Need help sticking to being vegan!!
I've been vegan for some time now, and so far I've been okay as regards non-vegan food cravings. Ice cream was a bit tricky, but really it was a pretty easy transition.
The last few days, though, I've been really struggling! I walked into the kitchen the other morning to find eggs and bacon sizzling and it took every bit of self-control to leave them be (being a bit hungover DEFINITELY didn't help), and today the croissants at the coffeeshop were singing my name. :-\
I want to stay vegan- I went vegan in the first place because of the environmental benifits and because I don't want to support animal abuse. I keep reminding myself of that but it gets tricky when I find myself having to skip over the absolutely scruptious-looking cupcakes at a friend's birthday. So, give me the reasons that keep you going! Health benifits and animal cruelty and drought in Australia!
Thanks all :)>>>
Just remember the reasons that got you motivated to do it in the first place, and how far you've come all ready! Theres one way to remind yourself how gross meat eating is, but, its not a fun one, i did it to remind myself when i first stopped eating meat. You can watch gross peta videos. Eh, only if you like think you really need reinforcement.
Also, Skinny Bitch is a good book to read, it made me rethink why i became vegan and further enforce it.
Also, try cooking new foods! Its always cool to see what all you can really eat and make!
sounds like you just need to start cooking & baking! that's the reason i never feel like im missing out on anything cus i find myself surrounded by more homemade goodies now than i ever did when i was vegetarian. if you had gone to your friends bday party with a dozen cookies & cream cupcakes for 1) you wouldve had something to eat and 2) they probably wouldve been better than the other ones and everyone would have been fawning all over them and treating you like some kind of baking goddess. seriously - thats what happens!
i never find myself thinking about all the things i can't eat because im always looking at the fantastic recipes on this site and elsewhere that show me what great things i can eat and i just get really into trying new things all the time.
have your friends over for a little dinner party or have a vegan potluck.. even assign them simple things like one brings chips and salsa, one brings fruit salad, one bring potatoes roasted with herbs and olive oil and you can make a main dish and a easy chocolate pb no bake pie. it will help reinforce that you can still eat together and when you see a table full of vegan food you'll see that being vegan doesnt mean you can't eat well.
stay strong! :)
I actually joined a local vegan meet up group, and that is super fun. We all get to learn new recipes and we can all eat whatever we want when we meet up because it's all vegan :D We've done potlucks, restaurant meetups, a sushi party, and we're even doing a vegan wine tasting! If you go to meetup.com and type in your zipcode, there is likely something in your area (if not vegan, at least vegetarian).
Also, as propinecone mentioned, start bringing your own food places. It's usually yummier than the other food (because most people don't cook from scratch and most vegans cook things from scratch more often than premade simply out of necessity) and you'll have something to eat and won't feel like you're missing out. Plus, cooking/baking is FUN! Ok, maybe not everything thinks so, but I sure do and when I really branched out and learned to cook new things, being vegan was not only easier but also exciting.
Good luck!
I know exactly how you feel ... I've been dealing with the same thing for the past week. It seems like as soon as I get tired or distracted, my self-control wavers. I've eaten real cheese this month, which is a first (it's been over 6 months).
The solution I've come up with is to wait until I have energy and then make a LOT of food beforehand. Big batches of soup, special bread. It's important to me to keep a snack that I like within reach at all times. Then I can mitigate the craving without giving up on my beliefs.
I think another big part of cravings is the fact that the food you want is already made ... maybe you could get someone else to make you dinner, or save a little money and go out for a vegan meal? Make it a treat, and remind yourself of how good your choices are for your body & the environment.
On a personal note: over the last 2 1/2 years, I've given up smoking, illicit drugs of all stripes, and alcohol. I've also become vegan in that period of time. None of these things have been easy, but the journey is worth it. Remember that relapse is a part of every process ... that's how we learn to change. Don't judge yourself for craving non-vegan foods. Just focus on taking it one day at a time, one meal at a time. If you slip up, deal with it and move on. You can do it. You know in your heart what is right.
Thank you everyone! I think you're right about needing to have more ready food around, I've sort of gotten into a potatoes and fried rice rut.
being vegan is such an individual choice - i think everyone has to find their own balance.
I hope the following doesn't offend anyone, but i believe that it's the spirit of trying to follow a vegan diet that's more important then the letter of the law. Everyone is different of course but sometimes - having the flexibility to waiver can make you stronger in the long run.
Some people can sit down, make a choice about their lifestyle diet - and have the conviction to follow through on a permanent basis w/o falter. Not everyone is like that. I certainly have my moments (can be described as days/weeks/months even years) where i waiver back/forth. Personally I am not comforting waivering outside the scope of vegetarianism, but since making a decision, about 10 years ago - to attempt and follow a vegan diet, i have struggled between vegan diet and vegetarian diet.
Be true to yourself. Take ownership of your choices and actions but avoid guilt - it serves no purpose. If you happen to have a "higher power" you commune with, ask for guidance and the strength to follow on your desired convictions. Sometimes we can make immediate changes in our life - to match those of our desired convictions - and sometimes the change can be more gradual.
Bottom line, search your heart, never let anyone guilt you into anything, take ownership of your actions, always be willing to change, be flexible, and be ready for when you feel the time comes to act on your convictions.
Hi thaleia! What also helps me is reading about how healthy it is to not eat animal products, and the amazing, wonderful benefits of consuming plants, especially unprocessed or raw. Check out "The China Study" if you haven't already!
:)
Broaden your food horizons! Try some new recipes and baked goods(to copy what everyone else said). At some point those cravings will go away. Go order a vegan donut or something until then ;). Or, conversely, look at Why Vegan to re-energize your dedication.
http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/