Over a month meat free and I feel great!!

[kalija]

I don't post often; but I just wanted to share how great I feel right now. Its been a month and one week now completely meat-free and I never felt better. I've lost 5 lbs, I picked up 30 seconds per mile on my running times; and I don't miss meat at all. I had my first boca burger last night and it was great - the bbq season won't be as rough as I thought! I do have some challenges ahead of me - a couple of lunches for our whole office that I know are gonna be tough. Tough in the sense that a lot of my co-workers who don't know yet that I've become a veggie are going to find out and may react with difficult questions.... I know I will have difficulty not being too graphic if anyone presses me, but I will get through it. I still have family members who aren't aware, not that I am hiding it, but we haven't gotton together for any events so it hasn't come up. I don't feel like calling for no reason and saying, "hey - guess what????" They may be a little sarcastic and difficult but again, I feel equiped to deal with it now. I am slowly replacing all the products I use to cruelty free items; and I haven't completly given up dairy but I have cut waaaay back - a challenge because I have a cheese addiction. But, step by step I am getting there. I just wanted to share with others who know what I am going through - its tough being a veggie in a world full of meat eaters, and I don't know any others in real life! But anyway, whooo whooo, I feel great!!!!

[Tweety]

Good luck to you. Sooner or later people will get used to you being the vegetarian. Even so it may not be as tough as you think. I've always had a relatively easy time.

[Janee]

Well done :) I'm glad you're feeling great too and know it was a good decision for you to make. :) Just tell people as you need to and it will work out.

I've been vegetarian for 10 weeks today and people are still finding out about it.

[Fyvel]

Congrats! I'm glad it's going well for you.

As for telling people, if the subject of food comes up, just say "I stopped eating meat". If they're having a lunch at work, call the organizer and ask if they can provide a meatless option. If they won't, bring your own :)

It definitely does get easier in time. Vegetarianism is much more common nowadays so most people are familiar with it and can deal with it.

[lovingthegreen]

Good to hear. :)

[jessican3267]

That is great to hear. I just recently went vegetarian, and I feel great. I recently got my mom to try the vegan boca burgers, and she loves them.

[Sallie-Veggie]

Congratulations!! Keep on, keeping on!! :sunny::sunny:

[pinkwolf]

Congratulations. :hamster: Your story is very inspirational. Keep up the good work.

[paulwalkersgirl]

WOW, congratulations kalija!!!! Well done!! It's great to see newbie vegetarians making a difference!!!! I'm proud of you!!

[kalija]

Thanks guys! Its so great to have somewhere to go where people feel the same! I am used to bringing my own lunch to offfice parties, even when food is provided because I like to eat healthy. Even as an omni, I was the one eating a salad while they all ate their fatty chicken wings (Yuck!).
The bad news is, I'm not feeling so great today! I mean, I am still proud of myself for going vegetarian, but I stayed up late last night to finish reading "Vegan - The new Ethics of Eating" by Eric Marcus. (GREAT book - highly recommend it even if you are not going vegan). Anyway, now here I am staring at the (dairy) creamer I usually put in my coffee, and I can't do it. Just can't. Sigh. So I guess I'm going vegan, and that will be TOUGH. I have a serious cheese addiction. UGHHH. So anyway, thanks for your support!

[paulwalkersgirl]

you're very welcome, kalija!!

Thanks, hun!! I'll have to see if I can find that book! :D

Ahhh.... I know how you feel hun... the thought of going vegan makes me think it'll be tough... ESPECIALLY if you love your cheese!!!! I love my cheese... I do now usually just have vegetarian cheese... but I still feel guilty eating it... I want to go vegan so bad but it's hard because so many products nowadays still have milk derivatives etc in it... :(

[Fyvel]

If going vegan seems daunting to you, why not just take it gradually and if you get there, you get there, and if you don't, you don't? For example, why not decide to give up major sources of say dairy and eggs without worrying about the minor ingredients in items? Maybe then once you're more comfortable with your diet you could slowly eliminate those items with eggs/dairy as you find replacements for them. Or not, if you never get to that point. This isn't all or nothing, every little bit helps! :)

[paulwalkersgirl]

fyvel, thats great advice!! im going to remember that. :)

[Fyvel]

fyvel, thats great advice!! im going to remember that. :)

Glad to have helped! :)

[kalija]

If going vegan seems daunting to you, why not just take it gradually and if you get there, you get there, and if you don't, you don't? For example, why not decide to give up major sources of say dairy and eggs without worrying about the minor ingredients in items? Maybe then once you're more comfortable with your diet you could slowly eliminate those items with eggs/dairy as you find replacements for them. Or not, if you never get to that point. This isn't all or nothing, every little bit helps! :)

That is a good idea. Eggs are easy - don't really use them much anyway. Last night I had a bean burrito without cheese and really didn't miss it! The big problem is the milk I'm using is in my cereal for breakfast - I have tried soy milk and don't really like it, I'm afraid. So I guess I need to find a new breakfast - a bagal with peanut butter maybe? I also tried soy sour cream and, um, it was interesting (I didn't care for it). I guess I just need to wean myself off, like you said, bit by bit. And maybe try some other alternatives, I think I read somewhere that oat milk was better tasting than soy? Or maybe it was rice milk. Hmmm. Well, I'll keep working at it!

[Fyvel]

That is a good idea. Eggs are easy - don't really use them much anyway. Last night I had a bean burrito without cheese and really didn't miss it! The big problem is the milk I'm using is in my cereal for breakfast - I have tried soy milk and don't really like it, I'm afraid. So I guess I need to find a new breakfast - a bagal with peanut butter maybe? I also tried soy sour cream and, um, it was interesting (I didn't care for it). I guess I just need to wean myself off, like you said, bit by bit. And maybe try some other alternatives, I think I read somewhere that oat milk was better tasting than soy? Or maybe it was rice milk. Hmmm. Well, I'll keep working at it!

Kalija, I didn't like soy milk the first time I tried it, and the first time I tried rice milk I thought it was horrendous. I now like soymilk (but don't tolerate it well due to a soy intolerance) and love love love rice milk. You need to try a new food more than once before you get a taste for it.

When I first started going vegan, my main use for milk was on cereal. So I would pour some cow's milk and some soy milk on the cereal and gradually increased the amount of soy milk until i was used to the taste.

[itsveggietime!]

The first soymilk I bought was Westsoy unsweetened, and it was like drinking chalk water to me. I struggled to use just a little of it on my cereal by putting just a little in and then adding the reg milk. Then I tried vanilla soymilk, and mixed half that and half regular milk for a few days, and soon found I didn't even want the regula anymore at all. I now buy the vanilla or even the VERY VANILLA, and think it's SOOO good on my cereal, like a dessert. As much as always loved milk and drank it with my meals I never wanted it by itself. But, I often get my second cup of the vanilla soymilk by jus pouring a cup and drinking it like a special treat! Just be SURE to buy the ORGANIC.

[itsveggietime!]

We are just about in the same spot. The last meat I ate was March 23. I am doing fantastic, and don't miss anything. I made quick change to soy milk (should be a post about that above this one) and have found Earth Balance and Smart Balance butter replacements, Veganaise, which taste a lot like my beloved Miracle Whip.

I do use the Veggie Patch cheeses, which I'm happy about, because they have no animal rennet, although they do have casien, which is something grown on milk protein. I also eat Gardenbugers, Morning Star, which may contain trace amounts of dairy or egg, and Amy's produts which ofen contain trace amounts of honey. I eat the occasional free range egg, although have recently found egg replacement powder for recipes. So while these things mean I'm not vegan, I have greatly reduced the amount of animal products I'm consuming, and so feel very good about that. I'm one that does believe that every bit helps. Even a regular omni familly that would give up meat one meal a month that they usually ate it, think of the difference that would make if they all did it!

I'm still a baby at this, and am developing into it naturally, and therefore, there is not stress or relapse, because I didn't just drop everything from my diet, but began finding the replacements, and so it all was very simple, anyone could do it and never feel the least bit deprived.

[Jehote]

If going vegan seems daunting to you, why not just take it gradually and if you get there, you get there, and if you don't, you don't? For example, why not decide to give up major sources of say dairy and eggs without worrying about the minor ingredients in items? Maybe then once you're more comfortable with your diet you could slowly eliminate those items with eggs/dairy as you find replacements for them. Or not, if you never get to that point. This isn't all or nothing, every little bit helps! :)

now i have a plan. :wayne:

[Fyvel]

now i have a plan. :wayne:

:D Good luck!

[janelle]

Congrats! Today marks one month for me, and I've never felt better about myself either! :)

[Pocky]

Congrats to the both of you, Kalija and Janelle!

:rockon: