[nelie]

Well I meant there is a 'non dairy creamer' that I found in the grocery store that is made with coconut milk.

I also drink chai tea sometimes and I usually add almond milk to it.

[ma26]

Originally Posted by bonnnie

I was doing the low-carb thing here that most everyone on this forum talks about. I was also counting calories. There was so much meat and dairy products. I wasn't really losing (or gaining) despite all my hard work. In the back of my mind was always the wonderful book I read by Peter Singer called "The Ethics of What We Eat". Even though I read this book years ago, I still remembered passages clearly. I remember him describing his experience of visiting a vegan family in the Midwest. The mother had made a wonderful, filling, lentils, vegetable, and brown rice dish. He talked about how healthy they looked, in comparison to the majority of the other people that lived in the small midwestern town. Not only were they healthier, but they were not contributing to the suffering of any animals and were also environmentally responsible.

Then, I somehow forgot Singer's lovely book in the name of Weight Loss. I started ignoring animal suffering and irreversible environmental damages in the name of weight loss. Funny thing was, I STILL wasn't losing weight! I gave up on my ethics and had nothing good to show for it. Earlier this year, I happened to see an interview with Alicia Silverstone promoting her work in "The Kind Diet". She looked beautiful and more vibrant than ever. She pointed to the fact that taking on the vegan ethical standpoint leads to better health and often leads to weight loss. Why I couldn't connect these two points in the past - I'm not sure.

So, I dove into vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and fruit smoothies. I stopped counting calories, I stopped weighing myself everyday. I started really sticking to my 4-5 times a week jogging schedule (4-5 miles). I started embracing water. I personally avoid all of the vegan cheeses and dairy (outside of soy/almond milk). Its expensive and complicated.

I cannot say I am a 100% vegan because my boyfriend sometimes cooks dinner and he loves to add cheese (and fresh cheese is VERY important in Germany). I am a vegan 95% of the time.

In my view, we live in a world where we have little to no way of expressing ourselves politically. And how much does our vote REALLY count? (I am not saying NOT to vote). Singer brought out in his book that one of the most effective ways to express our political opinion is through the dollar. In a sense, you are making a small vote every time you buy something. I try to keep this as a top priority when I shop.

I know my butt is getting tighter (from the jogging), that I have much more energy, that I am compelled towards health. My clothes are fitting better, I have more confidence. I feel now I have to eat according to my ethics and exercise to keep my body strong. If that makes me slightly heavier - then that is the natural weight of my body. I cannot say for sure, but I hope to never turn to calorie counting or scales again (obsessing over what it says).

This has been the most inspirational thing I have read about being Vegan in a long time! Thank you for being motivational and inspiring me to just DO IT! All the tenets you talked about really spoke to how I feel and why I want to changehow I eat. Thank you.