I have been a Vegetarian for awhile now, and I have been trying to eliminate milk and eggs from my products. This is very hard to do so though, and i'm having trouble. I have many questions that I need help with.
First of all, what would you call me? I'm not exactly vegan but I'm not lacto-ovo vegetarian either. I still eat honey, and unfortuantly have animal products. I'm not sure about my clothing, but I highly doubt that it's vegan. So my question is: If I try to avoid milk and eggs in all of my products, as well as no fish or raw flesh...then what exactly am I?
My mother has been telling everyone that I'm vegan;She bought me "veggie" cheese but it has casien (sp?) in it.
I'm sure that I am not doing everything correctly. I think I may have some trace eggs or milk in some of my foods.
I went to my health food store and didn't find very many vegan things. They were all over-priced; I come from a large family so I cannot have my mother spend loads of money on all my vegan foods. :furious:

All of my close friends do not support me. No matter how much I argue about the issues they claim "milk and meat is good for you"
I have stopped going over to their houses and hanging out with them because how they eat disgusts me, and I cannot bring along food. Ive been eating very healthy lately, and I'm trying to keep it that way. I have been somewhat of an out-cast because of my eating habits, and I avoid hanging out with people.
:no:

I can't go out to dinner because most of the food Items on the menu are filled with cheese, have eggs, ect. Same goes for fast food.
Again my mother has been complaining that I can't live normally in society without eating milk or eggs. What can I do about this?

I cant go on trips anywhere with my family because of food issues as well. We are supposed to go on a cruise, visit relitaves, and we go out of town very often. My mom doesn't want me to take my own food on the cruise, and I doubt that the chef will whip me up a vegan breakfast, lunch and dinner. I don't know what to do. How will I survive going out of town? There are no vegan options anywhere! Bringing my own food would be too much of a hassle...
I'm in need of help.
Thank you.

Hi, I'm so sorry you're having such trouble and getting no support from anyone. That sucks. As for what kind of veg*n are you, I would just say you are a vegetarian at this point. Or maybe you could call yourself an aspiring vegan, just to differentiate that that's where you are trying to get. Don't fret over the trace stuff, just try to educate yourself on what is what, and slowly eliminate what you can. You're doing the best you can in your situation, and that's loads more than most people do.

Re: the cruise, I would contact the cruise line and ask them. I've been on a cruise before and they have TONS of food options and were very accomodating. I wasn't veg*n at the time, but there was a guy at my table who was on some weird diet and they made him a special plate of raw veggies every night. I don't see why they wouldn't be able to accomodate you as well, if they won't already have a vegan option on the menu. (I am sure they will have a vege option already.)

As for your friends, that is really hard. It's sad and unfortunate when we change and grow apart from our friends, but it's just a fact of life. If there is no way to get past the issue and remain friends if they won't accept this as part of who you are, then you will need to move on and find some new friends. But I know how hard that can be. But coming here is a great start. :)

Don't worry about the title for now. The title bits can drive you insane and simply aren't worth worrying about at first.

Oriecat's advice is excellent - especially re: the cruise. Remember, cruise lines are used to dealing with all sorts of odd dietary requests. You likely aren't the first (or last) vegan that the chefs and kitchen staff have encountered.

1st don;t worry about the title. Its so not worth it.

Also- if you are still living at home you may want to consider just trying to do your best every day and not worry about being full on vegan until you are on your own. I would have had a huge problem trying to be veganwhen at home but in college it was fine.

Also- eating out and going on cruises aren't really that hard. Sure you may get stuck eating the same thing everyy day sometimes, but yo'd be surprised at how accomodating food people can be as long as you are polite and request things in a respectful way. There is so much food to eat on a cruise ship I can't imagine that there would be nothing for you.

I wouldn't worry about the cruise. The people who work on the ships are trained to treat thier customers like royalty and are probably used to dealing with some real snobs. If you're polite (which is something all vegetarians should be so as to help enhance our public image), they will probably be thrilled to help you out with your dietary needs.

Ditto what everyone said. And about bringing food places with you:
It's not a hassle. If you are going to a friends house or somewhere, make a quick PBJ or get a bagel and throw it in your bag. Luna bars, other energy bars, non-perishable vegan snacks, canned food, granola bars, dried fruit, nuts, oatmeal packages, asceptic soymilk boxes, soy chips, etc, etc are ALL compact and can easily be taken on a trip. Bringing all that would be overpreparing though, the chefs on the cruise will definitely be able to accomodate you.

First of all, what would you call me? I'm not exactly vegan but I'm not lacto-ovo vegetarian either. I still eat honey, and unfortuantly have animal products.
In this case I might call myself a vegan to people outside of the movement (so they don't try to give you cheese pizza) and a strict vegetarian to those who understand the distinction. Or you could call yourself an aspiring vegan.

I'm not sure about my clothing, but I highly doubt that it's vegan.
Don't worry about what you already own. It's spilt milk. Just try not to buy any non-vegan items now.
They were all over-priced; I come from a large family so I cannot have my mother spend loads of money on all my vegan foods.
Veganism can be cheaper than an omni diet. The trick is to base your diet on whole foods (beans, whole grains, fruits and vegetables) rather than on processed items. It's cheaper and healthier. So, for example, instead of having a veggie burger for dinner have vegan chili. You can get a decent sized bag of rice or dry beans for $2 that has many servings. $2 only gets you 4 veggie burgers (at least in NY). Ask your mom if you can help out in the kitchen so you can learn to cook. Check the internet for some simple recipes. Also, only shop at the healthfood store for specialty things like veggie vitamins. They must charge more on regular things because they're a smaller operation.
All of my close friends do not support me. No matter how much I argue about the issues they claim "milk and meat is good for you"
I'm sorry to say this, but anyone who wouldn't want to be your friend anymore because of your diet isn't a very good friend at all.
I can't go out to dinner because most of the food Items on the menu are filled with cheese, have eggs, ect. Same goes for fast food.
Again my mother has been complaining that I can't live normally in society without eating milk or eggs. What can I do about this?
Most places serve french fries (but ask what they are fried in), green salads and fruit. Hopefully you don't eat out often because that get's really boring really fast. Mexican and Chinese places usually have veggie bean and tofu dishes. Other restuarants have vegan dishes disguised as healthy dishes, like pasta with marinara and no meat. Don't worry, it gets easier with experience.
I cant go on trips anywhere with my family because of food issues as well. We are supposed to go on a cruise, visit relitaves, and we go out of town very often. My mom doesn't want me to take my own food on the cruise, and I doubt that the chef will whip me up a vegan breakfast, lunch and dinner. I don't know what to do. How will I survive going out of town? There are no vegan options anywhere! Bringing my own food would be too much of a hassle...
First of all, you may be surprised how many vegan options there are. See if you can find a menu. There's probably a number you can call to find out about ingredients because of people with food allergies. I'm sure in the very least there will be fresh fruits and vegetables, baked potatos, and probably egg-less pasta. Then ask your mom if you can take a few vegan items like whole wheat bagles, grahm crackers, trail mix, etc. If you don't plan on eating only things you brought she will probably be more likely to let you bring some vegan food.

Congrats on your decision to diminish and wipe out animal products from your life.

When travelling, dining with friends, eating out... don't forget that although you are (almost-/soon-to-be) vegan, and the other people may not be, there are foods you do have in common. Oatmeal, toast with jam, bagels with peanutbutter, fried potatoes, orange juice, coffee, tea, fruit salad, hummus sandwich, chips and salsa, potato chips, pretzels and pb, bean chili, green salads with vinaigrette, french fries, baked potatoes with salsa, rice and bean burritos with salsa and guacamole, vegetable stir fries over rice. pb& j, rice pilaf, spaghetti and tomato sauce, pasta with veggies sauteed in olive oil and garlic, etc. Some convenience foods (Fritos, for example) are vegan by accident, too. Check out Peta's page for more of that kind of stuf. (Most of it is wicked cheap, too): http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/

All of these things are commonly eaten by non-vegetarians too, so a) people are likely to have some of them in their house/restaurant wherever you go,
and b) they won't make you feel uncomfortable for standing out by eating what others might (be so closed minded as to...) think of as "weird vegetarian food". ;p I doubt you'll ever end up somewhere where you can't eat *anything*. It'll probably be much easier than you are expecting!

:)

Ah, thank you guys so much :wayne: