My family consists of meat eaters and I'm really new to the whole vegan thing. I've been vegetarian for a couple years but it's a lot harder to cut every animal product out of my diet than I thought it would be. If some of you could go check out my blog mary-lu1monthvegan.webnode I go more in depth there and would really appreciate some advice.
I'm going vegan for one month for my senior project
- Thread starter Mary Lu Schmid
- Start date
Lou
Forum Legend
I couldn't find your blog.
But earlier today I was giving some advice to another new vegan and it seems like I can give you the same advice.
Going vegan or transitioning to veganism in 3 - 4 weeks is a very typical strategy. Psychologists say that it takes 3 - 4 weeks to form a new good habit. And medical researchers who investigate food addictions and intestinal flora also find that it takes a week or more to break an addiction or to change your gut's ecosystem.
And then there is the knowledge part. You can learn most of what you need in just a couple of hours. Spread those hours into 5 or 10-minute blocks and you can learn most of what you need to know in just 2 - 4 weeks.
There is a good 3-week course that covers almost every aspect of veganism. It's called the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart. It's free. And if you start on the first day of the month, there is a forum of the current students - so there is a social media aspect. I'm sure you can join it today or tomorrow and catch up.
https://www.pcrm.org/kickstartHome
If you prefer books, The 30-Day Vegan Challenge by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau is a great book. You can buy it used for $10 at Amazon. (there is also a video course that goes with the book. It's optional. It costs $40) Or just see what is in the library. The first book I read was the Dummy's Guide to the Vegan Lifestyle, which was surprisingly good.
Anyway, if you really want to give yourself a fair chance - doing it in a structured and tested way seems the way to go.
But earlier today I was giving some advice to another new vegan and it seems like I can give you the same advice.
Going vegan or transitioning to veganism in 3 - 4 weeks is a very typical strategy. Psychologists say that it takes 3 - 4 weeks to form a new good habit. And medical researchers who investigate food addictions and intestinal flora also find that it takes a week or more to break an addiction or to change your gut's ecosystem.
And then there is the knowledge part. You can learn most of what you need in just a couple of hours. Spread those hours into 5 or 10-minute blocks and you can learn most of what you need to know in just 2 - 4 weeks.
There is a good 3-week course that covers almost every aspect of veganism. It's called the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart. It's free. And if you start on the first day of the month, there is a forum of the current students - so there is a social media aspect. I'm sure you can join it today or tomorrow and catch up.
https://www.pcrm.org/kickstartHome
If you prefer books, The 30-Day Vegan Challenge by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau is a great book. You can buy it used for $10 at Amazon. (there is also a video course that goes with the book. It's optional. It costs $40) Or just see what is in the library. The first book I read was the Dummy's Guide to the Vegan Lifestyle, which was surprisingly good.
Anyway, if you really want to give yourself a fair chance - doing it in a structured and tested way seems the way to go.
Forest Nymph
Forum Legend
It is not really that hard, especially if you are already a vegetarian. Stop telling yourself its hard. If this is your senior project you should have academic energy to put into research of things like vegan substitutes (vegan cheezes like Daiya or Kite Hill and Boca burgers) or natural replacements (nutritional yeast, tofu, cashews, and seitan). You can use your project as an excuse to watch The Vegan Zombie (this really cute 20 plus year vegan in his early 40s who looks like a more approachable or average looking Jared Leto and is just really super sweet and knowledgeable). I was self-employed when I went vegan so I spent a ton of spare time watching vegan YouTube and I still have Pinterest boards that would make any Millennial proud. Cut out this tv show you think you have to watch or this obligation you really don't like anyway, and devote it to watching vegan shopping and cooking videos or reading blogs.
I know dairy is addictive. I know. But it doesn't actually help you with your problems like alcohol or cocaine. I'm not even trying to be funny, I think it should be easier to kick milk than cigarettes. That's why you always seen Joaquin Phoenix smoking. It's not because vegans are some perfect beings immune to emotional crutches or addictions, but more like we live in the United States, you really don't need that fast food, there are tons of other things you can eat. I find arguments that challenge veganism more relevant when they actually discuss developing countries where vegetarianism really does seem more feasible. But we here in the first world have plenty to eat, we have so much choice, and in the end, we are really doing the most damage with our entitled greed.
I know dairy is addictive. I know. But it doesn't actually help you with your problems like alcohol or cocaine. I'm not even trying to be funny, I think it should be easier to kick milk than cigarettes. That's why you always seen Joaquin Phoenix smoking. It's not because vegans are some perfect beings immune to emotional crutches or addictions, but more like we live in the United States, you really don't need that fast food, there are tons of other things you can eat. I find arguments that challenge veganism more relevant when they actually discuss developing countries where vegetarianism really does seem more feasible. But we here in the first world have plenty to eat, we have so much choice, and in the end, we are really doing the most damage with our entitled greed.
