On My Veganniversary (Or, Lots of Made Up Words)

It's my 3 year veganniversary.

I know, because I officially became a vegan the day after the series finale of Lost. Let me clarify by saying that these two events were unrelated, though a part of me would very much like to pretend that I was so bereft without The Island that I somehow couldn't face the prospect of continuing to consume animal products. It's pure coincidence, but ended up being a handy way of remembering when my adventure began.

My path to veganity (which isn't a real word so much as a term that I appropriated from Scott Pilgrim) was both simple and complicated. I didn't make the change for reasons of animal rights, though I have nothing but respect for people who do. It's certainly an added bonus that I've adopted a lifestyle that is kinder to my furry and feathered friends, but I wouldn't want to accept credit where it is not due.

I became a vegan because I needed to change the way I was living my life.

Look, before we go any further, I'm about to get into some self-image stuff, and that's tricky. If you are friend or foe or stranger, understand that I am neither expert nor authority. If I were, "M.D." would follow my name and you'd be reading this in a book that would probably feature a picture of me surrounded by puppies dressed as vegetables or something because taking serious posed photographs makes me very uncomfortable. I'm not commenting on anybody's feelings or lifestyles but my own. So.

I'm an emotional eater with a side of food-related impulse control. I know, I know. Stop bragging. But it's true. As a sensitive, highly anxious kid, I learned pretty early on that food brought a lot of sensory satisfaction and afforded me a feeling of control that I didn't seem to have over other things in my life. I never starved myself, and I didn't really binge eat - not in the traditional sense, anyway. But I did toss any and all regard for my health aside.

The way my brain typically reacts to food can best be described as follows: Candy tastes good. Thus, eating some will make me feel good. Where some would make me feel good, all will make me feel really good. Feeling good is the opposite of feeling bad. Ergo, I should probably eat all of the candy. Everyday. Forever.

Cut to me at 23, unhappy as a person could be, both emotionally and physically. I was two years into a job I  hated and, instead of dealing with my feelings, I went for the instant gratification of comfort food like a champ. Everyday. Forever. My clothes didn't fit, I felt sick almost all the time, and I was too afraid to go to my doctor for any reason at all because a voice in the back of my head told me there was no way that I wasn't at least borderline diabetic.

"I need to change something," I told a friend desperately, probably as I realized I had hit my personal bottom. "I don't know what, but I need to change something."

I had done Weight Watchers in college, but it didn't work for me. I'd do really well, then slip, feel like I failed, and surrender to the guilt. I flirted with the idea of cutting out sugar for awhile, and maybe even experimenting with being a vegetarian.

A series of tweets (thank you, internet and Olivia Wilde) led me to Alicia Silverstone's book, The Kind Diet. It broke down vegan philosophies and examined the politics of the food industry in a really gentle, logical way. The book didn't tell me I was living my life wrong - it just presented another option. It was the right message, presented in the right way, at exactly the right time.

Now here I am, 3 years in. To commemorate the occasion, after the jump are a few things I've learned.




An Educated Vegan is a Happy Vegan.
Research is key to a solid life change - particularly a food-based one. I didn't ease myself off of meat and dairy - it was pretty much cold turkey (Tofurkey? I'll see myself out...) right away. The first few months, a lot of conscious thought went into making sure I was giving my body everything it needed. Eventually, it became second nature. Fortunately, The Kind Diet pulls from a lot of different sources and is a good one-stop shop for information on how to stay balanced. Diving in without giving it any thought can be dangerous for your health.

Real Food is Rad.
I've cut almost all processed food out of my life at this point - even the vegan stuff - in part out of a desire to be more health conscious, but also because I've lost my taste for most of it. I cook a lot - something I was delighted to discover that I deeply enjoy - and discovering new foods and flavors has been crazy fun. It almost feels like a game - what is this thing, what can I do with it, and how will it benefit me?

Which touches on a big point - I never, ever thought about what the food I was eating was doing for me until I became a vegan. Eating had been a sensory experience that pretty much stopped at taste - if it was good, all thoughts stopped there. A chocolate chip cookie tastes great. Broccoli also happens to taste great (to me)  and is full of vitamins and protein and iron. One fills my stomach and pleases my brain. The other does that too, but also helps my whole body. It's also a good idea to ask where your food came from. Which leads me to...

Quality Food is Worth It.
I shop at Whole Foods a lot. It's my best option for organic, non-GMO food. When I get a, "We call it Whole Paycheck," crack thrown my way, my response is usually this: 1) It's the pre-made and packaged items that end of being the most expensive. If you work the produce and bulk grain and spice sections, it's comparable to most other stores - sometimes better. 2) I'd rather pay a little more and get exactly what I want.

Here's the thing - food is something you put directly into your body. It's a pretty intimate relationship. I want to feel as good as possible about what I'm essentially injecting into my blood, and if that means my wallet is a little lighter, then so be it. I'm worth it. (hair toss)

Being Vegan Doesn't Mean Only Eating Salad and Not Enjoying Life Ever Again.
Most common response from the rest of the world when you say you're a vegan: "But what do you eat?" There's a whole wide world of food out there, guys. It's exciting. It's delicious. It's hearty. It doesn't need to have anything to do with meat substitutes. And it is full of fantastic treats. Because, let's face it...

Indulging is Awesome.
I am not in the, "Being healthy means never treating yourself," camp. Not at all. However, I need to work within my own limitations. Remember the impulse control thing I mentioned? I'm not a person who can have one or two cookies and put the rest away. I will keep going until they are gone, and then I will feel bad about it (which kind of restarts the cycle).

At this point, I do my best to eat pretty clean and healthy six days a week, with one cheat day where I can do whatever I want. No guilt, no feeling of deprivation, and a bonus exercise in patience.

You Can Do It. For Real.
Conceptually, I didn't think this was something I could ever do. Meat and cheese were pretty much my favorite things, particularly when rolled together to perfection in the work of art that is the cheeseburger. But I challenged myself. I tried it out. Changes came immediately - I had more energy, I didn't feel so sick all the time, and my confidence got a surprising and unexpected boost.

I don't weigh myself - it was not a healthy practice for me - but when I do go to the doctor (which is not at all frightening anymore), I'm able to check in on how I'm doing. Focusing on overall health rather than just my physical appearance, as cliched as that may sound, made a big difference all around.

So that's where I am. Do I think you need to do what I do? Nope. It's the thing that worked for me, and it was really one of a whole bunch of life and attitude improvements that led to me being a much happier, more functional, less angry member of society. I guess the point of me sharing, outside of documenting a personal milestone, is to say that there's a whole world of fun choices and lifestyles available to all of us. We don't have to be limited by what we know. That's pretty cool, isn't it?