Odd things I've noticed since becoming vegan

Kellyr

Forum Senior
Joined
Jun 5, 2018
Reaction score
188
Lifestyle
  1. Vegan
I thought I'd add a topic here. It might be worthwhile for those transitioning to see some of the other "side effects" that occur when you adapt a vegan lifestyle.

These aren't typical things like "Feel great! Gas! Everyone is suddenly concerned if I'm getting enough protein!"

A couple things I noticed since transitioning to being vegan:

Dishes are so much easier to clean. There's something about animal proteins/fats that makes them stick like crazy to dishes. Melted cheese, of course, was always the worst. But now when I wash my dishes it's suddenly like everything has a non-stick coating on it. Water pressure generally takes the majority of the food off with only some minor scrubbing here and there. I LOVE it.

Insomnia is for real - I went through major insomnia for a few months when I transitioned from lacto-ovo vegetarian to vegan. I finally put two-and-two together - Roughly 50% of my daily calories were coming from carbs. Carbs = energy. I actually needed to increase the intensity and frequency of my exercise to help combat the excess energy. So - be warned. When 50% of your daily intake is energy, you're going to be buzzing with it and it may affect your sleep. Probably not great news if you're the couch-potato type.

Those were a couple observations I've had. Anyone else have some unique epiphanies beyond the usual when they went vegan?
 
I thought I'd add a topic here. It might be worthwhile for those transitioning to see some of the other "side effects" that occur when you adapt a vegan lifestyle.

These aren't typical things like "Feel great! Gas! Everyone is suddenly concerned if I'm getting enough protein!"

A couple things I noticed since transitioning to being vegan:

Dishes are so much easier to clean. There's something about animal proteins/fats that makes them stick like crazy to dishes. Melted cheese, of course, was always the worst. But now when I wash my dishes it's suddenly like everything has a non-stick coating on it. Water pressure generally takes the majority of the food off with only some minor scrubbing here and there. I LOVE it.

Insomnia is for real - I went through major insomnia for a few months when I transitioned from lacto-ovo vegetarian to vegan. I finally put two-and-two together - Roughly 50% of my daily calories were coming from carbs. Carbs = energy. I actually needed to increase the intensity and frequency of my exercise to help combat the excess energy. So - be warned. When 50% of your daily intake is energy, you're going to be buzzing with it and it may affect your sleep. Probably not great news if you're the couch-potato type.

Those were a couple observations I've had. Anyone else have some unique epiphanies beyond the usual when they went vegan?

I agree with the dishes part for sure - I love it and put a sink full of water in the morning and do the dishes from the night before, then the breakfast dishes and lunch dishes and then put the dinner dishes in it to sit until the next morning. Easy peasy.

Poops are wonderful too, of course, and regular.... :poop: Farts don't stink very often... 🌬

The cutting board.... so easy to clean and no more worries that animal crap is spreading around the kitchen and sticking to the dish cloths and towels and sponges.

Garbage doesn't stink, compost container rarely stinks.

Emma JC
 
So true about cleaning dishes- if there were no other reason to give up meat the contamination and ...disgusting! But....that's so true of cigarettes and well after acknowledging their smell it was still hard to quit :dismay: . I never fry anything anymore, but that would be an exception, hence I don't fry!

No stinky gas! No more feeling like there was something fermenting in my intestines.

People who still ask me if I eat rice or gluten. I get the gluten, as they seem to lump gluten free with vegan products- but no one understands the rice. Same with the assumption I eat all organic. Or only eat healthy foods. Some people are shocked I'll eat potato chips, or make cookies and cakes (and bread!).

I remember having more energy- but, I still love to overeat pasta, and white flour things, and falling into a carb coma on the couch
 
I agree about the fat, except Tahini and Peanut butter still stick to dishes.

I listed most of the changes I can think of here

In addition to this, and somewhat related to one on the list is delayed hunger suppression. For example, this morning I had a generous serving of the homemade spring rolls I made yesterday. Except for the little bit of oil used, these are mostly whole food with plenty of energy, resistant starch, fiber, and an array of vitamins and minerals. After finishing, I felt I could eat a few more. So into the oven more went, and 10 minutes later when they were cooked/defrosted, I wasn't hungry any more. However I ate them anyway and basically that sufficed for both breakfast and lunch.

Another thing I've noticed which I've mentioned elsewhere is that my olfactory sense has improved, and I can sometimes smell what people have recently eaten and/or the smell/stink from their insides. Sometimes, this is a negative, as I can also smell the rotting flesh in others, and in one case when listening to someone talk to me in close proximity the stench was so bad I had to suppress a gag reflex.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Dougrus and Emma JC
I never realized that I would use so much toilet paper before I went vegan.

I thought I would at least be tempted to eat dairy products.
 
  • Friendly
  • Like
Reactions: Dougrus and Emma JC
If any tahini and peanut butter get on my plate they are taken off with my finger and eaten.... lol .... so none of it makes it to the dish water.

Emma JC
LOL, I never waste a drop of peanut butter or tahini. 😁
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dougrus
I thought I'd add a topic here. It might be worthwhile for those transitioning to see some of the other "side effects" that occur when you adapt a vegan lifestyle.

These aren't typical things like "Feel great! Gas! Everyone is suddenly concerned if I'm getting enough protein!"

A couple things I noticed since transitioning to being vegan:

Dishes are so much easier to clean. There's something about animal proteins/fats that makes them stick like crazy to dishes. Melted cheese, of course, was always the worst. But now when I wash my dishes it's suddenly like everything has a non-stick coating on it. Water pressure generally takes the majority of the food off with only some minor scrubbing here and there. I LOVE it.

Insomnia is for real - I went through major insomnia for a few months when I transitioned from lacto-ovo vegetarian to vegan. I finally put two-and-two together - Roughly 50% of my daily calories were coming from carbs. Carbs = energy. I actually needed to increase the intensity and frequency of my exercise to help combat the excess energy. So - be warned. When 50% of your daily intake is energy, you're going to be buzzing with it and it may affect your sleep. Probably not great news if you're the couch-potato type.

Those were a couple observations I've had. Anyone else have some unique epiphanies beyond the usual when they went vegan?
I have actually problem with too much sleeping... I think it might be because of b12... But I never had a problem to fall a sleep haha
 
  • Friendly
  • Like
Reactions: Dougrus and Emma JC
Might be an obvious one but I now crave vegetables/legumes, potatoes of all varieties the same way i would crave carnivorous dishes in the past. Actually even more so...

Also of note, when I stopped eating meat I didn't have any revulsion to it at all for the first week or so but now it ranges from indifference to a visceral disgust (depending on on proximity, color, packaging in the store). I guess what I am surprised at is how quickly it shifted. Over the course of a couple of weeks I wanted nothing to do with meat and everything to do with plants. I wholly expected after being vegan for 4 months I would have cravings for animal products but I dont. Only thing I miss sometimes is pizza. And I know I just have to get my test kitchen on and Ill figure it out but just havent had time of late.
 
If any tahini and peanut butter get on my plate they are taken off with my finger and eaten.... lol .... so none of it makes it to the dish water.

Emma JC
Same! And for anyone claiming that their PB is sticking to the knife too much when trying to clean them isn't doing it right.

Plates and knives, pah! Tahini/other plant fats used in homemade milks and then dried on the sides/bottom of bottles where fingers can't reach and using a bottle brush takes several goes is what I refer to here, lasses.
 
The only thing I find that sticks is dried on pasta (not eaten very often) and oatmeal. Always have to wash the oatmeal dishes immediately!

Do you have the same problem with whole wheat pasta? I used to with white pasta, but ever since I made to switch 8 ish years ago, dried on pasta just seems to fall off of the pot /plate. And oats? Those get soaked over night so I can pretend it doesn't exist for awhile. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Emma JC
Do you have the same problem with whole wheat pasta? I used to with white pasta, but ever since I made to switch 8 ish years ago, dried on pasta just seems to fall off of the pot /plate. And oats? Those get soaked over night so I can pretend it doesn't exist for awhile. :)
Yeah, anything starchy starchy is like glue. It's not good to put those down the drain for that very reason.

Nothing really compares to baked on cheese, though. I don't miss that at all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Emma JC