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New and nervous
Started by Kelly Walker on February 20, 2011
Well hear goes, today was my first meatless day. I am flirting and really nervous about this big change. However, I am excited too because for the last few weeks, I have felt just terrible. My weight is OK, but I have not felt good for a long time - I know its my diet. I have a big family however, so making this change will be just me for a while. I hope that some of my vege dishes will be a hit and maybe just incorporating that will help my husband and family. Made some vege soup today and my husband ate it up so my hopes are high. I need to study more on life as a vegan. I understand being a vegetarian but vegan is a huge change. Thats my goal eventually but I like milk, cheese and eggs. Its in so many foods so I know this will be an education and a journey. This was my first day and I have told no one. I just feel its needs to be my journey for a while - a quiet change without any negativity. I feel great but a little weird. Its hard to explain but I have this light feeling and lots of energy. I dont feel stuffed so I think that is great. I was happier too - been in a bad mood for a while.
I have lost 1.3 lbs just in the last three days! I feel great and dont feel like I am deprived or miss meat at all.
I feel the same way you feel after about a month! I didn't know I could feel so good. I am the only vegan in our house also and have incorporated vegan meals into their diet also, with little notice. I make meat available for them to add to their vegan meals a few times a week.
I agree it is your journey and the more confident you feel once people start to find out the better. I am an avid reader and love learning about things. I have started back to the library and checked out several books on Veganism and vegan cook books as well. (I used to buy all my books, but this is part of the new me)
Much luck on your journey!
Hey Kelly - welcome! Have you read The Kind Life? You were saying you wanted to learn more about being vegan. Alicia does a great job of explaining it in a very kind way.
I am reading The Kind Life now Vicky and yes she does it in such a way to really understand it. I am so new to this, it has been a real education. I have always eaten healthy but never quite felt great. I began taking a lot of supplements and that was not enough to make me feel better. I have been so shocked to realize what I have been eating all these years has been making me sick and old!
Tracy its hard I think being on this journey alone right now. My husband is not against me but probably will not join me which is OK, but its nice to have some "friends" and others to talk to for support. I still have to make meat in the house and whats really weird is that I feel sick looking at it and smelling it now! I am so excited but I dont know anyone in my family that I would share how I feel about this yet. Its not as popular in this area of North Carolina as say Asheville (the mountains). So its my little secret for now - its funny I guess! I have felt light headed but my skin and overall well being is so much better. I am a teacher and today, I had a six year old student tell my that I looked different and pretty- can you guys believe that??? A child noticed that I have changed and you know how honest they are!! I just smiled and said thank you!
Kelly -
I was tired of feeling old and sick too! My husband too will never be vegan with me, but I think it's so funny when he lights up when I have meat on the side for him. I don't like to cook it either. Hopefully you husband can be supportive because you feel better. My husband doesn't ever mention me being vegan, but he does like that I have more energy and feel better.
I love that your student noticed! Funny but you may find more people that are interested and accepting of what you are doing. I am a food buyer for a living and got into a discussion with my produce supplier, who is a mans man and hunter. He suprised me by being interested in what I was doing and would like to gradually become vegetarian!
We are here for you if things get tough!!
Love it that you are keeping it a secret right now. I get it - something so precious you want to cherish it on your own for awhile :)
I do not know another vegan either. I started out completely ignorant - I even needed to google what a vegan was! But, slowly and surely I figured out what foods I needed to buy and where to find them. It was like a university course! Baby steps. Now 1 1/2 yrs later, I am a superhero vegan and have lost 40 lbs and am full of life and energy. I love it and I broadcast it everywhere!
I wish you fun and kindness in this new found nugget! Hi Kelly.
when I went vegan my father ( and brother..and
some friends ) lambasted me for doing so, and gave me every excuse in the book
as how this "freaky" diet was going to hurt me.
I actually had a friend who said to me that asking people not to drink milk
was like asking people not to believe in God ! ...WHAT!!!???
A friend of mine( who is a doctor AND a vegan ) help me understand that it is
never really about "food" per-se and it wasn't so much that they were "worried
for me" but that my decision held a mirror up to their life style...and they
didn't like what they saw in themselves
It's human nature.
When something that someone is doing is wrong and brought to their attention,
the first reaction is anger. When we all ate meat my father and brother had no cause to question their dietary choices....but when I announced that I was now a vegan for health reasons, it made them introspect theirown dietary choices, and...Not wanting to change their
lifestyle,it was easier to project their internal anger and self doubt
outwardly,to me. Another thing that is hard for non-vegan family and friends
is that food is such a deep part of our culture / social gathering, and now that
you don't eat like they do,how are they suppose to relate to you? The
hostility you may face will eventually dissipate ( I'm not
promising that it will go away completely, I still get teased a bit now and
then, but now my friends and family ask me how to incorporate more veggies into
their diet, and they scarf up the dishes I make LOL)
Meet your family and friends concerns with LOVE. Provide them literature on how this diet will
save your life. AND the planet! just take deep breaths and do not let anyone discourage you . YOU ARE AMAZING ! and what you are doing for your health, for the planet and for animals is AWESOME!!!!
Another thing.... the suffering the dairy cow go through in their life is outright inhumane, and what dairy dose to the human body is TERRIBLE. Here is some info on milk that will help you defend why you choose not to drink it ( it will come in 2 parts as we are limited to he number of letters we use in this forum)
PART 1 :
* 1982 in the Journal of Digestive Disease research was published showing a
marked increase risk of Ovarian Cancer, organ damage, infertility, and cataracts
with the consumption of dairy.
* 1985 Another study published in The American Journal of clinical Nutrition
clearly showed that people who drank 3 (8oz) glasses of milk increased their
calcium LOSS by 17 mg. ...A DAY
PART 2:
* 1992 in the 7th edition to his book, Dr. Benjamin Spock stated studies
linking childhood anemia to milk consumption.
* 1992 New England Journal of medicine published a study showing that 100% of
diabetic children tested showed high levels of antibodies to dairy.
* 1994 the American Academy of Pediatrics reported that 90 studies had been
completed that directly linked milk to the development of diabetes.
* 1997 Researchers at Harvard (funded by The National Institute for health )
published a gold standard, peer reviewed, journal documented ( in the American
Journal of Public Health ) study that clearly showed that women who consume
dairy (550mg daily) have TWICE the rate of hip fractures
* 1997 World Cancer Research and the American Institute for Cancer Research
reported that Cancer risks paralleled milk consumption.
* 1999 an article in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute shows a that
Casein ( dairy ) stimulates the growth of Cancer cells.
* 2005 A study reported in "Pediatrics Journal" states " There is very LITTLE
evidence (if any ) to support the claims that milk helps children develop strong
bones They found NO relationship between consuming dairy and bone health
Yale University authored a study summarizing data on dairy intake and hip
fracture rate. The conclusion was that 70% of the fracture rates were directly
attributable to the consumption of Casein ( milk ) intake
* The Physicians committee for responsible medicine, led by renowned Dr. Neal
Barnard states this about dairy" It would be hard to imagine a worse vehicle for
delivering calcium to the human body "
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