Hi all, this is my 6th day as a vegan and although I have done very well for a newbie, I did cave tonight at dinner. I tried making the Split-pea croquettes in TKD book and they fell apart in the skillet. So I ended up having a few pieces of my husband’s cheese pizza. I know becoming a vegan is a process and there will be a few setbacks, but I feel my confidence about my success as vegan slipping. I truly believe in this life style change so I am not giving in but I wonder if anyone has any advice or support to help me through my transition.

Thanks!

hi kami, i think the most helpful advice that i have received has been to fill your fridge and pantry with easy fun vegan choices for when the going gets tough.  that cheese pizza might not cry out to you as much if you have a back up plan, like some tofutti spread on a bagel with some strawberry jam or my favorite comfort food whole wheat ezekial bread toasted, spread with pb and topped with bananas and a little agave.  probally not the best choice if trying to loose weight but it's kind and i can feel good about it later.  another great idea is to eat similar meals as your husband.  maybe when he has cheese pizza make a kind version with follow your heart vegan cheese, organic tomatoe sauce on a whole wheat pizza crust.  let your husband know how important living kind is to you and he can support you when your resolve wavers.  this website never fails to help me, everyone is so generous with their love and support.  you can do it.

Thanks Holly! I appriciate the suggestions and support!

Thanks for asking this question Kami. I've been trying so hard to make the move to vegan now that I've decided that I want to be vegetarian. Some days are easier than others.  It was helpful to read the tips you got back!

Congrats on making the decision to enter onto the vegan road...

If you can get it into your thoughts that it is really wrong to , i mean really wrong to exploit animals as man has been doing  well it might make it easier for you not to "cave".

I really do not know how to make much of anything advanced, the majority of my meals for the past ten years have been bean sandwiches.   I hope one day to meet friends and a woman to be able to make delicious vegan meals with, until then i just go with the basics.  I am going to try and post on my profile page what i am eating regularly

Best wishes on the vegan road!!!

I found it SO helpful to check out a few of the many vegan blogs - there are tons of recipes and you're bound to find one or two writers that suit your taste/style of cooking

two of my favourites are Little House of Veggies and Pea Soup Eats - both written by Kind Lifers - and you'll find links on those blogs to loads of others

for motivation, read Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer - every time I have a bad craving, I think back to that book and remember why I want to make a better choice

do also look into the special nutritional requirements vegans need to think about - I know supplements aren't ideal, but while you're getting used to living this life, you may need some help with getting what your body needs for health - I'm still not great on the green leafies so I take a calcium supplement, and also I take B12, so look into what your own concerns might be - there are lots of thread here about this, and links to websites etc.

good luck and be well!

Oh dear, the croquets, very difficult!

You might want to start with making dishes that you've made before vegan. Substituut meat with tofu, beans, brown rice, lentils etc. These are not too expensive and mostly easy to find...
Eating rice with vegetables is a great way to. Spaghetti with vegs, chili sin carne...

If you drink soymilk or any othe kind of milk it gets you also plenty of everything. Eat some nuts, lots of fruits/vegs, make nice smoothies. You'll be fine.  And slowly slowly it will grow on you.
I started like that and slowly slowly incorporate some of the more excotic suggestions... Just look at how your body reacts. What do you like and what you like less... What feels good, what suits less

If you can get your hands on soymilk, there is also a lot of things you can make yourself, like veganaise:

you can find the recipe here:

http://www.thekindlife.com/forum/thread/making-your-own-vegan-mayonaise-so-easy

I am eating vegan now for 6 months ( a few dairy-slips while eating out though...) I did not eat meat for 20+ years but ate some fish every now and then. I dont know how this vegan stuf ;) came in my life, but all of a sudden it was everywhere... Cutting out dairy was more easy than expected as I used to eat a lot of cheese!  it going fine. Mostly also because i discover i really like cooking, which i never did. I used to buy most things ready because i thought it was difficult to make them. But now i am experimenting, just made lentil-artishoke stew, vegan chocolate-mousse and veganaise! All easy and so good :) I posted them on the forum. So finding out that i am not a toad in the kitchen but blossoming into a princess is an extra reward i did not expect when i embarked on this journey :) You can do it too. It's a great adventure... I am slowly slowly now gravitaing towards superHero.
Good luck!

6 days with just the one slip up is pretty good for just starting out! I've been off meat and eggs for about 3 months, but having an on/off relationship with dairy for health reasons for over a year now.

At this very moment, I'm digesting some ice cream. It wasn't the smartest decision I've had in a while, and I'll feel sick for the next few days - but each time, there are bigger and bigger gaps between my slips. It's just about developing the lifestyle of saying "no" to things that we've been so used to saying "YES!" to! I've been so tempted to just give up sometimes, but 99% of the time I so prefer having this new way of living :)

Hello there newbie, it's lovely to meet even more people making the change to veganism. Here are a few ideas that I would like to share with you - food for thought rather than instructions I suppose.

1. Don't feel guilty or bad about what you eat. You are making a massive, positive change in your life and at times it's going to be difficult. Be proud that you have made that choice and have started on that path. So what if occasionally you slip up? You'll get there in the end.

2. Make sure you've always got something lined up to eat that day that you know you will love. This way if you make something new for lunch then realise you don't like it you can always think to yourself  "Mmmm, I've got a cup cake for after dinner tonight" and hopefully because you've got something great (and vegan!) to look forward to you won't be so tempted by dairy/meat products.

3. Keep on experimenting. There are hundreds of web sites and books out there dedicated to veganism that can show you what a fantastic variety is on offer, be brave and give them a go.

4. Focus on all of the things that you can have, rather than those that you can't. Most meat/dairy eaters that I know don't have a very varied diet. Don't for one moment think that you are limited in what you eat - instead focus on the massive array of ingredients available to you and their almost infinate combinations.

5. Stock up on vegan condiments that you know you like. Although they might be full of salt and/or sugar they are great for when a new food experiment goes wrong and you haven't got time/ingredients to make anything else. Almost everything tastes better smothered in sweet chilli sauce, right? When your cooking gets better and your taste buds change (I promise they will eventually) you won't need them as much.

I hope this helps, I'll be quiet now.

Good luck, be proud of your choices.

Kami -- Don't be hard on yourself. You are doing something wonderful! The number one tip I would give is to think of this diet change as adding healthy delicious foods to your diet, rather than focusing on what you "can't" have.  You can actually eat whatever you want, but you will find that you choose not to, because the kinder, healthier options make you feel so much better.  In time your mind may be sharper and you may be more at peace.  That is the best feeling! Experiment with cooking, but have plenty of simple things on hand that take little to no effort at all.  I usually have a pot of cooked grains in the fridge (brown rice, barley, quinoa etc.) that is delicious eaten cold on a salad with some canned beans, or wrapped in a sheet of nori spread with hummus, or warmed up with an avocado smashed on top and some sunflower seeds.  Think of these types of foods as your staples. I usually cook the grains with veggie broth instead of water, sometimes with some tomato paste, chopped leeks or onion or garlic.  That way they are delicious on their own. Do always have a backup plan in the fridge or cupboard, and the pressure's off!  Good luck!  I'm happy for you!

Remember your meals aren't life path decisions. That sounds so strange to read, right? One meal making the rest of your life, right? Exactly! Don't let a bad decision (or just a 'weaker' one!) let you get down. 

I'm vegan. Do I occasionally eat cheese when it's too much a hassle to order around it or forget to ask if there are any eggs in the pasta at the local Italian market? Sure, but that's my way of being vegan. 99.998% of the time, my choices are entirely vegan. But nobody is perfect, not you, not me, not Alicia, not anyone. 

Let it go and breathe.