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Meat Eater for all my life and I want to Change
Started
by Amy H.
on March 8, 2010
I am almost 18 years old and I am ready to stop eating meat. I have loved and cared for animals for my whole life and I am tired of feeling guilty every time I eat a meal.
My question is should I jump right into a vegan diet or should I first start as a vegetarian? I would really love it if you could please give me some tips on how to successfully transition from a meat-eater to vegan (or vegetarian)
Thanks and Have a Great Day! :)
it's completely up to you. you know best what/how much you can handle. my opinion: if you are not big on dairy and eggs, go straight to vegan! if you are a big dairy &/or egg person i say, go part-vegetarian part-vegan. you will be amazed at how quickly you dump dairy and eggs.
a good idea, whether you go vegetarian or vegan, would be to get some vegan cheese to replace your current cheese. and tofu (extra firm) in place of eggs
the more you eat vegan, the quicker you will eliminate non-vegan foods. it's really mind over matter. breaking a lifetime worth of habits.
i'm sure you will get some helpful responses from the fellow kind lifers. if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to send me a message! i wish you the best on your journey to transformation!
--l.u.
p.s. if you haven't read alicia's book, do so ASAP
i forgot to mention:
go through the forum. view each discussion you look at from the first entry to the last. read as many discussion as you can whenever you get a chance. you will gain so much valuable information.
For 24 years I was a meat eater, dairy consumer, drank coffee everyday, Sundays mornings i had eggs bacon sausage pancakes as a family tradition.. I made dinner for me and my boyfriend every night.. steak, chicken and pork. I'm not overweight but I did want to lose a couple pounds and tone.. diets did not work, and my moods swings were starting to get to me.
January first I decided to go vegan.. I was not vegetarian first.. or omitting dairy in any way.. It is now more than two months later. I have not had meat nor have I had any craving for it. Dairy hasn't ben a problem because there are so many substitutes and I think they taste better. I dropped all caffeine and white sugar. The only think I do slip on is bread.. I make a lot of soups and we always have sourdough bread:) For sunday breakfast I just bring cherry brook farms pancake mix, earth balance, smokey tempeh or baked beans.. and I look forward to it all week. my body is slowly starting to lose weight and I feel great, happy and proud of my self.
If you need any recipes or ideas Id love to help because I love to cook. one meal I have everyday is Brown rice black beans kale broccoli portobella mushrooms and radish with sauteed pumpkin, almonds and sunflower seeds.. usually season with sesame and red pepper flakes.. its my favorite meal of the day.
Sooo I found it pretty easy to go straight to vegan:)I hope I could be of some help!!
i'm w/ everyone so far. you know what you can handle. i personally was vegetarian for about 14 months and just switched to vegan. that worked for me. I slowly started replacing dairy items w/ vegan ones (i could never get away from cheese and ranch dressing) but finally did about a month ago. i now call myself vegan (or to those scared of the word, i say i eat a plant-based diet).
As i have been on this veg/vegan journey, i have noticed that my palate has changed a lot and i eat foods now that i would never even pick up in the store before; and i love it!!!
the biggest advice i have is this; know your information (because people will ask "where isyour protein, and calcium" and this that and the other. and by having info you will feel empowered! also, don't beat yourself up if you slip. I had a tiny peice of chocolate last night, but its okay.
have fun and enjoy the journey! this is a great resource!
th
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