OP how's it going for you?

This is a great thread! I've been vegan for a while and I am loving learning to cook more vegan stuff. Eating a vegan diet takes more planning, I make most of my own food, here are some of the things that are easy to make: hummus, nut cheeses, eggplant lasagna, salad, various pasta dishes, vegan sushi, vegan 'crab' cakes, rice and lentils, pizza with cashew cheese is every bit as melty as dairy cheese. Also 'cheese' cake, (even chocolate!) amazing carrot cakes, muffins cookies etc are all very easy to veganise. You might check out http://www.vegweb.com, they have tons of recipes that are easy to do. Good luck!!

I've been vegan since January and am loving it. Like planeGGirl, I make most of my food from scratch, so sometimes it takes a little longer, but I eat so much healthier and am not eating fast food or pigging out on a lot of processed foods. Last night I made vanilla cupcakes with chocolate icing. They were great and you would never know they were vegan. This lifestyle makes me cautious of what I'm eating and makes me read ingredients on the food labels. I've maintained my weight and eat more nutricious foods than ever before. Veganism is not for everyone, but it has worked for me. I don't miss meat at all. The only dairy i miss is cheese.... Vegan cheese is just not the same, IMO. There are tons of terrific vegan cookbooks and many grocery stores have a great variety of foods for vegans. Good luck!

Originally Posted by etk123

OP how's it going for you?

I failed miserably! I tried to eat vegan and I just couldn't. Giving up cheese and dairy was going to kill me. I already feel VERY limited with what I can eat as a vegetarian (I am SUPER picky) and when I tried to cut out other things I felt like I was left with hardly any options, and I just can't do that.

So, right now, I am just vegetarian (also don't buy eggs or buy milk, but I eat those things when they are in other foods).

I hate that I can't be fully vegan but I just don't think eating-wise it would work.

Oh my don't be so hard on yourself!! It's just not the right time for you...if you're meant to get there then you will...being any type of vegetarian is a huge commitment with so many benefits, you are doing such a good thing already! Vegetarianism is a compassionate choice, but you have to show compassion to yourself first. Be proud of yourself for trying!

Originally Posted by etk123

Oh my don't be so hard on yourself!! It's just not the right time for you...if you're meant to get there then you will...being any type of vegetarian is a huge commitment with so many benefits, you are doing such a good thing already! Vegetarianism is a compassionate choice, but you have to show compassion to yourself first. Be proud of yourself for trying!

thanks love! I have to say, being a vegetarian is honestly one of the hardest things I have ever done, but I feel that it is also one of the BEST things I have done. Im proud of myself, I never would have thought I would have lasted and actually stuck with it! But I did!

I think eating vegan is great if it works for your body. To me it's fairly easy to give it a shot at least, you can always find ways to eat vegan when out, it's tough but not impossible. I can't eat gluten, so off the bat I'm at a disadvantage for a lot of the vegetable proteins. That said I eat mostly vegan but I do eat organic eggs and I do eat some fish in moderation, that seems to work for my body, I don't have an ethical issue with it and I feel good.... When I bake I bake gluten free and vegan, most of what I cook at home is vegan, I haven't eaten any kind of chicken or turkey in 7 years and other meats in about 19 years. I'm 37 and the same size and weight as I was as a teenager so to me those are indications that my way of eating is working for my body. I think some people can very easily eat unhealthy being vegan because it's easy to overdo it with the protein and cheese replacements and just because you are vegan doesn't mean there isn't a ton of processed junk foods that still fit that vegan category. If you focus on good fruits and veggies and whole foods you'll find success, use the replacement stuff in moderation. Daiya makes great "cheese" by the way if you haven't had it, I think it's the best one out there, but I don't keep it in the house too much. Good luck!

I'm vegetarian and I have tried to be vegan but it didnt work for me (even though I know I can give up cheese, I miss it). I tried after being on a low carb vegetarian plan as the plan focus on eating a lot of eggs. I ate so many eggs on the plan that at one point, I could not stomach eggs and still cant to this day. I also dont drink milk but still eat products with dairy. If I could give up the cheese, I would be completely vegan.

I think you have to work with what is best for you and your lifestyle. I call myself a strict vegetarian.

Originally Posted by ahs483

I failed miserably! I tried to eat vegan and I just couldn't. Giving up cheese and dairy was going to kill me. I already feel VERY limited with what I can eat as a vegetarian (I am SUPER picky) and when I tried to cut out other things I felt like I was left with hardly any options, and I just can't do that. So, right now, I am just vegetarian (also don't buy eggs or buy milk, but I eat those things when they are in other foods). I hate that I can't be fully vegan but I just don't think eating-wise it would work.

Hey, at least your tried. One of my yoga teachers is a vegan; when we discussed this during our yoga training, she said that we are all doing the best that we can. She shared that even though she is a vegan, she carries a leather handbag the size of a small calf.

I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian, meaning I don't eat meat or fish but I do eat milk, eggs and cheese. Side note: I don't usually label myself this way but others have kindly pointed out to me that I'm not a "true" vegetarian, I am a lacto-ovo!

You mentioned not eating certain foods due to ethical reasons. It's the same with me. I just want to point out that also means showing compassion to yourself as well. Again, we are all doing the best that we can at every given moment.

Hi ladies. Great information in this thread. I have been trying to transition towards vegan for the last six months by slowly weeding things out of my diet. I tried this before and failed miserably, I think because I just decided to do it one day and was ill equipped to survive. This time I decided to really go slow with it because that gives me time to find new things I like to eat. Giving up dairy is hard for many because we like the opiates in dairy and also because dairy and grain become vegetarian staples. I don't like meat substitutes so I am trying very hard to find foods I do like so I can fully transition by the end of the month. If there are any more stories of successful transitions please share. I am looking for all the encouragement I can find!

Originally Posted by TracyNicole

Hi ladies. Great information in this thread. I have been trying to transition towards vegan for the last six months by slowly weeding things out of my diet. I tried this before and failed miserably, I think because I just decided to do it one day and was ill equipped to survive. This time I decided to really go slow with it because that gives me time to find new things I like to eat. Giving up dairy is hard for many because we like the opiates in dairy and also because dairy and grain become vegetarian staples. I don't like meat substitutes so I am trying very hard to find foods I do like so I can fully transition by the end of the month. If there are any more stories of successful transitions please share. I am looking for all the encouragement I can find!

I second the "Opiates"! That's what makes me proud of letting go of all the dairy-products.

I went from omnivore to vegan though I recently read that vegan is a lifestyle, not a diet. Since I still wear and buy leather, I am not living "vegan".

I wonder when the craving for meat will occur. I keep waiting. And I expected the craving to come soon.

The craving for milk is still here, at least a bit, when I see my boyfriend drinking milk.

And I so wish to lose those extra 3 pounds, just by eliminiating dairy-products and meat from my diet.

I've tried several times but I always fail after a week or two. For me, the weakness is with eggs and cheese. I can usually wean myself off cheese, but never permanently and eggs is just too hard (I love them for weekend brunch or hangover food). What I've done that works for me is I'm entirely vegan at home and do my best the rest of the time. So ultimately I don't have dairy etc at home, but I'm not going to deprive myself at restaurants or make it tough at family functions etc. I'd say given this way I'm about 50-60% vegan...not perfect, but it's something.

I was vegan for about 2 years when i was younger, i had made the switch from vegetarianism and it was a process for sure. It takes time weeding out and getting used to replacements and things like that. The dairy was easy for me and so were the eggs but i agree that becoming vegan takes up a lot more work and time for meal prep and such. I loved being vegan but honestly it felt great and my body took to it easily, but i later made the switch back to vegetarianism. It can be done and i totally know what you mean about meat substitutes but with time you'll come across some good recipes and things alike that will make you forget about your meat eating days. I hope that everything works out and that your transition is a nice smooth one :]

Originally Posted by emcosmo1639

I've tried several times but I always fail after a week or two. For me, the weakness is with eggs and cheese. I can usually wean myself off cheese, but never permanently and eggs is just too hard (I love them for weekend brunch or hangover food). What I've done that works for me is I'm entirely vegan at home and do my best the rest of the time. So ultimately I don't have dairy etc at home, but I'm not going to deprive myself at restaurants or make it tough at family functions etc. I'd say given this way I'm about 50-60% vegan...not perfect, but it's something.

This is what I do (bolded above). It's working really well for me. I'm able to enjoy the occasional sweet treats with friends and co-workers, and I can have eggs or cheese at family gatherings, if they are cooked into the recipe. I've actually found that it's fairly easy to find vegan options at restaurants, so really, I don't consume many animal products at all.