Any Successfully Converted Vegans / Vegetarians ?

[orville]

I know that a vegan/vegetarian diet is the answer to a healthier life,

but I've found it extremely difficult to abandon meat.

 

width=313pxhttps://media3.giphy.com/media/so8KXAphERsre/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47jp45gydym59a5t39wojhapgo8rvhonyowwu5xn8g&rid=giphy.gif[/img]

 

I think I've googled everything and tried almost everything,

from my own will to dietitians, and programs, several times.

 

In the beginning, I feel great, lighter, lucid, etc.

I could say I can control the cravings without any issues.

But one month in, and I start to feel weak, losing hair, etc.

My body literally starts asking me for meat, and I give up.

 

I know that even 84% of vegetarians/vegans give up after a few years.

They get back to eat meat, but I'm afraid of Cancer and Heart Disease.

I eat vegetables every day with my chicken and mostly avoid red meats.

 

But when I've finally removed animal protein completely I'll start feeling sick.

I'm not sure if my mistake last time, was removing fish, eggs and dairy.

I'm hoping there are successfully converted vegans in this forum.

If so, I would like to know what were your key factors/tips to succeed.

 

Many thanks for your help.

Edited August 8, 2020 by orville

[RealAvalon]

I know that a vegan diet is the answer to a healthier life,

but I've found it extremely difficult to abandon meat.

 

width=313pxhttps://media3.giphy.com/media/so8KXAphERsre/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47jp45gydym59a5t39wojhapgo8rvhonyowwu5xn8g&rid=giphy.gif[/img]

 

I think I've googled everything and tried almost everything,

from my own will to dietitians, and programs, several times.

 

In the beginning, I feel great, lighter, lucid, etc.

I could say I can control the cravings without any issues.

But one month in, and I start to feel weak, losing hair, etc.

My body literally starts asking me for meat, and I give up.

 

I know that even 84% of vegans give up after a few years.

They get back to eat meat, but I'm afraid of Cancer and Heart Disease.

I eat vegetables every day with my chicken and mostly avoid beef,

But when I've finally removed animal protein completely I'll start feeling sick.

 

I'm hoping there are successfully converted vegans in this forum.

If so, I would like to know what were your key factors to succeed.

 

Many thanks for your help.

I'm more of a quasi vegan, as I still eat dairy. What I found with eliminating all meat, including fish, from my diet is that my cheese consumption increased. I think its the "substantiveness" (I know that's not a word) of animal protein that can be missed, beyond any taste/health/nutrition factors.

[maninsoma]

I was a vegan for a few years in my mid-twenties (35 years ago). I was originally vegetarian and then eventually gave up dairy and eggs. I didn't find it particularly difficult to maintain that diet, but I was very thin at the time (as I had been since puberty) and didn't eat that much any way. Maybe it would have been more difficult had I had a heartier appetite? At any rate, it's important to not only feel satisfied but also to balance nutrients. It's been so long that I cannot tell you what my diet was specifically other than that I ate lots of veggies, brown rice, soy products and legumes.

[+ keroscenefire]

I am also mostly vegan. I pretty much cook vegan at home and occasionally eat non-vegan when going out just because it tends to me much easier. I also am Mexican and it's very hard for me to say no to my mom's enchiladas or green chili (neither of which are vegan). I have used a lot of tofu in my cooking. Trader Joe's has these smaller firm tofu with sriracha and teriyaki flavorings that I think taste pretty good and add some substantial feeling to any meal.

 

I also eat a lot of meals that really just don't require meat at all. Pasta with marinara sauce or a vegetable stir fry over rice. These are satisfying to me and I usually don't even think of the lack of meat.

 

From a nutritional standpoint, pretty much the only nutrient that is very hard to get on a vegan diet is B12. So either take it in a supplement or eat fortified cereals (you can look for it specifically in the nutritional guidelines). It does take a while to develop a B12 deficiency, but I did after a few years with this diet and it actually caused a bit of nerve damage with a pins-and-needles feeling at my extremities. Fortunately it was caught early before much damage occurred and now I take a regular one-a-day multivitamin with B12 and it's been fine since then.

[KrisParr]

I‘m a former vegan, now vegetarian with very little dairy thrown in now and then. The above posts are a good mix and I would agree that B12 deficiency can be serious. My B12 number was at the low end of the range, and it took 6 months of supplements to elevate it - the improvement in my energy was significant.

[+ jeezopete]

Do you have to be 100% vegan or not at all? Why couldn't you eat vegan say, 28 days of the month & then have meat 2 or 3 times a month? Or even once a month, if that would be enough to satisfy the craving? You'd have the benefits of feeling "great, lighter, lucid, etc." but then have one serving of meat before the weakness, hair loss & cravings kick in. I'm sure there are those who believe it has to be all one way or the other, but just like anything else in life, what works for one doesn't necessarily work for all.

This is just one man's perspective.

[orville]

 

This is just one man's perspective.

And I like it!

 

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[RealAvalon]

Do you have to be 100% vegan or not at all? Why couldn't you eat vegan say, 28 days of the month & then have meat 2 or 3 times a month? Or even once a month, if that would be enough to satisfy the craving? You'd have the benefits of feeling "great, lighter, lucid, etc." but then have one serving of meat before the weakness, hair loss & cravings kick in. I'm sure there are those who believe it has to be all one way or the other, but just like anything else in life, what works for one doesn't necessarily work for all.

This is just one man's perspective.

Veganism probably has more to do with ethics (treatment of animals in the slaughter industry) beyond all of the health and environment reasons. Eating meat once a month? Nope. A cast iron fry pan, and dark green vegetables (spinach/broccoli) provide iron.

Carl Lewis was vegan as an athlete.

https://www.bustle.com/articles/177239-7-olympic-athletes-who-are-vegan-or-have-been-in-the-past-because-you-dont

[orville]

Veganism probably has more to do with ethics (treatment of animals in the slaughter industry) beyond all of the health and environment reasons. Eating meat once a month? Nope.

Agree. That's why my original post talks about the health impact of being vegan vs. omnivore.

Not eating animal meat has several nice "side effects". Ethical treatment of animals is just one of them.

My crossroads is between my need to have a better health vs. feeling sick + "substantiveness".

Edited August 5, 2020 by orville

[+ LIguy]

About 2 years ago I started getting ill during the night....chills,shivering, feeling like I had an infection or virus of some sorts. I would get about 3 hours of sleep but waking up feeling like I had been beat up but by noon I was feeling good. I started looking at what I was eating and saw that it haapened when I ate chicken. Started buying antibiotic free and steroid free chicken and these bad nights went away. And beware for Perdue chicken which claims to be free of steroids and hormones but whenever I eat it I cannot sleep.

Now it's happening with pork so I'm looking into eating more vegetarian but it seems like pasta this pasta that. I make linguine with walnumts in an oil and garlic sauce....Broccoli and penne in oil and garlic....zucchini and muchrooms with penne in oil and garlic to name a few and when I eat these dishes I have a nice peaceful sleep.

[+ nycman]

I honestly don’t think vegan is healthy.

Granted eating red meat every night isn’t healthy either.

Life is about balance.

We are omnivores wether we like it or not.

 

Plus, I’ve never met a vegan where my first thought was...”gee you look healthy”.

It‘s usually more “I wonder if that person knows they have cancer?....oh vegan?.....never mind”.

[RealAvalon]

Agree. That's why my original posts talks about the health impact of being vegan vs. omnivore.

Not eating animal meat has several nice "side effects". Ethical treatment of animals is just of them.

My crossroads is between my need to have a better health vs. feeling sick + "substantiveness".

The soy ground round (fake hamburger) gives a spaghetti sauce more substance, if you're craving something more than a vegetable sauce.

Some of the new 'fake burgers' are so ... beef like ... I can't even eat them.

Edited August 6, 2020 by RealAvalon

[orville]

I can't even eat them.

does it taste awful, or is it for another reason?

[RealAvalon]

I honestly don’t think vegan is healthy.

Granted eating red meat every night isn’t healthy either.

Life is about balance.

We are omnivores wether we like it or not.

 

Plus, I’ve never met a vegan where my first thought was...”gee you look healthy”.

It‘s usually more “I wonder if that person knows they have cancer?....oh vegan?.....never mind”.

Humans are more like dogs than cats, evolutionarily. We aren't meat 'centred' like cats, we are scavengers and omnivores. And can also do without meat, if we have access to a range of foods for complete protein. Other than cheese, I have an almost complete vegan diet. I wouldn't be surprised if I could out run you.

[RealAvalon]

does it taste awful, or is it for another reason?

Reminds me too much of beef, which I haven't eaten since 1989.

[down_to_business]

...

Plus, I’ve never met a vegan where my first thought was...”gee you look healthy”.

It‘s usually more “I wonder if that person knows they have cancer?....oh vegan?.....never mind”.

 

One of my celebrity crushes, George Sear is vegan.

 

George took to Instagram to explain the benefits of veganism, in a post about Earth Day. “Switching from vegetarian to vegan ... has not only made me feel healthier and better about the animals, but also helped me diminish my carbon footprint.” In 2018, he was in the running for the UK and Ireland’s Hottest Vegan

 

He sure looks healthy to me!

 

 

George can also be seen in some vegan cooking videos (I posted one below) with his lovely mum. They occasionally point out nutrition like B-12.

 

Edited August 5, 2020 by down_to_business

[RandyVue]

I dont eat meat or dairy with the exception of fish. That's been a part of my lifestyle for the last 7 years

[Lchnsf]

I consider myself whole food plant-based, not vegan even though it is the diet vegans eat. I enjoy cooking and getting creative with my food which is helped me maintain the whole food plant-based diet. I went whole food plant-based for my health, my weight was yo-yoing, I have a family history of high blood pressure and I don’t want to take medication. I have found satisfactory substitutes for me and learned how to do tofu stirfry‘s that make you think that you having scrambled eggs. Took me a while but I also found milk substitutes, almond milk, oat milk and cashew milk. They have different flavors and after a while I got used to them. I also learned how to make butter that seems like real butter but now that it has been a few years I wouldn’t know the difference.

 

A vegan diet isn’t necessarily healthy, beer and chips is vegan. Just like with any diet you have to be sure that you’re getting your nutrients and not leaning towards the junk or processed foods.

[mapsdr]

I’m in nearly the same place as Lchnsf. I went “total plant based” when I saw Forks Over Knives in the theater. So I guess about 10 years ago.

Anyways, I don’t “miss” the meat and dairy I grew up on. Still I’d love to know the secret to homemade vegan butter!!

I’m a healthier weight than any of my friends and nearly all coworkers. No meds. I never get sick (knocking wood) and I recover from half marathons and weight lifting sessions so fast.

None of this would matter if I felt like I was missing out on something - shrimp scampi, beef tenderloin, chicken McNuggets, etc. I don’t wish I “could” have something like that and if I did, I would eat it!

Like others said, I take B12 a couple times a week and my levels are good. The only reason meateaters don’t need to supplement is because the cows are given B12 shots and that winds up in their tissues that wind up on the plate. Similar to fish eat alga and getting omegas from the seaweed. Salmon don’t “make” omegas. They eat it.

Anyways watch the old Forks Over Knives on a streaming service. And/or stream The Gamechangers for a more updated take on the whole thing. And if you don’t want to, don’t!! I’m not trying to do conversion therapy on anybody.

[+ keroscenefire]

I think you have to figure out your reasons for the vegan diet. For me it's not health but environment. Beef, dairy, and pork are all terrible for the environment. But surprisingly so can soybeans if they are imported since they are one of the biggest crops responsible for the deforestation of the Amazon. Palm oil, which is in a ton of packaged baked goods is also bad for the environment for the same reason. Rainforests are chopped down in Indonesia and the Philipines for palm trees. But goats are actually pretty good for the environment since they can graze on even wastelands and produce very little methane. There is a local Colorado producer of goat cheese, so I feel pretty comfortable getting cheese from them since the environmental impact is fairly low.

[RealAvalon]

beer and chips is vegan.

depends how the beer is filtered. most beer isn't vegetarian let alone vegan.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-37350233

Edited August 6, 2020 by RealAvalon

[Lchnsf]

depends how the beer is filtered. most beer isn't vegan.

Actually I dont drink beer, but to my point Coca Cola and French Fries ARE vegan. You can be vegan and still have a crap diet

[marylander1940]

I dont eat meat or dairy with the exception of fish. That's been a part of my lifestyle for the last 7 years

 

I'm slowly becoming a pescatarian and I love getting all of my protein from eggs and fishes like tilapia, wild catfish, salmon, etc.

 

I'm not sure if pescatarian are allowed to eat eggs though... I won't give them up as a source of protein and fat

[RealAvalon]

Actually I dont drink beer, but to my point Coca Cola and French Fries ARE vegan. You can be vegan and still have a crap diet

Absolutely, I agree with you. I expect most people that pay enough attention to their diet, to make the choice to be vegan, aren't going to be eating crap all the time.

Edited August 6, 2020 by RealAvalon

[orville]

And/or stream The Gamechangers for a more updated take on the whole thing.

That's basically what originated this thread! Also, I recently watched "Endgame 2050" - eyeopening!

Edited August 6, 2020 by orville