Check it out! (click on the red camera for video)

That is cool, the only small problem I had with it was the last line about calcium...

Vegans do have to be aware that by not eating eggs or dairy, they're losing some nutrients like vitamin B-12 and calcium. So vegans have to find food substitutes or supplements that contain those.

Also, I've found out there are quite a few vegan restaurants in my area. I plan to go to one on Friday and for the past 3 Saturdays, DH and I have been going to a vegan Chinese restaurant.

Great article Shannon. It's a good day when the news makes vegans and vegetarians sound rational.

One small issue with the author; he refers to the flatulent reality of raising livestock. I think he's spot on about the excess methane, but cows gently burp methane from their first stomach. Wikipedia links flatulence to expulsion under pressure from the other end.


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Completed Beck Program-day 30. 12 to go. Keep going!

Yeah, Carl didn't get exactly everything right, and he said his producer wanted him to work cow farts in there somewhere (is he like, 12 or what?). It is positive overall though, so I'll give him credit for that.

Yes, I watched it (first time I only read) and I do think it is very positive. Work in cow farts... hmm yeah ok.

Outstanding! You look great, and it's not easy to look good on video!
I had no idea about the small percentagaes of vegetarians and vegans in the US. I would have guessed that there were more. Probably because the people I know are not a representative sample.
Anyway, very cool!

Shoot, it won't play for me. I tried this morning after you posted this, and again just now

Wow! I really learned a lot from that video, especially the global warming angle. My gosh, I honestly had no idea it was that dramatic. More reason to consider going vegan for transition and maintenance.

I think you ARE selling me on being a vegan. I especially like your common sense compromise about eating vegetarian, not vegan, in certain situations. That would make it more do-able. The thing that did me in was having to question waiters about whether or not there was whey in the rolls. But I know that compromising would make me a vegatarian, not a vegan. But I think I could live with and do it the way you showed. I won't be ready until I take off some more weight and think about the way I handle food.

Thank you for leading the way and inspiring others.

Nelie, do you live around Rockville MD? There used to be a large concentration of vegans in that area, because that's where PETA and several other national and local animal rights organizations were headquartered. I lived in Silver Spring during part of the time I was a vegan, but that was at least fifteen or twenty years ago.

Actually I do, but the DC area has a lot of vegan/vegetarian restaurants. There is a really cool website that lists them all (vegdc.com) including options at regular restaurants.

About not eating animal products, I do really a best effort. I'm not too concerned about trace amounts of whey, I'd be more concerned about cheese, cream, etc.

I'm curious why you wouldn't go vegan if that is what you want to do as well as the lose the weight? Although my weight loss has tapered to 1-2 lbs per week, this is the fastest weight loss I've ever had other than when I was at my highest weight.

Yay you were on TV!

You look great by the way.
I've noticed that there are more vegan and vegetarian dishes being introduced in many of the restuaraunts in my city. Many of which I enjoy.

I'm just not ready yet for that challenge, but one day... I have a feeling I may be inclined to take a different turn

At this moment, I am infatuated with Medifast, the easiest diet in the world. I am in a state of overwhelm (in fact, that state has gone on for about six years) and I just want something incredibly easy where I do not have to think. I did lose weight quickly and painlessly while I was a vegan, but even in the Rockville area, with more vegan support than most vegans even dream about, it was a huge hassle that took a lot of concentration. Of course, that was fifteen or twenty years ago, so things might be easier now. I think once I am in transition and maintenance I may go vegan. There are so many vegan choices now that did not exist back then.

Actually I think Medifast is what made me want to go with a vegan diet. I tried Medifast and liked the shakes (I love shakes) and the meals but I didn't like that whey was in everything and I wanted what I felt was a healthier diet, which for me means a whole foods diet. It is super easy but it left me thinking that I should be eating more veggies, fruits, beans, etc instead of little packets of food. I lost weight on it but not as fast as I have since doing my vegan diet.

Thanks for all the great feedback guys! Sometimes I feel like a slacker for not making the full vegan commitment, but I'm just not ready yet. I am trying to be a more conscious consumer and make more earth/animal friendly purchases when it's easy to do so, but there are times when it gets to be more hassle than I want to deal with. I have stopped buying leather, wool and silk (like I was buying silk all the time before anyway ) and find those things are easy to avoid, but I also don't like to ask about traces of whey in things at restaurants.