60 Days of Being Vegan: What I've Learned (published in 2021)

On April 16th of this year, I went fully vegan.

There were a few contributing factors to this experiment and even some surprising results.

Photo by Pasja1000 on Pixabay

Background

For most of my life, I was never a serious carnivore, especially during the last few years. The only animal-derived food products that I really consumed was chicken, few types of fish, eggs, cheese, and cream (I quit drinking cow milk years ago simply because I didn’t like the taste). Even then, I rarely ate cheese unless it was already mixed in with food, and eating red meat was out of pure convenience rather than craving. Basically, I was never a fan of animal food products and I really only ate limited quantities of it.

Aside from the obvious ethical and environmental reasons, I underwent this experiment because I wanted to challenge myself. I wanted to know if I was capable of making a significant lifestyle change on my own accord and sticking to it. A test of personal willpower, if you will. I didn't set a finish line for myself; if I liked it then I’d continue, if I didn’t then no problem. Having already eaten plant-based foods before, though, I had a strong feeling that I’d be able to manage without much difficulty.

Unlike some new vegans who take their transition slow and gradually drop foods from their diet, I went in cold turkey. Like I mentioned before, I didn’t really eat much animal products to begin with. The positive part of this was that it wasn't hard to find substitutes at all. Plant-based diets are booming nowadays and you can now find vegan meats and cheeses with ease, at least here in the United States. This meant that I could easily “veganize” all the foods I would regularly eat.

Changes I’ve Noticed

By far the biggest change I’ve experienced is that I feel full with less food. The quantities that I eat now would almost certainly not satiate Alan from two months ago. I also just eat less now; not purposefully fasting but just eating when the need arises. In this respect, veganism has taught me moderation.