| Today's Message | 21-Day Meal Plan | Nutrition Webcasts | Celebrity Tips | Community Forum | Resources |
| New Topic Reply Subscription Options |
Page:
1
2
|
| Forums: January 2010 Kickstart Forum Archive: Coming out as a vegan | |||
|
|||
| EdwardSmith
Joined: 01/15/10 Posts: 2 |
Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 8:43 AM Hi Everyone: I am finally coming out as a vegan. Have tried a vegan lifestyle in the past but had some bad experiences. I haven't told family or friends yet. Don't know what their reaction will be. Maybe I will wait till Thanksgiving dinner to tell everyone, but will have everything packed in case they tell me to leave....God knows what their reaction will be... I mentioned the idea of being a vegan to my elderly mom a few years ago and she said "Whatever happened to you..?" I really like the 21 Day Kickstart program. I wish we could see some ethnic vegan recipes, e.g., East Indian, Chinese, Italian, etc. I wish the Kickstart bosses would only provide "printer friendly" recipes for the daily, suggested, Kickstart menus. I find it costly to print colour recipes with graphics. Dr. Campbell is the featured celebrity today (Jan 15) and reference is made to his vegan soups but I could not find any such recipes on his site or the Kickstart site. Have been on the Kickstart program since Jan 1, 2010 and am secretly buying vegan foods in local grocery stores without telling store clerks what I'm up to. I live in a rural remote Canadian town, so coming out -- as a vegan -- is a little harder than doing it in a big city. I feel like I am the only vegan in town. And finally when I call myself a vegan I feel like I am a character in a Star Trek movie. Any other new vegans feel like that? Are there conventions where vegans go and dress up (like Star Trekkies conventions)? Peace to all. |
||
|
|||
| loopylou711
Joined: 01/12/10 Location: scotland Posts: 9 |
RE: Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 8:49 AM I know how you feel except for the part of living in a small town. But most of what you said rings true to me. AM on kick start and want to continue being vegan after the 21 days. However my bf thinks am "stupid" and that i will become unhealthy despite my attempts to explain the many benifits of being vegan! I am also worried as we travel alot of being a "nuisance" when we visit his family and mine! I think if i stick to being a vegan i will wait 6 months before making it official. Anyways, Just go for it. Let people think what they think and explain to them your reasons why you are doing it. If they don't understand then at least you tried and am sure your family will love you even if your a vegan. Don't worry to much! Sorry nt much help! |
||
|
|||
| EdwardSmith
Joined: 01/15/10 Posts: 2 |
RE: Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 8:52 AM Hi loopylou711. Thanks for your feedback. |
||
|
|||
Wild4Stars
 Location: Florida Posts: 832 |
RE: Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 9:02 AM At the bottom of this post there is a place where you can click on a drop down to go to other sites. Choose NutritionMD, when there click on "recipes" and you can search "Indian" or any other searchable word. I'm lucky that I have a very supportive spouse, he's not vegan but helps and supports me. When we are going to his family for a meal he always reminds them of my eating restrictions. I do have some friends and family that aren't all that friendly when it comes to my commitment. I do my best to just ignore their remarks and criticisms. It's such a personal thing, I don't know why people feel they have the right to criticize our food choices. Sometimes I'll even say, "I don't criticize your food choices, why do you feel free to criticize mine?" AND stick to that, don't be preachy or act offended when someone eats something in your presence. I think some Vegans tend to be very militant and give the rest of us a bad name. Vikki ~ Wild4Stars@gmail.com |
||
|
|||
| Susan Levin
Joined: 12/26/09 Posts: 1212 |
RE: Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 9:02 AM Out of the vegan closet is a good place to be. I commend you. There are a lot of people who prefer to say, "I eat a vegan diet" or "I practice a vegan lifestyle." Using vegan as an adjective as opposed to a noun sounds less sci-fi. Whatever you say, welcome to better health. Susan Levin, MS, RD |
||
|
|||
| drdeb
Joined: 01/02/10 Posts: 36 |
RE: Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 9:03 AM Personally, I don't think you have to identify yourself as anything or justify what you are eating to anyone! |
||
|
|||
| Wild4Stars
Location: Florida Posts: 832 |
RE: Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 9:05 AM Another good response, "I'm eating according to Doctor recommendations." People seem to think if a Doctor says it, it must be ok. And it's true, it is Doctor recommended. Vikki ~ Wild4Stars@gmail.com |
||
|
|||
| veveveveggie
Joined: 12/28/09 Posts: 114 |
RE: Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 9:26 AM I heard someone recently who said they tell people they are from the galaxy Vega where they don't eat animals. Humor is good, but family may have you locked up for that one. I usually bring something to eat if I am going away or going to a family get-together. I don't want to stand at the dinner table with a long face because there is nothing for me to eat. Eating in restaurants can be disappointing. This was true before I became vegan. It is also better to try to avoid discussing your reasons for being vegan while other people are eating. For instance, calling the chicken dish a dead bird will not make the host happy. If dinner discussion turns toward your new choices, keep it to health goals or say can we discuss this later. There are many websites for vegans. They will offer you the support for continuing. My elderly mother has been wondering what happened to me for a long time! Jean |
||
|
|||
| Mariberry
Joined: 01/02/10 Posts: 297 |
RE: Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 10:19 AM Hi Edward and fellow Canuck! "Coming out of the closet" is a great expression. Living your life pretending to be something you're not is exhausting. (i.e. critter-eater vs. plant-eater) You got some great tips from the previous posts re: dealing with people's questions and possible snide remarks. We all just have to stay strong in our beliefs and not let what others say push us off course. You can always come here to vent if it gets to be too much. Doesn't it just crack you up when people, like our mothers, for example, tell us our choices are unhealthy as they fry up a pan of bacon and eggs? Sheesh. All we are saying is "Give Peas a Chance" |
||
|
|||
| babalonia
Joined: 01/04/10 Posts: 60 |
RE: Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 10:40 AM I use the "for health reasons" excuse. My husband is being very supportive - above and beyond the call. Even my elderly mother thinks it's a good idea because she knows that I was never able to tolerate dairy very well anyway. Most of my friends have been supportive too - they usually just ask, "well, then what do you eat?". I've just found that the less explaining I do, the easier it is for me and everyone else. So, if I go to a restaurant, I don't tell the waiter I'm a vegan, I usually just say, "I don't want meat, cheese or eggs on that salad please." None of their business why I don't want to eat it. If the waiter asks if I'm a vegan, I'll say that I am, but otherwise... |
||
|
|||
| mommyof2nc
Joined: 12/31/09 Location: North Carolina Posts: 172 |
RE: Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 11:02 AM I don't plan on discussing it with my family. My husband and kids obviously know and they're fine with it. It might be easier for me, though because I don't have any family who lives here and only actually see my family 2-3 times a year and that's a good thing as far as I'm concerned. LOL My brother and his wife are vegan and they kind of take a little holiday from a vegan diet when they're around family. They still don't eat any meat but will eat pretty much anything else. For example, at Thanksgiving, they ate everything but the turkey and stuffing (my other sister-in-law insisted on making the stuffing with chicken broth, even though she knew I was an ovo-lacto vegetarian and my brother and his wife were vegan :roll This is getting long but, like I said earlier, it's kind of a good thing we don't see my family all the time because I think it would be a constant struggle to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If it does come up, I'll just tell them I switched because of health reasons, which is actually the reason why I decided to switch, anyway so it's true. |
||
|
|||
| tangledinblue
Joined: 01/15/10 Posts: 1 |
RE: Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 11:11 AM You can do it! As a gay lady I've had the pleasure of coming out twice, most recently as a vegan. I can say that it really does relate to my experience of "coming out". Not to be political at all, but there are some real similarities......I say to myself: "This is how I am and it's not going to change" And it's always surprising how many people you don't expect are totally supportive and interested, and asking for recipe ideas. Even though my mom still says "Vay-gunn", she gets what it is. Come "out"! |
||
|
|||
| veveveveggie
Joined: 12/28/09 Posts: 114 |
RE: Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 11:15 AM Sometimes people have problems with people who don't eat meat because it shines a light on what they are eating. Mostly it is normal to eat meat, people don't even think about carcasses, they think of steak or burger. When they are exposed to someone who has stepped away from the trough, it pricks their conscience. People know they shouldn't be eating other animals, but because it is so wide-spread they don't even think about it. Our very presence as vegans is an irritation, a reminder that there is another way. Jean |
||
|
|||
| shanna
Joined: 12/30/09 Posts: 287 |
RE: Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 11:19 AM Good luck, Edward! Everybody's right--this gets so much easier over time. And different situations call for different responses. The people you frequently share meals with are likely to be your closest friends and family. Luckily they tend to be the most understanding, and may even express interest or be positively influenced. In cases where you know or sense someone is likely to be unsupportive or even hostile, sure, keep it to yourself or minimize it or whatever makes the situation less unpleasant for you. Arguing or becoming defensive with a close-minded critic is a waste of your energy anyway. You are not likely to change his or her mind. These occasions will hopefully be rare. Just do what ya gotta do! Being a healthy, happy vegan is the most convincing tactic.
|
||
|
|||
| ikkin82
Joined: 01/15/10 Posts: 2 |
RE: Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 11:35 AM I have a big birthday dinner to go to tonight at a mexican restaurant and I know I'm going to raise eyebrows when I ask for no cheese on my veggie burrito. I've been thinking all week how I'll be able to avoid attention when ordering so I don't start a vegetarian vs. meat-eater debate at the table. I think I'll just say I'm trying to watch my figure, which is totally true! When people ask about what I eat I find that some are just curious and others get very defensive for some reason. Like my life choice is somehow insulting theirs. I don't like to call myself vegan for this reason, for some people it just doesn't sit well with. |
||
|
|||
| Wild4Stars
Location: Florida Posts: 832 |
RE: Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 12:46 PM I agree with ikkin82, I rarely say I'm vegan simply because people don't understand it. The term vegetarian is more common and readily understood. Then there are no questions about why I'm not eating meat, they rarely even notice what else I am eating. Vikki ~ Wild4Stars@gmail.com |
||
|
|||
| DrDons
Joined: 01/11/10 Location: Sacramento, CA Posts: 17 |
RE: Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 12:47 PM I wanted to encourage those showing the courage and devoting the efforts to change to a plant based diet. Our(my wife and I) experience is that it gets easier over time. As a physician I actually get more resistance from my colleagues than the lay public. You have become an informal leader in a growing movement to effectively improve not only your health but also the health of your family, friends, and folks in your community... not to mention lowering health care costs, improving the medical industry, improving the environment, leading the way to effectively feed more of humanity, and reducing the suffering of billions of animals. Lead by example and others will follow some more quickly than others. Of our three children, their spouses, and our two grandchildren we have our daughter, her husband, and our grandson who are vegan the others are making steady progress in that direction. Also 4 of the 9 other folks in our book group of 5 years have now gone vegan. As the number of other informal leaders grows the efforts have the potential to be exponentially accelerated. In the last few years of my practice more and more of my patients knew family, friends or acquaintances who were vegans and all commented on how healthy they looked. Your efforts will have an effect more then you will ever know. As the inevitable push-back comes from government, industry, and the medical profession stay the course, continue your journey and arm yourself with accurate and reliable resources such as PCRM. Keep up the great work. Best wishes Don
|
||
|
|||
| txgirl
Joined: 01/04/10 Location: Pasadena, TX Posts: 82 |
RE: Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 4:24 PM I've been wondering the same thing myself. I think I've told one or two coworkers, but I'm not sure about anyone else. I've been lacto-ovo for 20 years and have been working in my current department for a year. In that time I've discovered that even though most of my colleagues are rednecks, a surprising number of them know other vegetarians and even vegans. I came across across a website the other day - i think it was herbivore.com. I really like that word - herbivore. I'm going to try calling myself that if people ask. Maybe then they'll finally stop asking me, "well, you eat shrimp don't you? what about chicken?" If not, I can then say "Nope, I'm a herbivore. If it isn't a seed and didn't sprout from one, I don't eat it!" |
||
|
|||
| txgirl
Joined: 01/04/10 Location: Pasadena, TX Posts: 82 |
RE: Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 4:28 PM Oh, that just reminded me of a hilarious e-mail my boss forwarded me. This came from a relative of his that works for a big East Texas grocery chain:
Joe, we have a “We’re Listening” form at our stores for customer to praise of complain to us. They are sent to me and I loved this one. Just wanted you to be aware that white meat was a vegetable.
DW Customer Comments: |
||
|
|||
| Wild4Stars
Location: Florida Posts: 832 |
RE: Coming out as a vegan Posted Friday, January 15, 2010 at 4:29 PM I like that ~ "If it isn't a seed, or didn't sprout from one, I don't eat it." Certainly would make someone stop and think, made me stop and think. Vikki ~ Wild4Stars@gmail.com |
||
|
|||
. Luckily there were tons of other dishes that we were able to eat, though we have to be careful around my mom, too, because she'll just go ahead and add things like chicken broth to otherwise vegetarian meals, even if she has veggie broth in the house. She just does it and tells whoever sees her doing it not to tell us. 
| New Topic Reply Subscription Options |
Page:
1
2
|
| Subscription Options |
| Subscription options are available after you log in. |
There are 253 active user sessions right now.
|
home | contact us | about us | support us | full disclaimer | privacy policy PCRM Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine |