How do you stay on track?

[xKristenx]

Hello :bobo: (hehe)

So.....I need some help!
I attempted to go vegan a while ago but i've found it incredibly hard. I REALLY struggle with it. I know that it is the ethical thing to do but it is just so hard. Anyway i'm wondering if anyone else found this, I notice most people seem to think it was easy to make the transition so why don't I? I like to think I am an ethical person that makes good choices but apparently right now I am not!

I started to eat vegetarian cheese and things with egg in them but I want to totally cut them out. It should be easy but it isn't! I just get frustrated that I can't eat what I want (i'm a total guts by the way!!).

My question is
-What helped keep you on track?
-Did you find it hard? How did you stay on track?
-What helped make it easier?

So far avocados being in season help (sad but true!) I LOVE avocado and I think the fattyness of them makes me not miss cheese to much!

I really want to go Vegan but I don't want to feel as if it's a constant struggle because then I know I will fall off track. I don't know any vegans except a friend of a friend who I found out was Vegan so I researched a bit about it and it got me thinking.

I think last time I felt annoyed we'd go out for dinner and there was very little choice for me. Although my partner is brilliant and said we can just go to vege restaurants initially and then stick to mexican and indian etc since they are usually vegan (well, have vegan choices).

WHY DO I FIND THIS SO HARD?! I have good support, I know its the right thing to do but i'm just terrible at it :(

Please don't judge me, I really want to commit to a vegan lifestyle but I feel like i'm so limited by it and I get worried I can't commit to it for forever. I'd appreciate any and all advice (unless you're going to tell me off for being a bad wanna be vegan!)

:D

[mingster]

I don't think your bad at all.
It's different for eveyone. I found it easy to go vegan. I've only been a vegan for a year now and I still find somethings hard.
Maybe if you just adjust one thing at a time in your diet it may help you.


My question is
-What helped keep you on track?
-Did you find it hard? How did you stay on track?
-What helped make it easier?


What help keep me on track was knowing I was doing it for certain reasons. The other is great cooing, which I really do suck at. :/
I found it easy to change. I just found it hard to find vegan cheese I liked or other replacment. But now I seem to love them all. I stayed on track by learning how to cook up some really tasty food. I hardly ever go out to eat.
What helped to make it easy was cook books and this forum.

hope this helps, if not I'm sure you'll have better luck with the other posters.
Oh and :up: for going vegan. Hope everything goes well.

[Siv]

It is hard! I have given up eggs and milk but cheese is proving to be very difficult.

It depends on what kind of person you are but I don't beat myslf up over it - I know I'll do it eventually and I don't feel bad about what I'm doing now. After all, I'm veg and have been for almost 6 years which is a whole lot better then the bulk of the planet!

Anyway, there are vegan cheese substitutes and if you can find them, then they help a lot. I have yet to find a vegan cheese in a local store - there are plenty of "fake" cheeses that have casein in them but you may as well eat cheese.

Anyway, don't feel bad, don't feel alone, take it at your own pace and you will succeed!

[Clarita Osita]

I've heard that cheese has been proven to actually be addictive. I don't have any info on that, though. And PLEASE don't expect vegan cheese to taste like real cheese... you have to appreciate (or hate) it for what it is, not for what it's supposed to replace. You'll be really disappointed otherwise.

It's totally fine to take it slow! A lot of people find that to be best. I'm doing that now. I went from omnivore to practically vegan overnight, and then backed down a little when I moved home a few months later. Another couple months later, I decided to restart being vegan as I was moving - new country, new diet. It didn't work out (Japan is NOT veg friendly at ALL), so I went back to vegetarian (limited dairy, though, I'm lactose-intolerant). Now, I'm slowly working my way back because I know that for me, I need to be vegan. It's in line with my beliefs, it makes me feel better physically and mentally, and it's the right choice for me.

If you need to take it slow, that's totally fine. Some people can do it overnight, some people can't. That's okay! Everyone's different.

If you need ideas for replacing certain foods, please let us know what they are and we'll give you substitutes.

As for staying on track, now that I've lived in Japan for a year and can read and speak a little, it's getting much easier to do that. That's a big part of why I didn't before - I couldn't communicate. In general, though, the biggest thing for me has simply been telling myself "no. I said I wasn't going to buy anything non-vegan today, so that's it." I've also had trouble with not being able to read, so I'd tell myself, "well, I can't read it, so I'll just buy it and be ignorant. It's probably vegetarian, just not vegan." Well, I'm stopping that, too.

My situation is different from yours, of course, but those are the things that I've been doing. They wouldn't be of much use to you since you probably live in a country where you can read (:)), but at least you can see that I'm struggling, too. It's not something to be ashamed of in any way. For most people, making such a big change IS difficult, even if it's something really important to you. It's changing basic things about your everyday life.

Take time if you need, and know that it's okay to make mistakes. Welcome to Veggie Boards! :hi:

[erfoud]

I believe it´s all in our minds. If you´re acquainted with the facts, if you´ve got a firm personality, if you realise you shouldn´t put your culinary whims above the basic interests of innocent animals, the rest is just a cinch,all the more so with the wide range of vegan stuff available to us.
Good luck buddy!

[Wednesday_12]

I found that making a good strong, and clear list of all the reasons why I wanted to be Vegan was a good idea. And then I kept this list of things fresh in my mind, so every time I wanted to eat something non-Vegan, I could remind myself of the list, and then I would bribe myself with a Vegan alternative.

Also- coming to Veggieboards really helped me, as it kept me motivated, and I learned even more about why veganism was brillant, and how much animals are harmed. And it gave me lots of support! In my weakest moments I browse this forum....

[LyricGaia]

In my head, when i switched (from omni to vegan), I didn't look at buying things as "I shouldn't get that" it was "I *can't* get that." I didn't give myself room to question, or to rethink it.

[Checkmass]

I believe it´s all in our minds. If you´re acquainted with the facts, if you´ve got a firm personality, if you realise you shouldn´t put your culinary whims above the basic interests of innocent animals, the rest is just a cinch,all the more so with the wide range of vegan stuff available to us.
Good luck buddy!

I agree.
Our mind controls what goes into our mouth, not the other way around.

I really don't remember what helped me, I just knew it was something I had to do. Contributing to suffering didn't sit well with me I guess.
Good luck! :D

[Almeria]

I struggled with it a lot, from even before committing to being vegetarian I knew that ultimately I needed to go vegan. But it wasn't easy for me at all. Even with a dairy allergy it was still incredibly hard. My pitfalls were enchiladas and lattes. I still crave lattes incredibly bad, and when I go out the enchiladas do tempt me, but I make some great enchiladas at home that are better than the kind with cow cheese in them, so I'm not very tempted anymore. Once I move and can get vegan lattes I know it'll be so much easier for me. nowhere around here makes lattes with soy, so I have 3 more weeks of craving them. But what got me to commit to veganism was watching Earthlings and reading a lot on the dairy and egg industry. I went vegan solely for animal rights, so everytime I am tempted by a latte I think about what happens to the cows and the calves and I tell myself that if i have a latte then I will have complicity again in a calf suffering and dying and a cow suffering for years before being murdered for people to eat hamburgers. Just thinking about that makes the lattes A LOT less appealing when I'm strongly craving one.

[Semicharmed]

My question is
-What helped keep you on track?
-Did you find it hard? How did you stay on track?
-What helped make it easier?

Hey there Kristen!

I went from full-blown omnivore to vegan overnight (on July 9th, actually!) so... My conversion was recent, and complete, and I haven't found myself tempted even once.

And I don't think it's just a "oh, I'm just super-strong willed!" thing. I'm not particularly strong-willed. When I WANT something, I generally go after it and try to get it! I had a hard time quitting smoking, I had a hard time controlling my eating disorders, and (to be very blunt) I have a hard time controlling my desire for my boyfriend. (Thankfully, he doesn't seem to mind this.)

But... Take that last one as an example. I might want to jump him all the time, but I've never once cheated. Why? Because while I think sex is great, infidelity is 100% against my moral code. And therefore, I don't WANT to do it. Just like how I think eating is great. But eating another animal (or any byproducts) is now 100% agains my moral code. So I don't WANT to do it at all! There is no deprivation associated with following my morals.

When I was an omnivore, I *knew* it was wrong ethically, I *knew* there was an ethical dilemma. But I still did it! Because it wasn't REAL for me. I didn't have a strong enough connection between my actions and what they MEANT. So the ethics were out there, but they hadn't become MY ethics, independent of other people and their ideas.

So, one day, I watched Earthlings (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6361872964130308142). (That link is to the video, online, free, at google. If you haven't seen it, it's very graphic and very important.)

And that did it for me. Earthlings did it, and I was an overnight convert!

Before I saw it, I knew there was an ethical dilemma in eating meat and using animals, in an abstract way. But as soon as I saw and absorbed that documentary, it became REAL. And it was no long an abstract ethical concept.

It became my OWN ethical foundation. Concrete, steady, certain.

There is nothing I can't have. I can have 20 steaks tonight if I want. The thing is? I just don't want to. I have zero desire to participate in the things I saw in that documentary. So I never feel tempted or deprived. Once something has become a REAL ethical issue for me (like, say, punching a child in the face is an ethical issue) there just isn't any way to want to do it, EVER. I don't care how hungry I am, it will never be okay to eat meat again. Just like I don't care how angry I get, it will never be okay to punch a child in the face. Because now they are MY ethics, not just ethical concepts I'm AWARE of.

Anyway.... That's the sort of thing that keeps me on track! And I REALLY hope I made some sense there. The entire factory farming industry is designed to HIDE the process from us specifically so the result is palatable. But once I made the connection between the reality and the result - it is impossible for me to separate them again.

Keep at it... I firmly believe that recognizing the ethical issue is a HUGE step and will instill in you the drive to be vegan... But for me (and I'm not judging anyone else here - I'm just sharing my experience), the thing that made being vegan easy and nearly effortless was when the awareness of the ethical issue changed into me absorbing the ethical stance as my own.

Best of luck and keep posting here! It's very motivating - plus there are tons of yummy recipes!

[Faliny]

Hey there Kristen!

I went from full-blown omnivore to vegan overnight (on July 9th, actually!) so... My conversion was recent, and complete, and I haven't found myself tempted even once.

And I don't think it's just a "oh, I'm just super-strong willed!" thing. I'm not particularly strong-willed. When I WANT something, I generally go after it and try to get it! I had a hard time quitting smoking, I had a hard time controlling my eating disorders, and (to be very blunt) I have a hard time controlling my desire for my boyfriend. (Thankfully, he doesn't seem to mind this.)

But... Take that last one as an example. I might want to jump him all the time, but I've never once cheated. Why? Because while I think sex is great, infidelity is 100% against my moral code. And therefore, I don't WANT to do it. Just like how I think eating is great. But eating another animal (or any byproducts) is now 100% agains my moral code. So I don't WANT to do it at all! There is no deprivation associated with following my morals.

When I was an omnivore, I *knew* it was wrong ethically, I *knew* there was an ethical dilemma. But I still did it! Because it wasn't REAL for me. I didn't have a strong enough connection between my actions and what they MEANT. So the ethics were out there, but they hadn't become MY ethics, independent of other people and their ideas.

So, one day, I watched Earthlings (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6361872964130308142). (That link is to the video, online, free, at google. If you haven't seen it, it's very graphic and very important.)

And that did it for me. Earthlings did it, and I was an overnight convert!

Before I saw it, I knew there was an ethical dilemma in eating meat and using animals, in an abstract way. But as soon as I saw and absorbed that documentary, it became REAL. And it was no long an abstract ethical concept.

It became my OWN ethical foundation. Concrete, steady, certain.

There is nothing I can't have. I can have 20 steaks tonight if I want. The thing is? I just don't want to. I have zero desire to participate in the things I saw in that documentary. So I never feel tempted or deprived. Once something has become a REAL ethical issue for me (like, say, punching a child in the face is an ethical issue) there just isn't any way to want to do it, EVER. I don't care how hungry I am, it will never be okay to eat meat again. Just like I don't care how angry I get, it will never be okay to punch a child in the face. Because now they are MY ethics, not just ethical concepts I'm AWARE of.

Anyway.... That's the sort of thing that keeps me on track! And I REALLY hope I made some sense there. The entire factory farming industry is designed to HIDE the process from us specifically so the result is palatable. But once I made the connection between the reality and the result - it is impossible for me to separate them again.

Keep at it... I firmly believe that recognizing the ethical issue is a HUGE step and will instill in you the drive to be vegan... But for me (and I'm not judging anyone else here - I'm just sharing my experience), the thing that made being vegan easy and nearly effortless was when the awareness of the ethical issue changed into me absorbing the ethical stance as my own.

Best of luck and keep posting here! It's very motivating - plus there are tons of yummy recipes!

I just tried watching "Earthling" and I could only watch 30 minutes of it. I got sick to my stomach then :-( I knew and had even seen a couple things before, but would try to block them out or somehow justify it. After seeing even 30mins. of that, I was in complete shock and just cried. Anytime I have a desire to eat dairy or meat, I'll just watch it again. This movie was enough to convince to become Vegan.

[Semicharmed]

I just tried watching "Earthling" and I could only watch 30 minutes of it. I got sick to my stomach then :-( I knew and had even seen a couple things before, but would try to block them out or somehow justify it. After seeing even 30mins. of that, I was in complete shock and just cried. Anytime I have a desire to eat dairy or meat, I'll just watch it again. This movie was enough to convince to become Vegan.

*nods*

I had to FORCE myself to watch the whole thing. I did have to pause it a few times because I was sobbing so hard I couldn't see.

But I'm pretty convinced I will never need any other motivating force than remembering that's where my ethical commitment comes from -THOSE realities.

Thanks, Earthlings!

[penny79]

I would do two things:
1) Don't depend on outsiders to provide you food. I.e., if you go out, don't expect a restaurant to have an option. Always bring a snack or fast for a bit.

2) Wean yourself off of a high(er)-fat diet. This will help with your cheese and other fat/unhealthy addictions. (and lower your risk of cancer!!) :)

Good luck and thanks for considering veganism!!!

[PTree15]

For me, it was an attitude change. I was vegetarian for years until last year, when I learned a bit more about the impact of the dairy industry on animal suffering and the environment. I simply stopped viewing animals as sources for food and saw them as equals, with the same rights to live on the planet as humans. I was a serious cheese-aholic, but I can honestly say I have not once craved it once. It was like a switch went on in my head, and I have happily never looked back.

[xKristenx]

Hello, thanks so much for all the replies!!
I watched earthlings :( hearbreakingly sad.

I also found a vegan section at my library (who'd have thought!) and I got this book called "Vegan cooking for one" by Leah Leneman.

It is amazing!! I got a bunch of others but this one book has meal plans for a week with basic, cheap, easy to find ingredients and anything you buy gets totally used up in the week so no wasting!

Also got skinny bitch in the kitch (crappy) and the uncheese cookbook.
Feeling a bit better now I have some good recipes and i've (after earthlings) stopped thinking about animals as food products which has helped huge amounts.

Soooo I am definitely going to do this. It wasn't so much of a decision as a natural progression after watching what industry we support by eating meat or animal products.

I feel so clear headed now :D

[thefiddlerscall]

In my head, when i switched (from omni to vegan), I didn't look at buying things as "I shouldn't get that" it was "I *can't* get that." I didn't give myself room to question, or to rethink it.

I totally use that attitude! I once said something like that casually in a conversation.. ("I can't have such and such, it has eggs in it) and the tttother person told me I can, I just don't want to. I half-heartedly agreed, but I still use the term "can't" and it gets me through the day. :smoke:

[Will Penguin]

For me it really came down to two things:

1. Become handy in the kitchen, and do a lot of eating at home, and hosting events with food (rather than being a guest) as much as possible. A lot of times (like, say, Thanksgiving) I avoid having to feel like I'm inconveniencing other people, or having nothing to eat, by saying "I'll host and make a ton of food, only bring something if you want"

2. Look at it as a process of diversifying what you eat, rather than focusing on replacing meat/dairy and cutting stuff out. Have some fun with trying new dishes, ingredients, and cooking methods. Challenge your taste buds and your cooking skills!

[Mollfie]

Is it because you're finding it difficult to find other yummy things to eat? I find it hard because I love eating snacks, but I've found a lovely little Vegan and Vegetarian food store near me that stocks delicious snacks foods.

[Puppet Master]

I can't relate in that aspect since it wasn't hard for me at all. I believe I was born to be a vegan, so when I became a vegetarian ten years ago, and a vegan five months ago, it was just: "Today, I'm going to be a vegetarian." and "Today, I'm going to be a vegan." And that was it. I didn't need and coaxing. I didn't want to go back. I didn't miss anything. And I just turned seventeen last week. I'm a fighter. :lol:
(Though for a month-or-so, I put off being a vegan because I didn't know if my mother would 'get' it. [We did bicker a few times after I made the change] But then I decided, it's my life, I'm going to do it. And, well, here I am. xD)

When you try to go vegan again, look at it and make sure it is for all the right reasons. Then look at all the good you can do if you go vegan. And as others said, very yummy recipes!
Start cooking! I don't think there is a better way to bring out the inner vegan than food! :p