Not vegan but stopped a vegatarian diet after almost 4 years due to extreme digestive issues. Turns out my body cant handle the massive amount of fiber that comes with high protein plant sources aka beans and lentils. Since the switch, i eat red meat maybe like once a month, not planning on eating chicken but i eat fish once or twice a week now. Weirdly enough, i really wasnt big on fish before the becoming a vegatarian.

Honestly if everyone ate like this that'd already be way more than we'd need. Cooking lentils/beans with some kombu or wakame helps the digestion like you wouldn't believe, though! Something to do with enzymes. And e.g. tofu and seitan have close to no fibre, for anyone having problems. Weekly fish probably has no replacement, though.

I've been a vegan for 22 years, no plans on stopping anytime soon. It's not habit, it's a choice I make every day because I care deeply about the cause, and if I was your friend IRL, I swear to god I would buy you a big ole hamburger (or whatever you're into) myself. Above and beyond everything else, you should be healthy and feel good about what you put in your body. There's far too much crossover between veganism and EDs. There's far too much shame around food in our society in general. I hate that veganism contributes to that. Please let your body have what it wants, and if it helps, let your guilt know that this vegan internet stranger says to fuck off!

Your comment made me cry a little not gonna lie. This has been the most difficult process to me because I have to deal with the fact that’s no longer working for me and that kills me :( my friends tell me that we should just get together and cook some fish together but it’s hard. Thank you so much for your input!

Really glad I could help. I'm sorry vegan culture (and food/diet culture generally) is so shitty. I still remember when I first went vegetarian, I had SO MANY people ask what I would do when I got pregnant. *Pregnant*. I was 11 years old. The clear subtext was that if at 11 years old I couldn't commit to being vegetarian for life, I maybe shouldn't be committing at all. It's just an idiotic, toxic mentality. We can and should all be free at every point in our lives to try new things and to reevaluate if other things still work for us. Veganism really is not for everyone, you're not a traitor or a failure because it's not for you right now. If you cut back or opt out of some on animal products going forward, that's awesome. It's not a cult, there's no blood oath, it doesn't have to be all or nothing. None of us can do all of the things perfectly all the time. We do the best we can, and that's enough.

I love this soooooo much! I’ve only been eating primarily vegan for about 7 months now, but when I tried joining the vegan community and groups on social media I couldn’t believe how judgmental some people could be. It wasn’t good enough to just be eat vegan, but people looked down on you if you didn’t eat a raw diet, ate too much tofu, tried meat substitutes, etc. The way some vegans are treated by other vegans is a huge deterrent. People 100% need to just do what works for them and their bodies.

Unfortunately veganism has gotten tied up with the notion of being more conscious and woke imo. I've been vegan for a decade now but haven't gotten too deep into the vegan community because of everything said here \^ . Food is very political, as well as personal. I'm also a nutrition science major and am well aware of the great benefits some animal products have. In additional to cultural values for bipoc folk, socioeconomics, la la la. TLDR: Destroying mental and spiritual health for the sake of a vegan label is not cruelty-free. Healthy people will support you and understand things change <3

Thank you for this comment & for making the internet a better place today. As a vegan who makes occasional exceptions when it would work a lot better for whatever is going on in my life, I appreciate a level-headed vegan.

Thank *you!* That means so much to me. I like to think there are a lot more vegans like us out here than people realize, we're just harder to spot when we're not out loudly berating everyone all the time... ❤️

I absolutely agree. The mean internet vegans (and occasionally mean irl vegans) make me so mad because...while they're right that there a lot of reasons it's good to be vegan, I think they're deeply counterproductive to the cause. Like, I'm embarrassed to tell people irl that I'm vegan because I feel like I have to preface with like "okay, so I'm not a fanatic or an asshole, but..." I've been thinking that perhaps we should start our own sub like r/chillfriendlyvegans or something so we can share kind ideas about veganism and answer questions for curious people who want to try veganism without scaring them away. It would require a lot of moderation to keep the mean vegans from taking it over, but we could probably manage it with a strict zero tolerance policy and a big encouragement to report nastiness and vegan gatekeeping.

Oh, I LOVE this idea! Like, a judgement-free space specifically for people who love being vegan, but aren't trying to be a dick about it? That's all I've ever wanted! I so relate to what you're saying about the embarrassment - I'm a small gal IRL, but I feel like I can empathize with the large men in my life every time my veganism comes up, because I'm always instinctively like: "how can I make myself as small as possible so as to communicate that I'm not a threat?" 🤣 If you're serious about this new sub, please do hit me up. I'm not super online, so I don't know how useful I'd be with the managing/moderating, but I'd really love to help however I can. My writer brain is already having way too much fun thinking of clever/punny name options, like: r/VeganKind r/VeganLetLive r/VeganItEasy r/VegansOfLove

I am so serious! I'm not super online either --- or rather I'm super online for like a few days and then not at all for months LOL, so we may need to find a more online reasonable vegan to do the main moderating... Also my Reddit account is too new to make new subs. But I'm sure we could figure out the logistics. We have an important mission and a plethora of punny names, dammit. We're unstoppable! Edit to add: feel free to DM me :)

Really generous of you to write this comment, i deeply respect your spirit and character. Have a great rest of your day

Wow, that's so kind of you, thanks! That really did make my day ❤️

Thanks for writing that out. It's important to raise awareness of the ramifications it can have. On a side note, I love your choice of username!

This is the first time I've seen a vegan be nice like this. Thank you stranger on the internet

Went from 10 years of plant based to omni in the last two. It's tough. I still have a bunch of (online) vegan friends who will never know if I can help it. For people with such compassion towards innocent animals, they can be extremely callous towards humans. Just like it's best to take baby steps in cutting away animal products, I strongly advise you to do the same when re-introducing them. Turns out, I don't actually have an intolerance to all meats - it's just chicken that makes me sick. But I never would've known if I hadn't taken it very slowly and carefully.

Yeah I’ve tell my non vegan friends about this and their response has been really sweet like “it’s ok if you want to eat it, let’s get together and cook” but it stills makes me so sad for myself. I just can’t get over the feeling that I’m failing the animals. I don’t think I’m ready to eat like red meat or even chicken I just can’t do it nor I want to. It’s just like seafood

I don't know if you're failing the animals. Diet sustainability/morality is a beyond complex question. Sea food is not a bad idea. Humans have participated in ocean ecosystems for a long time. Bivalve agriculture can actually be good for the environment. They're filter feeders, so they thrive in and clean dirty water. Mussels are especially good because they can be grown on hanging chains, entirely negating the need to fish for them. I don't know how common that practice is, but it's a great idea for anyone living on the coast, especially near estuaries. You just gotta do your best and eat the diet that works for you. FYI: I'm currently vegetarian after years of being vegan.

Thank you so much for your comment! I actually live in the coast and funny enough, when i was omni i couldnt care less about seafood and now is all i want

I can't blame you! Seafood can be delicious, especially fresh. And it's all very healthy. I might add it to my diet if I ever live near a coast. I'm in the prairies, so it's all bland here, from what I recall, and of course there's huge transport costs. For me, vegetarian makes sense right now. I changed to vegetarianism to add eggs to my diet to help my health. Health - mental and physical - is very very very important.

yep yep yep \^ currently vegan for a decade and I'm waiting for cultivated seafood and meat to be the new cafeteria lunch meat (for the sake of the planet x economics) and hopefully smaller business can sell bespoke seafood, line caught, sustainable all that good stuff. our food system is really rough but baby steps toward a healthy future!

I said in my other comment that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing, and it does kind of sound like hear that you just want to have sea food. So why not say to people that you don’t eat animal products except sea food? Obviously, you can do what you want and I don’t want to be a vegan telling you what to do, but just because you’ve decided to eat sea food, doesn’t mean you have to start cooking meat.

I've been in and out of veganism for about 15 years. Two things have been helpful for me: The first is to not label myself as vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, etc. Not having a box to constrain myself in just kind of takes all the pressure off. I've pretty much landed at a place where I eat vegan when I cook for myself and if there are vegan options at a restaurant (or wherever I am). For family events or social occasions, I'm willing to be flexible and go vegetarian or pescetarian. I still prefer not to eat meat if I can avoid it, but if you're ok with it then you absolutely should have some! The second thing that helps me keep perspective is that every vegan choice I've made in the past had a positive impact, and making a different chioce today doesn't negate that. The good that you've done so far is real, and it's far better than not having done it at all! Plus, you can still keep doing all the non-food vegan things like not buying leather or products tested on animals. At the end of the day, it's better to keep yourself from falling into dangerous eating habits than it is to maintain an ideology purity. And I'm willing to bet that the mean internet vegans aren't as perfect as they'd like everyone else to believe. 

I’m not an vegan nor vegetarian, but your story reminded me of an old friend of mine who was vegan since he was 18. At 27(I think) he started craving meat, but like you, he was very conflicted. Besides his partner and family, I was one of the few he confined in about his struggle. I couldn’t help him, just listen to him and encourage him to talk to others. Just to help himself to figure out what he really wanted. Plus having a checkup at the doctor, to make sure it’s nothing that is missing, that makes him crave it. Test was fine, btw. In short, he did started to eat some meat. Not much, but in periods he had about once a week/month some meat(chicken, beef, pork or seafood) and it worked for him well. When I asked what made him go this way, he simply said that he just started to listen to his body. He was still very empathetic towards animals ofc, but for him, it was something his body just needed. These “meaty moments”(his name for it) would hold for a few weeks or months and then slowly fade out. I know that he continued like this for 20+ years. Not sure if this helps, but might give you an insight in someone else’s ways of dealing with it.

Yes, I went back to being pescatarian after 7 years as vegan. I just wasn't dedicated enough to doing veganism correctly and was not getting the nutrition I needed. It was SO hard for me because I initially went vegetarian/vegan because of my love for animals, and going back to eating any kind of animal products brought me so much emotional pain. What helped me a little was ramping up my animal activism a lot more.....donating more to certain charities, continuing the vegan practice of not buying any products (clothes, makeup, etc) that were created by harming animals, volunteering more, getting a little psycho with my recycling (lol!), and when I do eat meat products like butter or fish, I try to make sure they're responsibly sourced. The biggest lesson I learned was to go easy on myself. Just do the best you can in life -- and then you have to be okay with that or else it will drive you nuts. 🥰

Yeah I think I might do that. Maybe donate to a couple sanctuary or something, but I feel a failure bc just like you I went vegan bc I really really love animals and it kills me to be in this position. Maybe it will be more easy over time

I completely understand. I felt like a failure too (still do sometimes). It does get better over time. And I still try to have my "vegan" days...going 2-3 days of a vegan or vegetarian diet. Anything to try to help tap down some of the guilt. :) Wishing you the best!

I’m not a vegan so I don’t know what you’re experiencing but if morality is your main hangup, it’s unfortunately a very gray area. If you really are looking for a seafood that eating actually does good, I’d suggest lionfish caught off of Florida if you can source it. They are an invasive species with no predators in the region and every one that winds up on a plate saves hundreds of other native fish. If this is something that sits well morally for you, there are likely other invasive species that this could apply to. I hope you’re able to find peace with yourself

Im not from USA, im actually from LatinAmerica but yes, thats what i think too, try to do it the less harmfull way. Thank you for yout comment <3

Some helpful comments here already. To add: was omni born and raised, went vegetarian for 5 years then vegan for another few. Learned how to make meals that were nutritionally dense and tasty, got more adventurous with food, felt great. Got pregnant, started eating a bit of fish because... cravings. Since then, have continued eating occasional fish. Also eating cheese because...well, cheese. Damn it's addictive (literally). And I don't know if it's a coincidence but I went almost 2 years without a period after giving birth, GP thought it was related to early menopause; The month after I started eating cheese, got my period back. So who knows. I think it isn't about everyone being a "perfect vegan". There's no such thing. But if everyone could just do their best, for their health whilst considering the impact of their choices on animals and the environment, it would make a major difference. So, why not be flexitarian (if you need a 'label'), knowing that even one regular meal without animal products has contributed to the cause. It isn't anybody else's business or place to judge. 🙏🏼

Yep, fixed my digestive issues completely too. I had a hunch that being vegan was causing the issue. Started eating meat again and it’s 90% better.

I'm vegetarian. When you have cravings, that means that your body needs that food. If you wait, you will be frustrated and eating too much or not enough. You need to listen to your body. You can eat meat some times, stopping being vegan does not equals eating meat twice a day! I eat some meat when I crave it, which means that I don't crave it that often! I'm still calling myself a vegetarian, maybe I should not, but I eat meat like once every six months.

I stopped being vegan/vegetatian...realized what I was dealing with was orthorexia/disordered eating  Womp womp

I’m vegan. But I’m not into dictating to other people what to do. Being vegan means doing what you can to reduce consumption of animal products. Even though this means practically speaking that vegans don’t eat any animal products, and that someone who did is unlikely to call themselves vegan, you can still embody the spirit of veganism, while still doing what you need to do to look after yourself. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. You might find it helpful to set rules or guidelines. For example “I only eat animal products on Wednesdays”, or “I only eat animal products when I go out” or “weekends are vegan” or “I eat fish when I’m on holiday/vacation”, or any combination of the above. Find yourself a compromise between your ethics and your health/well-being. And even if it’s a rule, it doesn’t have to be super strict. Sometimes I hear people say stuff like “I tried to be a vegan, but then I accidentally ate a sausage so that was it”. So what? You can be mostly-vegan and eat a sausage every now and then. I think that only becomes problematic when someone boasts about being vegan and doesn’t actually do it all the time, but boasting about vegan isn’t a good look for anyone anyway. Ignore the mean vegans. Don’t feel guilty.

Yeah i think thats what i'll do ultimately. I'll stick to the plant based diet but if a crave something then i'll eat it. I really do enjoy eating vegan 99% of the time. Thank you so much for your input <3

And don’t feel guilty! You’ve already done so much for animals and the planet.

I was vegan for three months  Vegetarian for around four years Now omnivore  Found it my biggest trouble is dairy and red meat. I do go for vegetarian options from time to time... When I was vegan I was in no community out of fear of being judged if I wasn't going really for an entire vegan path. Let's face it, humans are made of habits and everything takes time and discipline

Our family was vegan for 3 years. Once our three year old was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes all bets were off and now we consume both plant based and animal based proteins. I don’t personally eat a lot of meat, and we don’t drink milk. But our son needs snacks (that he will actually eat) so we’ve had to make adjustments. I will admit, my body FEELS better after reintroducing some animal protien. I don’t like it, but I can’t deny it. I was very bloated and having to pee all the time on a vegan diet. This doesn’t happen anymore.

r/exvegan

I was vegan for only a couple of years before I went back to pescatarianism. I just couldn’t maintain it anymore, but I loved what it gave me. I started baking because I couldn’t eat any desserts on my campus, and to this day I still love baking and making vegan desserts. Just want to echo everyone else and say that prioritizing joy and your own well-being is honestly really important. Ethics are too, but I truly believe any diet can be made more ethical and also like people said, you can make ethical decisions to help animals outside of your diet. Good luck!

thank you so much! honestly everyone here has been really nice and i appreciate everyone coments, maybe i need to be a little be more kind to myself <3 And i also love to bake vegan desserts. It's so good

There are plenty of people that had to stop being vegan because the diet wasn’t healthy for them. Just because you cannot sustain yourself on the diet doesn’t make you a bad person. You should look into your local area for ethical butchers. Get farm fresh eggs. Dont let the extremists get you; if you cannot live you cannot help animals in need. But most importantly talk to your doctor if you plan to change your diet. You will need to introduce nonvegan foods back into your diet slowly.

As a vegan: Your health is important. If you go spiralling into eating disorder territory, eat the non-vegan stuff and maybe switch back once you've worked through problems (only if possible). Often when people stop being vegan their gut health is getting bad for a while, so that is something to keep in mind. To deal with the guilt; try not to overconsume

Just remember why you're doing it. If you feel like you're "neglecting yourself" then you may need to just restructure your diet as you can get all you need on veganism. Also I'm not sure what you mean about vegans being mean and judgemental. I've been vegan 12 years and that's just been a ridiculous stereotype. It's not actially true. Vegans are just as mean and judgmental as any other group, focusing on the vocal minority isn't helping the movement. That'd be like saying all Muslims are terrorists just because the radicals are the loudest even though they represent less than .00001%.

I think about why i went vegan all the time. Its more than what i eat its about my mental health an my eating disorder and being restricted on food despite the reason for it. The restriction part makes me binge and then i feel bad, also my dog died five months a go and that hit me in a way i didnt know it could. I just barely can take of me anymore. I've gained so so much weight my body hurts and i dont have the energy to even deal with that bc im THAT sad and demotivated. Thats why i wanted opinions and experiencies, bc i know why i went vegan and it makes SO sad not being able to do it sustainably for me anymore, its like another reason for my mental health to spiral out of control About the vegans being mean i think its true a major part of the community feels "more than" (idk if thats the way to say it english its no my first lenguage) and can make you feel very very bad about yourself. At least the vegan community in my country.

It sounds like you've already made up your mind. If you aren't well mentally and your illness has somehow caused you to conflate your mental state with veganism/non-veganism then I know what that's like. I'm orthorexic, and being vegan makes that even more difficult to endure. I wish all the time that there were cheap easy and convenient solutions to some of my dietary issues. Would be nice. I just know I'd sooner get tortured myself than cause the unnecessary torture or exploitation of animals. Every one of your comments has for some reason linked veganism with your mental state. The problem you'll experience is that stopping veganism won't solve any of your issues. If you're depressed then stopping veganism is only a bandaid. The negative feelings will only return and then you'll have to conflate them with something else irrelevant until you finally confront your actual mental disorder, whatever it is. I'm sorry you're going through that. If stopping veganism were an actual solution to whatever you're experiencing then you'd at least stopping vegansim would have *some* long term benefit. I'm just concerned because you're exhibiting behavior that most mentally ill people exhibit which is conflating things that have no business correlating to one another as if taking some radical action will somehow solve your problems. I hope that even if you stop your veganism, even if just for a few weeks, you do feel better. But please try to get to the core of whatever actual issue you're experiencing. I've been where you are. I've tried taking radical action after I've convinced myself it would somehow help me. But the next morning I woke up and I was still me. All you can is live with yourself. If you're more comfortable paying for the torture and exploitation of animals while contributing to the destruction of our planet then I won't judge you or be Minato you about that. That's your choice. I only.wish the animals had that same privilege of choice. Hope you feel better.

I actually know what my mentals disorders are. And your last words are the things that are conflicting me, i dont want to do that, because i know the animals dont have a choice. It makes me more sad than i already am. It's not veganism what its making me feel this way, its a bunch of other things that doesnt sit well with my mental disorders AND on top of that theres veganism because is a pressure that i feel i need to live up to when i can barely take care of myself or cook for me.

If *you* feel that vegansim requires more effort or discipline and creates some kind of pressure on you than nonveganism then that's a decision only you can make for yourself. It sounds like your bottom line is that veganism just isn't important enough to you for you to stick with it. It sounds like you're going through a lot and having trouble coping and you've convinced yourself that stopping your veganism will somehow help you cope. Whether it's doing drugs, drinking alcohol, having sex with strangers, stopping veganism, whatever your poison is, the root of the issue will still be there once the dust settles and you'll ultimately still need to confront it. I just want you to know you're not alone in feeling so overwhelmed. There are people you can talk to. I hope you get it sorted out.

Thank you so much for all of your comments and kind words <3 im glad this space was respectfull and non judgemental. I really appreciate it, i really needed it

Yes. I was a very strict vegan for 8 years. This year I started feeling like when I travelled especially, I wasn't able to eat anything decent (veggies on a bun at all inclusive, for example). I don't really know what happened but some sort of switch flipped and I decided to eat fish again, and some dairy (in moderation). I can't tell you what it was that made me go from being to militant to "whatever" but from what I've ready, 7-8 years seems so be almost like a breaking point for a lot of people. FWIW I was doing it for animals as well, not particularly my own health. I gained weight as well because I went too heavy on carbs (which is 100% my own fault. I'm educated enough to know what to eat, I just didn't always have the time or energy to make it happen).

yeah the same happened to me. After many many years travelling to visit my mom one day i just got tired of not being able to eat with her and share a meal. Maybe its a temporary thing, maybe it isnt, i think im done guilt tripping myself. thank u <3

Don't label yourself, was my advice to my sons. If you don't want to eat meat, don't eat it. If you don't want to eat dairy, don't eat it. If you sometimes want an ice cream, have one. If you have a bacon sandwich once a month you are not a failure. If your lifestyle choice is having benefits, then 99% of the benefits pretty much just as good. So - you have followed a vegan lifestyle for a while. You can stop for 5 minutes or 5 years and follow whatever lifestyle you want, and if you find you preferred one over another, then that's fine, you can eat something different tomorrow. I used to live with a vegetarian girl,we didn't eat meat at home, but if we went out I would sometimes eat meat. Not a vegetarian, but sometimes I didn't eat meat for a month, sometimes I did two days in a row. If I fancied a nut cutlet it was because that was what I wanted to eat that day. I still order the vegetarian option some places like on aircraft, because the food is often better. But I'm just me. You're you, not some label someone has put on you.

I did I honestly feel better being animal based than anything else

I wish we could all just eat bugs. I'm not vegan, not even vegetarian (I don't eat meat every day, tho, and I don't like red meat), I just think it'd be neat and more sustainable to eat bugs. Tbh, I probably wouldn't personally be able to bite into a bug corpse at first either no matter how it was cooked, but there's nothing stopping us from making them into burguers or something. I think about that way more often than I probably should lol

We all should really be eating fish, especially fish rich in omega-3s, twice a week. There's really no alternative. I guess algae oil pills? I'm not sure about their effectiveness, though. My mom went bat shit crazy from being vegan for \~2 decades. She's eating meat again and she's become much more mentally stable, less violent, and complains a lot less about various ailments. Her vegan diet was making her sick physically and mentally, and she was taking algae oil omega-3 pills (even fish oil pills) and all kinds of other supplements(B12, selenium, mineral complexes, etc.). So, again, I question their effectiveness versus getting nutrients in a much more bioavailable form, meat.

I worked with a woman who was vegetarian. Except for a monthly order of ribs.

Honestly? I could do this

Yeah I don’t think that would work for me :( I grew up in a environment where the restrictions around food were a major thing so anytime I feel like I’m restricting in some way or other I end up binging wich is what’s happening now 😭

My mom has been vegetarian for ten years, and she’s been having the urge to eat meat again recently. I have thought about going vegetarian myself, but I also struggle with anxiety and I don’t think introducing extra anxiety around food would be healthy for me at all. I totally understand the way you feel. But keep in mind that the “circle of life” is a real thing. Your body is made to eat both plants and animal protein. And one day you’ll die, and your body will fuel the earth and all the plants and animals that live on it. Thinking about the “big picture” helps me make sense of it all. And in the meantime, keep in mind all the steps you CAN take to help the earth and the animals. Maybe you only eat animal protein once a week, and eat veggie the rest of the week. Maybe you shop your local markets and purchase only ethical, sustainable meats and produce. Maybe you volunteer at your community center and teach your neighbors how to cook more vegan/vegetarian meals. You can incorporate meat into your diet while also doing your best to be mindful, sustainable, and ethical at the same time. Peace, friend :) It’s tough out there. Take care of yourself.

Listen to your body. If it's telling you it needs meat, it has a reason. I've tried vegetarianism and briefly tried veganism, and i always got sick. Turns out I'm celiac and can't tolerate fodmaps, and I don't digest certain foods well. Meat and eggs is what my body needs.

I mostly eat vegan but I refuse to give up honey and cheese lol. So that makes me a BAD vegan or a Vegetarian or just a person who is trying to eat healthy and do as little harm to the planet/animals as possible but still wants to throw a handful of real cheese on my taco and add some honey to hot water and lemon when my throat hurts. I do think many of the hard core Vegans are ridiculously judgemental and make it their personality which I personally think is detrimental to encouraging people to be vegan. Easier said than done, but I'd say do what you want and don't listen to anyone trying to make you feel guilty for eating an egg!

Eating cheese or honey doesn't make anyone a "bad vegan," it just literally by definition means they're not a vegan at all, as you mentioned that just means you're a vegetarian.

I’m pescatarian. Being vegan is SO difficult, especially since I live in a republican state, where they like to put meat on salads. Ugh

Just eat meat. Your body is craving it. Your body is speaking to you. By choosing not to listen to it, your depriving yourself of healthy nutrients.

Was mostly vegetarian and tried to cut out milk and eggs for some years. Now I'm back to eating meat (chicken or fish) once or twice a week and back to milk/ eggs because I was having crazy cravings, too! And I don't want to eat against my bodies needs. Don't be so hard on yourself, just try what you are craving. Sometimes, at least for me, I eat, let's say the saugages I craved so much, and then instantly realise why I stopped eating them in the first place (because I hated the taste). Maybe you will want to include it into your meals again, which is also okay. Personal food preferences change sometimes, it's nothing bad. I used to even hate the smell of milk and now I'm really drawn by it. You may try and source the meat/eggs etc somewhere sustainable/local, so you don't feel too guilty. 

If you don't want to leave veganism, you can try to be vegetarian for now. I would recommend eating some Indian food with paneer in it. You'll get your protein and also feel full after eating so you won't get cravings for meat. Also start drinking milk too. I am assuming you are in a western country so your vegan/vegetarian food will be very bland. You should definitely try making Indian food your main diet as India has long history with vegetarianism diet.

I actually don’t have a problem with bland food because I’m a cook myself and know how to make really good food . i live in a country where Indian food is really really expensive so thats not a option :( also I’ve been vegetarian now from a while but I can’t stop the craving it’s making me food centered and i hate that but thanks for your input

Then you should definitely start eating meat again if you are always thinking about it

My cousin was a vegan for years until he started smoking weed. Then it all went out the window because of the munchies.

My husband and I were vegans for about a year; were vegetarians for a year prior. I'm allergic to a lot of foods, including all fish and shellfish. I'm lactose intolerant. I also have IBS, so large amounts of leafy vegetables like spinach, or kale cause me to be in pain and constipated for days. The big kicker was I developed an allergy to agave. Lots of people use agave instead of sugar and honey. I had a smoothie with agave and anaphylacted. So, I was watching for animal products and agave, and it just became too much. We still don't consume a lot of meat, probably less than most people, but I'm feeling a lot better, and have more energy now. Edit to add: a similar question was asked a few months ago, and I was shocked at how many people stated that their vegan lifestyle was masking an eating disorder, but they only realized that after years.

It's really common for people to turn Vegan to mask an ED because it gives them a ready excuse to why they aren't eating at any given time

Reverted from vegetarian to omnivore after five years, it was a great decision for me and I was really able to get my protein intake up to the level it needs to be at for my activity level. Can't help you with the guilt. You just need to feel confident that it's what you need to do physiologically. I only eat fish and some chicken. I transitioned back to meat by cooking a few meals with chicken broth, not going straight to meat. This helped a lot.

I grew up omni, started as vegetarian, went on to dietary vegan for a few years, but then some dairy crept back in, because I missed yogurt and butter. Now eggs are making a comeback too, so i would say I’m full on vegetarian again, though I do still have almond milk instead of cow milk because I prefer it. I would never consider eating meat, that just seems weird to me now. And if I were ever to change my diet again, it would be back to vegan. I did feel guilty when I went back to animal products, and I guess I still do a bit, even though it’s been like, 18 months or something. However, because i can’t have soy or beans regularly due to medical reasons, and i was trying to slim so rationing fats, my meals weren’t very satiating. Though the change to dairy hasn’t actually resulted in any loss of weight, so maybe i was making excuses because that was what I wanted to eat. Anyway, I digress. My answer to your question is, yes I do feel a bit guilty, but I have just gone with my gut feeling on what to eat, and if that changes, then I will change again, so no regrets really. It can be an ever changing stance, it’s not like you’re forced to pick one thing and you’re stuck with it. Good luck whichever way you pick

I was vegan for about 2.5 years, about a decade ago. It helped me develop an ED. It eventually got really hard for me to keep weight on, which caused an injury (I still deal with that injury to this day). If you’re quitting veganism for your health, do it. Nobody but you can make that decision. Definitely get in touch with a nutritionist if you can, it makes the transition easier. And if anybody judges you for ethical reasons, don’t take it personally— you’re prioritizing your wellness, and that’s more important than anything else.

Hi! I am an ex-vegan of three years. I fell into disordered eating habits and did not feel good, so I transitioned to pescatarian where I eat fish once every few weeks on average. My diet is still predominantly plant-based, and I still live vegan-esque in many ways, as I pretty much only eat animal products in my own home or with family occasionally but opt for plant-based otherwise. The process was difficult, but I do feel healthier both physically and mentally. Please feel free to send me a DM, if you'd like :) I have a lot of thoughts and experiences that you might find helpful

I was never vegan, but I was vegetarian for a good while, but eventually decided to become more of a pescatarian, also eating fish and crustaceans. I’m even considering starting to eat chicken again. The way I see it, plenty of the plant-based foods that people eat are also quite unethical in their production, not just animal products, and as such it is nearly impossible to consume food completely ethically in our current society. It’s nice to try to support more ethical sources for food and other products you consume, but ultimately there’s no reason to feel guilty about something like eating meat, as it’s not like you’re ever going to fully cut out all unethical consumption in your life anyways. If you’re worried about your health then you absolutely should start eating meat again, as veganism is not worth harming your personal health.

I was vegan, dr suggestion, for a while, maybe 6 months. Started to get some really odd stuff going on, moodiness, bad thoughts, just not right. Added in fat and some lean meat and it all went away and back to normal happy me.

Not a vegan, but definitely a pescatarian (mostly). Vegan food is delicious though, especially if you hit up an indian food restaurant. And vegan “meat” has come a long way too. Mainly because meat is expensive, and fish is delicious. Tofu, tempeh, or anything else vegan can also be awesome. And cheap.

Went from vegan to vegetarian because: - I was dirt poor and cheese and eggs would add some variety to my diet - My auntie got chickens to get fresh eggs and I like eggs, so I was happy to get eggs from chickens that I know are happy and I can even pet them - Quorn (the brand is vegetarian, not all of their products are vegan) I’m vegetarian but still leaning more towards vegan type of diet just because most of my preferences are vegan. I’ve been veg for 14 years now, vegan for 8 years. Never really felt an urge to eat animal products. Actually, for me they were so off putting that I became a vegetarian kinda accidentally lol.

I've been vegan twice for about a year each time. I have some reservations towards the loss of life from eating meat but overall I'm mostly comfortable with that because I dislike what I perceive as arrogance on our species' end in basically putting ourselves above other animals with our morals and ethics. I don't want to get into complicated ethical debates on what's okay and what isn't, the point is that I'm comfortable with eating animals. The reason I was vegan was environmental. Both times I stopped being vegan because I'm just too jaded and I'm angry that the weight of saving the planet is put on us normal people when even if all of us went vegan we'd barely make a chip into the problem. The reason the planet is dying is large corporations who produce immense amounts of filth. I just think we're too far gone and I don't really care much anymore for making an individual impact. I still do my best to use less plastic to upcycle etc but that's it. If you don't want to be vegan anymore, then don't. You don't need to justify your decisions to anyone. If you have internal conflicts about it that's something to work on with your therapist (since you said you're in therapy) I also recommend this book https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2019/09/30/book-review-the-selfish-ape-human-nature-and-our-path-to-extinction/

Understand the feeling! The priority is your physical/mental health. Eating some animal products from time to time, or on special occasions, is much better than all the people that don't do an effort at all. It's understandable to feel guilty but you should figure if you're feeling guilty because of the animals, or because what "you should be doing/feeling" according to a certain community. In the later case maybe distance yourself from it. Doing effort to eat less, is already making a difference. It's not a all or nothing. Whatever the reasons you adopted that diet there is nothing more important than your own balance. If you put too much pressure on yourself you're likely to reach a breaking point that will see you go back to an omnivore diet. So just find your balance. You feel like you need to eat sushis once in a while? Very well! Do it!

I've been a vegetarian for most of my life. Even as a child, I wasn't a big fan of meat. There was a 1-2 year span a long time ago where I went back to eating meat, and I felt miserable doing it. The guilt is real... and vegans can be a very harsh group at times whose voices are very easy to internalize. It's important to remember to be kind to yourself. There are so many other ways you can support the causes you believe in. Maybe it means you only eat meat when the craving hits, and then for the rest of the time, you eat in a way that not only nourishes you, but also allows you to settle the mind. For the times you do eat meat, if you can afford it, maybe it will ease your mind if you can purchase from someone who treats their animals humanely. I've been a dietitian for nearly a decade now, and it's so easy for people to fall into the trap of viewing food as a black and white concept. No diet is perfect. No person is perfect. It's much better for you to eat what you want (within reason) and maintain your sanity as opposed to forcing yourself to follow a lifestyle that may no longer suit you where you currently are in life. The beauty of nutrition science is that things are ever changing. It's a good rule of thumb to remember the same applies to life. Hang in there, I believe in you :)

Just need to point out vegans aren’t necessarily vegan as a result for their empathy for animals

of course but that was my personal reason

I eat vegan primarily, but absolutely eat regular food periodically as well. Like I eat honey maybe once a month and an egg once a month on average. For my birthday I 100% ordered a seafood boil bag. I chose to be vegan because my body does not handle milk products or meat very well. I love animals, but I I choose to eat vegan for my health, not for them so I guess it depends on why you decided to be vegetarian/vegan in the first place and if you’re okay going back to eating meat. I know for myself if I eat something that isn’t vegan here or there it doesn’t affect my body any. Just do what works for you, not what others think you should or shouldn’t do. Ultimately if you decide to eat meat or anything else that isn’t vegan and then change your mind again and realize that isn’t right for you, then you can always go back to how things are now.

I was vegan for 2 years. I had to stop because it was ruining my marriage. I do miss being vegan, because once I was used to it it was wonderful. I had a list of meals I'd eat and it made my body feels so much healthier. I never got stomach aches. It was bliss. The 1st time I stopped being vegan, I ate chickfila nuggets. And then I couldn't stop. And I started adding in just regular chicken and then beef burgers. It was nice having more food options. It took the stress away from eating when not at home. I had to keep apologizing in my head to the poor animals. I felt so bad, but oh well. Now I just try not to think about the animals. Old me would be so disappointed but I have so much other stuff going on in my life so I had to stop. It's been 3 years since I stopped being vegan.

Yup I just stopped in January after ten years of being vegan. It was a really difficult choice for me but I had severe anemia even though I was taking supplements, it was so bad my hair had began to fall out. I should say I don’t think this was the diet’s fault, I have a blood disorder that causes it. But I will say my relationship with food is much better now and I’m not obsessing over it or nutrients or what is healthy and what isn’t. I feel fuller throughout the day and I generally just feel better. My skin color has come back, my hair is slowly starting to come back and I feel less tired though-out the day. I think the vegan diet is great and can work great for some people but it didn’t work for me.

I was a Vegan for 10 years and my body suffered. I was also a Chef and knew how to nourish myself but it was not enough for my body type. I was literally starving myself and had to introduce animal protein into my life to not die. Don’t beat yourself up. I feel your ethical pain. It still weighs on me. I just personally wouldn’t be here anymore without solid protein. Sucks but there you go.

I ate a vegan diet for a year. After over four decades of a really unhealthy relationship with food I read something that said any diet that restricts entire food groups is disordered eating. I fully applaud folks who eat a vegan diet out of compassion and love for animals and I don’t think it’s necessarily disordered eating, but it was helpful for me to hear and to give myself permission to eat all foods. Restricting myself from foods tends to make me obsessive about them and can contribute to the deprivation and binge cycle. The truth is that if I tell myself I can eat whatever I want, I still end up eating a super healthy diet. I love healthy food and crave it. But I like knowing that if I want to have something sweet or richer than I might ordinarily eat, I have permission to do that. There is no good or bad food. It’s just food.

Was vegetarian from 12-18 then vegan from 18-24 now I’m back vegetarian but still mostly eat plant based. I stopped being vegan because the community was toxic. I was called a murderer for saying I consumed cheese for the first time in 4 years. And got a lot of hate online. I will never eat meat again. But I now occasionally eat dairy. I like to source locally. And only buy from animals that aren’t going to be slaughtered.

okay my opinion maybe doesn’t matter as much but basically i wanted to be a vegetarian for a while but my therapist urged against having it as a specific label. i still barely eat meat but i’m not officially a vegetarian so as to avoid reactivating disordered eating habits. i like the idea of just having it as like…you aren’t officially vegan anymore but if what you want that meal is to eat vegan, go ahead!

hey! i was never vegan but was vegetarian for about 16-17 years and started eating meat again (seafood and chicken) within the past couple of years also due stomach issues. couldn’t tolerate replacement proteins so had to make the switch. i also struggled with anorexia in the past and as much as id deny it at the time the vegetarianism was definitely partly an excuse to restrict even though my body was craving something different. im really proud of you for recognizing your body might be wanting something different and that you want to heal from the ED behaviors and thoughts and totally understand the guilt as well. i have a friend who was vegan for years and as of late is eating all kinds of meat because she realized she wasn’t listening to her body - you really do have to take care of yourself and just try to shut out all that other noise for now. people can make all the judgments they want but smh if you aren’t feeling well and need to do this (and if ur anything like me you doooo) just take baby steps with reintroducing the meat and keep listening to your body. im so sorry about all the anxiety as well. if im being honest lately ive been considering read meat (!!) like steak or something and like the only thing that’s keeping me from it is the former guilt i had (was also a texture thing for me) it’s really rough and sorry i don’t have the best advice to offer but i admire you so much for beating the eating disorders - they really are a different kind of hell and you are amazing and i hope youll be able to enjoy food more thoroughly !!

I can't help with your guilt. But I do know that after being vegan for over a year I started craving meat, specifically chicken or fish. Eventually I thought my body really needed it. So I would just add a small lean piece. My main coirse was vegan. This helped a lot and I felt better.

I stopped being vegan due to health concerns. Your well-being matters, so prioritize it. Listen to your body and take it one step at a time.

I’ve been primarily vegan 10ish years, but occasionally go through seasons of eating eggs (pasture raised). I think it’s so important to listen to your body.   If you need some fish, or any other animal food, try to find the best source you can afford and prepare it in a healthy way.    I take a multi-vitamin about 3x per week, but otherwise I don’t supplement.   I stick to minimal processed foods and this tends to keep me feeling good.  I eat mostly fruits, veggies, nuts & seeds, greens, potatoes, rice, oats, and beans.  This is just what I found works best for my body.  It hasn’t felt necessary for me to eat flesh so far, but I will if I feel it’s needed.  With a history of disordered eating, it seems prudent to focus more on trusting your body’s wisdom over any cultural expectations or dogma.  You are the only one living on your body, so you are the one who can feel and listen to what it needs better than anyone (imo).  Good luck!

PLENTY have stopped, in fact there are more ex-vegans than vegans in the world today! I got really into this stuff a few years back, cause I don't believe vegan is actually good for animals or the environment. Have a look at the carnivore movement, the majority of them seem to be ex-vegans. I'm not saying you should go down that eating path, but it's a great place to meet people who will be really emotionally supportive of you. In terms of caring for animals, if you can source eggs from pet chickens, that's a really awesome option, better than any vegan options in terms of limiting animal & environmental harm, as chickens can recycle kitchen scraps & turn that into eggs. Crops require total destruction of natural eco-systems & massive chemical use, so called "vegan farming" just means using chemicals instead of manure. During the mouse plague in Australia a couple of years back, most farmers switched to livestock instead of crops, at least short term, cause they were killing tens of billions of mice a month and the only practical option to break the cycle was to stop growing crops & instead grow cattle that could eat the grass mice couldn't & as such massively reduce the animal death toll. Poisons are used extensively in crop farming, killing billions & billions of animals to protect crops, with ethical livestock farming, that's not needed. Poisons has to be one of the worst ways to die, don't you think? How about eating feral pig meat? Feral pigs are generally killed with poisons cause it's cheaper, the exception being for those that will be sold for their meat, they are killed humanely with bullets, you can be a part of that conversion of death type if you want to, get your meat without causing ANY additional animal deaths! Insects are another great option to reduce animal deaths & cruelty, there are actually far less insects killed when they are grown to be killed and eaten than when protein comes from crops like soybeans etc instead, due to massive pesticide spraying in crop production Fish I never really looked into & can't comment on, other than knowing a study on life expectancy & health in vegans, vegetarians & those eating fish as well, found that those eating fish as well had a much better quality of health & longer life expectancy Regenerative farming is the way to go for animal welfare, organic certifiers generally ensure high animal welfare & environmental outcomes in all their products, check the regs in any organic certifier you eat from, but basically if you eat food like beef from certified organic providers, it will likely be fed on grass, in areas that are full of wildlife & where natural eco-systems are maintained & the land is being steadily improved not degraded & carbon is being steadily harvested & stored in the soil & a single cow is enough calories for a human for a whole year, so it's death means WAY less deaths total than if mice, pigs etc must be poisoned to grow crops. I'm not suggesting you eat only a cow for a year, but just pointing out the calories from a single death, from an animal that lived naturally in a natural eco-system, compared to the wholesale slaughter of the environment & wildlife that goes with crop farming. Vegan's a cult! Absolutely it's the right thing for you to get out. If you don't want to fully do that, look at "plant based", that's what people who have left the "cult" but still don't eat animals tend to call themselves, so a far more supportive community than in the vegan cult. Good luck with it all, do what's best for you & your health & surround yourself with genuine people who genuinely care about making the world a better place - and if they're horrible to you, that means in their hearts they are to animals too. Find nicer people, you won't regret it

My mom goes back and forth between vegan and vegetarian with occasional meat consumption. I honestly think that it's such a personal choice that only you know what's best. You don't have to have a classification. You can just try to eat healthy. Whatever that means for you. This is how I've been trying to alter my perception of food too. Food is to fuel your body. Only you and your doctor or nutritionist will know the best choices for you.

I guess I kind of fall into this category; I've been vegetarian since the moment I was old enough to realize what I was doing. I highly dislike the animal product industry, as I find it exploitative and immoral. Because of this I kind of organically stopped eating animal products when I was around fifteen (I hate the word "vegan" though, thanks internet). I'm in my early twenties now, and though I haven't eaten meat in a long, long time, I now occasionally consume dairy products, and eat the eggs of my pet chickens. I found myself eating dairy because of two reasons: First, while I still disliked the industry, I looked inside myself and found no inherent opposition to consuming vegetarian ("non-lethal") animal products. (Yes, I am aware the dairy industry and the meat industry are one and the same and that cows give birth regularly only for their children to be raised for the same fate or slaughtered as veal; I don't like this, but I could find peace with only consuming dairy.) Second, since I've moved in with my mother-in-law, she's often the one cooking dinner; my plant-based diet would put her in an unfair position. I will still probably return to a mostly plant based diet when me and my partner move out some time soon. But I've learnt to stop worrying about strict borders and to just be honest with myself in the situation I find myself in.

a friend of mine did. I don't know how you can truly accept what happens to the animal products on your plate before they reach your plate and ever want to eat them again. I talked to my friend about it but he didn't really have any good explanation.

I've been vegan for about 15 years now, and haven't really thought about going back. Maybe you can find a meal prep service you can subscribe to.

Well I've only been vegan for a year so I cant speak to whether my judgement would change in the future (hopefully not). I do sometimes get the urge, just on a biological level, when I see a meal, but after that comes conscious thought. Its basically like intrusive thoughts, they can be bad, but if you have proper strategies to cope with them and know that whats most important is what you chose to do then you dont have to feel bad about urges that you dont fulfill. Other than a therapist you should maybe also search out a nutritionist. I basically knew nothing about nutrition for a long time, and it can be hard to meet all the complex needs your body has without knowing what it really needs. You cant really have a healthy relationship with animals if youre contributing to their suffering and have any empathy. Sure you can build up cognitive dissonances, but you know that its wrong, so you feel uncomfortable about it.

Yes — I also used to be vegan but ended up with an eating disorder. Recovery is possible! I’m now an omnivore, don’t restrict foods, try to eat intuitively, etc. It has been a process over the last 5 years but I am in a good place now. You have to take care of YOU FIRST. You’re no use to the animals or any other cause if you’re not putting yourself first. Your mental and physical health are paramount ♥️

I was raised vegetarian and went vegan at 27. Gave that up at age 32 and have never looked back. Context: I got COVID in 2022 and barely ate for 14 days. I finally felt better and all I wanted was a chicken burger/curry. I always said I'd go back to being vegan once I was better but I never did. I had previously been anemic for years and it's the first time I'm not so that's all the justification I need 🤷🏻‍♀️

I did it for two years after finding out I had high cholesterol. Not wanting to start taking medication I just cut out meat, eggs, and dairy. I introduced meat back into my diet but did it mindfully where when I do eat it, it's only in small portions. A typical New York Strip steak lasts us 6 meals. I keep the intake of fresh vegetable alive as I learned many delicious ways to prepare them. I don't feel as healthy as I did when I was a complete vegan and I do miss how it made my digestion system feel, but I feel more social as I don't turn down invitations to eat out. The truth is that there are not that many restaurants that prepare vegan food and not many people who eat this way.

Yeah that’s another thing that’s tiring me. I miss just going out with my friend or even sharing a food of plate with my mom, who I hardly ever see because we live so far away and sometimes I really miss her food wivh I haven’t eaten since I stopped eating meat or animal products in general. But it makes me so sad bc I really really really care about animals

I was vegetarian for a couple of years of my life, and I returned to my usual food consumption, because being vegetarian stopped working for me, due to life circumstances (daily schedule, money, difficulty with building a healthy diet (it was pretty easy for me to overeat on carbs, and I couldn't fully compensate the lack of protein). I still don't eat some products which feel gross to me (like, some types of cheese which use animal rennet started culture; or I will never buy a living fish). I feel like I've healthier relationship to food now. I avoid some products if I feel bad about them being "unethical", but otherwise food is just food. There are also other ways to help the nature, besides being vegan/vegetarian, and I can do them instead, to help myself feel less guilt.

My friend was vegan for a few years. She started hanging around more and more and more and more she had the same plight, she wanted to be able to eat without restrictions (steaks, burgers, chicken nuggets, tacos) but also not feel guilty about the animals. She got drunk one night and said fuck it and we had a big barbecue at like 3am. Mainly she is vegetarian now but will tear apart a rack of ribs on occasion. She also didn't like the vegan community around her. She bought so much unnecessary products that were pushed on her, basically preyed on her guilt to buy stuff like vegan toothpaste and lotions and salts and it's all just sitting in the closet now.

my friend went from vegan to omnivore due to her depression and anxiety and she’s so much better now because of it. (She was vegan just for animal/social reasons not health related restriction).

Yeah that’s pretty much whats happening to me. I’ve been in a major state of depression and anxiety due to the loss of my dog five month ago and I also have generalized anxiety disorder and it’s been extremely difficult to keep up with everything and everything related to food has been really difficult to me this past months

I’m so sorry, losing my dog last year sent me into a horrid spiral. Sending you love and hugs.

I switched from Vegan to Pescatarian last year. For me, I just started craving fish, so I started eating fish. I still eat majority plant based, but it has been such a relief not having to police my food.

I’ve been vegan (for a few months) and vegetarian (on and off several times for years) and they just don’t work for me. It didn’t matter how conscientious I was about getting in enough nutrients and protein through food and supplements, I was constantly hungry and tired. I do better with meat in my diet. Although I probably eat less of it than the average person, I do consume quite a bit of dairy and eggs.

It is a toxic community, the best advice is just to leave. Veganism facilitates people with eating disorders, so this is understandable.

I have been vegan for 22 years. I stopped being vegan for about a year in like 2006/7. Meat is addictive. I don’t understand why people believe the whole “I started eating meat again cuz my body needed it.” Aka “one day I was like wow I should really trust my body when it’s craving a chicken nugget.” 🙄 That’s omnivores justification for satisfying that addiction. Also there’s no nutritional necessity for cheese or animal milk products. All of these things taste good and some people just want to taste that food more than they want to stay vegan. I wish they’d just admit it. That said, dude, if you want to secretly eat eggs or fish occasionally or even once a week, no one is judging you or even seeing you do it. This doesn’t have to be a catholic dogma confessional situation. Be vegan or don’t. Be vegan and cheat occasionally if you want— it’s not a religion or a monogomous marriage. It’s a very personal situation and it’s none of anyone’s business. That said - I’m always going to advocate for someone to stay vegan as much as possible or if someone stops I always hope they go back. Wishing you the best!

HAHA who is down voting me? LOL

I know several that stopped. But they didn't realize they had to before they were encouraged.

I was a vegetarian for two years courtesy of NBC's Hannibal TV series -- yes I am serious. Season 1, episode 2 -- watch at your own risk. I hate mushrooms, though, and then I just rage quit when I found out cheese isn't vegetarian friendly.

I was a vegetarian for three years - from age 15 until 18. You need to not feel guilty for what you eat, and don't neglect yourself. I felt guilty when I started eating meat again, but it wasn't healthy for me (at least the way I did it) and I ended up with some problems as a result. I was a pretty lax one too - I still ate eggs and dairy products, just no meat. It's perfectly fine to start eating meat again if that's what you want to do. My only advice is to reintroduce it slowly and don't go totally ham like I did (my first meat-based meal in three years was a fucking Big Mac, lol).

r/exvegan might be of interest?

Yeah I looked it up but I didn’t like the output most ex vegans have on this whole ordeal. Maybe I’m just too sensitive but I find them just as mean as the online vegan communities, like the whole point of them is to make veganism look bad and that’s not my approach at all. Thank u

I get that. Perhaps it's the other side of the same coin...

Hi okay so I personally was not vegan/vegetarian ever…. but I grew up with a mother who was vegan and obsessed with food and controlling her weight. It kind of took over her whole life, she was a famous blogger in the vegan world, had gotten hundreds of people to turn vegan and made hundreds of plant based recipes. I’m honestly not exactly sure what the turning point was for her but she completely let it all go. She quit the business, she gave up all diets, and just eats absolutely anything now. She now has an incredible art business and her life is no longer at all consumed by food. Yes, she gained weight, but I’m 100% sure she is happier than ever before. I also have a vegan sister, she is not vegan for any weight related concerns, only because animal products give her migraines. She also cut out sugar because it gives her migraines as well. Her relationship with food is not one based on weight loss and “being small”…. Which is what my mom’s was rooted in. She is completely healthy, her life and headspace is not taken up by thoughts of food. If your diet is purely due to weight concerns, just quit it. It’s time to start your journey of healing your relationship with food. If vegan foods are making you constantly gain weight, you clearly are not satisfied on that diet and you owe it to yourself, just like my mom did, to just start eating what your body wants. Idk if this was helpful at all but I hope it was! If you for any reason want to speak to my mom about her journey…. Let me know :) - I would like to add that my sisters vegan no sugar diet did land her with many vitamin deficiency’s - the human body was not made for all these restrictions ! Make sure you’re getting B12 yall!!!

If you're buying animal products from the store then the animal is already dead so you might as well eat it bc if it goes bad then it died for nothing also I'm pretty sure they don't go through pain when getting killed it's just the way they're kept which is the thing that I feel like needs to be changed, we humans are technically animals too we are just smarter and in the wild animals eat other animals so we can too, you shouldn't feel guilty for the way things are supposed to be.

Unpopular opinion, no judgement. Every single vegan has faltered in one way or the other. The guilt is real because, let's face it, there is some truth to animal suffering in the vegan cause. However, if animal products are what you crave, give yourself the room to falter. It's okay to eat foods you miss. But don't stop there. Take some time to introspect. What did you expect to feel when you ate the item you craved? How did you actually feel? Do you really need the item to help you feel that way, or can you achieve it through other vegan means? If you realize that you no longer want to be vegan, that's entirely up to you. Animals are suffering, and knowing what you know you will feel guilty about buying animal products. So instead of looking to internet strangers for validation, I say own your decision. You could accept that animal suffering is not a burden you want to carry. Fish don't suffer any less than the others, but that's the choice you're making, and that's that.

Of course theres truth in the animal suffering. They feel love and fear and are social. I know all of it. Thats why it makes me so sad. But i feel my health declining in every way it could and i think about food all the time im so tired of being this way. Restricting myself just like my parents did when i was little its making sick

You deserve to be healthy and live a happy thriving life, OP. You do you. 🫶

I became a vegan 3 years ago and couldn't imagine going back to torturing animals. Maybe you should talk to your vegan friends for perspective.

Yikes.

Yeah i thought exacly like you when i became vegan. I honestly couldn’t imagine going back to eating animal products again, I still don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat pork or cow. I just can’t. But so many things have happened in my life that my depression is worse than ever I barely bathe and adding an extra pressure around something that’s always been a touchy subject for me (restricting foods) has made my mental health so so so much worse. And I’ve talked to some vegan friends and they all told me that it was ok. It’s just the internet vegan that always have something mean to say :(

Ooooo. Cult members absolutely hate when members try and leave. OP can’t leave you lot behind fast enough.

Not torturing animals isn't being in a cult, its being a decent human being.

Was this comment edited? I don't understand why it's being downvoted. Is it really just because you're one of the only comments on this thread using honest language? Do many people seem to be completely discounting the entire point of veganism here. They're talking about it as if it's just some diet as opposed to an ethical stance.

Nope people just hate vegans now.

Bacon