Too easy?

[love,lee]

Hey, again,
First off, I'm REALLLY sorry if I'm in the wrong thread. Still getting the hang of things
It's my third day being vegan, and so far it's been EASY
it feels like...it's almost TOO easy.
I think I'm missing something.
Like there are hidden animal byproducts in everything i'm eating, i'm getting paranoid and starting to eat nothing but celery and hot teas.
until i realized that there might be byproducts in my beloved teas !

Am I the only one that reacted like this- and how am I to find out if any of the things I'm eating has animal byproducts in it?
Sorry for this meticulous and probably irritating post. I'm very new to this and very confused.
xx

[Mr Flibble]

I couldn't possibly tell you whether every aspect of your life is 'vegan', however everyone's experience is different. I too found it pretty easy turning vegan, but then I had good support from the people around me (maybe not support, but acceptance as opposed to non-acceptance/bullying), I knew other vegans/veggies, the internet existed, I was quite good at saying no to myself when i wanted something (i quite enjoyed being able to cravings and win over them) and i didn't extend it as 'extreme' as i do now. If you don't have one or more of these things then I could see it being a bit more of a challenge.

'old people' always see the world as it is today as way easier to live in than when they 'were young'. I remember speaking to a vegan of 8 years when i turned, who was telling me how hard he had it. I've been vegan 8 years now and whilst I didn't have it hard as him; veganism is a lot more accepted now than it was then and there's way more labelling in supermarkets, fresh products etc.

Certainly if you do find it very easy then that's a fantastic sign of the times; I hope others do too and you're able to help those who don't. Give it some time thou, you will no doubt find a few things you're doing which aren't 'vegan' and hadn't even concidered (unless you work in food technology I'd be extremely impressed if after 3 days you have enough knowledge about all ingredients in processed food), or are slightly dodgy which with time you decide you want to cut out. Everyone does.

[Russell]

I've been vegan for six months and I've also found it shockingly easy to transition. I think it's partially related to what foods you like and, more than that, how strong your will power is in general. I have always been able to stick to diets and workout regimens way better than most people I know, so I imagine that ability aided me as well.
I think people who also rely on a lot of convenience food (ie: McDonalds or whatever) or those who eat out A LOT with friends will probably have a rough go of it because, sadly, it's still really difficult to eat vegan at most places. I can also imagine that those people who really love cheese will have a rough go of it because of the general lack of acceptable substitute cheese on the market. I have found, though, that pretty much everything I really liked has a perfectly acceptable vegan alternative; in fact I would say that I enjoy eating more than ever before because I'm not able to have vegan alternatives that taste almost exactly like meals I previously shied away from for health reasons. Spaghetti with "meat" sauce, for instance, was always a no-no because I long ago swore off red meat...same with burgers. Now with veggie hamburger stuff I can actually eat meals I didn't use to be able to eat before. It's pretty great!
I would say that it CAN actually be this easy. You will inevitably get a craving for something you can no longer have, I imagine, but with a little work and ingenuity you should be able to approximate whatever it is on a vegan diet. For now the fact that you're so easily dealing with the change is a great sign going forward!

[harpy]

Like there are hidden animal byproducts in everything i'm eating, i'm getting paranoid and starting to eat nothing but celery and hot teas.
until i realized that there might be byproducts in my beloved teas !

Am I the only one that reacted like this- and how am I to find out if any of the things I'm eating has animal byproducts in it?

You sound as if you're doing very well - it's not meant to be painful Eliminating obvious animal products is a good way to start, then you can deal with the issue of "concealed" animal products once you're comfortable about the basics.

When you're ready to do that there are various lists of "non-vegan ingredients" around (try Google) so you can use those to check the manufactured products you buy. Reading ingredients lists is a pain at first but you get quite fast at it with practice.

Personally I don't buy that many manufactured products and I tend to keep buying the ones I know are vegan (although you have to be a bit careful there as ingredients lists can change).

[Korn]

Eating vegan is easier than eating non-vegan in many ways.

The food is easier to digest.
It's easier to grow (requires less land).
It's easier prepare - the hygienic side of having blood and bacteria from dead animals in your kitchen isn't an issue anymore.


It's also easier and easier to live as a vegan in our non-vegan world, simply because more people go vegan and vegetarian than ever. You can even get hot, vegan meals on Ikea and 7-11 nowadays.

You'll come across some byproducts, and probably get some surprises, but doing as much as 'practical and possible' is still easier than continuing a lifestyle you and your body and the animals disagree in.

Easy is right.
Begin right and you are easy.
Continue easy and you are right.
The right way to go easy
is to forget the right way
and forget that the going is easy.
Chuang Tzu.

[Est]

I've found it a lot easier than I thought I would, though it's still been hard work in parts.

For the dietary side, I googled until I had an extensive list of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, desserts etc. From those I've been able to do a weekly meal planner (yes, I'm an anorak! ) and bought/prepared as much as possible in advance at the weekend. I'm going to repeat it this weekend using some different meals. It definitely involves more food preparation and cooking than when I ate anything, and I'm far from being a natural cook so I've struggled with this. I also need to print the Vegan Society's list of non-vegan ingredients (the E numbers alone are scary) and make sure that I'm not inadvertently eating anything icky.

For the lifestyle side, I've started researching where I can get vegan products to replace my current ones as they run out. I've also found a local recycling centre which is 5 minutes from my house and I never knew it was there!

The strange thing is that I don't miss meat, dairy etc at all. It's like in my mind it's become "non-food" - after one week of being vegan I can't remember what cheese tasted like, even though it was one of my favourite foods before. In the supermarket, it's just like yellow lumps in plastic wrappers, not real food. I don't feel at all tempted! Strange but good I guess

[xrodolfox]

You might just be doing it right!

I found it VERY VERY easy to go vegan straight from being an omnivore. I've never found it difficult, and it's been year past a decade of my young life.

For many people it is quite easy. Enjoy!

[Hemlock]

I found it hard at first due to acute paranoia! However, after a few months you soon get to know what is vegan and what isn't. Don't be too hard on yourself if you accidentally eat something non vegan - we've all done it!
After a year it's second nature and you can't even think about going back.
It's just a matter of knowing what there is that is vegan in your area.

[Roxy]

Congratulations on your decision to go vegan Like the others have said, it's not meant to be hard. If you had a fairly healthy lifestyle anyway, prior to going vegan, it's understandable that your transition has been relatively easy.

[VelvetDragon]

I found it very easy too. It was super easy to go vegetarian 13 years ago, and not at all hard to go vegan. Luckily I have had the support of my vegan fiancé -- and his already vegan shopping habits.

I highly doubt that your teas have hidden animal products. I do want to caution you to be careful. You can't subsist on celery and tea, and there are soooo many great vegan foods out there. You'd be cheating yourself out of some delicious meals if you didn't try them! You need a variety. You are an animal, and you need to take care of yourself as well! It is very easy to fall into a trap of paranoia or obsession. I know, I have OCD and find myself panicking over that kind of thing sometimes.

It is okay to be careful. There are countless lists of animal ingredients that you can print out and take with you to the store. After a short while, you don't need the lists, and have everything memorized, and sweeping through ingredients list is a breeze. Or, an even easier way to go about it is to buy from vegan suppliers that do all the work for you. Many foods are marked vegan, and many companies are exclusively vegan. Another easy way is to cook everything from scratch from pure ingredients.

But it's not healthy to come up with a list of "safe" foods that is shorter and shorter. This leans dangerously towards the eating disorder Orthorexia nervosa. If you feel absolutely unable to eat foods besides celery and tea out of fear, then I'd suggest seeing a therapist. If you're extremely unhealthy due to paranoid eating habits, then you aren't able to help animals, and you won't be an example of how vegan people can be healthy and vital people.

[Healthy]

I find it super easy as well -- the food part, wow, there's sooo much out there, so many avenues to explore ... and as a previous poster said, it is the sign of the times because you can get vegan food almost anywhere.

As for clothes, I accidentally bought a silk blouse when I became vegan, but like someone else said, we all mess up and eventually it will become second nature. Shoes -- wow, sooooo many fashionable shoes made with man-made material! Cheaper than leather, that's for sure!

Good luck and congratulations on your choice!

[love,lee]

I found it very easy too. It was super easy to go vegetarian 13 years ago, and not at all hard to go vegan. Luckily I have had the support of my vegan fiancé -- and his already vegan shopping habits.

I highly doubt that your teas have hidden animal products. I do want to caution you to be careful. You can't subsist on celery and tea, and there are soooo many great vegan foods out there. You'd be cheating yourself out of some delicious meals if you didn't try them! You need a variety. You are an animal, and you need to take care of yourself as well! It is very easy to fall into a trap of paranoia or obsession. I know, I have OCD and find myself panicking over that kind of thing sometimes.

It is okay to be careful. There are countless lists of animal ingredients that you can print out and take with you to the store. After a short while, you don't need the lists, and have everything memorized, and sweeping through ingredients list is a breeze. Or, an even easier way to go about it is to buy from vegan suppliers that do all the work for you. Many foods are marked vegan, and many companies are exclusively vegan. Another easy way is to cook everything from scratch from pure ingredients.

But it's not healthy to come up with a list of "safe" foods that is shorter and shorter. This leans dangerously towards the eating disorder Orthorexia nervosa. If you feel absolutely unable to eat foods besides celery and tea out of fear, then I'd suggest seeing a therapist. If you're extremely unhealthy due to paranoid eating habits, then you aren't able to help animals, and you won't be an example of how vegan people can be healthy and vital people.

thank you, so much. i went out today, and i found out that both Harvey's, Lick's, and even Baskin Robbins has great vegan options so i had a veggie burger and a citrus juicer- the same thing i always eat, even as a vegetarian, just without mayonaise !!
i see what you mean about the celery thing- i dont want to go back there, you're right. part of the reason i went vegan is to have a certain control over my food rather than fall back into anorexia.

[Mfap]

Great to hear you're finding it easy, but don't slip into paranoia. Veganism is (as has been said) about the 'practical and possible' steps. One of the things this means to me is its evolutionary. I find out new things, I reform habits to adapt to these. Its not about punishing ones self for not knowing, and hiding away from fear. Its more about wanting to know, and being willing to listen and explore. Finding groups of like-minded people, sharing thoughts and discoveries. Its about learning.

[Cup'O'Tea]

I found it almost too easy as well.
My mom envies me for how quickly I can whip up a good meal while she's...an omni...taking forever, haha.

[Nishka]

I found it reasonably easy to go vegan too. I am slightly worried about concealed things in foods but I try not to get too worked up about it. I do my best and if I make a mistake, well there's always next time. I tend to think that just by trying your hardest we are already doing so much more for the animals and the planet! Well done!

[elve]

The strange thing is that I don't miss meat, dairy etc at all. It's like in my mind it's become "non-food" - after one week of being vegan I can't remember what cheese tasted like, even though it was one of my favourite foods before. In the supermarket, it's just like yellow lumps in plastic wrappers, not real food. I don't feel at all tempted! Strange but good I guess

yeah I don't see it as 'food' any more - it's dead animals, stuff from a cow's udder, and stuff from a chicken's bum

I am a bit obsessive over checking ingredients lists on things I really love eating though - I just can't believe a lot of stuff is vegan so I check 3 times I certainly don't feel deprived at all, so long as I can eat bourbon creams and chips, where's the deprivation? (and now add fry's chocolate creams!) My mission is to prove vegans can find junk food if they really want it!

The veggies I speak to are so scared they'll miss cheese and chocolate, but if you're really desperate for a fix there are ways to fool your tastebuds

[erfoud]

Well, if it´s feasible for me, living in callous, vegan-foe Spain, for the ones who live in Britain or the States, it must be a cinch!seeing the impressive array of vegan stuff you can get in even ordinary supermarkets. So, don´t gripe, folks!

[Jippia]

I was a vegetarian for some years when I went vegan. I wanted to make the switch much sooner, but I thought that would be too extreme and that there would not be much more left to eat for me. I think the situation in the Netherlands lies between what Erfoud describes and the UK situation. Anyway, it was much easier than I thought. I am not missing anything and it is not difficult at all. Only eating out can be a problem, but if need be, I am happy with fries with curry ketchup and lettuce. I have to go the whole food supermarkets to buy vegan burgers, but tofu and soya alternatives to dairy are available everywhere. The only things I find hard to come by are chocolate Easter eggs 'milk' and 'white', but you do not need those anyway. .

After some time, you will know the names of animal byproducts, so you can avoid them easily. I can do my grocery shopping almost blindly now. I spent a few shopping sessions reading labels of everything that looked vegetarian at least. Worked well for me.

Congrats at going vegan.

Mirjam

[emmy]

thank you, so much. i went out today, and i found out that both Harvey's, Lick's, and even Baskin Robbins has great vegan options so i had a veggie burger and a citrus juicer- the same thing i always eat, even as a vegetarian, just without mayonaise !!
i see what you mean about the celery thing- i dont want to go back there, you're right. part of the reason i went vegan is to have a certain control over my food rather than fall back into anorexia.

i found it easy too, and i have had anorexia too. i guess we are naturals at sticking to more restricted lists of foods. but you MUST remember that this isn't some sort of diet! it is a diet in the sense that it is a lifestyle.....but i personally find that as a vegan i am eating a far more varied range of stuff anyway!
i get sarcastic comments from doctors and so-called friends telling me that i'm only vegan because i'm anorexic...so be aware of that possibility. i just like to show them that actually i'm healthier than i've ever been, and prove to them that being vegan is about being kind to animals AND myself
great to hear you've gone vegan, keep at it! as others have said, it WILL get much more normal!