I may go vegan

[dilla]

I'm gonna be back to civilization in a few weeks. Eating on this island was the worst experience of my life. It was pretty much impossible to eat healthy, and this coming from a guy that love McDonald's, White Castle, and Taco Bell. Even I felt, "holy shit, nigga, this shit is unhealthy!"

Going vegan is a huge step, but I'm definitely gonna cut out meat and replace it with more veggies and soy and shit.

No, Casey, you didn't win. I don't care about animal rights. I feel a little bit for them, but.... This is more for health reasons.

Haven't been this motivated to eat better ever.

EDIT: Of course, exercising is a factor too. But they always say, emotionally, eating better is the fastest way to get results. Physically, that's obviously exercise.

Another thing, while here, I'm pretty sure my GIT died a little over time. I think I had/have parasites, and even got a nice taste of salmonella after eating some retarded fish once. Never have I had shitting episodes or felt nauseous as bad as I did here. Did I see a doctor? Nope. Because I'm a motherfucking champ. But I'm thinking I get myself checked, from mouth-to-ass for my GIT. There's something in there that shouldn't be in there.

Edit again: This is going to somewhat be my Bible for it all: http://www.reddit.com/r/vegan

 

[masta247]

I saw this thread and was surprised, then I went through the video because the guy is charismatic and made it interesting.

 

[dilla]

Yeah, I think that's all a lot of people need. A lot of vegans come off as condescending. Ok, maybe some. But that can ruin it for the rest of the vegans, the way it can ruin it for any group of people, religious, political, etc.

He speaks very logically, and it was funny how when he would make a point, I'd have a point to combat his (or so I thought), and he'd casually bring up the fact "oh, you must be wondering this-this-this," and I was. And then he'd combat that too.

Again, I don't know how I really feel about the ethical aspect of eating meat, but I'm content with being selfish and making changes solely for improving my health.

 

[Da_Funk]

I wish you the best of luck in your endeavour. Only thing I wanna say is take baby steps at first, you're talking a huge change here. And it will wear you down after a few weeks. But good for you.

 

[dilla]

I know. But there's a difference when you change because you feel it's time to change, and then there's the change that's kinda like...after a heart attack, you quit smoking, eating red meat, and start exercising. I'm definitely not at the latter point yet, in terms of my body (I hope not, at 23) but I'm certainly not the former either, where I'm at a decent, average place, but want to become better. Most of the time will be spent bringing myself down from the unhealthy height.

I wanna see a doctor, that's not my dad, but I'm afraid of two things: one, the doctor will basically say I have cancer, AIDS, diabetes, all wrapped in one, and two, my parents, namely my dad, will find out I smoke (after five years) and give me shit for it. I guess it'll be motivation, though. Better than CanAIDSbetes.

 

[S O F I]

that'd be awesome. i'm rooting for you.

 

[dilla]

Learning about half the dietary shit you hear about today in school doesn't hurt my case either. Guess I needed to be "educated" in a more technical way, not with layman's terms like "refined sugars boost estrogen and make you grow tits." Why does that happen? Ohhhh....

 

[ARon]

I wish you all the luck in the world but I do have a question. Why cut out meat completely? Why not just go for the balanced diet and still eat meat just not nearly as much as you do now? I just feel like it'd be easier for you at first then once you get used to taht you can go all veg if you feel the need to. I guess that wasn't a question but more of a suggestion

 

[dilla]

Because all the meat I eat is shit meat. I don't think any meat I eat is good, even in moderation. I mean, maybe chicken, but I eat beef a lot more. Bacon is a few times a week, but only when I make a bagel-breakfast sandwich with one large egg and a slice of cheese. I'll put two strips on there.

I may "cheat" a bit and eat some chicken here and there. But the way it works with me, and I'm sure with most humans, is if I try baked chicken (which I have) I find it rather flavorless. If I eat it one time, two times, I'll manage to have an aversion to chicken, assuming baked is the only way I can eat it. After about a week of not eating chicken, and cutting out red meat as a whole, I can handle going meatless.

I'm thinking this because I'm like this with cigarettes. If I'm so busy that I don't have time to think about stopping for a smoke break for about 8 hours, I won't really crave one afterwards. It's just after eating a meal that I'll feel empty without having one, but I've even made it past that point many times too. For me, going about 36 hours without a smoke usually dampens my cravings from there on out. Of course, at some point, I'll have one out of habit (not need) if I drink or simply hangout with friends and we talk. That would trigger me to get a smoke out, like eating a meal does.

I once went about four months without a mg of nicotine in me. Of course, I was at home with my parents and I wasn't having them find out. But just being at home and my parents around, it stifled the cravings then too. Even after eating, I may reminisce of the times I smoked after a meal and might want one, but when I realized there was no way for me to inconspicuously step out the house and have one, I would continue on without thinking about it again.

I'm hoping the same principle applies towards all the bad foods I eat. I've heard others say similar things about giving up dairy, especially cheese, and refined sugars (especially soda). I can vouch for the same for cigarettes. And I know if I notice even a slight change in energy, straying from my usual slob behavior, it'll be multiple epiphanies for me as I get more energy.

I'm not excited to make a change or save animals or eat less or lose weight. What's inspiring me the most is hearing people mention their huge change in energy. And their mental state. Maybe I'm still in the moment, but I can feel the toxins in me from all the garbage I eat. Hell, when I think about it, I can list every food I eat and why it's bad for me and just visualizing their detrimental effects on me has me excited to visualize them just being shat out of me and replaced with....I dunno what.

I'm at a point now with school that I'm frustrated with the work, feeling unmotivated, lazy, etc. Sure, some maybe learning skills, but I feel a poor psyche from a poor diet has a lot to do with it and could be the fastest remedy to a lot of issues.

 

[Da_Funk]

lol @ hiding smoking from your parents. What're you, 12? Be a man, son.

 

[Pittsey]

I have felt a lot better since I stopped meat and dairy. I still eat eggs, and sometimes cheese. But my digestion has improved immensely.

 

[Ristol]

Good for you. Self-improvement, I like that. I'm doing this online course from Wesleyan--not actually signed up but just taking it on iTunes--and I feel like I'm learning a lot. Been out of school for a long time now so it's nice to get that structured learning environment back. Has anyone else done this in their spare time?

Back on topic: it's funny that this thread is sincere and earnest-seeming, because I could see Casey just skipping right over it, certain he's being trolled.

 

[dilla]

Good for you. Self-improvement, I like that. I'm doing this online course from Wesleyan--not actually signed up but just taking it on iTunes--and I feel like I'm learning a lot. Been out of school for a long time now so it's nice to get that structured learning environment back. Has anyone else done this in their spare time?

Back on topic: it's funny that this thread is sincere and earnest-seeming, because I could see Casey just skipping right over it, certain he's being trolled.

I felt the same too, hahaha. He'll find it eventually. His curiosity will get the best of him.

 

[Pittsey]

Good for you. Self-improvement, I like that. I'm doing this online course from Wesleyan--not actually signed up but just taking it on iTunes--and I feel like I'm learning a lot. Been out of school for a long time now so it's nice to get that structured learning environment back. Has anyone else done this in their spare time?

Back on topic: it's funny that this thread is sincere and earnest-seeming, because I could see Casey just skipping right over it, certain he's being trolled.

I want to do a Psychology degree. Hoping to start next year, or the year after. I am procrastinating a little.

 

[Casey]

No, Casey, you didn't win. I don't care about animal rights. I feel a little bit for them, but.... This is more for health reasons.

In what way is anything you do a "win" for me? It's a win for yourself. Congratulations.

Also, I don't know if I've been misunderstood but I've said since day one that my own veganism is equal parts health reasons and personal morality. I even debate it more on the health reasons because I don't expect others to share my morality. But everybody should be concerned about their health.

My best friend started this year on the borderline of obesity and with blood clots. After being a big meat-eater for all of his life - he embraced veganism after I showed him the documentary "Forks Over Knives". I wasn't aggressive at all, simply asked if he'd be interested in watching it. In just a few months he got down to a healthy BMI. When he gets back from working overseas, he even asked me to book us in at some raw food restaurants. It's gonna be epic. (for anyone who doesn't know what raw food/ raw veganism means, it's the nutritionally-sound concept that cooking anything over 48 degrees Celsius/118 Fahrenheight destroys the complex balance of micronutrients contained within the food and it's therefore far more beneficial to prepare all foods under that temperature).

I subscribed to that subreddit a while back, there is good stuff on there. veganforum is a good resource too, if you have any questions you'll likely always find the answer there.

 

[masta247]

Today I was a true vegan - ate Nachos with spicy sauce and coke for breakfast-dinner and potato chips and sprite for supper. I don't feel any healthier

I feel like I have to start my tomorrow morning with a chicken soup.

Healthier diet in a nutshell - eat more vegetables and fruits instead of sweets and reduce fat (and red) meat to minimum, mofuka. Drink more water instead of soda (mixing water with some fruit juice or soda is okay too, really - especially if you can use it to go down on the latter).
When you eat outside eat what you feel is good for you because deep inside you know when you're eating crap food. Keep your meals smaller (especially in North America you get humongous portions of food). Also make sure you eat different kinds of food and mix things up - don't eat the same kind of stuff all the time (though there are all-around safe choices, like rice with chicken breast and vegetables which is a truly complete dish nutrition-wise).
If you want to be super anal and look good try to eat more protein and less fat and keep your daily calorie intake around maintenance - don't ever eat more than you feel like eating, even if you prepared more - eating that "extra" when you feel you had enough is what's causing the most harm when you want to drop weight.

That's a few basic things that are still waaaay too hard to follow for most people yet are what you need to do to stay healthy. Sure you can feel like the do-gooder if you're vegan, but you don't need to go all radical if it feels like it's too much to handle, and for a lot of people it is. A goal to make sense has to be ambitious but also seem honestly achievable. If you feel like it's really, honestly achievable for you then good luck, because it's a good change. People go vegan everyday so it's totally within anyone's reach.
Vegan diet is doing a huge favor to the society but you need to remember that you need to be much more strict with your diet than with a healthy balanced diet that includes lean meat. The biggest gain from the vegan diet doesn't come from the fact that you don't eat meat (health-wise) - it comes from the fact that you HAVE TO be aware of what you eat, so you do that - you eat consciously and healthier in the process.

I opened my mind to some vegetarian dishes (a close friend of mine is vegetarian). It's still hard for me to eat most of their stuff because I was never into vegetables, especially boiled vegetables but.. some meals are good. What I find that applies to me about vegetarian food is that their dishes either look much worse than they taste or the other way around - they look good and taste weird. Since it's not really a popular thing here and being vegetarian you are pretty much equal to being gay or mentally ill I'm yet to see a good vegetarian restaurant. And I'd honestly like to find one just for the sake of eating more vegetables.

 

[Casey]

And I'd honestly like to find one just for the sake of eating more vegetables.

www.happycow.net

 

[Jokerman]

Congratulations Casey on the win! (don't drink too much champagne.) Also, congrats to Team USA at the Olympics.

 

[masta247]

www.happycow.net

yeah the only one that matters in here is Loving Hut. I'm yet to try it too.

 

[vg4030]

If I got into a debate with that guy, he'd probably make me cry #Caseywins #Caseyno1