exploitation that includes, but isn't limited to, using animals for food), I would prefer that it continue to mean that. We don't have another good term to use for this position.
  • Sunnybrooke99
    Sunnybrooke99 Posts: 369 Member
    When, I followed a strict, plant based diet, as in no eggs in my cake, I would describe it as vegan, bc food wise, it was.

    Someone jumped down my throat about the ethical veganism as a lifestyle thing. After a while of following a plant based diet, and Internet forums etc, I saw the difference in terms, but I truly meant no harm or disrespect. It still makes ethical vegans seem kinda mean to me. I mean, I know they aren’t, but that person really worked to give me a bad bias.

    I’d be careful how I explained the difference to someone, bc chances are they just aren’t familiar with the lingo. I mostly stay out of it, and leave it to the dimplomatically gifted.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Sunnybrooke99 wrote: »
    When, I followed a strict, plant based diet, as in no eggs in my cake, I would describe it as vegan, bc food wise, it was.

    Someone jumped down my throat about the ethical veganism as a lifestyle thing. After a while of following a plant based diet, and Internet forums etc, I saw the difference in terms, but I truly meant no harm or disrespect. It still makes ethical vegans seem kinda mean to me. I mean, I know they aren’t, but that person really worked to give me a bad bias.

    I’d be careful how I explained the difference to someone, bc chances are they just aren’t familiar with the lingo. I mostly stay out of it, and leave it to the dimplomatically gifted.

    I'm sorry that someone was unpleasant to you about it, but I think it's possible to explain the significance and meaning of the term without being unpleasant.

    If someone doesn't have a concern with animal exploitation, it can sometimes be hard to understand people who do have those concerns and see the importance of a term that expresses those objections.

    I wouldn't say that ethical vegans, as a group, are mean (although some individuals, of course, are), but sometimes you have friction because of the difficulty of expressing an ethical POV that is in the minority. Sometimes the perceived urgency and frustration involved in trying to connect with someone who is coming from a very different place can complicate communication.

    If someone isn't familiar with the lingo, I want to help them understand instead of just waving it off and not saying anything. It's what I would want someone to do for me if I was using a term in a way that was misleading or potentially harmful.
  • Iamnotasenior
    Iamnotasenior Posts: 235 Member
    edited November 2017
    My best advice is to NOT tell people you are thinking about or trying out going vegan, just do it gradually. I've been a pescatarian (plants, dairy, eggs and seafood only) for over 20 years and I just tell people I'm a vegetarian who occasionally eats fish (but only if they ask me). People get very nervous when I come for dinner and I don't take any meat for my plate. They are so concerned that I "won't get enough to eat" or will "not get any protein" even though my plate is completely full with veggies and sides. Then they get concerned that I will "be offended" that there is meat on the table, etc. I have nothing against meat eaters. My husband is a meat eater and I cook meat for him at home.

    I am vegetarian because of a book I read years ago when my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The book is by Dr. Bob Arnot and is called "The Breast Cancer Prevention Diet". Although there is no proof that diet alone can prevent breast cancer, this diet focuses on reducing estrogen levels in the body. It make sense to me at the time, I figured it couldn't hurt to try it and I've been eating this way ever since. I'm 58 years old and have normal blood pressure, normal cholesterol and normal blood sugars even though I am a "fat vegetarian" and have been for years. Is it the diet that helped? Who knows for sure? But it certainly cannot hurt to eat this way.
  • callmecarina
    callmecarina Posts: 145 Member
    I'm gradually switching to a "mostly plant-based diet" which seems to be about 80% plant based/ 20% milk and cheese vegetarian for the past 5 weeks. And I'm trying to phase into consuming cheese/milk only a couple times per month. I switched to 80/20 vegetarian cold turkey on September 19th.

    If vegan/ plant-based folks want to add me, feel free! I'm very interested to see if I'll have more success losing weight and then keeping it off on a plant-based diet, and what other peoples' successes look like on a plant-based or even veggie or pescatarian based diet. :)

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