When do you start to feel the difference when you stop eating dairy?

Question

I'm a vegetarian but I'm considering becoming a vegan. I LOVE cheese, that is my biggest difficulty. I can do without other dairy and eggs.
Anyway, I was wondering, those of you that have done it gradually like me... first a vegetarian and then a vegan, when did you start feeling the difference of becoming a vegan? And what did you feel different?
Thanks!

Answer 1

It took a couple of weeks for me to feel any difference... my stomach wasn't as finicky, I lost a bit of weight and it's been steady ever since, I didn't have as much mucus in my nose/throat, and I just felt a little bit better overall. Honestly, the thing I noticed most was how cheese-dependent my vegetarian diet had been and how much most cheese really doesn't contribute much to flavor, and how little I actually miss eating it. It made me try a lot of new things, which has been really fun (and good).

Answer 2

I noticed a difference within days, but that's probably because I've always been lactose intolerant, even as a baby according to my mom. I chose to ignore it for many years. Dairy in general made me very constipated and bloated, and now I rarely have those problems unless I happen to ingest some lactose by accident (like the time I found out my generic ibuprofen contained lactose as an inactive ingredient). I struggled with cheese for the entire first year I was vegan because I used to love it soooo much -- I've lived in Wisconsin, the Dairy State, my whole life after all. Now the very idea of eating it makes me bloat a little, I think :).

Answer 3

It took a few weeks but the mucus and bloating has reduced. I have been dairy free for about two months now. I find that there are some really decent cheese substitutes out there that make missing cheese a bit easier. VeganRella is pretty good...but there is one by Follow Your Heart that has won awards. They call it Vegan Gourmet Cheese. Amy's is even using it on her non-dairy frozen pizza.

Answer 4

I used to LOVE cheese and when I decided to become vegan I was heartbroken at the thought of never eating it again. But within a month I honestly couldn't stomach even the thought of eating it. I sometimes use soya cheese although they taste a bit funny but if you can find toffuti cream cheese spread it's gorgeous!! I felt healthier and had a 'hyper energy buzz' within a few weeks of quitting dairy but I also gave up meat, eggs, etc at the same time. I've never looked back, my food is so interesting now - I eat stuff I'd never even heard of before.

Answer 5

Why Are People Vegetarians or Vegans? People usually have different reasons for becoming vegetarians or vegans. Some follow vegetarian or semi-vegetarian diets mostly for health reasons. For instance, a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and grains tends to be lower in fat/cholesterol, which is good for your heart and body. It's also likely to be a high fiber diet. Then there are the people who choose a strict vegan diet for ethical reasons, health reasons and/or environmental reasons. No matter what the reason being a vegan or vegetarian does not in any way limit a person's lifestyle choice or deprive a person of anything that a non-vegetarian might have. . Everyone needs variety in their diets to stay healthy and to keep their taste buds happy. Vegans perhaps need even more diversity in their diets to cover all of their nutritional needs. However, getting the proper vegan nutrition is not difficult. What Is Tempeh? Tempeh is a healthy and delicious meat alternative that not enough Americans are eating. It is firm and hearty in a way that tofu is not, and with more protein and fiber, it's better for you, too. How to Make Seitan Seitan is gaining popularity amongst vegans and vegetarians, partly because it contains so much protein, and partly because the texture is often considered preferable to tofu or tempeh.. The key to a nutritious and interesting vegan diet is variety. Vegan daily menus should feature different fruits, grains and vegetables not only on a daily basis, but on a meal by meal basis. While variety is good in any type of diet, vegan or not, variety is particularly necessary for a vegan to make sure that you get the proper protein and other nutritional requirements that you need to be healthy. Vegan Daily Menu: Breakfast Fresh Fruit Breakfast Burritos Ingredients You Will Need: ½ lb. firm tofu, crumbled ½ to ¾ cup chopped vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, etc.) ¼ chopped onion ¼ to ½ minced garlic clove, as needed Salt and pepper 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 3 tortillas Salsa, Tabasco or hot sauce Heat tortillas. In a frying pan, heat vegetable oil. Sauté onions and garlic until soft for about three minutes. Add vegetables, tofu, salt and pepper and cook until vegetables are at desired doneness. Fold into tortillas and garnish with salsa, Tabasco or hot sauce. Makes about three servings Variations: Add some cumin to spice things up. Fry some crumbled faux sausage and add to tofu mix.

Answer 6

Couple of weeks. I used to get lots of mucus in my throat when I would drink/eat milk/cheese. But the biggest difference..and I really did experiment over several years is that I switched between regular and organic milks and cheese. I would gain 5 pounds within the week with the regular. Oops, I read the rest of your question. I eat meat!

Answer 7

I noticed a difference within a couple of days on the scales, as dairy (especially cheese) has a lot of sodium (as well as fat) , so I started losing the water weight. My ankles shrank, as a result.

Answer 8

One can leave Cheese--but it is advisable NOT to leave Milk--1% fat milk(unless they are intolerant to lactose and Caesin).Milk protein Caesin has a PER value of 100--Vegetable proteins do not have that high value .Milk is rich in Calcium and Lactosse helps in the absorption of Ca,whereas Phytic acid-oxidised product of Phytol in Chlorophyll ,lessens the availability of Calcium to the system resulting in osteophoresis at old age.Adolescents need atleast 800mg of Ca per day.