Honestly Vegans....How do you do it?

Question

I am attempting to go vegan for weight loss reasons with the help of a friend who already is Vegan....

OMG I never have in my life craved a steak, porkchop, or hotdog so badly in all my life! How do u True Vegans get over the cravings?

Answer 1

Awwww. Go to www.peta.org and order the vegetarian starter kit. In it, are delicious vegetarian recipes that I know for a fact are delicious and you will like. I too am not a vegan, but I do not eat a lot of meat, mostly chicken (free range) and fish. Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Cravings aren't physical, they are mental. If you have a craving, eat something else. I've been a vegan for 18 years and I've not had a problem. You aren't going to stick with something that your heart isn't into. Also, for the high protein person.... a high protein diet consisting mainly of meat will rob your body of nutrients and practically guarantee that you will have osteoperosis later in life. A vegan diet is the best all-around diet for health. A new study was just released that showed that diabetics had a better time controling their blood sugar on a vegan diet than on the american diabetic association recommended diet. Vegans have lower rates of breast cancer, heart disease, colon and bladder cancer, diabetes, the list goes on and on. Just to loose weight isn't a particularly good reason to become vegan. Eating a healthy diet is. If you stick with it, you'll have more energy than you ever thought possible and you'll feel better and sleep better. Good luck!

Answer 3

I gave up meat because I didn't like it, and then had to give up dairy and even certain vegetables due to digestive problems. You might have to do it for a better reason than weight loss. Are you planning on eating meat again when you lose the weight? Because, if that is the case then you will likely just put it back on again! So, think about whether you can withstand the 3 weeks it will take to break you meat habit for good or whether you should consider a different diet.

Answer 4

See if you have a chicken processing plant near by and ask for a tour of the whole plant or better, get a job there. Temporary of course. I think that will do it. NO more chicken from then on. Just imagine what a cattle processor does from there. No more beef either. I have a friend who works for Hormel and they tell me the killer only stays on that job for about 2 - 3 weeks before moving inside the plant. This job for some reason had a high suicide rate. Hmmmmm......lets think Why? Get the picture. I think that fish is the only true flesh we should eat. You just don't have that same feeling when cleaning a fish. Some people hate to see death that bad. Good luck!

Answer 5

Going Vegan for weight loss isn't a great idea. Try, I don't know, excersize and eat less. Be careful with calories. But remember that moderation is important.

And cutting carbs isn't a great idea. Eliminating anything from your diet, be it carbs or meat, is unhealthy. The only reason Atkins works is because you indirecctly cut caloreies. It will work short term, but other systems end up working better long term.


My aunt tried Atkins. She lost weight, but she also started losing her hair.



Oh, and humans are meant to eat animals:
1. We are top of the food chain.
2. Canine teeth.
3. Our brains. We aren't faster or stronger than animals, so we out-thought them.
4. A strong digestive system.

Long term Vegans get sick from even a little meat. How can it be healthy if your body can't digest something that the vast majority of humans eat? Something that is entirely edible. How is that healthy?

Answer 6

Being a vegan is difficult- I have been a vegetarian- then veagn- for 21 years. I can still remember meat and I liked the taste, but when you can imagine the animal on your plate and the terror it faced before its death, that will soon put you off. I am not sure it will contribte to your weight loss- only calorie reduction and increased exercise will do that.
However vegans dont just eat salads and fruit, you can get perfectly reasonable alternatives to virtually any meaty meal you like- experiment with different types of beans and sauces, and a lot of Indian food is fine too.
Good luck.

Answer 7

Becoming vegan is not always a choice made for weight loss. If that is your only reason you will fail.
Most vegans choose not to eat meat for spiritual or other reasons which is where their commitment comes from.
Perhaps you should consider another weight loss plan.

Answer 8

What do you vegans think about some of the tribes in Africa who eat meat? Do you think they are cruel? What do you expect them to eat? What about the native people who eat polar bear meat? What do you purpose we do with all the animals on the earth that wouldn't be eaten- let them roam free increasing in population day by day? Why do you think we have K9 teeth?

A recent laboratory study of strict vegans has shown that 60% have a vitamin B12 deficiency[14], as compared with lacto- or lacto-ovo-vegetarians (who are able to acquire vitamin B12 from these animal sources). In addition, lower counts of lymphocytes (the white blood cells responsible for immune system responses) and platelets (responsible for blood coagulation) and alterations in the iron metabolism and transport, were demonstrated. Another study [15] has shown that 45% of strict vegans have higher homocysteine levels, a factor which has been strongly implicated in cardiovascular disease. This, in turn, may alter DNA methylation patterns, which has been associated with aging, cancer, atherosclerosis and other diseases.

Answer 9

I never really got cravings, but There are SO many substitutions out there. In your forzen section, health food section, or health food store:
Hotdogs
Vegparadise.com and PETA chose Yve's
Veggie awards chose Lightlife, though they fail to specify what kind on their site
Steak
http://www.almostvegan.com/archives/2004/06/vegan_steak_gra.html
http://www.veganwolf.com/vegan_cooking_substitutions.htm#Teriyaki%20Beef

I find the gardenburger BBQ ribs delicious. It tastes a little TOO much like meat.

Anyway, just check out the sections/health food store mentioned above and try things out. Good luck!

Answer 10

http://www.veganoutreach.org/advocacy/beyond.html

Once you understand the ethics behind veganism, it becomes easy to see why there are no cravings for non-human animal flesh, at least no more than cravings for human flesh--and that, hopefully, is none.

Also, ensure that you understand nutrition before you get serious about weight loss: http://www.veganhealth.org

And for a deeper understanding (aside from purely ethical reasons) of why more and more people are becoming vegan: http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/
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EDIT:
@Curious:
Thank you for pointing out that particular wikipedia article. It has since been edited to account for the false/misleading details and POV bias that wikipedia constantly strives to eliminate. You'll find the updated article to be far more accurate.