Craving meat and dairy for comort

[Zarncar]

In about a month I am coming up on my 1 year for being vegan, little quick backround, I grew up on fast food and tons of meat and cheese, a year ago when I started being vegan I jumped right into it, no easing, was eating fast food like the day before. So anyways, although I quit out of the blue, I never had cravings, except very small ones that lasted like an hour, and I have not looked back at all, however in the past week I am starting to approach the wall, I am starting to crave dairy and meat, it is not a health thing, I get enough protein and everything, it is more of a comfort thing I have developed, and it is hard becasue there are vegan things I can eat to relieve any cravings, however I am craving now these nachos from this place that are filled with nasty shit, and, ugh, fast food, it is not good. Did anyone else hit a wall like this coming up on their one year? Any advice as how to hurdle over it? I do not want to crave this stuff, I feel bad just thinking about eating it, no bueno. Any advice would be very radtacular, thanks a ton everyone! :thumbsup:

[Mahk]

Try my nachos (http://www.veganforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=424389&postcount=3), maybe?

P.S. I think if one decides to give up animal products, sugar, white flour, salt, alcohol, fatty foods, smoking (anything), caffeine, etc all at once, one is bound to fail. Take for example Oprah. She did this recently (except salt I think). The key is moderation.

Good luck with your road block and don't beat yourself up for craving these things, it's a natural sensation and nothing you should be ashamed about. Just accept it.

[twinkle]

You could have a look at the "What did you eat today" thread, or some of the cooking threads that people have put pics on. There are also a ton of vegan food blogs - that might get you craving unhealthy vegan food instead ;)

I had a couple of slip ups a little way into being vegan, with craving things when I was drunk and having friends who didn't really understand it was a big deal to me to stay vegan so encouraged me to eat cheese. I would just try to chat a lot with supportive people (like on here!) and maybe try a few new semi trashy vegan goodies from an online store if you can't get anything suitable locally :)

Welcome, by the way!

[Hemlock]

Yep, I had cravings for strong cheese for ages but, and this is funny because I haven't thought about it for ages, I seem to have lost all my cravings for animal products totally. In fact now I find that if I eat vegan junk food for too long I get desperate cravings for plates of veg and fruit!!! It's weird.
Just give it time.

[fondducoeur]

I threw myself into cooking vegan food. There are so many vegan recipes I am constantly wanting to try, that I never really think too much about wanting non-vegan food. As other people have said, I would suggest making some vegan comfort food. Cupcakes are mine.

[aussievego]

I have been vegan for 4 years now and the only cravings I get are for sweets. Fortunately the thought of dairy or meat straight out actually makes me feel ill, but sweets are impossible to differentiate as the vegan cakes look just like the non vegan ones, and smell the same etc.

I can sympathise with hitting the wall as I was also a junk food junkie before going vegan and also went vegan cold turkey, but honestly just reading and seeing things about the meat and dairy industry keeps me on the straight and narrow, and I do heaps of cooking so have developed some pretty tasty vegan junk food myself.

If you want to PM me I can give you my recipe for nachos, which according to everyone who tries it (including meateaters) beats any nachos they have ever tasted. Or maybe I'll post it on the forum here.

My advice is to stay strong and keep your focus on the reasons you are vegan. The cravings will pass, but I really think if you give in to them even once you will feel much worse for much longer. Good luck.

[exec]

I have a story, which I came across the TV, to share. Some decades ago, in Japan, the accident rate of truck was very high. Then the major delivery company adopted a scheme which successfully halved the number. The measure was, every truck driver was to bring along the photos of their families during their deliveries.

It is kinda common to commit err when the motive of doing so is solely for oneself. When you start to think about the others, that is when you start steering clear of err.

[flying plum]

actually, yes, i did have some faltering of faith at about a year. i posted a bit here and things people said really helped :) so stick around and people will for sure help you out!

amanda

[horselesspaul]

Zarncar, if you can, remind yourself that it's not really food, is it.

[KatyB]

Zarncar, if you can, remind yourself that it's not really food, is it.

(That's a very good point Horselesspaul!)

I had this happen to me.....

After one year of being Vegan I had this weird mental 'blip' and ended up reverting back to consuming dairy (not meat though) for 5 months. I didn't really crave anything as such - and thinking back now I don't really know why it happened (I think maybe it was just a convenience thing - trying to placate my other half and bending a little to 'outside' opinions etc...) It's weird to think about now!

Anyway, the thing that got me back here was that all the time that I was eating these things it just no longer felt right. And plain and simply I felt guilty! I can honestly say that I didn't really enjoy the stuff I was eating either - it really wasn't as good as I had 'remembered' it being and I knew that it was so easy to cut it out again. So that's what I did.

The second time round it was so much better - I had gone through the phase of 'what ifs' and now knew that the grass wasn't greener - and now it is no longer an issue for me.

I bet - even if you did give in for a moment - you would be back to veganism with much stronger convictions in no time because you would have allowed yourself that space to re-evaluate things in you own mind and at your own time. Like others have said before - diving head first into Veganism can cause trouble in the future (and I dived head first!)
It's too easy to get caught up in Veganism as a label (like it's some kind of club with rules that if you break them you can no longer part of that club) - I have found that it is far better to step out of that frame of mind and remember to think for yourself and remember that your actions have consequences and if you want to reduce the suffering and live as cruelty free as possible then the decision and the execution of that decision is down to you alone.

I hope this makes sense & hasn't been too rambling? x

[eve]

I... in the past week I am starting to approach the wall, I am starting to crave dairy and meat, it is not a health thing, I get enough protein and everything, it is more of a comfort thing I have developed,
Zarncar, it wasn't really about food that moved you to a vegan lifestyle was it? Of course you're getting enough protein etc. As for comfort, do you feel no comfort from knowing what an incredibly wonderful step you've taken?

Meanwhile, congratulations on approaching one year as a vegan. :D

[Pearl]

Try my nachos (http://www.veganforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=424389&postcount=3), maybe?

P.S. I think if one decides to give up animal products, sugar, white flour, salt, alcohol, fatty foods, smoking (anything), caffeine, etc all at once, one is bound to fail. Take for example Oprah. She did this recently (except salt I think). The key is moderation.

Good luck with your road block and don't beat yourself up for craving these things, it's a natural sensation and nothing you should be ashamed about. Just accept it.

I dont think its any good telling him he's "bound to fail" now! Hes been doing it for a year and thats brilliant! People give up things in different ways, whatever works for them I say.

Stick with it Zarncar! You are doing fantastically. Think of all the things that made you do it in the first place, stick with this place and look at the thread with all the fantastic pictures of vegan food! :D

[brucie-g]

I never really hit a road block as such. The only real craving I had on occasion is for pizza. I do make my own vegan pizza though, but I have to admit that that is the one thing that will never be as good as the real thing for me.
The only advice I can give is to stay strong and remember why you made the choice in the first place.

[tipsy]

i say go find some vegan nachos somewhere! youre in portland forgodsakes! there are nasty fast food imposter nachos everywhere!

[bradders]

hope you can get through and push past it. Been more than a year now, I did become vegan very suddenly indeed although I had already started using soya milk for a little before this,I'd never tried being vegetarian first or giving up meat and I honestly haven't hit any kind of a wall or cravings really myself. When there are things I see that I used to like but no longer have I get angry at the company more than anything else.

[cedarblue]

slip ups are part of life sometimes.

we fall down - then get back up again & carry on.

don't beat yourself up, just take heart, like eve said, from the wonderful path you are on and do the best you can! you CAN do it you know!

good luck

[clare155]

I threw myself into cooking vegan food. There are so many vegan recipes I am constantly wanting to try, that I never really think too much about wanting non-vegan food. As other people have said, I would suggest making some vegan comfort food. Cupcakes are mine.

This is also what I did - I bake LOADS and try to buy something a bit unusual every now and then to try it out! I think it can be easy for your diet to get a bit samey :)