Well... to tell a lie I'm increasingly losing the need to keep note of how long I've been vegan as I feel the diet - and lifestyle - is really beginning to synchronise with my daily routines.
I'm just so glad I finally made this change. Felt awful for the first month on vegan food... I also recall feeling a little bit lost, as despite the excess of info out there for those looking for vegan-friendly foods, I found it almost intimidating looking in the fridge I share with others (there's quite a lot of dairy/eggs and even meat stored there - )... and seeing just how much 'I couldn't have'...
This thought/feeling in particular has altered quite miraculously over the next couple months, however. I experienced something familiar when I first went vegetarian at 13: I expected to 'miss' meat, but never did. Similarly I expected to miss eggs/dairy, but again have had no cravings for anything in those categories at all. As a young veggie, over time I eventually stopped even seeing meat as 'food', if this makes sense, and I expect the same will now occur for animal by-products.
The vegan switch will be permanent for me, I know, and I couldn't be happier. I feel healthier for it, and have noticed a slight increase in my performance as a recreational runner - always a bonus! On a deeper level, as Christmas approaches and the inevitable gift rush ensues, I've found myself looking quite closely at the various companies/products I patronise, and make quite a few switches, and adjustments.
Funnily enough, I recall mentioning here in another thread how I couldn't see the harm in secondhand usage of animal by product non-food items, for cost's sake... To tell another lie, I'm beginning to find this (ethically) harder and harder to do myself, as my research into vegan products leads me to new information on the animal cruelty abounding in our societies. Hypocrisy!
Anyway, sorry for the massive ramble.
I'm just so glad I finally made this change. Felt awful for the first month on vegan food... I also recall feeling a little bit lost, as despite the excess of info out there for those looking for vegan-friendly foods, I found it almost intimidating looking in the fridge I share with others (there's quite a lot of dairy/eggs and even meat stored there - )... and seeing just how much 'I couldn't have'...
This thought/feeling in particular has altered quite miraculously over the next couple months, however. I experienced something familiar when I first went vegetarian at 13: I expected to 'miss' meat, but never did. Similarly I expected to miss eggs/dairy, but again have had no cravings for anything in those categories at all. As a young veggie, over time I eventually stopped even seeing meat as 'food', if this makes sense, and I expect the same will now occur for animal by-products.
The vegan switch will be permanent for me, I know, and I couldn't be happier. I feel healthier for it, and have noticed a slight increase in my performance as a recreational runner - always a bonus! On a deeper level, as Christmas approaches and the inevitable gift rush ensues, I've found myself looking quite closely at the various companies/products I patronise, and make quite a few switches, and adjustments.
Funnily enough, I recall mentioning here in another thread how I couldn't see the harm in secondhand usage of animal by product non-food items, for cost's sake... To tell another lie, I'm beginning to find this (ethically) harder and harder to do myself, as my research into vegan products leads me to new information on the animal cruelty abounding in our societies. Hypocrisy!
Anyway, sorry for the massive ramble.