I've been on 3fatchicks.com before ... but I had forgotten my login and my e-mail addy has changed at least 3 times since then ... So I'm starting completely fresh.

I am a 36 year-old wife and mother who works part-time from home and home schools my 9 year-old daughter. I am struggling to get back to a healthy vegitarian diet - striving for a vegan diet - and to lose weight.

I have officially hit my highest weight ever - 308.0 pounds - which is scary and sad and frustrating. Most of the vegitarian sites I visit seem to be frequented by thin, fit, healthy veg*ns with no weight problems.

Honestly, I could use some contacts who are veg*n and who also need to lose weight (even if it isn't the 100+ pounds I'm looking to shed).

I've just bought the book The McDougall Program: 12 Days to Dynamic Health hoping that it will help me learn to eat vegan without adding a lot of additional fats and oils that I really don't need or want.

My goal is a more whole foods oriented diet and lifestyle.

So that's me in a nutshell!

Welcome back Veggi-mom and good luck with your weight loss

Hey Veggi-mom! I'm a pseudo vegetarian and a mom to 3 kids, 8, 5 and 17 months. I haven't been sticking to my values lately and one thing I am trying to do is to get back onto vegetarian diet (and healthy too) My kids don't care to eat meat, which helps. Problem is they currently have a very limited menu and I'd like to expand it. If you have any kid friendly veggie meals, I'd love to hear about them.

(my son added this tantrum guy, he thinks this is very funny )

If you want to start a thread or if you are joining another one, please let me know. I'd love to join you on your quest!

(my son again. I guess I'll have to post after he goes to bed!!!)

Apple Blosson if you look in the vegechicks recipe forum there is a thread called "Family Friendly recipes".

I am trying to add to that thread but it is slow going... I would appreciate it if anyone would post any kid friendly recipes they have.

also check out...

http://vegweb.com (in the kids section)

and...

http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/

The first is an extensive database almost of recipes that are submitted and put up for comment and alterations. They have recipes for every single situation you can imagine and also provide feedback in the form of comments, etc.

The second is a blog posted by a vegan activist, whose other blogs and sites are also listed... and she shares daily menus which she's prepared for her son ("The Shmoo") who she is raising vegan.

Hope that helps.

Also, I'm a returning vegan myself, and I've noticed the same thing about online veg*n communities. I've even found threads on some of the MySpace groups where people have talked about needing to "gain weight"... hard to relate on that issue (although I've been at that end of the spectrum only a few years ago... )

It's an untrue myth that people expect veg*ns to be skinny as rails. It's just not true. My mother has been vegan for as long as I've known her (all my life, that is!) and she has always had weight issues... only recently lost substantial weight, and still is what most would consider "overweight"...

:raises hand: FAT vegan, here