My friends call me Rae. I've been a vegetarian since December of 2003, and a vegan since September of 2004. I went veg at the advice of my surgeon (I was convalescing from a nasty back injury, and had gained weight due to my inability to walk and my horrible diet). It worked for a while, but once my diet became heavy with seafood, I gained more weight. Long story short, I got fed up and went vegan. The change in my diet allowed me to drop a large amount of weight. Once I was able to be more active, I ended up losing a total of 50 lbs. I still have a long way to go. I'm convinced that going vegan also aided in my recovery. While I still suffer from back pain now and then (mostly when the weather's bad), I'm able to walk, dance, and just plain stand again. I joined this forum hoping to make new friends, and keep myself motivated. I don't always get the support I want or need here at home, and while I've done well without it, encouraging words and friendly advice is something any normal human being longs for. I live in NJ (though I'm originally from NY). My life revolves around my art & music, my adopted guinea pig Noah, and my sweetheart. It's really late (or early, depending how you look at it), and I don't have much else to say. I hope this intro wasn't too long. Thanks for reading. Take care.
