I have a great guest post for your from Georgia today, who went vegan a few months ago. This is filled with great tips for people looking to go vegan or just make some dietary changes in general. I know you’re going to enjoy it!
When I was 17, I started work with an Outdoor Summer Theatre, and my coworkers quickly became some of my closest friends. My friend Emily, in particular, was a vegan. At 17, I had no idea what this meant. I’d heard of being a vegetarian, and tried it out for a year in high school, but quickly dropped it because I was not getting proper nutrition. So being a vegan really weirded me out. I mean, not eating meat, dairy or cheese? What a freak!
Well, I am now 21, and have been a vegan for the past few months. And you know what? It’s not so weird! In fact, dare I say it, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done for my body, health and happiness. But the thing I find most frustrating about the diet actually has nothing to do with the diet at all! It has to do with everyone thinking I’m crazy. Ah yes, Karma has come around and bit me right on the butt.
Being a vegan is really not that hard at all. It’s only hard if you enter the diet thinking you will fail. Think of it as any diet you’ve ever been on, if you are fully committed to giving it your best effort, you will find it is so beneficial to your health!
Here are a few tips that I’ve found have helped me along the way!
Educate yourself
This one is especially important when it comes to nutrition. If you read up all the health benefits of eating "clean" or "vegan" you may begin to realize how important it is to eat well to keep you alive. Once you’ve read about all the health benefits, it will keep you motivated to continue eating healthy and not go back to meat or dairy, no matter the temptations.
Also, educate yourself by reading delicious recipe books! By seeing all of the variety of drool-worthy foods you can make with simple recipes, I guarantee you’ll be itching to pick up some groceries and get cooking!
Read Blogs
Okay, so I’m a little biased on this one, but I found reading other people’s experiences not only helped me see how easy a vegan diet really can be, it also gave me a great support system in the blogging world. In my early vegan days, I communicated with bloggers and they supported me in my efforts. Plus, bloggers are real people, so they can tell you what worked and what didn’t, where to get the best vegan products, and they can give you cheap, easy recipes to make!
Don’t do this alone
Like any weight loss diet; supportive friends always help you shed the weight. This also helps with being a vegan! If you have a friend who will cook with you, or if you’re lucky enough to have a friend who will become a vegan with you, you are more likely to have success with staying a vegan. I’ve found this especially true when going out to restaurants or dinner parties. Because my roommate has become a vegetarian with me, when we go out to restaurants neither of us feel pressure to eat meat, because we have each other to look out for. Trust me, if I’m eyeing the steak, she is quick to point out the fabulous roasted veggies.
Buy vegan products
Without changing your diet too much at the start of your journey; simply replace some of your non-vegan items for some other choices. For example, when I began I replaced my favorite mayonnaise with some vegan mayonnaise. And trust me when I say I did not notice a difference in flavor, at all. Once I made that jump, I moved onto vegan cheese, and eventually vegan burgers. No, the burgers do not taste like meat, but they are so incredibly delicious on their own that I no longer crave meat, instead I crave beans and grains!
I hope some of these tips help; I know they’ve been a real lifesaver for me some times! Just remember, the more conscious you are about the food you put in your body, the more confident and healthy you will begin to feel. And trust me when I say being a vegan has not only helped my health, but damn do I look good in my jeans!
Question: Have you ever made any dietary changes and thought it was “too hard” so you gave up?
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
Great post! I am ‘leaning vegan’ but not quite there yet. I agree that vegan mayo tastes just like the real thing! I became interested in veganism after browsing the Post Punk Kitchen website. So many yummy recipes that intrigued me and showed me how easy it can be. Now if only restaurants started offering a variety of vegan dishes, we’d be all set!
Great tips! When I had to give up wheat, it was really a struggle. But, realizing how it affected me negatively was just the push I needed!
Such great tips! I liked the point about fully committing like any diet… Commitment is key!
Great ideas! I’m coming up on month 4 of being vegan.
Chelsey, what made you decide to become vegetarian? And Georgia, what made you decide to become a vegan? Was it to lose weight or overall health or something else?
Thanks for the question - I am actually going to answer this in a post!
I became a vegan for many reasons, but it started because I really wanted to lose weight, and I didn’t have the money to keep buying lean meat every week. I stick to the diet now, because I feel strongly about the ethical treatment of animals, as well as feeling better about my body physically and emotionally!
Great post! I really loved reading about these chages in your lifestyle
I tried to give up gluten but gave up… I thought it would make me feel better but I wasn’t feeling any major results after a week, so I gave up…. Have no idea if I should have waited it our longer….. Maybe try again?!
What a big change to make, being vegan takes commitment for sure!
Great tips! I’m vegetarian but have always been intrigued and supportive of vegan diets!
Awesome info girl! Thanks for all the tips!
Ive never heard anyone who was seriously vegan (and lasted), refer to it as a diet or compare it to a diet.
not a fan. veganism shouldn’t be for weight loss. it should be about feeling better overall. if you’re “eyeing up the steak” - have it! stop depriving yourself just to fit in / look cool.
Maybe I should clarify a little bit. I originally started the diet to feel stronger and healthier (which resulted in weight loss) but now I am comfortable with my body and want to stay a vegan for the environmental, animal and physical benefits it offers. I’ve only been a vegan for a few months, so the meat cravings are still there, which is why I was “eyeing up the steak.” I choose not to eat it because my body feels cleaner and healthier without meat, not because I’m trying to look cool. Hope this makes more sense!
Great post, thanks Georgia! I’m not vegan but I am working on being meatless a couple of days a week so these are really useful tips
Great tips! Love that you started with small changes and continued to add new things. I think that is truly the way to go!
Great tips! I’m not a vegetarian, but I go meatless a few times a week. Reading blogs has been a great source of inspiration for recipes and products!
Luckily I found becoming a vegetarian really easy, except for course for the everyone else thinking you’re crazy part:)
I went vegan at the beginning of the year (for health reasons) and have never felt better in my life! I used to have chronic migraines and they completely disappeared after giving up meat/dairy (I did it cold turkey…). Shedding a few pounds was an added benefit, but I’m mostly grateful for the fact that going vegan forced me to do lots of research and learn tons of things about nutrition and health. I feel so much more empowered when it comes to the foods I choose to fuel my body! However, I don’t like using the word “diet”; I think being vegan is a lifestyle (and that doesn’t mean you need to become an activist), but unless you see it an integral part of your life, or go vegan just to lose weight, you’re bound to throw in the towel once you reach your “goal weight”.
Great post! I used to think vegans were “weird” and could only eat rice and veggies and tofu. Well now I know better!! You’re soooo right about the blog world opening up so many ways to make being vegan easy!!
Oreos have no dairy so all vegans can enjoy a cookie.
Most chips have milk ingreigends in them.
Vegans can’t have jello because there is gelatin in it and gelatin is made drone horse hoves and so is glue