Hi there.
Motivation is key. Of course we all want to spare animals the suffering that is so often inflicted on them but, if we don't have some selfish motives, it is going to be much harder, I think. I am reading Dr Greger's book, "How not to die". It gives me more selfish motivation every day and that is what I need to sustain my transition. Nobody wants to die and this book points out how you can extend your life by adopting a vegan diet.
To ease my way into veganism, I try to make it easier as a way of life too. Basically I cook once a week and freeze my meals, so that it's easier to defreeze than start cooking from scratch every day. I have the same meals every day for 6 days and then celebrate with more variety on the 7th day. Having the same meals also has the advantage that you think less about food. There are plenty of other things that bring variety into my life. Food is a necessity but I don't want it to become the central focus in life.
Lastly, I readily forgive myself and start all over again whenever I slip up. I don't want to slip up but I'm not a machine. My brain is not a computer. I'm not going to eat animals ever again but I might drink a little milk, if that's all I have to put in my coffee. I actually prefer my brand of soy milk to real milk, it's creamier in my coffee and my rice pudding. So why would I willingly drink cow's milk? I have done it when there is no soy milk left in the fridge and my son has offered me some of his dairy milk. Is that sloppy thinking? I don't think so. I don't want to become a vegan fascist because of one cup of coffee made with milk. I take VERY little milk anway. I prefer an espresso macchiato.
I would like to know what your favourite dairy substitutes are.
PS I spend half the year in Spain and half the year in the UK. It is MUCH easier being vegan in the UK. The supermarkets have lots of easy options for vegan life in England for example. So I am really more interested in vegan options I can make myself out of basic foodstuffs, so that life is a bit easier in Spain. Obviously it doesn't help me to know that they have products X and Y in the USA.
Good luck with your transition.
Mark
