For Everyone Who Thought They Would Always Be Vegan

So it's been over a year since I've written anything for this blog and I think it's time for an update. First of all, yes I am currently vegan. However, I haven't been vegan this whole time. I have been on this crazy back and forth, up and down roller-coaster for the past year. I just barely started my vegan lifestyle over again on New Year's Day, and this time I plan to stick with it for good. For real this time. But since you're probably wondering let me just tell you what happened that caused me to quit in the first place.

Back in October of 2014 I reconnected with an old love (now fiance) who of course is not vegan. I had honestly (and unrealistically) hoped that I would be able to convince him to be vegan so that I wouldn't be the only person I knew who had this different lifestyle. I was really relying on this because I was starting to feel like it was getting to be too hard to do on my own. Support is a very important part of making any lifestyle change. But things did not go as I wanted them to and I was stuck with the very lonely realization that I was still the only person I knew who was even vegetarian.

This concept was so crushing for me that I decided to just quit. That's right, I gave up. I gave up because I didn't feel like I could do it alone. Of course I could have, but it didn't seem like it at the time. I'm sure that this is a normal feeling for anyone who is different. I'm not proud of giving up on something so important but there's nothing I can do about it now.

So for a few months I just ate like everyone else again. For the record, my first time eating meat again was less than impressive. But I still did it anyway. Soon enough I began to realize that I still wanted to be vegan, or at least vegetarian. That's what started the cycle. A vicious cycle of going back and forth from "normal" to vegetarian, back to normal, back to vegan. Nothing ever lasted, especially my meatless days. I was so stuck in all the peer pressure and didn't like the idea of not being able to just enjoy all the same things everyone else did. It was comfortable, convenient, and I easily got used to it since it had been that way most of my life.

But by the end of the year, I had made a decision. I knew for sure what I wanted to do. I wanted to be vegan, and I was going to make it happen for the long run no matter how many times I had to try. I started with going vegetarian again, like I did the first time. After about 3 months of cutting out meat, I planned on going full vegan. On January 1st 2016 I began my vegan lifestyle again.

So while I did fall off the wagon and hit a few bumps along the way, I found my way back to what is right for me. The reason I wrote this is to show anyone else who gave up on being vegan that if you decide you want to come back to this lifestyle you can. Anyone can do it.

What It’s Like to be Vegan

                Being a vegan is hard. Not really because we have to give up foods we once loved, but for deeper and much more meaningful reasons. We understand the absolute sad state of the world especially as a result of animal treatment and consumption. We know that something needs to be done, we know exactly what needs to be done, but we also know that it is unlikely that most people will do it. We feel for the animals and for the planet which everyone relies upon. People seem to act as if they care too, but it is usually not enough to convince them to make a change. We can’t force anyone to change. All we can do is try to educate, sit back, and watch the madness continue. That is a very difficult place to be in emotionally.

                All I want is for people to wake up and understand the effects of what they are doing. People need to stop being selfish and start to really care about other sentient beings, the planet, and their own health. It’s easy to shrug these things off and just keep doing what we are used to, especially when we can’t see the immediate consequences, but that’s no excuse. I can’t tell you how hard it has been to watch my friends and family continue to consume meat, dairy, eggs, and other animal ingredients. Knowing the implications, it is very challenging to tolerate. Every time I witness this I just wish I could get on my soap box, have an extreme education session right in the moment, and then watch it sink in as they commit to making the change. If only life worked that way…

                So far, I haven’t really met anyone personally who has been malicious towards veganism, but there are many false assumptions and mockeries of it. Some people seem to think that we have some sort of hidden agenda and that we are trying to convert as many people as possible in order to benefit ourselves. Honestly, I don’t see how you could rationally come to that conclusion, as vegans in general are not a business, do not ask for money, and gain virtually nothing from any conversions. Yes, it would be amazing to have vegan friends, but that’s not my main motivation, only a plus. We are motivated by the cause, just like charities and walks for breast cancer; we do it because we CARE about the world.

                Some people think that vegans are stupid, miseducated, or foolish for taking on such an “extreme” diet choice. This is ironic because veganism, (when done right!) is the absolute healthiest diet choice there is. It can greatly lower cholesterol, prevent or cure cancer, prevent heart diseases, greatly reduce body fat, and much more. What’s extreme is the number of doctor visits the average American has in their lifetime, and not to mention the cost of all of them. Various surgeries, transplants, chemo, liposuction, and the like are absolutely ridiculous to put yourself through. I don’t see why you would rather go through those kinds of procedures, and fork out all that money, just so you can keep making yourself sick with your poor diet. As for the deficiency arguments against veganism, honestly there is no excuse to be deficient in anything as a vegan. People tend to refer to studies that show many vegans being deficient in certain nutrients, which may be accurate. However, just because some vegans are doing it wrong, doesn’t mean we all are, and it certainly doesn’t mean it can’t be done right. The only exceptions would be in the case of say, Eskimos for example. Eskimos need to consume high amounts of animal fat just to stay warm in the cold climate. But have you ever stopped to think that maybe humans just aren’t meant to live in such environments?! I’m not sure exactly why they stay, but it would certainly benefit them to migrate.

                There are many animals that are exploited by humans. The most obvious are the ones that are enslaved, tortured, and killed to be used as food. However this is not the only issue. There are also the issues of animal ingredients in other products, (such as clothing) as well as animal experimentation. Some less recognized issues include zoos, aquariums, circuses, and even some practices involving “pet” animals. Humans tend to treat animals either as property, commodity, entertainment, clothing, or food when they should really be treated as friends and equals. There’s no reason they should not be just as important as other human beings. We all have needs, we all feel pain, and we all want to live. There is a term that describes this issue overall: speciesism.  It’s just like racism or sexism, except worse. It’s a prejudiced point of view that stems from a belief that humans are somehow superior to (i.e. more deserving than) all other species. It doesn’t matter where this idea comes from, because it is the responsibility of everyone to end it. It is irrelevant how intelligent an individual is, or what their skills are. We need to realize that every being on this planet deserves a long, loving, happy life.

                I can’t help but feel like many people will ignore this either because they don’t want to hear about it or just don’t feel like reading this much. The hardest part of all this for me personally is that even with how hard I try to educate people, and not even force them, they still seem not to care. It makes me feel as if I’m not making as big of an impact with this as I could or would like to. I know that it can take time for people to come to terms with things like this and decide to do anything about it, but time is running out. My patience is irrelevant, because the damage is still being done either way. I just wish I could do more to stop it… but I can’t.

Step 1: Vegetarianism

            I love meat. Yeah, I said it. I really do love the taste of meat. I love it so much that it used to be my absolute favorite food. It was probably the one thing I craved the most on the typical diet – besides cheese of course. I remember many times wondering what I wanted to eat for my next meal, and thinking to myself, “I don’t know, I just want something with meat.” I loved going to a steakhouse and ordering a nice, big, juicy steak or even some barbecue ribs. Whenever I would go to a buffet I would literally go and fill my plate with about 5 different meats that they had sitting out. I loved burgers, hot wings, teriyaki chicken, and pepperoni pizza. So why don’t I eat any of that stuff anymore?

            It all began around March 2013 when I came across a YouTube video by Freelee the Banana Girl, explaining that the best way to lose weight is by being vegan. This interested me. I then proceeded to view many of her other videos in which she described all of the benefits of being a raw vegan. Now, it’s not always the best idea to rely on information from just one person and I did do further research after that, but I was already convinced that the raw vegan lifestyle is the healthiest there is. She was the one who first inspired me to be vegan, and she managed to do so by simply talking about one benefit of veganism.

            Throughout the rest of the year my (now ex) boyfriend and I wanted to become vegan but we found it to be very challenging. We made small, gradual changes such as switching to almond milk for most of our milk needs. We had every intention of discontinuing our meat purchasing but it was harder than we thought. We just weren’t motivated enough.

            In the fall, along with our other college classes we enrolled in a botany class entitled “Environment Appreciation”, in which we learned about environmental issues such as global warming. This showed us that climate change is a real issue that must be addressed immediately in any and every way possible. Along with charts, graphs, and videos proving that the earth is heating up, I distinctly remember a documentary the professor showed us called Forks Over Knives. This documentary also highlights the benefits of minimizing the animal products in one’s diet and shows just how damaging those foods actually are to the human body.

            Since I was now more interested in the environment than I had been before, I did some research of my own. What I discovered was that meat and dairy production is the worst thing for the environment. It is indeed worse than CO₂ emitted by cars, worse than wasting electricity, and worse than forgetting to recycle. If that seems hard to believe, please refer to this article:  www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/global-warming-not-about-powerplants-merely-about-plantpower/

            So now I had even more of a reason to be vegan, but it still wasn’t enough. It wasn’t until November 30^th, 2013 that I was able to swear off meat.

What had suddenly given me this strength?

The night before, I had been thinking a lot about veganism and came across another documentary. This one was called Vegucated. This documentary certainly showed that being vegan is much healthier – which I already knew – but it also showed the true horror that the animals go through in the process of making these products. This was something that I personally had not given much thought to before. I was apparently very ignorant about this side of the issue, as I would venture to guess most people are. The footage of what goes on inside factory farms is incredibly disturbing, disgusting, and depressing. It made me feel terrible and selfish for wanting meat so much. I realized that the temporary enjoyment I received from eating meat was not worth causing the constant suffering that farm animals endure.

So then I was vegetarian for 6 months (I am now vegan). During this time I experienced weight loss, increased energy, and improved digestion. It dropped my waist size from 29 inches to 26 inches and gave me a more consistently flat stomach. Of course my family was surprised and hasn’t yet learned how to cater to my diet at family gatherings, but the important part is that they still accept me. The bottom line is that although it’s challenging at times, it is worth it.

And although you will benefit from this type of change in your diet, it shouldn’t be a selfish act. It is far better to gain motivation from knowing that you are causing the least amount of suffering to others, and that you are doing your part for the environment.