with myself!!! I need to get it together. I keep saying I am going to become vegan and I then decide to ease into it, then it oh well one piece of cheese won't hurt, then I am back to my old vegitarian self. Did any of you have a hard time making the switch? I know what I am doing is not good for animals, I know that those happy california cows do not exist but I just can't stop myself. Maybe I should go cold turkey? Uggghh, sorry end of rant.

I've been vegan for 3 years now. Was veg for 6 months before but took my time making the switch...that helped in the long run. You don't jump into marathon running with not having walked anywhere in 3 years...same goes here. No jumping in without testing the water for piranhas! :P

You also have to look at your motives. Are you really doing it for the animals, or just to cut out some food groups from your diet? Find yourself a solid reason, not only motivation, to become vegan. It has to make sense to your lifestyle & personality in order for it to work.

Also have to make sure you're still eating balanced. If you're not getting your vitamins/minerals/nutrients, you're not going to want to stay on the vegan path. If you're just eating salad & tofu, I feel for you & your VERY tough choice.

Just remember, being vegan isn't about cutting anything out of your diet...just substituting. It doesn't have to be boring or depriving!

Feel free to pm me & ask anything you like, or continue on this thread.

Hey there. As a vegetarian who has often thinks about going vegan (to avoid factory farmed dairy/eggs and the environmental/cruelty issues that I see go with them), I feel your pain!

Personally, I think one reason I haven't succeeded is that I still don't cook so getting wholesome vegan meals that won't kill my weight loss goals has been tough. And since I don't want to be restricted to just salads.....I go to old vegetarian staples.

I admire your drive though and wanted to wish you luck!

I am not vegetarian or vegan but am easing into it. For some a slow process works. I started out one vegetarian meal a day and one whole day week. That turned out to be very easy for me and I am actually only eating meat about 3 times a week. My plan is to eventually ease vegan meals in as well. I doubt I will ever be 100% vegan because I love cheese and dairy too much. But I am cutting way back on my animal product consumption and for me right now that is enough.

Thank you all for your support. My reason for wanting to go vegan are the same that drove me to becoming a vegetarian. I feel that the meat industry in this country is horrible. Through other message boards I have become aware of the horrors of daries and egg farms. I have started to buy eggs from a local audobon center where you can see that the chickens are treated well, however I know that the male chicks are killed and that bothers me.
I drink next to no milk, but cheese and eggs are my weakness.

Have you tried experimenting with vegan cheese and egg substitutes for your favorite dishes?

I have not tried vegan cheese as I have heard most are rather disappointing. I have the egg replacers, ener G I think it is. Is there an egg subsitute that you can make scrambled egg or a fritata with?

Cheese used to be a weakness of mine as well but honestly, I don't miss it at all. Also, for the various ways that you use cheese, there are possible substitutes. The "uncheese" cookbook has many of these but if you said "hey I miss cheese in enchiladas", then I could point you to a fabulous enchilada recipe where you wouldn't miss the cheese or what not. Also, nut cheeses are fabulous and you can make them at home since they are $$$ to buy.

Here is an example of a cashew goat cheese recipe:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/10952

As far as scrambles, frittatas, look at tofu scrambles, they are wonderful.

I rarely eat cheese or other dairy so I don't really miss it if it's not there. But if I do want cheese, then I have to have real cheese. I've tried a lot of cheese substitutes and one bite was more than enough. The only exception has been Soy Feta from Sunergia. I use it in recipes or salads and really like it.

That said, when I want cheese I eat cheese. I'm lucky to have a local store that sells cheese from small family owned ethically run dairy farms. It's usually expensive but that keeps me from overeating I buy cheese about every other month.

I have been vegetarian for ten years and I used to consider veganism - especially when my vegan friends kinda sneered at me for *only* being vego, like if I really cared about animals I would be vegan.
I cook mainly vegan meals, I tend to browse vegan recipes before vegetarian recipes since they seem to rely so heavily on dairy for substance. Vegan is a lable that I just dont feel comfortable adopting. If I went vegan and failed, I would feel like I had done a disservice to the vegan movement. So I eat mainly vegan foods and I dont beat myself up if I occasionally have cheese on my burger. I am happy knowing that I do the most I am prepared to do at this stage of my life, I know I am making more of a difference than a lot of people so I dont have to feel horribly guilty. You dont have to be vegan to eat vegan food!