Except my morning coffee, I’ve had no issues becoming vegan. I actually like it. It definitely has its challenges though. I was at a graduation party yesterday, of course, I couldn’t eat a thing. I always prepare beforehand when going on these ventures though, so for me it doesn’t become an issue. Yesterday, I ate before I went so I wouldn’t be hungry. At other events, I’ve brought my own food to heat up or brought a vegan veggie burger for the BBQ, it definitely takes planning to be vegan.

I cook one or two days a week and eat that food for the remainder of the week. In between I’ll add maybe a veggie pizza with no cheese or something simple like rice and veggies or rice and beans. Once a week I usually go out to eat with friends or family and wherever I go, I know the menu and what I’ll be able to eat before I go.

My decision to become vegan wasn’t a social decision. I can guarantee if I saw a video on how they treat, farm and butcher animals I’d be ill and never want to eat again anyway but I’d never watch those videos. I made this decision strictly because of my health and my multiple sclerosis. Where no diet has ever been proved to help multiple sclerosis, doctors all agree a low fat, high fiber, complex carbs, no processed foods, low sugar, veggies and fruits are the way to go. Basically a vegan diet or a diet with very lean meats. I’m on the right track one way or another.

I have not gained but not lost weight since becoming vegan but that’s my own fault. I found the vegan bakery and I’m eating cookies almost everyday. I’m consuming way to much sugar. After a MS discussion group I attended, where diet was a focus point, I realized, I need to cut out sugar. From now on I’ll bake myself so I can control the sugar content of the foods I eat. Plus I can control what type of sugar is being used like a maple sugar as opposed to a white sugar. That was the one change I am implementing immediately. Not for weight loss, which will probably come, but for health reasons.

As far as my coffee, the one area I eluded to that I have a problem with being vegan. I use silk but add a drop of half and half still. It was the one thing I refused to give up and I just couldn’t take the silk on its own. So that is my one and only vice. Its been 8 months now that I’ve been vegan and I’m doing fine.