I fell off the vegan wagon
I was vegan for about 5 months..and then I went to Key West to visit my best friend and I let all my cravings get the best of me. I didn't eat meat or anything I just mostly consumed dairy products. I went vegetarian for about 3 weeks until I realized I was gaining weight again! Though I did give up eating animal products for partly for ethical reasons I mainly gave it up for diet reasons. And I just proved to myself why I need to be vegan. I know I can't be perfect b/c I know I will eat seafood once in awhile..since I will be moving to Key West in 2 months. but I definitely don't want to eat all the dairy and all that stuff. So my question is.. How do you go back after you fell off? I mean Obviously people are gonna say just do it but I had that wonderful taste of cheese and now my body..or hell maybe it's just my mind that craves it. So any advice on how you got back on or ways to fight the cravings especially when I'm gonna be living in a house of omnivores..
Human nature dictates that we desire most what we can't have. You gained weight because you overate on your holidays, not because of dairy per se. If you want repeat episodes of 'falling off the wagon' then go back to a restricted diet. However, if you want to control your weight, you enjoy dairy products and you have no moral objections, why not keep them in the mix in smaller amounts? That would be a more mature and more sustainable approach.
You've had the experience of veganism for several months and presumably you've worked out how to make lots of nice meals that don't involve dairy products... so treat yourself to a little cheese or whatever occasionally, keep it reasonable and eat vegan the rest of the time. You eat a little seafood, you eat a little dairy.. you wouldn't be technically either a vegetarian or a vegan, but you'd be having a very healthy & pleasant diet.
Well I just watched a PETA video that made me remember why I gave all those things up. So Vegan I am. I won't cheat anymore. I will just have to watch a couple a these videos every few months and it will def keep me on track.
Original Post by aidenwin:
Humans naturally eat meat. dont feel bad, its natural.
oh i still don't eat meat..and i didn't cheat eating meat! i mean i guess i did cheat b/c of seafood. but not meat..it grosses me out now
Maybe you could get some soy or rice cheese to kinda wean yourself off cheese again.
a lot of those aren't vegan..and gross..at least the ones i've tried.
Original Post by gi-jane:
I'm still a little puzzled. You like (real) cheese but you need PETA videos to scare you into not eating it? There are lots of dairy farms that keep organic cattle in excellent conditions. You're only going to stay disgusted and frightened for a short time... so why not seek out responsible producers instead?
Unfortunately even organic farms shoot male calves at birth or farm them out to veal producers (where they spend a few miserable months confined in crates before being slaughtered). I'm a vegetarian who consumes a lot of dairy and acknowledge the hypocrisy in financially supporting this industry when I condemn the meat industry on ethical grounds. I wish I could get dairy products from a Hindu dairy farmer: I would pay double for knowing the inevitable offspring weren't callously discarded the way they are presently.
I like everything that I gave up. I still like ice cream and I still like chicken I'm sure..but I won't eat it b/c it is messed up how they do things. ANd I want to be vegan. I just had a time of weakness. And It wasn't like I just woke up one day and decided to be vegan. I transitioned from being a vegetarian so the videos had little to do with it..they just remind me how horrible the animals are treated. And besides gi are you either a vegetarian OR a vegan? which is basically who this topic was aimed at so though you info may help others it sure isn't helping me. And besides I'm back on the wagon and I am gonna stick to it this time.
Thanks for telling me they're gross (the fake cheeses) I was always curious but didn't want to pay 5.00 for something that tasted like rubber.
Original Post by amber_poole:
Thanks for telling me they're gross (the fake cheeses) I was always curious but didn't want to pay 5.00 for something that tasted like rubber.
yeah i haven't even tried vegan cheese but i've had veggie shreds and yeah i would never buy them again..i haven't tried tofutti though..and usually i like all their stuff especially the better than cream cheese garlic and chive or whatever it is..sooooo good.. even my non veg/vegan friend loves it!
Original Post by nicolepund1:
I was vegan for about 5 months..and then I went to Key West to visit my best friend and I let all my cravings get the best of me. I didn't eat meat or anything I just mostly consumed dairy products. I went vegetarian for about 3 weeks until I realized I was gaining weight again! Though I did give up eating animal products for partly for ethical reasons I mainly gave it up for diet reasons. And I just proved to myself why I need to be vegan. I know I can't be perfect b/c I know I will eat seafood once in awhile..since I will be moving to Key West in 2 months. but I definitely don't want to eat all the dairy and all that stuff. So my question is.. How do you go back after you fell off? I mean Obviously people are gonna say just do it but I had that wonderful taste of cheese and now my body..or hell maybe it's just my mind that craves it. So any advice on how you got back on or ways to fight the cravings especially when I'm gonna be living in a house of omnivores..
Seems like you are developing an eating disorder and masking it by "being vegan".
UD
Original Post by umneydurak:
Original Post by nicolepund1:
I was vegan for about 5 months..and then I went to Key West to visit my best friend and I let all my cravings get the best of me. I didn't eat meat or anything I just mostly consumed dairy products. I went vegetarian for about 3 weeks until I realized I was gaining weight again! Though I did give up eating animal products for partly for ethical reasons I mainly gave it up for diet reasons. And I just proved to myself why I need to be vegan. I know I can't be perfect b/c I know I will eat seafood once in awhile..since I will be moving to Key West in 2 months. but I definitely don't want to eat all the dairy and all that stuff. So my question is.. How do you go back after you fell off? I mean Obviously people are gonna say just do it but I had that wonderful taste of cheese and now my body..or hell maybe it's just my mind that craves it. So any advice on how you got back on or ways to fight the cravings especially when I'm gonna be living in a house of omnivores..
Seems like you are developing an eating disorder and masking it by "being vegan".UD
an eating disorder..?? are you serious!?!? how could i possilbe have an eating disorder and be 40 pounds over weight.
Lets see you are over weight, chose one of the most restrictive diets as primary reason to loose weight, you were on a less restrictive diet until you started to gain, you "scare" yourself to stay on it by watching PETA videos. So yeah you are on sure path to an eating disorder.
UD
Losing weight is not the only reason why i quit consuming animal products. it was the original reason..and still part of the reason now but I love animals too much. and it's not like i went from eating normal food right to vegan. I did it all slow..first cut out meat,then seafood, then eggs,then dairy..cheese was very last thing i cut out. And have you watched any videos of animals getting slaughtered or how they are taken care of in some places?! I just watch them as a reminder on why i originally wanted to stop eating animals and animal by products. Eating disorder is definitely not in my future especially when I am in a house were my mom is bulimic and my brother is insane about his weight. I still eat really healthy. who wouldn't freak out after losing 25 pounds and they start to eat other foods and they start gaining weight back fast?! I'm pretty sure most the people on here would be pretty upset by it.
I haven't seen the videos, I think they are very biased, but I was present as a kid few times when animals were killed.
UD
Biased or not..they are disturbing. I am part of PETA but even I think some of the stuff they do is insane and taking it too far..the videos though are heart wrenching.
I totally agree with gi-jane. You seem to be doing this for the complete wrong reasons.
Going vegan shouldn't be a chore, or something you have to "scare" yourself into. It may be the beginning reason to why you start, but not to keep it going. Life's too short to hate the diet your on, and constantly stress about what you can and can't eat.
Although, it's disgusting to me, you should stay on a meat diet if that's what you really want. At least you wouldn't be stressing about not eating things 24/7. and in all honesty you'd probably be healthier.
Tell me this, if you had already seen the videos and you claim to 'care ' about animals so much, how could you possibly even look at dairy the same way again? You claimed to eat hoards of it while on vacay. Did those videos not come creeping back in the back of your mind? Someone who really enjoyed saving the planet and animals alike would have maybe considered that piece of cheese, but thought about all the suffering and denied it. It should be second nature.
Also, i'm fed up with your defensive attitude. You asked for advice, you got it.
deal with it.
Original Post by jeanniebrooke:
I totally agree with gi-jane. You seem to be doing this for the complete wrong reasons.
Going vegan shouldn't be a chore, or something you have to "scare" yourself into. It may be the beginning reason to why you start, but not to keep it going. Life's too short to hate the diet your on, and constantly stress about what you can and can't eat.
Although, it's disgusting to me, you should stay on a meat diet if that's what you really want. At least you wouldn't be stressing about not eating things 24/7. and in all honesty you'd probably be healthier.
Tell me this, if you had already seen the videos and you claim to 'care ' about animals so much, how could you possibly even look at dairy the same way again? You claimed to eat hoards of it while on vacay. Did those videos not come creeping back in the back of your mind? Someone who really enjoyed saving the planet and animals alike would have maybe considered that piece of cheese, but thought about all the suffering and denied it. It should be second nature.
Also, i'm fed up with your defensive attitude. You asked for advice, you got it.
deal with it.
i'm not being defensive. And I don't wanna eat a meat diet..did I ever once say I ate meat?! nope sure didn't. I don't hate being vegan. I said it is hard sometimes since I am new at it. It's hard going from doing something you did for 25 years then changing it. And i was simply asking the vegans how they got back on track if they have got off track before. I didn't ask for people to tell me I'm doing things for the wrong reasons or to tell me I am on my way to an eating disorder which i still think is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. And of course I thought about what I was eating before I ate. And just b/c I ate cheese that all of a sudden means I don't like animals anymore?! I felt guilty after I did it. and I didn't eat hoards of cheese. ANd i don't stress 24/7. Overall I find it pretty easy to be vegan. Sometimes I just crave things. And I know the longer I do it the easier it will get.
Well then why are you posting ? Since you seem to have all the answers.
ps. Saying that you are on your way to an eating disorder is NOT a stupid thing to say, as you have many of the tell-tale signs.
I had an eating disorder when i was 30 pounds overweight. It eventually left me 20 pounds underweight, thank you.
So don't brush off that assumption so lightly.
