As I approach my 7th year of being vegan in August, I take this moment to reflect back on a time when I wasn’t. At the time, I would eat anything and everything without a second thought. It didn’t matter what I ate, as long as it was tasty, and somewhat healthy. I think this is the reality for many people around the world. Unless you have a food allergy or a dietary preference, the ingredients list isn’t the centerpiece. I’m not trying to objectify here, but I personally don’t know many people that actually care very much for the ingredients in a food item. And honestly, that used to be me.
However, when I started to develop a moral connection with my food, I had a sudden shift in my mentality. I was actually on a trip with my parents, when I told them that I’m going to try being vegetarian. In the moment, it felt like the right thing to do. From the outside however, it seemed like a complete and sudden change. What happened? Suffice to say that I decided one day to finally ditch the meat, and embrace a new lifestyle. A short lived stint at vegetarianism ensued after this declaration. However, traversing that experience helped me realise what needed to be done. Since then, I haven’t turned back.
I’ve always written about my experience as a vegan in the present, but in this article, I’m going back to the beginning. There’s always an association with trying things for a month and unsurprisingly, Veganuary is that month for people interested in veganism. So, why don’t I show you what my first month as a vegan looked like. Shall we?
Learning Phase
To give you some brief context, I started researching veganism during my senior year of high school. I was a competitive swimmer who gained some muscle from lifting weights. My body at the time was changing, and I felt it physically and mentally. I was unlocking a new territory that I hadn’t experienced beforehand. Transitioning slowly from being naturally skinny, to having some muscles, gave me insight into what’s achievable. The gym became a home to me, and a newfound passion.
Now that I was “indoctrinated” into the gym culture and lifestyle, I immersed myself into a lot of content that I thought was going to benefit me. Watching fitness influencers on Youtube became my hobby, and I was going above and beyond to learn about the art of muscle building. Rummaging through endless videos and articles, I must have somehow stumbled upon veganism. I used to watch a couple of vegan lifters, and their perspective on things made me question what I was doing – both ethically and physically.
I would regularly watch a lot of videos, and read journal articles regarding the health aspects of a vegan diet compared to an omnivorous one. To me, some things just made sense. Additionally, watching documentaries like Cowspiracy, Earthlings, and others, helped shape my moral understanding of veganism. Nonetheless, this process took a while, and my thoughts and actions began to align after almost a year of research. I told myself “I’ll try vegetarianism and see how that goes”, as a steppingstone to veganism. Fortunately, that was short-lived, because it didn’t feel right to me. So, I decided to take a leap of faith and start living anew.
Living Phase
My first month as a vegan can really be described as being very confusing. Realistically, I had no idea what I was doing, and any fleeting sense towards going back was swiftly dismissed. People I know were saying that this just a phase and that I’ll grow out of it. However, I was quite unbothered by this because I certain that it wasn’t. Regardless, I was consistently figuring things out, and there was a lot to uncover. Understandably, veganism is a lifestyle that revolves around reducing animal exploitation in every facet of our lives. At the time though, that was too much for me, so I was taking things step by step. This meant that I wasn’t particularly buying cruelty free or vegan non-food products because I hadn’t yet developed that idea within me.
At the time, my cooking skills were also non-existent, and I wasn’t really in tune with how easy it is to cook vegan food. I was fortunate enough to have access to available university catered food, so that helped me a fair bit. It allowed me to not think of the food that I had to cook but rather just ask if something is vegan. Additionally, it gave me some ideas here and there regarding the food that I can make for myself. Realistically however, I was a lost cause in the cooking department. When I did cook for myself, I’d make my infamous mushy rice, blandly seasoned tofu and boiled frozen spinach. Nevertheless, that didn’t deter me from figuring things out, slowly but surely – even if it meant eating unappetising dishes.
One thing that I do remember, which I find funny now, is telling people that I’ve only been vegan for a month. When you’re the only one that asks for the vegan option, people will naturally question it. Answering yes to “are you vegan?” was at first also weird because of how early it was in my vegan journey. So, it became a bit conflicting whether or not I should answer yes, or provide some context. Regardless, I would say that I’ve been vegan for X amount of time (a very short period of time), and that it’s something that I can see myself doing in the long term. Even back then, people were super nice about it, and asked curious questions. Additionally, whenever I’d meet long term vegans, I would get some cool tips, so that helped me a out as well.
Takeaways
Whether you have just started living a vegan lifestyle, or are curious about it, the initial weeks and months are very important. These early days represent the breakaway point from an old life, and the acceptance of a new one. Although the changes made in the beginning might seem drastic, life still continues to be the same. The changes that I made when I had become vegan were simple: I cut out all animal products from my diet. However, it took a while for me to extend this understanding into other facets of my life. For those who are in the same boat, don’t worry, it’s the effort that counts. Eventually, as time goes on, you will slowly shape your life to be as less exploitative as can be.
Nevertheless, the most important thing about those formative days is that you don’t overwhelm yourself. You will learn a lot of things on the go. You will realise that the animal industry is larger than it seems. And moreover, you will start to see how much you depended on animal products. This in my opinion is the tipping point for many people. This appears on a personal, but also on a social level. The best tips that I can give for both is to veganise the foods you love to eat, and to not let your lifestyle choices affect your social standing with others. It seems easier said than done, but it’s doable. If you want to learn more about this, you can check out my article on how to navigate as a vegan in a non-vegan world.
The last thing that I want to say on this topic is that a month is a very short period of time. However, it can be a shock to what we’re used to. If you’re going to try Veganuary, or are in your first month, reflect on the aspects that you’re struggling with. Note down things that you like and dislike about what you’re doing, and how you can improve upon them. Ultimately, going vegan in my opinion is committing to a lifelong mission towards reducing animal suffering. And as such, the learning is endless, but it’s important to start reflecting early on.
If you rely on a lot of vegan alternatives, then try to find a way to reduce this by incorporating more wholefoods into your diet through varied recipes. If you’re craving an animal product, try to understand why that is, and how you can reduce that craving. Each person’s experience is unique to them, and as such, you will have to find what works best for you. Nonetheless, there’s a ton of brilliant vegans out there who share their experience and wisdom with the world, and you can find some of them here.
Wherever you are in your vegan journey, always remember, it’s the effort that counts.
Anis