I'm struggling to go Vegan?!


Question: As my veggie/vegan friends on Y!A know, I have tried going vegan from being veggie.
I would love nothing more than to go vegan. I even made vegan banana muffins today and was really proud of myself.

However, I feel like such a failure. I have ate only vegan foods for two days. Already I feel really weak and I have no energy.
Plus, I gave in to natural yogurt today (which is not vegan).
I feel really upset that I don't have what it takes to be a vegan.
Thanks for any help
scottie


Answers: As my veggie/vegan friends on Y!A know, I have tried going vegan from being veggie.
I would love nothing more than to go vegan. I even made vegan banana muffins today and was really proud of myself.

However, I feel like such a failure. I have ate only vegan foods for two days. Already I feel really weak and I have no energy.
Plus, I gave in to natural yogurt today (which is not vegan).
I feel really upset that I don't have what it takes to be a vegan.
Thanks for any help
scottie

It takes some time to make the transition, so don't worry if it takes awhile & if you make some mistakes along the way. You've only been vegan for two days so it's a little too soon to conclude that you "don't have what it takes" :) Maybe you need to make a more gradual transition - see this site for a guide: http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=06makin...

Since you mention weakness, it sounds like you might not be eating enough calories. This seems to be a common problem for new vegans. So make sure you're eating enough high-calorie foods.

You can use this vegan food pyramid as a meal-planning guide: http://pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/food_...

What I'd do is write down your favorite vegetarian breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. Then figure out how you could turn them into vegan versions. For instance, instead of scrambled eggs, you could have scrambled tofu.

Hope this helps. Hang in there!

go get yerself a 20 oz. steak and quit being a limp-wristed waste of skin and hair."WAAAAAAA....i couldnt resist the YOUGURT!" FKKN YOUGURT?????

try soy products? those are good dairy replacements.

your body is trying to tell you that it isn't for you. Your body is missing something that it needs and isn't getting. Some people can't be total vegan and there isn't any shame in it. I tried total vegan and quite a bit of it just made me gag or throw up---when I went down to mostly veggie and an occasional fish or chicken I was fine. Your body knows what it needs and will give you the signal. Most people in ancient times at meat, but not much. There was an item on Yahoo today that wrote about how Egyptians were mostly deprived of meat--- God meant us to eat meat--just not the way most of us consume it today--anything with cloven hooves was considered unclean (pig etc etc). Quit beating yourself up. If you want to try again, do so gradually to let your body get use to it--just make sure to get your protein or you will not have muscle and will get weak.

Don't get yourself down. You are doing great as a vegetarian and it seems to suit you more so give being vegan a try another time. I'm not sure if you buy and make your own foods but when you move out and/or get money to afford your own food, it will be much simpler. Veganism isn't for everyone but people who stick it out really reap the rewards later.

dont struggle - its actually quite easy & its great you have made the decision to do so

a lot of folks may feel tired when you give up dairy. the reason being its full of morphine so you may be going through a detox.
there is also lots of other addictive stuff in milk & cheese.

the best way is to find lots of great things you can have.
being vegan means there are lots of tasty foods that will boost your energy & make you feel better
join a local vgean group or find vegan groups on the net
find out what their favourite foods are
get to a local food tasting

there are lots of great vegan sausages & burgers, fake meats if you need em, just without all the gristle & addictive fats
lots of vegan cheese & soft cheese, ice cream

do a little research, get some support, fellow vegans are great for help
dont worry if you fall off the wagon as its not something you fail at, just we all get better at it each day
some good sites below

being a vegan isnt about fitting in with friends,
you have to belive what you are doing is right...
the reason i dont eat meat or animal products is because i know that something had to die for me to have this, and i think about what they must have been feeling and thinking while they were being murdered. i dont belive animals are born just to die for human use. and the sad fact is that many are abused there entire life until they are slaughtered. i belive that there is no animal product produced that doesnt have a negitave effect on that animal.

if you go vegan then do it because its what you feel is right :)

The first time I went vegan it was really hard. The eggs and milk were easy but the cheese was excruciating. In fact I believe most vegetarians to be cheese and wheatatarians as these are the two foods the consume to most of.

If you want help I strongly suggest using substitutes like soy yogurts. They have ones that are very close in taste and have a good flavor. Soy silk has a lot of good imitations like milks, yogurts, and creamers. I don't miss these diary versions one bit now.

As for the cheese they have slices and block versions that though aren't yummie cold they taste just fine melted. I use them on not dogs, tofurky and veggie deli sandwiches. I also make my own pizza and use grated vegan cheeses. Some of them are not bad, but as I mentioned they taste better melted. I try not to use too much of it but rely or taste sauces, etc.

What you are really going through is transition. The first part is probably going to be the hardest. If you don't think you can stand to go cold tofurky and longer I suggest limiting your intake. Try only have it say no more than twice a week, then cut down to once a week, and then only when at a potluck, etc. Sometimes the gradual approach works better but at some point you need to not look back or the chain reaction starts up all over again.

In any case I support your efforts and know just how hard it can be. Just have faith it will get easier you just have to keep trying.

Blessings : )

It does take some getting used to, but if you're truly struggling, perhaps it just is not the right lifestyle for you. Humans are omnivores by nature, don't deprive your body of what it's telling you it needs.

youre obviously just lacking some nutrients. no one is incapable of being vegan dont listen to those people. make sure you are eating all kinds of beans, hummus, soy milk, soy yogurt, hemp products which have all nine necessary omega fatty acids, eat veggie burgers, a variety of grains, just expand your diet more and youll start feeling healthier. and if you find it hard to get the right foods then take a vegan dietary supplement to help you out.

If you are struggling perhaps your inner dedication is not as strong as your outward persona.

I wouldn't give up yet - even though I experienced a boost of energy straight after becoming vegan, other vegans have told me that their body needed some time to adjust. Stick with it a few more days - make sure you're eating right. Try calcium+ soymilks and all that jazz.
Obviously, if you get sick, that's a completely different matter.

hi Scottie, kyle, alternativesouls, john, billboard and karen have given you some fantastic advice and support!
Please make sure you are eating enough of the good food, your banana muffins are lovely(received mine in the post this morning!! :)))) but you cant live on those!
make sure you have a good breakfast, cereals/toast and fruit, and try and buy some soya yoghurt's for snacking on, also some dried apricots/nuts(walnuts/almonds) are easy to carry around with you.
try that sandwich idea i gave you, its full of goodness!
take each day as it comes and use the vegan websites for more information!
good luck! :)x

dont.

Don't be one then? Being vegan kinda sucks, you cant eat much at all





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