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3 Week Vegan and started to get discouraged!
Started
by newveg30
on February 10, 2010
I have been a vegan for the past three weeks and I'm starting to get a little discouraged. I was so excited about this life change but now I find myself missing meat for the first time in 3 months and craving real cheese. I've used daiya cheese in many dishes but the smell really gets to me at times.
It also doesn't help that I have some special occasions at restaurants coming up and I'm already starting to wonder what in the world am I going to eat. I don't plan on eating meat again, but I'm flirting with the idea of going back to a lacto-ovo vegetarian; this way I won't feel so limited when going out to restaurants. One of my friends invited me to breakfast and I declined the invite. I knew that if I went I would have wanted eggs with cheese and some waffles or pancakes. Being a vegan, I could not think of anything that I could eat or wanted to eat that did not contain dairy or eggs. Even going out to dinner has been a challenge for me. I'm sick of ordering side dishes to form a meal. I missed the delicious meals I use to eat. The only thing at this point that is keeping me from going back to dairy and eggs is the fact that I do feel much better both mentally and physically.
Hi newveg30! I think that it is totally normal to feel the way you are feeling. I completely understand. In the beginning of my journey I ate dairy every few weeks or so because I would just get really discouraged. It is so hard when you want to go out and have a good time and then your totally miserable because you have no good food options. I check out this site everyday and the animal rights sites and that helps me stay focused and of course the health benefits. Good luck!
Hi newveg30! I totally get where you are coming from. I am a newbie to vegan too. I just gave up dairy and soy, because I had a blood test that says I have allergens to them. Man! Hard to find substitutions for soy! I am trying rice cheese but haven't eaten any yet. I'm working on cooking lots of stuff that doesn't require it. Don't beat yourself for wanting your old foods. Change doesn't happen overnite! Would it be so bad if you "cheated" only when you went out to eat? This is "The Kind Diet" and that means to be kind to YOU too! I think forgiveness is sooo important, especially when we embark on a new journey. Best wishes to you.
I'm with Sue - let yourself have lacto/ovo when you are out, stay vegan in the house.....unless, of course, you eat every meal out! but if its just a few times a week or month, why not? In time, you will get more comfortable with it all and if you choose to later on you can expand your veganism to the outside world!
It's hard when you're the only one in a household doing this. I read a lot of the animal rights sites, too, and that really keeps my interest in straying tamed.
I keep a vegan dark chocolate bar on hand, because I like something sweet after dinner to cleanse my palate. I allow myself a square or two, no more, and that really does the trick. Also, a teaspoon of peanutbutter with vegan chocolate chips and a little squirt of agave does the trick nicely, too.
Dried figs also make a great sweet snack; they're SO rich!
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