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Going Vegan in 2011.
So as a gym owner and long time fitness enthusiast, at age 36 I am going Vegan as of...right now. I have been reading Thrive and also a book called Becoming Vegan. I am convinced of the nutritional validity of a Vegan diet and can find no other reason to not go Vegan other than for the sake of convenience.
After I announced this on my facebook page/pages I got an overwhelming response. It's crazy the reaction that a simple change in diet can incite. I am finding that people are either supportive, or simply are against it as it poses a threat to their way of life. My family mocked me tonight at a New Years Eve party and I just left. I was wondering if this is common place for most of you. Have you met this opposition? Has it come straight from your family? Thanks fort sharing and kick ass in 2011.
Micah
Views: 101
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Janice Moreland on -
Congratulations to you! My reply to people who seem threatened by my food choices is, "Thank you for your input." I went vegan a year ago and my goal this year is to create a vegan blog with delicious recipes for everyone.
Check it out at www.TheKitchenTwist.com
Best of luck to you
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Permalink Reply by Sonja Wieck on -
Yes, I have received similar comments and was rather shocked. I'm not sure why people seem to be so threatened by my personal food choices (I went plant based Dec1-2010 as an experiment and haven't gone back). If I said I was suddenly allergic to meat, I think people would be helpful, but the "choice" aspect I think people see it as judgmental.
I'm getting a lot of questions because I am an Ironman athlete..."what about protein", "what about iron". I find it odd that people think they are "more healthy" because they eat meat, when often they eat barely any vegetables. Just odd.
I've been quick to say "I'm just experimenting" and "this is just for fun". That's dampened things a bit. I'm trying not to be judgemental and to just smile through the questions and shrugg my shoulders.
For me, the finish line reveals all :)
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Permalink Reply by Vineca Gray on -
I am a bit nervous that some friends are going to feel insecure and consider my lifestyle choice to be a lofty social statement and nothing more. It is so much more, and we can't let people make us feel small.
I appreciate your sincerity and can only hope that people will at least question this decision in a thoughtful way.
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Permalink Reply by A Dryad on -
First, let me say that you've made a good decision. I was a lacto-ovo veg that went vegan 8 years ago. Best decision I ever made. Dramatically improved my body comp., energy levels and mental clarity and virtually eliminated the overtraining I had suffered for ages.
Now as to your situation, luckily I didn't really face what you did as I was already veg (most of my life), as is my older sister, and I was clear that I made the decision for myself alone, primarily for health reasons. (My husband is omni & my son just went to a lacto-ovo diet.) Curiosity as to what I ate, particularly for protein, was the main reaction. Some folks copped an attitude assuming that all vegans are rabid PETA-types. When it became clear that it was a personal choice; that I wasn't going to preach animal rights and the evils of an omni diet they became more open-minded and curious. Micah, if you make clear that this is a personal choice intended to improve your health and fitness and you convey your excitement about it (at least I hope you're excited), in a positive non-judgmental manner, they should come around. Ignorance breeds fear, so educate yourself to prepare to answer questions calmly and logically, but without forcing them to listen when they don't want to. Don't force them to accommodate your diet either and praise any good hearted attempts when they do try. Any time you get together with friends and family come prepared to feed yourself, preferably with something yummy you can share, something they'll say "yum, this tasty" about, not " this tastes pretty good for something vegan".
Good luck. It's not an easy choice but it's an excellent one.
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Permalink Reply by A Dryad on
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Robert Beckett said:
Yes I notice the same thing as others. Seems to me to be 3 camps
1 People think your nuts, how can you never have a cheeseburger again!
2 People think your stuck up for some reason like you think your superior to them
3. People think its kinda cool or are curious and ask you lots of questions about how you eat
LOL. I've been vegan long enough that I forgot how true the above statements are. Luckily I run the fitness centre at a large inner city Y, with a large immigrant population. As a result I meet a lot of people that come from places where their diets are predominantly plant based, so they don't find my choice odd. (As a result I've been fed lots of awesome, vegan dishes I might never have even heard of otherwise.) Don't forget # 4, though:
4. People will tell you they would consider going vegan if they didn't have to give up cheese.
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Permalink Reply by Nats Grant Logan on
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Hm... a smart approach! I'm starting the vegan path which will be ... interesting, challenging, fun since I'm the chef in the family, so this involves taking my husband and wee daughter along with me!
Reading how you have all been supported (or not) is very helpful! Thanks for sharing.
Michael Bloomfield said:My approach is to simply say that I'm going to eat the most nutrient-dense foods for my body.
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Permalink Reply by Jane on
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Hi there everyone,
This is a great conversation.
I have been a raw vegan for 10 years now and went raw overnight after a detox
cleanse, this was due to suffering a serious illness in the gut. Doctors could not treatment me so I took my health in my own hands and went to a health retreat for treatment for 4 weeks. After 2 week water/juice detox followed by going completely raw vegan, cured me from my illness and the energy and vitality I had after this was amazing. I have never had the illness back.
I returned home after 4 weeks, from being a meat eater, living off fastfood and alcohol to being a raw vegan.
The response from my family and friends, like everyone here has been saying was a mixed bag.
Some offensive, some very curious and making not nice remarks and making fun of me, and some very supportive and wanting to know more on how I cured myself.
I tackled the offensive and very curious, by showing what a raw vegan diet was and how it benefited me, also by making meals for them to try of which they loved.
By keeping my cool and being happy and smiling, not responding to them in a negative and offensive way (i.e. going to their level of thinking), I gained their respect for my choice. Gradually they came around. There were a few who did not but I found out they were not friends anyway and we just never communicated again, no real loss there. I found my true friends just accepting that Jane had changed her diet and this was no major concern and they catered for me when I was invited out to their house. I just gave them the ingredients they needed to make a meal.
I find now after 10 years that my energy, looks, vitality and much improved intelligence, witty and happy personality can just ignore anyone not willing to understand as it does not effect me in anyway as I am so level headed being on this diet. I also find that my friends and family have accepted me and also respect my choice and have become very interested in eating the way I do sometimes and they enjoy it.
What I am saying is the more years you are on this diet the more balanced person you become and it gets easier and easier.
Stay with it and be strong in your choice. Your health will shine and others will question on why you look so good and want to know how.
cheers
Jane
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Permalink Reply by Kadee on -
That's Terrific Jane. Thank you so much for sharing. Peace love and prosperity.
Jane said:Hi there everyone,
This is a great conversation.
I have been a raw vegan for 10 years now and went raw overnight after a detox
cleanse, this was due to suffering a serious illness in the gut. Doctors could not treatment me so I took my health in my own hands and went to a health retreat for treatment for 4 weeks. After 2 week water/juice detox followed by going completely raw vegan, cured me from my illness and the energy and vitality I had after this was amazing. I have never had the illness back.
I returned home after 4 weeks, from being a meat eater, living off fastfood and alcohol to being a raw vegan.
The response from my family and friends, like everyone here has been saying was a mixed bag.
Some offensive, some very curious and making not nice remarks and making fun of me, and some very supportive and wanting to know more on how I cured myself.
I tackled the offensive and very curious, by showing what a raw vegan diet was and how it benefited me, also by making meals for them to try of which they loved.
By keeping my cool and being happy and smiling, not responding to them in a negative and offensive way (i.e. going to their level of thinking), I gained their respect for my choice. Gradually they came around. There were a few who did not but I found out they were not friends anyway and we just never communicated again, no real loss there. I found my true friends just accepting that Jane had changed her diet and this was no major concern and they catered for me when I was invited out to their house. I just gave them the ingredients they needed to make a meal.
I find now after 10 years that my energy, looks, vitality and much improved intelligence, witty and happy personality can just ignore anyone not willing to understand as it does not effect me in anyway as I am so level headed being on this diet. I also find that my friends and family have accepted me and also respect my choice and have become very interested in eating the way I do sometimes and they enjoy it.
What I am saying is the more years you are on this diet the more balanced person you become and it gets easier and easier.
Stay with it and be strong in your choice. Your health will shine and others will question on why you look so good and want to know how.
cheers
Jane
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Permalink Reply by Micah Hankins on -
Thanks a ton you guys and gals. Things are going great and I'm finding the more I simply live my life out in front of folks, the more their fears and defensive turn to curiosity. Most people are baffled of the idea of me getting into "ripped" condition, while maintaining my super human strength all while simply cutting out all animal products. I mean I know what I look like and it's so counterintuitive to their thinking of what a Vegan should, in their minds, look like and act like. They're used to pasty colored, mal nourished hippy type and here I am 5'9 210lbs, almost covered from head to toe in tattoos. I'm an athlete through and through from kettle bells, martial arts, olympic lifting, hiking, snowboarding, wakeboarding and in their minds it just doesn't seem to fit. When I explain my approach, my reasons and my nutritional plan coupled with my athletic goals, it seems to make more sense. Well, at the end of the day, here's to freaking people out and busting stereotypes!
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Permalink Reply by L.J. on -
Micah Hankins said:That is awesome. I started a group for all of my clients, including me to see just how crazy we can get in three months. Announcing to all of my clients that I'm now Vegan is great, now the spotlight is on me and what I'm doing within this new system which is pretty foreign to everyone in my gym. My goal in three months, and I will achieve it, drop 30lbs from 209lbs down to a 180lbs. I wanna shatter the stereotype of physical performance and strength and Vegans, in short, I wanna be in the best shape of my life at age 36 and now going Vegan. A tattooed gym owner that is ripped all on a Vegan diet! Sounds like fun to me.
Micah,
Congrats on the change. I'm two years older and exactly of the same mind as you. I've been veganish most of my life and now going raw (next step!). My family is vegetarian so it will be welcomed by them but I'm not really announcing it to anyone. My goal is to be in the shape of a 25 y/o athlete by the time I hit 40. The way things are going right now, I may hit that goal by my 39th b-day! :) I live in a very active, veg-friendly city but I want to go one step beyond and be a good example of the kind of strength, athletic performance and youthfulness can be achieved on a raw diet. Best of luck!
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Permalink Reply by Vegalicious Elena on -
Micah, congrats! You won't regret the decision. I would suggest that you also read The China Study by T Colin Campbell to help you solidify your findings scientifically.
I and my husband went vegan over 4 yrs back with no regrets. We are going stronger than ever.
What you come across from family and friends [and even strangers] is pretty normal. I think most of us who went the plant-based diet path have encountered the nay-sayers, the haters and the doubters. However, the longer you stick with it the less of them you will have. It took me a while of just walking the walk to prove to those around us that vegan diet is legitimate, the lifestyle is possible and beneficial. But now there are friends, strangers and family members who have watched closely, that are changing their diets and getting healthier.
Remember that most of those who oppose your decision do so because your decision threatens what they were raised to believe, and NO ONE wants to think that they were wrong their whole life.
Stay with it!
Elena
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Permalink Reply by Vineca Gray on
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There is such great value in celebrity commitment - the recent media coverage of President Clinton's remarkable shift to a vegetarian diet is notable. Admittedly he isn't a full-on vegan, but this is a revelation and highly motivating for those who are on the fence.
Love these posts, thank you all. V.
Vegalicious Elena said:Micah, congrats! You won't regret the decision. I would suggest that you also read The China Study by T Colin Campbell to help you solidify your findings scientifically.
I and my husband went vegan over 4 yrs back with no regrets. We are going stronger than ever.
What you come across from family and friends [and even strangers] is pretty normal. I think most of us who went the plant-based diet path have encountered the nay-sayers, the haters and the doubters. However, the longer you stick with it the less of them you will have. It took me a while of just walking the walk to prove to those around us that vegan diet is legitimate, the lifestyle is possible and beneficial. But now there are friends, strangers and family members who have watched closely, that are changing their diets and getting healthier.
Remember that most of those who oppose your decision do so because your decision threatens what they were raised to believe, and NO ONE wants to think that they were wrong their whole life.
Stay with it!
Elena
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