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Bothered by others

15 Comments
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Aww0911 said #1 Jan 3, 2013 at 7:04am

HI everyone,
As a vegan, I am often bothered when I see my overweight coworkers going to grab fast food. Most of them are so young. They are under 30. I just want to scream at them, do you have any idea what that is doing to your body? Does this bother anyone else or do you have ways to deal with this?
Thanks everyone and let's stay kind.

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jnte said #2 Jan 3, 2013 at 8:09am

Veganism is about avoiding causing animals unnecessary harm...it's not a weight loss diet. You can be vegan and be overweight. (Hello vegan pizza, cake, pasta, cookies, etc!) And you can be non-vegan and be at a healthy weight. It just depends on what you eat. Renowned vegan nutritionist, Ginny Messina, has a wonderful post on this topic: http://www.theveganrd.com/2011/04/vegans-are-compassionate-at-every-size.html
Hope that helps!

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Aww0911 said #3 Jan 3, 2013 at 8:30am

Thanks but I understand that. I was just wondering if it bothered anyone to watch people kill their bodies but eating burger king burgers and fries all the time when they are clearly 30 and obese and their health is horrible because they have more prescription pills they take than my grandma did. (They display it for everyone to see.) I understand what being vegan is and this topic wasn't necessarily about being vegan but being more health conscious as we should all know that fast food as well as processed food is horrible for our bodies.

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SouthernJerseyGirl said #4 Jan 3, 2013 at 8:46am

OMG!! and i thought it was me..Aww0911 i'm with you..yes we know that veganism isnt about losing weight or anything but it's just the thought that people don't care enough about their health appearance and well being enough to get off of all of that artery clogging, fat inducing stuff that they eat that eats at me!! My friends say i'm predjudiced..i wouldnt say so, it just sickens me to see obese people stuffing their faces with junk!! Sorry...That's just the way I feel...

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Aww0911 said #5 Jan 3, 2013 at 8:49am

SouthernJerseyGirl that is exactly what I am talking about. First off there are so many documentaries out there that talk about food so I don't think they have an excuse not to realize what the food is doing to them. It just kills me because you would think they would get a clue. Glad that I'm not the only one that this bothers. Speaking of, they are out to get Burger King again today. The vicious cycle continues.

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Becky said #6 Jan 6, 2013 at 3:02pm

Help! I have recently adopted a vegan lifestyle but my husband is a militant meat eater. We are butting heads now and I was wondering if there are any other couples out there who are polar opposites when it comes to food

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ElleDaVinci said #7 Jan 6, 2013 at 8:00pm

Becky-
When I first adopted this lifestyle, my boyfriend said he could never be with someone who didn't eat meat because he would never stop eating meat, etc. When I first bought Tofurky, he was completely repulsed. After he tried different foods I was eating, learned about why I was doing it, and overall looked more into the topic, he is now completely switched over! He loves Tofurky now. I'm not saying the same thing will happen, but it is definitely a possibility since it is all still new. If not, he should at least be understanding to why you made the decision to adopt this lifestyle. I hope he can see your side at the very least-it is difficult because our culture has been told that we need meat and it is hard to for a lot of people to understand we actually do not! Good luck girl!

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Aww0911 said #8 Jan 7, 2013 at 4:49am

Becky, Yes I am in the same situation! Luckily my husband is health conscious so the only meats he will eat are shrimp, chicken and turkey. He is under the assumption that he has to have so much protein so he can weight lift. He's into working out. I try to tell him that he is getting too much protein so its just going out of him as waste but its like talking to a wall. I can show him all the statistics that show he doesn't need as much protein as he thinks he does! My husband is very open as we are both animal lovers. He supports me in my love for animals which is helpful. Have you guys watched food inc or anything that shows factory farming? This may open his eyes.If he realizes what the animal has to go through, maybe that will give him a change of heart. We are Christians and always hear people fall on the Bible verse that says that man has dominion over the animals. My husband was reading this part of the Bible the other day and we actually read it differently where it said that God gave us seeds and plants to eat. It doesn't mention anything about eating the animals, although we know in Biblical days they did eat animals. Also, I buy meat substitutes sometimes. When I first started not eating meat, I would try them in dishes and not let my husband know they were in them. Then we he said that he liked the meal and that it was good, I would let him in on the fact that it was meatless. When he realizes it's not the only way to live eating meat, I think you will see more openness and change. :) Just start cooking meatless things. I do. I don't cook my husband's meats when he chooses to eat them. And I have noticed him making pastas and throwing in beans instead of meat. ;) Little by little they will change.

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Katelyn Broad said #9 Jan 8, 2013 at 2:32pm

I think it is important to realize that you are in a different place in your journey to health than these other people. There is a ton of conflicting information out there (heck my biology teacher said it's okay to eat fast food everyday as long as you don't eat over a certain amount of calories in a day-like 3 big macs or something) and people will choose to believe what they want.

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Flightless said #10 Jan 15, 2013 at 8:29am

I think the best you can do is be a positive example. People can choose to eat unhealthy foods just as they can choose to ride motorcycles without helmets or ski down dangerous slopes. But seeing a happy, healthy vegan who's not preachy or hostile can give them a different idea of what is possible!

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