Your personal vegan story

[Miranda18]

Ever since we started eating better, I wanted to be a vegetarian. I highly respected them and wished I could do the same. But I didn't know HOW. I just wasn't educated in it. I had no idea what was going on (and hadn't been for a long time!) in the world around me in relation to eating meat. I never thought that being a vegetarian was more than just not liking the taste of meat, or "trying to save the animals". I was raised to believe that there was nothing wrong with eating animals. I never knew how these same animals that I enjoyed eating, were crying out in desperate agony before they were routinely slaughtered, on a conveyor belt destined for MY own plate! Of course, I never pictured any of this when I first became a vegan. I sort of begged my mom for us to go to this live cooking class right outside our local Whole Foods. We went and it was so impressive--desserts sweetened only with dates, no added sugar! I always would admit that I've, "always had a problem with sugar"--in a sense that I LOVED it and it doesn't quite love me back. ;) So, my mom and I, easily impressed with this "Chef AJ", bought her book! At the end of the session, though, she said a few things that were striking to us—she was a vegan, and didn't eat oil, and just minimal sugar and salt. She mentioned all oils being bad--even olive oil! Even olive oil?! We were stunned, but were willing to make any changes to our staggering diets. The cooking class was in October, and since March of that year, we'd been jumping around on a few different diet plans, even lacto-ovo vegetarianism was in the mix. We wanted to get healthy the right way, but hadn't a clue which "diet plan" it was. We read Chef AJ's book and watched a few nutritional documentaries: one called Eating, one called Food Matters, and eventually Forks Over Knives! All these videos blew us away! The week after we got Chef AJ's cookbook, we went through our cabinets and threw away ALL our oil, and any products that had any oil in it. Another thing Chef AJ mentioned in her book was that a doughnut was made up of sugar, salt, and oil. If we saw a product in our pantry that had those three ingredients together, we might have well been looking at a doughnut! Everything from our "healthy" Kashi breakfast cereal, to Italian salad dressing, to our favorite sandwich spread Miso Mayo, to dairy-free whipped cream, even to crackers! It was ridiculous what we were finding when we looked at everything thoroughly! We threw it ALL out, and felt so good! Needless to say, we needed to go grocery shopping! ;) We started cooking vegan meals the following week, but we still had animal products when we went out, or were with others. We didn't exactly know how to take this big change, and weren't really ready to dive head first. A month later, by November/December, we finally starting declaring to others that we were vegans and have been a lot more comfortable in sharing with others. I've been so excited to meet other vegans and I've found a few so far. I've read Healthy at 100, The China Study, Diet for a New America, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, and Forks Over Knives (the book). I loved reading all these books and I've even emailed a couple doctors for their opinions of issues. I actually spoke to Dr. Esselstyn on my cell phone!!! I have been learning a lot, and am still interested in reading as many plant-based nutritional books and studies I can find! ;) My journey in veganism has been gradual, but so rewarding! I love being able to share facts with others. My family are all vegan (the four of us) and still limit fat, sugar, salt, and oil. We've all lost weight being vegan, too! No more diets!! My cousin is reading Diet for a New America and is becoming a vegetarian. Being a vegan is so exciting! Not only are you helping your body, giving it natural food, but you're not harming animals, saving the environment, not costing the government billions of dollars on health insurance, and so much more! If anyone needs encouragement out there in being a vegan--whether you need new recipes (I love to cook and try new vegan recipes), health facts, or just some encouragement, I can help. :)

Excited to be vegan,
Miranda

[pat sommer]

...you certainly will be a big help to the vegan movement!

Enjoyed your story. See you in the recipes section:-)

[pat sommer]

...never again. You get a hallelujah from me :thumbsup:

[Brigetta B]

I've been trying to watch the film 'Earthlings' since two posters mentioned the impact that it had on them. It's horrible. So incredibly difficult to watch, I can only take it in small increments. However, I think anyone who eats meat should watch it, I agree with the statement that 'those who eat animals do not deserve to be shielded from these realities', or something to that effect was mentioned in the film. It hit me in recent months just how MASSIVE the scope of the suffering is, and it's all I can do not to sink into a very deep sadness. And shame. It's hard not to be ashamed of our species. You really don't have to be a rocket scientist or a 'tree hugger' to know in your gut that this is not just wrong, it's evil. I will never go back. I'm ashamed that it took me this long to do what I know is right. I am from Texas, raised by rednecks but always felt like I myself was from another planet because I have always seen things so differently than the people around me.

[Daffodil]

the only people that watch these type of films are vegans! talk about preching to the converted. I cannot get anyone i know to watch these films, they'd rather not know incase it puts them off eating meat?!?!? I fast forwarded thru Earthlings yesterday to see what it's like before i get time to watch it properly and i dont know if i'm gonna be able to without getting too upset.

[JennyOt]

My husband watched Earthlings. He told me to watch it but I don't think I could take it. Like Brigetta B said, sometimes I have to make an effort not to think about it otherwises I know i'd sink into sadness. Its too much.
I tried to watch the glass walls video on meat.org and probably lasted less than a minute before I had to turn it off with tears streaming down my face.
I feel like I already know too much, sometimes I wish I didnt and could be ignorant. But i'm glad i'm not.

[Brigetta B]

Daffodil, I can't express my outrage at people who don't want to know, it's too great. Ignorance is not bliss, I truly believe that the suffering might not be so extreme or widespread if people knew exactly what was going on. The fact that they are WILLFULLY ignorant is just...mind boggling.

Here in America, bizarre new laws are being passed that actually forbid the filming of these suffering creatures. Besides being blatantly unconstitutional, they only PROVE that the suffering is wrong. You don't try to hide things unless you know they are wrong.

I should have done this years ago. This is who I have always been supposed to be; ever since I was a very young child, I've had an enormous affinity for animals. They are clearly conscious and aware, and we are talking about MILLIONS AND MILLIONS of suffering creatures in my country alone. On a spiritual level, what does that mean? It's such a tragic, horrific thing.

[Daffodil]

Here in America, bizarre new laws are being passed that actually forbid the filming of these suffering creatures. Besides being blatantly unconstitutional, they only PROVE that the suffering is wrong. You don't try to hide things unless you know they are wrong

That is unbelievable! It should be filmed MORE... people need to know what is going on!

[Brigetta B]

Just a bit of info on the massive efforts to hide the truth from the American people-not that they care all that much. : ( But as I mentioned, this is UNCONSTITUTIONAL. Just another example of how large corporations, in this case, food producers, have such massive influence over the American government that even the constitution doesn't stop them.

http://animalrights.about.com/b/2011/03/23/bills-to-ban-undercover-factory-farming-videos-moving-ahead-in-iowa-and-florida.htm (http://animalrights.about.com/b/2011/03/23/bills-to-ban-undercover-factory-farming-videos-moving-ahead-in-iowa-and-florida.htm)

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/03/the-ag-gag-laws-hiding-factory-farm-abuses-from-public-scrutiny/254674/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/27/opinion/27wed3.html

[Robharmer]

I was a huge meat and dairy fan from a very young age, there wasn't many things I'd turn down. I was very heavy into body building from 20-27 and was pretty strong with a typical meat-head attitude towards vegans and vegetarians. We actually have a long time vegan at my job who we all used tease and give a hard time or ask stupid, impossible questions. Like I said, typical meat-head. I was always concerned about the quality of food I ate but around 26-27 I started really digging deeper into the origins of my food, meat, dairy and greens alike. I got a subscription to Netflix and watched food inc., king corn, foodmatters etc. and really changed the way I bought food. I cutout HFCS I even quit smoking cold turkey one day (two years this week actually). Finally I watched forks over knives and I was blown away, the next day I went into work and asked our resident vegan for earthlings and I haven't touched meat or dairy since. Since I made the switch I've done so much research and the deeper I dig the happier I am about it. I always cared about animals but never saw meat or dairy consumption as unethical but the more I know now I just wish I made the switch sooner. It does feel good knowing I can eat a meal that satisfies me and doesn't hurt any animals in the process. The biggest thing for me is just how good I feel, no more headaches, migraines, acne, fatigue, etc. the list could go on. I recently got a checkup at the doctor and I'm in better health than I have been in 8 years and I don't even go to the gym anymore. Once I'm finished moving into my new place I'm going to join the gym up the road, I'm excited because knowing how good I feel now I really am sure I'll have better results than I have in all the years I've spent at a gym.
Even better is that I've inadvertently gotten two of my closest friends, fiancé and one employee to greatly reduce their meat and dairy intake and the employee has expressed to me that his ultimate goal is to get himself, his son and his wife on a plant based vegan diet. I'm happy It's gaining popularity and people are starting to see through the myths that surround veganism. If I went vegan, there is a chance for everyone. I'm the last person in the world I would expect to adopt this lifestyle.

I recently heard about biodegradable engine oil and got really excited, I planned on using it and was about to go buy it. I read a few reviews about it and in doing so I found out it uses animal fats and tallow from meat processing and I thought "A. I'm vegan. B. the meat processing industry is so dirty, how can I justify this as an environmentally friendly product?" so I passed on it and purchased plain old synthetic. Never could have pictured myself thinking this way. Haha.


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I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?eapiq0

[pat sommer]

Thanks, that cheered me up for the day, "If I went vegan, there is a chance for everyone" :)

[LouiseAbel]

My vegetarian history is kind of a farce. I stopped eating red meat when I was little (about 10 years old - not sure exactly what triggered it but I always read animal rights magazines instead of the ones little girls are supposed to read and I think I just realised I didn't want to eat animals) and soon after, I gave up chicken/turkey (I loved chicken [eating it] so it took a bit longer).

I then called myself vegetarian until I was 18, when I finally gave up fish. I just didn't think about it logically and I had become complacent and thought I was "doing enough". Even after that I didn't spend time researching animal cruelty anymore and I rarely got into conversations about vegetarianism - it was just never an issue for me or other people. I finally went vegan after reading a book on vegan diets and joining a vegetarian forum (not sure why I suddenly became active again...) when I was 21, I think, and took up a "vegan for 30 days" challenge, which I completed and never went back.

Now I am OBSESSED and it takes over my thoughts every single day, I find it hard not to mention it in conversation, I spend so much time reading about it, I want everyone I love to go vegan, I find it hard to fully respect anyone who refuses or doesn't even want to learn about it... Which is very hypocritical because I put it off for over a decade. I've also learnt that my views are a lot stronger than I ever knew and I love everything about the whole lifestyle - it just incorporates all my beliefs under one umbrella. =)

So yeah. There you go.

[LouiseAbel]

I was a huge meat and dairy fan from a very young age, there wasn't many things I'd turn down. I was very heavy into body building from 20-27 and was pretty strong with a typical meat-head attitude towards vegans and vegetarians. We actually have a long time vegan at my job who we all used tease and give a hard time or ask stupid, impossible questions. Like I said, typical meat-head. I was always concerned about the quality of food I ate but around 26-27 I started really digging deeper into the origins of my food, meat, dairy and greens alike. I got a subscription to Netflix and watched food inc., king corn, foodmatters etc. and really changed the way I bought food. I cutout HFCS I even quit smoking cold turkey one day (two years this week actually). Finally I watched forks over knives and I was blown away, the next day I went into work and asked our resident vegan for earthlings and I haven't touched meat or dairy since. Since I made the switch I've done so much research and the deeper I dig the happier I am about it. I always cared about animals but never saw meat or dairy consumption as unethical but the more I know now I just wish I made the switch sooner. It does feel good knowing I can eat a meal that satisfies me and doesn't hurt any animals in the process. The biggest thing for me is just how good I feel, no more headaches, migraines, acne, fatigue, etc. the list could go on. I recently got a checkup at the doctor and I'm in better health than I have been in 8 years and I don't even go to the gym anymore. Once I'm finished moving into my new place I'm going to join the gym up the road, I'm excited because knowing how good I feel now I really am sure I'll have better results than I have in all the years I've spent at a gym.
Even better is that I've inadvertently gotten two of my closest friends, fiancé and one employee to greatly reduce their meat and dairy intake and the employee has expressed to me that his ultimate goal is to get himself, his son and his wife on a plant based vegan diet. I'm happy It's gaining popularity and people are starting to see through the myths that surround veganism. If I went vegan, there is a chance for everyone. I'm the last person in the world I would expect to adopt this lifestyle.

I recently heard about biodegradable engine oil and got really excited, I planned on using it and was about to go buy it. I read a few reviews about it and in doing so I found out it uses animal fats and tallow from meat processing and I thought "A. I'm vegan. B. the meat processing industry is so dirty, how can I justify this as an environmentally friendly product?" so I passed on it and purchased plain old synthetic. Never could have pictured myself thinking this way. Haha.


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I am here: http://tapatalk.com/map.php?eapiq0


You're awesome!

[Brigetta B]

My vegetarian history is kind of a farce. I stopped eating red meat when I was little (about 10 years old - not sure exactly what triggered it but I always read animal rights magazines instead of the ones little girls are supposed to read and I think I just realised I didn't want to eat animals) and soon after, I gave up chicken/turkey (I loved chicken [eating it] so it took a bit longer).

I then called myself vegetarian until I was 18, when I finally gave up fish. I just didn't think about it logically and I had become complacent and thought I was "doing enough". Even after that I didn't spend time researching animal cruelty anymore and I rarely got into conversations about vegetarianism - it was just never an issue for me or other people. I finally went vegan after reading a book on vegan diets and joining a vegetarian forum (not sure why I suddenly became active again...) when I was 21, I think, and took up a "vegan for 30 days" challenge, which I completed and never went back.

Now I am OBSESSED and it takes over my thoughts every single day, I find it hard not to mention it in conversation, I spend so much time reading about it, I want everyone I love to go vegan, I find it hard to fully respect anyone who refuses or doesn't even want to learn about it... Which is very hypocritical because I put it off for over a decade. I've also learnt that my views are a lot stronger than I ever knew and I love everything about the whole lifestyle - it just incorporates all my beliefs under one umbrella. =)

So yeah. There you go.


I feel the same way. It's only now over 30 days for me, but I have no REASON to ever go back. The alternatives available today make eating meat and dairy completely unnecessary even if a person doesn't understand the enormity of the animal suffering the produces these 'products'. And I am on a personal mission to see that the people closest to me taste amazing vegan dishes and realize that the best part of being a vegan is the FOOD, even if you don't completely understand the issues of animal rights. This way of eating is healthier, kinder to the environment and for me the number one thing is that it's kinder to ANIMALS. And I confess an impatience (inside, I don't show it) with people who profess to be ethical vegetarians but still eat dairy. I don't understand that position at all.

[pat sommer]

We know how you feel, LouiseAbel, we are sheltering under the same umbrella.
And about the dairy-devouring vegetarians, had an exchange with another ex-pat regarding cheese in China: her opinion was that Chinese find the smell 'off' and the idea of animal secretions unappealing; I find westernized Chinese all eat cheese. Our conclusion was that they don't learn to like it rather they get addicted.

The vegetarians 'position' then is one of addict, imho.

[TarekF]

My dad was a vegetarian for years (the only in our home, my mom, brother and i were omni). He was veg for ethical and spiritual reasons. When i was really young I argued with him about the circle of life stuff to which he simply rolled his eyes usually. Ironically it was only a bit later when i started to feel incredibly guilty for eating meat. I was very shy and too afraid to change because of family pressure. I told myself, "i will live like this until college and then do whatever i want, meaning go vegetarian for good". Well, turns out my cousin was thinking this way too but was stronger willed. She showed me the peta thing and that vacation when i was 16 i made the decision to never eat meat again. It was only this year i went truly vegan, but i was never actually that much of an egg eater (cant say that for cheese). Never bought leather either.

So its been 5 years or so (oddly i think my cousin did not stick with it).

[cherryblossom]

My Story:

I met my future husband 7 years ago. He had been a vegetarian for a long time and picked on me for eating meat. I was already fairly health conscious at that point (into healthy eating and working out)--but I did have some persistant health problems. I was curious and read more about vegetarianism. I wasn't sure that it was a healthy. I jumped on the badwagon right away though. In fact, I took it so extreme that I went raw vegan pretty soon after. I did it entirely for health reasons though. And at this point I was also becoming spiritual as well--I was studying a lot of eastern philosophy and realizing that all living things have souls (animals included). I understood the idea of karma and reincarnation completely as it is explained in the vedas. I had always been an atheist all my life and saw no value or meaning in anything--so this was all very profound and life-altering for me.

Gradually, I start shifting away from raw, finding it to be too extreme mentally and physically. I was becoming far too obsessive with it and I was losing weight and hair and just becoming unhealthy. We also went abroad to asia for a year--and that was when I stopped being a vegan. I found it too hard socially...although at home we still were vegan. When I returned to the states, I was still eating a lacto-ovo diet. I even ate salmon maybe once every 6 months or so. Up until this point, my motivation was always my own health.

I started doing some readings and research and made the connection again--esp between dairy and eggs. My persepective started to change more towards animal rights and spiritual reasons. The vedas talks about the world existing in 4 phases (just like the seasons). 5,000 years ago we descended into the lowest phase called "Kali Yuga" aka 'the age of quarrel'. Even on wikipedia you can find the symptoms of Kali Yuga and one of the big ones for me is animal killing and meat eating. This has changed my views entirely because now I see meat eating as a symptom of moral degradation. It is a sign of ignorance and greed. I no longer have anything to do with animal foods or animal products... although I have worn leather for years and make-up tested on animals (because like I said, it had always been about the things that I put into my body and my health). But now I am very conscious of the larger picture. I cannot in good conscience purchase these items anymore. I have become extreme about it. But what started out as something entirely selfish has gradually shifted to something entirely altruistic. Even if I became sick on my diet (which I still thrive on)--I don't think I really could go back maybe unless I had my own animals to produce eggs and milk.

I love being vegan and I love influencing others around me to it as well. I can see people in all their different phases--some people the health angle appeals to them more (like watching Forks over Knives) while others, the emotional connection to animals is more meaningful. I think for me, it is spiritual reasons--seeing all living things as having value, having souls. And knowing that our actions have consequences beyond anything we could fully comprehend. I cannot justify violence to satisfy my own desires.

[pat sommer]

"I cannot justify violence to satisfy my own desires."

And if the whole world follows... ?

Thanks for sharing that!

[Carme]

Hello Everybody!
I am new to the Forum. I was vegetarian for a long time but a few years ago I couldn't carry on with dairy and other animal products knowing the level of cruelty involved in the industry. It is difficult to find the right words to describe how positive and great it was to make the jump.

Physically I feel great and full of energy. My life has improved dramatically and it's not just that I don't miss anything, I have also found new ways of cooking which are absolutely fantastic.

The Vegan lifestyle is the way to go!!!

[Korn]

Welcome! :-)

[muffiniffiated]

Hi everyone!
I was raised in a family of omnivores, with a father who was a pescatarian. I decided to go vegetarian when I turned 15, though my parents weren't completely happy about that. I had never heard very much about veganism, except for that it was really extreme and I should never go that far. More recently I decided that it was hypocritical not to eat meat but still eat dairy products, so I gave that up, too. I'm 16, so I still live with my parents and they were very against it at first, but they seem to be more accepting now because they can see that I'm informed about everything I need. They are still hoping it's a phase, but it's not, this is for life.
Selena:-)

[pat sommer]

Ya, I'm still going thru that phase decades later! Good luck on your new path.

Family will come around sooner or later...

[Syn Harvest]

I have been an omni my enitre life. In fact I grew with little knowledge of nutrition at all. My mother was very sheltering. I wasn't really allowed outside and became the typical american when it came to eating. Christmas 2011 was very difficult for me. I have always been big but it was getting out of control. I saw a picture of myself and was blown away by how bad things had become. I can still remember it was December 27th of 2011 and I had just seen the pictures from Christmas dinner. I went into the bathroom and cried. I weighed 335 pounds. I was heading down a dark and lonesome path and things seemed as if they were spiraling out of control. I got really depressed and didn't for about a week. When my mom found out she forced me to eat.

It was at that point that I decided enough was enough and I had to change my life. I started working out and eating better and learning as much about nutrition as I could. I dove into this new lifestyle head first with a fierce determination to succeed. Fast forward it is now September and I have lost 70 pounds and now weigh 265. I feel so much better than I have in as long as I can remember. Within the past few weeks I have been very interested in Veganism. I've known about it for awhile but never really thought about it to much, other than it seemed super extreme. Through my research I came across multiple videos that have already been stated in this thread such as Forks Over Knifes, Meet Your Meat, and a few others. It really got me thinking about the terrible way in which animals are treated. It was at that point that I became truly committed and decided I was going to become Vegan. For my health and for the animals. I started taking animal products out of my life one by one. The hardest part for me was some of the food. I knew very little about a Vegan diet but was determined to change no matter what. I bought the Veganomicon cookbook and started experimenting.

I'm not completely Vegan yet, still a few more changes I have to make, but certainly within the next couple of weeks I will be 100% animal product free. I have to say I am currently the happiest I have been in my entire life.

[pat sommer]

Very happy to hear how you are turning your life around! Best of luck with the journey

[ro_ro]

Hi everyone!

First post. :)

I have officially been vegan since Tuesday 16th October 2012!
I was raised on a farm therefore between the ages of 0-18 my diet consisted of lots of red meat and dairy. I am 20 now and for the last year I have slowly made the transition from omni -> vegetarian -> vegan.
For me, I chose a healthier diet but the animal aspect is a major added bonus.
It may be only day 1 but I couldn't be happier and I am very excited about the future.
I would just like to add that my meals have never been tastier now that they are 100% vegan :D I usually had cheese on my vegetables but I am enjoying them so much more now (even if I do plan on buying that faux cheese sauce I saw the other day).

Anyway, I look forward to see you all around the forum! My journey begins here. :D