Trying to stay on the vegan path, I guess I'm looking for encouragement, please?

Question

I've always struggled with what some people refer to as 'food addictions', and I've struggled with food from a health perspective even before I was vegetarian. After being vegeterian for a while, I decied to go vegan for animal industry/health, etc, etc. reasons. I've eaten this way for about a year, but whenever my self control gets out of hand as far as caring about my health, controling weight, and binging goes, the caring about whether certain foods contain animal products starts to slowly slip up too. It's not like I'm chomping down on chicken burgers, but I just feel I need to get back on track.
Forgive my rambling, I don't know what kind of responses I'm even really looking for...can anyone relate? Been there, done that? Advice?
Thanks a heap!

Answer 1

Id like to encourage you to firstly remind yourself why you went vegan in the first place. If it was 'for animal industry' do a bit of online research into the intensive farming industry. If it was for health reasons, read the China Study.
Secondly, buy some new vegan cookbooks. Invent a new recipe. Just eat something different.

Visit http://podcast.veganfreak.com/

Visit PETA and count how many lives you are saving by being veggie.

Go to a pet shop.

Anything but turning omni!

Answer 2

oh I can relate, much this is what I do. See, once in a while, I watch chickens and cows being abused and this helps me not only to get proof how they mistreat animals but also the pain, remembering it is flesh. Like eating a human. The blood and the guts(heart ,the stomach etc.) Sorry to get gorey, and nasty but that is what it is. Remember it, remember the pain they have to suffer. Also try eating soy meat, it tastes somewhat like real meat. You can enjoy the taste without the suffering.
Have a nice day! (@_@)

Answer 3

i relate, i have problem staying on the path
i've been eating raw vegan for 3 month, but i can't keep it up, and today i had 2 slice of cheese pizza, wtf is that, i can't eat cheese!!! anyways

my advice is to be strong, because i feel like an @ss now, i rather i didin't eat the pizza, make a list of all the benifits you will gain from eating vegan and date the list, and if ever tempted to eat bad food, look at the list you made, and look at the date, that way you know you've been eating right for so long, and you'll be less likely to eat the junk food, don't eat the junk food, it's a trap.

Answer 4

I had to give up meat by force, not choice, initially. I developed food allergies, including to meat protein. I struggled for awhile, but each time I cheated, I ended up in the hospital. I decided to learn all that I could about meat. My research was meant to find a way I COULD eat meat,. but what I learned turned all of that around. Despite the horrid cruelty involved, meat is just plain unsanitary! First, the animals are fed an unnatural diet of grains and ground up organs of other dead animals. They are given growth hormones, steroids, antibiotics and other medicine. The meat contains feces, blood, urine, uric acid, adrenaline, pus, and all other sorts of freaky stuff. The meat is injected with bleach and peroxide to keep people from getting ill from it. After learning this, meat lost ALL appeal for me. I learned to think outside the box. and now I cook alot of interesting ethnic foods, and always look for new ideas. I hope this helps a bit-it was the turning point for me. Now, the thought of meat repulses me

Answer 5

I understand! =D
If I start to feel that way, I watch the peta TV stuff, talk to other people about it (spreading the word helps alot), and think how selfish I am if I eat alot (all the hungry children in the world, and us fat americans are eating like the world ia gonna end tomarrow) or selfish that I'm taking life just to enjoy eating when I can enjoy some sweet fruit insteed.

Answer 6

Don't strive for perfection,that can lead to short term commitment,being super strict will discourage you in the long run.Think about long term goals,ending animal suffering.I never get tempted to eat meat,or drink milk or eat eggs,but sometimes I want to have cheese on pizza,but I know that some veal calve would have died and I would be supporting that.Plus,I know that I don't need it and I would feel bad about it later.I definetly don't want to support factory farming in anyway.

Answer 7

i saw someone posted www.theppk.com already. Go there if you haven't and also they cooksbooks Isa has are an encouragement in themselves...LOOK AT THE CUPCAKES!!

also if you have not yet seen the wonders of peta2.com...

http://www.peta2.com/STUFF/s-recipe.asp
has a the lists of TONS of vegan foods to help you we aware when you shop... (some I had no idea, like Swedish Fish lol!)

Answer 8

may i suggest reading some health books,i read them all the time and they inspire me to eat healthy. im not vegetarian but i will support you in saying that. i found i hadn't eaten any fast food in over a month because of the reading material available to me good luck :)

Answer 9

All it takes is strong will-power, but having strong will-power takes a lot.

Perhaps you and a friend, or a few friends, could all go Vegan together and cheer each other on? Or you could have friends help keep an eye on you.

G'luck!

Answer 10

I think you lack vision. You are a raging river splitting into many tiny creeks and then drying up. Get back to being one river. Remeber have one vision and that will help you to stay on track.