Reflecting upon my goals as a vegetarian, I often wonder how long it will take me to become vegan. Ultimately, I plan to cut all animal products out of my diet, consume mostly vegetables, and minimize my relationship with unhealthy carbs. In the last week, I’ve tried to adopt a vegan diet, just to give myself a new challenge. I’m sad to say that by day two, I failed.

While I don’t eat dessert regularly, I love tiramisu, cheesecake, flan, or any dessert rich in flavor and dairy. These are my “treats” on a really rough day or if I just want to enjoy something sweet over drinks with my friends. As one of my non-vegetarian friends came to visit, we went out to eat at a popular restaurant and I couldn’t resist ordering a mini-shot of tiramisu. I crave creamy desserts when I’m out to eat, and it’s quite difficult to say no.

But here’s the good news: I haven’t desired milk or cheese in the same capacity, as I only consume these products with cereal and sandwiches. Once those items were eliminated from my diet, it’s been quite easy to maintain their absence. And thankfully, I’ve never been one to drink milk by the glass or eat individual blocks of cheese unless I’m at a social event.

It’s likely that the success of my vegan journey will be dependent upon extensive research and supplementing my dairy cravings with something healthier. While this time around I ventured into veganism to just see the level of difficulty, the next time I plan to prepare and gather more information. While veganism isn’t impossible, it’s definitely a challenge.

Have you ever tried a vegan diet? What were your weaknesses and successes? Weigh in.

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8 Comments

  1. I tried a raw food/vegan cleanse last week. It was definitely one of the most challenging and frustrating things i’ve done. The primary reason is because meals MUST be planned. Convenient options are hardly EVER vegan friendly. I felt like I was eating allll dayyyyy lonnnng.
    Since im not even vegetarian (yet?). This type of diet was a shock for me. I dont eat pork/red meat. ive almost weaned myself off of chicken. So the only thing I CRAVED, was fish. I will definitely try this again…but with better prep and research.

  2. I’ve been vegan for almost six years and it was challenging at first. l stopped and started a few times. I was lucky enough to have a few vegan friends on speed dial to help me along the way. Now, there are tons of apps and things to help you find veg friendly restaurants like Happy Cow. There are also tons of vegan forums online.

    One of my biggest hurdles was rethinking how I ate and finding suitable replacements. I bake a lot, so I really missed eggs. Luckily, that’s one of the easiest ingredients to replace. It takes time to learn what can be made vegan or how to ask. While it does take some planning, I feel like I’m making better decisions about what I’m eating, which is important to me.

    The most important thing to remember when going vegan is to be patient with yourself. No one is perfect. I’ve been vegan for a while, but sometimes I forget to ask waiters to leave the cheese off of my beans or whatever. I just scrape it off, shrug it off, and try to remember next time. The goal of being vegan is not perfection.

  3. I have been a vegetarian for the past two years and I have dabbled in veganism but it is cery hard for me. I always forget about the eggs that are in different baked goods but I’m going to keep trying. Dairy products are pretty easy to eliminate but eggs not so much.

    • Hello S.Riche!

      I have been vegan for about a year in a half. I created a blog that help those such as yourself stay on the track to becoming vegan. My website is: go-vegan.org.

      Best,
      Rose

  4. I cut cheese out of my diet earlier this year & succumbed to a craving this past week & was so disappointed in myself. I’ve been a vegetarian for almost 6 years & have gradually cut out the dairy, but still partake in foods made with milk/eggs. Cheese was hard to let go & will be hard to let go again & I restart the process of weaning myself off of it.

    I agree with the other comments: planning your meals is a MUST as a vegan, because most places aren’t vegan friendly, let alone veggie-friendly.

    Looking forward to the day when I become a successful vegan.

    • @Alexis: cutting out dairy can be very challenging. try daiya at home..its good, and melts like cheese. eating out can be hard, dont get disappointed, youll get there.

  5. I’ve been a nutritarian/vegan for almost a year. I don’t know why, but it was not a struggle. One of my favorite life savers while transitioning was raw, vegan ice cream simply made from blending frozen bananas, a little almond milk and cocoa…..delish.

    I too have a FB page dedicated to my journey and lots of recipes. I think knowing how to make delicious entrees and meals is key. We also have vegan restaurants…wishing you success!

    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vegan-Radiance/252309384840857

  6. I am approaching my One Yr anniversary of being a vegetarian. I would have never believed a few yrs back that this was even possible. I rarely ate dairy for five yrs prior to me becoming a vegetarian because my body rejected it but in my journey to being a vegan I have discovered that i do occasionally indulge in deserts made with eggs. It is my journey, if I slip up I dust myself off and begin again.

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