HELP: i've lost the vegan in me! and i'm sad! (new here)

[annieegirl]

Well..I'd like to introduce myself first.
My name is Annie. I am 20 years old and have a almost 4 month old daughter and her daddy my boyfriend is jeremy. He is NOT vegan. And to be honest. Neither am I.

I babysat for this fantastic vegan woman..who has a vegan child. A healthy girl. I admire how much effort she can put into cooking all vegan things..and standing up for herself as a vegan.
Well before that thought..I wondered..WHY CAN'T VEGANS EAT EGGS..how stupid are they for thinking animals are getting hurt in the process. So i desided to use my good researching skills online..and look it up. That was the day i desided..i would no longer be apart of the harming of animals. Ugh i couldn't stand it. I no longer looked at pizza like it was edable.. or chocolate milk like it was the best thing on the earth. I constantly wondered how i could have eaten meat or drank a glass of chocolate milk.

so this went on from about may 2006 to thanksgiving 2006. I found out i was pregnant september 6th 2006. Then something i never thought could happen happened. I am so ashamed to say..that i just didn't think about the wellbeing of animals..and i slowly faded into eating and drinking dairy.. then came the eating meat. And i felt so guilty.. but had just lost all interest in being vegan. and focused on becoming a mom. Obsessing over pregnancy.

and since then i have lost track of what i want. I have lost track of my vegan self. I LOVE animals...and whenever people say that they are eating healthy.. i can't help but think NO YOU ARE NOT.. you eat meat and dairy..which are NOT in my opinion..healthy at all.

k so my point is.. I would LOVE to get back into being a vegan. But for some reason i feel like i need opinions and encouragement. So tonight i have come here. PLEASE..give me encouraging words. I really need it!

[Poppet]

If you need some encouragement, just keep thinking what is the best kind of food to be eating with your daughter, the importance of feeding her healthy plant foods and the damage meat and dairy can do, and what sort of role model you want to be for her, I think you want to be someone who stands up for what they believe is right.

I think having children helps make you do the right thing,
I had a friend who smoked like a chimney and did illicit drugs, tried to quit many times and failed, but as soon as she found out she was pregnant it all went out the window and she just gave up everything cold turkey, because her baby was the motivation she needed.

Hope this helps.

[cobweb]

Hi :)
I understand 100% what you say, I have felt that way before. Sometimes it's not easy to remember why you're doing something that goes against what almost everyone else is doing.
Maybe read some motivational vegan books and stick around here, you will find your passion coming to the fore! :cool:.

[Maisiepaisie]

Anniegirl I hope your daughter can give you the motivation to go vegan and raise her vegan too. Meat and dairy products are so unhealthy and even dangerous for young children as they can cause various allergies and illnessess. If people knew the truth I'm sure they would never feed this stuff to their kids. Read THIS (http://www.viva.org.uk/guides/vhfk01.html), also have a look around the rest of the site as well. The biggest drawback for me when I first became vegan was not being able to cook but I learned and have a selection of quick and easy meals for when I can't really be bothered. If I can learn to cook, anyone can. Its not rocket science, I promise :)

[RedWellies]

Hello. I think you know in your heart what is right for you and for the animals. To me, that is the most important thing. So, you just need to find a way to deal with any difficulties. Without knowing you, I can't suggest a way to help I'm afraid. What is it about being vegan that you find so difficult?

[sugarmouse]

I Agree:) Passion is a wonderful tiong too, themore you use it, the more you have to use.. and you are in the right place definitly!

[annieegirl]

k so i'm not very good at using this site yet..but anyway.. thank you guys very much for your words :) today i can say that my breakfast started off pretty good..vegan :) yayyy

REDWELLIES that was a really good question "what is it about being vegan that is so difficult".. it made me think.

When i stopped eating meat and dairy.. it wasn't dificult AT ALL.. because all the videos i had watched online..and all the things i had read about the cruelty of animals was so fresh and new in my mind. Now i know all that..but it's not new..and it's not fresh. I want SO MUCH to do it for the right reason. To do it for the animals. But right now it's like I know how healthy it is to be vegan..and how horrible dairy is.

The difficult part is. I do not cook. YET. And Jeremy is NOT vegan. we are moving into our new cottage as soon as next week and it has a kitchen yayyyyy. so i see that as a fine opertunity to teach myself.

another thing is..jeremy doesn't encourage me about it. He thinks i'm wacky. That is what i hate. Poeple think that i'm some alien just because i'm informed. k i might not be making much sense..skipping around..but these are random thoughts coming to me at the moment..

but i really do appreciate your input :)

[sandra]

Hi Annieegirl, I really think you will find your way back to being vegan. Try to remember how you felt when you were vegan.............don't you want to feel that good again? :)

[RedWellies]

.and all the things i had read about the cruelty of animals was so fresh and new in my mind. Now i know all that..but it's not new..and it's not fresh.
I know someone else who thinks a little like you. She needs to see various images to make her remember what goes on regarding animal cruelty. I guess you could find new images that I'm sure would horrify you, or re-read the literature you read in the first place; it will be just as shocking.

It must be hard that your partner isn't vegan but there are several people on this forum who deal with a loved one who isn't vegan. (There are threads about this subject on the forum but I don't think you can view them until you are a full member; ie.vegan.) If your boyfriend sees how happy and healthy you are, he might decide to join you. Either way, don't let others sway you. You know what is right, so stay strong!

[cobweb]

I really do know what you mean annieegirl :o. I first went vegan around about 16 years ago. Then when i met my husband i was recovering from a breakdown. He took me in, so to speak, and paid my way and looked after me. Suddenly i didn't have the strength to remember a lot of the reasons why i had been vegan for 4 years, i just needed looking after :o. He was already veggie then but didn't really 'get' veganism (like so many people, sadly). So i went back to being vegetarian and ended up staying that way for some years :(.

Around 5 years ago i had a flash of inspiration and suddenly it all flooded back to me, and i was so, so ashamed that i had turned my back on my beliefs, i felt sick with myself :(. I knew then that not only would i go vegan again, but this time it was for life.

You have to make a decision, be strong and positive, and stick with it. Sometimes it might seem futile but remember why its important - you don't want all that death and cruelty in your system, you don't want to be part of that misery treadmill :mad:.

Read some good books, 'Living without Cruelty' or 'Being Vegan in a non-Vegan World' for instance, reaffirm your faith. You've come here so you must want to embrace Veganism. Your other half is not your puppet-master, you are an independant person!. Make your life count, by thinking about the lives of those who don't have a voice.

[annieegirl]

thanks sooo much for all your responses! after writing this post.. i went to the book store..looking for some books on becoming Vegan. i happened to stumble across a book called "skinny b i t c h" . I had NO idea it had anything to do with being vegan... until i opened it up! i read the whole thing in two days. It is AWSOME.. it talks bout the cruelty to animals..and quotes other books..and it had a part about the sick things people do to these animals..how they abuse them.. and it had the factory workers telling all these awfull things.. i got soooo sad. I haven't had one dairy or meat product since i think wednesday? or even tuesday..i can't remember..and i feel so good. It's so weird how it's easier for me to say..no dairy and no meat..than "dieting" and eating those nasty things in moderation. So i'm hopeing (fingers crossed) that this is for life. So far i havn't even craved my old habbits. I even made some vegan chocolate cake! how yummy hehe though it did tast better as batter.. but good still! I look at it this way...as long as i don't eat meat and dairy.. i am saving some animals.. and helping the earth. I'm gonna try try try to not let my knowledge be pushed to the back of my mind.. and stay meat and dairy free.
i really wanna read "diet for a new america"..but i didn't find it at the store. Does anyone know what section it could be in? i checked the diet section..and the vegitarian cooking section..and had no luck..

sorry for not responding individually..just know i read each and everyones responses :)

[sandra]

Good to hear from you again annieegirl! I'm sorry I can't help you about the book you want but I hope you will join in the forum more and more! :)

[annieegirl]

thanks..i'm gonna try hehe .. i do have one weekness.. my boyfriend is a scolloper..and brought home lobster and fish.. my mom cooked it..and saved me a plate..i told her no thanks.. then i was like maybe lobster..than i said..ya know what it's the same thing..ahhh no thanks.. i dont know why but sea food isn't as serious for me..even though i know that they are living feeling beings too.. grrrrr i'm kinda upset at myself.. but i am glad i did NOT have any..

[sandra]

That's good news that you didn't eat any annieegirl! :) It just shows what a thoughtful, intelligent, decent person you are. You can feel empathy with other living things and we need more of that in this world! :)

[bugaboo]

Hi anniegirl,

I was looking for the book, Diet for a New America, and I found that it's easily accessible online. I paid 7 dollars, including shipping, for it (used book.) It is a little outdated being about 20 years old now but, in fact, things have gotten even worse in the animal industries since the book was written.

I would be willing to send it to you for free. Yes!! I will cover the book cost and shipping because I see you are in need.

For the first few weeks that I started the vegan lifestyle I made myself watch the hardcore undercover videos of the animals being mamed, killed, tortured, etc. Sounds terrible, yes! But the anguish and crying it caused me helped to cement the idea in my head. And now I can't even bare to think about putting such things in my body.

It's strange...my whole life revolved around dairy. Cheese this and cheese that. But I don't miss it anymore. I now feel like it was a poison. It hurts me to even look at the stuff anymore.

It does take a bit of time; and peer pressure to consume meat and dairy can be overwhelming. Just remember the cows, pigs, and chickens who live out most of their lives in steel and if you are feeling unweary go and visit a hardcore vegan website. It's sad but it did cure me.

Anyway, the offer for my book is up for the taking. I will pay to send it to you.

Think about it...and whatever you decide, I'm sure it's in your best interest.

[absentmindedfan]

Hi anniegirl,

I was looking for the book, Diet for a New America, and I found that it's easily accessible online. I paid 7 dollars, including shipping, for it (used book.) It is a little outdated being about 20 years old now but, in fact, things have gotten even worse in the animal industries since the book was written.


John Robbins' 'The Food Revolution' is more up-to-date and is what made me go vegan. Worth buying online second hand from somewhere like Amazon if you spare a few dollars.

[annieegirl]

bugaboo thanks so much for your offer... you don't have to send me a copy thanks sooooo much..i will just go and ask the person at the store! i feel bad to take a free offer.. cause i do have the money.. and also it think i should check out the food revolution.. i might wanna read both :)

[RedWellies]

I would be willing to send it to you for free. Yes!! I will cover the book cost and shipping because I see you are in need.

That's really nice of you:).

[MandyRanne]

annieegirl, I'm also 20 years old! :)
I didn't know how to cook very well before becoming vegan, but I'm glad I persevered. I do quite a lot of stir-fry and curry dishes since they are easy. For the most part you just cut up veggies (& fruit for curry) and throw it in the pan with spices. <3