Hi Vegan for about 4 months

[Ben]

Hi my names Ben, I've been vegan for nearly 4 months now. I went on June 13th Just wanted somewhere to talk about stuff about veganism. Anyway hello!!

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Hi, how you finding it so far? Good/bad points.

 

[Ben]

Hi, how you finding it so far? Good/bad points.

It has actually been okay I feel more healthy and I have learned a lot of things. It has enabled me to open my mind. The only bad thing I can really think of is clothes and shoes that add leather it annoys me but its easy to get around.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Yeah I am really happy with it too so far, feeling healthy as well. I think the down side is social convenience whether explaining yourself or wondering about issues around eating out. Although it's more of a practical fact of being the minority rather than anything fundamental about veganism.

By the way, I should add that although I do use this site I am not really technically a vegan as I am not strict enough, for instance I am eating a cereal this week that has a few chocolate bits in and I ate some cake that someone offered me today. I don't really ask how something was made or read ingredients list most of the time unless I have a prior suspicion, I just eat things that look like they ought to be vegan, or mostly vegan. I never eat any meat, fish, eggs or dairy though.

How are you finding that? You have only been vegan for 4 months are you already reading through ingredients of all processed foods you buy and eliminating even small traces of animal products, or are you not that strict yet either?

 

[Naturebound]

Hi Ben and welcome! I am new to this forum but have been strict vegan for five and a half years. I do however, live with a partner I have been with for over 18 years who eats mostly vegetarian at home but is still an omni (I refuse to buy any animal derived products and I am the bread winner, so he buys his own animal products if he wants them; but he mostly eats my vegan food and doesn't mind me cleaning with lemon juice, vinegar, washing soda lol, and he will use the plant based soap, toothpaste, dish liquid, and shampoo I have). That can be a challenge at times due to ethical differences, though he has been slowly coming around over the years.

Hiking shoes were a big thing for me when I first went vegan. I am an avid outdoor person, summer and winter alike, so high quality boots and shoes are important. I found a surprising number of awesome vegan shoes and boots online, though not much locally. I have been fortunate that vegan boots and hiking shoes I have ordered online fit right the first time. I have had hemp shoes now for over five years that are still going strong. I have a pair of hiking boots (Garmont Kiowa Vegan hikers, unfortunately they stopped selling them) going on five years too. I have snowshoed with them, did a canoe camping trip in them, countless 14 plus mile hikes, and so on. I have trail running/hiking shoes from Merrell that are vegan and I use them for mountain biking due to the hard grippy soles but still soft enough not to restrict my feet too much. It can take some work and research to find them, but they are out there! The glue in some shoes can be an issue as it can be animal derived or plant based. Never hurts to call the company and find out. Yes, it can be a pain and work, but the more we speak up for what we need and want based on ethics, the more these items will become available to the mainstream. I have an extensive list bookmarked that I refer to when shopping around: https://vegan8.me/vegan-athletic-shoes/vegan-athletic-shoes-2015/



It amazes me, even in the last five years, how plant based food products and synthetic versions of fleece, leather etc have exploded onto the market! There is still the cultural attitude and belief that synthetic is inferior and more "toxic" than leather, but leather is often treated with chemicals, and the process to make it is environmentally unsound and unethical. Synthetic does not have to mean cheap and toxic. not at all! And then there is hemp. I have hemp socks that easily rival wool ones! Environmentally, hemp is a wonder plant, hardy and grows easily in many environments. It doesn't need nearly as much food or water as an animal raised for meat or leather, and it needs less space. I also have cloth belts with a metal slider/adjustment that I love. A lot of second hand clothing stores seem to have those (where I buy most of my clothing aside from a few outdoor clothing needs).

Best wishes on your journey!

 

[Ben]

Hi Ben and welcome! I am new to this forum but have been strict vegan for five and a half years. I do however, live with a partner I have been with for over 18 years who eats mostly vegetarian at home but is still an omni (I refuse to buy any animal derived products and I am the bread winner, so he buys his own animal products if he wants them; but he mostly eats my vegan food and doesn't mind me cleaning with lemon juice, vinegar, washing soda lol, and he will use the plant based soap, toothpaste, dish liquid, and shampoo I have). That can be a challenge at times due to ethical differences, though he has been slowly coming around over the years.

Hiking shoes were a big thing for me when I first went vegan. I am an avid outdoor person, summer and winter alike, so high quality boots and shoes are important. I found a surprising number of awesome vegan shoes and boots online, though not much locally. I have been fortunate that vegan boots and hiking shoes I have ordered online fit right the first time. I have had hemp shoes now for over five years that are still going strong. I have a pair of hiking boots (Garmont Kiowa Vegan hikers, unfortunately they stopped selling them) going on five years too. I have snowshoed with them, did a canoe camping trip in them, countless 14 plus mile hikes, and so on. I have trail running/hiking shoes from Merrell that are vegan and I use them for mountain biking due to the hard grippy soles but still soft enough not to restrict my feet too much. It can take some work and research to find them, but they are out there! The glue in some shoes can be an issue as it can be animal derived or plant based. Never hurts to call the company and find out. Yes, it can be a pain and work, but the more we speak up for what we need and want based on ethics, the more these items will become available to the mainstream. I have an extensive list bookmarked that I refer to when shopping around: https://vegan8.me/vegan-athletic-shoes/vegan-athletic-shoes-2015/



It amazes me, even in the last five years, how plant based food products and synthetic versions of fleece, leather etc have exploded onto the market! There is still the cultural attitude and belief that synthetic is inferior and more "toxic" than leather, but leather is often treated with chemicals, and the process to make it is environmentally unsound and unethical. Synthetic does not have to mean cheap and toxic. not at all! And then there is hemp. I have hemp socks that easily rival wool ones! Environmentally, hemp is a wonder plant, hardy and grows easily in many environments. It doesn't need nearly as much food or water as an animal raised for meat or leather, and it needs less space. I also have cloth belts with a metal slider/adjustment that I love. A lot of second hand clothing stores seem to have those (where I buy most of my clothing aside from a few outdoor clothing needs).

Best wishes on your journey!

Thank you! I never really seem to have a problem with clothing, I'm always able to find clothes of good quality in the end, its usually shoes I have trouble with; before I went vegan I had the view of synthetic being toxic and less durable but that couldn't be further from the truth, I find that most synthetic materials are stronger than any animal derived materials. Five years is an amazing feat; I am planing on staying vegan for good for the long term health benefits, ethics and environmental reasons. Its nice to know that there is a friendly community who I can talk to about things.