Obsessed

I've found that, since switching back to a vegan diet, I have become fairly obsessive about research regarding every aspect of it. Because of my choice to become vegan being more about animal rights and the environmental issues, I'm constantly reading articles and finding videos about all of this that I find fascinating and horrifying. It seems overwhelming to me that more people do not choose to give up animal products...but anyway, my real distress comes when I try to share these things with other people. I don't really think it's necessary for me to go into a long explanation about how unreceptive a lot of people can be, so... My questions are: Did anyone else experience this upon becoming/transitioning into veganism, and if so, did the overwhelming nature of it die down a bit so that you didn't mind just keeping it to yourself, or has it remained as powerful as it was originally? Does veganism just become so integrated into your life that you hardly notice it? Do you ever find yourself no longer obsessed?

I'm not sure that this is as clear a question as I would like it to be, but hopefully to point of it is there.

Did anyone else experience this upon becoming/transitioning into veganism:?

Yes, I was and am still obsessed. In the beginning I just spouted everything off as I learned it and ppl scoffed at me. Then I realized that I needed to know the exact reasons why I'm Vegan- and that I needed to explain those reasons in a non threatening and CLEAR way. SO I had to research even more.

and did the overwhelming nature of it die down a bit so that you didn't mind just keeping it to yourself?

Because I live in a meat packing town I am literally mocked by the people I Work with if I bring it up. So if they ask me a question, I will speak. If they don't, I will not. People only listen if they're curious, so there is no point in wasting your breath or act as a walking talking billboard.

or has it remained as powerful as it was originally?

It's just as powerful-- I just choose when to express it as opposed to announcing it at random

Does veganism just become so integrated into your life that you hardly notice it?

Not in the beginning! But the longer you do it, then yes. But there will always be times when there might be a craving. But I feel in another year I will be Vegan just as I was Vegetarian. Here's a story:

3 weeks ago, my mother asked me to pick up a meal from a fast food place (Popeyes). It was 2 chicken legs and a buttery biscuit. When carrying it later into her work place,  a gentleman announced how delicious Popeyes was and how he was jealous of "my" meal. I just smiled and kept walking. But as I did, I realized that what I carried had not even crossed my mind as something I wanted to eat nor had any temptation to eat. It was a non food. I could have been carrying a rock for all the temptation it carried. I remarked on this to my brother ( a vegetarian) and he laughed and said he knew what I meant.

I feel that, eventually, I will think that way of cheese and ice cream. (I already feel that way about eggs! I think they're gross now and can't imagine why I ever started eating them in the first place.) I've been a vegan wanna be for nearly 5 months now (with only true success in the last 2)

Do you ever find yourself no longer obsessed?

When I have all my answers for the reasons why concisely in my head-- until then, probably not. I'll still follow my Vegan communities, join the debate, and try the new recipes people are creating.

I hang on Livejournal.com. I love it, and feel no attacks from omnivores there-- as obviously they wouldn't follow a Vegan community/join it. It's more of a way of life on there, and not just a diet.

I recommend:

Veganpeople

Vegancooking

Good Luck!

Hey pumpkinsquash!

I'm not a vegan, but I've been a vegetarian for the last twenty years of my adult life, and I've likely had a few similar experiences.  I too became a vegetarian for animal rights reasons. 

While in college, I joined an animal rights group and began finding out more than I ever wanted to about the abysmal way consumerist societies treat animals in general and livestock in particular.  It was this information of course that convinced me to make the switch to vegetarianism.

For probably the first two years I continued to keep up on the information gathering, but it became too overwhelming and depressing.  I'd say that most of the information I have about animal rights with relation to livestock is out of date, but based on what I've seen in the media it seems things really haven't changed much, at least not for the better.

It's been my general experience that when people find out I'm a vegetarian, they typically react negatively, getting defensive or ridiculing my beliefs (jokingly or not), and only occasionally asking sincere questions about why I stopped eating meat.  I have always attributed the negative reactions to a feeling on the part of others that I am making some sort of value judgment of them by my being a vegetarian, which I am not.  I became a vegetarian because of how I feel about something personally, and have not tried to sermonize nor to convert others who are not open to it.

It's only been the last few years, since I switched to a field with a significant number of people from India in it (many of whom are vegetarians), that it has seemed to become somewhat less remarkable that I don't eat meat.

Just my opinions and experience.

Yes, I have definitely experienced it.  I think while the passion/obsession remains with you always, it does have an ebb and flow.  Sometimes it will burn brightly and other times it will go the back burner.  Veganism or vegetarianism does become more natural to you, over time, though. 

Overall, though, I am much more "food oriented" than I was before.  I am constantly thinking about food, and what I can and can't eat, planning meals, etc.  This is good in that it has made me into a much better cook, but bad, because obsessing about anything is usually never a good thing...

Of course, I'm only going on my third year here so I don't know what it is like over the course of a lifetime.

Well, I'm a vegetarian but:

When I started I was a bit obsessed, mostly with making sure that I wasn't eating anything I wasn't supposed to be.

I didn't try to share things with people for the most part.  Why not?  It's kind of like religion...most people don't like someone elses shoved in their face.

It's wonderful to be who you are and happy about it but, pushing it in othe rpeople's faces is not okay.  It's rude and it's not tollerent of other people's beliefs.

I have only one vegetarian friend and I respect everyone elses eating choices as long as they respect mine.  It's a personal choice.

As for how it's in my life....well I don't really notice it at all.  I kind of forgot that I'm different from most people that I know.  I remember a year after being vegetarian my sister and I were at the store and she got a slim jim and I almost grabbed one too before I realized what I was doing.  It's just not a big deal.  I still read labels on even some of the food I'm certain has no meat or animal products I don't eat but, otherwise it's normal for me.  I don't accidentally pick up meaty products but, I also don't really notice the difference between how I eat now and how I did before.

I think with veganism there is always a certain level of obsession, there's a lifestyle aspect that definitely demands a bit more attention devoted to the details of where things come from and how they're produced. Gathering information is also a good way to stay informed on recent developments within the movement and other findings that further support the benefits of a vegan lifestyle. Staying informed is important when having discussions on the whys and what-have-yous, there are some people that actually do want to know more about your choice in a non-confrontational way and being informed will always help this along.

I got to know the basic facts about what things are vegan what aren't and then also, as I learned more, became more attuned to the reasons and passion behind my choices. This helps me have conversations about being vegan and also helping others understand their own choices from a different perspective. I came to veganism from vegetarianism and knew both were right for me at the time, but I might not have been clear on the reasoning right away. This is something that has developed over time and I think learning more about it will always be something I do to continue developing my understanding.

It's easy to fall into a fanatical way of thought, but I don't think reading up on current events in the movement and other articles supporting our lifestyle is altogether bad. Plus I think these are things you will always have passion for, it's something that I believe in completely and hope to keep the struggle alive simply because there are so many people who refuse to give up animal products.