not made the transition 100% yet - can i post?

[8 winks]

hiya. i joined a while back at a time when i would have concidered myself vegan. i grew to really love this place. last winter though, due to a almost nonexistant food budget and my relationship with a complete moron, i began eating meat again. not every day by any means but enough that i felt gross and knew i needed to make a change. now here i am agian. i would almost concider myself vegan... but i admit i eat chocolates quite a bit and once in a while cheese. the cheese thing only happens when i am at a gathering and someone says oh try this i made it and i don't what else to do. the chocolate is my fault. i need to invest in some vegan chocolate and always have a supply so i'm not tempted to eat something i don't want! i am working on it.

my question is...........
do you all mind me reading posts and posting in the forum if i have not made the transition 100% yet? should i stick to the not a vegan yet forum? or is it okay for me to join in the other boards?

let me know

[Kiran]

8 winks,

Nobody is perfect. I know you have had rough times before and I am glad that you have realised it. It will take some time to be perfect. This forum is for people who are vegans or who want to be vegans. We are supportive to everyone. I am sure, this community will help you to make the transition. Quite a few number of people have experienced the problems you are facing. All those problems have been addressed.

Veganism is not a title that is given by others. It is what you call yourself when you are fully compliant to the rules of veganism. Based on your statements, you can't call yourself a vegan at the moment. because you consume milk chocolates and cheese. When a person is a vegan he/she does not see any distinction between meat, milk, butter and cheese. It all means the same - ANIMAL PRODUCT!!!

But you have come to the right place. As I told you before, this forum will offer you excellent advice and support. You will be a vegan in a jiffy.

As for reading your posts... don't worry about it.. We will honour all posts. You are one among us now.. So start firing away with your posts, queries and contributions. Welcome to the forum, by the way All the best.

Kiran.

[abrennan]

Dear 8 winks

Keep up the good work. Get some recipes make a plan. Vegan eating should be cheaper than meat eating but it is difficult to be vegan or vegetarian a relationship where the other part won't party.

I'm glad you are here. Keep working in it and you will develop the will power to say no to cheese and dairy chocolates.

post away

Antony

[Gliondrach]

Hello, 8. I agree with the other Kiran and Antony, about your posts. If you join in the other threads - and you'll be most welcome - it would be better not to talk about cheese eating. I think that's what's been decided - to keep talk about slip ups and cravings to this thread.

When someone offers you cheese, can you not just say that you don't eat it? You can then explain yourself if needed. You can tell the truth or you could just say that you have an intolerance to dairy products.

Regards,

Martin.

[Seaside]

Hi 8 winks! There are several people here who are not vegan yet, who read and post wherever they want. If you look at this thread you will see that this person doesn't feel bad about eating mollusks, isn't asking for help or support in how to give up eating mollusks, and is in fact justifying why he will not stop eating mollusks. Most of the not-vegans-yet here who are not stuck in the Not a Vegan Yet subforum don't post stuff like this. Feel free to ask for advice on how to deal with your cheese and chocolate eating problems! As long as you don't try to tell everyone here how good cheese is and that we should all be eating it, or start a thread like this I'm sure no one will notice if you are not 100% vegan.

[Korn]

Hi 8 winks! There are several people here who are not vegan yet, who read and post wherever they want.

Here's how it's meant to be:
1) All the areas except the 'Not A Vegan Yet' subforum are meant for vegans only.
2) The 'New Vegan'-area, inside the Not A Vegan Yet-forum have topics for new vegans, like food cravings etc.
3) If you want to post about occasionally eating meat, fish, chicken, sheese or whatever, don't do this 'wherever you want', but in the Not A Vegan Yet-forums.
4) Of course there may be people posting in the main areas about whatever they want, but we wouldn't know unless they declare that they are not vegans (yet).
5) If you see posts in the main areas (all other subforums than the two Not A Vegan Yet-forums) that doesn't belong there, they'll be moved to the NOt A Vegan Yet-area (please let us know where they are if you see them).

If you look at this thread you will see that this person doesn't feel bad about eating mollusks, isn't asking for help or support in how to give up eating mollusks, and is in fact justifying why he will not stop eating mollusks.

These posts should only be in the Not A Vegan Yet-area, and only exist so others can learn more about vegan viewpoints about these topics.

Feel free to ask for advice on how to deal with your cheese and chocolate eating problems!

.... in the 'Not A Vegan Yet'-subforum only. We have a thread called Occasional slips and ongoing food cravings which is about dealing with.... occasional slips and ongoing food cravings.

You know, there's no need to 'confess' here. You do what you do for animals, for yourself, maybe for the environment, but not to please others. In the registering process, there are some questions, and two of the reply options are 'I'm a vegan (or very close)' and 'I'm on a plant based diet'. So people who eat vegan food, but are not vegans (for example who use leather, or are not against killing/harming animals) actually can post here, but it's still a forum for vegans only (meaning: if you use leather or occasionally eat ******, don't let us know!) Confusing, right? The reason we have done it this way, is that we both want to help and welcome people who are on a vegan diet, even if they are not vegans yet, and also create a forum for vegans only. Instead of encouraging people to lie or pretend they are something they are not, we are clear about the forum rules. We deal with 'forum identities'; we don't meet each other in person inside this forum. So if your forum identity is vegan, meaning that you don't promote using leather, fur, hunting or eating cheese, you (or your 'forum identity') is vegan to other users. If you eat cheese or milk occasionally, and need to post about it, do it in the thread about cravings.

If you're a 'fair weather' vegan, meaning that you are a vegan when you are in the mood for it, or when it's easy for you, you're not actually a vegan, and should therefore not post in a forum for vegans (but can still ask questions in the Not A Vegan area).

Please don't mistake a need to 'confess' with real questions about advice about how to let go of animal products. If you occasionally eat meat, and you occasionally ate meat a year ago as well, and have no interest in changing that, you're not a vegan really, and either shouldn't post in a forum for vegans only, or not post about it.


Did any of you see this thread? Or this one? They both seem to be related to 'fair weather-issue'; people who are against eating meat, but who may eat it if this means ie. a higher degree of social acceptance (for example, when travelling) or popularity.

If I'm against killing/harming animals, and I am, I can't see why I should eat meat or milk products in some situations just to avoid being seen as 'arrogant' or as having a 'holier-than-thou'-attitude...

(PS - 'you' above doesn't refer to you, 8winks!)

[eve]

Thank you for making that clear, Korn, because I really dislike reading about people finding it difficult to give up cheese, or whatever. That's their problem, not mine. Vegans who put themselves out to help these people in some way, that is their prerogative. IMHO, I'm more interested in discussions etc with vegans, because there are no vegans where I live, and I feel very close to people like Roxy, Adam, Antony, and others. In a way it is like a privilege to be on this vegan forum - other websites I've been to, invariably have vegies talking about cheese!

[FR]

Thank you for making that clear, Korn, because I really dislike reading about people finding it difficult to give up cheese, or whatever. That's their problem, not mine. Vegans who put themselves out to help these people in some way, that is their prerogative. IMHO, I'm more interested in discussions etc with vegans, because there are no vegans where I live, and I feel very close to people like Roxy, Adam, Antony, and others. In a way it is like a privilege to be on this vegan forum - other websites I've been to, invariably have vegies talking about cheese!

Well put.

[abrennan]

Not A Vegan Yet-area, which probably will be renamed something like 'Not A Vegan Currently?' unless someone suggests a better name

What about "Working on being Vegan? Please post in this thread!"

Antony

[On the Coast]

Thanks Korn, and Eve. This is refreshing. I've left 2 other veg forums in the past because I got so tired of all the 'it's okay your not Vegan, tell us all about it', type of posts. Not that I am against veggies, or even omnis for that matter, it is just that there are so many places in the web for them to congregate - it's nice to have a place just for the Vegans. I think of it as the same as women's space, or children's areas, or teen sites. It just feels safer and more conducive for the members of said community. Thanks all. And good luck in whatever choices you make 8winks. As long as your true to yourself, there is no need for any guilt or feelings of remorse.

[Korn]

What about "Working on being Vegan? Please post in this thread!"

Antony

I just changed the name of this subforum to 'Going Vegan' - it was 'Not A Vegan Yet'. So from now on, this subforum is dedicated to people who are working on being vegan.

Threads and posts from people who are not vegans, but who have questions, are moved to a new subforum (at least for now) called Not A Vegan - Vegan FAQ.

Other threads that may be of particular interest to non-vegans are also moved to that area.