Honestly, hearing about people who went vegan although they grew up in an environment where people are virtually fed on meat and dairy products and thus those people are virtually considered aliens if they don’t participate in this meat-based culture, is always a fascinating testimony. In fact, it shows that ANY person could change his or her diet habits if they really made up their mind to do so. That’s what happened to those Texas’ boys who considered it a challenge to ever be able to go vegan. Definitely, it was a great challenge. However, at the end of the story they admit: It was well worth it. Read on to learn how they arrived to this conclusion and why they have never looked back again ever since.
“Literally no one I knew growing up was vegetarian, much less vegan. I was born and raised in a small town in South Texas, where agriculture and livestock are a huge part of both the economy and the psyche of the town. My high school even had a farm that raised animals to be shown and sold at the yearly county livestock show.
The concept of not eating meat or dairy was completely alien to me. My life has been full of BBQs, pig roasts, and brisket smokes.
For breakfast I usually have four or five eggs and and andouille sausage. Throughout the workday, I snack on three or four packets of beef jerky. Lunch always varies, but a standard dinner is a large serving of meat, with no vegetables or bread. Needless to say, meat has always been a huge part of my diet.
But I decided to go completely vegan, because I knew it would be a challenge considering my background. Plus, to be honest, I was curious to see if I’d feel any different. For those who aren’t familiar, a vegan is someone who abstains from animal products in their diet. Meaning no meat, dairy, or food made by or from an animal whatsoever (that includes honey, which I was shocked to find out).
Here were the rules of my monthlong challenge:
1. No meat, dairy, or animal by-products whatsoever for the duration of the month.
2. No cheat days. I wanted it to be cold turkey.
Week one: When I realized just how dependent my body was on meat.
The first few days I was totally lost because I had absolutely no idea what I could eat. So I wound up eating oats and salad pretty exclusively (it was ultimately closed-mindedness and an aversion to vegetables that caused this). Needless to say, my body went through withdrawal.
What happens to your digestive system those first couple of days as a vegan can only be described as utter chaos. My stomach was hurting all the time, and I was shitting several times a day. Oh, and it wasn’t regular shit, it was run-to-the-toilet-because-my-ass-was-about-to-explode shit. I felt like I had taken a weeklong industrial-strength laxative.
Initially, I tried to maintain an exercise routine. That was a complete and total fail, though. Not only did I lack motivation, but I totally lacked energy. Three times in a row I would go to the gym and leave within the first 20 minutes. I simply could not bring myself to actually exercise, and I felt absolutely awful. I had zero energy, no motivation, and a mental haze.
Other areas of my life were affected as well. I was so worn out that on the third day I seriously considered leaving work early. Outside of work I spent most of my free time lying around at home. I seriously considered quitting the challenge.
I also had intense cravings, specifically for eggs. I like eggs in all forms, and have eaten up to 60 a week. But, of course, eggs aren’t vegan.
I realized that part of the problem was me, because I hadn’t done any grocery shopping to fit my new lifestyle. Knowing I was totally out of my depth, one of my bosses (a vegan) enlisted the help of a vegan mentor of sorts named Renee. As an employee of PETA and a vegan veteran, she was tasked with taking me grocery shopping.
As we walked through Trader Joe’s, I was shopping in a way that I had never shopped before. I actually went to the fruit and vegetable section first, and got foods like strawberries, spinach, and bananas, all of which I hadn’t eaten in a very long time.
There were so many things that I could eat that I didn’t even realize were vegan. I found some amazing vegan Mandarin chicken that didn’t look at all vegan, but actually was. At the end, my grocery cart was full of a number of delicious options that I happily consumed in the next few days.
I also starting googling all types of food to see if they contained animal products before I bought them. This extended to restaurants, as I had to check menus to make sure they had vegan food options. I was inadvertently becoming more and more informed about food.
One of the harder parts about this week was dealing with temptation. I had a dinner in Santa Monica where the only vegan options were quinoa tacos. While the tacos were delicious, I was super jealous of my friend across from me who was eating a 16-ounce steak. And there was another instance where I was at a deep-dish pizza place and it took every fiber of my being not to jump over the table and eat that beautiful, melting cheese and meat mess at the table next to me.
I’d also like to clear the air about tofu: I didn’t like it, and I will never like it. It looks and tastes gross to me. The fact that I had to “press” the juices out of it didn’t add to its appeal. It’s almost as if the flesh-colored gelatinous mass was sweating. It just isn’t my thing and probably never will be.
I was really adjusting this week, and although I felt like I was getting hit with a lot of information, it was getting to be more digestible.”
Read the full story here: buzzfeed.com!
Ky N Lee DeSomer
bravo boys but how about how the killing part of it affects you
Karl Nichols
Same here
Kelsey Ruelas Ricci Martinsen Sorensen Below the article it says: “Read the full story here: buzzfeed.com!” Please click on the link “buzzfeed.com” to read the full story 🙂
You have to click on that link below the article or it won’t work!
I felt that way at the start but now I find it so easy now..
Jason Davis
Last time I checked, Hell hasn’t froze over….. J/S it will be a cold day when I go vegan… lol
James Mackie