How did you go vegan?

[Kimberlily1983]

It was watching Earthlings that did it for me. It had been bothering me for awhile, the thought that really if I cared as much about animals as I claimed, I shouldn't be eating dairy or eggs. I always told myself that I would eventually go vegan, in the meantime I'd cut down. I would manage that for awhile, but I'd always go back to my mac and cheese casseroles, ice cream, etc.

After I watched that documentary, though, it didn't matter that I "couldn't live without cheese". I couldn't live with eating it anymore. So just like that, I went vegan, and I haven't missed cheese, or anything else, at all. I was so shook up by the film that when I looked at the dairy products in our fridge all I could think of was dairy cows and their calves, their separation and mistreatment, etc. I couldn't be part of that anymore.

Now cheese is no longer appealing to me, and I feel so much better as a vegan. I've fallen in love with new recipes (sushi!) and foods (avocado!), and will never go back!

[xrodolfox]

I was "neither".

PeTA videos turned me off. So did their literature. But, at the same time, I went from omnivore to vegan in the 4 hours between breakfast and lunch. I did it quickly and decisively.

I went vegan because of 1) reading Diet for New America, 2) seeing other vegans thrive and 3) working out the ethics of choice/responsibility.

The appeals to emotions prevalent in a lot of AR really turned me off. The appeals to celebrity/authority pissed me off even worse. The sexism/racism/classism inherent (but rarely overt) in a lot of PeTA materials in particular had me "anti-AR" for a long while. Knowing that veg*nism wasn't just PeTA, but really a diverse movement helped make mental room for me that when I went veg*n I could do it on my own terms; not those of PeTA.

So when I decided to go vegan, I just did it. I decided right after breakfast, ate a vegan lunch, and started to get rid of all my leather/silk products before dinner. The next day was a new start, and I'm still vegan over 15 years later.

[Cricket24]

I was up late one night, near the end of the 11th grade. I was 16, and therefore, on MySpace. I was clicking links and links and came upon some kid's site. He had paragraphs about how he thought certain things were horrible, like cigarettes and eating meat. I already agreed with the cigarettes part, but the meat thing just seemed a little weird. But not totally, because I was raised to love animals, and my mom never bought much meat. But I believed society's insistence that I needed it.

As I read what this kid had to say, I started thinking more and more that I should have been a vegetarian already and that it seemed hypocritical of me to love animals, like cats and lost baby birds, but still eat cows and pigs and chickens (even though I thought they were cute, and obviously had feelings). It didn't sink in that far, I guess because I went downstairs to eat my leftover chicken wings from dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings.

But the next day, right after my grandma asked if I wanted a pepperoni pizza, I announced my vegetarianism. She was not happy. That was four years ago and I have been vegetarian ever since. I have read actual books and articles since then, but it was mostly an impulse decision brought on by this kid insulting meat-eaters online.

At first I thought of veganism as an unnecessary extreme, but something I could occasionally work into my diet. Then I started thinking that it would be a good idea, but it was too difficult. (I tried for a week early on, and it was hard to find bread. It made me wonder how I would ever eat out if I was vegan.) Then I started thinking I would be vegan eventually, but that I didn't have the knowledge or the resources necessary.

Then it started getting close to my fourth anniversary of vegetarianism and I realized that I was as ready for veganism as I would ever be, and if I didn't just push myself, I wouldn't do it, and there was no reason not to. So I decided that I would be vegan starting May 28th, 2010 (four years after becoming vegetarian), and I did. YAY!

I've been vegan ever since. I clicked "baby steps" because I was vegetarian first, though it wasn't exactly baby steps in an intentional way.

I became vegan with the mental and social disclaimer that I was trying it, (just in case I dropped it, I didn't want my friends to laugh at me). But now I can't see myself going back. Veganism is actually the truest form of vegetarianism, and I couldn't let myself go back to supporting the suffering of hens and milk cows, even if it was just for a little bit of egg in bread.

[convectuoso]

i was just a vegetarian and still felt guilty so i went all the way

[RhegHimself]

I became vegan after trying to become healthier (due to serious ill health) after cutting out certain foodstuffs one by one week by week, i had to start looking up new recipes and start bugging one of my already vegan friends for ideas, and i stumbled upon varios vegan blogs and websites, where it hit me that i couldnt justify calling myself an animal lover while being complicit in their torture and slaughter (it did take a while, i'm not that stupid and ignorant.... honest) and i became a vegan.

[mmmorgans]

I was never a big meat eater, but I loved eggs & dairy, especially cheese. One day someone posted a link to the goneraw website and they were raving about how people could make raw pizza, I was instantly intrigued. I dove head first into raw food and kept up with it on and off for a year or so. It was very alienating I found and very expensive. I slowly went back to eating cooked foods but it was mostly vegan. Then one day I watched Earthlings and I knew that I had to go vegan (that and I had always admired vegans, like it was some super awesome club that I wanted to be a part of lol). I did a slow transition, cut out meat completely which wasn't hard. Not eating eating eggs or diary was easy too, like I wouldn't have a big ol glass of milk or scrambled up some eggs but I would still have crackers or premade things that contained whey powder and egg yolks or whites. Then one day I just decided that I didn't need those things and found all the vegan alternatives. I have never been happier. Some days it still feels like a struggle only because I found out I have Candida so it's challenging on the days when I am not feeling up to preparing some epic meal!

[RhegHimself]

Thats the problem with veganism, the lack of convenience food (there only so much fruit and nuts that you can eat), But if you pre prepare meals on a day that you feel up for it (after learning what can and can't be frozen) you can stock up your freezer.

[earthling]

I made the commitment to going vegan after reading Peter Singer's 'Animal Liberation'. It reminded me of all the ideals I used to hold (I went veggie at the age of 10, was very into animal rights as a teenager but somehow lost my way because I 'lapsed' back into meat eating while at university). It told me all the things I knew deep down, the arguments made too much sense, and I knew that I couldn't not go vegan if I was a) a compassionate person and b) a rational person. Thankfully I'd already rediscovered vegetarianism a few years before I read it, so it wasn't too much of a leap. I already didn't eat cow's milk products for health reasons, so it was just a matter of phasing out eggs and goat's milk products. One day when my bf was heading out to the shop and asked if I wanted more goat's cheese, I just said 'no thanks' and that was it! Haven't looked back since then.

I love being vegan, and I feel so much better mentally because I'm living in accordance with principles I've always held, and I can sleep better at night too!

[leedsveg]

^

Reading Animal Liberation was the trigger for me to go veggie in 1990 (and ultimately vegan in 1995).

leedsveg

[mmmorgans]

There are so many longtime vegans here. I wish I knew my actual date of conversion. I can't wait to say it's bee 5-10 years as a vegan. awesome!

[RhegHimself]

Its good to have lots of good vegan rolemodels, as there aren't many in the public consciousness.

[Charley333]

I listened to a lot of Vegan Freak Radio podcasts as an omni, and got Bob Torres' book "Making A Killing: The Political Economy of Animal Rights " and Gary Francione, "Introduction to Animal Rights", I read them and found the arguments behind abolitionism astounding and it all just totally made sense to me. I still didn't go vegan because at the time I was a nanny and the childrens' parents wanted them to have meat so I still had to cook them dinner, make them cheese sandwiches etc but it all seemed different to me in some way. When I came back to Edinburgh, I didn't go vegan because I was worried it would alienate my partner - so stupid I know - and then I saw a copy of "Vegan Freak" in a wee political bookstore down a side street and took it as a sign (I hadn't been able to find the new version anywhere) I read it, and a week later went vegan cold tofu, thought screw what my SO thinks, I have to live consistently with what I believe, had my last non vegan meal and my last chocolate, watched Earthlings, cried my heart out and have never knowingly consumed an animal product since!

[harpy]

Waddya mean, "last chocolate"? Sadly for my waistline there is quite a bit of vegan chocolate around! Good story otherwise though

[Charley333]

Funnily enough I thought that as I read it, I meant cruelty filled chocolate, vegan white chocolate is just so delish!

[.Rebecca.]

I read an article about how cows, chickens and other animals have to suffer so we can consume their milk and eggs and that was it for me. I went vegan that day.

When I went vegetarian some time before it was for a similar reason, after watching a documentary about slaughterhouses.

[felix_amborosa]

A friend of mine mentioned that she was switching from vegetarianism to veganism, after which I become curious and what began as a little research turned into a rampage of disgust, tears and a hatred of humans (I had been so unaware of how unethical dairy and eggs are and felt like a hypocrite). I had never felt comfortable eating meat as a child and as a result only ate it once a month if that, thinking that I needed it to be healthy (I certainly know better now). Becoming vegan is the best decision I've ever made, and I've never felt healthier in body and mind. I was also vegetarian before I made the switch.

[RhegHimself]

Its weird when you realise how hypocritical your views were, you wonder how you used to be able to justify them.

[Tish]

I became vegan after being vegetarian for around seven years. I was feeling hypocritical about wearing leather shoes and whilst searching for vegan shoes online began to read about the cruelty of the egg and dairy industries. I then watched the first 20 minutes or so of earthlings (could not manage to watch any more than that I'm afraid!). Something just clicked in my brain- I knew some of the practices that went on but hadn't realised just how bad things were. Went vegan that night and it is the best decision I have ever made- I just feel really happy and that everything is somehow just 'right' because I'm not involved in exploiting animals any more.

This is my first post and it is really good to read everyone's experiences here and see the support and kindness you all share.

[ems.w]

I met a vegan on a trip with university to auschwitz and we became good friends and she started telling me about her been vegan and it got me thinking, and even tho it took me a good 4 years to actually become vegan i never forgot the impact she had on me. So ever since ive been looking at different site and information relaying pro vegan diet. That along with my moral issues of my buddhist belief i finally made the change to become vegan. I've only been vegan a week but i will stick with it as i believe its the best thing ive ever done.

[Tish]

Good for you ems.w. Good luck with it, sounds like you've looked into loads of information too which is great

[ems.w]

thanks tish i did i made sure i knew what i was doing befor i acted i didnt want to get a couple of days into it and give up because i found it hard or didnt know what to eat other than just veggies and fruit

[Vegan Beast]

The wife and I had been vegetarians for fifteen years, then we went to a farm animal sanctuary and learned the connection between dairy products and animal suffering, we left as vegans, the only words spoken were when I said to her "we're done" and she agreed.

[Kimberlily1983]

The wife and I had been vegetarians for fifteen years, then we went to a farm animal sanctuary and learned the connection between dairy products and animal suffering, we left as vegans, the only words spoken were when I said to her "we're done" and she agreed.

I think I said those exact words when I watched Earthlings. I also remember saying, "Never again." That was more than six months ago, and I'll be vegan for the rest of my life.

[Vegan Beast]

I think I said those exact words when I watched Earthlings. I also remember saying, "Never again." That was more than six months ago, and I'll be vegan for the rest of my life.

Excellent.

[smurfette]

Music.

I'd been veggie since i was about 14 (Morrissey was a huge influence on my teenage years) which was difficult enough living at home with my carnivorous parents so when i left for uni it took me about 3 months to go vegan. by this time i was listening Crass and Conflict and that whole anarcho punk scene really influenced me. I was at home for the christmas break and ended up in the local library (pre-internet days!) reading a copy of The Vegan. My new years resolution was to become vegan. that was 18 years ago and i've never regretted it. I've been out wih omnis, veggies and vegans, made my own vegan cheeze (never again - ick) and have seen the options for us open up so much - dairy free pizza in a restaurant? yes please!

The one thing i think i love most is learning how to cook really good food without relying on ready meals and crap like that.

I could never go back. I love everything about being vegan. Yay! x

[Johnstuff]

^ I did it as a newyears resolution too

I was veggie for about 14 years then went vegan about 9 (I think) years ago. I so wish people around me had shown me vids like earthlings when I was a kid, I'd have gone vegan sooner. It's like there is a conspiracy of scilence to not tell us what really goes on till we are so habituated that we don't think so much. Like others here say...I'll never go back, never.

[Kimberlily1983]

It's like there is a conspiracy of scilence to not tell us what really goes on till we are so habituated that we don't think so much.

Definitely! Big business certainly pushes its agenda with ads that convince parents that meat, dairy, etc. is essential to the health of their kids, and then (somewhat understandably) parents think that they need to protect their kids from the brutality and cruelty (in factory farms) that is seen as necessary to provide people healthy diets. And many children, even without viewing footage, etc., when they learn where meat comes from, want to stop eating it, but their parents force them because they think vegan diets are risky.

[kalogirourania]

I saw a movie with Natalie Portman and then read her biography to know more about her. It was then that I saw the first time the world vegan and started researching about it.

[Clueless Git]

Mine ...

I often mentioned on a forum that I used to frequent that one of the benefits of being a vegetarian is that you seem to get a 'clearer' mind.

A vegan there told me that he recognised this as being true from when he had become vegetarian and that when he became vegan he got pretty much the same difference in clarity of mind again.

Upshot: I knocked all the dairy and eggs and on the head that very day and have never touched either since.

I'm still as thick as two short planks, obviously, but that fact is now definitely clearer in my mind.

[TXvegan]

I read The China Study and went from there onto other web sites, etc. The funny thing is I was vegetarian for 16 years, got gluten intolerance, and was told by my doctor to go back to eating meat. Got more and more ill until I decided that enough was enough and went vegan. Haven't felt this good in years! Plus, I've dropped 11 pounds since I went vegan in August 2010.

[Bowie]

I always used to say as a child that 'when I grew older' I'd be veggie, but my mum would just be like "yeah, whatever." During my teen years I didn't really think much about it, especially considering that I come from Spain, a country where there are hardly any vegetarians, let alone vegans.

It wasn't until I went to uni in London (I was 19) that it downed on me. I had just started listening to Moby and his music really got to me, so I began reading about him and found out that he's vegan. Then I started reading about the reasons why he's vegan, and went on to other websites. After half an hour, I decided to become vegan myself, just like that. I didn't even have a last non-vegan meal, I just couldn't face the prospect of ever eating any meat, or any animal products, ever again. I've been a vegan ever since (it's been more than a year).

It was very difficult for me to make my parents (particularly my mother) understand my decision and in fact she was very angry at me for a while. Now they're both OK with it and I have never been happier or felt better about myself.

Going vegan was the best decision I've ever made!

[Lady Mozdust]

(Excellent name, Bowie!)

Even while being vegetarian I never wore animal stuff, never used cosmetics or products with it in. Basically, for me, it was just a matter of giving up cheese and milk.

The first time I tried to go vegan I didn't stick at it, but for some reason, I've found it much easier this time.

[Maranne]

When I was a teenager, I was a huge fan of a musician named Melanie (Safka); I still like her in fact. Anyway, in 1970, for my birthday, my mother got me and my best friend tickets to Melanie's concert at Carnegie Hall. One the songs she performed was called 'I Don't Eat Animals' . I just found it touching and, of course, since I think I really wanted to be Melanie, if she didn't eat animals, then I sure as heck wasn't going to either...and I haven't. Unfortunately, I think Melanie wasn't actually in it for the long haul as I was. It's still a good song though.

[snowflower]

I started out as vegetarian a year and a half ago, I had been thinking about trying it for health reasons when a day or two later there was a news article online with a video about how the male chicks are separated from the female ones and thrown into a grinder.. it made me cry when I saw it and so when it was time to go shopping I left all the meat and eggs out and bought soy milk instead of regular milk... I was still eating a limited amount of cheese though or things like cookies or chocolate that had egg or milk as an ingredient.. then one day I was on the Mercy For Animals website and saw a video that showed the cows being tied up and having their tails and their horns cut off and again I was in tears....I realized that these beautiful animals did not need to go through this for me to eat a few bites of cheese.. and how any dairy product comes from the little calves being taken away from their mothers and that was it..its been a few days and so far so good

[toro]

There was a topic on a different board in a miscellaneous section a few years ago about PETA. As the majority of the people posting were simply saying how much they hated PETA, I wanted to post from the opposing point of view of pro-animal rights. So I did some research on experimentation on animals in medicine. From that, I learned of the unnecessary treatment animals received and how blind most people in society were towards them, including the educated and those that were not supposed to be.

I was vegetarian for the next three years before I became vegan two/three years ago.

[Firestorm]

During Easter (It think it was Easter Sunday) 2008 I was watching Terminator the Sarah Connor Chronicles and after it finished decided to have a look at the series on IMDB, to look at the goofs/trivia about the show.
Anyway I was reading throught the cast biographies and read that Thomas Dekker the guy who plays John Connor was Vegan. As a meat munching omnivore I thought "Who the frigg would want to be Vegan, what bloody fool would do that?". So I decided to look into Veganism, 30 minuted later I decided to become a Vegan and spent most of the night and the next few weeks researching it.

I stopped eating all Meat/Fish straight away and spent the next 2-3 weeks using up all the dairy/egg/non-vegan products that I had in the house (because of the time of year I had loads of Chocolate in the house). After that was gone I was fully Vegan. I found the actual transition really easy (partly because being diabetic has given me loads of will power).

The only thing that concerned my family was that I'm already Diabectic (which means that I have a restricted diet) and they were worried about restriciting it even more by cutting out all animal products, but I decided to do it anyway and I'm glad I did - I dont feel that I've restricted my diet at all.

I went to see my GP to get his opinion (to appease my family) and he actually recommended it as it means having a diet rich in nutrients and complex carbohydrates.

In a few weeks I will have been Vegan for about 3 years and I think its one of the best things that I have ever done.

[harpy]

Well done Firestorm! If you don't mind my asking, have you found eating vegan helpful for managing your diabetes, in fact?

[pVegan]

I was always reluctant to go vegan, but when I was about 40, I needed to change my health and eating habits. I started off gradually with the vegetarian diet. I started off with breakfast. I found that eliminating breakfast meats and implementing Fruit Protein Shakes started making a difference. Then I just gradually kept moving forward. Over the next few months,i could not believe how much better my body felt.

[Firestorm]

Well done Firestorm! If you don't mind my asking, have you found eating vegan helpful for managing your diabetes, in fact?

Hi
I will respond to this in full soon, sorry I've just found this reply and I haven't got time to respond yet - Im leaving the house in 10 mins and I'm in work till 10.30 tonight - but I will get a proper reply to you as soon as I can.

[harpy]

Thanks Firestorm - I would be interested, but there's no hurry (and no obligation to answer at all of course!).

[Firestorm]

Thanks Firestorm - I would be interested, but there's no hurry (and no obligation to answer at all of course!).

I have found that becoming Vegan has helped in certain ways and had less effect in others.
A lot of the time I have not changed what I eat (most people have misconceptions of Vegans eating Wheat Grass and Mung Bean Dahl), just the source for example I used to eat Chicken sandwiches I now have “Chicken” sandwiches so that has had very little effect on my glucose control.
What I have found is that on the rare occasions when I do eat things such as a veg curry with rice or lentil casserole my glucose control is generally better. Usually I need something sweet after a meal such as an Alpro dessert or a bowl of custard with Soya milk but when I eat foods with a good level of complex carbs that is quite low GI (such as a veg curry), my glucose stays stable without the need for a dessert.
That notwithstanding I’d rather just have my usual food with a dessert.
What I have also found helpful in controlling my diabetes is that a lot of Vegan products contain less sugar than non Vegan products (such as Soya milk Vs Cows milk) which again helps keep my glucose stable.
The next way that I have found being Vegan helpful is that after becoming Vegan I then discovered Raw food, I don’t eat a lot of Raw food because it’s expensive and some of it tastes bad, but I have found things like Nakd bars helpful as a snack when I want something that is healthy with complex carbs and not full of syrups, the Trek protein bars I have found equally good for post swim snacks and products such as Booja Booja stuff in a tub make a great snack when I don’t want my glucose shooting up.
I usually try and stay healthy most of the time but every Saturday I increase my insulin and have 2 bars of chocolate after my evening meal as a treat – I try to make one of these a raw chocolate bar as they have a far lesser effect on blood sugar.
Without going Vegan I would not have found these products.

I would say that the most important way that it has helped is that I have become a lot more relaxed and sensible with my diet, when I first became diabetic I was so scared of my glucose increasing I would not eat anything between meals – even a single grape.
I then became a bit more relaxed but only when eating out (I would eat what I want – Starter, Mains, Dessert and end up with high glucose).
Since becoming vegan this has all changed, I am more relaxed about food in general and eat a lot more than I used to – especially snacks between meals and treats, but I don’t stuff myself in restaurants (because of the animal contents in desserts/starters) which means I have better glucose control when I eat out and I stick to having desserts/treats that I have made at home so I know how much sugar is in them.
And the obvious way that it has helped with diabetes is that I am supposed to stay healthy and watch my cholesterol, which is a lot easier to do being Vegan as there is no cholesterol in Vegan food.

Sorry if this is not much use, but this is how I feel that being vegan has helped – mostly through my attitude to food and the knowledge it has given me and the actual food itself to a lesser extent.

[AzureAngel]

I was introduced to it by my current partner.

Was always told the food would be bland, you would never get enough nutrition if your active and a bunch of other stuff that I now know is not true. It was actually quite a system shock as I am South African and traditionally our meat based protein intake is rather high. Yes we love our steak and biltong...
Not only am I enjoying the cooking and baking like crazy (and she doesnt mind either ha ha), but I have never had more energy or felt so alert and able to push my body further than I have been able to before.

It is definitely the second most important spontaneous thing I have done in my life. I say its spontaneous because I really did not know too much about it and she is still teaching me every day.

-edit- Have been Vegan completely since November 2010

[hbunting86]

Hi, I'm new to the forum!

Basically I've decided to go vegan for a number of reasons (only started today). I've been an on-off veggie for a while at different stages in my life. When I lived at uni or on my own it was very easy for me to be vegetarian as I was just catering for myself... however at home was always a different story!

I've always loved animals and kept pets. One of the defining moments for me was when my dad passed a year ago, my springer spaniel Ruby wouldn't leave his side when he was dying - it just broke my heart that an animal can have such unconditional love and we often take this for granted in the choices that we make.

Anyway my reason for going vegan now alongside ethics of the food industry is the number of health issues I've had recently with my digestion. When I eat protein I end up in real pain, so this has boosted me into sorting out my diet. I've recently emigrated from the UK to New Zealand, so I'm seeing it as a whole new lifestyle change... hopefully for the better!

[DiaShel]

@ Azure- your partner sounds AWESOME

[harpy]

Thank you very much for your detailed answer, Firestorm - very interesting to hear your experiences and I'm sure it will be helpful to others, as people ask about diabetes and veganism now and then. (I guess they are usually asking about type II diabetes whereas it sounds as if you have type I but the principles of glucose control are probably similar?).

It's great that being vegan has allowed you to relax a bit while still keeping things under control.

[AzureAngel]

@ DiaShel
Oh my partner is the best in the world. Cannot even begin to think where to start to ask for anyone better!

[Firestorm]

Thank you very much for your detailed answer, Firestorm - very interesting to hear your experiences and I'm sure it will be helpful to others, as people ask about diabetes and veganism now and then. (I guess they are usually asking about type II diabetes whereas it sounds as if you have type I but the principles of glucose control are probably similar?).

Hi
I do have Type I but I think glucose control is different for Type II and III, because I use Insulin its easy to have more or less depending upon what I'm eating and doing, the only restriction is I have to wait a minimum of 4 hours between meals. I have a colleague who is Type II and she has to have tablets at certain times and cannot increase her meds when she needs to so I think there are differences but I only really know about Type I.

It's great that being vegan has allowed you to relax a bit while still keeping things under control.

[Kateee]

For me it was a combination of both. I've come across some articles and I've read a lot about it, because I began to be interested in it. Then I decided to go veggie. I wasn't completely sure about me becoming a vegan, but it happened after I thought about it better and after I've read more about the dairy industry and after I've watched some documentaries. And now that's it . I'm so glad I made this change.

[Sebonlisca]

my cousin was a big influence to become vegetarian and a friend that is a Buddhist monk convinced me to become vegan when he showed me a documentary call earthlings plus listening to dead prez and some straight edge bands like youth of today...

[ChrisF]

I became a Buddhist Monk and thus a vow of no meat, eggs, dairy products or animal products. Fifteen years later I returned to the USA and was invited to a dinner where all things I no longer ate were served. As I once ate all of those things I thought no big deal and I enjoyed my dinner. I can not express how ill I was the next day and decided to stick to my diet.