Jp21 Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Hello everyone! I guess I should start off by saying i'm in no way a vegan...yet, but I hope to be. I guess to I should state i'm 21 don't know why, but it helps...? I became a vegetarian sophmore year in highschool, one because I like being different, plus to loose some serious weight, I was 210-220 at the age of 16 yikes! Thankfully with God, support from family, dedication and a very incouraging counselor and teacher, I lost the weight and sucessfully kept it off for 4 1/2 years weighing in at 175lbs (approximately). Sadly in culinary school, there is food everywhere, but I manged to stay below 200lbs. Currently I have been struggling at keeping a healthy lifestyle, but even more at finding my dedication and spark for getting back into the fray of things. Although I was a I ate chiken, fish, eggs and milk...like with beef and pork I am slowly growing out of having a taste for them and have had success of removing them from my diet. I really want to become vegan...my family is worried I'm not going to get what my body needs more than anything...it's tough living here in little Greensboro NC. I'm here to make friends who have chosen to be heathier individuals, to become healthier myself, to learn, to be motivated, find my dedication and inspiration, break sterotypes and cliches; become more comfortable and cofident about myself.Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.-Oogwa-Kung Fu Panda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Welcome I hope you find the motivation and support that you are looking for on this forum. I am also struggling with my family right now about my choice to become vegan. They are concerned that I will not be getting all of the nutrients needed for strong bones. If you read through some of the previous threads in this forum you will be able to find some websites that you can share with your family about the health benefits of veganism. The members here are wonderful and they can provide you with an abundance of expertise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaelhobson Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Welcome to VB&F! I ran a triathlon just a short ways from you in Burlington, NC back in '04. It's a nice part of the country, if not the most hip or progressive. Check out the Greensboro Vegan Meetup http://vegan.meetup.com/372/ to make about 75 local vegan friends instantly. Can't beat that? Also check out Happycow's restaurant and health food store listing for Greensboro http://www.happycow.net/north_america/usa/north_carolina/greensboro/index.html You will not have to look hard on this site to see that not only is vegan living healthy, but most often far healthier than your standard american diet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaN Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Hi dude, good to have you here. You will find that being vegan is more healthy than any other diet.I was a vegetarian eating cheese, eggs & fish too (pescatarian is the name for a vege who eats fish I think) The reality was, I was not a vegetaian at all.My diet was rich in animal food because I thought it was keeping me healthy. When I found this site, I became pure vegan, & I can honestly say I have never felt better.After some research I have discovered that infact the human body is meant to only eat plant food.This is evolutionary fact.If you want to know more about it, just ask You will find lots of good people on here & I hope it helps you make the transition to being a healthy vegan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
veganmaster Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Hi, Congrats on beginning your journey to veganism, and optimal health. Please read my 1st blog post to counter all the misinformation you've likely heard about a plant-based diet. I provide many links and sources to explore, all of which will help you realize that a low-fat vegan diet is the ideal diet for health (not to mention the clear ethical and environmental benefits). If you read through my post and check the links (which include some videos and a great lecture too) - you will begin to realize that the scientific evidence is robust - despite the propaganda! In fact, the rest of my blog is about the superiority of a low-fat vegan diet for body recomposition (muscle gain and fat minimization). So not only are we biological herbivores (the evidence will surprise you) - a low-fat vegan diet is also the best diet for gaining muscle without the fat! Whenever beginning vegans start out, their friends/family scare them with the propaganda they've been taught. But it is only misinformation that serves to promote the enormous meat and dairy industries, which have a huge budget to promote lies about their deadly products. They have spent literally billions of dollars over the years promoting lies about the supposed necessity of their products and the inferiority of the competition (plants). It's good old American marketing, er, brainwashing But when you consider the scientific evidence by itself, it is blindingly clear that whenever and wherever humans eat animal foods and oil regularly, chronic disease skyrockets. And wherever people eat a 95-100% vegan diet, chronic diseases are basically unheard of. And every time someone with artery disease, diabetes, etc., switch to a low-fat vegan diet, they reverse their diseases and astound their ignorant doctors! My blog post explains it all better Welcome (I live in Charlotte!) http://veganmaster.blogspot.com/2008/07/you-are-biological-herbivore.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tuc Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Welcome! Take your family, sit on your computer and show them pics of the people here. After that they won't ask whether or not you can be healthy while being a vegan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cubby2112 Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Welcome! I am sure keeping your weight down while going through culinary school is quite a challenge! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medman Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Welcome! Take your family, sit on your computer and show them pics of the people here. After that they won't ask whether or not you can be healthy while being a vegan. Haha, good idea. Really, once you learn about vegan cooking, you'll realize that it's not only easy to get "everything you need" - you'll most likely be getting more of it from a vegan diet! I remember back in my last year of high school, in my biology class I challenged everyone to 'beat a vegan diet'. I made a nutritional breakdown of the diets of various classmates, and then compared it to my own. Mine had the most iron, most calcium, most vitamin A/C/E, most fiber, most protein and least fat (saturated in particular). I hope you find some good advice, good recipes and good friends on here, because they're all available ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jp21 Posted August 5, 2008 Author Share Posted August 5, 2008 I just want to say again thank you to everyone who replied to this post, and giving me such warm welcomes and very helpfule advice, and much needed encouragement. I hope to outgo my expectations, and become a good vegan and a even better person, so again thank you ever one. Best of luck in your goals as well, and be blessed. =^.^= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liftandcode Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsorlando Posted August 6, 2008 Share Posted August 6, 2008 Welcome aboard! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Yo, welcome to the forum. If you are getting flack from people saying that veganism is unhealthy, get them to look at the profiles on this site. They should prove to anyone that veganism can be healthy. Failing that, ask them specifically what it is they think you will lack on a vegan diet. If you don't know where to get that nutrient, come on here and people will give you the answer. Then you can tell your family where you're getting that nutrient in your diet, and soon they will hopefully run out of reasons to bug you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DV Posted August 7, 2008 Share Posted August 7, 2008 Welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lean and Green Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 Welcome. Prove em all wrong and thrive. Just stick with a plant based life style as you slowly transition and it will become a natural progression for ya. This is the perfect place for support. Happy to have you here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasha Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 Hi Welcome to the forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikkei Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Welcome to the forum. I hope you can educate yourself here and start making the transition. It seems like you already know that becoming vegan is something that's going to be good for you! I can't wait to see your progress! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djshrew Posted November 3, 2009 Share Posted November 3, 2009 Welcome! Greensboro is nice! I have 2 close (vegan) friends that live there. I will find out from them what resources they use the most. I know they like to eat at the Bobo house (which has been good when I've gone) I also know that there is a vegan meet up group for the area. Having people close by that are also vegan can be helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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