Anyone ever broke their vegan diet?

[justin]

Has anyone ever broken their vegan diet due to temptation or desperation?

[prefab]

/yawn again

[blackdaisies]

agreed with prefab.

Justin, sounds like you're trying to find somewhere some of us at least admit that we'd rather not be vegan?

Anyway, whatever. psssh....

[JP]

alright dude, lets make an agreement ok? You are now on vegans turf, which means you are the odd one out, the freak, the different - we should be grilling you

Nothing wrong with genuine interest mate, but this starts to look like a psychology assignment.

[justin]

Harmless question out of interest.

[pazios2002]

I think the question is valid. some folks feel bad when they fall off the vegan diet, to know that others do sometines, could be good for them. I fall off when something "veggie" has milk or egg protiens in it and I forgot to look at the back of the carton.

[Strix]

Justin, I think most accidentally consume something they didn't mean to. sometimes reading labels can be difficult, not knowing what is really in each product -- ever read some labels?? Dang, there is some nasty stuff put into "food" lol. Anyway, other times, people decide they're not ready for primetime vegan so go back to vegetarian or omni diets. I'm just glad when someone becomes aware and does the best they can; so then I can hope they'll decide to go all the way when they can
A LOT of vegans go through terrible guilt when they consume an animal product, whether by accident or intention. It can happen a lot. Sometimes ingredients are hidden as well, or use an unfamiliar name so it's not recognized. Even "vegetarian safe/approved" labeled items (even vitamins) may not be. Gelatin is a big one you find often and it is not consumed (or not supposed to be consumed) by vegetarians or vegans.

so, to answer your question, no; as far as I know, I have eaten vegan for almost 8 years now (wow! time flies!)

[Oak]

No, i have never fallen from veganism.

Because for me the most important decision behind my eating choices is an ethical one. I don't really consider it an option to submit to temptation.
Eating anything unvegan, just seems so bizarre to me now.

Desperation is another thing, i mean depending on how desperate you actually are. For most of us who are vegan, we are so because it is a viable choice not becuase we are crazy.

Some people are vegan for health reasons, so temptation is more of an option for them i guess? I wouldn't condemn anyone for being tempted by something anyway. Although going and killing something to eat i would have problems with unless you were desperate.

Justin, have you ever tried vegetarianism?
If you are intrigued by the reason why we are vegan, just ask.
Check out this intelligent argument against vegetarianism too for a more balanced view.
www.second-opinions.co.uk/vegetarian

Stay strong,
Oak

[i live in omaha]

being vegan is the most important thing in my life right now. And no i have never deviated from being vegan... not even when nobody was looking.

[Kaz]

I've been vegan 6 years and never wanted any animal product to pass my lips again after the first month. During that time, I wanted cheese and eggs and ice-cream very badly - probably because my compulsive overeating had centred on heavily on high-fat and sugary foods. I didn't "fall off the bandwagon" because I didn't want it that badly that I'd give up peace of mind and new-found health gains. After that first 30 or so days, I never jonesed for any animal product again.

I have accidentally ingested animal products when I'd been told something was vegan, hadn't thought to ask, or not read the label properly. It's happened very rarely and my reaction has been absolute revulsion followed immediately by "Well, I won't make that mistake again."

[Tofuelain]

I'm not that strict vegan myself (some strict vegans wouldn't call me vegan at all). Sometimes when I see a product that has some possibly animal derived additives I'm too lazy to contact the manufacturer and find out if the product really is vegan.

Also I have eaten a couple of times yoghurts that I got from the containers of shops. But I felt bad about it so i quit that.

So yes, I have broken my vegan diet a couple of times. I am planning to become "more vegan" soon.

[nanoking]

For one thing, don't trust those tricksy waiters and waitresses!

Back when I was vegetarian (like 7 years ago) I was traveling in Mexico with a meat eating German physicist during a vacation from working at Los Alamos National Lab (yeah my life's pretty interesting ). At a shack on the Baja coast the trilingual translations failed us and I got slipped a pork burrito. I felt bad because the family was being nice and cooked for us and I was very hungry (and in the middle of nowhere). I nibbled on it for a bit, but decided to go for the extra strong instant coffee instead. Iron stomach when it comes to coffee, but pretty weak with respect to fatty meatiness.

It can be tough to travel when vegan especially to places where the native language doesn't have a word for vegan. Paris - no problems. Barcelona - some problems.

Anybody found ways to travel vegan without going insane either with frustration or hunger?

I've seen some travel shows where the host eats a piece of meat with the caveat that he's normally vegetarian, but it would be disrespectful to turn down the skewer...CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP, lol. I don't think I could do that.

Wife has family in Mexico so would like to get over my pork anxiety so I can go back there.

[Malcolms Billy]

Anybody found ways to travel vegan without going insane either with frustration or hunger?

If at all possible, get info from the vegan (failing that: veggie) society of the country you are going to travel to about culture, food and dishes - both to eat and to watch out for.
There once was a vegan passport, which explained in 100 and 1 languages what a vegan eat and doesn't eat. Don't know if it's still available, but the vegan society should know.
Try and get self catering accomodation so that you can cook for yourself. In most countries you'll easily be able to get veg and some kind of grains. While you might be stuck with having to eat all sorts of variations of rice and stir fry, at least you can be sure it's vegan, and by the time you get back you'll be able to make one helluva stir fry within no time!
Travel fast and get home quickly: home sweet home

That's my 2p's worth anyway.

See ya,
Billy

[Mary]

It is interesting that this thread was started by a non-vegan, also that he has been posting long enough to now be a "member". This at least shows an interest in veganism, so maybe we shouldn't jump down his throat for asking silly questions (my first impulse) - after all, we all did it at some stage.

When I was a kid I had friends, three sisters, who had been raised life-long vegetarians. I used to ask them daft stuff like "but have you really never eaten meat", and "aren't you curious - wouldn't you just like to taste a little sometime to see what it's like." I don't think these questions mean any harm. I think it is a form of self defence. Deep down I knew I should be veggie (I didn't even know that my friends were actually vegan, and had never heard the word.) But it seemed so weird to me because it was different from how I lived, so I threw up these defensive questions instead.

Obviously many people will accidently consume something not "kosher" at some point. This doesn't mean that they are not vegan, just that they have made a mistake. However, if someone repeatedly doesn't bother to check ingredients or lets things slide so as not to offend people, then they can't really consider themselves vegan - perhaps the term "aspiring vegan" is better.

I have just decided that I am never going to buy pre-packaged food from non-vegan companies again, because I found myself about to eat a skittle, (they've been vegan in the UK for ages) before checking the ingredients (automatic reflex) and discovering that they are now coated in shellac. Having no real urge to consume dead beetle goo I stopped in my tracks. Companies like Walkers, Mars, etc, may have vegan ingredients, but they have no interest in veganism, and they are often quite likely to slip us a nasty.

Mind you, that should teach me - as a supposedly healthy person I shouldn't have been eating sweeties anyway.

So, just to answer the initial question - no. Since becoming a vegan I have never knowingly consumed an animal product for any reason, and feel much better for it. Insecure members of my family have asked me similar questions to the one above, and my Dad has only just stopped trying to put cow's milk in my tea and coffee (only took him eight years). However, all that is their problem, not mine.

[josh]

You could always just lug around a suitcase full of vegan MRE's (Meal Ready to Eat) when you travel...not the best tasting 'food' but it will do lol.