What am I doing?
I'm struggling in a way that I haven't since I've been a vegan. This is so stupid, but I was wondering if anyone ever faced anything like this, and if so, what the heck they did to overcome it.
I've been a vegan for about 13 months. I absolutely love it. I LOVE it, to start out with. I work right next to a Dollar Tree, and the people I work with, myself included, go over for snacks midday. Usually I eat pretzels or peanut butter crackers if anything from there. But within the last two weeks, I've gone over there, and bought stuff I shouldn't be eating as a vegan. Not meat, but like today, I had a Cookies and Cream candy bar. And the other day I bought Doritos.
I feel so low right now. I know what I'm doing is wrong. I'm really stressed with alot of different areas in my life, and I don't know if that might be related to it, or I am just intentionally sabotaging myself. I'm assuming this is all mental, but I just don't know. I would have thought that this type of behavior would have been long gone.
Thanks in advance!
Jessica
well maybe you could make your own snacks and take them with you. like make a vegan candy bar (or buy them from your health food store) and take them so you won't feel tempted to eat the non-vegan version. also, garden of eatin' brand "red hot blues" flavored chips taste a lot like doritos to me. it's all about being prepared. obviously you're gonna be tempted if you're starving and those things seem like your only option. but there's always another way.
if it makes you feel better, there were a few times when i was so hungry and my friends would eat queso sauce ad chips and i would just want to dig into it. but that was because i was extremely hungry and that was the only "edible" thing around. i never gave in, but the thought was there. but i always knew it wasn't worth it to me, and once i learned to make my own yummy snacks and not starve, i was never tempted again.
everyone slips up, the world isn't gonna end because of it. now you know where your weakness is and you'll learn how to deal with it.
Are you getting enough variety in your diet? Enough calories? PMS cravings?
When I don't get enough protein, I crave sugar. When I don't get enough fat, I'm irrevocably hungry. Figure out what your body is telling you with the craving.
Pack your own healthy snacks, and don't go over to the store. Tell your coworkers that you've started packing your own snacks, and you'd rather not go there. Make sure you are eating enough at your meals, and throughout the day. Pack things like veggies, hummus, fruit, nuts, pb sandwiches, pb and crackers, pretzels, small portions of leftovers, etc. Just eliminate that trip from your life! Thee's nothing positive related to it.
i can't really relate in terms of vegnism, but i've had the problem when i was switching to my current diet. the last time i ate some of the foods that i don't want to eat anymore i felt totally dissonant and not in tune with myself/my beliefs. honestly, that was pretty much enough for me to STOP eating that stuff. why did you go vegan in the first place? i suggest you watch earthlings, read a health book, and familiarize yourself with the environmental benefits of being vegan. make sure you eat enough, try to pack snacks, and if you don't pack snacks either skip it if you're feeling vulnerable or get something that is vegan (i suggest making a list of stuff you can eat at the dollar store to remind yourself.. or send your co-workers w/ that list and have them get something for you). make alternatives of the stuff you are craving.
Don't feel so bad. If being vegan is really important to you and something you still want then you will be able to do it. Everybody slips up.
Take everyone else's advice, pack your own snacks and say "no, thanks". It's difficult, but you can do it. Make all you meals count so you dont' fall into starvation and feel the need to eat this stuff. I watch two very hyper little girls 8 hours a day and about an hour before lunch I am STARVING. Morning is their (and mine) most active time. Their family isn't even vegetarian and most of their food that is easy to grab is not vegan to eat while I'm preparing the girl's lunch is not vegan. But luckily, the mom is really into having lots of fruit at the house so I always eat an apple to take the edge off and it works. So bring some big apples to work, or peanutbutter, or whatever works for you.
This lifestyle choice in some cases can be difficult but the compassion we have for animals, for our bodies, for the environment is what gives us the strength to say "no", even though it may seem like a lot of the time that the rest of the world thinks we're crazy.
Good luck!
Thanks everyone for your support! It made me feel better, seeing that people didn't enterilly hate me because of this.
After reading the posts, I can absolutely say that my weakness is lack of preparation and planning. I haven't been planning any meals or snacks the way I used to, and that really is my downfall.
I don't even want the food that I ate from the store, it was just like, I'm super hungry, and well, it's okay, because I'm good this amount of time. And that's not the way to look at it.
I think I need to read another book, or possibly watch a movie, to kind of reconnect myself to the reasons I originally became a vegan. It's not that I've forgotten, it's just that when I have so much going on in my life, it's easy to kind of become selfish and look past them.
I really appreciate everyone's support and advice! I am feeling so much better!