In late 2010 I was in a period of recovering from an eating disorder. I discovered there was a whole world out there, and I wanted to do something bigger than myself. I started thinking about world hunger and how to help people. Simultaneously I began to think about and research just where my food came from, the people who grew it and what went into this food that I was nourishing myself with. I read "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollen, and that was when I first learned about veganism. I had known about vegetarians and in fact many years ago as a teen had tried it for a year, simply cutting out meat but still consuming dairy and eggs. I believe at that time it was more about health and dieting than ethics, and peer pressure over time put an end to it.
I found when I was reading Mr. Pollan's book that I agreed with so much of what veganism is about, and found myself disagreeing with Mr. Pollan on many accounts. I started reading more books on veganism, not just the diet itself but books on ethics, lifestyle, and from different viewpoints. I read "The Sexual Politics of Meat" by Carol Adams, and "Sistah Vegan" by breeze Harper, and "Animal Liberation" by Peter Singer. I also watched videos like "Earthlings" and other documentaries about our food industry. All of it shocked me and had a profound effect on me. I had all the same questions as others about how to meet my DHA needs, calcium, zinc, protein, etc as a vegan. I studied a lot about nutrition and how I could meet my needs. I also looked at what I was eating already as an omni trying to be healthy, and discovered I was already eating entire vegan meals here and there. I had an intolerance to most dairy for many years so had cut out cheese and milk and butter etc years ago. I was consuming plain Greek yogurt quite often though back then, and eggs. After all I read and learned about I just could not keep supporting this industry. As well I realized that it is entirely possible to thrive as a vegan based on the many books and blogs I was reading. By February 2011 I was ready to make the change. I picked a date and gave myself a week to wean off animal products. I had planned ahead, started making lists of foods I enjoyed and already ate that were naturally vegan, and built up from there. I discovered Vegweb for tons of recipes and at that time they had an awesome community forum (which is now defunct). I was very successful at my transition. I had not been much of a meat eater before so it was not too drastic of a change. But it was hard for my long term partner, who took quite a while to come around because I refused to buy or cook animal products and I am the bread winner and cook. Over time he warmed up to my awesome vegan meals and now eats them almost exclusively six years in, but he still consumes some dairy (he is off eggs) and eats meat when he is with his family which is about three times a year.
I am not going to lie in that going vegan did affect my eating disorder, but I did not go vegan as part of my eating disorder, unless you count my natural progression of recovery as a reason I went vegan, due to learning about our food system and wanting to help someone (I regularly donate to food charities now as hunger is a profound and important social and world issue to me). It can be hard in the beginning when you have to think about food all the time and plan everything. Now it comes much more naturally, but back then it was triggering. I unintentionally lost a good bit of weight at first out of not knowing what to eat and it took a while to regain that weight. I had been through hell refeeding and gaining weight a year prior when in recovery from my eating disorder, so having to do it AGAIN, albeit on a lesser scale, was hard. I had a full relapse from early 2013 to early 2014 into my eating disorder, but fought my way back and am healthier now than I have been in years, all still as a vegan. I used to be very very strict and whole plant foods only, but my recovery has meant trying out and including some processed vegan foods here and there, and I find that I enjoy some of them while others tend to give me digestive problems. it's meant sometimes drinking full fat plant milks, and roasting with coconut oil here and there without demonizing oil. Its meant pushing myself to go out to eat at restaurants that cater to vegans and ordering a vegan grilled cheese sandwich once in a while. I still eat very healthy but am more relaxed with food, and I have other interests besides thinking about food 24/7 now.
It took longer to replace the wool, silk, leather items I had and find vegan versions of hiking shoes, ballet slippers etc. I got rid of all my harsh hairsprays, chemical cleaners, shampoos etc in the first few months of being vegan. There is a facility run by my local city waste management where you can bring chemicals like household toiletries and cleaners, and others can walk in there and take stuff if they want, so none of it goes directly into landfills etc. They recycle some of that stuff or dispose of it safely. Being vegan has really opened my eyes to the way I live on every level. Not just in the products that I use or consume, but the way i think about animals, and how I relate to people. It is about compassion, respect for every BODY, for autonomy over one's body and life. It is a stand against exploitation and abuse of individuals but also systems of repression. It is always a growing process, and learning, and striving to live my values. It isn't so much about avoiding as it is about embracing....I did some animal rights activism for a while when I was working part time and in school. I leafleted high schools and colleges, and tabled at a local private college. I worked with the director of Nutrition Services at my local medical organization to get vegan items on the menu for patients and visitors after a relative's experience in the hospital as a vegan. I overcame personal obstacles and embraced life and earned a degree and two certifications after 17 years of putting off finishing school and hiding away from the world. I also dance again, something I do now because I LOVE to, and I am learning to like my body and realize my body is important and worthy of my respect too. I joined a local vegan Meetup group and it is refreshing to see this growing movement of veganism around the world. I've also experienced disappointment and heartache when family members have returned to eating meat, and others have not supported my veganism, and there is still rampant abuse and exploitation of animals everywhere. our food industry is still in dire need of improvement. But I also realize I am one person who can not change the world. As a consumer and on an individual level I can make a difference in my choices and the way I live, and my experience and passion about this cause sometimes rubs off on others, hopefully. So that's where I am!