Hello fellow vegans.

I've been vegan now for about 14 years now I think (there is a grey area from making the transition from being a vegetarian).

Top questions put to me are usualy "So what do you eat?" or "Why??" I hope you'll share similar experiences.

Why did I become vegan? Because I don't need to eat meat or any animal derivatives to live my life happily and because I don't think I could hunt and kill anything for myself. I firmly believe that you should accept what you eat, and I just can't accept eating meat. However, as the only vegan amongst my family and friends, I try and accept everyone's way of life - my boyfriend is a meat eater and I live with that as a good example.

I'm not overweight, but can safely and healthily lose a few pounds which is why I've rejoined this site. Sometimes it's just hard to do it on your own. I'm a relatively keen runner and recently did a half marathon for charity. I think if a lost those few pounds I would be very pleased as I continue to try and shape myself like an "elite athlete", even though I have an office job and live in the real world 90% of the time.

But that's enough drivel about me.

Hi everyone!
My name is Alex, I'm a vegetarian, and have been so since August last year. When I started I was vegan but I started eating too much junk because the transition was too hard and so decided to cut back to vegetarian and go vegan later on. Now that it's been over a year I'm going to try cut out dairy (starting from when my current cream cheese and yoghurt cartons run out) and then think about eggs later. At the moment I am happy to eat eggs as long as they are free range, but eventually I may stop and become vegan.
Why vegetarian - because if I don't need to eat meat to survive, why would I? It's inefficient to produce and cruel to animals.
Why here - to lose the kilos I put on after I met my boyfriend, and the kilos I put on after starting my new job, which is in an office, and means much less incidental exercise as when I was at uni.
I look forward to sharing recipes and ideas!
Alex

Hi I'm Cheryl I have been a vegetarian for 20 years and 5 of those years I was vegan. I have recently gone back to my vegan roots and am feeling great. I still am getting use too some new alternatives, however about a year ago I found out I was lactose intolerant which has made this transition much easier. I have found some very tasty non dairy yogurts and am cutting out soy....issues have arised due to the quantity I was consuming.

It's nice to meet you all!

Hi!. I'm Jain & have been a veggie for about 19 years & counting. I tried going veggie in my late teens but it was very difficult to eat heathily back then (late 70's early 80's) and living on Tyneside in the UK I didn't have the access to a lot of ingredients.
When I met my husband, he was a died in the wool carnivor & and it was a case of cooking two seperate meals, which eventually got too much. Until........
We went on holiday with another couple in a caravan (trailer). The other guy was a real workingclass Geordie & HAD to have meat at every meal. During the weeks holiday the other girl & I shared to cooking & one night I made a Veggie Risotto. Her partner threw a hissy fit & sulked until she got up from the table & made him a bacon sandwich!:noway:
I was so shocked by their behaviour I made a vow I would never eat meat again. And I havn't.
My DH still eats meat, but only when we eat out. In the house he is more than happy to eat the veggie (and vegan) meals I make.

Hi all! I was a vegetarian for four years before recently switching to veganism.

I'm so happy to see this group here!

Hi!

I am vegan and made the leap from omnivore to vegan in one day. :^) 1/1/2010. My dad has been vegan for over 10 years and I saw him drop his extremely high cholesterol to excellent levels with a vegan diet. He is my inspiration. I have had cholesterol over 200 since I was 25 years old and after 18 months vegan it was 168! I was anemic before becoming vegan, not anemic after (and I do not take iron supplementation). My 15-yo daughter sometimes asks why I don't simply be vegetarian, but the things added to a vegetarian diet are the things high in cholesterol - butter, cheese, eggs.

Since I started my vegan journey, I have read and seen a lot about factory farming and do not think I could ever go back to eating animal products.

I love cooking and trying new recipes. I love making something for someone and having them be surprised that it's vegan because "it tastes so delicious" - as if vegan stuff has to be nasty!

hey everyone! my name is alicia and i've been vegan (well 99% vegan, i do consume honey occasionally) for almost 11 years! in my twenties i was mostly a junk food vegan, but now in the past few years i've really wised up and cleaned up my diet and lifestyle, and i feel great! i work in the supplements industry and am very interested in supplementation, herbs, super-foods, cleanses and a raw diet. i presently eat a highly raw diet but not 100%. it is great to be connected to people with similar values & goals who are so passionate about their health and wellness

Hi my name is Marie. I am new to the life of vegan. I have been working towards vegan for 6 weeks (about 95% pure). I am still in the process of learning to properly read labels and finding out what hidden items are really animal products. My challenge lies with my co-workers. All men, all hunters and fishermen and all talk about killing animals. This makes for a very lonely meal time since I choose to eat by myself. I am the boss so I cannot push my ways on to them only show them the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and gently encourage a more humane way of life. I look forward to having other life minded people to communicate with. Best wishes to all.

Welcome Marie! It sounds like you'll be bringing new experiences to your co-workers! Hang in there and they may surprise you. Know that you're doing a good thing for yourself and our world by changing your habits.

jmt304- I think eating vegan is cheaper...beans, rice, lentils and the super sized packs of carrots are all so cheap. I think spinach and almonds are the most expensive items in my shopping cart. The biggest savings is not eating out so much...I make all of my meals instead of spending $5-$15 on a meal.

I have been a vegetarian for only 6 months but only really at meat when at restaurants, now the smell makes me sick. I can prepare food at home for my big family (like on Thanksgiving) but prefer only veg food. As soon as Black Friday hit I went vegan. I think the cream and butter in the mashed potatoes made me sick. I still need to learn about a few things on lables (like siracha??? is that vegan? I hope so)

I love this group because I am the only vegan in the family and at work. (We have one that is vegetarian) and it is nice to hear others advice and stories. As well, talking about it without judgment like I am weird is the best.

Happy Eating!
kt