Vegan roll call?

Just curious how many of us vegans are on the site.

Maybe just say if you are vegan, for how long, and why you made the choice?

I've been vegan for 5 years... made the choice for only ethical reasons (but now it's ethics and health).  I went cold turkey (no pun intended) from eating meat to being vegan....

Hello there fellow vegans! I was born and raised vegetarian, and went vegan 6 years ago (slightly chubby vegan as well ;). 20 years old, in the DC area.

This is my first time in here and I'm hoping I am doing this correctly.  I know very little about forums.

Hi there, I'm in Vancouver, WA and just started Dr. Neal Barnard's vegan program, on Monday June 4th.  This is supposed to help reverse diabetes.  It's really strict but thus far I've not cheated, which in itself is a miracle.  I've been trying to read up as much as I can to help find interesting ideas to keep me out of the candy/ice cream section, which pretty much steered me to the land of Diabetes to start with.  I'm trying to teach myself to like vegetables and I'm hoping to be a quick learner. 

My diet has been vegan (strict vegetarian, I say however, see next paragraph for reason) for 5 months maybe.  I went from meat-eating to vegan accidentally by phasing more vegetables into my diet after being sick and I liked the effects.  I was buying soy milk and cow's milk alternating weeks, but the cow's milk didn't taste so good after a while and I wondered if it really wasn't as healthy as I thought.  Then I read about the ethics, watched some gruesome video and decided that never again would I eat a sick animal.  If I've just eaten one such animal in my lifetime, it's too many and I'm sad that I've probably eaten several.  It can't be healthy and anything involving tortured beings is not fit to be food and is doing the environment, animals and people no good, was my logic.

But I don't believe you can call yourself a vegan if it's only a strict vegetarian diet you follow.  There is already enough confusion about what is vegetarian.  Fish?  Chicken, anyone?  People don't get it.  For the moment, I tell people I am becoming vegan (gradually getting rid of animal products I have and not buying any more) and then what that means...

I just signed up on this site yesterday.  I've been a vegan for almost seven years.  Before that, I was a lacto-ovo vegetarian for quite a while. Initially, I lost a lot of weight, then stabilized at around 130 pounds until I got pregnant in 2003.  But after my pregnancy, I lost most of the 35 pounds I gained in about 18 months without extreme dieting.  Now, I find I can't get below 133-134, so I think I'll have to try a little harder.  I know there's a lot of controversy over what people who don't eat any animals should call themselves.  I like vegan best, because I don't eat any animals, and I try as much as possible not to buy products (clothing, medicine, cosmetics, etc.) that are made without animal products , but in today's society, I think it is impossible to be 100% vegan.  It's a great ideal, however.

I'm curious how many vegans or strict vegetarians are losing weight, and if so, how.  The best diet I've found so far is in a book called "Eat to Live."

Hi Hopeful,  I've been eating fat-free, dairy-free, oil free and meat free for seven days now.  I've not lost much in seven days (3.5 lbs) but my sugar level has dropped considerably.  I had to do this for me as my health was spinning out of control, and my tummy never felt good after eating meat products.  I pray daily for the strength to keep this program up because I am a junk food junkie and sweet lover.  I'm diligently looking up any kind of vegan dessert and snack recipes that sound good.. hahahaha  Good luck to you.

Thanks Cranky,

Good luck to you, too.

Thank you, hopeful.  Still trying to do research on recipes so I know what to look for in stores.  This is an interesting way of life.

I've been vegan for almost 7 months, before that, I was a vegetarian for about 5 years. I just leaped fast into veganism and just let go of everything. I hated regular milk anyway.

I learned about rennet in cheese and the whole process of cheese hardening and couldn't possibly continue digesting cheese or any dairy for that matter knowing what I do now without feeling tremdous remorse. All I know is that, I'm safe from the crap that is the meat and diary industry.. and don't have plans to go back.

Good job, Bell,  I'm still in the learning process but thus far from just reading all the comments in here, I think I've made a wise decision.  I know that my gut has already noticed a calmness from not filling it with meat and dairy.  It's amazing because I have always loved cheese, cottage cheese..  fish.. etc..  but I've avoided it and can already tell the positive side from my decision.  I don't think I'll ever turn back.. I like feeling better already.

Cranky, You're just like me. I also enjoyed cheese very much (all kinds especially sharp cheddar).. I was raised on it :-/ Which surprises me even more how I've evolved into a complete veggie! It's shocking once you realize you've done such a drastic lifestyle change and are sticking to it!~

Being without cheese is a process and what I call a "trial period".  I went through cheese withdrawl. =D I remember grabbing the sargento natural cheese packets and just contemplating them. LOL! But, I've grown out of that and feel proud when I tell servers at restaurants "oh btw, NO MEAT AND NO DIARY".  They usually widen their eyes and say "ofcourse". You must be very self-disciplined and strict. Even if others think your anal.. remember they just don't understand sometimes.

I've learned that not all cheeses contain rennet though. So, I won't criticize all dairy farms as a whole. There are some popular supermarket brands that contain vegetable/microbial rennet. But I'm just too lazy to look and most of all.. too disapointed. I hope all continues well with your diary-free plan. It's a great thing :)

Hi there. I just joined today. I've been vegan for about 4 years, and I also did it "cold turkey". After making my decision, the next day I just did it and have never looked back.

I went vegan after learning how it's produced and whats in the food i was eating. i was grossed out. i couldnt believe i was eating something and i didnt even know what was in it.

umm, haha im trying to go vegan cold turkey, todays day 5 lol.i didnt eat meat except for maybe once a month before but the dairy...that i thought would be tough. but i like the not bloating part of soy better :D

Hey there! :D I'm a vegan as well, and have been one for just a month. I feel great though and I don't miss meat or dairy at all. After watching one of those PETA videos, it's not a really hard task. I did it mostly for health reasons, but now I'm glad that going vegan can help some animals out there :3

Well today is day 13 for me.  Amazingly, it's not been a struggle like I feared it would be.  I'm so pleased.  The one thing I'm anxious to know is...  being diabetic.. I've always craved sweets like crazy but since I started this program, I've not had ONE sweet craving.  This is totally unnormal for me, but I'm loving it.  My daily blood tests show my sugar levels are dropping.  Wow!!!!!  I don't ever want to go back to the old me...  I like feeling better, losing weight and keeping sugar out of my system.  Good thoughts and luck to all the rest of you!!!!

>raises hand<

Vegan!!

I'm 20, been vegan for a few months. About 3 months... I think?

Who knows.

YAY VEGANS.-

Well, hopefully we can all keep up the good work, good attitude and good health or at least improve it.  Wohooooo!

Well, actually I have been a veg since I was 12.  My fiance has been vegan for the last 4ish years and we have lived together the whole time, and he does the cooking in the family, so when at home I eat vegan.  I never went vegan because I thought I couldn't live without cheese heh, but I just finnished a cleanse and realised....it isn't that hard!!! So today is my 1st day trying out vegan...I decided I am not going to actually label myself until I successfully make it a week haha.  But I am very confident I will.  For me it started as ethics and now it is health as well.  My boyfriend gave me the book "Vegan Freak" by bob torres and Jenna Torres to read so I am going to start reading that today.  Anyone heard of or read it before?  We also listen to their podcasts all the time. 

Anyways heres to day one!!!

Hi Kalika, no I've not heard of the book but I will look for it.  What is podcasts and how do I listen to it?  Thanks, cranky

I became vegan about 8 months ago "cold turkey" as you said also.  The Peta website was what did it for me. I find that I've never felt better physically, as well as mentally. :)

I am vegan (well 95% of the time) and have been since last September. I started while taking a college course on animals in society... could no longer justify my actions of using animals when it is not necessary. Like most everyone else has said I also enjoy the health benefits, especially with family history of high LDLs and Trigs. I have a really hard time when I go out to eat finding vegan options but I stick to vegetarian when I go out.  I live near Boulder, CO so there are a few vegan restaurants in the area but people rarely think about those when choosing a place to eat unless I plan the event.