7 Tips for Transitioning to a Vegan Diet

So I went vegan. Ish. I mean, should I call myself a vegan? I'm still carrying my Coach purse and I didn't harass the waitress at lunch the other day to find out if the veggie burger I ordered was actually vegan or just vegetarian. My mini van has leather seats and I'm not giving up my Merrell boots or my wool socks when I find myself miserably in a cold climate. Will I buy new animal based products? Probably not - but I'm not going to burn the ones I already have.

I feel like the word "vegan" has so many meanings to so many people and I'd really like to come up with another word. Maybe I'll just call myself an herbivore. If you say "vegan" to people who are vehemently clinging on to their love of meat and cheese, you are inevitably met with immediate reactions. Like - everyone feels the need to either attack the vegan, make fun of the vegan, tell the vegan a story about a vegan they knew that was hospitalized, or just defend their decision not to be vegan. Chill out y'all, this is just for me. I'm not going militant and forcing my ideas down anyone else's throat.... I mean, for now. 

I also hoped that after 21 days of being an herbivore, I would be a svelte version of myself. I pictured myself happily wearing leggings and a tight tank top, perfect skin and an elegantly messy top knot, casually walking into yoga studios with a mat and a ecologically responsible water bottle tucked under my arm. Instead I am a few pounds lighter than my original weight and my downward dog is a hot mess. This is a journey. This is a journey. This is a journey. 

But here's the thing... I don't think picking apart everything I do is going to work for me. I mean, if I can't figure out if something is vegan and I think it probably is - or it's just the best I can do at the time - I'm going to give myself a damn break. I'm doing a good job, I'm living according to my own set of values, I'm being true to myself. 

That's what I want the most for myself in this new year - and in every new year to come. I just want to be true to myself. If it feels wrong, it's wrong for me. I'm not going to judge anyone else for eating a cheeseburger or wearing leather shoes or even driving a gas guzzling sports car. I mean... at least I'm going to try not to judge anyone. Everyone is on their own journey or at their own stage in their journey and who am I to decide whether someone else is being true to themselves or whether or not it's even my business whether they are being true to themselves? All I can and should do is worry about myself and set a good example for the people I love. 

#ALittleCloserToEnlightenment #Maybe

Now - not to toot my own horn or anything - but I am quite frankly kicking ass at this whole transitioning to vegan thing. I'll be fair and say I wasn't ever a really huge meat eater, but I did love me some cheese. I feel like I've picked up some tips along the way to making this transition a little easier. 

1. Give yourself a damn break. You're doing your best. If you accidentally eat something not vegan or you just slip up because all you can think about is ice cream and there's a half gallon in the freezer and it's calling to you or you find yourself starving and there is literally nothing vegan available to you - don't plummet into the depths of despair. Just move on, try to do better, and forgive yourself. 

2. Don't tell everyone you're vegan. You don't have to go into this being all extra about it. It will come out when you say "no, thanks" a thousand times to food people offer you or when you order a bagel with peanut butter and banana and a side of fries at your local breakfast spot with your girlfriends and they all raise an eyebrow. Tell people when you have to tell them. Do not post pro-vegan propaganda on Instagram or Facebook or start wearing "I Love Animals So I Don't Eat Them" t-shirts to PTA meetings. You're not ready to defend yourself at every event. Just keep it on the down low and when you have to explain why you're not eating Aunt Carol's breakfast casserole, just smile and say you're cutting out meat and dairy. Yes, they will ask questions and you should answer them - but there's no need to get on a soapbox. Make sure people know you're doing it for yourself, for the animals, and/or for the environment and that you're in no way suggesting they do it too. 

3. Eat before you go. If you're going to a party, make sure you're not hungry. Being hungry at the party will make you weak - especially if you'll be drinking at the party. #TequilaMakesMeWeak Then you're all "would this mini cheese quesadilla really hurt?" That mini cheese quesadilla is a gateway drug, y'all! Before you know it, you're on to deviled eggs and chicken taquitos and now you're stopping at McDonald's on your way home for a double quarter pounder with extra cheese. Instead, fill up on delicious plant based goodies before you go and you'll be much more likely to stay away from the cheesy snacks at the party. 

4. Plan ahead for restaurants. If you can check out the menu online, do it. Think of things you can make vegan if there are no obvious options or just no obvious options you like. Most Chinese food places have tofu and they can tofu everything up. I had a mean General Tso's Tofu the other day. Call ahead and ask if the veggie burger is vegan or just vegetarian or if they can make the Chicken Stir Fry without chicken. Pizza without cheese is shockingly good, too! Pretty much every restaurant will accommodate you and they won't even look at you weird. And if you're afraid that they will look at you weird or your dining partners will give you a hard time - just do your very best. Seriously, just do your very best and be proud of that. 

5. Make note of things you already love that are already vegan. I love Belvita Breakfast Biscuits. I've loved them for a long time. Surprise, they're vegan (or at least the Cinnamon Brown Sugar ones are). I keep them in my purse for when I'm starving and have nothing easy. Oreos are vegan and one or two absolutely keep me from binging on something non-vegan because I'm dying for something naughty. Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches have always been a favorite and they're totally vegan (as long as your Jelly doesn't contain gelatin - look for pectin instead). 

6. Find a good vegan cheese. I love grilled cheese sandwiches. There are plenty of vegan butter substitutes on the market and they're easy to find, but a tasty vegan cheese worthy of a grilled cheese? That was proving to be tough. I found a cheese called Chao at my local Publix and it is my new best friend. It melts a little slower than standard cheese so it's important to make your grilled cheese on low heat with a lid on your pan to get the full effect - but y'all... it's melty and delicious and goes great with a bowl of tomato soup. 

7. Take a B12 supplement. But make sure it's vegan. So, we need this stuff to keep ourselves from being anemic or causing damage to our nervous systems. It can be found in foods that are fortified with B12, but to be safe you'll be better off taking a supplement. I grabbed one off the shelf from Trader Joe's the first week I was transitioning and I was sad to get it home only to find that it contained milk. Lucky for me, my amazing husband is much better at reading labels and he picked one up for me that is vegan. You don't need a lot, 10 micrograms a day will do it if you plan to take it daily or 2000 micrograms a week if you plan to take it weekly. It's better absorbed in small doses, but I'm a forgetful girl so I take one a week. 

So there you have it. My 7 top tips to transitioning to a plant-based diet. There's more, I'm sure - but if you can follow these 7, you're making good progress. Be sure to be kind to yourself and everyone else and know you're doing something great. Namaste, y'all.