Philosophical Vegan Forum

Hello there, I'm sure that if you're reading this post you're probably wondering "How do I become vegan?" well I'm here to help you answer this daring question.

Becoming vegan is can be a challenging process but don't let this turn you away, the feeling that you get from choosing to vegan instead of eating a omnivore/carnivore diet can be very satisfying. Not only that but the health rewards are great as well! So let's get started!

If you are planning on becoming vegan the first thing to do is to get rid of all of the things that can tempt you to break your streak. This does not have to be an immediate process but do your best to get rid of these products over time and try not to restock them.

The next thing you need to do is come to the realization that this is not something that you can master in a few days, you have to be dedicated and have self-controll especially when you go out to eat with friends/family, it can be extremely hard to keep up with your new lifestyle.

TIP:Be aware that one should not dive straight into being a vegan people usually go vegetarian first and gradually work their way up to being a vegan.

Self-controll can be very difficult for people going vegan, but do not fret this gets easier after a few days. Non-vegan family members may try to convince you or try to stray you away from eating vegan, if you really want to be vegan then stick to it, think about why you're going vegan when you have the temptations and evaluate your decisions before doing so, you may regret it later.

Make sure that you do your research about nutrition. This is a common mistake for new vegans as they think that if they eat 1 to 2 salads a day that they will maintain being healthy, but this is not the case and can usually lead to malnutrition and eventually leads to them eating meat later on.

Be sure to find a health food store and try to go there as often if you can. This is where you can buy the bulk of the vegan foods and where you can find vegan desserts there as well. Also be sure that you know how to cook or take cooking lessons. You can make some very delicious meals with a variety of different recipes.

The last and final thing to becoming vegan is to be VERY sure of why you're becoming it. You shouldn't want to be be vegan because you know people that are taking the pledge but because you want to fight for animal rights. Remember being vegan is lifestyle not a diet.

(Also try to avoid products that use animal products in them, this includes but is not limited to: leather, silk, and fish. Yes fish is considered meat)

To all vegans who are reading this post please be sure to leave any tips that I've left out of this guide.

Nice post.
I should add: remember that there's 'fake' meat and animal products. These should be quite easy to find; they taste just the same as meat, fish, milk or cheese do. Those give a great help if you're struggling in the first days.
Also, don't give up too soon. The first 2-3 weeks are the most difficult, just like when you quit any addiction. But after a month, it should be sailing smooth, to the point where you might even forget you're not eating animal products.

dan1073 wrote:Becoming vegan is can be a difficult process but don't let this turn you away, the feeling that you get from choosing to vegan instead of eating a omnivore/carnivore diet can be very satisfying. Not only that but the health rewards are great as well! So let's get started!

Ive always been of mind to not to mention something as "difficult" when trying to convince others to do it. I think veganism can be challenging to start, but once you know what you are doing, it is super easy.

Great post. Lots of improvements and additions to be made, but this is a fantastic start

TheVeganAtheist wrote: Ive always been of mind to not to mention something as "difficult" when trying to convince others to do it. I think veganism can be challenging to start, but once you know what you are doing, it is super easy.

I second this.

Sometimes if we bill something as difficult, people will set themselves up for failure with that expectation.

Maybe you can mention that the experience varies from person to person, and where they live, but that it can be very easy with the right information.


Also here:

Self-controll can be very difficult for people going vegan.

Maybe say: Self-control can be difficult at first for people going vegan- but it gets easier after a few days.

You can mention that cravings will pop up for a couple weeks, now and then- like quitting smoking, but not quite as extreme- and that it helps a lot to remember that the craving will pass soon if they relax and think about something else.

My experience with going vegan was not hard at all. It's true that I had been a vegetarian for a month or two. Once I decided to go vegan I did not have any desire to go back. The only real difficulty I ever have is eating with other people and this is not because I want to be eating the meat based meals there eating but rather the fact that they eat such meals makes me feel sick. Veganism is not difficult.

bobo0100 wrote:My experience with going vegan was not hard at all. It's true that I had been a vegetarian for a month or two. Once I decided to go vegan I did not have any desire to go back. The only real difficulty I ever have is eating with other people and this is not because I want to be eating the meat based meals there eating but rather the fact that they eat such meals makes me feel sick. Veganism is not difficult.

Not all experiences are the same. For me transitioning to a vegan was very easy. I'm lactose intolerant so giving up dairy products was a breeze, I don't like the taste of eggs so I never ate them, and the only meat I did eat was chicken and that was hardest thing for me to give up.

For some people giving up cheese is the hardest thing to do. For me it wasn't.

I'm almost fully vegan now. I'm replacing things one at a time and still eat what I already bought (don't like to throw it away). I replaced kaassoufflés with a vegan croquette this week for example because I runned out of them, and actually liked it even better. It's not the food that I'm giving up that makes it hard for me. I actually think it isn't hard at all. I don't miss anything really because my meals are just as delicious as before—even without cheese (I just like Dan did not have any trouble with that either). In fact, I enjoy cooking even more because you really have to get into it, search for new recipes, and be creative about it. The only thing I have trouble with is the social aspects of it. It's such a drag to have all this annoying people whining all day over your choices and living is a massively speciesist society where you're confronted with dead animals all the time.

Great post. It was pretty easy for me to go vegetarian but veganism took more of a shift for my diet. That said i don't regret it nor was it super hard. The only downside really is the limited choices in restaurants, sometimes even having none vegan options whatsoever.

Kanade wrote:It was pretty easy for me to go vegetarian but veganism took more of a shift for my diet. That said i don't regret it nor was it super hard.

I just read your intro post stating that you had a hard time giving up meat, so how exactly did you become a vegetarian at first? I'm not trying to annoy you, just interested. How long did it take you to finally give up meat after knowing all about it?

Kanade wrote:The only downside really is the limited choices in restaurants, sometimes even having none vegan options whatsoever.

It's really sad that most restaurants now sell vegetarian stuff, but vegan food is still really scarce (at least where I live). Like today in the canteen at my work, the only thing that was vegan was a dish of fruits and jus d'orange.

dan1073 wrote: TIP:Be aware that one should not dive straight into being a vegan people usually go vegetarian first and gradually work their way up to being a vegan.

I could not disagree with this more. I went vegan instantly. For two days it was a little difficult because I hadn't properly researched what to eat, but the change in how I felt on the third day was amazing. It was like I was 8 years younger. Once I figured out how to be vegan, it was easy and I couldn't imagine eating animal products again.

If you start vegetarian, you may fall into the trap of adding egg and/or cheese to all things. I see this quite frequently. If you give up all animal products, it's much more rewarding from a moral standpoint. It gives you a bigger sense of satisfaction.